The Deadliest Dragon in DND 5e?! | Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

[@crystallinegamer2934]

The DM for my first full campaign did a logical ruling for the breath of green dragons once: We were in the tower of the abandoned village where you can find Venomfang. Being an enclosed space with not a lot of ventilation, the breath weapon filled the room instead of being a simple blast. Almost caused a TPK, but it was still powerful.

[@ConstructedChaos]

Creative rulings like this make the game so much more challenging, realistic, and... fun, honestly!

[@ananslator3655]

1:02 amethyst dragon, 7:01 dragon turtles, 11:15 Green Dragon, 14:43 moonstone dragon 18:42 elderbrain dragon (HONOURABLE MENTION) 20:43 deep dragon

[@ConstructedChaos]

Oohh thanks for this! I’ll make sure to add these as chapters later!

[@mardshima2070]

I love how you consider the dragons personality to measure how deadly they are. Lots of people only looking at the statblock and simply put the dragons as simple big bad monster who waiting at the end of a dungeon.

[@ConstructedChaos]

Thank you! RP can definitely be just as dangerous as combat! ;)

[@lemonicity4834]

Content just keeps getting better! Keep up the good work.

[@ConstructedChaos]

Thanks so much!!

[@danielstohr6391]

What a pleasant voice

[@ConstructedChaos]

Thank you so much! I'm always so self-conscious about my voice haha.

[@keelsron634]

Hey I totally agree the deep dragon is awesome and amazing in its own way. However I like to argue I feel the honorable mention the elder brain dragon is much more deadlier, here's why I think that as you mentioned poison is a very easy damage type to circumvent in the game and at higher levels being able to be immune to fear is quite easily obtained as well. The elder brain dragon however does make you do a con save which most parties will do just fine at but it's 22 & if you fail that first one you then have to succeed three times in order to get rid of the effect naturally. It does one of the least damage types resisted,& then finally the shatter concentration feature the dragon has is arguably one of the best a DM can use in the arsenal. But hey I like the deep dragon as well for its own reasons. 😊

[@ConstructedChaos]

Absolutely the elder brain dragon is more powerful! I left it as an honorable mention since it doesn’t technically feel like a TYPE of dragon to me. Just a personal thing but it felt like it’s own beast since any dragon can become an elder brain dragon.

[@keelsron634]

@@ConstructedChaos Totally feel like a DM's preference is important to factor in as well they are in fact a player as well at the game table. And personally to me I feel like Shadow dragons, Dracolichs & Elder Brain Dragons are dragons to me. 🙂

[@matthewconlon2388]

That’s weird, I thought classic green dragon lore was that they especially prized the acquisition of minions of unique or exception utility, like high ranking political figures or accomplished assassins.

[@ConstructedChaos]

That may be the classic lore but 5e lore definitely says otherwise!

[@Mc_Beefcake]

You're correct according to the 5e MM, there is a section under green dragon called 'living treasures' which indicates just that! For some reason Fizban seems to contradict this by stating: 'solitary by nature, they seldom tolerate the presence of other creatures unless their presence serves a purpose.' Idk why they would change it in this way as this makes them too similar to black dragons in my opinion, but hey, run them the way you want to.

[@Exxeron-ob3tv]

Greens are solitary by nature... nope. Where did I put that redaction sharpie...?

[@joshuasnell2596]

Love the list! Keep up the epic work!

[@ConstructedChaos]

Thanks so much!! I’m glad you enjoyed it!! 😊

[@Atmoseeker]

Wow some fantastic Dragons here. The wizards have been hard at work!

[@ConstructedChaos]

Hahaha yes they have!! I don’t usually include dragons in my campaigns since I feel doing so too early can undervalue other aspects of the game but I’ll definitely be using some of these at some point!!

[@Atmoseeker]

@@ConstructedChaos could totally scale some these down for lower levels. Some fun abilities and ideas here

[@ConstructedChaos]

@@Atmoseeker for sure! The book includes non-ancient dragon stat blocks too haha. I just went over the big ones because that’s more fun 😂. One of my favorite encounters ever as a player was with a young green dragon in an abandoned tower. He (and the DM) tricked “my character” into doing some really stupid things before attacking us haha.

[@DrAndrewJBlack]

Outstanding video! Keep up the great work

[@ConstructedChaos]

Thanks so much!! I’m glad you enjoyed it! This was one of my favorites to make so far with all the interesting abilities and lore surrounding these dragons!

[@louisscupham2823]

Fizbans is a brilliant book. I held a session with the elder brain dragon as the boss and the group playfully referred to him as Brian 🤣 The book is great for character creation too. If you choose a path of the totem barbarian with an emerald dragonborn you can be resistant to all damages. This book is a treat

[@ConstructedChaos]

Oh man!! I may have to build that barbarian in a future video! That sounds amazing!

[@louisscupham2823]

@@ConstructedChaos its pretty gross haha. The addition of the radiant damage breath weapon means for rlly spicy character creation for paladins too. This book is just a win. Dragonborn is my fav race so getting all these extras was like 2nd Christmas lmao

[@ConstructedChaos]

@@louisscupham2823 haha well I am planning more content from the book soon! I’m a little late but better late than never, right? 😂🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Oddthebard]

Excellent video

[@ConstructedChaos]

Thanks!! 😊 Please don’t kill us with a deep dragon!

[@Wormy_fren]

I think that you forgot to consider how cute these Lil lizards are.

[@ConstructedChaos]

You are totally right. Next tier list will be exactly that: “The Cutest Dragon in 5e”

[@Wormy_fren]

@@ConstructedChaos Hell yeah, that sounds great.

[@ZpEB2741]

Yo, imagine being hired by a green dragon to hunt down a deep dragon and gradually unearthing layer upon layer of scheming on both sides *"I'll teach that cave-dweller what happens when you mess with MY designs!"* *_"I am four parallel universes ahead of you"_*

[@ConstructedChaos]

Hahahaha that would be a really fun campaign idea honestly!

[@NA-ib6og]

I personally love the Topaz dragon, and totally not because its very relatable.

[@ConstructedChaos]

Topaz wasn’t far out of the list honestly haha.

[@MrFantocan]

Deep dragons are cool but there is a reason they're ancient and only CR 18 it is because any other mainstream dragon slaps it it falls apart, I prefer the Third Edition deep dragon not so squishy.

[@ConstructedChaos]

I think that's fair enough. But I don't think the CR system is meant to measure how well the monsters do against each other haha. Mainly, I wanted to point out that different monsters should be played in different ways and the deep dragon can be more dangerous than its CR because it is so cunning and not afraid to run away.

[@chacepassmore6474]

Moonstone dragons have got to be my favorite! They are so cool

[@ConstructedChaos]

I love them as NPCs in a campaign! I’ve had a few opportunities to use one but I’m waiting for just the right time!

[@chacepassmore6474]

@@ConstructedChaos Man, I've always wanted to play a campaign in the feywild! I have such great ideas, but don't know the first thing about DMing. I hope I can find one who wants to do a feywild campaign! It'd be so cool to have a moonstone dragon guiding the party through the feywild, or passing along wisdom throughout the adventure 😁

[@ConstructedChaos]

@@chacepassmore6474 the feywild can be tricky to DM as well haha. You have to really train yourself to think differently to make it convincing 😅

[@chacepassmore6474]

@@ConstructedChaos I knowwwww I love the lore though! I also just have a soft spot for the mysterious, mystical, magical stuff haha

[@ConstructedChaos]

@@chacepassmore6474 and sometimes adapting that fresh perspective in game can be healthy for real life perspective as well 😊 At least, that’s been my experience!

[@willofkhonshu7287]

I LIKE FOR DRAGONS!! MORE DRAGONS lol. and Dragonborn new and my fav thank you

[@ConstructedChaos]

Since this, they've not slowed down at all! It looks like we'll be getting more new dragons in the spell jammer books too!

[@magnusflodberg6162]

General wondering, there is no mention of the Great Wyrms (which could be any gem, chromatic, or metallic dragon), was this to not have three choices in the top 5 be Great Wyrms (considering there are ancient greens, moonstone, and amethyst dragons on the list, and the Great Wyrm rendition is even more powerful)? Which is completely understandable :)

[@ConstructedChaos]

It was to keep a somewhat level playing field. Considering that we had “ancient” stat block for just about every type of dragon in the book but not great wyrm for every type, I wanted to compare apples to apples. Presumably, any dragon could become a great wyrm we just don’t have those stat blocks so this was simply a way to accurately compare them all against each other in an unbiased way.

[@joshuabecklake4950]

They're powerful but damage needs to be doubled or increases min 50% to be worthy of status

[@magnusflodberg6162]

@@joshuabecklake4950 I haven't played against one, so I do not know if this is true. They look absolutely terrifying to me. Although...I have NO idea how their attacks are not considered magical (this goes for all dragons as they are the embodiment of magic in Faerun, and their parts have magical properties..), tangent on the matter though.

[@christianlangdon3766]

@@ConstructedChaos I think this is pretty good appreach any dm will Likley change the statblock to more closer resemble the dragon they are based on. Unless the statblock befits the dragon they are going for like a more arcane dragon who doesn't really act like his kin. And since each dm may modify it differently could lead to differing levels of power.

[@ConstructedChaos]

@@christianlangdon3766 oh for sure! I’d say the main takeaway here is that there’s more than just a stat block to draw on for these creatures. Combat style and strategy is definitely a thing that can be easy to forget in the midst of so much power and so many different abilities!

[@queerios9925]

Amethyst is my favorite simply because it's purple 💜

[@ConstructedChaos]

Oh I love the amethyst dragon! It was hard not to put it higher on the list but I did feel like it was limited a bit in terms of the type of RP I could do with it. Specifically, I felt like it would have to do with some multi-planar campaign setting as opposed to many other options that would work most anywhere!

[@christianlangdon3766]

My biggest issue with the gem dragons is trying to fit them into a story a. Can't use a other dragon better, and b. Doesn't include the psionic/abberation part of them. Neutral alignment also never fit well with them. Like some are good creatures that endanger themselves but is still neutral? And the amethyst is warlike yet is neutral is warfare not evil? Like the good war gods are usually against tyrants where force is necessary to bring change against oppression. Idk these guys have awesome statblocks overall but their lore falls flat for me.

[@ConstructedChaos]

@@christianlangdon3766 I think the neutral alignment actually makes them flexible-if not exceedingly interesting. I could see them encouraging the party to attack a peaceful kingdom and dethrone their leader due to effects that would ripple out across the multiverse for the greater good. Although, I suppose that may not qualify as true neutral in the eyes of some. Still, I think this sortof disillusion with the “trivial” matters of life and death across a single plane makes them extremely interesting as allies and potential enemies!

[@darkassassin5277]

The deep dragon if piloted correctly is an absolute nightmare

[@ConstructedChaos]

I still haven't had a chance to run one but it's definitely at the top of my list!!

[@Sagonene]

This is why I avoid the underdark.

[@ConstructedChaos]

Hahaha if you can’t see it, it can’t see you…. Right?

[@queerios9925]

All I see is my money flying away to buy the minis for all these dragons

[@ConstructedChaos]

Dragons are infamous for their hordes of gold and jewels so perhaps that’s fitting in a way 😂

[@queerios9925]

@@ConstructedChaos I still haven't paid off Tiamat

[@rickengle7208]

Amethyst dragons watch themselves watching themselves in other dimensions. When a dragon goes narcissistic it GOES NARCISSISTIC.

[@ConstructedChaos]

Hahaha I never actually thought about it that way

[@nathanresendez4034]

Currently doing an Underdark campaign. My players are going to run into a Deep Dragon now

[@ConstructedChaos]

You're welcome! And, also, sorry! 🤣

[@nathanresendez4034]

@@ConstructedChaos I was listening to the description and my evil DM grin started. They are on the run from Duergar and jumped into a smooth stone tunnel that I said they have no way to know what's at the bottom. Now they are dropped into a deep dragon lair. It'll be an intense session but lots of fun

[@ConstructedChaos]

@@nathanresendez4034 SO EPIC!! Let me know how it goes!!

[@nathanresendez4034]

@@ConstructedChaos alright so I made the deep dragon a Vampiric Deep Dragon. My players went down the tube and were suddenly surrounded by rare and expensive plants. At the top of the cave were giant bats that were sleeping and there were giant spiders patrolling the cave itself. They took some flowers and got out of the cave. Now a Vampiric Deep Dragon is very upset they stole part of his prized collection

[@ConstructedChaos]

@@nathanresendez4034 ooooo I love that extra flavor!! That’s going to be so cool when they figure it out!!

[@jasonmed2119]

Duhgest checking out the Draconomicon. A great book and a worthy supplement in 5e with lore, unique entities, items and plot hooks.

[@laffywaffy1989]

As much as i like the gem dragons like amethyst dragon and great wyrms they are one of my favorite dragons but the dracohydra hit different on another level its very different and unique

[@ConstructedChaos]

You're not wrong there! I just felt like it was kinda in the same vein as the elder dragon. Not really a species of dragon and more about a form that a dragon can take.

[@laffywaffy1989]

@@ConstructedChaos I agree with you there it's just cool to see to me to see two of some of the coolest creatures in dnd just be combined into being a single creature

[@ConstructedChaos]

@@laffywaffy1989 Haha absolutely! What's not to like about that!!

[@laffywaffy1989]

@@ConstructedChaos I would say it be cool if each head was using its element breath instead of each head using any kind and if we had three different kinds of dracohydra besides just chromatic one like have a metallic and gem dragon version of dracohydra

[@laffywaffy1989]

@@ConstructedChaos I will say thank good dracohydra don't have same age cycle as normal dragons how scary would an ancient or even great wyrm would be but If it did probably just be a ripped off version of tiamat

[@jospehgifford]

when I played my first campaign my dm gave me a stupidly high charisma stat and I became "besties" with a green dragon, I became such good friend that i could control it. my dm had to kill it off.😒

[@ConstructedChaos]

Hahaha I love that he allowed you to do it in the first place! I’m sure you had some epic stories with the green dragon leading into them killing it off!

[@lexmasu246]

I didn't know that lair action had to be different between rounds. Very helpful

[@ConstructedChaos]

No problem!! Happy to help! 😊

[@CooperAATE]

Poison is only a bad damage type against monsters. Most PCs will dislike getting hit with poison

[@ConstructedChaos]

Lots of races and classes/subclasses offer poison immunity above other damage types too but definitely to a lesser degree than monsters!

[@CooperAATE]

@@ConstructedChaos the whole party won't be resistant/immune, so that breath weapon will make some waves. Also, 22d6 is scary regardless of resistance

[@ConstructedChaos]

@@CooperAATE oh it definitely is haha. I just figured many were going to question that as my pick since it’s CR is considerably lower than the others.

[@kikyoohellkite6688]

Dragon turtles have been around for a long ass time, before 5E -.-

[@ConstructedChaos]

Oh yeah for sure! I don’t think I ever said that they weren’t 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@kikyoohellkite6688]

@@ConstructedChaos The phrasing somewhat implied else wise. But otherwise it's an interesting video. Too many people just think of dragons as big stat blocks, and don't tend to think about all the other things they can do.

[@ConstructedChaos]

@@kikyoohellkite6688 it certainly wasn’t intentional but I appreciate the accolades! I love how much extra information we got about all of these entries. The lair info in particular is super useful in most cases!

[@demcrusher7086]

I don't think that characters immune to poison should be immune to Green Dragons breath. It's not just poison, it's magical poison that the Dragon fights other dragons with! So holding your breath won't save your butt. The sheer horror the dragon can unleash with it is terrifying!

[@ConstructedChaos]

I agree! I’d love to see the poison damage type in general become more useful in the next edition!