Copper Dragons

Copper dragons are the second weakest of the metallic dragons. They are born tricksters and jokesters, with a well-deserved reputation as incorrigible pranksters, joke-tellers, and riddlers. They are quite devious and clever, but their intent is purely benign. They do not seek to harm 'lesser' creatures, but merely wish to impress them with superior intelligence and wit, and to fool them with clever pranks. A visitor to a copper dragon's lair would expect to be entertained at length, although the dragon will become angry if the visitor does not appear impressed with its tricks, riddles, and stories. Copper dragons appreciate all forms of humor. Most are good-natured but also have a covetous, miserly streak.
Although the dragonforging artifacts could potentially turn any type of chromatic into any type of metallic, the majority of copper dragons came from black, green and red dragons.
Copper dragons are usually Chaotic Neutral, although Chaotic Good is more common than Chaotic Evil.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Copper dragons have mantalike wings that show green and red mottling along the trailing edges. The upper alar limb is exceedingly short, giving the leading edges of the wings a U-shaped profile when viewed from below. The wings run down the dragon’s entire body, almost to the tip of the tail. Its wings have a pronounced bend to them, giving them the appearance of a "V" from below. The main portion of the wing is supported by three phalanges and a modified alar olecranon. Spines sweeping backward at an angle from the backbone support the remainder of the wing. A copper dragon’s distinctive wing profile makes it easy to distinguish from the brass dragon, which can occupy similar habitats. Copper dragons are powerful jumpers and climbers, with massive thigh and shoulder muscles. They exude a stony odor.

Genetics and Reproduction

Copper dragon courtship is an odd mix of tenderness and outrageous humor. Although males and females exchange small gifts of food and treasure, the real currency between copper dragons is wit. Copper dragons are attracted to mates who can make them laugh. Such liaisons are never permanent, but the couple stays together long enough to raise their offspring to adulthood. After that, each dragon’s freewheeling spirit takes over and the couple splits, with each individual going its own way.
After 135 days gestation, copper dragons lay their 1 foot long eggs in a nest of cool sand or clay. Both parents watch over the eggs and raise the wyrmling until it reaches adulthood, whereupon the parents separate. During its 540 days' incubation, the egg must be immersed in acid strong enough to deal at least 1d4 points of damage per round of exposure, or packed in cool sand or clay (40°F to 60°F). When newly hatched, the scales of a copper wyrmling are a muddy brown in color, which gradually shifts to a glowing copper as it matures. Adult copper dragons are quite social, mainly due to the desire to play tricks upon each other.

Growth Rate & Stages

At birth, a copper dragon’s scales have a ruddy brown color with a metallic tint. As the dragon gets older, the scales become finer and more coppery, assuming a soft, warm gloss by the young adult stage. A very old dragon’s scales pick up a green tint. A copper dragon’s pupils fade with age, and the eyes of a great wyrm resemble glowing turquoise orbs.
They are considered wyrmlings for the first five years, very young until age 15, reach the juvenile stage at 26 years, and become sexually mature at 51 years, being considered fully adult at 100. They are considered mature at 200, old at 400, very old at 600, and ancient at 800 years. Beyond 1,000 they are considered wyrms, and great wyrms after 1,200 years.

Ecology and Habitats

Copper dragons like dry, rocky uplands and mountains. A typical copper dragon's lair is a narrow cave, the entrance to which is concealed by rocks and boulders. Upon entering, visitors find themselves in a huge labyrinth of tunnels or twisting mazes, often with open tops that allow the dragon to fly or jump over intruders. Copper dragons compete amongst themselves to see who can design the most confusing layout. If friendly visitors become hopelessly lost, (which is rather common) the copper dragon will rescue them before they are actually endangered.
Once through the labyrinth, visitors find themselves in a spacious foyer, beyond which is the Main Entertaining Chamber, where the dragon will spend the bulk of its time. Opening off the MEC is a much more straightforward escape tunnel; its outside entrance is often fiendishly difficult to locate even when one knows exactly where it is. The copper dragon will know, however, and often uses its "back door" to get into its lair instead of taking the time to navigate the maze. Obviously, it is far easier for visitors to enter via the secret door if they can find it, but doing so is considered impolite, especially if they are first-time visitors. Unlike most dragons, copper dragons are often happy to have cramped lairs that don’t allow them space for flight; they depend instead on their ability to climb stone surfaces for mobility inside the lair.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Copper dragons are known to eat almost anything, including metal ores. However, they prize monstrous scorpions and other large poisonous creatures. (They say the venom sharpens their wit; their digestive systems can handle the venom safely, although injected venoms affect them normally.) They are determined hunters. They consider good sport at least as important as the food they get, and doggedly pursue any prey that initially eludes them.

Additional Information

Social Structure

A copper dragon’s sense of humor compels it to seek out companionship—it takes at least two beings to share a joke. Consequently, a copper dragon is basically a social creature. Except when mating, however, copper dragons tend to avoid each other, mostly because they cannot resist getting into competition to prove which has the sharpest wit. When two or more copper dragons get together, the meeting usually escalates into verbal sparring. The dragons initially trade witticisms and banter, but the conversation eventually devolves into pointed barbs growing ever more vicious, until one of the dragons pulls away, vowing revenge. Such encounters rarely lead to violence or lasting enmity, but often create a rivalry. Rival copper dragons have carried on wars of practical jokes and colorful insults that have lasted for centuries.

Facial characteristics

A copper dragon’s head has a short face and no beak. Broad, smooth browplates jut over the eyes, and long, flat coppery horns extend back from the browplates in a series of segments. The dragon also has backswept cheek ridges and frills on the backs of the lower jaws that sweep forward slightly. Layers of triangular blades point down from the chin, and as the dragon gets older more layers with larger blades develop. Their two horns are broad and flat, pointing backwards towards the tail from the top of their heads. When their mouth is closed, their teeth are completely hidden. The dragon has a long tongue that comes to a single point.

Civilization and Culture

Beauty Ideals

When building hoards, copper dragons prefer treasures from the earth. Metals and precious stones are favorites, but they also value statuary and fine ceramics.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Their territories sometimes adjoin or overlap brass dragons’ territories. The two species tend to get along well, but meetings between the two usually devolve into marathon conversations in which the copper dragons bombard the brass dragons with humor while the brass dragons blithely continue to banter. Such sessions usually end with one dragon or the other taking its leave none too gently.
Copper dragons also find themselves with silver, red, or blue for neighbors. The silvers avoid too much contact with the coppers. Blue or red dragons inevitably try to slay the coppers or at least drive them away. Many a copper dragon considers the presence of a blue or red dragon as challenge, and does all it can to annoy and embarrass the evil dragon without getting itself killed.
A copper dragon would rather tell a riddle or a pull a prank than fight. Any copper dragon appreciates wit wherever it can be found, and will usually not harm a creature that can relate a joke, humorous story, or riddle the dragon has not heard before. The dragon quickly gets annoyed with anyone who doesn’t laugh at its jokes or accept its tricks with good humor. Copper dragons love being the center of attention and do not appreciate being upstaged.
When cornered, a copper dragon fights tenaciously, using every trick it knows to defeat the foe. Copper dragons show similar aggression when defending lairs, mates, or offspring. In most other circumstances, a copper dragon prefers to outwit and embarrass a foe. To a copper dragon, a perfect victory comes from taunting and annoying an opponent into just giving up. In any situation, copper dragons favor thinking and planning over brute force. They often deal with superior foes, such as red dragons, by drawing them into narrow, twisting canyons or tortuous caves where they can use their climbing ability to outmaneuver the foe.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Black Dragons
• Metallic Dragons
• Red Dragons

Lifespan

3,400 or more years.

Average Height

7 feet tall

Average Weight

2,500 pounds

Average Length

31 feet long, with an 11 foot long body, 9 foot long neck and 11 foot long tail

Average Physique

5 feet wide, with a maximum wingspan of 36 feet, but the ability to fly through 18 feet of space

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Their scales are a warm copper color tinged with blue.

Adult Copper Dragon

Large dragon, chaotic neutral

Armor Class 18 (Natural Armor)

Hit Points 16d10+80

Speed 40ft Fly: 80ft Climb: 40ft

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STR

23 +6

DEX

12 +1

CON

21 +5

INT

18 +4

WIS

15 +2

CHA

17 +3

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Saving Throws Dex +6, Con +10, Wis +7, Cha +8

Skills Deception +8, Perception +12, Stealth +6

Damage Immunities Acid

Senses Blindsight 60 Ft., Darkvision 120 Ft., passive Perception 22

Languages Draconic

Challenge 14

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

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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: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: (2d10 + 6) piercing damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (2d6 + 6) slashing damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: (2d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage.
Frightful Presence. Each creature of the dragon's choice that is within 120 feet of the dragon and aware of it must succeed on a DC 16 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.
Breath Weapons (Recharge 5-6). The dragon uses one of the following breath weapons.
Acid Breath. The dragon exhales acid in an 60-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 54 (12d8) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Slowing Breath. The dragon exhales gas in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature can't use reactions, its speed is halved, and it can't make more than one attack on its turn. In addition, the creature can use either an action or a bonus action on its turn, but not both. These effects last for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself with a successful save.

Legendary Actions

Adult Copper Dragon can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. Adult Copper Dragon regains spent legendary actions at the start of their turn.
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 19 Dexterity saving throw or take 13 (2d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. The dragon can then fly up to half its flying speed.

Lair Actions

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the dragon takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects:
The dragon chooses a point on the ground that it can see within 120 feet of it. Stone spikes sprout from the ground in a 20-foot radius centered on that point. The effect is otherwise identical to the spike growth spell and lasts until the dragon uses this lair action again or until the dragon dies.
The dragon chooses a 10-foot-square area on the ground that it can see within 120 feet of it. The ground in that area turns into 3-foot-deep mud. Each creature on the ground in that area when the mud appears must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or sink into the mud and become restrained. A creature can take an action to attempt a DC 15 Strength check, freeing itself or another creature within its reach and ending the restrained condition on a success. Moving 1 foot in the mud costs 2 feet of movement. On initiative count 20 on the next round, the mud hardens, and the Strength DC to work free increases to 20.

Copper dragons dwell in dry uplands and on hilltops, where they make their lairs in narrow caves. False walls in the lair hide secret antechambers where the dragon stores valuable ores, art objects, and other oddities it has collected over its lifetime. Worthless items are put on display in open caves to tantalize treasure seekers and distract them from where the real treasure is hidden.

Regional Effects

The region containing a legendary copper dragon’s lair is warped by the dragon’s magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:
Magic carvings of the dragon’s smiling visage can be seen worked into stone terrain and objects within 6 miles of the dragon’s lair.
Tiny beasts such as rodents and birds that are normally unable to speak gain the magical ability to speak and understand Draconic while within 1 mile of the dragon’s lair. These creatures speak well of the dragon, but can’t divulge its whereabouts.
Intelligent creatures within 1 mile of the dragon’s lair are prone to fits of giggling. Even serious matters suddenly seem amusing.
If the dragon dies, the magic carvings fade over the course of 1d10 days. The other effects end immediately.

When it comes to combat, copper dragons prefer to avoid it. Rather than fighting openly, they prefer to taunt, humiliate, and tease their opponents until they simply give up and ran away. Their ability to dramatically slow opponents often gives them ample time to run away. When forced, however, a copper dragon will fight to the very end, and is an incredibly devious antagonist.
This stat block is for a dragon around 50-200 years. For dragons of different age categories, check out the following:
Copper Dragon Wyrmling (5-15 years)
Young Copper Dragon (15-50 years)
Ancient Copper Dragon (200-1,000 years)
Great Copper Wyrm (1,000 years or older)