Quetzalcoatl
Quetzalcoatl — The Encounter
The Feathered Serpent, morning star and breath of the sky · a boss your table can run with almost no prep. SRD 5.1-compatible.
Who Is Quetzalcoatl
Before the first dawn there was the Feathered Serpent, who carried the wind on its back and the morning star upon its brow. The old peoples knew it as the breath that moves the sky and the giver of maize and writing, yet they did not mistake its gentleness for weakness. Quetzalcoatl descended into the place of the dead to gather the bones of vanished generations, and it climbed back bleeding to remake the living world. Its feathers are the green of resurrection and the blue of the open heaven; its fangs are the lightning that splits the cloud. Those who would honor it raised stepped pyramids and watched the eastern horizon for its returning light. Those who broke faith learned that a creator may also unmake. To meet the serpent in the air is to stand beneath the falling star itself, and to know that the same power that shapes the dawn can scour an unworthy thing from the face of the earth.
Run Quetzalcoatl in Sixty Seconds
- It owns the sky. Keep Quetzalcoatl airborne every round (fly 80 ft.) and use Wind-Borne Flight to bite-and-glide so melee fighters rarely get a full attack on it.
- Open with Radiance, then breathe. Light Morning Star Radiance before initiative to blind anyone who starts adjacent, then lead with Quetzal Breath the moment three or more enemies cluster.
- Kill-priority: the grounders. Hunt whoever can pull it down, counterspell it, or out-heal it — usually the casters. Constrict drags a frontliner off the line and away from the back rank.
- When bloodied, go evasive. Stop trading blows; fly high, breathe on recharge, and use Skyward Surge to escape grapples and stay out of melee reach.
- Three ways to run it: as a redeemable creator-god testing the party's worth (talks, telepathy), as a wrathful falling star scouring oathbreakers, or as a solo capstone boss with legendary actions and Xolotl at its side.
Quetzalcoatl
Huge celestial (dragon), lawful good
CR 11 · 7,200 XP · GUIDELINEWind-Borne Flight. The serpent's flight provokes no opportunity attacks, and it ignores difficult terrain while airborne. When it flies at least 20 feet straight toward a creature it can make a bite as part of the same movement (no extra action).
Morning Star Radiance. Signature. Quetzalcoatl sheds bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for 20 feet more. A creature that starts its turn within 10 feet and can see the serpent must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be blinded until the start of its next turn. The serpent can suppress or resume this light as a bonus action.
Magic Resistance. The serpent has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Actions
Multiattack. The serpent makes one Bite attack and one Constrict (or Wing Buffet) attack. If both hit the same creature, it uses Quetzal Breath if available.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d10 + 6) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) radiant 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) and restrained until the grapple ends.
Quetzal Breath (Recharge 5-6). The serpent exhales a gale of glittering feathers and sky-fire in a 30-foot cone. Each creature there makes a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw, taking 38 (7d10) radiant damage on a failure, or half as much on a success. A creature that fails is also pushed 15 feet and knocked prone by the wind.
Bonus Actions & Reactions
Coiling Recoil (Reaction). When a creature within 10 feet hits the serpent with a melee attack, the serpent may make a Constrict attack against that creature.
Legendary Actions (3/Round)
Detect. The serpent makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.
Tail Sweep. The serpent makes one Constrict attack.
Skyward Surge (Costs 2 Actions). The serpent flies up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks, then each creature within 10 feet of where it began must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone by the wash of its wings.
Reared high off a fractured temple stone, the plumed serpent spreads vast quetzal wings, its crested draconic head crowned in feathers as its coils spiral down to the ruins below.
Quetzalcoatl, Bound
Companion · acts on your initiative
Bound · GUIDELINETwin of the Evening Star (signature). While within 30 feet of Quetzalcoatl, Quetzalcoatl has advantage on death saving throws and cannot be frightened. When the serpent is reduced to half its hit points, Quetzalcoatl gains 20 temporary hit points.
Actions
Rending Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage.
Reactions
Soul Shepherd. When an ally within 10 feet drops to 0 hit points, Quetzalcoatl may move up to its speed toward them and stabilize them as part of that movement.
A hound-headed dusk-walker who guides the dying sun through the underworld, Quetzalcoatl pads at the serpent's coils as its dark twin.
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 Quetzal Breath to scatter a clustered party, then dive on the softest caster. If clustered, lead with the cone; otherwise single out the lowest-AC target with Bite. Kill-priority: it wants the squishy spellcaster who could ground it.
Stay airborne, bite-and-glide so melee never gets a full turn on it. Use Quetzal Breath the moment three or more cluster, and Constrict the boldest frontliner to drag them off the line. Spend reactions on Coiling Recoil to punish anyone who closes.
Run it solo: open with Morning Star Radiance lit, blind the front rank, then breathe. Each round bite the caster and Tail Sweep with legendary actions; use Skyward Surge to break a grapple or reposition over the party. When bloodied, go full evasive flight and breathe on recharge. Kill-priority: anyone who can ground or counterspell it.
Put Quetzalcoatl 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?
Native CR 11 (7,200 XP) at its home tier (levels 11-15), built as a solo boss with legendary actions. The stat block also scales down to a CR ~2 build for levels 1-4 and a CR ~6 build for levels 5-10 — same traits and actions, only the numbers change.
Can Quetzalcoatl be a companion or ally?
Yes. As a lawful good creator-god it makes a powerful patron or temporary ally — granting flight, telepathic counsel, or a single devastating Quetzal Breath in a desperate moment — rather than a permanent party member. For a bound aide at the table, use Xolotl, its dusk-walking twin.
Is Quetzalcoatl a dragon or a celestial?
Both, mechanically: it is a Huge celestial with the dragon tag, reflecting its feathered-serpent form. That means it benefits from anti-dragon effects (like Slaying Arrow) yet is a radiant, righteous being immune to poison and immune to being charmed or frightened.
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
Source Mythology: Quetzalcoatl draws from ancient mythological traditions, bringing legendary power to your tabletop.
Encounter Design: Use Quetzalcoatl as a divine patron, a mythic boss encounter, or the centerpiece of a mythology-themed campaign arc. The model's dynamic pose creates immediate dramatic tension at the table.
Campaign Hooks: An ancient temple awakens. A prophecy names Quetzalcoatl as either savior or destroyer. A cult seeks to summon or bind this mythological power for mortal purposes.
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 Quetzalcoatl miniature available in?
Quetzalcoatl is available in 32mm (tabletop standard) and 75mm (display/collector scale). Both scale files are included with presupported and unsupported STL options.
Is the Quetzalcoatl 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 Quetzalcoatl in my D&D or tabletop RPG campaign?
Absolutely. Quetzalcoatl 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.
Played Quetzalcoatl at your table? Log in with your Obsidian Tavern account to leave a balance note, a war story, or a file issue — the sharpest reports get the block revised.
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