Adult Death Dragon
Huge Dragon, varies
- Armor Class 19(natural armor)
- Hit Points 225(18d12+108)
- Speed 40ft., climb 40ft., fly 80ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 25 (+7) 10 (+0) 23 (+6) 16 (+3) 15 (+2) 19 (+4)
- Saving Throws Dex +6, Con +12, Wis +8, Cha +10
- Skills Perception +8, Stealth +6
- Damage Resistances Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage from silvered attacks, cold
- Damage ImmunitiesPoison
- Senses blindsight 60ft., darkvision 120ft., passive Perception 18
- Languages Common, Draconic
- Proficiency Bonus +6
- Challenge 19(22000 xp)
Aura of Death Creatures that first enters or starts its turn within 20ft. of the dragon cannot regain hitpoints until the start of its next turn.
Death Eater When the dragon takes necrotic damage, it regains a number of hitpoints equal to the damage dealt.
Draconic Essence When the dragon deals necrotic damage, it can ignore resistance and immunity.
Dragon Scale The dragon has advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects. On a successful saving throw, the dragon takes no damage at all
Frightful Presence Any creature hostile to the dragon that starts its turn within 20 feet of the dragon must make a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw, unless the dragon is incapacitated. On a failed save, the creature is frightened until the start of its next turn. If a creature's saving throw is successful, the creature is immune to the dragon's Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day) If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. Upon using this feature, the dragon can reroll a d6. Upon rolling a 5-6, it regains its Necrotic Breath.
Life Sense The dragon can pinpoint the location of a living creature within 60ft.
Undead Fortitude If the dragon is reduced to 0 hitpoints, it can make a Constitution saving throw equal to half the damage dealt (minimum of 10). On a successful saving throw, the dragon regains 1 hitpoint instead. If the dragon takes radiant damage, it cannot benefit from this feature until the end of its next turn
Actions
Multiattack. The dragon can make four attacks, one with its bite, two with its claws, and one with its tail.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, 10ft., one target. Hit: 18(2d10+7) piercing damage + 9(2d8) necrotic damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, 5ft., one target. Hit: 14(3d4+7) slashing damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, 10ft., one target. Hit: 19(2d10+7) bludgeoning damage. On a hit, the target must succeed a DC 20 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Necrotic Breath(Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales a cone of in a 60ft. cone originating from the dragon. Creatures within range must succeed a DC 18 Constitution saving throw. On a failed saving throw, creatures take 54 (9d8) necrotic damage and half as much on a success.
On a failed saving throw, a creature cannot regain hitpoints for one minute for one minute. Creatures can repeat their saving throw at the end of each of its turns to end the effect on a success. If the target fails its saving throw by 5 or more, its hitpoint maximum is reduced by the necrotic damage dealt. This reduction lasts until a creature finished a long rest.
If this effect reduces a creature to 0 hitpoints, it immediately dies and returns to life as a zombie at the start of its next turn. The zombie is considered to be an ally of the dragon and obeys its every command.
Bonus Actions
Wing Attack The dragon can force all creatures within 10ft. of it to make a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed saving throw, the target is pushed back 10ft. and knocked prone. The dragon can fly up to half its movement speed upon using this feature.
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.
Wing Attack The dragon can use its Wing Attack feature
Attack(Costs 2 actions) The dragon can make its choice of a bite or tail attack
Inhale(Costs 2 actions) The dragon can roll a d6. Upon rolling a 5-6, the dragon regains its Necrotic Breath.
Resilience(Costs 3 actions) The dragon can end one spell or status effect on itself.
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:
- Creatures in a 30ft. radius around the dragon must succeed a DC 18 Constitution saving throw. On a failed saving throw, it suffers vulnerability to necrotic damage until the end of its next turn.
- The dragon can summon 5(2d4) skeletons or zombies within 30ft. of it. The skeletons and zombies are considered to be the dragon's allies and act on initiative count 20.
- Creatures in a 30ft. radius around the dragon must succeed a DC 18 Constitution saving throw. On a failed saving throw, whenever a creature receives healing it take necrotic damage equal to the damage dealt instead.
Regional Effects
The region containing a legendary death dragon’s lair is warped by the dragon’s magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:
Any creature that is reduced to 0 hitpoints while within 6 miles of the dragon's lair immediately dies and returns to life as a zombie or skeleton within 1 hour of its death.
Creatures recover half their hitpoints whenever the finish a short or long rest within 6 miles of the dragon's lair.
When a creature of the dragon's choice first enters within 1 mile of the dragons lair, it takes 14(3d8) necrotic damage and its hitpoint maximum is reduced by that amount as well. A creature can only be affected by this feature once every 24 hours. This hitpoint reduction lasts until a creature finishes a long rest.
When the dragon dies, all of these regional effects immediately fade
Death Dragons
At first glance, death dragons are often confused to be a dracolich. Unlike their lich counterparts, death dragons are actually a living variant of dragon that is believed to reside in the Shadowfell. Although they share domains with shadow dragons, death dragons possess a natural attunement to necrotic magic whereas shadow dragons are standard dragons that have been corrupted by the foul magics of the realm. In fact, some scholars believe that death dragons are draconic species that naturally developed on the Shadowfell and have managed to find ways to travel to the Material Plane and beyond.
Death Dragon's Appearance
Death dragons have a rather haggard and nightmarish appearance that almost appears as if their bodies are in a perpetual state of decomposition. The reason for their ghastly appearance is because their bodies have been imbued with raw necrotic energy which seems to keep the dragon's scales in a continual cycle of both life and death as the energy consumes portions of its body before channeling the necrotic energy to recreate the missing flesh. This roiling vortex of necrotic magic within these dragons often illuminates their forms with a sickly green or deathly violet glow beneath their hide.
Death Dragon Tactics
Despite their appearance and attunement to the undead, these dragons can be quite varied in their motives. Some use their attunement to death to serve as terrifying sentinels of the afterlife, guarding souls against those who would interfere with cycle of life and death. Others seek to use their power for their own means to expand their domain or even achieve immortality. Regardless of their motives, one should not challenge a death dragon unprepared. Due to their necrotic aura, they are able to hamper any form life-giving magic and, in some cases, they are able to corrupt this magic to inflict harm instead. However, their most potent ability is their breath weapon which is able to bind the souls of its victim causing them to rise again as undead thralls for the dragon.