Living Shadow. While in dim light or darkness, the dragon has resistance to damage that isn't force, psychic, or radiant.
Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the dragon can take the Hide action as a bonus action.
Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the dragon has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Multiattack. The dragon can use its Frightful Presence. It then makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (2d10 + 10) piercing damage plus 14 (4d6) fire damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d6 + 10) slashing damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (2d8 + 10) bludgeoning damage.
Frightful Presence. Each creature of the dragon's choice that is within 120 feet of the dragon and aware of it must succeed on a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the dragon's Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.
Shadow Breath (Recharge 5–6). The dragon exhales shadowy fire in a 90-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 24 Dexterity saving throw, taking 91 (26d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A humanoid reduced to 0 hit points by this damage dies, and an undead shadow rises from its corpse and acts immediately after the dragon in the initiative count. The shadow is under the dragon's control.
Spellcasting (Variant). A young or older dragon can innately cast a number of spells equal to its Charisma modifier. Each spell can be cast once per day, requiring no material components, and the spell's level can be no higher than 1/3 the dragon's CR (rounded down). The dragon's bonus to hit with spell attacks is equal to its proficiency bonus + its Charisma bonus. The dragon's spell save DC equals 8 + its proficiency bonus + its Charisma modifier." Detect Magic, Darkness, Dispel Magic, Stinking Cloud, Far Step, Meteor Swarm.
The dragon can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The dragon regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Detect. The dragon makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.
Tail Attack. The dragon makes a tail attack.
Wing Attack (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon beats its wings. Each creature within 15 feet of the dragon must succeed on a DC 25 Dexterity saving throw or take 17 (2d6 + 10) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. The dragon can then fly up to half its flying speed.
Description
The odor of sulfur and pumice surrounds a red shadow dragon, whose swept-back horns and spinal frill define its silhouette. Its beaked snout vents smoke at all times, and its eyes dance with flame when it is angry.
Shadow dragons are easily distinguishable from other dragon types due to their coloration, which gradually fades from their original color to a charcoal hue that can range from grey to black. They maintain the physical features of their original dragon subtype. Viewed from very close, the inside of a shadow dragon’s scales retains the dragons original coloration, occasionally shining through where the edges of the scales rub against each other. Of course, shadow dragons are rarely seen unless they choose to be. In darkness, a shadow dragon’s body becomes transparent and can be seen through, as though it were composed of dark smoke. Blades, weapons, and even most spells barely effect this incorporeal form. Of course, the shadow dragon can choose to make certain parts of its body briefly corporeal – generally, its claws and teeth.
In daylight, shadow dragons in their true form are blinded, and it can be noticed that their eyes are almost entirely pupil, with very little sclera visible. Their inability to dilate the pupil prevents them from controlling the amount of light that enters their eyes. Dragons who have mastered the ability to change their shape are not affected by this limitation while in humanoid shape, and most spend their daylight hours in this form, posing as humanoids. This combination – the ability to fly and be nearly invisible at night, while posing as humanoids in the day – makes shadow dragons excellent spies and assassins, and this is generally their favorite methodology for resolving conflict. Shadow dragons are almost never seen in their true forms unless they are about to make a kill.
Lair and Lair Actions
A Red Shadow Dragon’s Lair
Red shadow dragons lair in the depths of the underdark, dwelling in caverns nearby or within the deep halls of abandoned mines and Duergar strongholds. Caves with volcanic or geothermal activity are the most highly prized red shadow dragon lairs, creating hazards that hinder intruders and letting searing heat and volcanic gases wash over a dragon as it sleeps.
With its hoard well protected deep within the lair, a red shadow dragon spends as much of its time outside the lair as in it. For a red shadow dragon, the great heights of the world are the former throne from which it could look out to survey all it controlled—and the wider world it sought to control before becoming a shadow dragon. It patrols the nearby surface near an entrance to the underdark where it has made its new home during the night. During the night, it may be found soaring high in the sky, reminiscing on when it could feel the sun on its body without being blinded by the sun’s rays.
Throughout the lair complex, servants erect monuments to the dragon’s power, telling the grim story of its life, the enemies it has slain, and the nations it has conquered.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the dragon takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the dragon can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
- Magma erupts from a point on the ground the dragon can see within 120 feet of it, creating a 20-foot-high, 5-foot-radius geyser. Each creature in the geyser’s area must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 21 (6d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
- A tremor shakes the lair in a 60-foot radius around the dragon. Each creature other than the dragon on the ground in that area must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone.
- Volcanic gases form a cloud in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point the dragon can see within 120 feet of it. The sphere spreads around corners, and its area is lightly obscured. It lasts until initiative count 20 on the next round. Each creature that starts its turn in the cloud must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the end of its turn. While poisoned in this way, a creature is incapacitated.
- Dark energies emerge and extinguish all non magical flames, and reduce the radius of all magical light effects by half of said radius.
Regional Effects
The region containing a legendary red dragon’s lair is warped by the dragon’s magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:
- Small earthquakes are common within 6 miles of the dragon’s lair.
- Water sources within 1 mile of the lair are supernaturally warm, tainted by sulfur, unnaturally thick, and foul smelling.
- Rocky fissures within 1 mile of the dragon’s lair form portals to the Shadowfell, allowing creatures of the Shadowfell into the world to dwell nearby.
If the dragon dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d10 days.
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