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Half-Red Dragon Veteran 5e: Stats, the Half-Dragon Template and the 2024 Half-Dragon
The half-red dragon veteran is the SRD 5.1 (2014) sample of the half-dragon template: a CR 5 Medium humanoid with AC 18 (plate), 65 hit points, fire resistance, 10-foot blindsight, the veteran's sword multiattack, and a Fire Breath that deals 24 (7d6) fire damage in a 15-foot cone (DC 15 Dexterity save for half, recharge 5–6). The 2024 rules (SRD 5.2.1) drop the template and print a single Half-Dragon stat block instead: a CR 5 Dragon, not a Humanoid, with 105 hit points, two elemental claws with 10-foot reach and a 30-foot breath cone.
Multiattack.The veteran makes two longsword attacks. If it has a shortsword drawn, it can also make a shortsword attack.
Longsword.Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage, or 8 (1d10 + 3) slashing damage if used with two hands.
Shortsword.Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.
Heavy Crossbow.Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d10 + 1) piercing damage.
Fire Breath (Recharge 5–6).The veteran exhales fire in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 24 (7d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Stat block from the SRD 5.1 (2014 rules) by Wizards of the Coast, licensed under CC-BY-4.0. Check an encounter with this monster in the encounter calculator.
What the template does. A beast, humanoid, giant or monstrosity can become a half-dragon. It keeps its statistics, except that it gains blindsight 10 feet and darkvision 60 feet, resistance to the damage type of its dragon color (fire for red), Draconic as a language, and its dragon parent's breath weapon. A Large or smaller creature breathes "as a wyrmling." The template suggests applying it only to a creature of CR 2 or higher so you don't have to recalculate CR.
How the printed sample compares. Next to the plain 2014 veteran (CR 3, AC 17 splint, 58 hit points), the sample has plate (AC 18), 65 hit points (10d8 + 20 rather than 9d8 + 18) and CR 5. Its Fire Breath is DC 15; the red dragon wyrmling's is DC 13, with the same 24 (7d6) damage in a 15-foot cone. The SRD doesn't say why the sample differs from a straight application of the template, so run it as printed. If you build your own half-dragon, give it the wyrmling's breath and recalculate CR if you change anything beyond what the template adds.
The 2024 Half-Dragon
Half-Dragon
Medium Dragon, Neutral
Armor Class 18
Initiative +5 (15)
Hit Points 105 (14d8 + 42)
Speed 40 ft.
STR
19 (+4)save +4
DEX
14 (+2)save +5
CON
16 (+3)save +3
INT
10 (+0)save +0
WIS
15 (+2)save +5
CHA
14 (+2)save +2
Skills Athletics +7, Perception +5, Stealth +5
Resistances damage type chosen for the draconic origin trait below
Draconic Origin.The half-dragon is related to a type of dragon associated with one of the following damage types (GM’s choice): Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, or Poison. This choice affects other aspects of the stat block.
Actions
Multiattack.The half-dragon makes two Claw attacks.
Claw.Melee Attack Roll: +7, reach 10 ft. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) Slashing damage plus 7 (2d6) damage of the type chosen for the Draconic Origin trait.
Dragon’s Breath (Recharge 5–6).Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 14, each creature in a 30-foot Cone. Failure: 28 (8d6) damage of the type chosen for the Draconic Origin trait. Success: Half damage.
Bonus Actions
Leap.The half-dragon jumps up to 30 feet by spending 10 feet of movement.
Stat block from the SRD 5.2.1 (2024 rules) by Wizards of the Coast, licensed under CC-BY-4.0. Check an encounter with this monster in the encounter calculator.
2014 Half-Red Dragon Veteran
2024 Half-Dragon (Fire origin)
Type / Alignment
Medium Humanoid (human), any alignment
Medium Dragon, Neutral
CR (XP)
5 (1,800)
5 (1,800)
AC / HP / Speed
18 / 65 / 30 ft.
18 / 105 / 40 ft.
Melee
Two longswords (+5), or two longswords and a shortsword
Two claws (+7, reach 10 ft.), 6 slashing + 7 (2d6) of the chosen type each
Ranged
Heavy crossbow, +3, 6 piercing
None
Breath
15-ft. cone, DC 15 Dex, 24 (7d6) fire
30-ft. cone, DC 14 Dex, 28 (8d6) of the chosen type
Bonus action
None
Leap: jump up to 30 ft. for 10 ft. of movement
Saves
None proficient
Dexterity +5, Wisdom +5
The 2024 block isn't tied to red. Its Draconic Origin lets the GM pick acid, cold, fire, lightning or poison, which sets its resistance, claw damage and breath. For a child of a red dragon, pick fire.
How the Half-Red Dragon Veteran Fights
Breath first. On round one, the breath is the best action. A 15-foot cone usually catches two characters. Against Dexterity +2, DC 15 succeeds on a 13 or better (40%), so each target takes about 19 fire damage on average (0.6 × 24 + 0.4 × 12). It recharges on a 5 or 6, one round in three.
Then the swords. With a shortsword drawn it makes three attacks: longsword, longsword and shortsword, 7 + 7 + 6. At +5 against AC 16 each hits half the time, about 10 damage per round. That beats two two-handed longsword swings (8 each, about 8 per round), so keep the shortsword drawn.
The 2024 Half-Dragon hits harder. Two claws at +7 hit AC 16 60% of the time for 13 each, about 15.6 per round, with 10-foot reach. Its breath covers a 30-foot cone: DC 14 against Dexterity +2 is a 55% failure rate and about 21.7 damage per target. Leap lets it jump 30 feet as a bonus action, over a front line or onto a ledge, then breathe on the backline.
Running a Half-Dragon Encounter
Encounter
2024 rules
2014 guidelines (with multiplier)
1 half-dragon vs four level 4 characters (1,800 XP)
High
Hard
1 half-dragon vs four level 5 characters
Low
Easy
1 half-dragon + 1 veteran vs four level 6 characters (2,500 XP)
Moderate
Hard
1 half-dragon + 2 veterans vs four level 7 characters (3,200 XP)
Moderate
Hard
On its own, a CR 5 half-dragon is a High fight for level 4 characters and a Low one at level 5. As the captain of a mercenary company, with veterans (Warrior Veterans in 2024) holding the line, it works at levels 6 and 7. The encounter calculator has the 2014 math.
How Players Beat a Half-Dragon
•Spread out. Both breaths are cones that start at the half-dragon: 15 feet long for the 2014 veteran, 30 for the 2024 Half-Dragon. Characters who stand apart and come at it from different sides limit each breath to one or two targets.
•Don't use fire. Both resist fire. Cold, lightning or radiant work at full strength.
•Check its type before casting. The 2014 veteran is a Humanoid, so Hold Person works (Wisdom +0). The 2024 Half-Dragon is a Dragon; Hold Person can't target it, and its Wisdom save is +5.
•Count the recharge. After it breathes, it recharges on a 5 or 6 at the start of each of its turns, so the next breath is about three turns away on average. Close in then.
Half-Dragon Encounter Ideas
The mercenary captain. A company of sellswords has been hired to hold a mountain pass. Their captain is a half-red dragon veteran who breathes fire on the first rank of anything that charges the barricade. He'll negotiate if the party can outbid his employer.
The heir. A half-dragon claims a red dragon's lair after the dragon's death, along with the kobolds that served it. The kobolds are less sure about the new arrangement than the half-dragon thinks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What CR is a half-red dragon veteran?
CR 5, worth 1,800 XP. The 2024 Half-Dragon is also CR 5 (1,800 XP).
How does the half-dragon template work in 5e?
In SRD 5.1, a beast, humanoid, giant or monstrosity becomes a half-dragon by gaining blindsight 10 feet, darkvision 60 feet, resistance to its dragon color's damage type, the Draconic language and a breath weapon based on its size (as a wyrmling for Large or smaller). The 2024 SRD replaces the template with a single Half-Dragon stat block.
Is a half-dragon a dragon or a humanoid?
The 2014 half-red dragon veteran is a Medium Humanoid (human). The 2024 Half-Dragon is a Medium Dragon.
What is the half-red dragon veteran's breath weapon?
Fire Breath, recharge 5–6: a 15-foot cone, DC 15 Dexterity save, 24 (7d6) fire damage on a failure or half on a success.
Stat blocks: System Reference Document 5.1 (2014) and 5.2.1 (2024), Wizards of the Coast, CC-BY-4.0. Tactics, encounter math and ideas are Loreify's own.
This page includes material from the System Reference Document 5.1 and 5.2.1 by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Loreify is not affiliated with Wizards of the Coast.