Illusory Dragon

A
Damage

Illusory Dragon is a Damage spell. Damage spells focus on dealing harm to enemies.

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spell that conjures a shadow dragon to frighten
multiple foes

Illusory Dragon is a Multi Target spell. Multi Target spells have an area of effect or can explicitly target multiple allies or enemies.

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with
fearful influence

Illusory Dragon is a Social Influence spell. Social Influence spells create ways to communicate, persuade, and alter behavior.

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and strike with
bonus-action speed

Illusory Dragon is a Action Economy spell. Action Economy spells grant you more choices on future turns.

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.

2024 Rules

Level & School
8th-level illusion
Casting Time
Action
Range
120 feet
Components
S
Duration
Concentration, 1 minute
Classes
Wizard
Source
Arcana Unleashed

By gathering threads of shadow material from the Shadowfell, you create a Huge shadowy dragon in an unoccupied space that you can see within range. The illusion lasts for the spell's duration and occupies its space as if it were a creature. The illusion is tangible because of the shadow material used to create it but has Immunity to all damage and conditions.

When the illusion appears, any enemy that can see it makes a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature drops whatever it's holding and has the Frightened condition for the duration. If a creature Frightened in this way ends its turn in a space where it doesn't have line of sight to the illusion, the creature repeats the saving throw, ending the condition on itself on a success.

As a Bonus Action, you can move the illusion up to 60 feet. At any point during its movement, you can cause the shadowy dragon to exhale a blast of energy in a 60-foot Cone. Each creature in the Cone makes an Intelligence saving throw, taking 6d6 Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, Necrotic, or Poison damage (your choice when you create the dragon) on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one.

A creature that takes a Study action to examine the dragon can determine that it is an illusion with a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC. If a creature discerns the illusion for what it is, the creature can see through the image and has Advantage on saving throws to end the Frightened condition it caused and to resist its exhalation.

2014 Rules

Level & School
8th-level illusion
Casting Time
Action
Range
120 feet
Components
S
Duration
Concentration, 1 minute
Classes
Wizard
Source
Xanathar's Guide to Everything

By gathering threads of shadow material from the Shadowfell, you create a Huge shadowy dragon in an unoccupied space that you can see within range. The illusion lasts for the spell's duration and occupies its space, as if it were a creature.

When the illusion appears, any of your enemies that can see it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of it for 1 minute. If a frightened creature ends its turn in a location where it doesn't have line of sight to the illusion, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.

As a bonus action on your turn, you can move the illusion up to 60 feet. At any point during its movement, you can cause it to exhale a blast of energy in a 60-foot cone originating from its space. When you create the dragon, choose a damage type: acid, cold, fire, lightning, necrotic, or poison. Each creature in the cone must make an Intelligence saving throw, taking 7d6 damage of the chosen damage type on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

The illusion is tangible because of the shadow stuff used to create it, but attacks miss it automatically, it succeeds on all saving throws, and it is immune to all damage and conditions. A creature that uses an action to examine the dragon can determine that it is an illusion by succeeding on an Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC. If a creature discerns the illusion for what it is, the creature can see through it and has advantage on saving throws against its breath.

Illusory Dragon 5.5e 2024 vs. 5e 2014 edition differences

The breath damage decreases from 7d6 to 6d6. On appearing, the dragon now makes enemies drop what they’re holding on a failed save, and Frightened lasts for the spell’s duration rather than 1 minute. Discerning the illusion now grants advantage on saves to end Frightened, not just against the breath.

How popular is Illusory Dragon in 5e?

Illusory Dragon is the #22 most popular level 8 spell (of 29) and the #6 most picked level 8 Wizard spell (of 24).

Among level 8 spells, Illusory Dragon ranks just below Dark Star and just above Glibness in popularity.

Read about how this popularity data is calculated and see Illusory Dragon visualized with all 5e spells.

Spells similar to Illusory Dragon