Are we sure Tolkien didn't just make an error when examining the Monster Manual for inspiration?Not sure what to say. He’s a dragon. The book says he is. Anything that contradicts that afterwards is its own thing.
The version of Smaug in The Hobbit movie is based on modern reconstructions of Pterosaurs.
They're pretty much described as enormous, stinking, featherless birds, but the "fell beasts" the Nazgûl use as flying mounts in the LR are about the closest thing Tolkien has to a wyvern, and they do seem to have bat-wings.If I recall correctly, Tolkien had a lot of things that might be called a dragon, but it isn't like he used a clear and consistent taxonomy.
Some were great serpents with no limbs. Some had no legs, but had wings. Some had four legs, but no wings, and some had four legs and wings.
One thing he didn't seem to have was a thing in the dragon family that had two legs and wings.
Every RPG should have a feature to empower your weapon by giving it a rousing speech about its history.Four legs, per the true authority, Rankin-Bass.
I would give advantage for a character that wanted to do that during the big fight with the BBEG.Every RPG should have a feature to empower your weapon by giving it a rousing speech about its history.