Young Black Dragon
Monster Manual (2025) p. 38
- Size
- Large
- Type
- dragon (chromatic)
- Alignment
- chaotic evil
- AC
- 18
- Initiative
- 5
- Hit Points
- 127 (15d10+45)
- Speed
- walk 40 ft., fly 80 ft., swim 40 ft.
- Saving Throws
- Wis +3, Dex +5
- Skills
- Stealth +5, Perception +6
- Immunities
- acid
- Senses
- blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft.
- Passive Perception
- 16
- Languages
- Common, Draconic
- Challenge
- 7
- Lineage
- Black Dragon
- Environment
- swamp
Traits
Proficiency Bonus
+3
Treasure
Relics: The monster's treasure hoard features magic items with the noted theme. The Dungeon Master's Guide details treasure hoards appropriate for each theme.
Amphibious
The dragon can breathe air and water.
Actions
Multiattack
The dragon makes three Rend attacks.
Rend
Melee Attack Roll: +7, reach 10 ft. Hit: 9 (2d4 + 4) Slashing damage plus 3 (1d6) Acid damage.
Acid Breath (Recharge 5-6)
Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 14, each creature in a 30-foot-long, 5-foot-wide Line. Failure: 49 (14d6) Acid damage. Success: Half damage.
recharge
D5
Other data
description
Black dragons delight in suffering and ruin. While other chromatic dragons scheme for power and wealth, these dragons seek to tear down all they see and rule over what remains. Black dragons are terrifying creatures with curved horns and withered visages suggestive of fiendish skulls. They typically inhabit stagnant swamps, crumbling ruins, or places of magical or environmental corruption. Their acid breath scars their domains, eroding the features from ancient statues and leaving nature with festering wounds. Black dragons hoard tarnished symbols of hope and relics of fallen empires. The more sought-after the treasure, the more black dragons prize it—particularly if they were responsible for it being lost.
Most young black dragons claim a hidden lair—typically a dismal place accessible through deadly ruins or a treacherous bog. They delight in exploiting fearful servants and might terrorize small communities or impress groups of kobolds or troglodytes into their service. Some ally themselves with powerful undead such as death knights and vampires or aberrations such as aboleths and kuo-toa.