Radiant dragons, sometimes called star dragons or celestial dragons, were large shimmering dragons that lived in space and were capable of crossing its vast distances as natural spelljammers.[2]
Description[]
Radiant dragons were extremely large: the oldest members of the species could reach a maximum length of 1,400 feet (430 meters) from head to tail. Their serpentine bodies were covered in iridescent pearl-like scales resembling mica and gypsum that scintillated when struck with starlight.[2]
Unlike "standard" dragons, which could not fly more than 8 miles (13 kilometers) above the surface of a planet,[3] radiant dragons were completely spaceborne and, due to their large sizes, were clumsy close to the surface. They had an innate ability to travel in space at will as natural spelljammers, never tiring.[2]
Personality[]
Unlike other dragons, radiant dragons were neither inherently benevolent nor malicious. A radiant dragon could as easily terrorize an entire planet as another could use its space capabilities to rescue a drifting ship in danger. They were, however, extremely proud, considering themselves the pinnacle of dragonkind. When wronged, they were extremely vindictive and often considered cruel and creative methods of revenge as they hunted down their targets.[2]
Combat[]
If in a fight, radiant dragons relied on their massive sizes to deal substantial amounts of damage to ships, while also concentrating their attacks on spellcasters. They did not retreat, but frequently offered the crew a chance to beg for their mercy in order to escape.[2]
Their breath weapon consisted of pulses of energy similar to magic missiles, but considerably more powerful. The pulses could either hit a single target or multiple, separate targets and rarely missed. They were also innately capable of invoking magical abilities as they aged, such as some aspects of the Bigby's hand spell, shapechange, wall of force, forcecage, and prismatic sphere.[2]
Society[]
Radiant dragons could be encountered anywhere in space, both in wildspace and in the phlogiston. They were solitary and territorial creatures, often claiming for themselves territories that spanned volumes of space surrounding entire planets. When organized in families, they made their lairs in hollowed-out asteroids. Radiant dragons were also extremely protective of their young.[2]
It was unknown whether radiant dragons were naturally occurring spelljamming creatures or if their abilities were granted by the arcane in some sort of arrangement. Some believed that they were necessary for the creation of spelljamming helms.[2]
Notable Radiant Dragons[]
- Celestial Nightpearl
Appendix[]
Appearances[]
- Adventures
- Dungeon #36: "The Sea of Sorrow"
- Novels
- The Radiant Dragon
- Card Games
- AD&D Trading Cards
Gallery[]
External Links[]
Radiant dragon article at the Spelljammer Wiki, a wiki for the Spelljammer campaign setting.
References[]
- ↑ Christopher Perkins (August 2022). “Boo's Astral Menagerie”. In Judy Bauer, Kim Mohan eds. Spelljammer: Adventures in Space (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 50–53. ISBN 978-0-7869-6816-9.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 Jeff Grubb (August 1989). “Lorebook of the Void”. Spelljammer: AD&D Adventures in Space (TSR, Inc.), pp. 73–74. ISBN 0-88038-762-9.
- ↑ Nigel Findley, et al. (October 1990). Draconomicon. Edited by Mike Breault. (TSR, Inc.), p. 86. ISBN 0-8803-8876-5.
Connections[]
Chromatic dragons: Black • Blue • Brown • Gray • Green • Orange • Pink • Purple • Red • Salt • White • Yellow
Gem dragons: Amethyst • Beljuril • Crystal • Emerald • Obsidian • Sapphire • Topaz • Ruby
Neutral dragons: Amber • Jacinth • Moonstone • Pearl
Lung dragons: Chiang lung • Li lung • Lung wang • Pan lung • Shen lung • T'ien lung • Tun mi lung • Yu lung
Ferrous dragons: • Cobalt • Iron
Planar dragons: Adamantine • Astral • Battle • Blight • Chaos • Ethereal • Hellfire wyrm • Howling • Mirage • Oceanus • Pyroclastic • Radiant • Rust • Shadow • Styx • Tarterian
Spelljamming dragons: Moon/lunar • Radiant • Sun/solar
Epic dragons: Force • Prismatic • Time
Catastrophic dragons: Blizzard • Earthquake • Volcanic
Miscellaneous dragons: Cobra • Dzalmus • Mist • Rattelyr • Song • Vishap
Linnorms: Corpse tearer • Dread • Stygian
Drakes: Ambush • Black firedrake • Dragonne • Elemental (Earth • Fire • Ice • Magma • Ooze • Smoke • Water) • Felldrake (Crested • Spitting) • Greater • Guard • Mind • Portal • Rage • Space • Storm • Vulture
Dragonbloods: Draconic creature • Dragonborn of Bahamut • Dragonspawn
Drow-dragon (shadow) • Drow-dragon (deep) • Half-dragon • Kobold (Dragonwrought • Urd) • Weredragon • Zar'ithra • Zekyl
Hybrid monsters: Dracimera • Dracolisk • Mantidrake • Wyvern drake