Moonstone dragon

5e
2e

Moonstone dragon

5e
2e

5th Edition Statistics^[1]

Size

Wyrmling	Medium
Young	Large
Adult	Huge
Ancient	Gargantuan

Type

Dragon

Alignment

Typically neutral

Challenge rating

Wyrmling	2
Young	8
Adult	15
Ancient	21

2nd Edition Statistics^[2]

Size

Huge to Gargantuan

Alignment

Neutral

General Information^[1]^[2]

Movement

Flying

Vision

Blindsight, darkvision

Activity cycle

Nocturnal

Diet

Moonbeams & nectar

Homeland(s)

Feywild, Border Ethereal

Intelligence

Exceptional

Language(s)

Draconic, Sylvan, telepathy

History

First appearance

Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Four

Moonstone dragons were a species of gem or neutral dragon.^[2]

Description[]

They were the largest of the gem dragons, being at least 18 feet (5.5 meters) at hatching and growing to as much as 139 feet (42.4 meters) in length as great wyrms; despite this, they were graceful and elegant creatures. Their scales were an opalescent pale silver with a hint of blue in moonlight, and ruffs of emerald-green fur ran down their chin and chest, back and tail. One short horn curved forward from the nose, while a longer one curved back from the head, together forming a shape reminiscent of a crescent moon.^[1]^[2]

Personality[]

Moonstone dragons cared little for the affairs of humans or other material species. When young, they were impetuous, mischievious, and playful. Though they eventually matured into wise and gentle storytellers and teachers, if sometimes pompous, and always curious.^[1]^[2]

Abilities[]

Moonstone dragons were a rare and magical species. Like other neutral gem dragons, they knew both wizardly spells (normally of illusion and enchantment schools, and alteration spells of dim light and darkness, as well as various dream-related spells) and priestly spells of the all, healing, necromancy (good only), and divination spheres. They could also use faerie fire at will and calm emotions, dispel magic invisibility and revivify as much as twice each day. They themselves were immune to charm magic. Within their lair, a moonstone dragon could compel an enemy to dance, effectively incapacitating them.^[1]^[2]

Moonstone dragons were variously reported as having one or two of three different breathe weapons:

A cloud of light motes some 30 ft (9.1 m) long and wide, and 20 ft (6.1 m) high, that dispelled all spells and potion effects within except those needed for a creature to live, and which put those creatures caught within to sleep (even if they were normally unable to sleep or be put to sleep). When they awoke, they would only have fleeting memories of the dragon.^[2]
A 90‑foot (27‑meter) cone of mist that simply knocked all creatures caught within unconscious unless they were particularly hardy.^[1]
A 120‑foot-long (37‑meter) beam of radiant energy resembling moonlight that injured any foe that could not get out of the way quickly enough.^[1]

Moonstone dragons, unlike most other dragons, had an aura that induced awe rather than fear, causing those affected to stand quietly and stare, and to have no clear memory of the encounter afterwards. They could also become ethereal at will, and the magic inherent to them overcame most damage resistances of less than artifact-level power.^[2]

Moonstones dragons were perhaps most well-known for their odd dream-magic: they were reported to appear in people's dreams and speak with them, always in the native tongue of the dreamer, and were known to offer guidance on matters related to faeries, shadows, lunar matters, healing, or suchlike (some claimed this ability only worked on creatures within 6 mi (9,700 m) of their lair, while other stated it was because they could enter the dreamscape at will). They could also banish enemies within their lair into a dream-place, and odd and disorienting dream-visions flitted around their lairs.^[1]^[2]

Combat[]

Moonstone dragons would use their teeth, claws, and tail as weapons in combat, as well as their extensive magical abilities.^[1]^[2]

Moonstone dragons were, for all the power, vulnerable to elemental attacks, and bright light injured them such that if sufficiently hurt by it, they faded into the Border Ethereal and could not leave that plane until they healed—a process which was inordinately long and slow.^[2]

Society[]

They were obscure and secretive dragons, sometimes claimed to guard sylvan regions, and other times reported to have been seen at the celebrations of faerie courts in deep forests. They were, variously, said to try and influence the Material plane through use of agents, to inspire artists and poets, encourage great thinkers, or spur on adventurers to do heroic deeds.^[1]^[2]

Moonstone dragons did not prize gold or copper, but instead made their hoards out of silver, platinum, and mithril. They also valued art and other things that were less easily quantified as valuable: a heartfelt song, a story of happy times, a painting of a favored place, or even a lock of a loved one's hair.^[1]^[2]

Ecology[]

Moonstone dragons were thought to live on moonbeams and nectar as their food and drink; for certain, they were not carnivorous.^[2]

They lived in the Feywild and in the Border Ethereal plane, where they were said to make their lairs in faerie mounds or hidden woodland caverns. Among dragons, they were more likely to make several lairs due to their whimsical nature. Portals between the Feywild, Border Ethereal, and Material plane often formed within a few miles of their lairs.^[1]^[2]

Rumors & Legends[]

Among the stories that surrounded these rare creatures, it was variously said that:

They first hatched from the eggs of a clever dragon who fled to the Feywild to hide her clutch.^[1]
Their tears were drops of mithril, and elves used them to fashion chain mail.^[2]
When one died, it vanished into moonbeams.^[2]
When one died well, its heart turned into a lump of pure adamantine.^[2]
If one killed a creature unjustly, then it turned into sand and its spirit was destroyed.^[2]