Wyvern
Large Dragon · · CR 6
- Dragon
- Large
- Tier 2
Wyvern at CR 6 is logged as a large dragon; alignment unaligned. Habitat: hill, mountain, and badlands. Sourced from Monster Manual (5e 2014) and Monster Manual (5.5e 2024).
Stat Block
- Challenge Rating
- 6
- Type
- Dragon
- Size
- Large
- Alignment
- —
- Speed
- —
- Habitats
- Hill, Mountain, Badlands
- Sources
- Monster Manual (5e 2014), Monster Manual (5.5e 2024), Flee, Mortals!
Ecology
Wyverns are large dragon-kin reptilian predators of mountain ranges and high hills. They are not true dragons (they lack forelegs and breath weapon), but they share scales, flight, and reptilian cognition. They hunt deer, sheep, and cattle, occasionally attacking horses or humanoids. A wyvern's poison stinger paralyzes prey for easy carrying back to the lair. They lay clutches of two to four eggs in cliff-side nests; juveniles fledge at six months and hunt independently at one year. Adult wyverns live thirty to fifty years.
Behaviour
Wyverns are bestial, with no language and minimal social structure. Mating-pairs cooperate to raise young, but otherwise wyverns are solitary and territorial, fighting any intruder of their kind. They communicate via roars and aerial postures. They have no concept of treasure-hoarding, unlike true dragons; their lairs contain only bones and nesting material. They are sometimes domesticated as mounts by hobgoblins, drow, or hill-tribe humans; this requires aggressive training from the egg-stage and is usually ridden bareback by skilled handlers.
Origin
Wyverns are theorized to be a degenerate offshoot of true dragon lineage, having lost forelegs and breath weapons through unknown evolutionary or magical pressure. Some draconic lore claims wyverns are the descendants of dragons cursed by gods for unknown ancient transgressions. Other theories hold them as a separate prehistoric reptilian lineage that converged on draconic appearance. Whatever their birth, they have existed as long as recorded history and breed reliably wherever mountain prey is abundant.
Related Monsters
Frequently Asked Questions about Wyvern
- What is the challenge rating of Wyvern?
- Listed CR for Wyvern: 6. Match it to a party that fits levels 5-11.
- What type of creature is Wyvern?
- Wyvern is classified as a dragon in D&D 5e, large size.
- Where does Wyvern live?
- In the bestiary, Wyvern appears in Hill, Mountain, Badlands.