Tiamat was the evil dragon goddess of greed, queen of evil dragons and, for a time, a reluctant servant of the greater gods Bane and later Asmodeus. Before entering the Faerûnian pantheon, she was a member of the Draconic pantheon, and for some time she was also a member of the Untheric pantheon. Tiamat was also the eternal rival of her brother Bahamut, ruler of the good metallic dragons.

Dragons were very powerful and magical creatures. They were an ancient race. Few species that still exist can claim longer lineage. Dragons were the bane of the creator races of Toril; their line was so old, they had their own realm during the first recorded exploits of the elves. In recent times, the dragons of Toril were nearly all recluses or at the very least deceptive to their true nature, living amongst other species in polymorphed form.

Dragons became stronger as they grew older; they also became larger, more resistant to damages and magic, had a more dangerous breath, and a great deal of other enhanced aspects. Older dragons could cast draconic magic, such as spells with just a few words, and oftentimes they didn't need long and complex ritual involving words, gestures and components like other wizards, and they radiated a mystical fear aura around themselves. After a millennium or two, a dragon reached his maximum development.

Chromatic dragons are inherently evil and distinguished by a solid, non-reflective coloring on their scales, hence the name. Favored treasure type is also listed.

	Red Dragon	Chaotic Evil	Anything with monetary value	Covetous, evil creatures, interested only in their own well-being, vanity and the extension of their treasure hoards. They were supremely confident of their own abilities and were prone to making snap decisions without any forethought.
	Black Dragon	Chaotic Evil	Gold coins	Far and away the most vile tempered and cruel of all chromatic dragons. They were solitary creatures[8] that lived in the swamps and marshlands all around Toril, from the Flooded Forest in Sembia to the jungles of Chult.
	White Dragon	Chaotic Evil	Diamonds	The weakest and most feral of the chromatic dragons. Whites hold exceptional memories, and would often hunt down beings who crossed them, no matter how long it might take. They were not as cruel as black dragons and were not as ferocious as reds, but they were still competent in combat.
	Blue Dragon	Lawful Evil	Sapphires	They were more likely to be mocking and manipulative than outrightly cruel or murderous to 'lesser' creatures, aided greatly by their natural talents for hallucination. They were infamous for tricking desert travelers .
	Green Dragon	Lawful Evil	Emeralds, artwork, and sculptures	Master manipulators who reveled in corrupting lesser creatures and hoarding them like possessions. They loved intrigue and secrets. They put up a front of diplomacy and deceit when dealing with stronger foes, but they revealed their cruel and petty nature when intimidating lesser beings or when gaining the upper hand.

Brown, Gray, Pink, Purple, and Yellow dragons exist, but are too rare to be considered part of the main cannon. As of 5th edition they are officially considered misidentified versions of the cannon 5.

Metallic dragons are inherently good and distinguished by the color and composition of their scales, that was like that of various metals, hence the name. Favored treasure type is also listed.

	Gold Dragon	Lawful Good	Art and knowledge	Graceful and wise, they were relentless and dedicated foes of evil, injustice, and foul play. While respected for their fairness and knowledge, they were also grim and reserved, and usually avoided casual contact with other dragons.
	Silver Dragon	Lawful Good	Jewelry and finely woven fabrics	A silver dragon enjoyed the company of humans and elves so much that it would often take the form of a human or elf and live among them for the majority of its life. However, it should be noted that silvers, like all dragons, believed themselves the most superior creatures in the world.
	Bronze Dragon	Lawful Good	Ceramics, statuary and gemstones.	Curious and inquisitive, they possessed a strong sense of justice and did not tolerate any form of cruelty. These dragons possessed the ability to alter their form, assuming the appearance of any type of animal or humanoid creature they choose.
	Copper Dragon	Chaotic Good	Metals, stones, ceramics	Copper dragons were usually even-tempered and sociable. They were well known for playing pranks and telling jokes and riddles. These habits made them especially fond of bards, and they appreciated their company enough that they were sometimes willing to set aside a temporary separate space for them in their lairs so they might provide entertainment.
	Brass Dragon	Chaotic Good	Handcrafted work	They loved to talk, to the exclusion of most else. They loved to engage friends and foes alike in hours of long-winded conversation. It was not unusual for a brass dragon to be fluent in several hundred different languages, although they obviously preferred to converse in Draconic whenever possible.

Electrum, Mercury, Iron, Cobalt, and Steel dragons exist, but are too rare to be considered part of the main cannon. Adamantine, Mithril, and Orium dragons are mentioned even less often. As of 5th edition they are officially considered misidentified versions of the cannon 5.

Gem dragons are inherently neutral and distinguished by the color and composition of their crystalline scales, hence the name. They spent most of their time on the Inner Planes.

	Amethyst	True Neutral	Lore	They were considered wise and majestic even by dragon standards. But they were aloof and paid little heed to conflicts between good and evil or chaos and law.
	Emerald	Lawful Neutral	History	Emerald dragons were deeply inquisitive, with a keen interest in local customs and history. However, they also tended to be paranoid and distrustful of visitors, and their lairs often had many traps. They were reclusive did not like anyone going anywhere near their hoards.
	Sapphire	Lawful Neutral	Strategy	The most territorial and antisocial of gem dragons. Militaristic and warlike, they loved to discuss military matters and strategy.
	Topaz	Chaotic Neutral	Silence	While not really malevolent, they were selfish and unfriendly, with no interest in meeting others or in having others meet them. They often behaved erratically and this made them unpleasant and even dangerous to deal with.
	Crystal	Chaotic Neutral	Curiosity	They were the most amiable of the gem dragons. Although crystal dragons rarely went looking for companionship, they eagerly welcomed visitors to converse with, especially if they were interesting or appeared friendly and not trying to rob them.

Amber, Beljuril, Jacinth, Obsidian, Pearl and Ruby have not appeared in newer versions. Moonstone Dragons are mentioned even less often.

Oriental Lungs are inherently neutral and hail from the land of Kara-Tur, most of whom were charged with carrying out tasks for the Celestial Bureaucracy. They are wingless creatures, and fly by innate magical means.

Most oriental dragons have not appeared since 3rd edition.

Planar Dragons have no fixed alignment and are distinguished by their place of origin - the Outer Planes.

	Astral	True Neutral	They can see through the blur of the Astral Plane up to 10 miles (16 kilometers), and could plane shift at will. They were able to fly on the Prime Material Plane thanks to an organ in the head, although they were not easily able to walk under the effect of gravity. Some astral dragons contracted a disease known as astralomitis, which inhibited their ability to travel the planes, and was more common amongst astral dragons who switched between planes frequently.
	Battle	Any	They take immense joy in fighting glorious battles. The scales of battle dragons changed in appearance depending on the dragon's activities. If at rest, they had a dull brown color, and they became bright golden when the dragon was flying, allowing sunlight to reflect from them. Other variants existed, with green-tinted scales and bronze, red, or golden tips.
	Blight	Chaotic Evil	Native to the Shadowfell, blight dragons naturally leeched away the life force of any living creatures nearby them (incidentally healing themselves in the process), and the dust that swirled around them became a "small" dust storm when they were angered. Like other dragons, they had a fear-inducing aura.
	Chaos	Any Chaotic	Chaos dragons were creatures of chaos and unpredictability. They essentially sought to undermine and destabilize society and civilization in general. The ones that tended towards good did so in order to promote positive change, while evil ones wished simply to spread violence and destruction.
	Ethereal	True Neutral	Ethereal dragon scales had an iridescent coloration. Extremely inquisitive creatures, ethereal dragons enjoyed following and spying on Prime Material plane dwellers, while also looking for any objects in their possession that might interest them.
	Hellfire	Lawful Evil	Agents of Baator, smoke constantly rose from their scales and they always smelled like brimstone. Their scales continually shifted color, creating the appearance of flowing lava. They were subtle manipulators, corruptors and very persuasive.
	Howling	Chaotic Neutral	Insane, but extremely intelligent dragons native to Pandemonium. From the depths of their insanity, they continuously worked on inscrutable schemes. Ferocious and aggressive combatants, howling dragons made extensive and random use of their two breath weapons.
	Mirage	True Neutral	Native to the Feywild, Mirage dragons were reclusive and independent in nature, largely unwilling to become involved in greater conflicts between light and dark. Mirage dragons were also cunning, and could be cruel manipulators or simply playfully mischievous. Mirage dragons were illusionists, with several poorly-known illusory abilities that made them harder to attack, or altered the terrain around them to inhibit foes.
	Oceanus	Neutral Good	Amphibious dragons who lived in the Upper planes, in particular along the River Oceanus. Tirelessly patrolling the Oceanus, these dragons fiercely protected their territory against any sort of evil creature.
	Pyroclastic	Any Evil	Heavily muscled and solidly built. Its scales looked like broken obsidian and hot magma. An avid swimmer that swam through magma instead of water. They were creatures whose temperament was compared to a volcano. Overstressing it caused a truly violent reaction.
	Radiant	Lawful Good	Beautiful and benevolent dragons native to Mount Celestia. Radiant dragons emitted their own glow and could control their own radiance. Always noble in their posture, they did not hesitate to offer assistance, healing, and comfort to noble and just creatures. When facing proponents of chaos or evil, they became furious and merciless combatants.
	Rust	Lawful Neutral	Native to Acheron, they resembled different metallic dragons but with different forms of oxidation. The main sources of sustenance for rust dragons were ores and metals. They mainly attacked out of hunger, and even so only to the point where they could secure sustenance.
	Shadow	Chaotic Evil	Either native to the Shadowfell, or transformed by years spent there. Physically weak compared to other dragons, Shadow dragons were crafty and devious.
	Styx	Neutral Evil	Dweling in the corrupted depths of the river Styx, their bodies were long and serpentine. Styx dragon lairs were usually dug on the muddy banks of the Styx, or, if brought forcefully into the Prime Material plane, any place with foul water.
	Tarterian	Neutral Evil	Native to Carceri, they acted as both wardens and prisoners of the plane. Tarterian dragons were emaciated with drooping flesh and tattered wings.

Most planar dragons have not appeared since 3rd edition.

Dragons that have appeared in very little or very obscure media.

"Cursed Lizard! We’re going to give all your gold to the poor!" - Critical Role

"Oh shut it you flying suitcase!" - Critical Role