Pseudodragon (Dungeons & Dragons)

Overview

A pseudodragon is a small flying dragon with a dangerous sting, not merely a juvenile of a larger chromatic variety. The legacy fifth-edition profile gives it keen sight, hearing and smell, as well as a short-range ability to communicate simple ideas, emotions and images telepathically. It understands Common and Draconic without speaking either language, so telepathy should not be rewritten as ordinary unrestricted conversation. Magic Resistance provides another selected defensive trait. Its tail attack combines physical injury with a chance to poison the target. In that legacy procedure, unconsciousness requires a particularly poor saving throw, rather than following every failure. Damage or another creature's intervention can end the sleep early.

The revised official profile retains flight, language comprehension and magical resistance, but does not list the older Keen Senses or Limited Telepathy traits. It adds a two-bite attack sequence and presents Sting directly as a saving-throw effect with poison damage. The 2025 manual's official errata changes the final sting sentence so that a poisoned target is also unconscious, subject to the stated early-ending conditions. The live revised page reflects that correction. This matters when an earlier revised printing or other rules document still uses a larger-failure threshold. The account therefore compares specific printed procedures rather than treating every fifth-edition source as identical. Neither ordinary monster profile alone makes every familiar-bond benefit or a fan's proposed chameleon ability universal.

First appearances & development

This account compares selected fifth-edition legacy and revised treatments, with the 2000 third-edition manual retained as earlier bibliography. The revised monster book was published in 2025 within the later core-rules family. Changes in attacks and conditions refer to those named sources, not a new species or a timeless ability shared by every edition.

Canon & continuity

The official legacy stat body, revised page and one-page 2025 errata were read directly. The errata expressly confirms the revised unconsciousness wording, resolving the contrast without using forum adjudication. The selected source describes a creature with its own comprehension and defenses; companion contracts, exhaustive reproductive ecology and third-edition statistics remain outside this comparison.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

1. 01

   Monster Manual (2014)

   Wizards of the Coast · 2014

   Legacy fifth-edition treatment; relevant mechanics checked against the official dated profile.

2. 02

   Monster Manual (2000)

   Wizards of the Coast; Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet and Monte Cook · 2000

   Third-edition creature treatment; included for historical comparison, not as the source of fifth-edition mechanics.

3. 03

   Monster Manual (revised fifth edition)

   Wizards of the Coast · 2025

   Revised creature procedures, kept separate from the legacy manual.

4. 04

   Monster Manual (2025) Errata, version 1.0

   Wizards of the Coast · 2025

   Page 249 Sting correction supplies the final unconsciousness wording.

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

1. OfficialPseudodragon (Dungeons & Dragons) — official franchise guideResearch access: 2026-10-05
2. OfficialPseudodragon — legacy profileResearch access: 2026-10-05
3. OfficialPseudodragon — revised profileResearch access: 2026-10-05
4. Primary workMonster Manual 2025 — errataResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.