Yellow dragons were a species of solitary and secretive chromatic dragon that dwelled in deserts.[1][2]
Description[]
At hatching, yellow dragons were only 3‒11 ft (0.91‒3.4 m) long with soft, tan-colored scales. As they grew, their scales grew harder and took on a yellow-grey color and dusty-looking luster that did not reflect light; their teeth and claws had the same luster. Yellow dragons grew up to 116 ft (35.4 m) long.[1][2]
Personality[]
Yellow dragons were exceptionally solitary as well as selfish.[1][2]
Abilities[]
Yellow dragons were immune to heat and fire, a necessary trait given their desert habitats; they were also, like other true dragons, natural spellcasters once they reached young adulthood. Additionally, they could innately cast silence, 15' radius from hatching, create or destroy water (young and older), dust devil (juvenile and older), wind wall (old and older), and enervation (as great wyrms) each thrice per day, and improved invisibility (adult and older) twice each day.[1][2]
The yellow dragon's breath weapon was a high-speed blast of super-heated air and sand. It covered an area of 50 ft (15 m) in length, 40 ft (12 m) in width, and 20 ft (6.1 m) in height, and the type of harm it inflicts to one's health has not be classified yet.[1][2]
Combat[]
Yellow dragons preferred to set traps for prey rather than actively hunt. A favorite trap of theirs was to dig a cone-shaped pit with steep sides, then bury themselves at the bottom-center. When prey stumbled into such a trap, the yellow dragon would move its wings, causing the pit to collapse.[1][2]
When forced into combat, yellow dragons fought fiercely but still relied on their spells to mislead and distract opponents.[1][2]
Ecology[]
Yellow dragons lived solitary lives in scorching-hot sandy deserts; the first yellow dragon specimen collected on Toril was from the Anauroch, from a region where temperature regularly reached 115 degrees Fahrenheit. They were so solitary that they mated only rarely (the only time a yellow dragon tolerated another in its territory), and while the mother would raise her offspring, she would not go out of her way to protect them. They normally left the nest before they were even juveniles. Yellow dragons could eat almost anything, but their preferred food was live meat, particularly that of demihumans.[1][2]
Yellow dragons and brass dragons shared similar habitats and thus often came into conflict; yellow dragons considered brass dragon eggs a delicacy (though one they very rarely enjoyed), while brass dragons would hunt down and kill the smaller yellow dragons.[1][2]
Yellow dragons spoke their own dialect, which was markedly different from other Draconic dialects. They learned no other languages, as they had no interest in speaking to any other peoples.[1][2]
Appendix[]
Further Reading[]
- Dragon #65 and Dragon #248 both presented a different version of the yellow dragon, also called the salt dragon.
Appearances[]
- Novels
- Referenced only
- Dragonwall • Waterdeep
- Card Games
- AD&D Trading Cards
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Nigel Findley, et al. (October 1990). Draconomicon. Edited by Mike Breault. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 71–72. ISBN 0-8803-8876-5.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), p. 87. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
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