White Dragon
Overview
The smallest, least intelligent, and most animalistic of the chromatic dragons, white dragons dwell in frigid climes, favoring arctic areas or icy mountains. They are vicious, cruel reptiles driven by hunger and greed. A white dragon has feral eyes, a sleek profile, and a spined crest. The scales of a wyrmling white dragon glisten pure white. As the dragon ages, its sheen disappears and some of its scales begin to darken, so that by the time it is old, it is mottled by patches of pale blue and light gray. This patterning helps the dragon blend into the realms of ice and stone in which it hunts, and to fade from view when it soars across a cloud-filled sky.Primal and Vengeful
White dragons lack the cunning and tactics of most other dragons. However, their bestial nature makes them the best hunters among all dragonkind, singularly focused on surviving and slaughtering their enemies. A white dragon consumes only food that has been frozen, devouring creatures killed by its breath weapon while they are still stiff and frigid. It encases other kills in ice or buries them in snow near its lair, and finding such a larder is a good indication that a white dragon dwells nearby. A white dragon also keeps the bodies of its greatest enemies as trophies, freezing corpses where it can look upon them and gloat. The remains of giants, remorhazes, and other dragons are often positioned prominently within a white dragon’s lair as warnings to intruders. Though only moderately intelligent, white dragons have extraordinary memories. They recall every slight and defeat, and have been known to conduct malicious vendettas against creatures that have offended them. This often includes silver dragons, which lair in the same territories as whites. White dragons can speak as all dragons can, but they rarely talk unless moved to do so.Lone Masters
White dragons avoid all other dragons except whites of the opposite sex. Even then, when white dragons seek each other out as mates, they stay together only long enough to conceive offspring before fleeing into isolation again. White dragons can’t abide rivals near their lairs. As a result, a white dragon attacks other creatures without provocation, viewing such creatures as either too weak or too powerful to live. The only creatures that typically serve a white dragon are intelligent humanoids that demonstrate enough strength to soothe the dragon’s wrath, and can put up with sustaining regular losses as a result of its hunger. This includes dragon-worshiping kobolds, which are commonly found in their lairs. Powerful creatures can sometimes gain a white dragon’s obedience through a demonstration of physical or magical might. Frost giants challenge white dragons to prove their own strength and improve their status in their clans, and their cracked bones litter many a white dragon’s lair. However, a white dragon defeated by a frost giant often becomes its servant, accepting the mastery of a superior creature in exchange for asserting its own domination over the other creatures that serve or oppose the giant.Treasure Under Ice
White dragons love the cold sparkle of ice and favor treasure with similar qualities, particularly diamonds. However, in their remote arctic climes, the treasure hoards of white dragons more often contain walrus and mammoth tusk ivory, whale-bone sculptures, figureheads from ships, furs, and magic items seized from overly bold adventurers. Loose coins and gems are spread across a white dragon’s lair, glittering like stars when the light strikes them. Larger treasures and chests are encased in layers of rime created by the white dragon’s breath, and held safe beneath layers of transparent ice. The dragon’s great strength allows it to easily access its wealth, while lesser creatures must spend hours chipping away or melting the ice to reach the dragon’s main hoard. A white dragon’s flawless memory means that it knows how it came to possess every coin, gem, and magic item in its hoard, and it associates each item with a specific victory. White dragons are notoriously difficult to bribe, since any offers of treasure are seen as an insult to their ability to simply slay the creature making the offer and seize the treasure on their own.A White Dragon's Lair
White dragons lair in icy caves and deep subterranean chambers far from the sun. They favor high mountain vales accessible only by flying, caverns in cliff faces, and labyrinthine ice caves in glaciers. White dragons love vertical heights in their caverns, flying up to the ceiling to latch on like bats or slithering down icy crevasses. A legendary white dragon’s innate magic deepens the cold in the area around its lair. Mountain caverns are fast frozen by the white dragon’s presence. A white dragon can often detect intruders by the way the keening wind in its lair changes tone. A white dragon rests on high ice shelves and cliffs in its lair, the floor around it a treacherous morass of broken ice and stone, hidden pits, and slippery slopes. As foes struggle to move toward it, the dragon flies from perch to perch and destroys them with its freezing breath.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:- Freezing fog fills a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point the dragon can see within 120 feet of it. The fog spreads around corners, and its area is heavily obscured. Each creature in the fog when it appears must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw, taking 3d6 cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that ends its turn in the fog takes 3d6 cold damage. A wind of at least 20 miles per hour disperses the fog. The fog otherwise lasts until the dragon uses this lair action again or until the dragon dies.
- Jagged ice shards fall from the ceiling, striking up to three creatures underneath that the dragon can see within 120 feet of it. The dragon makes one ranged attack roll (+7 to hit) against each target. On a hit, the target takes 3d6 piercing damage.
- The dragon creates an opaque wall of ice on a solid surface it can see within 120 feet of it. The wall can be up to 30 feet long, 30 feet high, and 1 foot thick. When the wall appears, each creature within its area is pushed 5 feet out of the wall’s space, appearing on whichever side of the wall it wants. Each 10-foot section of the wall has AC 5, 30 hit points, vulnerability to fire damage, and immunity to acid, cold, necrotic, poison, and psychic damage. The wall disappears when the dragon uses this lair action again or when the dragon dies.
Regional Effects
The region containing a legendary white dragon’s lair is warped by the dragon’s magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:- Chilly fog lightly obscures the land within 6 miles of the dragon’s lair.
- Freezing precipitation falls within 6 miles of the dragon’s lair, sometimes forming blizzard conditions when the dragon is at rest.
- Icy walls block off areas in the dragon’s lair. Each wall is 6 inches thick, and a 10-foot section has AC 5, 15 hit points, vulnerability to fire damage, and immunity to acid, cold, necrotic, poison, and psychic damage. If the dragon wishes to move through a wall, it can do so without slowing down. The portion of the wall the dragon moves through is destroyed, however.
White Dragon Wyrmling CR: 2 (450 XP)
STR
14 +2
DEX
10 +0
CON
14 +2
INT
5 -3
WIS
10 +0
CHA
11 +0
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 feet, one target. Hit: 1d10 + 2 piercing damage plus 1d4 cold damage. Cold Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales an icy blast of hail in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw, taking 5d8 cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Young White Dragon CR: 6 (2,300 XP)
STR
18 +4
DEX
10 +0
CON
18 +4
INT
6 -2
WIS
11 +0
CHA
12 +1
Ice Walk. The dragon can move across and climb icy surfaces without needing to make an ability check. Additionally, difficult terrain composed of ice or snow doesn’t cost it extra moment.
Actions
Multiattack. The dragon makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 feet, one target. Hit: 2d10 + 4 piercing damage plus 1d8 cold damage. Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 feet, one target. Hit: 2d6 + 4 slashing damage. Cold Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales an icy blast in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 10d8 cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Adult White Dragon CR: 13 (10,000 XP)
STR
22 +6
DEX
10 +0
CON
22 +6
INT
8 -1
WIS
12 +1
CHA
12 +1
Ice Walk. The dragon can move across and climb icy surfaces without needing to make an ability check. Additionally, difficult terrain composed of ice or snow doesn’t cost it extra moment. Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Actions
Multiattack. The dragon can use its Frightful Presence. It then makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 feet, one target. Hit: 2d10 + 6 piercing damage plus 1d8 cold damage. Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 feet, one target. Hit: 2d6 + 6 slashing damage. Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 15 feet, one target. Hit: 2d8 + 6 bludgeoning damage. Frightful Presence. Each creature of the dragon’s choice that is within 120 feet of the dragon and aware of it must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the dragon’s Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours. Cold Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales an icy blast in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 19 Constitution saving throw, taking 12d8 cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
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. Detect. The dragon makes a Wisdom (Perception) check. Tail Attack. The dragon makes a tail attack. Wing Attack (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon beats its wings. Each creature within 10 feet of the dragon must succeed on a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw or take 2d6 + 6 bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. The dragon can then fly up to half its flying speed.
Ancient White Dragon CR: 20 (25,000 XP)
STR
26 +8
DEX
10 +0
CON
26 +8
INT
10 +0
WIS
13 +1
CHA
14 +2
Ice Walk. The dragon can move across and climb icy surfaces without needing to make an ability check. Additionally, difficult terrain composed of ice or snow doesn’t cost it extra moment. Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Actions
Multiattack. The dragon can use its Frightful Presence. It then makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 15 feet, one target. Hit: 2d10 + 8 piercing damage plus 2d8 cold damage. Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 feet, one target. Hit: 2d6 + 8 slashing damage. Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 20 feet, one target. Hit: 2d8 + 8 bludgeoning damage. Frightful Presence. Each creature of the dragon’s choice that is within 120 feet of the dragon and aware of it must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the dragon’s Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours. Cold Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales an icy blast in a 90-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw, taking 16d8 cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
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. Detect. The dragon makes a Wisdom (Perception) check. Tail Attack. The dragon makes a tail attack. Wing Attack (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon beats its wings. Each creature within 15 feet of the dragon must succeed on a DC 22 Dexterity saving throw or take 2d6 + 8 bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. The dragon can then fly up to half its flying speed.
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