Young Black Dragon
Large Dragon (Chromatic) · · CR 7
- Dragon (Chromatic)
- Large
- Tier 2
Young Black Dragon, CR 7, fills the large dragon (chromatic) role with chaotic evil disposition. Encounter regions: swamp. Sourced from Monster Manual (5e 2014) and Monster Manual (5.5e 2024).
Stat Block
- Challenge Rating
- 7
- Type
- Dragon (Chromatic)
- Size
- Large
- Alignment
- —
- Speed
- —
- Habitats
- Swamp
- Sources
- Monster Manual (5e 2014), Monster Manual (5.5e 2024)
Ecology
Young black dragons inhabit fetid swamps, sunken ruins, and acid-rich coastal marshes. They eat fish, crocodiles, humanoids, and occasionally venture inland to raid livestock. Their lairs become hubs of swamp-corruption, with surrounding water turning acidic and acidic mist forming at dusk. They hoard treasure obsessively, especially coins, art objects, and slaves. A young black dragon, roughly a century old, is establishing its first true lair after leaving the parental territory and stealing a small hoard.
Behaviour
Young black dragons are cruel, sadistic, and cowardly. They prefer to hunt weaker prey and torment victims before killing. They speak Draconic, Common, and often local swamp-dwelling languages. They scheme constantly, taking lizardfolk or bullywug followers to act as proxies and tribute-collectors. They lie compulsively, even when truth would serve better, simply for the pleasure of deceit. They distrust other dragons, especially metallics, whom they hate. Even their own kin are rivals to be undermined or murdered.
Origin
Black dragons descend from the chromatic dragon goddess Tiamat, like all chromatics. Each black dragon is hatched from a single egg laid in a clutch of four to six. The strongest hatchling kills siblings in the egg-cave, thinning the clutch. By age fifty, only one or two survive to leave parental care. Young blacks are the result of this brutal selection: cunning, paranoid, and willing to do terrible things to survive. They mature into adult blacks around age 200.
Related Monsters
Frequently Asked Questions about Young Black Dragon
- What is the challenge rating of Young Black Dragon?
- Young Black Dragon has a challenge rating of 7. It matches tier-2 to early-tier-3 encounter math.
- What type of creature is Young Black Dragon?
- The bestiary type for Young Black Dragon is dragon (chromatic), large size.
- Where does Young Black Dragon live?
- You'll find Young Black Dragon in Swamp according to the bestiary entry.