5e:Yellow Dragon/Lair

Yellow Dragon's Lair

Adult and older yellow dragons lair in high mountains, deserts, or arctic planes. It usually avoids caves and other indoor locations, preferring to bask in the sun. Younger dragons will burrow into the ground while it sleeps, but reemerge when awake.

Yellow dragons do not collect treasure, but will collect trophies from especially powerful or cunning foes. These will often be arranged into complex patterns which's meaning and beauty are likely to be misunderstood by other creatures.

While remote, a yellow dragon's lair will often have plinths that were gifted to the dragon and gifts strewn about the boundary by supplicants to the dragon.

Lair Actions

When fighting inside its lair, an yellow dragon can use lair actions. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the dragon takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the dragon can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:

• Crystals erupts from an unoccupied point on the ground the dragon can see within 120 feet of it, creating a 20-foot-high, 5-foot-radius pillar of crystal that emits an unearthly bright light in a 20-foot-radius. Each creature in the effected area must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 21 (6d6) radiant damage and be blinded on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
• A tremor shakes the lair in a 60-foot radius around the dragon. Each creature other than the dragon on the ground in that area must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone. In this area tiny crystals emerge from the ground making the area difficult terrain for creatures smaller than huge.
• A ultra-bright light streaks down from the heavens in a 20-foot-radius column centered on a point the dragon can see within 120 feet of it. Any creature, except the dragon, who have darkvision must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw. Those that fail are blinded until initiative round 20 of the next turn and unable to use their darkvision for 24 hours.

Regional Effects

The region containing an ancient yellow dragon’s lair is warped by the creature’s magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:

• Small earthquakes are common within 6 miles of the dragon’s lair producing crystal outcroppings. These crystals often reflect light or glow with their own light.
• Days are unusually clear and bright within 10 mile of the lair. Outdoors, it is never dark in this area, being at worst dim light. Underground areas are infused with light-reflecting and light producing crystals providing dim light unless the crystals are constantly removed. After spending 6 months in the region, creatures that have Sunlight Sensitivity ignore this trait until they spend a month outside the region.
• Creatures within 1 mile of the dragon's lair that are exposed to direct sunlight for an hour or more have a 5% chance (check once per day) of suffering sunstroke (poisoned) until they spend 24 hours out of direct sunlight.

If the dragon dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d10 days.