D&D 5.5E: The New Copper Dragon is a Playful Music Lover
WotC unveiled another redesigned dragon today, the Copper Dragon, which now can be said is more of a friendly music lover than ever.
Wizards of the Coast has been slow-rolling the upcoming 5.5E Monster Manual teasers with a look at the new dragons. After all, the creatures are right there in the title of the game. And for the last fifty years, D&D has set a great precedent for dragons in their world. Ten different types. Five metallic, five chromatic. Good and evil, yes, but according to WotC’s Head of Art, Josh Herman, they are so much more.
The new designs are meant to reflect their personality as well as their physicality. Each dragon looks more distinct from the other. More details are brought into the fore, like the new Black Dragon’s slowly exposed skull (thank you acid), or the snakelike neck and tail of the Green Dragon.
Today, Dexerto unveiled a look at the new Copper Dragon. Copper Dragons have always been sort of the friendliest of dragons in the D&D world. And the new look leans into that big time.
WotC Unveils New Copper Dragons and Also a Jam Session
The new artwork by Campbell White was first revealed on Dexerto, who spoke with Josh Herman about the redesign process.
“When you read the text about the copper dragon, a lot of it is about being a playful prankster or trickster.
The Copper dragon is the most intelligent of the metallic dragons [in terms of stats], so we also wanted this to be someone who’s cultured. They’re around people and things that would be interesting to them intellectually, not just as a vain hoarding of things.”
This is why the new Copper Dragon is seen not alone – a distinction few other Dragons have. The Green Dragon appears with some of its forest zombie minions, maybe. But the Copper Dragon has friends. There’s a whole jam session happening here. There’s someone playing a tambourine and two lutists, including what seems to be the happiest owl-person(?) ever in the history of D&D.
Not gonna lie. I thought this was an owlbear cub until I was making this screenshot and then I saw the wings. And unless owlbears have wings in the new edition (WHICH THEY MIGHT, WHAT A POSSIBILITY), this is maybe an Owlin or a more owl-like aarakocra. But my headcannon prefers the happiest owlbear cub.
Either way, look at that expression. That blep. No denying this owlfolk is living their absolute best life. As is the Copper Dragon.
Just not nearly as much as that owl.
I hope you, one day, experience as much joy as that owl. In the meantime, the new Monster Manual, with every Dragon redesign in it, comes out in February 2025.
