- Armor Class
- 19 (natural armor)
- Hit Points
- 256 (19d12+133)
- Speed
- 40 ft., climb 40 ft., fly 80 ft.
- Challenge
- 17 (18,000 XP)
- Proficiency bonus
- +6
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|
| 27 (+8) | 10 (+0) | 25 (+7) | 16 (+3) | 13 (+1) | 21 (+5) |
- Saving throws
- Dex +6, Con +13, Wis +7, Cha +11
- Skills
- Perception +13, Stealth +6
- Damage immunities
- fire
- Senses
- blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 23
- Languages
- Common, Draconic
Traits
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Actions
Multiattack. The dragon can use its Frightful Presence. It then makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (2d10 + 8) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) fire damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d6 + 8) slashing damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d8 + 8) bludgeoning damage.
Frightful Presence. Each creature of the dragon's choice that is within 120 ft. of the dragon and aware of it must succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the dragon's Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.
Fire Breath (Recharge 5–6). The dragon exhales fire in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw, taking 63 (18d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Legendary actions
Detect. The dragon makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.
Tail Attack. The dragon makes a tail attack.
Wing Attack (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon beats its wings. Each creature within 10 ft. of the dragon must succeed on a DC 22 Dexterity saving throw or take 15 (2d6 + 8) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. The dragon can then fly up to half its flying speed.
How adult red dragons fight
An adult red dragon is a Huge, CR 17 engine of destruction. Its Fire Breath is a 60-foot cone that deals 18d6 fire damage (63 on average) on a failed DC 21 Dexterity save, half on a success, and it recharges on a 5 or 6 each round. In melee it bites for 2d10 + 8 plus 2d6 fire and claws twice, and its tail reaches 15 feet.
It opens with Frightful Presence, forcing a DC 19 Wisdom save on everyone within 120 feet or leaving them frightened. It has 256 hit points, AC 19, immunity to fire, three uses of Legendary Resistance a day, and legendary actions for tail attacks and a Wing Attack that knocks nearby creatures prone before it flies off.
Common questions
How dangerous is an adult red dragon?
It’s CR 17, worth 18,000 XP. For four characters, the Dungeon Master’s Guide’s encounter math makes it Deadly at 12th level and Hard from 13th to 15th.
How often can it use Fire Breath?
It recharges on a roll of 5 or 6 on a d6 at the start of each of its turns, so about one turn in three after the first.
How do you beat Frightful Presence?
It’s a DC 19 Wisdom save. Heroism makes a creature immune to being frightened, and a creature that succeeds is immune to that dragon’s Frightful Presence for 24 hours.
Does an adult red dragon have any weaknesses?
No damage vulnerabilities. Its lowest ability is Dexterity (10), but it’s proficient in Dexterity saves (+6); its weakest save is Intelligence (+3), so a spell like Feeblemind has the best odds, though Legendary Resistance can undo three failures.
An adult red dragon is worth 18,000 XP. Using the 2024 encounter budgets (SRD 5.2), this is how many adult red dragons fit each difficulty for a party of four characters of the same level. A dash means even one would be over the budget.
Budgets add up every monster’s XP, so you can swap some for other creatures of the same total. Try other party sizes and mixes in the encounter calculator.
Against the 3 other challenge 17 monsters in the SRD 5.1, the adult red dragon has more hit points than 1 of them, which makes it a little frailer than most at its CR. See every CR 17 monster.
Adult Red Dragon 2024 stat block
The 2024 Monster Manual revised the adult red dragon, and the SRD 5.2 carries the new stat block. What changed:
- Ability scores: CHA 21 → 23.
- New in its stat block: Rend, Spellcasting, Commanding Presence, Fiery Rays and Pounce.
- Gone from it: Bite, Claw, Tail, Frightful Presence, Detect, Tail Attack and Wing Attack.
- Armor Class
- 19
- Hit Points
- 256 (19d12 + 133)
- Speed
- 40 ft., climb 40 ft., fly 80 ft.
- Challenge
- 17 (18,000 XP)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|
| 27 (+8) | 10 (+0) | 25 (+7) | 16 (+3) | 13 (+1) | 23 (+6) |
- Damage immunities
- fire
- Senses
- darkvision 120 ft., blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 23
- Languages
- Common, Draconic
Traits
Legendary Resistance (3/Day, or 4/Day in Lair). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Actions
Multiattack. The dragon makes three Rend attacks. It can replace one attack with a use of Spellcasting to cast Scorching Ray.
Rend. Melee Attack Roll: +14, reach 10 ft. Hit: 13 (1d10 + 8) Slashing damage plus 5 (2d4) Fire damage.
Fire Breath (Recharge 5–6). Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 21, each creature in a 60-foot Cone. Failure: 59 (17d6) Fire damage. Success: Half damage.
Spellcasting. The dragon casts one of the following spells, requiring no Material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 20, +12 to hit with spell attacks):
At Will: Command (level 2 version), Detect Magic, Scorching Ray
1/Day: Fireball
Legendary actions
Commanding Presence. The dragon uses Spellcasting to cast Command (level 2 version). The dragon can’t take this action again until the start of its next turn.
Fiery Rays. The dragon uses Spellcasting to cast Scorching Ray. The dragon can’t take this action again until the start of its next turn.
Pounce. The dragon moves up to half its Speed, and it makes one Rend attack.
