Huge Dragon (Chromatic), Chaotic Evil
- AC
- 19
- Initiative
- +12 (22)
- HP
- 256 (19d12+133)
- Speed
- 40 ft., Climb 40 ft., Fly 80 ft.
| Score | Mod | Save | |
|---|---|---|---|
| STR | 27 | +8 | +8 |
| DEX | 10 | +0 | +6 |
| CON | 25 | +7 | +7 |
| INT | 16 | +3 | +3 |
| WIS | 13 | +1 | +7 |
| CHA | 23 | +6 | +6 |
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 Spellcasting to cast Scorching Ray.
Rend. Melee Attack Roll: +14, reach 10 ft. Hit: 13 (1d10+8) Slashing damage plus 5 (2d4) Fire damage.
Fire Breath (Recharge 5-6). Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 21, each creature in a 60-foot Cone. Failure: 59 (17d6) 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 20, +12 to hit with spell attacks):
At Will: Command (level 2 version), Detect Magic, Scorching Ray
1/Day: Fireball
Legendary Actions
Adult Red Dragon can take 3 Legendary Actions per round, regaining all uses at the start of its turn.
Commanding Presence. The dragon uses Spellcasting to cast Command (level 2 version). The dragon can't take this action again until the start of its next turn.
Fiery Rays. The dragon uses Spellcasting to cast Scorching Ray. The dragon can't take this action again until the start of its next turn.
Pounce. The dragon moves up to half its Speed, and it makes one Rend attack.
How to run Adult Red Dragon
Red dragons do not befriend mortals. They tolerate them. Negotiation and tribute are the closest you ever get, and that arrangement only holds for as long as the dragon believes it serves the dragon's interests. If the party has somehow gotten an adult red onto their side, play the temporary nature of that arrangement very clearly.
Make the deal explicit before any fight. The dragon agrees to one specific thing: burn this tower, eat this rival, scare this army off the road. Once the agreed thing is done, the dragon does not stay. If the party tries to use it as a flying cab, the dragon gets bored and leaves. If they ask for tactical advice, they get something cynical and self-interested, and then they get nothing. The dragon's time is more valuable than theirs, and the party should always feel like they're borrowing a favor.
When combat happens with the dragon on the party's side, run it greedy. Fire Breath catches whoever the party wanted alive, because that's funny. Fiery Rays go to the targets wearing the most expensive gear, since gear becomes loot once they're dead. Multiattack stacks on one creature until that creature drops, because corpses don't retaliate. The dragon will not coordinate with the party and will not ask about the plan. It does what it does and the party can keep up or get out of the way.
Once the favor is done, the dragon leaves immediately. Anyone who slights it, withholds payment, or claims credit has just made an enemy. Note who, write it down, and have the dragon remember.
Have the dragon name its price before the favor, not after. Players hate ambush invoices but they accept up-front contracts.
An adult red dragon runs the encounter from the air. The instinct of a new GM is to land the dragon and use the claws. Don't. Pounce gets the dragon back to 80 ft. of fly speed in one bonus action, so even when it does touch ground it should already be planning the next takeoff. The legendary action economy is the entire fight.
The opener is Fire Breath if it's available. 18d10 fire, DC 21 Dex save, 90-foot cone. Almost any cluster of party members loses one person on a failed save, and a passed save still hurts. Recharge means you'll likely have it again in a round or two. Once it's spent, switch to attrition. Multiattack gives two Rend attacks plus Fiery Rays as a Bonus Action, which works out to 22 average per Rend (44 from the multiattack) and three fire ray rolls on top. Spread the rays around: the cleric, the rogue with the bow, the paladin who keeps healing the cleric.
Legendary actions control the encounter shape. Commanding Presence at the end of the cleric's turn forces a Wisdom save against Frightened, which denies their multi-target heals. Pounce keeps the dragon mobile when a pin attempt looks likely. Fiery Rays as a legendary lets you pile damage on whoever just had a clutch save.
Adult reds rarely flee while they still have hoard to defend, but once they're Bloodied and the breath weapon hasn't recharged, fly straight up to a thousand feet. The party can't chase. The dragon will be back, and it will know which of them killed its kobold guards.
Name the dragon. Write the name on a card and slide it across the table after the first PC dies. The party should remember whose hoard they're stealing.
Stat block from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 © Wizards of the Coast LLC, used under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.