View source for Baby gold dragon

{{ monster
 |name=baby gold dragon
 |difficulty=13
 |level=12
 |experience=?<!--many baby dragons have 200 base exp-->
 |speed=9
 |AC=2
 |MR=10
 |align=0
 |frequency=0
 |genocidable=Yes
 |attacks=Bite 2d6 physical
 |weight=1500
 |nutr=500
 |size=Huge
 |resistances conveyed=none
 |resistances=[[Fire resistance]]
 |attributes={{attributes|A baby gold dragon|fly=1|thick=1|nohands=1|carnivore=1|hostile=1|strong=1|greedy=1|jewels=1}}
 |reference=[https://github.com/NetHack/NetHack/blob/837da48621b30ce80e195c253a1e35c2aa774e0d/include/monsters.h#L1339 NetHack 3.7 - commit 837da48, line L1339]
}}
{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|[[Gold dragon]]s and baby gold dragons are added to ''NetHack''. This page describes their 3.7 properties as of December 19, 2024.}}
A '''baby gold dragon''', {{monsym|baby gold dragon}}, is a type of [[monster]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]''. It is a juvenile [[gold dragon]] that is associated with the element of [[light]]. Baby gold dragons emit light from their body in a 3x3 square that is centered on themselves&mdash;like all dragons they are [[strong]], [[carnivorous]], [[thick-skinned]], and capable of [[flight]], and will also seek out [[gold]] and [[gems]] to pick up among other items.

Baby gold dragons have a single bite attack.

==Generation==
{{main|Baby dragon#Generation}}
Randomly generated baby gold dragons are always hostile. A baby gold dragon can [[grow up]] into a gold dragon, and gold dragon [[egg]]s can hatch into baby gold dragons.

Baby gold dragons are only randomly generated within levels and branches that are biased towards a particular alignment, e.g., [[Oracle (level)|the Oracle]] and [[Sokoban]].

==Strategy==
{{main|Baby dragon#Strategy}}
While they have decent [[AC]] and a somewhat nasty bite, a hero sufficiently prepared for the mid-game should not have much trouble with baby gold dragons. As pets they can be decent fighters and used as [[flying]] [[steed]]s, but their low [[speed]] makes movement while riding and raising them to adulthood time-consuming - making a baby dragon fast raises their speed to a respectable 12, and a [[magic whistle]] or blessed [[eucalyptus leaf]] may be especially necessary if a character has their own source of speed. Baby dragon [[corpse]]s can be decently filling for meat-eating pets and heroes.

==History==
The baby gold dragon is introduced in {{commit|5a09a01a13ee4e6e169a7ec0b7e1697ce69a87ac}}.

==Variants==
===SporkHack===
{{main|Baby gold dragon (SporkHack)}}
In [[SporkHack]], the baby gold dragon has [[fire resistance]], and its statistics are close to the baby gold dragon later seen in ''NetHack'' (as displayed above), as well as being similar to other dragons in SporkHack.

===SpliceHack===
{{main|Baby gold dragon (SpliceHack)}}
In [[SpliceHack]], baby gold dragons have the same basic statistics displayed above and the same qualities as other [[Dragon (SpliceHack)|baby dragons]] in the variant.

===EvilHack===
{{main|Baby gold dragon (EvilHack)}}
In [[EvilHack]], baby gold dragons emit light and possess fire resistance, and behave similarly to other [[Dragon (EvilHack)|baby dragons]] in the variant.

===SlashTHEM===
{{main|Baby golden dragon (SlashTHEM)}}
[[SlashTHEM]] adds the similar baby golden dragon, which emits light in a 2-square radius around itself and behaves similarly to other [[Dragon (SlashTHEM)|baby dragons]] in the variant.

===Hack'EM===
{{main|Gold dragon (Hack'EM)}}
In [[Hack'EM]], baby gold dragons emit light and possess fire resistance, and behave similarly to other [[Dragon (Hack'EM)|baby dragons]] in the variant.

==Encyclopedia entry==
{{encyclopedia-redirect|dragon}}
[[Category:Monsters]]