Faerie Dragon

(From 5th Edition Monster Manual - 2014):

A faerie dragon is a cat-sized dragon with butterfly wings. It wears a sharp-toothed grin and expresses its delight by the twitching of its tail, its merriment fading only if it is attacked.

Invisible Tricksters. The only warning of a faerie dragon’s presence is a stifled giggle. The dragon stays out of sight, watching invisibly as its victims contend with its pranks. When its fun is done, the dragon might reveal itself, depending on the disposition of its “prey.”

Friendly and Bright. A faerie dragon has a sharp mind, a fondness for treasure and good company, and a puckish sense of humor. Travelers can play to a faerie dragon’s draconic nature by offering it “treasure” in the form of sweets, baked goods, and baubles in exchange for information or safe passage through its territory.

The Colors of Age. A faerie dragon’s scales change hue as it ages, moving through all the colors of the rainbow. All faerie dragons have innate spellcasting ability, gaining new spells as they mature.

Color:      Age Range:

Red         5 years or less

Orange    6–10 years

Yellow    11–20 years

Green     21–30 years

Blue       31–40 years

Indigo    41–50 years

Violet     51 years or more

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

Creating a Faerie Dragon

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

Faerie Dragon Personality Traits

d8 - Trait

1 - Some people say I have a short attention span, and that I’m easily distractable, but they don’t… oh wow, is that a lute?

2 - I do not constantly steal food. If you can’t keep track of your rations, that’s really a personal failing.

3 - I’m much smarter than I look, and if you can’t say the same, this is going to be a short conversation.

4 - Elf, dwarf, horse—you non-dragons all look the same to me. No offense.

5 - When I narrate what I’m doing in song, it makes everything feel more epic, don’t you think?

6 - The world is a product of my imagination. The fact that you think you exist when I’m not thinking about you is adorable.

7 - I’m quick to make friends and love winning over grumpy and stoic types. If they don’t yet appreciate my help, that just means they need more of it!

8 - I like to earn people’s trust, then lead them into dangerous situations and make off with their treasure while they’re distracted.

Faerie Dragon Ideals

d6 - Ideal:

1 - Benevolence. Jokes are one thing, but I won’t abide cruelty. My mischief brings joy to the downtrodden and ridicule to oppressors. (Good)

2 - Variety. How can anyone stand to do the same things over and over? I take any opportunity to shake things up by trying something new. (Chaotic)

3 - Fun. What’s the point of living if you’re not going to enjoy yourself? (Any)

4 - Humor. My jokes make life more interesting for everyone. Or at least for me. (Any)

5 - Energy. Boredom is worse than death. I’m not much for plans, but you can always count on me to make something happen! (Chaotic)

6 - Selfishness. Other creatures exist for my amusement. If tormenting them were wrong, why would I enjoy it so much? (Evil)

Faerie Dragon Lairs

Faerie dragons go where the fun is. For many, this means dwelling near portals to the Feywild, enjoying that realm’s unpredictable magic and boisterous revels. Yet it can just as easily mean residing among other peoples—stealing baubles from shrines, nesting in cluttered attics, or following explorers and other intriguing individuals on their travels. For as much as they love their homes and hoards, faerie dragons abandon both without a second thought if adventure beckons.

Faerie dragon lairs are as varied and eccentric as their owners. Some resemble simple animal nests, hidden away in secret crevices or woven of twigs and trash in the forks of ancient trees. Faerie dragons may also draw on the trappings of civilization, perhaps stealing a child’s dollhouse for use as a manor or convincing pixies to construct them a silken bower. The most elaborate faerie dragon lairs are modeled off those of larger dragons, featuring multiple chambers and cunning traps.

Faerie Dragon Lair Features

An example complex faerie dragon lair is built around several hollowed-out chambers inside a large dead tree. The tree is decorated with the dragon’s lesser treasures, its limbs draped with scrolls and scarves and set with glittering glass....  A typical lair has the following features:

Trapped Entrance. Just inside the knothole that acts as the lair’s main entrance, the dragon has hidden a stolen hunting trap.

Audience Chamber. The passage opens up into the audience chamber, where the dragon lounges on a pillow and entertains diminutive Fey guests (or, in lieu of Fey, a family of very confused squirrels).

Hoard and Larder. Beyond the audience chamber are separate hollows for the dragon’s hoard (“shinies”) and larder (“nibbles”).

Sleeping Chamber. The innermost cavity of the lair is the sleeping chamber, which the dragon has fastidiously lined with fragments of mirrored glass. The dragon preens and holds long, complimentary conversations with myriad admiring reflections here.

Escape Tunnel. From the sleeping chamber, a concealed escape tunnel leads out through a hollow root before emerging in a thick briar patch.

Lair Actions

As they are presented in the Monster Manual, faerie dragons don’t have access to lair actions while in their lairs. At your discretion, a green or older faerie dragon can take one of the following lair actions on initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties):

Chaotic Aura. The faerie dragon creates misdirecting currents of air and magic around itself. Until initiative count 20 on the next round, whenever a ranged attack roll misses the dragon, reroll the attack against a random creature within 30 feet of the dragon that doesn’t have total cover against the attack.

Grasping Plants. The faerie dragon causes roots and vines to temporarily grow around it; until initiative count 20 on the next round, the ground within 20 feet of the dragon is difficult terrain.

Regional Effects

The region containing a faerie dragon’s lair can be transformed by its presence, creating one or more of the following effects:

Compulsory Offering. The first time a creature comes within 1 mile of the faerie dragon’s lair, the creature must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or feel an overwhelming compulsion to leave an offering worth at least 5 gp stashed in an out-of-the-way place. The dragon immediately senses the location of this gift. A creature can be affected only once by this compulsion.

Malleable Time. Time is fluid within 1 mile of the faerie dragon’s lair, flowing somewhere between half and twice its normal speed.

Mischief Afoot. Sapient creatures that spend a year within 5 miles of the faerie dragon’s lair feel the persistent urge to play pranks on others.

If the faerie dragon dies, these effects fade over the course of (1d8) days.

(from 2nd Edition Monstrous Manual - 1993):

A chaotic offshoot of the pseudodragon, the faerie dragon lives in peaceful, tangled forests and thrives on pranks, mischief, and practical jokes.

Faerie dragons resemble miniature dragons with thin bodies, long, prehensile tails, gossamer butterfly wings, and huge smiles. Their colors range through the spectrum, changing as they age, from the red of a hatchling to the black of a great wyrm. The hides of females have a golden tinge that sparkles in the sunlight; males have a silver tinge.

All faerie dragons can communicate telepathically with one another at a distance of up to 2 miles. They speak their own language, along with the language of sprites, pixies, elves, and the birds and animals in their area.

Combat: Faerie dragons can become invisible at will, and can attack, use spells, and employ breath weapons while invisible. They attack as 4-HD monsters, biting for 1-2 points of damage. Most (65%) faerie dragons employ wizard spells as a wizard of the level indicated on the accompanying chart; 35% employ priest spells of the following spheres: Animal, Plant, Elemental, and Weather. Almost all spells are chosen for mischief potential. The two most common spells of faerie dragons are water breathing and legend lore; other favorites include ventriloquism, unseen servant, forget, suggestion, distance distortion, limited wish, obscurement, animal growth, and animate rock.

A faerie dragon usually begins its attacks by turning invisible and using its breath weapon, a 2-foot-diameter cloud of euphoria gas. A victim failing a saving throw vs. breath weapon will wander around aimlessly in a state of bliss for the next 3d4 minutes, during which time he is unable to attack and his Armor Class is decreased by 2. Even though he is unable to attack, the victim can keep his mind on the situation if he succeeds on an Intelligence check (by rolling his Intelligence score or less on 1d20) each round; if he fails an Intelligence check, he completely loses interest in the matters at hand for the duration of the breath weapon’s effect.

Faerie dragons avoid combat and never intentionally inflict damage unless cornered or defending their lairs. If attacked, however, they engage in spirited defense, ably supported by sprite and pixie friends, until the opponents are driven away.

Habitat/Society: Faerie dragons make their lairs in the hollows of high trees, preferably near a pond or stream, because they are quite fond of swimming and diving. They often live in the company of a group of pixies or sprites.

Faerie dragons take advantage of every opportunity to wreak mischief on passers-by, frequently using forest creatures to help them in their pranks. Though many of these pranks are spontaneous, months of preparation can go into a single, spectacular practical joke. A tell-tale giggle, which sounds like the tinkling of tiny silver bells, often alerts potential victims to the presence of invisible faerie dragons.

Ecology: Faerie dragons eat fruit, vegetables, nuts, roots, honey, and grains. They are especially fond of fruit pastries and have been known to go to great lengths to get a fresh apple pie.