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LAIR FEATURESEnvironment defines a dragon’s home. Every lair balancesutility and security.Traditional lairs deep in untamed wilds are barelyaccessible to other creatures. Chromatic dragons,especially, are known for choosing lairs that complementtheir breath weapons. They do so not out of mereinstinct but to meet the requirements of defense andcomfort. The dragon must first and foremost find itsown lair a livable home.Rather than construct their own lairs, chromaticdragons prefer to dwell within natural formations orseize structures that were built for another purpose.Thus, one might find a red dragon in a dwarven mineand a white in a northern keep.Security orEase of AccessOne of a dragon’s greatest advantages over intrudersis its ability to fly. A wise dragon places its lairsomewhere that is difficult to access by land or equipsit with hazards that are difficult to bypass withouttaking to the air. The time required for an intruderto climb a mountain, cross a swamp, or navigate adungeon is time that the dragon can spend preparingdefenses, setting ambushes, or organizing minions.Even something as simple as undergrowth or brokenstone floors provides a tactical advantage for an airbornedragon.That’s why most lairs are so isolated. The distanceis a minimal impediment to the dragon, butit severely lowers the odds of others discovering thelair—let alone having the strength and fortitude toreach it.The flip side of this particular coin, and thedragon’s greatest liability when it comes to security, issize. Any ingress large enough for the dragon is largeenough to admit potential intruders, and tiny openingsthat the dragon cannot use (and might overlook)are ideal for a thief or a dragonslayer.Access is one of the most difficult aspects of lairconstruction. A wise dragon wants at least two meansof entrance or escape, but each additional entrancerequires effort devoted to watching and protectingit, and besides, no dragon can be certain thatit has found every tiny aperture. Thus, terrain andtraps come into play. If the main passages and innersanctum are well guarded, even those who manageto sneak in undetected won’t have free rein. In fact,some dragons deliberately leave one or two obviousentrances open so that they’ll know the directionfrom which intruders will come, and they plan trapsand defensive strategies accordingly.Vantage or ConcealmentThe Monster Manual states, “Though red dragonsprefer to lair deep underground, they often have highperches aboveground where they survey their territory,watching for intruders.” Although the mightyreds are particularly well known for this behavior, allchromatic dragons consider such a vantage point tobe worthwhile. These territorial and even paranoidcreatures seek every ounce of forewarning they canacquire.On the other hand, a vantage point also makesa dragon more easily spotted. Wise dragonslayerssearch for such locations to set up ambushes orsimply avoid the obvious sight lines.Some dragons, such as reds, are so sure of theirabilities that they consider the advantages of vantagepoints to be worth the risks. Others, such aspurples or blacks, prefer to err on the side of stealthand rarely bother with vantage points. The majorityof chromatic dragons seek a middle ground. Someestablish vantage points that are less obvious butalso less effective. Blue dragons, for instance, watchfrom cloud-choked mountaintops, occasionally droppingout of the cover for a quick look around beforevanishing into the haze once more. Similarly, browndragons watch from high sand dunes while burrowedbeneath the surface, observing their territory from amakeshift bunker.Other dragons establish multiple vantage pointsso that a foe never knows from which direction it isbeing watched. Greens are particularly well knownfor this tactic, establishing numerous perches onforest hills and even atop the largest trees, whereleaves and branches conceal their presence.Urban LairsA few dragons are too gregarious or politically ambitiousto dwell far from civilization. They prefer tolive in the hearts of humanoid communities, wherepower and authority are easy to come by.Chromatic dragons that dwell in urban ratherthan wilderness environments do so openly, making(or forcing) a place for themselves in the community.Most of these dragons attempt to set themselves up astyrants, but others coexist more peacefully as royaladvisors, religious leaders, the heads of powerfulorganizations or guilds, or even community protectors.Even if the residents would rather see the dragonleave, any overt attack on the creature would provedamaging to the community as well, thus forcingthe citizens to aid in the dragon’s defense. For thesereasons, when a chromatic dragon chooses to dwell92CHAPTER 3 | Dragon Lairs