Aside from the distinctive color of its scales (developing from a ruddy brown with metallic highlights to a green-tinted copper with age), a copper dragon is recognized by the facial features that give it a pensive look: brow plates extending into long horns, jaw frills, and backswept cheek ridges.[4]
Abilities[]
The following is taken from the Monster Manual, 5th Edition (2014);[1] none of the abilities have yet been demonstrated onstream.
Acid Breath: Exhales a line of acid, requiring a Dexterity saving throw to take half damage.
Slowing Breath: Exhales a cone of gas, requiring a Constitution saving throw to avoid a variety of effects for 1 minute, repeating the saving throw at the end of each turn. Affected creatures' speed is halved, they cannot make more than one attack on their turn, they cannot use their reactions, and they cannot use both an action and bonus action on their turn—only one or the other.
(Adult and older) Frightful Presence: Each creature of the dragon's choice must succeed at a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute, or until they succeed at the saving throw at the end of their turn.
Fan art of Satyana Vorvexis in (conjectured) human form, by Hannah.[art 2]
(Ancient only) Change Shape: Polymorph into a humanoid or beast with a Challenge Rating no higher than the dragon's, or back into its true form. Any equipment it is carrying can be absorbed or carried/worn by the new form or absorbed. The new form still has the dragon's lair actions (see below), personality, mental ability scores, hit points, and ability to speak, but otherwise gains the abilities and features of the new form.
Like other true dragons, copper dragons gradually gain more options to attack their foes: a wyrmling can only bite once; a young dragon can bite and make two claw attacks; and an adult can use its Frightful Presence before making those attacks and gains the option of making a tail attack.
Legendary actions (adult and older)
Detect: Makes a Wisdom (Perception) check
Tail Attack
Wing Attack (costs two actions): Each creature within range must make a Dexterity saving throw or be bludgeoned and knocked prone; the dragon then flies up to half its fly speed.
Lair actions:
At a point the dragon can see within 120 feet, a 10-foot square of the ground turns into 3-foot-deep mud. Creatures in the area must succeed at a Dexterity saving throw or become restrained in the mud. On initiative count 20 of the next round, the mud hardens, and the difficulty to escape or pull out the restrained creature is increased.
Stone spikes jut in a 20-foot radius from a point the dragon can see within 120 feet as with the Spike Growth spell, until the next lair action or the dragon dies.
Fan art of Satyana Vorvexis flying over New Haxon, by Clara.[art 3]
Late in the Era of Reclamation, as of 835 PD, an adult copper dragon named Satyana Vorvexis smartly commanded the garrison at New Haxon in Blightshore. The garrison of more than two hundred active duty soldiers was composed of human agents of the Cerberus Assembly and dragonborn mercenaries from fallen Draconia. Satyana was reputed to be a leading collector and curator of arcane relics, and despite her competence, her chaotic nature raised suspicions among some in the Cerberus Assembly and the Dwendalian Empire about her true intentions.[8]
The high-level adventure hook Eater of Worlds, set around that time, involves one of Satyana's spies infiltrating a cult devoted to one of the Elder Evils.[9]
Trivia[]
Matthew Mercer joked that copper dragons everywhere are disappointed by adventurers' disregard for copper coins.[10]
References[]
↑ 1.01.11.21.3See D&D: Monster Manual (2014), 5th ed., pp. 110–112.
Ancient Copper Dragon on D&D Beyond