In a previous post I converted the 1e/3e Oriental Adventure dragons as a group. Thats not strictly speaking 5e compliant. Will expand on that post with individual dragons for each age category.
For context the previous article should be read along with this one as I won’t repeat the introduction and lore for the lung dragons overall here.
Yu Lung (Carp Dragon, Wyrmling)
Innate Spellcasting. The dragon’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 12). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
Hold Breath. While out of water, the dragon can hold its breath for 1 hour.
Water Breathing. The dragon can breathe only underwater.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d10 + 4) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) water (bludgeoning) damage. If the target is a Small or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or be swallowed by the dragon. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the dragon, and it takes 11 (3d6) acid damage at the start of each of the dragon’s turns. If the dragon takes 15 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the dragon must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the dragon. If the dragon dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by using 5 feet of movement, exiting prone.
Healing Breath (Recharge 5–6). The dragon exhales glittering cloud of healing in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area may make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw – they can also voluntarily fail – and be healed for 21 (6d6) points of damage. Undead creatures who fail the save take the healing as radiant damage instead.
DESCRIPTION
Yu lung, also known as carp dragons, live in all types of fresh water rivers and lakes. They have no positions in the Celestial Bureaucracy; instead, they metamorphose into other subspecies upon reaching the age of adult and are then relocated and charged with specific duties as determined by the Celestial Emperor. Many scholars believe the yu lung is the juvenile form of the Lung Dragon kind. Reclusive and shy, yu lung are the smallest of the oriental dragons and the most docile.
Yu lung have dragons’ heads and the bodies and tails of giant carp. Their scales are blue-gray with variously colored markings. They have two arms, long wispy beards, and bright yellow eyes resembling those of cats. They cannot fly and are able to move on land only by dragging themselves along the ground with their claws.
Combat
The timid yu lung shun combat. If provoked or threatened, yu lung attack with their bite; if their opponents withdraw, yu lung seldom pursue. The yu lung’s tail is too flaccid for tail slap attacks, and they are physically unable to perform kicks or snatches.
A yu lung can unhinge its jaw like a serpent and swallow a victim whole (the victim can be no larger than a Small). This is part of the dragons bite attack.
Lifecycle
When yu lung reach the age of young, they metamorphose into a young dragon of another oriental dragon subspecies, determined randomly as follows (roll percentile dice):
| Roll | Result |
|---|---|
| 01-30 | Shen lung |
| 31-50 | Pan lung |
| 51-65 | Chiang lung |
| 66-80 | Li lung |
| 81-90 | Lung wang |
| 91-95 | Tun mi lung |
| 96-00 | T’ien lung |
This transformation, which occurs exactly at midnight on the dragon’s 101st birthday, is instantaneous and accompanied by a loud crack of thunder. The newly transformed dragon is then relocated to a new domain and given an assignment by the Celestial Bureaucracy befitting its new status.
Habitat/Society
Yu lung lair in small mansions made of mud and stone located deep in the murkiest waters of the lake or river they inhabit. Though neat and well-built, yu lung mansions are crude by oriental dragon standards. They are also relatively barren, as yu lung do not collect treasure.
Ecology
Yu lung are scavengers, eating the organic and inorganic matter dug from the ooze at the bottom of their lake or river. They peacefully co-exist with all forms of aquatic life. Yu lung occasionally befriend humans, and these friendships are notable for their longevity; a yu lung’s bond with a human persists even after its transformation into another subspecies.
Banner Credit: “Carp Dragon” by Feig Felip Perez