Dungeons & Dragons’ latest campaign returns players to the well-loved setting of Krynn in Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen, and there are some builds to get acquainted with in order to most effectively combat dragons. Shadow of the Dragon Queen sees players battling the armies of the Dragon Queen, which will include its fair share of actual dragons. These are fearsome enemies, but there are certain builds that excel at taking down dragons more than others.

Dragons are formidable enemies in Dungeons & Dragons, and Dragonlance introduces some powerful new versions to DnD. Greater and lesser death dragons are undead versions of their chromatic or metallic counterparts and have some quite devastating attacks to unleash on players. During Shadow of the Dragon Queen, adventuring parties will face not only these new terrifying foes but also dragon mounts called dragonnels ridden by Dragon Army officers.

Related: How D&D: Dragonlance Compares To Other 5e Campaigns

Ranged D&D Builds Are Important Against Dragonlance’s Dragons

Kansaldi Fire-Eyes riding a dragon in DnD's Dragonlance setting, with the dragon breathing fire on fleeing enemies below.

When fighting dragons in DnD's Shadow of the Dragon Queen campaign, ranged attacks are key. Most dragons will prefer to stay airborne for a battle, and while getting them onto the ground will help, it’s always good to prepare characters who can handle combat with a flying enemy. With that in mind, here are some of the best ideas for becoming Krynn’s next great dragon slayer.

Rangers Are A Good Starting Point When Fighting D&D Dragons

Artwork of a D&D ranger standing in a dark forest, holding an undrawn bow with an arrow knocked.

In Dragonlance, DnD's Rangers have a huge advantage over other classes. The first build is the most obvious for a ranged character capable of taking on dragons: the Hunter Ranger. When first creating a Ranger, a player needs to pick dragons as their Favored Enemy which will grant advantage on survival checks to track them. Then choose archery for a fighting style at level two, which will give a +2 to attack rolls with ranged weapons. Second level also gives Rangers access to spells, so it is worth picking up Absorb Elements and Hunter's Mark.

Then at third level, a player should choose one of the best Dungeons & Dragons Ranger subclasses, the Hunter, and pick Colossus Slayer, which will give the character 1d8 extra damage per turn when they hit a target. Later at level seven, players should choose Steel Will to gain advantage on saving throws against being frightened (handy against the dragon ability Frightful Presence). Finally, at level 15, Evasion will make sure that dragon breath weapons only ever do half damage.

D&D Fighters Provide A Few Options Against Dragons

A DnD fighter standing in a city street, resting a sword on one should and holding a shield and spear in the opposite hand.

Fighters are one of the most versatile classes in Dungeons & Dragons and offer some good options for facing dragons. At first level choosing archery as a fighting style gives +2 to attack rolls with ranged weapons, and Second Wind allows for quick self-healing in a fight. At later levels, Fighters can attack more than once per turn, eventually maxing out at four times, which, when combined with Action Surge, makes Fighters more fun than most think in DnD by dealing out huge amounts of damage in a single turn.

While it might be tempting to choose Arcane Archer, a ranged Battle Master is much more effective due to the Battle Master's combat maneuvers. Goading Attack, along with Bait and Switch, will help keep squishier party members out of immediate harm's way while there is a chance Trip Attack could cause a dragon to fall from the sky. Then at seventh level, Know Your Enemy can give much-needed insight into a dragon's capabilities for some non-meta-gaming tactical planning.

Related: D&D Dragonlance: Why You Should Join The Knights Of Solamnia

Another good Fighter option is Eldritch Knight for a mix of martial fighting and magic. Eldritch Knights are able to choose from the Dungeons & Dragons Wizard's list for spells, giving them access to useful spells such as earthbind, absorb elements and feather fall. At levels seven and 18, War Magic and Improved War Magic allow the character to make both magic and weapon attacks. However, it is Eldritch Strike at level 10, which really helps against dragons as the character can impose disadvantage on the next saving throw that targets makes against one of their spells when they hit it with a weapon attack.

Warlocks Are The Best Spellcastering Choice For Facing A Dragon In D&D

An image of a Warlock wielding magic in Dungeons & Dragons. 

If a player wants to play a spellcaster, then Warlock is a great choice. At first level, choose The Undead patron; this will give the character the ability Form of Dread granting temporary hit points and rendering the player immune to the frightened condition. When fighting against Dragonlance's awesome necromantic death dragons, Necrotic Husk at level 10 means the character is resistant to necrotic damage and, in their Form of Dread, completely immune.

However, it is the Pact Boon chosen at level three that really sets a Warlock dragon hunter apart. Players should choose Pact of the Blade, as with the Improved Pact Weapon found in Xanathar's Guide To Everything, the pact weapon can be a ranged weapon, perfect for fighting dragons. Pact of the Blade allows for the eldritch invocation Eldritch Smite to be chosen, which can knock a huge or small creature prone with no saving throw. This will knock all dragons, except ancient ones, out of the air, causing fall damage and giving the rest of the party a chance to get some hits in.

Related: D&D's Dragonlance May Be The Most Chaotic 5e Campaign Yet

It is also good to remember that dragons generally will have poor Intelligence saving throws with no proficiencies to this DnD mental stat. For example, the lesser death dragons found in Krynn have -3 to their intelligence. Picking spells that take advantage of this is key if choosing to play as a spellcaster. Spells like Feeblemind and Tasha's Mind Whip are great for limiting a dragon's damage. There is even the cantrip Mind Sliver which deals 1d6 psychic damage and requires the targets to subtract 1d4 from its next saving thrown until the end of the player's next turn.

Choice Of Race Might Be Limited In D&D’s Dragonlance Setting

Dungeons & Dragons Race Cover

Species or race choice will depend on whether a DM is allowing those not part of the Dragonlance lore to be used. Dragonlance has a unique world different from the typical Dungeons & Dragons setting of the Forgotten Realms, which does limit which ones can be used in character creation. There are ways around that, but all depend on the discretion of the DM running the campaign.

Good ones to bear in mind are those that provide boosts to HP, Consitution, and Dexterity saving throws, as well as any that provide resistance to elemental damage. With this in mind, Dragonborn, Goliaths, Orcs, Tortles, or Yuan-Ti are useful due to their different resistances, racial features, or boosts to survivability. Aasimar are another great choice as their Celestial Resistance gives them resistance to necrotic damage, perfect for going up against Dragonlance’s death dragons. At the same time, Aarakocra or Owlin are good picks for combat while in flight.

Related: D&D Will Add Orcs To The Player’s Handbook In 2024

If the DM rules that only races from Dragonlance's canon can be used, then Dwarf or Human are great choices. Dwarves have +2 to their Consitution score and with Dwarven Resilience have advantage on saving throws against poison and resistance to poison damage. As not all dragons do fire damage, this will be handy against green dragons. Variant Humans allow players to choose a feat at level one, and there are a few that can help against dragons.

Sharpshooter is great as it allows players to ignore the disadvantage that attacking at long range would impose, perfect for sniping dragons from the ground. When a dragon is finally on the ground, Sentinel is perfect for making sure they stay there as players can use a reaction to reduce the target's speed to 0, even if they use disengage. Finally, Gift of the Chromatic Dragon is one of the best Dungeons & Dragons feats for combat with dragons as it allows players to give themselves resistance to a chosen elemental damage, which is very useful against dragon breath weapons.

There are a few different ways to approach building a character specifically geared toward one enemy type, and it’s important to remember that this will leave a player vulnerable in other areas. One of the best tips is to plan alongside the rest of the party to make sure every angle is covered as a team rather than relying on one particular character. While dragons do play a big role in Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen, they are not the only enemy player will be facing in this epic Dungeons & Dragons campaign.

More: D&D Tips For DMs Struggling With The New Dragonlance Campaign

Source: Dungeons & Dragons/YouTube