D&D MONSTER RANKINGS - DRAGONS

Dragons arguably the most iconic fantasy monster of all time their half of the name Dungeons & Dragons after all they're mighty fearsome winged reptiles they attack with fangs claws tail swipes and of course their legendary breath weapons they are known to be greedy and covetous long-lived even immortal and immensely perilous to face yet the treasure hoards they possess are the dreams of every adventurer classically a dragon breathes fire though D&D and all of its glorious variety also includes dragon breath of cold lightning acid poison and other extraordinary effects these are the kings of monsters so be prepared for a lot of a tier entries in this ranking the dragon as an iconic figure appears in many ancient cultures seeming to originate with the very beginning of civilization itself in Mesopotamia and spreading out from there the earliest forms of the dragon are usually serpent-like or some kind of reptilian hybrid creature Mushu so of babylon a pet of Egypt verita of india leviathan of israel python laid on wyvern and hydra of Greece and Rome and in Norse mythology your man gander the world serpent and neat augur the dragon's serpent who gnaws the roots of the world tree and Fafnir the son of the dwarf king who was cursed and turned into a dragon in the Far East dragons are treated quite differently still immensely powerful fantastic beasts but they often are forces of good fortune wisdom and knowledge and they fly without wings we also have the classic dragons from the Old English epic Beowulf the legends of King Arthur and Merlin the Catholic legend of st. George in the dragon and from the modern era Dragons come from JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit JK Rowling's Harry Potter George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire and many many others Dragons appear throughout mythology legends and the entire fantasy genre I could go on and on but why is the Dragons so prolific one big theory is that the dragon or rather the Dragons story as a symbol for the condition of our existence they represent a big part of our human experience the character leaves the familiar ordinary secure life ventures out into the unknown of the wilderness goes into a dark and dreadful cave and faces the terrible and powerful beast yet that monster is the guardian of the greatest treasure the hoard of gold or the magical item or the beautiful virgin this is a terrifying process only those with courage confront it it's highly perilous and only those with skill and strength survive and some die devoured by the dragon but for those who claim the reward they become heroes champions kings or even magic blessed and they returned to their community bringing with them their wealth their wisdom and their new energy the great joseph campbell once wrote the cave you fear to enter holds the treasure that you seek in the D&D world this is exactly the place of the dragon it is one of the most powerful and fearsome creatures in the game and they guard some of the greatest treasure out there for those who take on a dragon in its lair and succeed in slaying it they claim amazing rewards gain experience and benefit the land that the dragon had terrorized in dungeons of dragons there are two main types of dragon chromatic and metallic the chromatic are evil dragons and they are what we think of as these classic dragons from Western and Near Eastern culture they are also associated with Tiamat a lawful evil five headed dragon goddess of wealth greed and vengeance the metallic dragons relate a bit more to Far East culture and they are typically good aligned or at least less evil they are associated with Bahamut a lawful good platinum scaled dragon god of justice and nobility there are also lesser dragons or dragon kin which I'll include in this review if you'd like a better understanding of how I rate these monsters please check out the video in the card here it explains what is behind the attributes and the ratings that I give the main books I'm referencing our fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual Volos guide to monsters and Morden kind ins tome of foes now let us draw our swords hoist our shields and step into the dark old cavern where slumbers the most legendary creature of all time ft r monsters have severe limitations and few redeeming qualities I found no draconic entries that fell into this tier d tier dragons are not terrible they're not worthless by any stretch but rather their simpler Dragon kin with a very limited scope yet they still have a valid place in the D&D world the guard Drake has a single page and Volos guide to monsters it is essentially a draconic guard dog rather than a natural-born beast of the world fifth edition describes the guard Drake's as being created through a grisly ritual involving a mixture of several pounds of dragon scales and a lot of fresh meat the cult of Tiamat originally devised this process but it's usage has spread to various factions of all walks a guard Drake is obedient and faithful though certainly not intelligent it has a bite and a tail slap and depending upon what color of dragon scales it was made from it has a certain kind of special movement and damage resistance such as swimming speed and acid resistance for a black guard Drake as a DM I would use the guard rakes as watch beasts for stronger NPCs or enemies and a mid-level adventurer and to get the maximum out of there very few abilities I would them guard an area with terrain that they can use to their advantage I can easily imagine a blue or white guard Drake burrowing and popping up and down to menace and treating characters a wish fifth edition had more Drake's but thus far none of the BC Ares have featured other entries though thankfully we do have the wyvern a monster that I have always liked particularly I wish I could place him higher on this ranking because I just like the wyvern but in taking an honest look at what is actually presented in the book I just can't nonetheless I hope the wyvern is happy being crowned the king of the low tier dragons so the wyvern is another animalistic dragon beast it lacks intelligence or sentience it's unaligned and it exists as an aerial predator just concerned with typical instincts such as hunting prey to eat and maintaining territory while it is not a true dragon in the D&D sense it is still a kind of dragon a winged reptile hunter monster with aggressive tendencies its sting as legendary as it carries one of the most potent Venom's in the game getting stung by a wyvern deals more damage than getting hit by a fireball spell in addition it can add a bite or a claw attack on top of that and this is that challenge rating 6 it's low armor class and saving throws are its downfall though and parties with strong ranged attacks or control can take down a wyvern quite effectively additionally wyverns are sometimes captured and trained as aerial mounts this is a dangerous task due to the creatures ferocious temperament and deadly poison but success produces an elite mount far stronger than a warhorse and capable of high-speed flight in my high fantasy D&D world of I Korea the characters have thus far encountered one single wyvern mount for sale it is kept by a faction of Dragonborn who will sell it to a worthy buyer for a price of 8400 gold pieces I first learned of the word wyvern from the video game Dragon Warrior aka Dragon Quest which was my introduction into the RPG genre back in 1889 that series went on to inspire me tremendously and was my favorite as a youngster I soon discovered that I had in fact seen wyverns before though and I suspect that most people have by way of heraldry these elements of history mythology art and gaming that began in my youth likely explained my nostalgic fondness that I have for the wyvern it may not have the prestige and complexity of the true dragons but it is a time-honored classic monster most worthy at the apex of lower tiers and that's it for D tier unsurprisingly there just aren't many dragons who have major limitations delving deeper into the den of draconic danger we smell sulfurous hints of fiery breath and smoky exhalations but those great dragons of legend are they close at hand not quite yet remain steadfast my dear companions C tier brings us a couple of entries that are a balance of limitations yet potential the most minuscule of dragon kind is the pseudo dragon it is a tiny thing that Black's toughness a shy yet playful being good-natured and possessed of intelligence keen senses sympathy even a rudimentary telepathy and magic resistance for offense it has a nipping bite and a poison that potentially knocks the target unconscious though the save DC is quite low a pseudo dragon is a cat size dragon with a russet coloration and they are probably most well known for their service as arcane familiars you might be inclined to trust or at least regard well a mage who has a pseudo dragon as as magical pet for these little dragon wings are quite repulsed by abuse and ill-treatment mages come in wild varieties often eccentric or downright strange but a master of a pseudo dragon is really the friend of a pseudo dragon it probably shares the critters jovial attitude or maybe sensitive nature I place this entry in mid seat here because while it's not potin in combat it rates nicely when it comes to things like interactions storytelling and exploration and there is something heartwarming about a dragon who possesses whimsy innocence and benevolence this creature reminds us that we all have a child in our hearts and thus monsters must have a child and their hearts too after all what is D&D without the play and imagination of childhood at the top of sea tier has the Dragonborn more a race than a monster but that's fine as I certainly analyze races and classes - like the wyvern and even the pseudo dragon the best thing the Dragonborn have going for them is style now all the attributes are important and as you've seen I give them equal weight style is very relevant because we humans are really sensitive to a stetic and tone the way things look the way they're crafted the way they carry themselves is so important artistic expression is a quest for the divine in beauty and its many different forms captivates us and compels us the spirit of a person or thing is manifest through its form which also very much includes the way it behaves the demeanor or personality it possesses now a dragon may not be the first thing that comes to mind when we think of beauty we probably think of a gorgeous person or the beauty of nature but if you take a moment you will find beauty or at least a powerful lure in dragons and their treasures are absolutely objects of beauty and desire some artists render dragons as beings of majesty others as malevolent and terrible but even the darker dragon imagery still is composed with a potent a stetic in mind the Dragonborn capture that sense of draconic might the grand juror coupled with ferocity the frightening reptilian form combined with intricate colors and textures as I covered in my races ranking video a big gripe with the Dragonborn is their mechanics attribute their scaly hide gives them no bonus to AC like it does for every other such creature in D&D their damage resistance is good though passive and situational and worst of all their breath weapon is sadly underpowered these mechanical shortcomings mean that players rarely choose this race if it were me designing the Dragonborn I would give them plus one two AC and a stronger breath weapon as such this power level is 1 d6 damage lower than burning hands of all these given levels the DC also would be lower than a spellcasters as it is based on Constitution and for a fighter with multiple attacks it still isn't going to be the best choice in every situation so I'm not saying this idea that I proposed here is perfect but I do think it's a step in the right direction it's easy to think about how underpowered it is the players handbook Dragonborn for example at 16th level must spend his action to deal only 5d6 damage and that's halved with a moderate difficulty DC by the tits of Tiamat this is an insult to dragon kind the Dragonborn could be so much more if its mechanics were simply improved a bit more interesting and compelling lore would help to which interestingly fourth edition was actually slightly better in this area but I'll save that for another video so these are the two entries for C tier dragons they're cool in their own ways though definitely not amazing they could use a bit of an upgrade on the note of enhancing your game if you're a fan of interesting hand-drawn dungeons and monsters consider joining my patreon not only will you be supporting my channel every month I release dungeon maps that you can download you can even print them out as well patrons get selected to submit monster concepts for which I create custom art 5 e-stat blocks and lore even if you can't spare a couple silver pieces at the moment still take advantage of the free map and newsletter that I put out every month links down in the video description and at the end of the video well we have rounded the C tier hump which was not too wide this time around actually and we still have a lot of draconic greatness to come this monster type is very top-heavy with a bunch of high tier big hitters so let's press on through the cave the smell of dragon's breath is getting much much stronger wait didn't we just see these guys nope technically not while the Dragonborn are strictly their own humanoid race 1/2 dragon is literally half dragon and half something else like it's 3.5 Edition predecessor this template can be applied to another type of creature in the game typically a beast humanoid giant or monstrosity the base creature retains all its regular stats and gains draconic senses damage resistance the draconic language and a breath weapon that actually does it justice as it's drawn directly from the true dragons where do half dragons come from well my dear listener you see dragons have more powers than just fire breath and things they have supernaturally infused libidos magical procreation mystical mojo dragons can mate with many different types of creatures and produce offspring this is particularly prominent among dragons who can polymorph into other physical forms there are also tales of esoteric rituals that can transform people or creatures into half dragons and in a world of magic and mystery such a thing is certainly not impossible so whether he's an offspring or a result of some eldritch right a half dragon bears powers and even the typical personality traits of the inherited dragon type the only major thing missing are the wings in the 3.5 Edition iteration a large-sized or bigger half dragon had wings and flight but that seems to have been removed from 5e for whatever reason in the end this creature comes off as a somewhat improved dragon born with different lore that has a broader potential other than being simply a humanoid race which then begs the question what's the point of the dragon born i draconic tears are being shed as we speak let's move on to something that's interesting in a different sort of way the dragon turtle I'll admit that I haven't heard much about this guy over the years and the additions though I've always seen it there lurking and one bestiary or another but being a giant turtle he probably doesn't mind staying under the surface when we talk about sea monsters we likely first think of giant squids or Krakens or some kind of sea serpent but a gargantuan sized or conic turtle hmm that is a curious case my brave companions what we find here is a neutral aligned dragon beast with the intelligence level of an average human this thing attacks with massive jaws a walloping tail raking claws and steam breath it can boil you alive in or out of water on land this creature is slow which you can debate if that makes sense or not but it's mobile enough when swimming in deep water which is where it typically dwells dragon turtles are described as being an ancient creature as old as the oldest of dragons which I like due to the many giant turtle references found throughout mythologies and like true dragons a dragon turtle covets treasure which it hoards in its underwater lair further interesting notes are how dragon Turtles interact with other beings they can be bribed even recruited if the payment is grand enough and in certain cases water genies even use dragon turtles as mounts of epic proportion I have to say that in reviewing the dragon turtle entry I've become rather fond of it they have a mix of beasts Jill even primal characteristics along with sentience and a potential for story based interactions there are subtle ties mythology which I love and strong ties to maritime tales of terrifying sea monsters the dragon turtle is not too complex nor is it really deep but certainly it is deep enough to make an interesting and compelling mid B tier entry so again we only find a couple specimens in this part of the ranking no monster really struck me as quite good enough for high B tier or maybe I should say none of the true dragons struck me as bad enough to fall below a tier so here we are bold comrades heftier shields brandish your blades ready your spells we now enter the Dragons Den starting off low 8 here is the white dragon compared to the other true dragons White's are the most beasts like with lower intelligence and simpler more savage ways they dwell in cold lands and breathe icy blasts like all true dragons they have a great list of abilities and traits that increase in potency the older the dragon gets dragons overall get categorized as follows worm links are medium-sized and they are age 5 or less young dragons are large size and they are 6 to 100 years old adults are huge size which are 101 to 800 years old and the ancient dragons are gargantuan in size 800 years or more in age all dragons have the ability to fly bite claw tail slap and use a breath weapon they also have lair actions which are unique terrain hazards that pop up when facing a dragon in his home additionally they have regional effects which shape and influence the terrain around their homes providing uniqueness to the landscape and additional features that affect exploration there starting at the young category dragons have the potential for in a spell casting which is at the diems discretion when a dragon reaches the adult category things really start to take off with the dragon gaining frightening presence and it's legendary actions and legendary resistance the ancient category represents those rare and truly devastating dragons whose power reaches into demigod levels even the least powerful of the Dragons the white dragon is challenge rating 20 in the ancient category another noteworthy aspect about the white dragon is its mobility not only does it walk and fly but it can swim and burrow as well as move unimpeded across ice and snow it has some cool lair actions including freezing fog falling ice shards and sprouting walls of ice these frost dragons as mentioned are more primal than their cousins they live by hunting and collecting the remains of their prey and they are particularly bent on exacting vengeance against their foes a white dragon's lair is filled with frozen statues gruesome trophies of enemies it has slain they're also known for stealing their treasure hoards below layers of ice thankfully all the dragons in fifth edition received good lore write-ups and the designers took some time to really put thought and effort into detailing various aspects of both chromatic and metallic dragons because of this I'm happy to give them high marks in the lore attribute there are some monsters I regard as even better still in this area but I have no complaints with these dragon Ecology's and stories the frigid winds blow and the white dragon roars from its lonesome wintry mountain foreboding of more to come the black dragon has always been my personal favorite dragon I love the swamp environments and RPGs and fantasy and the black dragons overall tone and look have always stood out to me also acid breath is just gnarly this type of dragon is regarded as the most sinister of all the chromatic dragons reveling in the collapse of civilization particularly those civilizations constructed by people whom the black dragon regards as weak thus the blacks lie within their flooded Marsh lairs slinking amongst the ruins of fallen kingdoms and broken dreams concocting their next sadistic plot I imagine a black dragon whispering fel commands to kobolds and lizard folk sending out hordes of monstrous swamp vermin and lurking within muck and pools where it can either spy on rivals or ambush prey black dragons can swim and breathe water and their lair actions include grasping bogs that pull victims into the water clouds of biting insects and the ever potent darkness spell which the dragon bypasses with its blind sight for an objective standpoint I do find other dragons even better overall but the black has a lot of great things going for it and will likely remain my favorite for reasons of personal taste what can I say I'm a sucker for a great swamp villain we're gonna take a quick detour from the true dragons to take a look at the fairy dragon the master tricksters of Dragon kind they're tiny like pseudo dragons and about as frail as well but they're potent magic gives them some big advantages the foremost of which is superior and visibility which allows it to innately use invisibility at will the fairy dragon possesses a certain number of spells as well many of which come from the illusion and enchantment schools as this little dragon Ling ages its color changes as though moving up the rainbow or chakras each age category gaining an additional innate spell lower-level spells like minor illusion mirror image and suggestion all have great effects and stronger ones such as major illusion hallucinatory terrain and polymorph are not only creative but open-ended magic and they can lead to some big effects this creature also has a unique ability euphoria breath tricksters don't need to scorch their foes with fire they opiate their foes into a stupor while fairy dragons are usually chaotic aligned they are typically good aligned as well putting them in that category most bards can relate to so well of leading atypical lives playing with and nudging those who cross their paths and at time using questionable or at least experimental methods but in the end they have compassion and would rather everyone kept sight of morals so while the fairy dragon might call you an orc brained cambian that smells of al bears he does so with a grin on his face and is more curious about observing your reaction than actually causing you mental harm and if an actual orc or fiend attacked you he would fight for your life and your freedom this creature does right by all of us adding to the D&D game an element of classic fun in mischief a huge dose of role-playing interaction and creative possibilities and a suite of interesting abilities that just beg to be experimented with now fly along the fairy dragon grown-ups are talking the gold dragon well well we finally lay eyes upon a rare metallic dragon Gold's are actually among the most powerful of dragons arguably the most powerful are tied with the Reds they are wise benevolent and prefer that fare order be upheld interestingly they are some of the most private and humble of all dragon kind often using their shape-shifting ability to appear as unassuming people or simple animals that is whenever they do venture out from their secluded lairs Gold's are one of the types of dragons that most draws upon East Asian mythology they even dwell in areas connected to water such as rivers lakes and waterfalls as often shown in Chinese lore this continues in their connection with pearls a gemstone associated with water wisdom spiritual energy and prosperity in fact the gold dragon of D&D prefers to eat pearls and other gemstones like all dragons they delight in accumulating a treasure hoard though they do not kill or rob from innocent targets in order to amass said treasure a gold dragon actually has two breadth attacks one being a cone of fire the other being a cone of weakening gas that imposes disadvantage on strength attack's ability checks and saving throws it's cool to have these two options though I have to criticize the fact that they both key off of the same reach are instead of being two separate ones it would seem far more situational to use the weakening breath and since the dragon has to decide between the two I'm sure we'll typically prefer the fire breath the layer actions a gold commands are a divining glimps that gives it advantage on basically everything for a round and a one round banishment of an enemy to a dream plane while the gold dragon is considered the most powerful of the metallic dragons I consider its cousins to be a bit more interesting overall typically due to a little more breadth or emphasis on role-playing interactions but keep in mind that at this point we are talking about monsters that are all really really good and the differences between them are usually smaller points or maybe even just nitpicks here's another uncommon creature the copper dragon these chaotic good monsters live in hills and rocky highlands and they're tricksters and pranksters many ways they're similar to fairy dragons yes they can be irritable defensive greedy envious cranky old hoarders but they do believe in the value of good hearted folk and they ultimately want society to be functioning especially in a lively and merry fashion in fact coppers delight in jokes storytelling and music and they have a special fondness for bards a highlight to the lives of many talented bards is to perform within the lair of a copper dragon so I will continue striving until the day I receive my own invitation the breath weapons of a copper dragon are acid breath and a slowing breath as with golds and all metallic dragons these two effects share the same recharge role which again I'm not too keen on that those slow is at least more widely effective than the strength weakening one in terms of lair actions coppers can call up spike growths and patches of restraining mud the monster manual gives coppers the descriptions of good hosts and cautious and crafty I perceive a couple contradictory traits going on here though not in a bad way they're not contradictory in a way that doesn't make sense but rather in the way that we all have our contradictions we can be gracious and fun-loving one day and the next were cranky stingy and defensive have long since talked about how all the monsters and races and D&D are merely facets of the human soul given creative elaboration in other words fantasy takes certain themes that exist in our human experience and creates imaginative new forms that express them in a powerful way thank you copper dragon for reminding me of this and hopefully my Bartok contributions to the world will make the way to your cave filling the space with tales that amaze and amuse the thought of a dragon rolling some Bartok inspiration dice just puts a smile on my face the red dragon the icon the classic the very soul of Dragon kind when we think about dragons this is the creature that most comes to mind covetous and greedy to the maximum extent tyrants who terrorized the countryside wild savage utterly perilous in the most ancient Reds possess a level of power that rivals titans demon Lords and demigods at the height of its power this king of dragons comes swooping down from its mountain cave breathing an inferno of flames more powerful than three fireball spells and one its presence strikes terror into the hearts of all but the most iron will champions its physical form can withstand levels of punishment that would slay dozens even scores of lesser creatures and those intent on slaying this epic monster had best gather a party of the most accomplished heroes even younger and less powerful red dragons are not to be taken lightly not in the least never will you find a draconic creature more arrogant more obsessive in its pursuits to amass treasures as well as slaves who toil as its servants guards and spies woe be unto whoever plucks so much as a single coin from a Red Dragons hoard this creature is rage incarnate demon like or maybe as though some malevolent volcano spirit indeed a Reds lair actions even include eruptions of magma quaking grounds and obscuring poisonous volcanic gas and we must wonder what is more terrifying encountering the red dragon there in his noxious lair or outside where he soars the skies looking for the next stronghold ruin or realm to conquer this is the most iconic D&D monster out there and is the only one that has been molded into a colossal size miniature now nearly an artifact in its own right oh great red terror while I cannot give you the top slot your might looms over this entire ranking returning to the good aligned metallics we encounter the bronze dragon these are coastal dragons whose regions include beautiful coral and aquatic flora equally lovely weather systems in somewhere they're a lair echoing softly with strange but inviting music whenever a ship passes by one of the seabirds near it might actually be a bronze dragon in disguise if the ship appears of particular interest the dragon may well take the shape of a mouse or other tiny critter in order to get a glimpse of the cargo on board bronzes love treasure like all dragons and most of them fancy historical relics ceremonial objects and well written books it does not steal treasure or take it by force rather it will speak with whoever's in charge and make an offer for the items these bargains could be a trade of valuables or an exchange for the Dragons service bronzes are interested in noble causes and just wars they thrill in battle though they only participate when the circumstances aligned with its moral nature throughout the course of its campaign a bronze dragon is a committed and reliable ally in battle it can breathe lightning bolts as well as a cone of repulsion this second breath attack is like a blast of a hurricane way and it pushes foes back though does not knock them prone hmm well this could be useful and coastal encounters where the dragon can push opponents off the deck of a ship or over the edge of a cliff or maybe off a flying mount in its own layer it can call up obscuring fog clouds and deafening claps of thunder this as a dragon of storm and sea of war and justice and of civilized dialogue its covetous nature is tempered by reason and honor and open truth its love of battle is channeled in constructive directions and as draconic lair is cultivated into a place of natural beauty and organization as we reflect we can see that this monster represents the ideal of the dragon myth the horrible and destructive monster has transcended and risen up from Hell to heaven whereas before we found ugly violence lurking in the darkness now stands a noble being who manages to balance nature and civilization so how does the blue dragon get a slight edge over the fiery Emperor that is the red dragon well just to address this power topic right off these rankings are not about which creatures have straight up the most power sure being powerful can be thrilling it can even play into certain mechanics in an interesting way but there is so much more to a monster than sheer challenge rating the aesthetic and tone the personality the way it contributes to the social role-playing experience the Lord has can give a depth purpose and story it's the whole picture the whole realm of design that we're looking at here aside from all that even if we did focus on pure numbers the blue is merely one challenge rating lower than the red I believe the blue wins out a little bit in the area of versatility the red has a moderate level of versatility and decent variety of plots and angles it might take but in the end it's still the terrorising red dragon with pretty specific tendencies in other words it's not devoid versatility like zombies but it's not abundantly diverse like say elves the blue dragon has just a little more in this attribute part of this I think comes from its burrowing ability which opens up a new dimension of possibilities when it comes to both combat and exploration scenes potentially role-playing scenes as well I remember clearly a blue dragon harassing the party in a ruined desert ziggurat it popped up from the sandy floor to meddle with him throughout the course of multiple adventuring days it led to a lot of memorable moments and it had a unique layer of added challenge as well as some great verbal exchanges between the party and this dragon another part of the blues better versatility comes from its very nature it is immensely vain yet also patient methodical tactical it's a desert predator beast yet it's also an overlord with many various types of minions and retainers including I quote bards sages artists wizards and assassins the veritable diversity of plots and potential there is obviously more robust than the more rage-fueled a demoness red dragon a blue dragon's lair is usually within a desert and they're known for using their lightning breath to create tunnel networks in the sand this is a very hazardous type of terrain for most any person especially those adventurers who get it in their minds to explore down there to top it all off the blue dragon can collapse the tunnels if it believes the heroes is going to overwhelm it this dragon is typically a hoarder of gems and jewelry featuring precious stones they also bury their treasure in sand traps probably interspersing sinkholes nearby to do nothing more than swallow would-be thieves into Sandy graves their lair actions are ceiling collapses blinding clouds of swirling sand and arcs of lightning I tip my hat to this hottie and tactical dragon a creature of storms of desert winds of traps and hazards and of highly varied allies and plans blue.you rival black 4 my favorite chromatic dragon however there is yet one final chromatic dragon that I feel is even a bit better in terms of all-around high ranking attributes the green picture a forest that grows denser and denser until it resembles a labyrinth of trees and thorny brambles fog slinks throughout the area hushing sounds wherever it hangs and birds and rodents peer at you from every shadowing nook a subtle sourness permeates the air hinting at some toxic presence nearby you have tread upon the domain of a green dragon and before you know it a voice begins whispering to you asking you questions maybe offering you advice suggesting a bargain of sorts the greens are schemers and plotters above all other dragons and they play out all sorts of deception games in order to obtain that which they most want treasure information secrets political influence and more than anything else control over the minds of others Green Dragons are deeply treacherous and often not what they appear to be they are devilish anyone who tangles with one is in for eventual twists or shocks even if such machinations take a link the amount of time to unfold the role-playing potential found in this monster is among the very highest in the game an example of this is found in its preferred type of possession more than gems or gold or objects it desires to possess the minds of sentient creatures this monster merges the archetype of the Dragon and the archetype of the mastermind or puppeteer all into one terrible concoction and the potential that it contains is simply incredible in direct combat a Green has the typical array of melee attacks and frightful presence along with a poisonous gas breath its lair actions are grasping vines a wall of thorns in a mind charming fog it is also another amphibious dragon like black which only serves to open more space for variety and scenes that might feature swamp forest virgins or woodland rivers and lakes or perhaps a waterfall incredible as it is to say this we still have two dragons to go these monsters really are that outstanding but for now we have seen all five of the classic D&D chromatic dragons each one is great in its own way they have a lot of core similarities but with wonderfully designed variations in personality behavior layers and terrain as well the potential for spell casting in all the variety that that entails somewhat reminiscent of the blue dragon is the brass dragon their similarities have to do with their desert habitats and ability to burrow and their social nature's brasses however take the interaction element and they turn it up as high as possible they actually crave conversation everything from simple small talk all the way up to deep discourses in fact someone who tries to ignore a brass dragon will be forced into verbal engagement with it the dragon will press the person to chat failing that they'll grapple the target or up subdue it with sleep breath or even buried up to its neck this is all quite intense but we're dealing with a dragon here and really this is the perfect metaphor when we ignore a monster running loose in our lives it gets fiercer and fiercer until it grapples us or overwhelms us and then we're forced to deal with it the brass dragon is immensely bold it has the platinum balls of Bahamut though it is not evil it only will resort to its biting and blasting if there really is no other choice in fact if someone lies to a brass dragon or tries to manipulate it it enjoys the exchange and treats it as a game the dragon plays along and tries to outwit the other person the region occupied by a brass dragon is likely a hot arid expanse such as a desert or badlands travelers find guiding clues maybe tracks or maybe even visions that lead them to an oasis with fresh water and shade trees however the dragon does not like just anyone stumbling into its personal lair and it haunts the area with mirages of deadly monsters in order to keep out those who it doesn't want intruding on his most private den interestingly I could see this potentially attracting powerful adventurers which the brass dragon probably would be delighted to host given they share their tales of adventure and valuable bits of lore the dragon itself is a veritable trove of knowledge of rumors of fables stories it has accumulated the information of thousands upon thousands of conversations throughout its life the most prized possession it could have and its hoard are items such as a genie in a bottle a magical object that allows new forms of communication or a sentient magic item in a way the brass dragon represents our society now in the age of information and technology highly social and communication based even to the point of being extreme at times if there is no way to avoid combat a brass dragon belches fire like a red or gold dragon does though not as powerfully as brasses are a less powerful variety like the whites they also possess the ability to breathe a gas that knocks targets unconscious their lair actions are a blasting wind that pushes foes and knocks them over in a blinding sand cloud like the blue dragons the brass dragon greatly deserves the second place slot in this ranking it's very existence propels interaction scenes and injects energy into conversation and characters it develops and influences storytelling and overall is a force for game progression that does not rely on direct combat something that Dean Dee already has so much of consider also the brass dragons shaped changing ability and the limitless number of agendas intrigues and approaches it might take and we have here an avatar of role-playing there really isn't a wrong way to play Dungeons & Dragons but myself and many many others much prefer to be a role-playing game and the true since and not just a dice rolling tactical combat game D&D has lots of game rules but there are no fixed rules on how to play the game which really is a great thing because we get to use our own creativity and free will which then leads the magic of discovery and the motivation to create something of our own many of the archetypes found in D&D thus must be taken metaphorically and allowed to inspire us instead of dictate to us in this sense brass dragons value the conversation and the storytelling for most compete yes struggle even but keep the dialogue in the communication going and preferably as engaging as possible for that I give the brass dragon a great cheer of admiration now we move on ascending to the top position in the Dragons ranking a creature that takes the potential found in the brass dragon and elevates it to its highest calling the silver dragon your party has trekked through the mountains for days enduring harsh terrain perilous cliffs freezing temperatures the going becomes even rougher 's the air thins and low clouds obscure sight but your destination draws near the fabled ruins of a splendid Mountain temple a palace that once held a direct connection to the divine until it was destroyed by the forces of malevolence you pass a series of columns formed by solidified clouds and marvel at the vista of the temple ruin nestled into a lower pass below winds like the hands of angels bear you forward floating you through the air and you are swept to the great platform amidst an ancient courtyard a tremendous creature appears a crested dragon with scales of gleaming silver frost breath and eyes like orbs of mercury the evil host has been driven from this sacred site and now the mighty dragon before you welcomes you honoring you for your bravery for your life's quest your endeavors in the pursuit of truth of hope of inner strength despite the countless pitfalls and tragedies and mistakes you have suffered along the way the silver dragon is not only social and good-natured but it is a friend a companion an ally in your darkest hour it has followed the story of humanity and its horde is filled with relics of the past and volumes of history inventions of the various societies and beautiful works of art Silver's can tell us where we come from the very secrets of our own nature the consequences of our actions and the truths revealed by studying history and observing from its lofty peak this dragon does not fly about on some paladin quests to root out evil in the world rather it is an intermediary between gods and mortals both dwelling in an ancient high cloud laced Palace and walking amongst civilization in the form of a humanoid or lowly beast the great silver dragon encourages us to accept and face our own nature yet raise our consciousness to the pursuit of virtue we find here the ultimate potential found in social bonds and brotherhood at our worst we betray and slaughter one another progressing from there we compete we strive to win and then reaching our very best we lift each other up by inspiring encouraging and believing the silver dragon says do not be the victim of your circumstance be the solution the silver dragon represents the archetype of the just king the ruler who uses wisdom broad vision and virtue who presents the cold truth yes but who allows people to be free and to develop who serves as a reliable foundation when the people are in need this contrasts with the evil King who can either manifest as an iron-fisted tyrant who will the people or as a corrupt manipulator who dons a mask of justice while he enslaves the people to his own ideals here they are the Dragons of D&D I have to say it was an incredible experience putting this video together it was the most personally rewarding one I have done so far and I feel I've learned and grown as a bard and as a person and making it the dragon really forces us to confront something powerful within the reason the Dragon is such a powerful figure in fantasy and mythology is because it represents the most intense expression of the potential of our human experience which dragon serves as your guide all have their place to play in the grand scheme of things as these are mortal dramas unfold throughout the course of history I hope that this bards words have given you a way to reflect upon the challenges and adventures in your own life or at the very least given you ideas that you can use and your D&D games I want to thank you for watching this video and all my videos and an extra special thanks goes out to all my patrons in particular war sir Adam wood Dennis cropper Abdul Vince the fallen demon and Nick the pirate king this is Esper I will see you all again soon in another video may your adventures be many [Music] you [Music]

Channel: Esper the Bard

Views: 623,392

Keywords: d&d, dungeons & dragons, dungeons and dragons, dnd, breakdown, analysis, best, top, review, ranking, ranked, tiers, 5e, 5th, edition, dm, gm, game, tabletop, rate, rating, ratings, strongest, powerful, abilities, monster, monsters, creature, creatures, dragon, dragons, red, blue, white, black, green, gold, silver, brass, bronze, copper, chromatic, metallic, tiamat, bahamut, comparison, contrast, myth, mythology

Id: My5QGnWbeMY

Length: 52min 52sec (3172 seconds)

Published: Wed Jan 23 2019