Quetzalcoatl (Aztec)
Quetzalcoatl (Aztec) — The Encounter
The Feathered Serpent, Morning Star of the Aztec dawn · a boss your table can run with almost no prep. SRD 5.1-compatible.
Who Is Quetzalcoatl (Aztec)
Of the powers the old priests carved into temple stone, none was named with more reverence than the Feathered Serpent. He is the wind that runs before the rain, the morning star that climbs ahead of the sun, the teacher who gave maize and the count of days to those who dwell beneath the high plateaus. Unlike the war-hungry idols that demand torn hearts, this one is said to have refused such tribute, asking instead the smoke of resin and the songs of birds. Yet do not mistake mercy for weakness. When the serpent rears from his pyramid and spreads plumes the color of jade and fire, the sky darkens, the lake-winds rise, and lightning runs along his fangs. He measures the worthy and the cruel with the same patient eye, and those who profane his temples are lifted on the storm and dashed against the steps they climbed. He gives, and he may yet take away.
Run Quetzalcoatl (Aztec) in Sixty Seconds
- Keep him flying. Aloft, ranged attacks hit him with disadvantage and he ignores wind and fog terrain. Ground him and a third of his defense evaporates.
- Open with Tempest Breath. A 60-foot cone for 45 lightning that knocks prone and pushes 15 feet is your alpha strike against any cluster, then Coil and Rise out of reach.
- Kill-priority is concentration and healers. Constrict drags one victim off the pyramid steps; pick the caster, grapple, and fly them away from their friends.
- When bloodied, go vertical. Climb out of melee, breathe on recharge from above, and burn legendary Gusts to keep the front line scattered and prone.
- Three ways to run him: a wrathful judge dealing storm and lightning, a coiling controller who isolates one PC at a time, or a mournful teacher who offers terms before the party forces the fight.
Quetzalcoatl (Aztec)
Huge dragon, lawful neutral
CR 13 · 10,000 XP · GUIDELINEPlumed Radiance. Quetzalcoatl sheds bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet. As a bonus action he can suppress or rekindle this light. While it shines, undead and fiends within it have disadvantage on attack rolls against him.
Wind of the Morning Star. Signature. Quetzalcoatl is the breath that drives the rains. Ranged weapon attacks made against him while he is flying have disadvantage, and he ignores difficult terrain created by wind, fog, or rough water. Once on each of his turns when he moves at least 20 feet flying, he may push one creature he passes within 5 feet 10 feet away (no save).
Actions
Multiattack. Quetzalcoatl makes one Bite attack and two Talon attacks. He can replace the Bite with Constrict against a creature he is not already grappling.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d10 + 6) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) lightning damage.
Talon. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) slashing damage.
Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one Large or smaller target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 17). Until the grapple ends the target is restrained, and Quetzalcoatl cannot constrict another target.
Tempest Breath (Recharge 5-6). Quetzalcoatl exhales a roaring gale in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area 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 knocked prone and pushed 15 feet from him.
Bonus Actions & Reactions
Serpent's Recoil. Reaction. When a creature within 10 feet hits Quetzalcoatl with a melee attack, he may slide up to 15 feet without provoking opportunity attacks; if this carries him out of reach the triggering attacker has disadvantage on its next attack against him before the start of his next turn.
Legendary Actions (3/Round)
Talon Strike. Quetzalcoatl makes one Talon attack.
Gust (Costs 1 Action). Quetzalcoatl beats his wings. Each creature within 15 feet must succeed on a DC 17 Strength saving throw or be pushed 15 feet and knocked prone.
Coil and Rise (Costs 2 Actions). Quetzalcoatl flies up to half his speed without provoking opportunity attacks, then makes one Bite or Constrict attack.
A serpent clothed in quetzal feathers coils atop a sun-baked step-pyramid, wings flung wide and crested head reared back to drink the dawn. Where his shadow passes, the rains follow.
Quetzalcoatl (Aztec), Bound
Companion · acts on your initiative
Bound · GUIDELINESunfire Husk (signature). The fire-serpent radiates heat in a 10-foot aura. A creature that starts its turn there or first enters it takes 4 (1d8) fire damage.
Actions
Searing Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) fire damage.
Reactions
Cinder Lash. Reaction. When an ally within 30 feet is hit by an attack, Quetzalcoatl (Aztec) whips a tail of flame at the attacker if within 30 feet; that creature must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity save or take 7 (2d6) fire damage.
A lesser serpent of living flame, coiled at the Feathered One's side like a torch given will.
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 from the air with Tempest Breath to scatter a clustered party, then dive on the spellcaster with Bite and Talons. Use Serpent's Recoil to peel off whoever just hit him and keep his flight. At this scale run him as a single terrifying nemesis, not alongside other big threats.
Stay airborne so ranged attacks suffer disadvantage; bank Tempest Breath for when three or more cluster, then Coil and Rise away. Kill-priority is healers and anyone holding concentration. Pair him with a few flying minions, but he should remain the obvious centerpiece.
Open at range, breathe to knock the front line prone, then Constrict the squishiest reachable target and grapple-drag them off the pyramid. Spend legendary actions on Gust to keep melee scattered and Coil and Rise to reposition. When bloodied he climbs high and breathes on recharge from above; focus him before he separates the party.
Put Quetzalcoatl (Aztec) 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 Quetzalcoatl (Aztec)?
At his native Tier 3 he is CR 13 (10,000 XP): AC 18, 207 HP, +9 to hit, save DC 17, with legendary actions that let him play up a band as a solo boss. Down-tier sheets for levels 1-4 and 5-10 are included; drop AC, HP, to-hit, and DC to those bands and keep the traits identical.
Can Quetzalcoatl (Aztec) be a companion or ally?
As written he is a centerpiece boss, but the bundled companion Xiuhcoatl, the Bound Ember (AC 15, 124 HP) is built to fight at a hero's side with a fire aura, a searing bite, and a Cinder Lash reaction. You can also run the Feathered Serpent himself as a benevolent patron who lends aid rather than fighting the party.
Why is this a dragon and not a celestial?
The render reads as a Huge feathered serpent with draconic head, wings, breath weapon, and scaled coils, so the dragon type and a Tempest Breath fit the silhouette best. If your table prefers a divine framing, his Plumed Radiance and immunities support running him with celestial flavor while keeping the same numbers.
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.
Technical Specifications
32mm, 75mm
STL, Pre-supported STL
Standard or ABS-like resin, 0.05mm layer height
Yes — ready to print, optimized supports included
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