Copper dragon
Natural magical beast (dragon)
Subtype
Metallic dragon
Skin
Color
Copper (scales)
Vision
Darkvision, Low-light vision
Homeland(s)
Dry, rocky mountains
Language(s)
Common, Draconic
Copper dragons are the second weakest
of the metallic dragons. They are born tricksters and jokesters. 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 can expect to be entertained at length, although the
dragon will become angry if the visitor does not appear impressed with her tricks, riddles, and stories.
Physical descriptionEdit
A review of copper dragon anatomy.
Physically, the copper dragon is very striking, with scales of a warm copper color
tinged with blue. Like the brass dragon, the copper dragon's wings connect to its body all the way to the tip of its tail.
However, its wings have a pronounced bend to them, giving them the appearance of a "V" from below, rather than the brass dragon's
triangular appearance. Copper dragons are powerful jumpers and climbers, with massive thigh and shoulder muscles. Their two
horns are broad and flat, pointing backwards towards the tail from the top of their heads. They also have a distinctive frill
protruding from either jaw. When the mouth is closed, the teeth are completely hidden. They exude a stony odor.
Combat
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 run 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. Their acid breath is not to be taken lightly. When it comes to open battle,
copper dragons are formidable fighters.[1]
Breath weapon
Copper dragons have two separate breath weapons. The first is a line of powerful
acid, and the second is a cone of gas that slows and cramps the muscles of anyone within it.
LaiR
A typical copper dragon's lair is a cave, whose entrance is concealed by rocks
and boulders. Upon entering, visitors find themselves in a huge labyrinth of tunnels. Copper dragons compete amongst themselves
to see who can design the most confusing layout. If a friendly visitor becomes hopelessly lost (which is rather common), the
copper dragon will rescue her before she is 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, whose 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 a visitor to enter via the secret door if
she can find it, but doing so is considered impolite, especially if she is a first-time visitor.
Parenting and developmentEdit
Copper dragons lay their 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. When newhatched, 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.
Known copper dragonsEdit
Chatulio
Galadaeros
Tyrangal
Ilnezhara
Tazmikella
Pocyr
References
↑ Warning: edition not specified for Road of the Patriarch
SourcesEdit
Andy Collins, James Wyatt, and Skip Williams (November 2003). Draconomicon: The Book of Dragons. TSR, Inc. ISBN 0-7869-2884-0.