D&D 5e Dragons: Complete Guide to Chromatic and Metallic

Dragons are the icons of D&D. They breathe fire (or ice, or lightning, or poison, or acid). They hoard treasure. They fly. They have legendary actions that make them terrifying single combatants.

This guide covers the basics.

Dragon Ages

Dragons grow stronger with age:

• Wyrmling: Young dragon. CR 1-5. Smaller, less powerful.
• Young: Adolescent. CR 5-10.
• Adult: Mature. CR 10-20.
• Ancient: The biggest. CR 20+. Legendary encounters.

Chromatic Dragons

Evil-aligned dragons. Each has a breath weapon and personality:

Red Dragon

• Damage: Fire.
• Breath: Cone.
• Personality: Greedy, ambitious, volcanic.
• Habitat: Volcanic regions, ruined cities.

Blue Dragon

• Damage: Lightning.
• Breath: Line.
• Personality: Patient, cunning, territorial.
• Habitat: Deserts.

Green Dragon

• Damage: Poison.
• Breath: Cone.
• Personality: Manipulative, patient, treacherous.
• Habitat: Forests.

Black Dragon

• Damage: Acid.
• Breath: Line.
• Personality: Cruel, petty, sadistic.
• Habitat: Swamps, jungles.

White Dragon

• Damage: Cold.
• Breath: Cone.
• Personality: Feral, predatory, simple.
• Habitat: Arctic regions.

Metallic Dragons

Good-aligned. Each has a breath weapon:

Gold Dragon

• Damage: Fire and weakening (cone of weakness).
• Personality: Noble, wise, diplomatic.

Silver Dragon

• Damage: Cold and paralytic gas.
• Personality: Heroic, enjoys mortal company.

Bronze Dragon

• Damage: Lightning and repulsion.
• Personality: Stern, militaristic, principled.

Brass Dragon

• Damage: Fire and sleep gas.
• Personality: Chatty, curious, friendly.

Copper Dragon

• Damage: Acid and slowing gas.
• Personality: Pranksters, artists.

Fighting Dragons

Under-Leveled

A wyrmling (CR 1-5) is beatable by level 5 characters. Still dangerous. Treat as a boss fight.

Adult Dragon

Demands level 10-15 parties. For solo, level 12+ at minimum. Huge HP pool, legendary actions, frightful presence.

Ancient Dragon

Level 15+ only. These are campaign finale threats. Massive CR, devastating abilities.

Dragon Combat Tips

Resist the damage type. Dragonborn, elemental resistance spells, magic items.

Don't stand in the breath weapon cone/line. Spread out. Though in solo, there's only you to spread.

Watch for legendary actions. Dragons act on other creatures' turns. Don't assume the fight resolves on your turn.

Take out frightful presence. Paladin's Aura of Courage (level 10) or feats that protect against fear.

Damage resistance. Adult+ dragons have resistance to many damage types. Plan your attack type.

Dragons in Campaigns

The Shattered Crown doesn't feature dragons prominently. Brightvale has implications of draconic forces but focuses on the Umbra.

In sandbox campaigns, you can encounter dragons if you seek them out.

Draconic Characters

Dragonborn characters share lineage with dragons. See our Dragonborn guide.

Sorcerers with Draconic Bloodline have a dragon ancestor. See our Sorcerer guide.

The Endlessness and Dragons

Our AI Dungeon Master runs dragons with full mechanical accuracy: breath weapons, frightful presence, legendary actions, lair actions (in appropriate settings), resistances.

For related reads, our boss fight tactics, CR and encounter balance, and combat rules cover more.

Final Takeaway

Dragons are D&D's iconic monster. Fighting one is a rite of passage. Prepare carefully, pick your damage type, manage fear, and survive.

Start a campaign on The Endlessness and work your way up to dragon-hunting level.