Chaos Causing Draconic Familiar
Habitat: Urban; Treasure: None
Paradragons are sinister counterparts to pseudodragons, with pale yellow or orange scales and red horns that darken towards their tip. Their scales exhibit a peculiar chameleon effect, allowing small areas to shift color and match any object they touch. Their fiery opal-like eyes possess excellent vision in darkness, allowing them to observe from afar in different lighting conditions.
Preferring urban settings, paradragons delight in stirring chaos and discord. Often disguising themselves as common city animals, they watch the townsfolk to learn about their relationships and uncover weaknesses. Once they find a suitable target—a weak-willed individual—they use their psychic influence to compel their victim into uncharacteristic actions, such as inciting fights or damaging prized possessions. This manipulation often becomes the seed of further turmoil, leading to rifts that the paradragon eagerly exploits. Roll once on or choose a result from the Paradragon Discord table to inspire the events that created lingering chaos.
Paradragon Discord
| 1d6 | The Paradragon Has Created Divisions by Causing … |
|---|---|
| 1 | A family feud to escalate to violence. |
| 2 | A shopkeeper to burn a competitor’s shop. |
| 3 | An important arranged marriage to end. |
| 4 | Officials to destroy needed supplies. |
| 5 | The mayor’s child to deface a popular shrine. |
| 6 | Town council members to steal from the treasury. |
Paradragon
Paradragons sometimes form partnerships with evil mages who bond them as familiars. Through these alliances, the mage leverages the paradragon’s skill in creating divisions and unrest to amass power and influence, building upon the discord their companion sows.
Paradragon
Tiny Dragon, Chaotic Evil
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 12 (5d4)
Speed 15 ft., Fly 30 ft.
Initiative +2 (12)
| MOD | SAVE | ||
| STR | 6 | -2 | -2 |
| INT | 13 | +1 | +1 |
| MOD | SAVE | ||
| DEX | 14 | +2 | +2 |
| WIS | 12 | +1 | +1 |
| MOD | SAVE | ||
| CON | 11 | +0 | +0 |
| CHA | 5 | +0 | +0 |
Skills Insight +3, Perception +5, Stealth +6
Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 15
Languages Understands Common and Draconic but can’t speak
CR 1/4 (XP 50; PB +2)
Traits
Evasion. If the paradragon is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, the paradragon instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.
Actions
Bite. Melee Attack Roll: +3, reach 5 ft. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) Piercing damage.
Psychic Command. Wisdom Saving Throw: DC 11, one creature the paradragon can see within 60 feet. Failure: The paradragon wills the target to move up to its Speed, avoiding danger, and make one attack against a creature the paradragon can see.
Change Shape. The paradragon changes into a form that resembles a cat (Speed 40 ft., Climb 40 ft.), a bat (5 ft., Fly 30 ft.), or a lizard (20 ft., Climb 20 ft.), or it returns to its true form. Its statistics are the same in each form, except for its Speed. Any equipment it’s wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. The paradragon reverts to its true form if it dies.
Downloads
Further Reading
The dracox is another diminutive dragon that might cause a bit of chaos.
Perhaps a cursed version of the horn of wyrmcalling always summons an uncontrollable paradragon.
Imagery created with Midjourney.
