Buy me a coffeeDragonnel, the Skyborne Sentinel
“Sleek as a hawk, fierce as a dragon—meet the dragonnel: your loyal sky-terror, bonded for life and ready to dive-bomb your enemies!”
A dragonnel resembles a sleek, winged predator—a majestic fusion of hawk and dragon. Its sinuous body is covered in smooth, iridescent scales that shimmer in hues reflecting its draconic heritage: bronze, sapphire, obsidian, or crimson. It has powerful hind legs ending in raptor-like talons and a long, graceful neck crowned with a narrow, horned head. Its vast wings are membranous but bear subtle feather-like textures along the edges, rippling like sails in flight.
Unlike true dragons, a dragonnel lacks front limbs, giving it a silhouette closer to a wyvern—but it carries an unmistakable intelligence that gleams in its gold-ringed eyes.
Its wing membranes are thick and flexible, enabling long glides and sudden stoop-dives, while its long, whip-like tail ends in a keratinous fin that aids in precise aerial maneuvering.
Behavior
Dragonnels are highly intelligent pack-hunters and social fliers, often forming small flocks known as couriers or clutches. They exhibit loyalty and emotional bonding rarely seen outside mammals, imprinting on a chosen rider, mate, or kinmate for life. In the wild, dragonnels maintain complex social hierarchies based on dominance flights and ritualized aerial dances.
They are curious, vigilant, and somewhat prideful—offended by mistreatment but responsive to respect and mutual trust. Dragonnels rarely attack without cause, preferring warning cries, swooping feints, and wingbeats that stir up gales before striking.
When bonded to a rider, a dragonnel can develop tactical coordination, anticipating commands and forming a mental link via draconic empathy, similar to a low-level telepathic bond.
Habitat
Dragonnels prefer high-altitude environments with clear flight paths: craggy mountain ranges, high plateaus, coastal cliffs, and floating isles. They roost in elevated aeries built from woven branches, bones, and glimmering metals they collect. A bonded dragonnel will tolerate lower altitudes but often seeks periodic solitude in the skies.
In artificial environments, dragonnels require spacious aerie towers, exposure to open sky, and frequent exercise to remain emotionally healthy. Some advanced societies—such as Aarakocra cities, high elven sky-fortresses, or dragonborn citadels—breed and train dragonnels as elite aerial cavalry.
Modus Operandi (Combat & Strategy)
A dragonnel’s primary tactic is aerial superiority. It prefers hit-and-run tactics: diving from high altitudes with talons extended, striking with enough force to shatter bone, then retreating to reposition. It may:
- Use Draconic Scream to rally allies or disorient foes
- Coordinate flanking maneuvers with allies or riders
- Target flying enemies first to secure air dominance
- Retreat if seriously injured unless defending its bonded or young
When grounded, dragonnels are agile but vulnerable; they avoid prolonged melee unless cornered.
Motivation
Dragonnels seek bonded kinship, sky freedom, and purposeful partnership. A wild dragonnel is motivated by territorial integrity and protecting its clutch, while a trained or bonded dragonnel seeks to protect its rider and uphold a shared code—whether honor, survival, or vengeance.
They are driven by instinctual loyalty, curiosity, and a need to fly freely. Dragonnels remember slights and kindnesses alike, and a mistreated dragonnel may vanish into the skies forever—or return years later to exact justice with skyfire and steel talons.
Dragonnel 5e
Dragonnel, Pathfinder
Dragonnel
Large Dragon, Neutral Good
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3
Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 95 (10d10 + 40)
Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 (+4) | 16 (+3) | 18 (+4) | 10 (+0) | 14 (+2) | 12 (+1) |
Saving Throws Dex +6, Con +7, Wis +5
Skills Perception +5, Insight +5, Athletics +7
Senses Darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages Understands Draconic and one language of its bonded rider, but can’t speak
Bonded Companion.
The dragonnel can be magically bonded to a creature through a week-long training ritual. While within 1 mile of its bonded rider, it gains the following benefits:
- Empathic Link. The dragonnel knows the emotional state of its rider.
- Tactical Coordination. Once per round, it may add 1d4 to an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw if its rider can see it.
- The rider may use a bonus action to command the dragonnel to take the Dash, Disengage, or Help action on its turn.
Actions
Multiattack. The dragonnel makes two attacks: one with its Bite and one with its Talons.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage.
Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.
Draconic Scream (Recharge 5–6).
The dragonnel releases a piercing screech imbued with draconic power. Each creature of the dragonnel’s choice within 30 feet that can hear it must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened until the end of its next turn.
Allies within 30 feet who hear the scream gain advantage on their next attack roll before the end of their next turn.
Bonus Actions
Wingbeat Surge (Recharge 4–6).
The dragonnel beats its wings in a sudden burst of wind. Each creature within 10 feet must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be pushed 10 feet away and knocked prone. The dragonnel may then fly up to half its flying speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Reactions
Aerial Reflex.
When a creature enters the dragonnel’s reach, the dragonnel may fly up to 20 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.
Variant: Elemental Lineages
Some dragonnels exhibit traits of their draconic ancestors. Choose or roll for a lineage below:
| d4 | Element | Trait |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fire | Bite deals an additional 1d6 fire damage; immunity to fire |
| 2 | Cold | Wingbeat Surge also reduces affected targets’ speed by 10 ft. until the end of their next turn |
| 3 | Lightning | Draconic Scream also deals 2d6 lightning damage to each frightened enemy |
| 4 | Radiant | Allies who gain advantage from Draconic Scream also deal an additional 1d4 radiant damage on their next hit |
Tactics
Dragonnels begin combat by using Draconic Scream to disrupt enemy formations, then make flyby attacks with Bite and Talons. They use Wingbeat Surge to escape being surrounded, control the battlefield, or reposition for a bonded rider. If wounded or if their rider is endangered, they may retreat or interpose themselves as a living shield.
Dragonnel
This creature looks like a great dragon, at least 20 feet long with a serpentine body, long slender wings and a pointed snout or beak that resembles that of a Pteranodon. Its body is colored reddish-violet with lighter shades on its underbelly. A ridge of maroon-colored spines runs the length of its body down the center of its back. A mane of frills, white in color, rings its head.
Dragonnel CR 6
XP 2,400
N(E) Huge magical beast
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +0
DEFENSE
AC 18, touch 8, flat-footed 18 (+10 natural, –2 size)
hp 76 (8d10+32)
Fort +10; Ref +6; Will +2
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft., fly 100 ft. (poor)
Melee bite +12 (2d6+6), 2 claws +12 (1d8+6)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (15 ft. with bite)
TACTICS
A dragonnel prefers to attack from the air, flying above its prey and then plunging to strike with its claws and bite. A solitary dragonnel is usually either hunting or returning to its lair from hunting, while more than one dragonnel usually indicates a mated pair or family. In such a case, all dragonnels attack in concert with one another and usually fight to the death.
STATISTICS
Str 22, Dex 11, Con 18, Int 4, Wis 11, Cha 8
Base Atk +8; CMB +16; CMD 26 (30 vs. trip)
Feats Cleave, Flyby Attack, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Fly), Snatch
Skills Fly +6
Languages Common (cannot speak)
ECOLOGY
Environment temperate hills
Organization solitary or pack (2–4)
Treasure none
Dragonnels are believed to be either related to dragons or an abomination of dragon and pteranodon, as they share the physical characteristics of both those monsters. Dragonnels are semi-intelligent and use this ability to their advantage when hunting or stalking prey. Dragonnels are fierce hunters, though some have been trained by evil humanoids as mounts and guardians. A typical dragonnel is about 25 feet long.
Section 15: Copyright Notice
Dragonnel from the Tome of Horrors Complete, Copyright 2011, Necromancer Games, Inc., published and distributed by Frog God Games; Author Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary Gygax.