Dungeons & Dragons has a plethora of creatures that are powerful and mysterious. One creature in particular, however, is synonymous with the game thanks to its place in the very title.
Dragons are mystical creatures that most adventurers fear and respect. But in a game like Dungeons & Dragons, they are on a whole other level of power. Dragons have become vampires, liches, and even gods. Even the most skilled adventurer would need help to take down a young dragon, let alone some of the beasts on this list. It is hard to rank the most powerful dragons, as there are many categories and subclasses. Additionally, some dragons only exist in snippets of lore and are yet to receive full character pages.
10 Klauth
Klauth is not only a danger to the usual races of the Dungeons and Dragons universe, but he is also a danger to other ancient dragons. Klauth is known to be a dragon killer, quelling any potential usurper of his power.
Klauth is a loner and an aggressive dragon hunter. He became rich after defeating many of his draconic peers and stealing their loot. He also possesses incredible stealth and dexterity, and is much larger than other dragons of similar age. As cunning as the best rogues, Klauth uses this to his advantage. He carries six different wands that he attaches to his wings whenever he leaves his lair. Klauth’s secret weapon, though, is a ritual in which he sacrifices dragon eggs to increase his size and strength, but this only lasts for around 10 hours.
9 Capnolithyl
Capnolithyl is a unique vampiric dragon, who knows a multitude of scrying spells that can adjust his already considerable power to a higher level. He can transform into a cloud of smoke and embers at will, leaving enemies in the dust when battling. In addition to his physical power, he also is an expert in negotiation.
Capnolithyl has created a web of contacts, allowing him to manipulate multiple dragons without them knowing, to further his goals. Capnolithyl was initially an experiment of the great mage Sammaster, the creator of the Cult of the Dragon and creator of the dracolich race. Capnolithyl fell out of favor with Sammaster, and subsequently killed the mage.
8 Raulothim
A powerful Dragon is one thing, but a powerful paranoid dragon is another. Raulothim is suspicious of all things magical, and studies it intently so that it cannot be used against him. Once he discovered that there are multiple planes of existence, Raulothim decided to act. One of his fears is that powerful wizards with unknown power from these other planes could be a big threat if ever they meet.
To prepare for this imaginary battle, Raulothim hoards magical knowledge and relics. This has made him supremely knowledgable regarding magic,and he also has an array of magical weaponry that he can command at will. Any players taking on this grand master of magic will be faced with floating wands and staffs alongside the mighty dragon himself.
7 Palarandusk
One of the most friendly creatures to live in Faerun, Palarandusk was an ancient golden dragon that loved life, nature, and philosophy. This grand dragon was the self-appointed guardian of Ieirithymbul, a gnomish village, which he protected from any kind of danger.
Palarandusk had vast knowledge of the flow of magic, and this helped him prolong his life beyond natural limits. Staying mainly in an ethereal form, he would not age and would only become solid when necessary. This ability to stay hidden from his foes until just before the moment of attack made him a difficult adversary. He also knew many spells, including rare spells that he learned from ancient mages.
6 Larendrammagar
Larendrammagar was a gifted spell caster after spending almost all of his life studying the arts of magic. He became legendary among the metallic dragons. Like a lot of dragons, if Larendrammagar wasn't studying magic, he would sleep for centuries.
As a highly intelligent being, Larendrammagar would only entertain the most knowledgeable beings in conversation, and would often offer his services of magical knowledge, usually for a large fee. This golden dragon had power beyond comprehension for most creatures in Faerun.
5 Tchazzar
Tchazzar is the only dragon in history that has amassed enough following to turn himself into a sort of demigod. The only thing stopping his ascendency to full-blown godhood is the amount of people worshiping him. Despite his power, Tchazzar works at the behest of the evil dragon queen Tiamat. Being god-like, Tchazzar can only be hurt by the most powerful magical weapons.
A powerful red dragon in his own right, Tchazzar uses Tiamat's favor to increase his power. Tchazzar does not need to eat or sleep and cannot die from natural causes. Even when he is destroyed, he keeps coming back from the dead. This allowed Tchazzar to carve out an empire to increase the worshipers available to him. His goal is to become a warlord god-king, and to do so, he will conquer as many kingdoms as possible.
4 Inferno
Inferno of the Star Mounts is a mighty red dragon that resides in the Star Mountains. He is a fire-breathing dragon that mixes that natural power with magic. What makes Inferno even more deadly is his mastery of magic, especially fire spells. Inferno has mastered his raw innate power which boosts him far beyond his peers.
Inferno sleeps for much of his time, so adventurers need only worry if they wake him. As Inferno is still a regular dragon, not a deity or a dracolich, he is probably the strongest true-to-name dragon.
3 Tiamat & Bahamut
The platinum dragon Bahamut is a member of the nine dragon deities created from the body of Io and his sister Tiamat. Both Tiamat and Bahamut are similarly powerful, but are very dissimilar in personality. Tiamat is as evil as Bahamut is kind. Tiamat seeks power, and will do anything to get it. She has a head for each color of dragon: black, white, blue, green, and red. Each of these heads acts separately with the breath attack of their color. Fighting Tiamat is like fighting five dragons at once.
On the other hand, Bahamut is a single-headed platinum dragon, the rarest of metallic dragons. Bahamut is covered with almost indestructible platinum scales. Despite being powerful beyond most, Bahamut hates combat. He often tries to convince his enemies that fighting him would be futile. If forced into a fight, Bahamut's combat skills are devastating, and he can even roar with enough power to disintegrate some enemies.
2 Daurgothoth
Potentially the strongest creature currently in Dungeons & Dragons, this monster is arguably no longer a dragon. Daurgothoth is a dracolich, an undead dragon created by the Cult of the Dragon. Previously a gargantuan black dragon, Daurgothoth accepted the gift of immortality, but resisted the Cult's control once the ritual had been completed.
The Creeping Doom, as he is known, slowly gathers knowledge, power, and relics to become the most powerful being in the universe. This master of magical knowledge is researching ways to breed in his undead state to create offspring that will carry the new magical traits that he has created. The longer time goes on, the stronger and more knowledgeable Daurgothoth becomes.
1 Io/Asgorath
In Faerun, Io is better known as Asgorath, the creator of dragonkind. Asgorath's size is incomprehensible. It is said that even the biggest dragons seen in Faerun would be smaller than one scale of Io.
It is also truly impossible to then know the real power level of Asgorath. He exists in the ethereal form, as a consciousness observing the fate of his children. Io can embody any form of dragon at will. Therefore, if needed, any dragon would have to bow to Asgorath’s power. There would be very little, if anything, that could defeat him in battle, thus making Io easily the strongest dragon in Dungeons & Dragons lore.