D&D Ideas — Dragons and Lesser Drakes

D&D Ideas — Dragons and Lesser Drakes

September 11, 2023

Dungeons & Dragons/ Editorial/ Free Nerdy Things/ Game Master Tips

Welcome once again to the weekly newsletter. This week’s topic is dragons and lesser drakes, Which we discussed in our weekly live chat. We hangout every Monday evening at 8 p.m. EST on the Nerdarchy YouTube Channel to talk about D&D, RPGs, gaming, life, and whatever nerdy stuff comes up. Speaking of things composed of magic our fully funded Mage Forge project is now ready for purchase on the Nerdarchy website. And you’ll get a huge collection of magic items in return!

On the Nerdarchy Store, you’ll find Spirit of the Mage Forge encounter to pull together community-inspired ideas and build on them while adding some fresh takes and more dynamic elements for better player engagement and story potential. Learn more about Spirit of the Forge and how to get your FREE copy here!

Delving Dave’s Dungeon

I thought I’d explore a new dragon, very loosely based on the eclipse dragon from Chinese mythology. Essentially, I was inspired by the name and took creative liberties from there.

Eclipse Dragon

Huge Dragon, Neutral

Armor Class 20 (natural armor)
Hit Points 297 (18d12 + 144)
Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft., climb 40 ft.

STR 25 (+7)

DEX 16 (+3)

CON 26 (+8)

INT 16 (+3)

WIS 18 (+4)

CHA 20 (+5)

Saving Throws Dex +8, Con +12, Wis +9, Cha +10
Skills Perception +14, Stealth +8
Damage Immunities Cold, Psychic
Senses Blindsight 60 ft., Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 24
Languages Common, Draconic, Abyssal
Challenge 16 (15,000 XP)

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the Eclipse Dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

Magic Resistance. The dragon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

ACTIONS

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: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (2d10 + 7) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) cold damage.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d6 + 7) slashing damage.

Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d8 + 7) 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 18 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.

Breath Weapons (Recharge 5-6). The dragon uses one of the following breath weapons:

Darkness Beam. The dragon exhales a beam of pure darkness in a 90-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw, taking 58 (13d8) psychic damage and becoming blinded for 1 minute on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one and not being blinded. Blinded creatures can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the blindness on a success.

Maddening Celestial Whispers. The dragon exhales a swirling torrent of inky blackness dotted with tiny specks of light, resembling a miniature galaxy, in a 60-foot cone. Each creature within that cone must make a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save:

The creature is overwhelmed by whispered secrets of the cosmos, rendering them incapacitated with haunting visions of the void for 1 minute.
At the start of each of its turns, the affected creature takes 2d6 psychic damage as the whispers continue to erode its sanity.
At the end of each of its turns, the creature can make another Wisdom saving throw. On a success, the whispers and the incapacitated condition end for that creature.

Those who successfully save against or are eventually released from the Maddening Celestial Whispers are immune to this effect for the next 24 hours. They often recall fragmented, incomprehensible visions of distant galaxies, black holes, or other celestial wonders – beautiful, but terrifying in their vastness and mystery.

LEGENDARY ACTIONS

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 20 Dexterity saving throw or take 15 (2d6 + 7) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. The dragon can then fly up to half its flying speed.

Eclipse (Costs 3 Actions). For 1 minute, an aura of magical darkness surrounds the dragon in a 30-foot radius. The area is filled with darkness, and bright light cannot illuminate it. If any of the effect’s area overlaps with an area of light created by a spell of 2nd level or lower, the spell that created the light is dispelled.

DESCRIPTION

The Eclipse Dragon is a breathtaking beast, a blend of deep, inky black, and shimmering silver scales that resemble a night sky filled with stars. This creature’s connection to both darkness and the mysterious realms beyond is evident in its abilities and temperament. Often elusive and unpredictable, Eclipse Dragons are guardians of ancient celestial secrets. Though not necessarily evil, they can be fiercely territorial, especially when their lair is approached during lunar events.

APPEARANCE

The Eclipse Dragon is an awe-inspiring sight to behold. Its body is covered in deep, inky black scales which, at the right angles, shimmer and shine like a night sky filled with countless stars. Its eyes glow with a soft luminescence, mirroring the phases of the moon from crescent to full. Its wings are vast, the membranes seemingly translucent, looking like they’ve captured nebulae within, shifting in colors from deep purples to shimmering golds and icy blues. When it unfurls its wings and takes to the sky, one might be forgiven for thinking that the very heavens have descended to the earth.

CONNECTION TO THE COSMOS

The Eclipse Dragon isn’t just named for its appearance. It shares an intrinsic bond with celestial events and the vast expanses of the universe. Scholars theorize that they are born during rare celestial alignments, drawing their first breath as solar or lunar eclipses occur.

It is said that they can hear the whispered secrets of ancient stars, understand the cryptic dances of distant galaxies, and predict cosmic events long before they happen. Some even believe that the dragons have the ability to converse with celestial beings or that they are the offspring of unions between ancient deities of the night sky and terrestrial dragons.

LAIRS

Eclipse Dragons are drawn to locations that resonate with strong cosmic energies. They favor mountaintops that touch the stars, ancient ruins with celestial alignments, and deep caverns where the walls sparkle like the night sky.

These locations not only provide them with a vantage point to observe the heavens but also often contain portals or thin veils between the Material Plane and other realms. Their lairs are always rich with astronomical instruments, star charts, and often, a clear opening or skylight to view the cosmos.

It is said that during significant celestial events, the energies in their lairs become so potent that reality itself might bend, leading to unpredictable magical effects.

PERSONALITY

Eclipse Dragons, for all their grandeur and connection to the vast universe, are enigmatic and contemplative beings. They are guardians of ancient celestial secrets and view the world around them with a sense of detached curiosity, often contemplating existence on a scale incomprehensible to many.

While not necessarily aggressive, they are fiercely territorial, especially when their lair is approached during lunar events or celestial alignments.

Their temperaments reflect the duality of the cosmos: the serene beauty of a starlit night and the chaotic, destructive force of a supernova. They can be kind and generous, bestowing cosmic knowledge on those they deem worthy. But they can also be merciless to those who threaten their domain or the celestial balance they so cherish.

When they communicate, it is often in riddles or references to cosmic events, making conversations with them both enlightening and maddening. Despite their mysterious nature, one thing is clear: they are ancient, wise, and their understanding of the universe is unparalleled.

LAIR ACTIONS

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the Eclipse 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:

Celestial Alignment. The dragon manipulates the very cosmos, creating a temporary, localized gravitational anomaly. A 20-foot radius sphere centered on a point the dragon can see within 120 feet of it becomes difficult terrain. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be restrained as they’re pulled toward the center of the sphere. This effect lasts until the end of the dragon’s next turn, the dragon uses this lair action again or until the dragon dies.
Veil of Stars. The dragon causes the very stars to descend and protect its lair. A 60-foot radius area of the lair becomes lightly obscured as shimmering, silver motes of light drift down from above. Creatures in this area have disadvantage on perception checks relying on sight. The motes of light remain until the end of the dragon’s next turn, the dragon uses this lair action again or until the dragon dies. If a creature starts its turn or moves into the affected area for the first time on its turn, it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be blinded until the start of its next turn.
Lunar Pulse. The dragon channels the power of the moon, casting a haunting, silvery glow in a 120-foot cone originating from a point it chooses within its lair. Each creature in that cone must make a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw, becoming charmed for 1 minute on a failed save. Charmed creatures are entranced by the lunar light, standing still and doing nothing on their turn except stare into the glow. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

REGIONAL EFFECTS

The region containing the Eclipse Dragon‘s lair is warped by the dragon‘s magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:

Lunar Shadows. At night, especially during a new moon, shadows move unpredictably in a 6-mile radius around the dragon‘s lair. This effect makes it difficult for creatures to hide, imposing disadvantage on Stealth checks.
Celestial Omens. Within a 10-mile radius of the dragon‘s lair, celestial events like shooting stars, meteor showers, and auroras occur with unnatural frequency. These events often act as omens or portents, hinting at future events or the dragon‘s mood.
Whispers of the Cosmos. Scholars, mages, and sages within 3 miles of the lair receive fleeting visions and insights related to the cosmos, granting them advantage on Intelligence (Arcana) checks relating to celestial events or beings. However, they also occasionally hear soft whispers when no one is around, and the source of these voices remains a mystery.

If the Eclipse Dragon dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d10 days.

Spotlight

Mage Forge Mastery

Charm of Dimming

We keep our ear to the ground for fresh ways to help players create better RPG experiences and one of the awesome Mage Forge backers shared a great idea. They’re excited to introduce new magic items into their campaign through the free Spirit of the Forge encounter and suggested we include plot hooks along with formulae and recipes for crafting magic items to a deeper degree than the system in the free encounter.

While this is beyond the scope of the Mage Forge project itself we’ve got all of Nerdarchy.com to explore this great idea starting right here in this new Mage Forge Mastery series.

Since this is the first post in the Mage Forge Mastery series let us know if this sort of stuff is useful for you, what else you’d like to see in these posts, and whatever other feedback or takeaways you’ve got to share.

Check out Mage Forge Mastery — Charm of Dimming here

From Ted’s Head

Dragons were central to the essence of Dungeons & Dragons. Their imposing stature and fierce demeanor made them iconic, yet by considering smaller variants, I introduced a fresh, engaging twist to the game. Dragonborn, draconians, lesser drakes, wyverns, and faerie dragons all offered interesting possibilities, but none fit the unique scenario I envisioned for a castle-based D&D campaign. Drawing inspiration from the “How to Train Your Dragon” movie series, I devised an exciting premise for players.

For the six-session game I designed, each player character received a “tamed” wyvern as a mount. These creatures, modified from their traditional design, lacked the typical tail stinger. Players could customize their wyvern’s appearance and chose from various enhancements, like improved stats, greater resilience, and versatile elemental breath weapons—ranging from area effects like cones or lines to targeted attacks akin to a firebolt. Given that players started at 7th level, this addition significantly bolstered the party’s combat capabilities, essentially doubling their offensive potential.

Once I discussed these changes with my players and gathered their feedback, I detailed my experience in a blog post. This allowed other Dungeon Masters the chance to adapt my dragon-rider concept for their games. As a balancing factor, I designated the breath weapons as once-per-encounter abilities. The challenges in integrating such a concept arose from the augmented action economy, enhanced mobility, and increased damage output it offered players.

Furthermore, if a character was dismounted or their wyvern incapacitated, they faced grave consequences. This risk was particularly heightened in my island-themed setting, where characters might have plummeted into the water, risking drowning.

At the heart of my story, inspired by the aforementioned film, was the concept of a dragon brood mother. In my campaign’s lore, an enterprising NPC discovered this majestic creature and negotiated a pact: the mother dragon allowed select individuals to care for and ride her young in exchange for their loyalty and service. It was considered a supreme honor to be selected to stand before the brood mother, with the challenge of earning her favor. Those who succeeded were gifted a young drake to nurture and train. However, this privilege came with the annual responsibility of presenting an offering to the mother, ensuring her contentment, and sustaining the alliance.

The campaign incorporated regular game narratives or delved deeply into the intricate relationship between the riders, their drakes, and the brood mother. Threats to the mother or the drakes jeopardized not only the riders but also their home communities, adding layers of tension and intrigue to the storyline.

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