Crystal Dragon

Description

(From Fizban's Treasury of Dragons - 2021):

Shimmering with radiant energy and brimming with life, crystal dragons enjoy an innate psionic connection to the Positive Plane that suffuses their bodies as well as their personalities with light. Though they prefer to live in desolate, frigid regions, many of them are among the friendliest of dragonkind, nurturing and optimistic.

Inner Glow. When they hatch, crystal dragons have dull gray scales, with a few white or clear crystalline points, allowing the wyrmlings to blend in to rocky terrain in the face of danger. As they age, their scales turn snow white, then slowly fade to transparency. The oldest crystal dragons have scales of perfect clarity that bend and refract light, sometimes making them difficult to see clearly.

The radiant energy of the Positive Plane shimmers in crystal dragons’ scales. It glows like starlight between their bodies and the spines and horns that hover close to their heads and backs. These horns shift with the dragon’s mood: bristling with anger, lying back with fear or suspicion, and rippling in side-to-side waves with amusement or joy.

Visions in Starlight. Many crystal dragons study the stars, recording their observations of the night sky and tracking the signs written in starlight. They read these signs as omens, giving them glimpses of what is to come, and they eagerly examine the potential futures of any creatures who come to them in peace.

Crystal dragons’ connection to the radiant forces of the Positive Plane fosters a nurturing, optimistic attitude in most of these dragons. They sometimes adopt the abandoned eggs or hatchlings of other dragons; many a white wyrmling has been raised in the caring environment of a crystal dragon’s lair. But they fiercely oppose destructive forces in their home territories, which sometimes leads nearby frost giants and white dragons to put aside their mutual enmity to hunt them.

Glittering Hoards. For their treasure hoards, crystal dragons prize diamonds and baubles that refract light, collections of prophecy, works on astronomy, and star charts. When it comes to magical treasure, they seek items and spells that predict the future, create or manipulate light, or channel positive energy for healing and nurturing.

Creating a Crystal Dragon

Use the Crystal Dragon Personality Traits and Crystal Dragon Ideals tables to inspire your portrayal of distinctive crystal dragon characters.

Crystal Dragon Personality Traits

d - 8Trait:

1 - If you’re not a thief or a frost giant, let’s talk!

2 - Are you comfortable? Can I tell your future for you? Just let me know what I can do for you, okay?

3 - Jokes are as valuable as any gemstone and more fun to share.

4 - My empathy is a bottomless well. I can’t help but lose myself in the emotions of others.

5 - The stars have much to tell us, and folk need me to interpret what the stars say.

6 - All play and no work—those are the words I live by.

7 - I am always the first to offer a compliment.

8 - Get off my snowfield, you immature bipeds! When I was a wyrmling, people respected their elders!

Crystal Dragon Ideals

d6 - Ideal:

1 - Exploration. Yesterday is already known. Today is for something new. (Chaotic)

2 - Empathy. It’s a gift to share in another’s joy, even if sometimes you must bear their pain, too. (Good)

3 - Hospitality. We all live beautiful lives—it would be a shame not to share our lives with others. (Neutral)

4 - Determinism. Our destinies may already be written, but the way we achieve them still matters. (Any)

5 - Fun and Games. Play is learning, but without the boredom. (Chaotic)

6 - Control. Everyone is welcome, as long as they follow my rules. (Lawful)

A Crystal Dragon’s Lair

Crystal dragons dwell in cold regions, where they construct ice and snow structures reminiscent of castles but open to the sky. Glittering crystals scattered about their lairs glow with gathered starlight, and caves or tunnels beneath the ice and snow provide protected areas for their hoards. They use their burrowing ability to dig blinds and secret passages throughout their lairs, allowing them to move easily—and potentially unnoticed.

The challenge rating of a legendary crystal dragon increases by 1 when it’s encountered in its lair.

Lair Actions

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the dragon can take one of the following lair actions; the dragon can’t take the same lair action two rounds in a row:

Beguiling Whisper. The dragon telepathically whispers to one creature within range of the dragon's telepathy. The creature must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the dragon until initiative count 20 on the next round. A creature charmed in this way obeys to the best of its ability any command the dragon issues that isn’t directly harmful to the creature.

Ice Passage. The dragon can open a passage through a wall of ice or snow that is up to 5 feet thick, creating an opening up to 30 feet wide and high.

Starlight’s Gleam. The dragon chooses a point it can see in the lair. Gleaming starlight radiates from that point to fill a 10-foot-radius sphere with dim light. Each creature other than the dragon in that area when the light appears must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 13 ((2d12)) radiant damage and be outlined in the glow. Attack rolls made against an outlined creature have advantage, and the creature can’t hide or benefit from being invisible. The starlight and the glow around any creature fades on initiative count 20 on the next round.

Regional Effects

The region surrounding a legendary crystal dragon’s lair is altered by the dragon's magic, creating one or more of the following effects:

Clear Skies. The skies above a crystal dragon's lair remain clear and free of precipitation unless magically altered. Winds blow lightly, posing little threat to those approaching the lair, and visibility is the best possible for the time of day.

Crystal Profusion. Plentiful quartz crystals form in natural stone within 6 miles of the lair, particularly in places where natural light can shine on the crystals.

Icy Sight. Ice and quartz within 6 miles of the lair become conduits for the dragon’s psionic presence. As an action, the dragon can cast the clairvoyance spell, requiring no spell components and targeting any ice or quartz crystals in that region.

Positive Energy. Any creature that finishes a long rest within 6 miles of the lair regains two additional spent Hit Dice.

Thriving Wildlife. Animal populations flourish within 6 miles of the lair. Ability checks made to forage for food by hunting, fishing, or trapping in that area are made with advantage.

If the dragon dies, the animal population near the lair returns to normal levels over the course of (2d12) days. The increased Hit Die recovery ends immediately. The existing abundance of quartz crystals remains, but new crystals form at a normal rate.

(From 2nd Edition AD&D Monstrous Manual - 1991):

Crystal dragons are the friendliest of the gem dragons, always curious about the world. Though they seldom seek out company, they willingly converse with visitors who do not try to steal from them.

At birth, crystal dragons have glossy white scales. As the dragons age, their scales become translucent. Moonlight and starlight causes their scales to luminesce, while bright sunlight lends them a dazzling brilliance which makes crystal dragons almost unbearable to look at.

Crystal dragons speak their own tongue and the tongue common to all gem dragons, and 10% of hatchling crystal dragons have an ability to communicate with any intelligent creature. The chance to possess this ability increases 5% per age category of the dragon.

Combat: Crystal dragons greatly prefer conversation to combat, and often use charm person early in any conversation. They do not initially hide, but if visitors become hostile, a crystal dragon will retreat immediately to observe its enemies with its special abilities, and plan an attack. Often, it uses its breath weapon first, to weaken and disorient enemies. Spells and other abilities are used as needed, with claws and bite a last resort.

Breath Weapon/Special Abilities: This dragon’s breath weapon is a cone of glowing shards; the cone is 60 feet long, 5 feet wide at the dragon’s mouth, and 25 feet wide at the base. Creatures caught in the blast can save vs. breath weapon for half damage, and must make a second saving throw vs. breath weapon or be blinded by the dazzling shards for one turn per age level of the dragon. The shards shine as bright as daylight, and can be seen for miles. Creatures within 60 feet must save vs. breath weapon or be dazzled, incurring a penalty of -2 to attack rolls for one turn per age level of the dragon. A crystal dragon casts spells and uses magical abilities at 5th level, plus its combat modifier.

Crystal dragons are born immune to light-based attacks and normal cold, and able to cast charm person at will. As they age, they gain these additional powers:

Juvenile: color spray three times a day. Mature adult: suggestion three times a day. Very old: luckscale once a day. This allows the dragon to enchant one of its scales as a stone of good luck. The enchantment lasts one hour per age category of the dragon. Such scales are given to friendly visitors. Wyrm: control winds three times a day.

Psionics Summary

Level = HD

Dis/Sci/Dev = 1/1/2

Attack/Defense = EW/M-

Score = Int

PSPs = 100

Clairsentience — Sciences: clairaudience, clairvoyance, precognition; Devotion: any.

Habitat/Society: Crystal dragons prefer cold, open areas with clear skies, and they enjoy stargazing. They have been known to build snow forts, create beautiful snow sculptures, and throw balls of snow at various targets. They are fun-loving and mischievous. Crystal dragons are reasonably good parents, if somewhat irresponsible.

Crystal dragons are hunted by some white dragons. However, a rare crystal dragon will adopt a young white dragon, to teach it to be friendly. Though generally friendly, they bear great enmity towards all giants, who sometimes try to enslave them.

Ecology: Crystal dragons prefer gems and metal ores to all other foods.