| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| STR | 30 | +10 | +10 |
| DEX | 14 | +2 | +9 |
| CON | 29 | +9 | +9 |
| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| INT | 18 | +4 | +4 |
| WIS | 17 | +3 | +10 |
| CHA | 28 | +9 | +9 |
Amphibious. The dragon can breathe air and water.
Legendary Resistance (4/Day, or 5/Day in Lair). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Multiattack. The dragon makes three Rend attacks. It can replace one attack with a use of (A) Spellcasting to cast Guiding Bolt (level 4 version) or (B) Weakening Breath.
Rend. Melee Attack Roll: +17 to hit, reach 15 ft. Hit: 19 (2d8 + 10) Slashing damage plus 9 (2d8) Fire damage.
Fire Breath (Recharge 5–6). Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 24, each creature in a 90-foot Cone. Failure: 71 (13d10) Fire damage. Success: Half damage.
Spellcasting. The dragon casts one of the following spells, requiring no Material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 24, +16 to hit with spell attacks):
At Will: Detect Magic, Guiding Bolt (level 4 version), Shapechange (Beast or Humanoid form only, no Temporary Hit Points gained from the spell, and no Concentration or Temporary Hit Points required to maintain the spell)
1/Day Each: Flame Strike (level 6 version), Word of Recall, Zone of Truth
Weakening Breath. Strength Saving Throw: DC 24, each creature that isn’t currently affected by this breath in a 90-foot Cone. Failure: The target has Disadvantage on Strength-based D20 Tests and subtracts 5 (1d10) from its damage rolls. It repeats the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. After 1 minute, it succeeds automatically.
Legendary Action Uses: 3 (4 in Lair). Immediately after another creature’s turn, the dragon can expend a use to take one of the following actions. The dragon regains all expended uses at the start of each of its turns.
Banish. Charisma Saving Throw: DC 24, one creature the dragon can see within 120 feet. Failure: 24 (7d6) Force damage, and the target has the Incapacitated condition and is transported to a harmless demiplane until the start of the dragon’s next turn, at which point it reappears in an unoccupied space of the dragon’s choice within 120 feet of the dragon. Failure or Success: The dragon can’t take this action again until the start of its next turn.
Guiding Light. The dragon uses Spellcasting to cast Guiding Bolt (level 4 version).
Pounce. The dragon moves up to half its Speed, and it makes one Rend attack.
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Posted Feb 4, 2025Definitely not a Canary!
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Posted Feb 13, 2025I really like this stat block!
If a DM has a truly powerful party and needs this creature to be somehow even stronger, I would lean further into their awe-inspiring "justice" aspect with:
The Blade of Justice (1/Day). Trigger: The dragon becomes Bloodied. Response: The dragon moves up to its Speed without provoking Opportunity Attacks, and it casts Blade of Disaster, using the same spellcasting ability as Spellcasting (+16 to hit with spell attacks).
What can I say? I love ancient dragons with level 9 spells!
Please note that this effectively adds a near-automatic 52 (8d12) force damage per round starting when the dragon reaches half health, with a decent chance of doubling that due to the blade critting on an 18 or higher, so incorporate this at your discretion.
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Posted Feb 17, 2025One thing to keep in mind about the Gold Dragon and it's either poor wording or poor design.
Their Banish ability causes a player to appear in a harmless demiplane, but then re-appear at an Unoccupied spot of the Dragon's choosing.
Notice what this ability doesn't specify...Vortex Warp has this sentence, "The chosen space must be on a surface or in a liquid that can support the target without the target having to squeeze" and Banish doesn't. Or even the Banishment spell, that specifies that "When the spell ends, the target reappears in the space it left or in the nearest unoccupied space if that space is occupied."
This means a Gold Dragon can be flying 120 feet in the air...banish a target...and then have it appear an additional 120 feet above them. So Banishment on top of the 7d6 (24.5 damage) damage, does an additional 24d6 (84 average damage).
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Posted Feb 20, 2025If for whatever reason you are putting a gold dragon against your players. They must kill it in its lair.
Because otherwise, if that dragon is about to die. It should use Word of Recall to teleport itself back to its lair.
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Posted Feb 25, 2025I see that amazingart and, even if the color is wrong, my first thought is “I am the Eternal Dragon, State your wish.”
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Posted Feb 28, 2025Went from the worst dragon art to the best dragon art imo
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Posted Mar 14, 2025I know!!!
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Posted May 6, 2025This is by far the coolest idea I've seen for this dragon. Adding this to my campaign immediately.
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Posted May 30, 2025I would ironically rather fight that than the silver dragon, cause if yes weakening breath spam is absurd, its still less absurd than having probably half the party paralysed the whole encounter.
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Posted Jul 13, 2025We're lucky they're the good guys.
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Posted Jul 22, 2025This statblock is more powerful than the old one by a LOT! With the ability to cast spells for Radiant damage basically any time it wants(Guiding Bolt as Legendary action), this SERIOUSLY deserves a CR boost!