Yellow Dragon
T
ravellers in warm coastal areas look up to see
a winged shape circling over the sea,
occasionally diving into the waves to snatch a
passing fish or similar creature. A reclusive
dragon with a more bestial side, the yellow is
as at home in the ocean as it is in the sky.
Yellow dragons are good swimmers and swim to catch fish
and other smaller creatures of the ocean, and they will
sometimes attack and try to sink passing ships for the goods
on board or sometimes just for fun and sport.
The dragon's scales range from a light orange or tan to a
pale yellow-grey in colour, with the older adult’s scales
hardening and taking on a golden hue. Their scales are not as
hard as those of other dragons, sacrificing some armour for
extra mobility. The yellow is among the most dexterous of all
dragonkind, better adapted for dodging in mid-air and
snatching unsuspecting sea creatures out of the water. Its
breath is a jet of boiling hot water containing a strong salt
compound, causing scalding burns and stinging lacerations.
Underwater, however, its breath takes the form of a billowing
cloud of burning steam, unleashed with equally deadly
results against any prey in its vicinity.
Territorial Hunters. Like the white dragon, the yellow has
a more animalistic side that compels it to drive other dragons
and similarly threatening creatures off its territory. If another
creature threatens it, the yellow dragon will find a way to
attempt to drive it off. It may set up a trap or ambush where it
can wound its rival before escaping to fight another day. If the
dragon knows that its rival is more powerful, it will usually
stay out of its way, not wanting to risk its life or hoard.
A yellow dragon's territory extends to beneath the waves.
The dragon stalks along the seabed, hunting for sufficient
prey, and when it finds such a creature, it uses its breath
weapon to boil the water around it, scalding it to death,
before pouncing to grab it. Accomplished diggers, they may
also bury themselves in a layer of sand until potential prey
walks or swims by, or to hide from a greater threat.
Yellow dragons are very energetic and active, wasting little
time in their lairs and preferring to spend their time flying or
swimming. This lifestyle means that they are always hungry
and need massive amounts of food every day to keep going,
so securing a territory with plentiful food is key to their
success. Because of this, a yellow dragon will eat almost
anything edible, and they have been known to attack
humanoid crews of passing ships. However, its favoured prey
is fish.
Vengeful Skulkers. Yellow dragons hate and fear other
dragons, especially the bronze, whose coastal natural habitat
they often share. This hatred also applies to other yellow
dragons, as they only ever seek each other out a few times in
their lives in order to mate. If another dragon moves into its
territory and the yellow knows it to be more powerful, it will
back down and remain out of sight, valuing its life over its
territory. However, it will not forget the insult and will look for
opportunities for revenge. Over time, the yellow dragon may
shadow it, tracking it to its lair and finding out its lifestyle.
Despite being less intelligent than other dragons, yellow
dragons are very cunning and methodical when it comes to
vengeance. It will wait until the other dragon is out of the
way, and invade its lair, looting its treasure and killing its
servants in its rage. But by far its favourite way of taking
revenge against another dragon is to steal and eat its eggs,
which it considers a delicacy due to the extreme difficulty of
procuring them. Many yellow dragons’ favourite food by far is
the egg of their greatest rival.
Rapacious Thieves. Yellow dragons grab treasure from
wherever they think they can, their favourite of which is gold
coins. They will slay weaker dragons to claim their
accumulated wealth, steal from more powerful dragons that
have offended them, and attack merchant ships to claim their
goods. Yellow dragons drag broken pieces of ships into their
caves and stash their treasure inside them before burying
them under water and sand. More awkward and slow on land
than other dragons, the yellow prefers flying or swimming
most of the time, and so may place the treasure underwater
or high up on a hidden ledge so as to be both harder to
access for enemies and easier for the dragon. The dragon
likes to keep its hoard near its resting place, so it can quickly
tear apart an intruder who dares lay a finger on it. However,
as the dragon rests little, it usually just keeps both its lair and
the treasure within well hidden, and may occasionally employ
other creatures to guard them.
DRAGONS 104

A Yellow Dragon's Lair
A hidden coastal cave with a view of the sea, either concealed
in the cliffs, in a sheltered bay or concealed under the waves,
is an ideal home for a yellow dragon. Ideally the cave will
have sand and salty water within, where it will bury its
treasure, an opening large enough for it to fly in and out, and
a place for it to rest from time to time. In some cases the lair
may be guarded by creatures in its employ or that it has
intimidated into service, such as sahuagin, giants, merrow or
sometimes humanoids. Their love of the coast occasionally
brings them into conflict with bronze dragons, although the
weaker yellows will usually stay well out of their way.
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:
Ancient Yellow Dragon
Gargantuan dragon, neutral evil
Armor Class 20 (natural armour)
Hit Points 349 (20d20+140)
Speed 30ft, burrow 30ft, fly 80ft, swim 50ft
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
25 (+7) 16 (+3) 27 (+7) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 16 (+3)
Saving Throws Dex +9, Con +13, Wis +7, Cha +9
Skills Perception +13, Stealth +9
Damage Immunities fire
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120ft, passive
Perception 26
Languages Common, Draconic
Challenge 20 (25,000 XP)
Legendary Resistance (3/day). If the dragon fails a saving
throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Amphibious. The dragon can breathe air and water.
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: +13 to hit, reach 15ft., one
target. Hit 18 (2d10+7) piercing damage plus 10
(3d6) fire damage.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft.,
one target. Hit: 14 (2d6+7) slashing damage.
105 DRAGONS
• A wave of salt water washes out from below the dragon in
a 60-foot line that is 15 feet wide. Any creatures in that area
that do not have all their hit points must make a DC13
Constitution saving throw or have their wounds salted, taking
9 (2d8) piercing damage and having disadvantage on attack
rolls for their next turn.
• A cloud of mist 10 feet high, 20 feet wide and 30 feet long
forms in a space within 120ft of the dragon that it can see.
Any creature that starts it turn in that area or moves into it
will be blinded until it moves out again. A moderate wind (at
least 10 miles per hour) will disperse this cloud after 4
rounds. A strong wind (at least 20 miles per hour) disperses
it after 1 round).
• A geyser erupts beneath the feet of a target within 120ft
of the dragon that it can see. If the target is a Large or
smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC16 Dexterity saving
throw or be knocked prone.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 15 ft., one
target. Hit: 16 (2d8+7) bludgeoning damage.
Frightful Presence. Each creature of the dragon’s choice
within 120 feet of it and aware of it must succeed on a
DC16 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 the saving throw is successful or the effect
on it ends, the creature is immune to the dragon’s
Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.
Scalding Breath (recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales
boiling salt water in a 90-foot line that is 10 feet wide.
Each creature in that area must make a DC22 Dexterity
saving throw, taking 67 (8d8 piercing plus 7d8 fire)
damage on a failed save, or half as much on a
successful one. Underwater, its breath takes the form
of a 90-foot cone.
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 it must make a
DC21 Dexterity saving throw or take 14 (2d6+7)
bludgeoning damage or be knocked prone. The dragon
can then fly up to half its flying speed.

Regional Effects
The region around a legendary yellow dragon’s lair is warped
by the dragon’s magic, which creates one or more of the
following effects:
• The wind and the current around the coastline within 2
miles of the lair appear to be unnaturally strong and are
always pulling boats towards the shore. There also seem to
be very faint, almost incoherent, whispers in the wind’s
howling.
Adult Yellow Dragon
Huge dragon, neutral evil
Armor Class 18 (natural armour)
Hit Points 218 (19d12+95)
Speed 30ft, burrow 30ft, fly 80ft, swim 50ft
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
21 (+5) 16 (+3) 21 (+5) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 14 (+2)
Saving Throws Dex +8, Con +10, Wis +5, Cha +7
Skills Perception +11, Stealth +5
Damage Immunities fire
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120ft., passive
Perception 20
Languages Common, Draconic
Challenge 13 (10,000 XP)
Legendary Resistance (3/day). If the dragon fails a saving
throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Amphibious. The dragon can breathe air and water.
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: +10 to hit, reach 10ft., one
target. Hit 14 (2d8+5) piercing damage plus 5 (1d10)
fire damage.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 12 (2d6+5) slashing damage.
• Kelp snatchers appear on the sea floor within 4 miles of
the lair. The kelp snatcher has the statistics of a vine blight,
but it has a speed of 0ft, a swimming speed of 30ft,
Intelligence and Charisma scores of 1 (-5) and its False
Appearance makes it resemble a piece of seaweed rather
than vines. The snatchers will stay motionless until enemies
of the dragon come within 10 feet of them.
• It always seems to be raining heavily within 5 miles of the
lair.
If the dragon dies, the kelp snatchers immediately become
inanimate seaweed, and the effects on the wind and weather
end within minutes.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 15 ft., one
target. Hit: 14 (2d8+5) bludgeoning damage.
Frightful Presence. Each creature of the dragon’s choice
within 120 feet of it and aware of it must succeed on a
DC16 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 the saving throw is successful or the effect
on it ends, the creature is immune to the dragon’s
Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.
Scalding Breath (recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales
boiling salt water in a 60-foot line that is 5 feet wide.
Each creature in that area must make a DC18 Dexterity
saving throw, taking 49 (6d8 piercing plus 5d8 fire)
damage on a failed save, or half as much on a
successful one. Underwater, its breath takes the form
of a 60-foot cone.
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 it must make a
DC18 Dexterity saving throw or take 12 (2d6+5)
bludgeoning damage or be knocked prone. The dragon
can then fly up to half its flying speed.
DRAGONS 106
 Young Yellow Dragon
Large dragon, neutral evil

Armor Class 17 (natural armour)

Hit Points 137(16d10 + 49)
Speed 30ft, burrow 30ft, fly 80ft, swim 50ft

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

17 (+3) 14 (+2) 17 (+3) 8 (-1) 10 (+0) 12 (+1)

Saving Throws Dex +5, Con +6, Wis +3, Cha +4

Skills Perception +6, Stealth +5
Damage Immunities fire
Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120ft, passive
Perception 16
Languages Common, Draconic
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

Amphibious. The dragon can breathe air and water.

Actions
Multiattack. The dragon makes three attacks-one
with its bite and two with its claws.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10ft.,
one target. Hit 10 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage plus
4 (1d8) bludgeoning damage.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft.,
one target. Hit 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage.
Scalding Breath (recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales
boiling salt water in a 30-foot line that is 5 feet
wide. Each creature in that area must make a DC14
Dexterity saving throw, taking 36 (4d8 piercing
plus 4d8 fire) damage on a failed save, or half as
much on a successful one. Underwater, its breath
takes the form of a 30-foot cone.

Credits
Inspired by Dragons of Faerun (for 3.5).
Homebrew by TomHDM.
Yellow dragon image is from wings-of-fire-
fanon-tribes.wikia.com. I do not own it.
Flooded cave artwork was created by
HendyRico (hendyrico.deviantart.com) and
coast art was from fantasyartdesign.com. I do
not own them.
Created in naturalcrit.com/homebrew.

107 DRAGONS