Pathfinder 1E Which Dragon type should I pick???

Hello again everyone I have another questioned that puzzled me, and so here I am! First of all let me start by saying that this idea is a little out there but would make for a great story. So I wanted to add a Dragon to my campaign with a rather odd background, let me explain further...

This dragon has loomed over the area for years. Every 15 years or so he comes to the towns and demands tribute for his protection. I want to point out that this is fair, he kills many monsters and would be villains in order to keep the area safe, sometimes (rarely) even at great personal risk to himself. Therefore his request is just, and not a tyrannical one. He accepts offerings of treasures, magic items, master craft quality items, ect. but he also appreciates the offering of a young woman. He is not vulgar or rude and doesn't mistreat them infact, he treats them very well! Buying them lavish gifts, treating them with honor, and giving them the respect a woman deserves. He does how ever ensure his line is continued, to put it politely. To be the young lady chosen is not a curse, but rather a blessing. Some even hope and pray that their daughter is chosen! For this means that the dragon believes both the family worthy,as well as the daughter smart enough and beautiful enough to take as his wife (Nobles more often than not). He cares for them until they die, catering to their every need in their old age and ensuring that they live care free. He does this with every town, of coarse visiting smaller ones less than bigger ones so that the girls may grow to be women before he chooses them.

I would describe this dragon as gentle and kind to all who believe in peace. He has a wonderful relationship with the humans and Elves of the area. Although he does have many half-dragon children running around he cares for each wife as an individual, and respects all law abiding peaceful races.

I have no idea which type of dragon this should be! Does taking a daughter as an offering make him evil? (mind you the community and the women in question consider it a blessing) What dragon would engage in polygamy among Elves, Half-Elves, and Humans? Is this common? Rare? Is this whole idea outlandish and crude? I figured a being of such great power, and intelligence wouldn't mind the company of beautiful intelligent women.


I came back 4 years later...

Sometimes I look back on these posts and I ask myself. Exactly how drunk was I that night? The night I wrote this...I must have been TRASHED!

Do you have to choose the type now? Or is this something you can keep nebulous so that you can keep it focused on the story of the dragon instead?

If you are wanting to narrow it down right away, what sourcebooks are you open to using?

I would go Sapphire.



The relationship isn't exactly a good one, involving as it does forced "marriage" and tribute, so I wouldn't go with one of the metallic dragons. But since the critter isn't in it for the Evulz, I wouldn't necessarily go with one of the chromatic dragon, either. Because of the intimate relationship with the protected region, I'd go with one of the Lawful Neutral dragons -- regular neutral or chaotic neutral wouldn't be interested in the "fairness" of this arrangement, and likely wouldn't want to be beholden to a bunch of pathetic townsfolk, anyway.

This gets us Emerald and Sapphire dragons. Between the two, the Emerald dragon is described as reclusive and secretive, so forming a bond with a town seems a little like something they're not really interested in.

So. Sapphire dragon.

The sapphire dragon is described as militaristic and territorial, which certainly fits with a dragon who has taken up protecting a kingdom. The protect it resolutely from outsiders. We probably have a scenario where "we don't get many foreigners in a place like this!", because the sapphire dragon errs on the side of crushing any potential danger, and perhaps a place where there's a lot of "Spartan" societies with all the military honor and maniac loyalty that implies.

Of COURSE many women here dream of being a dragon's bride and fathering strong half-dragon children who will lead the armies that protect the kingdom and keep it safe. It's practically their civic duty to raise a child to serve the polity in war. There are threats everywhere, and the dragon himself can only do so much.

Sapphire dragons are described as preferring gnomes as kindred, and of kind of enslaving dwarves, mostly because they live underground (where the only elves are drow), and had a war with dwarves long ago. I imagine that a sapphire dragon protecting an area with a lot of elves wouldn't display much prejudice as long as the elves were loyal and true (though given their Chaotic nature, they might really resent some dragon lording it over them and telling them how to keep themselves safe). The sapphire dragon is a little...well...draconian, but it's not an ill-intentioned iron fist, just a strict one.

From a powers-and-abilities perspective, the sapphire dragon (and his half-dragon progeny) likely keep the peace with a few things. Their breath weapon sends enemies fleeing in panic (even if they're normally resolute), giving them an easy way to establish their authority. Their psionic abilities embrace the "nomad" style of psychoportation, which means that they can appear anywhere and travel across the kingdom at a moment's notice: once the bat-signal of some trouble goes up, the dragon's vassals can find it and send it fleeing quickly. Their spell-like abilities relate to light and stone, so they're adept at blasting light into the darkness and making passages and openings in their underground lairs, but also in protecting people from the darkness and in erecting stone walls to create barricades.

From the perspective of a normal person in the kingdom, you likely have this great blue dragon with gem-like scales dwelling under your farmland and under your mountains and under your hills, watching the world above, and prepared for the coming of any threat. It may arrive to a big enough threat with a crackling of psionic energy, use its breath weapon as a "warning shot," and if that's not enough it will protect the people behind an earthen rampart, and blast the creature with radiant light, as well as traditional weapons.

Epithets may include "The light beneath our feet," or "He of the great roar," or "The brilliant blue in the darkness." Or even things like "The General" or "The Commander."

Hope that helps!

Sounds like a Chinese dragon. They like to be worshiped, generous and reproduce with humans.

Gfreak2x9 said:

To be the young lady chosen is not a curse, but rather a blessing.

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I rather doubt that most young ladies' preference would be to mate with a dragon instead of having a relationship with someone of their own species. I just have to point out that, in this scenario, the dragon can easily come off not as a heroic guardian, but rather as a blackmailing rapist, if you aren't very careful with how you depict it.

I also can't imagine everyone being okay with this set up; unless there are few humans et. al. in the area, I'd expect a string of dragon-slayers and girl-rescuers to periodically attack the dragon.

As for "not tyrannical", if the dragon imposed the arrangement on the area, then yes, it's tyranny, no matter how much anyone else benefits from it.

None of which is to say that this isn't a cool setup- just that there is a ton of potential for it to be a complicated setup. Maybe the pcs see it as you described, until the heroic paladin from the big city and his adventuring pals come to slay the dragon and the pcs need to take sides. Maybe a young woman is offered up by her greedy step-parents, but she doesn't want to go. Maybe the half-dragon offspring of the dragon and a former lady of his wants revenge against the local townsfolk who rejected her for being a scaly freak. I see a lot of potential here, but all the best of it revolves around the moral ambiguity surrounding the dragon and his arrangement with the locals.

the Jester said:

I rather doubt that most young ladies' preference would be to mate with a dragon instead of having a relationship with someone of their own species. I just have to point out that, in this scenario, the dragon can easily come off not as a heroic guardian, but rather as a blackmailing rapist, if you aren't very careful with how you depict it.

I also can't imagine everyone being okay with this set up; unless there are few humans et. al. in the area, I'd expect a string of dragon-slayers and girl-rescuers to periodically attack the dragon.

As for "not tyrannical", if the dragon imposed the arrangement on the area, then yes, it's tyranny, no matter how much anyone else benefits from it.

None of which is to say that this isn't a cool setup- just that there is a ton of potential for it to be a complicated setup. Maybe the pcs see it as you described, until the heroic paladin from the big city and his adventuring pals come to slay the dragon and the pcs need to take sides. Maybe a young woman is offered up by her greedy step-parents, but she doesn't want to go. Maybe the half-dragon offspring of the dragon and a former lady of his wants revenge against the local townsfolk who rejected her for being a scaly freak. I see a lot of potential here, but all the best of it revolves around the moral ambiguity surrounding the dragon and his arrangement with the locals.

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The arrangement the dragon has with the villagers is not so different than what a feudal lord would have with them. So unless you consider feudalism to be inherently evil this dragon wouldn't be evil just because of that.
I don't know why (maybe its the "Harem" thing) but I think one of the desert dragons would fir (Brass or Blue).

Sounds like something a silver dragon might do, and it has the ability to assume human form for dalliances with the ladies. In fact, the ladies might even assume he is a powerful human wizard, who can assume the form of a dragon to defend the realm, rather than the reverse being true.

Tharian said:

Do you have to choose the type now? Or is this something you can keep nebulous so that you can keep it focused on the story of the dragon instead?

If you are wanting to narrow it down right away, what sourcebooks are you open to using?

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I am open to anything Pathfinder or 3.5, but I would prefer Pathfinder. I would like to know sooner because his Half-Dragon children are about to play a big role in the main story and their breath weapons will depend on there type!

the Jester said:

I rather doubt that most young ladies' preference would be to mate with a dragon instead of having a relationship with someone of their own species. I just have to point out that, in this scenario, the dragon can easily come off not as a heroic guardian, but rather as a blackmailing rapist, if you aren't very careful with how you depict it.

I also can't imagine everyone being okay with this set up; unless there are few humans et. al. in the area, I'd expect a string of dragon-slayers and girl-rescuers to periodically attack the dragon.

As for "not tyrannical", if the dragon imposed the arrangement on the area, then yes, it's tyranny, no matter how much anyone else benefits from it.

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You bring up VERY valid points! I guess I stumbled over my own words there, because yes by definition this is tyrannical! I didn't even think about it from that angle! I guess what I meant was he isn't threatening to innocent kill people, as much as he is asking for what is deserved. I also wanted to throw in some loyalists who honestly believed him to be a true, and just ruler. Rather than "Just the dragon who lives in the mountains." I was going to play on the idea that a half-dragon child is more powerful than a human one (at least in the eyes of the loyalists). Combined with your valid points this would a truly awesome role play experience... Do we kill him, or join him?

Kamikaze Midget said:

I would go Sapphire.

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That was amazing! Thank you very much for taking the time to write such an amazing reply! I can almost guarantee this will be the chosen type! Thanks so much!