Gargantuan Dragon (Metallic), Lawful Good
- AC
- 22
- Initiative
- +16 (26)
- HP
- 546 (28d20+252)
- Speed
- 40 ft., Fly 80 ft., Swim 40 ft.
| Score | Mod | Save | |
|---|---|---|---|
| STR | 30 | +10 | +10 |
| DEX | 14 | +2 | +9 |
| CON | 29 | +9 | +9 |
| INT | 18 | +4 | +4 |
| WIS | 17 | +3 | +10 |
| CHA | 28 | +9 | +9 |
Traits
Amphibious. The dragon can breathe air and water.
Legendary Resistance (4/Day, or 5/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) Spellcasting to cast Guiding Bolt (level 4 version) or (B) Weakening Breath.
Rend. Melee Attack Roll: +17 to hit, reach 15 ft. Hit: 19 (2d8+10) Slashing damage plus 9 (2d8) Fire damage.
Fire Breath (Recharge 5-6). Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 24, each creature in a 90-foot Cone. Failure: 71 (13d10) 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 24, +16 to hit with spell attacks):
At Will: Detect Magic, Guiding Bolt (level 4 version), 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)
1/Day Each: Flame Strike (level 6 version), Word of Recall, Zone of Truth
Weakening Breath. Strength Saving Throw: DC 24, each creature that isn't currently affected by this breath in a 90-foot Cone. Failure: The target has Disadvantage on Strength-based D20 Tests and subtracts 5 (1d10) from its damage rolls. It repeats the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. After 1 minute, it succeeds automatically.
Legendary Actions
Ancient Gold Dragon can take 3 Legendary Actions per round, regaining all uses at the start of its turn.
Banish. Charisma Saving Throw: DC 24, one creature the dragon can see within 120 feet. Failure: 24 (7d6) Force damage, and the target has the Incapacitated condition and is transported to a harmless demiplane until the start of the dragon's next turn, at which point it reappears in an unoccupied space of the dragon's choice within 120 feet of the dragon. Failure or Success: The dragon can't take this action again until the start of its next turn.
Guiding Light. The dragon uses Spellcasting to cast Guiding Bolt (level 4 version).
Pounce. The dragon moves up to half its Speed, and it makes one Rend attack.
How to run Ancient Gold Dragon
A gold dragon at the height of its centuries does not befriend a party so much as audit one. If the players have earned the dragon's attention, it is because they have already passed a test you may not have written down yet. Treat the alliance as a contract the dragon drafted, with terms that include the players' future behavior, not just the present favor.
Use the dragon as a scene first and a stat block second. Zone of Truth at the parley settles whether the duke is lying about the missing artifact. Word of Recall, with the dragon as the anchor, makes for a one-shot evacuation if the party agrees to bring something specific back. Shapechange into a beast or humanoid form lets the dragon walk among mortals as an old farmer or a great hawk, and the players need not learn which one it has been until you decide they should.
When combat does happen with the dragon present, open with Fire Breath in a 90-foot cone, DC 24 Dex save, 71 fire on a fail. Tell the players the facing in advance so the formation can adjust. After that, three Rend attacks per turn at +17 average 28 each, with one swappable for a level-4 Guiding Bolt to set up an ally's crit, or a Weakening Breath cone that imposes Strength disadvantage on a failed DC 24. Banish as a legendary action removes the most dangerous enemy from the field for a round and deals 24 force on a failed DC 24 Cha save. Spend Pounce to reposition for the next Multiattack.
The dragon does not stay. Once its purpose is fulfilled, it gives a one-line judgment of each PC by name and flies. Write those judgments before the session, and do not let the players cross-examine the verdict.
A hostile gold dragon is rare enough that you owe the table a real reason for it. The cleanest version is a misunderstanding the players caused themselves, perhaps by recovering a relic the dragon believes belongs to a god. Make the dragon refuse to fight first. Have it offer surrender terms the party can technically accept. Only if they refuse do you run the encounter, and even then the dragon fights to correct an error, not to kill.
Open with Fire Breath, 90-foot cone, DC 24, 71 fire on a fail. The dragon hovers at 80 ft. of fly speed and sees the field through 27 Passive Perception and 120 ft. of darkvision, so it picks the angle. Following turns are three Rend attacks at +17 with reach 15, and you can swap one for a level-4 Guiding Bolt that hands advantage to the next attack against the target, or a Weakening Breath cone (DC 24 Str, disadvantage on Strength tests and minus 1d10 to damage). Use Weakening on the barbarian. Use Guiding Bolt to set up a legendary Pounce.
Legendary actions are your encounter dial. Banish punishes whoever the dragon thinks crossed the line, removing them for a round on a failed DC 24 Cha save. Guiding Light keeps the to-hit pressure rolling. Pounce is your free reposition plus Rend. Spend all three legendary actions every round, and remember Legendary Resistance scales to 5 per day in the lair.
Magic Resistance plus Fire immunity plus a 24 spell save DC means casters cannot lock this dragon down. They can only outlast it, and most parties cannot. Plan for the dragon to relent before it kills, restating its terms over the body of a downed PC.
Have the dragon speak in calm Common throughout. Anger from a gold dragon should sound like sorrow.
Stat block from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 © Wizards of the Coast LLC, used under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.