The Tome Unleashed series fleshes out monsters from the Tome of Beasts, giving GMs ways to modify existing monsters to surprise well-prepared players or introduce new monsters to a campaign. Last month, we changed up the accursed defiler.

This time, we’re looking at ways to change up the lantern dragonette (see Tome of Beasts) including magic items, spells, and adventure hooks inspired by it.

Lantern dragonettes are cat-sized drakes with waxy scales. Their bellies glow with a warm light. They often lair in libraries or abbeys where they provide light and eat candle stubs for sustenance.

Alternate Traits and Actions

The following changes allow GMs to alter a lantern dragonette without modifying its challenge rating.

Fiery Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage and 2 (1d4) fire damage.

The lantern dragonette loses its Bite attack.

Fire Resistance. The lantern dragonette has resistance to fire damage.

The lantern dragonette’s Vulnerable to Magical Darkness trait changes such that the dragonette is incapacitated when in magical darkness, and it suffers 1d6 radiant damage for every round of exposure.

Fire Vulnerability. The lantern dragonette has vulnerability to fire damage.

The lantern dragonette loses its Vulnerable to Magical Darkness Trait.

Lantern Dragonette Familiars

Some lantern dragonettes are willing to serve non-chaotic spellcasters as a familiar. Such dragonettes have the following trait.

Familiar. The lantern dragonette can serve another creature as a familiar, forming a magic, telepathic bond with that willing companion. While the two are bonded, the companion can sense what the dragonette senses as long as they are within 1 mile of each other. While the dragonette is within 10 feet of its companion, the companion shares the dragonette’s Lantern Belly trait. At any time and for any reason, the dragonette can end its service as a familiar, ending the telepathic bond. The lantern dragonette will always end its service as a familiar if its companion casts a spell or uses an item that creates magical darkness.

Lantern Dragonette Swarm

Sometimes lantern dragonettes gather in large groups for mutual protection and to increase the amount of light they can shed.

Swarm of Lantern Dragonettes

Medium Swarm of Tiny Dragons, Lawful Neutral
Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 77 (14d8 + 14)
Speed 15 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
7 (−2)	12 (+1)	13 (+1)	16 (+4)	13 (+1)	12 (+1)

Saving Throws Dex +3, Wis +3, Cha +3
Skills Arcana +5, History +5, Nature +5, Perception +3, Religion +5
Damage Immunities bludgeoning, piercing, slashing
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, prone, restrained, stunned, unconscious
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Common, Draconic, Elvish, Primordial; telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 2 (450 XP)                      Proficiency Bonus +2

Vulnerability to Magical Darkness. If the swarm is in an area of magical darkness, it loses its Lantern Bellies action and its ability to fly. It also suffers 7 (2d6) radiant damage for every minute of exposure.

ACTIONS

Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 0 ft., one creature in the swarm’s space. Hit: 18 (4d8) piercing damage, or 9 (2d8) piercing damage if the swarm has half of its hp or fewer.

Searing Ray. Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) fire damage.

Lantern Bellies (1/Day). If the swarm has eaten 2 pounds of candle wax in the last 24 hours, it can emit light equivalent to a continual flame for 1d4 + 1 hours. The flame can be dispelled, but the dragonette can resume it with a bonus action except in areas of magical darkness, if the time limit hasn’t expired. As a bonus action, the swarm can intensify the light to the level of a daylight spell, expending 10 minutes of duration for every minute it uses this ability. The swarm can return the illumination to continual flame as a bonus action.

Spellcasting. The lantern dragonette swarm casts one of the following spells, requiring no material components and using Intelligence as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 13).
3/day each: burning hands, color spray
1/day: flaming sphere

New Magic Items and Spells

The following magic items and spells are inspired by the lantern dragonette.

Candle of the Lantern Dragonette

Wondrous Item, Rare

This mauve candle radiates dim light from its core. If you use an action to light the candle, it transforms into a lantern dragonette, treated as though it consumed 8 ounces of candle wax, which appears within 5 feet of you. The dragonette is friendly to you and your companions. It obeys your spoken commands. If you issue no commands, the creature defends itself but takes no other actions.

The dragonette remains for 12 hours, until it drops to 0 hit points, or until you use an action to speak a command word while touching it, after which it returns to its candle form. Once the candle has been used, it can’t be used again until 2 days have passed.

Wax Lozenge

Wondrous Item, Rare

This yellow, waxy pill is a reshaped lantern dragonette scale. After you consume the lozenge as an action, your torso glows with a warm light as the continual flame spell for 3d20 minutes. You can use an action, which reduces the duration by 10 minutes, to cast one of the following spells (save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks): burning hands, color spray, or scorching ray. The lozenge has one use.

Conjure Lantern Dragonette

2nd-Level Conjuration | Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S, M (a candle weighing at least 8 ounces)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

You summon a lantern dragonette which appears in an unoccupied space that you can see within range. The dragonette disappears when it drops to 0 hit points or when the spell ends.

The dragonette is friendly to you and your companions for the duration. Roll initiative for the dragonette, which has its own turns. It obeys any verbal commands that you issue to it (no action required by you). If you don’t issue any commands to the dragonette, it defends itself from hostile creatures but otherwise takes no actions.

At Higher Levels. If you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you conjure 1 additional lantern dragonette for each slot level above 2nd. Each additional dragonette requires its own candle as a material component.

Hex of Darkness

2nd-Level Necromancy | Cleric, Warlock
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S, M (a chunk of obsidian)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You target a creature within range, and that creature must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or become vulnerable to magical darkness for the duration. While the target is in an area of magical darkness, it is poisoned. If the target starts its turn in an area of magical darkness, it must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or become stunned until the beginning of its next turn.

At Higher Levels. If you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you target 1 additional creature for each slot level above 2nd.

Lantern Dragonette Adventure Hooks

• Oh no, a lantern dragonette can’t generate light or use its spellcasting any more! It knows about an eternal flame in which it can bathe and restore its might, but it requires adventurers to protect it on the journey. The dragonette offers to serve as a familiar after it completes its quest.
• A group of lantern dragonettes will perform a ritual to eliminate a permanent area of magical darkness, and they ask for heroes to guard them while they execute it. The ritual incidentally creates a gem of brightness which the dragonettes offer to their protectors.

Tome Unleashed is going back to where it all began, with Tome of Beasts. If you’ve got a favorite from that book, please let us know in the comments or elsewhere in the Kobold warrens, and we’ll add it to the queue.

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