Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Aberration Origins. The dragon counts as both a dragon and an aberration for the purpose of favored enemies and abilities of the like.
Psionic Creature. The dragon has telepathy of 120 ft. and has developed 60 ft. of truesight rather than blindsight.
Fearsense. If one or more creatures are within the dragon's telepathic range and one or more creatures are frightened, the dragon knows its exact location and will begin hunting those creatures. This negates invisibility, blindness, or any ability that would disorient the senses. However, this only applies when a creature is frightened, and the moment they are no longer frightened, the dragon cannot detect them in this way.
Disturbing Display. As a free action, the dragon can make a Charisma (Intimidation) check against a target's Wisdom (Insight) check within 5 feet of itself. On a failed check, the target is frightened for 1 minute and can make a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw at the end of their turn to come out of the frightened condition. The dragon can do this twice per turn on its turn.
Fearful Drive. The dragon recharges its Shrieking Breath on a critical hit with any of its melee attacks on its turn.
Multiattack. The dragon can use its Frightful Presence. It then makes three attacks: one with its bite or frightening bite and two with its claws.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (2d10 + 7) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) psychic damage.
Frightening Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (1d10 + 7) piercing damage. The target must succeed a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute and take 14 (4d6) psychic damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d6 + 7) slashing damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d8 + 7) bludgeoning damage. The target must make a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone and dragged 10 feet closer to the dragon.
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. A creature who succeeds on a save cannot be affected by Frightful Presence for 5 (2d4) rounds.
Shrieking Breath (Recharge 5–6). The dragon lets out a cacophonous sound made from every scream its ever drawn from an enemy in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw, taking 63 (18d6) thunder damage and being stunned until the end of their next turn on a failed save, or half as much damage and frightened instead of stunned until the end of their next turn on a successful one. If there are any torches or non-magical light sources lit within the cone, they are blown out completely and must be lit again.
Tongue Decoy. The dragon must take a full, uninterrupted minute to inflate several bladders at the end of its tongue to create the basic form of a creature. Once the process is completed, the dragon can maintain the inflated bladders indefinitely, and can dismiss the bladders in its tongue as a free action.
The inflated tongue takes the basic form of an animal or humanoid and can be inflated to be either Small or Medium. The form resembles the general silhouette of a creature, though closer inspection and a successful DC 21 Intelligence (Investigation) check can determine the true nature of the tongue. While inflated, the dragon can send its voice through the decoy, having advantage on any Charisma checks so long as it has not been revealed to be a tongue. The dragon's tongue can extend up to 120 feet from the dragon's body and it can fully extend its tongue as part of the process to inflate the bladders.
The dragon can move the inflated part of its tongue up to 30 feet at a time with an action. While extended, the inflated end of the tongue occupies space as a creature of the appropriate size, but the rest of the tongue doesn't impede or block movement in any way. The dragon's tongue are covered in small eyes, reminiscent of a starfish's eyes, and it perceives the area around the tongue using its truesight.
Attacking the tongue always grants advantage so long as the dragon is surprised or has not been made aware that its decoy has not worked. If the tongue takes any damage, it immediately deflates and remains out. The dragon must take a bonus action to recall the tongue and the dragon is considered surprised when the tongue takes any form of damage until it recalls the tongue. If the tongue is damaged in this way, the dragon must wait 1 day before using it again.
Consume Fear. The dragon absorbs the fear from any creatures within 60 feet of itself with the frightened condition. A creature effected by this effect has its frightened condition end early and they take 36 (8d8) psychic damage. The dragon gains temporary hit points equal to the psychic damage dealt.
Meld In Shadow. If the dragon's body is in total darkness, it can use a bonus action to make a Dexterity (Stealth) check against any creature's Wisdom (Perception) that can see the dragon. If the dragon is not detected by any creature, it can then turn itself invisible until it makes an attack or is hit with an attack. If the dragon comes out of total darkness while invisible, it will become visible again.
Intrusive Thoughts. When the dragon is hit with a critical hit, it's psionic energy focuses on the creature that hit it and fills its mind with their worst fears to overwhelm their senses. The target must make a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw, the attacking creature gaining the frightened condition until the end of its next turn and being forced to reroll their attack at disadvantage on a failed save, or forcing the attack to become a normal hit on a successful save.
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 10 feet of the dragon must succeed on a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw or take 15 (2d6 + 8) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. The dragon can then fly up to half its flying speed.
Lair and Lair Actions
A Despair Dragon’s Lair
Most dragons tend to create their lairs or even find large caverns and natural valleys as their homes. However, despair dragons are known to move into abandoned mine shafts, usually using the main caverns as their living quarters with the various shafts acting as its hunting grounds. An adult despair dragon is already dangerous by itself, but within its lair, it becomes a true living nightmare.
Despair dragons don't tend to hoard gold, rather they enjoy stealing and hoarding valuable and meaningful items from the people who dare to move close to their territory. Despair dragons are known to be incredibly territorial, attacking anything within a few miles of its caves. However, if there are those foolish enough to purposefully enter a despair dragon's lair, the dragon will make sure they regret it before their death. Despair dragons are known for being cruel to those who would intrude, oftentimes hiding in the shadows and torturing them slowly, driving them mad with whispers and paranoia before finally claiming its prize and killing whoever would dare to enter its lair.
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:
- Smoke and smog erupts from a point on the ground the dragon can see within 120 feet of it, creating 60-foot wide and 10-foot tall cloud of smoke. Each creature within the smoke must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be blinded. A creature will continue to be blind until they exit the area of smoke and use an action to make a DC 15 Medicine check and safely wipe the remaining residue on their eyes. The cloud of smoke lasts for 2 (1d4) rounds and the dragon must use a different lair action before being able to use this one again.
- The voices of those killed by the despair dragon cry out in agony in a 60-foot radius of around the dragon. Each creature within the radius must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. If a creature is frightened in this way, the source of their fear is considered to be the dragon and cannot attack it with melee attacks while afraid in this way. A creature also has disadvantage on ranged attacks and spell attacks against the dragon if frightened in this way. Any psionic creatures within the radius must make a separate DC 20 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a psionic creature is stunned until the end of its next turn and takes 63 (18d6) psychic damage, taking half as much damage and not being stunned on a successful save.
- A violent 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.
Regional Effects
The region containing a legendary despair dragon’s lair is warped by the dragon’s magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:
- A sense of dread follows anyone within 1 mile of the lair.
- Water sources within 1 mile of the lair taste corrupted and smell of rotting flesh.
- Rocky fissures within 1 mile of the dragon’s lair form portals to the Underdark, allowing creatures of that plane to appear freely in that area.
If the dragon dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d10 days.
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