Vampire Dragon

Legendary Resistance (3/Day, or 4/Day in Lair). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

Misty Escape. If the dragon drops to 0 Hit Points outside its resting place, the dragon uses Shape-Shift to become mist (no action required). If it can’t use Shape-Shift, it is destroyed.

While it has 0 Hit Points in mist form, it can’t return to its dragon form, and it must reach its resting place within 2 hours or be destroyed. Once in its resting place, it returns to its dragon form and has the Paralyzed condition until it regains any Hit Points, and it regains 1 Hit Point after spending 1 hour there.

Vampiric Weakness. The vampire dragon has these weaknesses:

• Forbiddance. The dragon can’t enter a residence without an invitation from an occupant.
• Stake to the Heart. If a weapon that deals Piercing damage is driven into the dragon’s heart while the dragon has the Incapacitated condition in its resting place, the dragon has the Paralyzed condition until the weapon is removed.
• Sunlight. The dragon takes 20 Radiant damage if it starts its turn in sunlight. While in sunlight, it has Disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.

Multiattack. The dragon makes three Grave Rend attacks. It can replace one attack with a use of Spellcasting to cast Chill Touch or with a use of Bite.

Grave Rend. Melee Attack Roll: +13, reach 10 ft. Hit: 18 (2d10 + 7) Slashing damage plus 10 (3d6) Necrotic damage. The target has the Grappled condition (escape DC 21) from one of two claws.

Bite. Constitution Saving Throw: DC 17, one creature within 10 feet that is willing or that has the Grappled, Incapacitated, or Restrained condition. Failure: 14 (2d6 + 7) Piercing damage plus 27 (6d8) Necrotic damage. The target’s Hit Point maximum decreases by an amount equal to the Necrotic damage taken, and the dragon regains Hit Points equal to that amount. A Humanoid reduced to 0 Hit Points by this damage and then buried rises the following sunset as a Vampire Spawn (MM pg. 315) under the dragon’s control. A Dragon reduced to 0 Hit Points by this damage and then buried rises the following sunset as a Vampire Dragon under the dragon’s control.

YOUNG DRAGONS

When a young dragon is slain by a vampire dragon’s bite, rather than rise as another vampire dragon, they instead rise as a zombie dragon under the vampire dragon’s control.

Zombie dragons have the same game statistics they had in life, though they lose any breath weapons they may have had, their Intelligence score becomes 1, and they gain the following trait;

Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the zombie to 0 Hit Points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 plus the damage taken unless the damage is Radiant or from a Critical Hit. On a successful save, the zombie drops to 1 Hit Point instead.

Misty Breath (Recharge 5–6). Constitution Saving Throw: DC 20, each creature in a 60-foot Cone. Failure: 18 (4d8) Cold damage. Success: Half damage. The entire area of the cone is Heavily Obscured for the next minute. Any creature that starts its turn in the area takes 9 (2d8) Cold damage.

Siphoning Breath (1/Day). Constitution Saving Throw: DC 20, each creature in a 60-foot Cone. Bloodied creatures have Disadvantage. Failure: 52 (8d12) Necrotic damage. Success: Half damage. Success or Failure: The target’s Hit Point maximum decreases by an amount equal to the damage taken, and the dragon regains Hit Points equal to half that amount.

Shape-Shift. If the dragon isn’t in sunlight, it shape-shifts into a Huge cloud of mist (Speed 10 ft., Fly Speed 40 ft. [hover]), or it returns to its Dragon form. Anything it is wearing transforms with it.

While in mist form, the dragon can’t take any actions, speak, or manipulate objects. It is weightless and can enter an enemy’s space and stop there. If air can pass through a space, the mist can do so, but it can’t pass through liquid. It has Resistance to all damage, except the damage it takes from sunlight.

Spellcasting. The dragon casts one of the following spells, requiring no Material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 21, +14 to hit with spell attacks):

• At will: Charm Monster, Chill Touch (3d10 damage), Disguise Self, 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)

• 3/day each: Dominate Monster

• 1/day each: Mass Suggestion

Charm (Recharge 5–6). The dragon casts Charm Monster, requiring no spell components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 21), and the duration is 24 hours. The Charmed target is a willing recipient of the dragon’s Bite, the damage of which doesn’t end the spell. When the spell ends, the target is unaware it was Charmed by the dragon.

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.

Beguile. The dragon casts Command, requiring no spell components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 21). The dragon can’t take this action again until the start of its next turn.

Deathless Rend. The dragon moves up to half its Speed, and it makes one Grave Rend attack.