Copper dragon

Legacy canon content This article contains information of uncertain canon status due to changes made in Monster Core. Metallic dragons will not appear in Remastered canon works. Additional context might be available at Meta:Copper dragon.

Copper dragon

(Creature)

2E1E

Common

CG

Dragon

Earth

Level

Varies by age

Alignment

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Adjective

Copper dragon

Images of copper dragons

Source: Bestiary, pg(s). 121–123

Type

Dragon
(earth)

CR

4–20 (by age category)

Environment

Warm hills

Alignment

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Adjective

Copper dragon

Images of copper dragons

Source: Bestiary, pg(s). 106–107

Ⅰ

Ⅱ

Copper dragons are metallic dragons with distinctly long wings, a ridged tail, and a distinctly copper hue. They are more whimsical than most other metallic dragons, often spending more time in combat trying to frustrate and annoy their enemies than kill them outright. The oldest copper dragons can even use humor as a weapon, inciting mass crowds to laugh hysterically.

Habitat

Copper dragons prefer to live in warm, dry climates, but avoid true deserts. Their preferred habitats are dry pine forests in the foothills of mountain ranges. They lair in dry caverns, preferring those that open onto the sides of sheer cliffs, and actively modify new lairs to dam, evaporate, or redirect any standing or flowing water that may be present within them.

Ecology

Copper dragons tend to have relatively little impact on their surroundings, although an adult copper can consume as much food as several bears. They are the most likely of the true dragons to adopt vegetarian diets, and the only ones to enjoy sweet foods.

Society and culture

Copper dragons are notoriously mercurial, hedonistic, and great lovers of personal freedom. Their love of liberty often leads them to campaign against tyranny and oppression, and their zeal for life and freedom frequently leads coppers to ally with followers of Cayden Cailean, or worship the Drunken Hero themselves.

Copper dragons' passions tend to only burn briefly before their interests settle elsewhere, often leading them to lose interest in and abandon a cause before its completion. Copper dragons are also prone to violent outbursts against real or perceived slights against themselves or other dragons, as well as the most likely metallic dragons to tarnish from good into neutrality. Other metallic dragons consequently prefer to limit their associations with them, although chromatic dragons hold coppers in less contempt than they do other metallics due to both their frequent rampages and the comparative ease with which their volatile temperaments can be manipulated.

Copper dragons tend to be highly nomadic and regularly abandon old residences after growing bored or restless, and consequently favor treasures that are either easily portable or quickly consumed. Gems and jewelry are common components of their hoards, but coppers often acquire rare or expensive delicacies such as wines, cheeses, baked goods, or chocolates. Sweet wines are especially favored, especially ones of elven make, and coppers will go to considerable expenses, and even resort to brigandry or theft, to acquire a particularly fine vintage. Kasselariel 4130 is considered by coppers to be the finest vintage in the world, partly due to its rarity as only thirteen bottles still exist, and partly due to the tale of the battling coppers Thelaxyl and Dyr's strife over it. A bottle of this wine is considered the crown jewel of any copper's hoard.

Copper dragons rarely employ guardians for their belongings, which some scholars of draconic lore believe to be because coppers view guardianship as a form of indentured servitude that reduces the freedom of both the guardian, who is bound to their watch, and the employer, who must periodically return to compensate the guardian.

Copper dragons tend to favor illusion magic, which provides them with opportunities to alleviate boredom and to play mischief on others.

On Golarion

See also: Category:Copper dragon/Inhabitants

In Avistan, copper dragons rarely live further north than Nirmathas, Kyonin, or Galt, as they find more northerly climes unpleasantly cold. A notable exception to this is the group of copper dragons who live in the outskirts of Trollheim in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, who are guests of Freyr Darkwine and reside in longhouses kept warm by constant fires.

Numerous copper dragons headed to Cheliax following House Thrune's rise to power, intending to bring it down and free the nation. However, Thrune's infernal allies repulsed and slaughtered the crusading dragons, forcing nearly all to retreat to neighboring nations. The largest number settled in Andoran, which became a gathering point for copper dragons seeking to support the efforts to end Cheliax's diabolic tyranny. Andoran's economy and ecosystems proved unable to properly support this sudden influx, however, requiring the coppers to further spread out across southwestern Avistan and northwestern Garund.

As of 4709 AR, large populations of copper dragons lived in every nation bordering Cheliax, particularly Isger, which was home to a number of copper dragons attempting to displace its Thrune-loyal government in a proxy war against Egorian.

Galt's original revolution attracted a group of twelve copper dragons seeking to aid the young nation in its struggle against Cheliax's rule. Eight of these departed once Galt successfully seceded; of the remaining four, one died during Galt's first period of political cleansing and the surviving three went into hiding. As of 4709 AR, rumors that they continued to influence Galt's revolutions from the shadows persisted, but nothing concrete had been heard from them since.

Notable copper dragons

See also: Category:Copper dragon/Inhabitants

• Ekishil, a tarnished bronze dragon who succumbed to evil whose fate as of 4709 AR was unknown
• Rokiere, a relatively humorless copper dragon who lairs on Motaku Isle in the Shackles
• Tyraxalan, a copper dragon who as of 4709 AR lived in Westcrown disguised as a human scribe
• Wataxshyl, a young copper dragon known for his drunkenness and defense of Olfden in Andoran

References

Paizo ceased the use of metallic dragons with the publication of Monster Core, as part of the Pathfinder Second Edition Remaster Project. When mentioned in Monster Core and subsequent publications, existing metallic dragons might be retroactively changed to new or equivalent types of non-metallic dragons.

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.