Huge Dragon (Metallic), Chaotic Good
- AC
- 18
- Initiative
- +10 (20)
- HP
- 172 (15d12+75)
- Speed
- 40 ft., Burrow 30 ft., Fly 80 ft.
| Score | Mod | Save | |
|---|---|---|---|
| STR | 23 | +6 | +6 |
| DEX | 10 | +0 | +5 |
| CON | 21 | +5 | +5 |
| INT | 14 | +2 | +2 |
| WIS | 13 | +1 | +6 |
| CHA | 17 | +3 | +3 |
Traits
Legendary Resistance (3/Day, or 4/Day in Lair). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Actions
Multiattack. The dragon makes three Rend attacks. It can replace one attack with a use of (A) Sleep Breath or (B) Spellcasting to cast Scorching Ray.
Rend. Melee Attack Roll: +11, reach 10 ft. Hit: 17 (2d10+6) Slashing damage plus 4 (1d8) Fire damage.
Fire Breath (Recharge 5-6). Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 18, each creature in a 60-foot-long, 5-foot-wide Line. Failure: 45 (10d8) Fire damage. Success: Half damage.
Sleep Breath. Constitution Saving Throw: DC 18, each creature in a 60-foot Cone. Failure: The target has the Incapacitated condition until the end of its next turn, at which point it repeats the save. Second Failure: The target has the Unconscious condition for 10 minutes. This effect ends for the target if it takes damage or a creature within 5 feet of it takes an action to wake it.
Spellcasting. The dragon casts one of the following spells, requiring no Material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 16):
At Will: Detect Magic, Minor Illusion, Scorching Ray, 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), Speak with Animals
1/Day Each: Detect Thoughts, Control Weather
Legendary Actions
Adult Brass Dragon can take 3 Legendary Actions per round, regaining all uses at the start of its turn.
Blazing Light. The dragon uses Spellcasting to cast Scorching Ray.
Pounce. The dragon moves up to half its Speed, and it makes one Rend attack.
Scorching Sands. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 16, one creature the dragon can see within 120 feet. Failure: 27 (6d8) Fire damage, and the target's Speed is halved until the end of its next turn. Failure or Success: The dragon can't take this action again until the start of its next turn.
How to run Adult Brass Dragon
A brass dragon ally is the easiest dragon ally to run, because brass dragons genuinely like talking to people. The party did it a favor (recovered a story, freed a hostage from the Cult of the Dragon, brought it news from a distant city), and now it owes them one specific thing. It will not be a flying mount, it will not raid a town, and it will not fight other metallic dragons. Within those limits, it's enthusiastic.
In combat, the brass dragon prefers Sleep Breath over Fire Breath whenever the party hasn't authorized lethal force. Use the cone to clear a guard post, then let the rogue tie people up. When the gloves come off, open with Fire Breath in a line that catches as many enemies as possible without clipping a PC, then Multiattack with three Rend at +11. Spellcasting at DC 16 gives you Scorching Ray on demand and Detect Thoughts once per day for an interrogation the party couldn't manage on their own.
Out of combat, the dragon will not stop talking. Speak with Animals at will means it gossips with the party's horses about the party. Detect Magic at will means it appraises every shiny thing the rogue tries to pocket. Shapechange lets it walk into a tavern as a tall human with a sand-colored beard, and it will absolutely use that to embarrass the bard. Lean on these moments. The dragon's personality is the reward.
When the favor is done, the brass dragon proposes a future trade: a story, a song, an introduction to its rival up the coast. Write down what it asks for. The next time the party needs a flying scout, they have a returnable contact instead of a forgotten NPC.
A hostile adult brass dragon is rarely a "kill the heroes" fight. Brass dragons are Chaotic Good gossips who hoard stories. If one has decided the party is a problem, it's because they slighted it socially, broke a deal, or stumbled into its desert lair without paying tribute in conversation. Open the encounter with the dragon talking, hovering 80 feet up, naming exactly what the party did wrong. Combat starts when the players give a stupid answer.
The opening turn priority is Sleep Breath, not Fire Breath. The DC 18 Con save in a 60-foot cone hits half the party for free, and a second failure drops them Unconscious for 10 minutes. A brass dragon that knocks two PCs out doesn't kill them. It strips them of gear, drags them to a dune, and waits for the rest to come negotiate. That's the shape of the encounter you actually want. Hold Fire Breath (10d8 in a 60-foot line, DC 18) for a player who already proved they will not surrender.
In a real fight, Multiattack is three Rend at +11 for 21 average each, optionally swapping one for Sleep Breath or a cast of Scorching Ray. Use the legendary actions to stay airborne and pressure the casters. Pounce moves the dragon and adds a Rend, Blazing Light fires another Scorching Ray, and Scorching Sands at DC 16 from up to 120 ft. drops 27 fire on a back-line target and halves their speed. With Legendary Resistance 3/day (4 in lair), the party's best Banishment lands on the third try at the earliest.
If the dragon is Bloodied and the party still won't talk, it casts Control Weather over the next ten minutes, summons a sandstorm, and burrows out at 30 ft. Brass dragons do not die over ego. Have it leave a polite, sandstorm-etched message on a stone before it goes.
Stat block from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 © Wizards of the Coast LLC, used under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.