Qinglong, the Azure Dragon
Qinglong, the Azure Dragon — The Encounter
Azure Guardian of the East, who rides the spring storm · a boss your table can run with almost no prep. SRD 5.1-compatible.
Who Is Qinglong, the Azure Dragon
Of the Four Symbols that guard the cardinal directions, Qinglong holds the East and the season of spring. The Azure Dragon is no winged lizard but a celestial serpent that swims through cloud as easily as river, its long body said to be the thunderhead itself given will and scale. Where it passes, rain follows; where it withholds its favor, fields crack and crops fail, and so the old courts raised altars and begged its mercy at the turning of the year. It has outlived dynasties, watched walls rise and crumble, and remembers the names of emperors who are now only dust. To meet Qinglong is to be measured by something far older and far more patient than any war. It strikes only when provoked or when the balance it keeps is threatened, but a roused Azure Dragon brings the full violence of the spring storm: lightning, flood, and a coiling body that fills the sky from horizon to horizon.
Run Qinglong, the Azure Dragon in Sixty Seconds
- It hovers without wings. Qinglong ignores terrain, occupies a 30-ft. line of coils, and zaps anyone who lingers adjacent for 2d6 lightning. Don't let the party assume it's grounded.
- Open with Tempest Breath. The 60-ft. line prones and pushes; aim it down the party's formation, then Multiattack whoever is left standing closest.
- Kill-priority: casters. Thunderlash is a reaction that drops any spellcaster or fleeing creature in 30 ft. Make them pay to act near the coils.
- When bloodied (104 HP): stop trading blows. Roiling Surge out of the melee, recharge the breath, and re-prone the regrouped party from a fresh line.
- Three ways to run it: lone storm-god boss with two legendary actions per turn; rain-altar guardian with cultist minions; or a furious force of nature flooding the map while the party races to stop it.
Qinglong, the Azure Dragon
Gargantuan dragon, lawful neutral
CR 11 · 7,200 XP · GUIDELINEStorm Coils. Qinglong has no wings yet rides the air on coiling clouds. It can hover, ignores difficult terrain, and its long serpentine body lets it occupy and threaten a line of squares up to 30 ft. long. A creature that ends its turn within 5 ft. of the dragon's body takes 7 (2d6) lightning damage.
Mandate of Spring. As the eastern guardian of seasons and rain, Qinglong is immune to being charmed, frightened, or paralyzed, and has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Legendary Resistance (2/Day). If Qinglong fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Actions
Multiattack. Qinglong makes one Bite attack and two Claw attacks.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (2d12 + 6) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) lightning damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) slashing damage.
Tempest Breath (Recharge 5-6). Qinglong exhales a roaring gale of storm in a 60-foot line that is 5 ft. wide. Each creature in the line must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 45 (10d8) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success. A creature that fails is also pushed 15 ft. away and knocked prone.
Bonus Actions & Reactions
Thunderlash (Reaction). When a creature the dragon can see within 30 ft. casts a spell or moves out of the dragon's reach, Qinglong lashes its tail at that creature: the target must succeed on a DC 17 Strength saving throw or take 10 (2d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone.
Legendary Actions (3/Round)
Detect. Qinglong makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.
Tail Sweep. Qinglong sweeps a coil through a 10-ft. space it threatens. Each creature there must succeed on a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or take 11 (2d10) bludgeoning damage and be pushed 5 ft.
Roiling Surge (Costs 2 Actions). Qinglong moves up to its speed without provoking opportunity attacks, then makes one Bite attack at the end of the move.
A vast wingless serpent of jade-blue scale coils through cloud and crashing surf, its whiskered head crowned with a flowing mane, claws spread mid-strike. It does not roar for show; it watches with ancient, focused intelligence.
Qinglong, the Azure Dragon, Bound
Companion · acts on your initiative
Bound · GUIDELINELeaping the Gate (signature). Once per turn, when Qinglong, the Azure Dragon moves at least 20 ft. straight toward a creature, its next attack this turn deals an extra 9 (2d8) lightning damage, the first spark of its dragon-becoming.
Actions
Surge Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d10 + 3) bludgeoning damage.
Reactions
Current Ward. When an ally within 10 ft. is hit by an attack, Qinglong, the Azure Dragon churns the air to water; the ally gains a +2 bonus to AC against that attack.
A great carp wreathed in waterfall spray, half-changed and gilded with the first scales of a dragon, swimming the air at Qinglong's flank.
Guideline numbers — formula-tuned and read from the miniature's design, not yet table-proven. Tell us how it ran in the comments.
How It Fights — by Tier
Same creature, scaled threat. The traits never change; only the numbers move.
Open with Tempest Breath down the longest line of the party, then Bite the squishiest caster. If foes cluster, Thunderlash punishes the first to move or cast. Pair it with a swarm of lesser serpents so the coils never fight alone.
Lead with breath to scatter and prone the front line, then Multiattack the most exposed PC. Kill-priority is healers and casters within reach of Thunderlash. Use Tail Sweep legendary actions between turns to keep melee off you and the party clustered for the recharged breath.
As a true centerpiece boss, open with Tempest Breath to prone and split the party, then Multiattack the most dangerous striker. Spend legendary actions on Roiling Surge to reposition out of melee and Bite a caster, and Tail Sweep anyone who clusters. Burn Legendary Resistance on the first save-or-suck; let Thunderlash tax every spellcaster who acts in your reach.
Put Qinglong, the Azure Dragon on the table
Download the presupported STL and run the fight tonight — the model, and the encounter that comes with it.
Get the STL on MyMiniFactory →Clay Cyanide Companion Rules v1
How a bound creature acts
- A companion acts on its owner's initiative, immediately after the owner.
- It uses the Companion block above — roughly ×0.6 HP and damage, no recharge abilities, and at most one reaction trait.
- It moves freely; it takes its Action only while its owner is conscious.
- At 0 HP a companion is broken, not dead — restored on a long rest unless your table rules otherwise.
Original Clay Cyanide material © Clay Cyanide LLC — explicitly not the non-SRD official sidekick rules.
Questions, Asked at the Table
What CR is Qinglong, the Azure Dragon?
Natively CR 11 (Tier 3, levels 11-15) as a solo centerpiece boss, with its legendary actions and Thunderlash reaction letting it play up against a full party. Scaled stat lines are provided for Tier 1 (~CR 2) and Tier 2 (~CR 6) so you can drop the same Azure Dragon into any table.
Can Qinglong, the Azure Dragon be a companion or ally?
As a Gargantuan storm-god it is far too vast to be a true companion, but its lore as the eastern guardian of rain makes it a powerful patron or quest-giver. For a fightable ally at the table, use the included Carp-of-the-Falls, Ascending — a half-transformed dragon-carp that can stand at the party's side.
Is Qinglong safe to use in a published or streamed game?
Yes. Qinglong (the Azure Dragon, one of the Four Symbols of classical Chinese myth) is rooted entirely in public-domain folklore and uses only generic SRD creature types and rules, so there is no proprietary content to clear.
Tell Us How It Ran
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 ("SRD 5.1") by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
Clay Cyanide Miniatures is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC. This content is compatible with the fifth edition of the world's most popular fantasy roleplaying game. Companion rules, lore, names, and original mechanics © Clay Cyanide LLC.
The Legend
In Your Campaign
CR Range: 15-24 (adult to ancient)
Encounter Design: Qinglong, the Azure Dragon should dominate the encounter space. Use lair actions, legendary actions, and environmental hazards. The party doesn't just fight the dragon — they fight the dragon's domain.
Campaign Hooks: A dragon whose hoard contains something the party desperately needs. A dragon who is the lesser evil compared to what it's guarding against. A dragon who wants to negotiate.
Technical Specifications
32mm, 75mm
STL, Pre-supported STL
Standard or ABS-like resin, 0.05mm layer height
Yes — ready to print, optimized supports included
From the Same Collection
Frequently Asked Questions
What scale is the Qinglong, the Azure Dragon miniature available in?
Qinglong, the Azure Dragon is available in 32mm (tabletop standard) and 75mm (display/collector scale). Both scale files are included with presupported and unsupported STL options.
Is the Qinglong, the Azure Dragon STL file presupported?
Yes. Every Clay Cyanide miniature includes presupported STL files optimized for resin printing at 0.05mm layer height, plus unsupported files for custom support placement.
Can I use Qinglong, the Azure Dragon in my D&D or tabletop RPG campaign?
Absolutely. Qinglong, the Azure Dragon is designed for tabletop gaming at 32mm scale, fitting standard grid-based combat systems. The dynamic pose and detailed sculpt create memorable encounters and character moments.
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