Sunless Citadel question: opening a can of wyrms..spoilers)

[PsionicMonk]

My take on the white dragon.

Although the dragon’s intelligence rating does imply that the creature is inferior to the average human, I feel it is important to portray the nature of the creature with respect to its intelligence.

The white dragon is in every sense of the word a "predator." It's abilities and physical strengths all identify the creature as a cruel killer ever vigilant in the hunt for its next victim. Anyone that thought they would make a tame pet from this creature would likely have more luck with a venomous snake.

I don't discount that it would be possible to develop an advantageous relationship with such a creature, particularly in a fantasy setting. I'm however skeptical that such a relationship would develop between characters and creature with differing alignments. In this case the creatures alignment is chaotic evil, which I take to mean it has the worst disposition possible.

With that in mind I feel the creature would bend the entire of it's mental capacity toward a single minded level of focus. From an animalistic perspective the creature’s intelligence is nothing to scoff at and provides it with sufficient capacity to remain at the top of many food chains.

So I would play the dragon as very uncooperative and spiteful, watchful for any opportunity to escape causing as much pain as possible in the process. Without the aid of some more permanent magical manipulation of the creature, a vigilant and dedicated attempt by a party develop a relationship would be met with disappointment and frustration.

As far as the sale of the creature, I'd not make it easy but I'd allow it. If played well it would likely prove a financially worthwhile endeavor. I hesitate to suggest a specific price the creature, as I would have to consider how much money I want my players to have available to them. I would also consider the implications of the party’s expectations regarding the ability to purchase a similarly powerful creature for a comparable amount.

Hope this was useful.

 

[Carnifex]

Who the hell do they intend to sell it to? What kind of person would buy a baby white dragon? Come on. The average merchant isn't going to go 'oh, a dragon, that'll be a useful bit of stock for me to trade in.'

The only people who'd want to buy a dragon would be:

a) Someone who wanst spell components from its body. Might as well just kill the thing right now.

b) Those who want it dead as its an evil dragon, but are too good and lawful to just steal it off the party.

c) Evil people.

And that's if the local govt even allow evil wymlings to be sold. If I ruled a city and was told some mercs were selling a baby dragon I'd just send my guards down to detain them and find out more - if it was evil or there were any dodgy circumstances I'd at the very least take it off their hands, maybe killing it if it was deemed any sort of threat, immediate or future.

 

[Droogie]

Who the hell do they intend to sell it to? What kind of person would buy a baby white dragon? Come on. The average merchant isn't going to go 'oh, a dragon, that'll be a useful bit of stock for me to trade in.'

The only people who'd want to buy a dragon would be:

a) Someone who wanst spell components from its body. Might as well just kill the thing right now.

b) Those who want it dead as its an evil dragon, but are too good and lawful to just steal it off the party.

c) Evil people.

You just answered your own questions for the most part, but I figure any high-level wizard with a vested interest in dragons might be interested. Its nice to study a live specimen rather than a dead one.

And that's if the local govt even allow evil wymlings to be sold. If I ruled a city and was told some mercs were selling a baby dragon I'd just send my guards down to detain them and find out more - if it was evil or there were any dodgy circumstances I'd at the very least take it off their hands, maybe killing it if it was deemed any sort of threat, immediate or future.

Not disagreeing with you here, and this is exactly how I will handle it if it gets to this point. It probably won't get to this point anyway, since the wyrm will most likely escape.

Anyway, in a fantasy world, I'm sure there must exist some kind of black market for this kind of thing. There is always a buyer somewhere, no matter how obscure or outrageous. Look at Ebay.

 

[HeavyG]

Of course if you wanted to really play the dragon as cunning and feral, when they first get near it, it flies into a rage, breathing as often as possible, injuring people within 30 feet.
(...)
By the time they get awake, say two minutes later, it is too late, the horses are dead. The dragon killed them with its breath weapon.
(...)
It amuses itself by trying to ice up the ground and periodically breathing icy breath straight into the face of the ones carrying the cage.

Well, sure, I guess, if it's suicidal, it's going to do that.

The only people who'd want to buy a dragon would be:

a) Someone who wanst spell components from its body. Might as well just kill the thing right now.

b) Those who want it dead as its an evil dragon, but are too good and lawful to just steal it off the party.

c) Evil people.

Droogie already mentioned the "someone who wants to study a live dragon" idea.

I'll add :
e) A very rich merchant lord who wants an exotic monster for his zoo.

f) A cult of dragon worshippers is search of a mascot.

g) Someone in need of a refrigeration system.




This situation is ripe with fun role playing situations. No need to react with that "how DARE those PCs get out of the Kill-monster-take-treasure mindset" reflex.

 

[Carnifex]

Well, sure, I guess, if it's suicidal, it's going to do that.




Droogie already mentioned the "someone who wants to study a live dragon" idea.

I'll add :
e) A very rich merchant lord who wants an exotic monster for his zoo.

f) A cult of dragon worshippers is search of a mascot.

g) Someone in need of a refrigeration system.




This situation is ripe with fun role playing situations. No need to react with that "how DARE those PCs get out of the Kill-monster-take-treasure mindset" reflex.

I'm not, I'm taking the viewpoint of the apparent potential market.

It's an evil dragon, so your dragon worshippers fall under the same 'evil guy' heading I already put forwards, and we're talking about a mostly good and neutral aligned party. And they want to sell an evil dragon to evil people? Are they atually raving mad?

Besides, this whole idea of exotic pets/exotic uses like a refrigeration unit... well, the thing is, dragons are not on quite the same scale as other odd beasties. Okay, I can see a chimera or something like that in a really exotic menagerie of a very rich and eccentric person, but dragons? I would have thought that most of them would have too much of a sense of self-preservation. I mean, it may be small now, but it's a frikkin dragon. It *will* get big, bad and nasty, and most people will be aware of this.

A high level wizard might want a look but I bet the por litle dragon won't survive very long before its dissection time especially since someone like that would be the most aware of the potential dangers even in what looks like such a small beastie now. And again, i saw - what if the government aren't happy with people trying to trade in evil dragons? I mean, the thing might get it in its head that the city where it was bought, sold and held captive was the place it would ravage first when it was a big dragon? No authority would like *that*.

 

[GreyShadow]

The only animals I'd allow near the dragon would be trained for war. Even then they wouldn't be acting normal 100% of the time.

Does the party sleep much? I'd say dragons can be extremely noisy. While there are bound to be people that can sleep through it, how many wandering monsters will hear it and come and investigate?

 

[Wicht]

Well, sure, I guess, if it's suicidal, it's going to do that.

Why would it be suicidal to kill the horses? Or any other pets?

The dragon would not be thinking that way.

It has an intelligence of 6. Enough to know to be mad but not really the sort of long thinking, manipulative strategist that would plan a clever escape. But enough to subtly try and get the PCs where it thinks it can hurt them the most.

 

[Psyckosama]

You guys are missing one thing. The dragon is a BABY.

Remember the saying "get them while they're young?" Well you can't get much younger. As long as they give the mittle Wyrmling love, affection, and food without the nasty cages or pointy sticks it should be more then willing to hang around, maybe even think of the praty as it's mommy and daddy.

Also, if could be very possible that will love and the correct teaching it could grow up to be good... Nurture over Nature, if it's even nature to begin with!

It could just be thousands of years of poor parenting combined with the fact that noone in their right mind wants to raise and "evil" dragon!

 

[HeavyG]

It's an evil dragon, so your dragon worshippers fall under the same 'evil guy' heading I already put forwards, and we're talking about a mostly good and neutral aligned party. And they want to sell an evil dragon to evil people? Are they atually raving mad?

Well, I was assuming that it wasn't common knowledge that white dragons were innately evil, but if everyone knows this in your world, you have a point.

Besides, this whole idea of exotic pets/exotic uses like a refrigeration unit... well, the thing is, dragons are not on quite the same scale as other odd beasties. Okay, I can see a chimera or something like that in a really exotic menagerie of a very rich and eccentric person, but dragons? I would have thought that most of them would have too much of a sense of self-preservation. I mean, it may be small now, but it's a frikkin dragon. It *will* get big, bad and nasty, and most people will be aware of this.

Yes, but with dragons' lifespans being what they are, it might very well be next generation's problem. Human beings are known for short sightednes and hubris is a staple of fantasy, no ?

Of course, it wouldn't be wise to use a dragon that way. But there is no shortage of unwise people in the world.

I see potential for a great story, here.

Why would it be suicidal to kill the horses? Or any other pets?

The dragon would not be thinking that way.

It has an intelligence of 6. Enough to know to be mad but not really the sort of long thinking, manipulative strategist that would plan a clever escape. But enough to subtly try and get the PCs where it thinks it can hurt them the most.

It's bright enough to understand "If you breath ice in my face one more time, you die". It's a rare PC group that has no one that speaks Draconic. If it's not very bright, surely it will follow it's survival instinct and would not see the subtle evil joy of making itself a pain for as long as possible until it's killed.

 

[Droogie]

You guys are missing one thing. The dragon is a BABY.

Remember the saying "get them while they're young?" Well you can't get much younger. As long as they give the mittle Wyrmling love, affection, and food without the nasty cages or pointy sticks it should be more then willing to hang around, maybe even think of the praty as it's mommy and daddy.

Also, if could be very possible that will love and the correct teaching it could grow up to be good... Nurture over Nature, if it's even nature to begin with!

It could just be thousands of years of poor parenting combined with the fact that noone in their right mind wants to raise and "evil" dragon!

You have a point with the nature/nurture arguement, but forcing an alignment change in the dragon at this stage might be an uphill battle: it was held in captivity by kobolds, stolen by goblins (and who knows how they treated it), then the party pummeled it unconscious and brought it back to its original captors. I would say it has a bad attitude.