Dragon hoards may absorb dragon magic, but dragons themselves can also absorb excess magic from their surroundings. They function as magical sponges in the ecosystem, sometimes even drawing sustenance from the innate magic of the material plane.

Sometimes, however, that magic is anomalous, resulting in a true dragon mutating into a chaos dragon or purging itself of these hectic forces by laying a wild magic infused egg. Thus these unpredictable dragons are usually formed, but they can also simply spawn in the wilderness from a confluence of draconic and chaotic magic. In any case, they are rare.

You can use the following template to create a chaos dragon for your world, but you should customize it freely. A chaos dragon is likely to show mutations from its species, such as additional tails, heads, limbs, eyes, or horns, strange coloration or textures, alien anatomy, special effects such as sparking light or a weird spell. They may swap genders spontaneously, create a wild magic zone in around their lair, hallucinate alien creatures into existence, sprout flowers from their backs, turn all the nearby birds into therapods, accidentally switch day and night cycles, manifest weird natural disasters, get high on clouds, change mountains into glass, who knows the limits of what they can or will do but they don't have much control over some of the stranger effects. Nor their breath weapons for that matter.

In fact, they start out with so little control over their own magic, chaos dragons often don't make it through their first weeks of life, let alone years. The eggs especially generate extraordinarily potent and uncontrolled effects upon investigation or interaction. Young chaos dragons may die via spontaneous autoexplosion. However, if they do, they can gain a modicum of control over their spontaneous powers, to potentially terrifying effect.

These facts coupled with the fact that they eat magic makes them the stuff of nightmare for anyone who wishes to utilize any kind of predictable magical effect, spell, or item. Ancient chaos dragons may be able to permanently destroy powerful artifacts- as a snack.

Apply the following changes to the appropriate template depending on the origin dragon type. Whenever the stat block includes an X, that means the trait is the same as that for the base dragon. Z is the number of damage dice of the origin dragon's main breath weapon.

• It retains all Change Shape actions of its origin species.
• It retains it Frightful Presence, if it has one.
• If its origin species has telepathy, the chaos dragon does as well, but only to a range of: 10 feet for a wyrmling, 20 for a young, 30 for an adult, and 40 for an ancient.
• It may gain spells at certain age categories. Cantrips are at will. Other spells are once per day.

1: Caustic Glitter Breath (Dexterity). A coughed up burst of shimmering, glimmering glitterdust that corrodes everything it touches. Creatures take X/2(rounded up) acid damage and X/2 radiant damage, both halved on a successful save. If a saving throw fails by 5 or more, the creature is also blinded until the end of its next turn. Objects are also affected.

2: Ensnaring Bubble Breath (Dexterity). An exhalation of rapidly growing pink bubbles made of viscous, floating glop. On a failed save, a creature is restrained. The creature can make a DC X Strength saving throw at the end of each of its turns to end the effect. The area is difficult terrain for the next 10 minutes, after which the residue dries.

3: Hallucinatory Breath (Wisdom). A cloud of iridescent vapor. On a failed save, affected creatures begin hallucinating, and must roll 1d4 at the start of each of their turns to determine what they do. At the end of each of their turns, they can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on a success.

1. The creature uses all its movement to move in a random direction. To determine the direction, roll a d8 and assign a direction to each die face. The creature doesn’t take an action this turn.

2. The creature doesn't move or take actions this turn.

3. The creature uses its action to make a melee attack against a randomly determined creature within its reach. If there is no creature within its reach, the creature babbles and screams incoherently and does nothing this turn.

4. If the creature has damaging cantrips, it must use one against a random creature within range of one or more of those cantrips.

4: Exploding Crystal Breath (Dexterity). The dragon spits flying crystal fragments that explode concussively in a burst of shrapnel, audible for at least 200 feet. On a failed saving throw, creatures take X/2 (rounded up) thunder damage and X/2 magical piercing damage. On a success, they take half the thunder damage and no piercing damage. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the creature is also deafened until the end of its next turn. Objects are also affected.

5) Plasma Breath (Dexterity). A beam of aurora like lights flashes from the dragon's mouth, along with bolts of arcing, multicolored lightning. Creatures take X lightning damage, halved on a successful save. Those made of or wearing large quantities of metal; or standing in, submerged in, or made of water, have disadvantage on this save. Those that fail their save cannot take reactions until the start of their next turn. Any creature with nerves that fails by 5 or more spazzes, making a long jump of maximum distance in a random direction and taking 1d8 bludgoning damage if it impacts anything.

6: Tornado Breath (Strength). On a failed saving throw, a creature takes X/2 (rounded up) magical bludgeoning damage and is flung 10+1d10 feet in a randomly determined direction (roll 1d4): 1-2: straight up, 3: towards the dragon, possibly being flung behind, 4: Away from the dragon. On a successful save, a creature takes half the bludgeoning damage and is not flung.

7: Dandelion Breath (Constitution). The area is affected as if by a Fog Cloud spell for the next minute. Creatures in the area of effect that fail their saving throw are poisoned and spend their turns sneezing. An affected creature can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.

8: Pyrotechnic Breath (Dexterity). Targets take X fire damage on a failed save. Objects are also affected. The damage is halved on a successful save. If a creature's saving throw fails by 5 or more, it is also deafened until the end of its next turn. The area is brightly lit until the end of the dragon's next turn. The light is visible for at least 200 feet in dim light and 400 feet in darkness. The explosions are audible for at least 400 feet.

9: Antigravity Breath (Dexterity or Strength). Gravity reverses for all creatures and objects in the cone. On a successful save, a creature finds something to hold onto and hangs upside down from the ground. If there are no handholds or the save fails, a target floats Y feet up into the air: Y=the number of damage dice for the origin dragon's breath weapon times 5. It takes 1d8 bludgeoning damage if it hits anything on the way up. It falls at the end of its turn, unless it has managed to secure itself before then.

10: Dizzy Breath (Constitution). Space bends, and creatures begin spinning uncontrollably. On a a success, a creature stops spinning. On a failed saving throw, a creature is incapacitated, releases any creatures it is grappling, and loses concentration on any spells. It can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns to stop spinning and regain its balance. Until then, it has disadvantage on Dexterity and Strength saving throws. If a save fails by 5 or more, the creature also falls prone and throws up, causing its space to become difficult terrain.

11: Floral Frenzy Breath (Dex): Wild and absurd plants ranging from spined weeds to giant carnivorous plants burst forth within the area. Creatures take X/2 (rounded up) magical piercing damage and X/2 poison damage, both halved on a success. Creatures that fail the saving throw are restrained by the plants. The dragon can command the plants not to deal damage. As an action, a restrained creature can make a DC13 Strength check, escaping on a success. The area is difficult terrain for the next minute, after which point the plants wither. Before or after withering, the plants can be set aflame by taking even a single point of fire or lightning damage. Setting the plants on fire deals everything within range 2d4 fire damage, halved on a successful DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, and destroys the plants and difficult terrain.

12: Mosquito Plague Breath (Constitution). A horrifying cloud of bloodsucking insects issues forth from the dragon's maw. Creatures without blood are immune to this breath weapon.

Creatures take X necrotic damage, halved on a successful saving throw, and the dragon magically regains hit points equal to half the damage dealt. Roll any die. On an even, the confused insects disperse. On an odd. they form a Swarm of Insects that is hostile to all creatures and disperses in 1 minute.

13: Snowball Fight Breath (Dexterity). Snow falls in the area of the attack, dousing all nonmagical flames. Creatures (and objects) that fail a Dex save take X/2 (rounded up) cold and X/2 magical bludgeoning damage. Magical snowballs remain in each space affected by the area until they melt or are dealt fire damage. A creature can pick up and throw a snowball as a ranged improvised weapon attack using Strength or Dexterity. The snowballs have a range of 20/60. On a hit, a snowball deals 1d4 cold damage plus 1d8+(the attacker's Strength or Dexterity modifier) magical bludgeoning damage. The snowballs lose their magic after 1 minute.

14: Rainbow Breath (Constitution). Creatures take X radiant damage, halved on a success. The dragon can choose for this effect not to deal damage. Additionally, creatures that fail their saving throw are blinded until the end of their next turn. A creature that fails its save by 5 or more also glows with bright light of their least favorite color for 5 feet and dim light for an additional 10 feet for the next minute. It can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.

15: Laser Breath (Dexterity). Each target that fails its saving throw takes X/2 (rounded up, damage dice increased to d12's) fire damage and X/2 radiant damage. Objects are also affected. A target that fails its saving throw by 5 or more is lit on fire, taking 1d6 fire damage at the start of its turns. It or an adject creature can use an action to put out the flames.

16: Sleep Breath (Constitution). Each creature that fails its save falls asleep for 1 minute, until it takes damage, or until a creature uses an action to wake it up. Creatures with at least 1 level of exhaustion make this save with disadvantage and fall into natural sleep after 1 minute if not woken up.

17: Perfume Breath (Wisdom). Creatures without a sense of smell are immune to this breath weapon. Creatures that fail their saving throw are charmed by the dragon until the end of the dragon's next turn or until hurt by the dragon. Nonhostile creatures are charmed for a maximum of 1 minute. A hostile creature remains hostile to the dragon's allies. Additionally, all creatures in the area of affect smell powerfully of perfume until they can wash it off, giving other creatures advantage on checks to track them by the smell of the perfume until it is washed off. However, creatures have disadvantage on recognizing the scent of the target underneath the overwhelming smell of the perfume.

18: Illusion Breath (Intelligence). A seething cloud of mind gas gives form to a target's worst fears. Creatures take X psychic damage, halved on a success. Additionally, creatures that fail are afraid of the dragon until the end of their next turn.

19: Time Blip Breath (Charisma). Time warps in the affected area. Creatures that fail their saving throw are shunted out of the time for the next minute. An affected creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, returning to its space (or the nearest space available) on a success with no memory of any time having passed.

20: Surprise! The dragon generates a wild magic surge (roll on the Wild Magic Surge table.) Reroll to determine a breath weapon affect, ignoring 20's.

5: Witchlights. Strobing lights pulse in a 20 foot radius sphere centered on a point the dragon can see. Any creature other than the dragon in the sphere concentrating on a spell must make a DC 15 concentration saving throw or lose concentration. Additionally, each creature of the dragon's choice must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the dragon until initiative count 20 of the next round.

6: Animate Tongues. Each creature of the dragon's choice it can see in the lair must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or begin vocalizing incoherently at impossible volumes. Such a creature and any creature within 5 feet of it take 7 (1d12) thunder damage. Additionally, objects in the hoard begin wailing, babbling, singing, and screaming. All creatures in the lair are deafened, including the dragon, and those who failed their saving throw cannot do verbal components for spells or abilities.

7: Universal Invisibility. All creatures in the lair turn invisible until initiative count 20 of the next round.

8: Recursive Portals. A creature in the lair the dragon can see must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or fall through a set of looping portals, taking 13 (2d12) force damage and landing prone.

9: Unbearable Tickling. A creature in the lair the dragon can see must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw, taking 2d12 psychic damage, halved on a success. On a failure, the creature falls prone and loses concentration on any spells or effects. If the save fails by 5 or more, the creature is incapacitated until initiative count 20 on the next round.

10: Squishify. Everything in the lair becomes squishy, as do all creatures. All Dexterity based rolls have disadvantage and all creatures gain resistance to bludgeoning damage until initiative count 20 of the next round.

11: Manifest Emotions. Each creature of its choice in the lair that the dragon can see must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, a creature's emotions manifest as a spirit near it. Ask the player what their character is feeling. Anger: The creature takes 13 (2d12) fire damage and must use its next action to attack a creature. If the save failed by 5 or more, it cannot distinguish friend from foe until initiative count 20 of the next turn. Fear: the creature takes 13 (2d12) cold damage and must use its next action to Disengage, Dodge, or some other defensive effect. Excitement: The creature takes 2d12 lightning damage, doubles its movement speed until the end of its next turn, and must use all of its movement on its next turn. If the save fails by 5 or more it gains a level of exhaustion. Envy or Greed: The creature takes 13 (2d12) poison damage and must use its next turn trying to steal an item from the dragon or another creature. Other: The creature takes 13 (2d12) psychic damage and gains a random form of short term madness. It can repeat the save at initiative count 20 of the following rounds to end the effect.

The spirits are friendly to the creatures that spawned them and can be used as familiars until disappearing in 24 hours. The DM chooses forms appropriate to the emotions.

12: Wild Magic Surge. The dragon rolls twice on the wild magic surge table and picks which result activates.

Regional Effects

The region surrounding a legendary chaos dragon's lair is warped by the dragon's magic, creating one or more of the following effects. Additionally, if you wish, the area within 6 miles of the lair might be affected by an Unraveling Magic Zone or even Mirror Zone (from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything). You could also use the Enchanted Spring, Magic Mushroom, or Primal Fruit tables.

Wild Magic. Whenever a creature casts a spell, even a cantrip, within 6 miles of the lair, roll a d20. On a 1, the creature generates a wild magic surge.

Evolving Landscape. Unpredictable changes effect the surrounding land within 6 miles. A volcano might simply appear one morning, caves may twist and turn in the night, anomalies may manifest, such as giant edible taffy crystals, solid clouds in the shape of faces, swarms of color changeing butterflies, skies full of giant bubbles, or storms that rain fish that then learn to breathe air. The time of day might not match the surrounding region.

Antimagic Pockets. 2d6 small pockets of antimagic dot the nearby landscape, perhaps visible as glowing hemispheres.

Weird Dreams. Creatures within 5 miles have bizarre dreams, which they remember perfectly upon waking up.

These effects fade over 1d10 days if the dragon dies.