Source Monster Core pg. 121Mirage dragons are masters of illusion magic and use their powers to deceive others and further their own agendas. In addition to their magical prowess, mirage dragons possess a number of additional features to help them on hunts or mislead attackers, such as their camouflaging scales and a hallucinatory breath that can confound multiple foes at once. Mirage dragons are vain and egotistical figures. They ultimately care more about themselves than others.
Dragon
Related Groups Dragon, Adamantine,
Dragon, Barrage,
Dragon, Bog,
Dragon, Brine,
Dragon, Cinder,
Dragon, Cloud,
Dragon, Conspirator,
Dragon, Coral,
Dragon, Crystal,
Dragon, Delight,
Dragon, Despair,
Dragon, Diabolic,
Dragon, Empyreal,
Dragon, Executor,
Dragon, Forest,
Dragon, Fortune,
Dragon, Horned,
Dragon, Magma,
Dragon, Mocking,
Dragon, Oath,
Dragon, Omen,
Dragon, Phase,
Dragon, Requiem,
Dragon, Resurrection,
Dragon, Rime,
Dragon, Rune,
Dragon, Sage,
Dragon, Sea,
Dragon, Sky,
Dragon, Sovereign,
Dragon, Stormcrown,
Dragon, Time,
Dragon, Umbral,
Dragon, Underworld,
Dragon, Vizier,
Dragon, Vorpal,
Dragon, Wailing,
Dragon, Whisper,
Dragon, Wish,
Dragonet,
WyrmwraithDragons come in myriad forms, with many having magical abilities or connections to magic. Some dragons draw greater power from magic than others, allowing them to manifest abilities or alter their physiques with prolonged exposure to magic. These dragons become more powerful as they age and strengthen their connections with their magical origins. Scholars debate the classification of these dragons, with some preferring the name magical dragons and others using traditional dragons due to their connection to specific magical traditions. Regardless of their names, these dragons share a number of characteristics: their ability to tap into magical energies, intensified might and cunning as they grow older, and an inclination to hoard vast amounts of treasure and wealth.
Draconic Spellcasters
Each dragon features a sidebar on spellcasting dragons of that type. To make a dragon spellcaster, remove the dragon's Draconic Frenzy and Draconic Momentum abilities, and give them the spells outlined in their sidebar. You can swap out any number of these with other spells, provided you keep the same number of spells for each rank. You might also want to increase the dragon's Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma modifier by 1 or 2 to reflect their mastery of magic.
Alternate Abilities
While some mirage dragons tend toward melee combat, others rely more on their magic to confound enemies. To create a variant mirage dragon, replace Lunging Bite with one of the following.
Afterimage [free-action] (
arcane,
illusion,
spellshape)
Frequency once per hour;
Requirements The mirage dragon’s next action is to cast
invisibility;
Effect As the dragon turns
invisible, they leave an illusory duplicate of themself in their original position that lasts for 1 minute. A creature that determines the duplicate is an illusion doesn’t necessarily know the mirage dragon is invisible, and one that can see their invisible form doesn’t necessarily know the duplicate is an illusion. When the mirage dragon
Strides or
Flies, they can
Sustain the illusion as a free action to have it Stride or Fly up to 60 feet, speak through the illusion, or make a claw Strike using the dragon’s spell attack modifier for the attack roll. This Strike deals the same amount and type of damage as an illusory creature spell heightened to the dragon’s highest spell rank. The mirage dragon can
Dismiss the illusion.
Phantasmal Terror [two-actions] (
concentrate,
emotion,
fear,
illusion,
mental,
visual) The dragon either temporarily appears to be in multiple places at once or grows to Gargantuan size to frighten their foes. Each enemy within a 120-foot
emanation who can see the mirage dragon must attempt a Will save (with a DC equal to the dragon’s Captivating Display).
Critical Success The target is unaffected.
Success The target is
frightened 1.
Failure The target is frightened 2 and can’t use reactions until the start of the dragon’s next turn.
Critical Failure As failure, but frightened 3.
Reshape Terrain [two-actions] (
arcane,
concentrate,
illusion) The mirage dragon blends illusion and reality in a 25-foot
emanation. A creature that enters the area must succeed at a Will save (the same DC as the dragon’s Captivating Display) or treat the area as
difficult terrain. Creatures who attempt a save against this effect use the same outcome if they leave and reenter the area.
On its turn, the archdragon can
Sustain this effect to move the illusions up to 35 feet each, or to swap spots with any illusion that is within 30 feet of itself. Any duplicate that is more than 60 feet away from the archdragon disappears.
Dijansi
The village of New Lipror in southern Jalmeray is home to a secret: it doesn't exist. The mirage dragon Dijansi initially created the illusory village as a form of entertainment. Eventually, the village drew curious travelers, whom Dijansi convinced to maintain the village's secret and to give her their treasures and adoration. Dijansi now uses the village to draw more patrons to satisfy her desire for riches and attention.
Mirage Dragon Lairs
A mirage dragon's lair is filled with the typical treasures one would expect from a dragon. Unlike the hoards of other dragons, a mirage dragon takes care to polish every coin, gem, and precious metal to a mirror shine. These reflective items are placed methodically throughout the lair, allowing the dragon to see themself from all angles at any time. In addition to the typical riches, mirage dragons also keep mirrors in their hoards to better scratch their narcissistic itches. Mirage dragons tend to keep lairs in natural environments, which are better suited for their camouflage. These lairs are generally near lakes and other large bodies of water that serve as an additional natural mirror for the dragon.
Mirage Dragon Spellcasters
Mirage dragon spellcasters tend to cast the following spells.
Young Mirage Dragon
Arcane Prepared Spells DC 27, attack +20;
4th confusion,
vision of death;
3rd disguise magic,
enthrall,
hypnotize;
2nd embed message,
revealing light,
see the unseen;
1st item facade,
phantasmal minion,
ventriloquism;
Cantrips (4th) daze,
detect magic,
light,
prestidigitation,
read aura Adult Mirage Dragon
Arcane Prepared Spells DC 35, attack +27; As young mirage dragon, plus
6th mislead,
phantasmal calamity;
5th false vision,
sending,
telekinetic haul;
4th vapor form;
Cantrips (6th) daze,
detect magic,
light,
prestidigitation,
read aura Ancient Mirage Dragon
Arcane Prepared Spells DC 43, attack +35; As adult mirage dragon, plus
8th disappearance,
hallucination,
hidden mind;
7th contingency,
mask of terror,
project image;
6th truesight;
Cantrips (8th) daze,
detect magic,
light,
prestidigitation,
read auraMirage Archdragon
Arcane Prepared Spells DC 45, attack +37; As ancient mirage dragon plus
10th manifestation;
9th phantasmagoria,
resplendent mansion;
Cantrips (10th) daze,
detect magic,
light,
prestidigitation,
read aura