Red Dragon Wyrmling

Combat

While individual dragons have their own personalities and tactics, most rely heavily on their breath weapons. They use them whenever they can, preferably from maximum distance and while flying above their enemies. 

When fighting in the open, dragons often circle above their enemies as they wait for their breath weapons to recharge. They only close to melee if their enemies deal significant damage with ranged attacks, or if they can savage an enemy cut off from its allies. Once bloodied , dragons become more aggressive, attacking with bite and claws when their breath weapons aren’t available.

If a dragon is protecting its lair, it utilizes lair features, traps, allies, and architecture such as escape tunnels to keep up a hit-and-run fight, reappearing only when it has a fully-recharged breath weapon. If the dragon is forced into melee combat, it uses its bite and claws against a single foe. If it has legendary actions like Roar and Wing Attack, it uses them to disperse its other enemies.

If reduced to less than one-fourth its hit points while fighting in the open, a dragon flies away. However, it fights to the death to defend its lair, unless it can regain the upper hand through tricks or bargains.

Red Dragon Lair Features

The save DC for the following effects is 13 + the dragon’s proficiency bonus. Choose or roll one or more of the following lair features:

1 Volcanic vents spew dark clouds of smoke, heavily obscuring a 20-foot-radius area. When a breathing creature starts its turn in the cloud or enters it for the first time on a turn, it must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or become poisoned until the start of its next turn.

2 If the dragon makes a tail attack against the lair’s wall, a large stalactite falls down from the ceiling, striking a 10-foot-square area of the dragon’s choice. Each creature in the area makes a Dexterity saving throw , taking 11 (2d10) bludgeoning damage and becoming restrained on a failure. A creature can use its action to make an Acrobatics or Athletics check against the lair’s save DC, freeing itself or another creature on a success. If the dragon uses this ability more than three times in a day, the cavern starts collapsing.

3 Pools of lava are scattered throughout the lair. The dragon can use a legendary action to drink from a pool. Until the end of its next turn, its Searing Heat feature deals double damage.

4 The air in the dragon’s lair is dangerously hot. On first entering the lair and every hour thereafter, a creature without fire resistance or immunity makes a Constitution saving throw , gaining a level of fatigue on a failure. 

Names

Alerathax, Elderfire, Emberwing, Ithildrun, Pyrash, Verpyrion 

Legends and Lore

With an Arcana or History check, characters can learn the following:

DC 10 Red dragons are creatures of flame and greed. They live inside volcanoes and hoard wealth unimaginable by even the richest monarch.

DC 15 Steaming vents and pools of bubbling magma fill a red dragon’s lair.

DC 20 The oldest red dragons are often served by minions from the Plane of Fire, such as fire elementals, magmins, or salamanders. The dragon rules over these minions like a mortal tyrant.