Favorite version: White Dragon [poll]

dave2008 · Jun 14, 2019

Sacrosanct said:
Nah, it wasn't that dragonlance had it's own art direction, it was that each artist had leeway. That's why Easley's dragons look different than Elmore's, or Caldwell's, even if they were illustrating the same 1ed dragon type.

I don't believe that is correct. There was a sort of dragon "bible" for dragonlance dragons as I recall. Notice the white dragon in your 1e image by Elmore matches the unique crown of horns as the white head on Caldwell's Takhisis. Similarly, Keith's blue dragon matches the blue head on Takhisis as well. Now, I think Easley generally ignored this standard, but the other three seemed to adhere to it (for dragonlance dragons that is).

FYI, I am not making this up, I remember reading about this in an "Art of Dragonlance" book I believe, but I don't have it anymore so I can't verify that.

EDIT: If I remember correctly, whoever illustrated a dragon first set the standard for the dragonlance look of the dragons.

Clive Caldwell:

Larry Elmore:

Keith Parkinson:

Draegn · Jun 14, 2019

View attachment 107039

Xeviat · Jun 14, 2019

jayoungr said:
I feel sort of bad for voting for 5E, but I can't help it. Something about the way it's drawn in motion, trotting forward, looking like an actual beast, really grabs me--and the slight iridescence to the wing membrane just clinches it.

I feel like this started with 3E with the Lockwood designs. He based them on big cats and they finally looked like real breath(weapon)ing creatures.

I voted 4E for the stats. It was the only edition where a dragon played properly in my mind. 5E dragons are all the same, except for their lairs. 3E dragons took forever to build. I never played 2E except for Baldur's Gate/Icewind Dale.

DND_Reborn · Jun 14, 2019

Definitely AD&D.

77IM · Jun 14, 2019

3E. That edition totally nailed the dragons' look so thoroughly that it was basically copied for 4E and 5E.

oreofox · Jun 14, 2019

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net...n_-_p34.png/revision/latest?cb=20141112093901

That's the 1st edition White Dragon.

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net...n_-_p69.png/revision/latest?cb=20141112093844

That's the 2nd edition White Dragon. They look similar to the more modern versions. Dragonlance's dragons always looked different, though sometimes somewhat similar to the regular D&D version. Depending on the colors.

As for me, I like this: https://www.deviantart.com/benwootten/art/White-Dragon-115558325 The Pathfinder version of the white dragon. Though, of the D&D ones, I like the look of the 5e. But I prefer the look of the Pathfinder white dragon. Honestly, I feel that way about all the chromatic dragons, really. The Pathfinder versions I think look better overall.

dave2008 · Jun 14, 2019

oreofox said:
As for me, I like this: https://www.deviantart.com/benwootten/art/White-Dragon-115558325 The Pathfinder version of the white dragon. Though, of the D&D ones, I like the look of the 5e. But I prefer the look of the Pathfinder white dragon. Honestly, I feel that way about all the chromatic dragons, really. The Pathfinder versions I think look better overall.

I had similar feelings when PF first came out, but don't feel the same anymore. The PF versions are a bit to generic for me now. Personally, I would rank them as follows:

Black: 1e (1st); 2e (2nd); PF (3rd); 3e/4e/5e (4th)
Blue: 1e (1st); 2e (2nd); 3e/4e/5e - PF (tie for 3rd)
Green: 1e (1st); 2e (2nd); PF (3rd); 4e (4th); 3e/5e (5th)
Red: 3e/4e/5e (1st); PF (2nd); 2e (3rd); 1e (4th)
White: 1e (1st); 3e/4e/5e - PF (tie for 2nd); 2e (3rd)

Note: In general I consider the 3e/4e/5e versions to be the same (with the exception that the green was changed in 4e)

Interestingly, the PF white looks a lot like the metal mini white dragon I had when I was a child. I wonder if that mini was an inspiration for the design.

oreofox · Jun 14, 2019

dave2008 said:
I had similar feelings when PF first came out, but don't feel the same anymore. The PF versions are a bit to generic for me now. Personally, I would rank them as follows:

Black: 1e (1st); 2e (2nd); PF (3rd); 3e/4e/5e (4th)
Blue: 1e (1st); 2e (2nd); 3e/4e/5e - PF (tie for 3rd)
Green: 1e (1st); 2e (2nd); PF (3rd); 4e (4th); 3e/5e (5th)
Red: 3e/4e/5e (1st); PF (2nd); 2e (3rd); 1e (4th)
White: 1e (1st); 3e/4e/5e - PF (tie for 2nd); 2e (3rd)

Note: In general I consider the 3e/4e/5e versions to be the same (with the exception that the green was changed in 4e)

Interestingly, the PF white looks a lot like the metal mini white dragon I had when I was a child. I wonder if that mini was an inspiration for the design.

I agree with you about the 1e red dragon. It looked like crap. And your assessment of the Pathfinder versions is fairly correct, they could be a bit more varied. The mentally challenged unicorn look of the WOTC era blue dragon I am not a fan of (3/4/5e), and the skull-faced black dragon (3/4/5e) aren't my favorite renditions. Though, the skull-faced black looks better (to me) than the chopsticks jammed into the head look that is the AD&D (1/2e) black dragon.

Looking at the PF green, it's got the same mentally challeneged unicorn look going as the D&D blue, though more of a rhinoceros. I personally prefer the 3rd edition green. But that's for the inevitable "Favorite version Green Dragon poll" thread the OP says they plan to make. I still feel the Pathfinder white dragon looks the best.

Sacrosanct · Jun 14, 2019

Legatus_Legionis said:
In 1e, the dragons were mostly solitary creatures, and acted more like beasts than the intellectual ones from later on.

.

If that's the case, then it's the fault of the DM playing them, not on how the dragons were actually designed. Even in 1e, white dragons were the only ones with low intelligence. Black dragons were average (and thus should have been played as if they were as smart as an average person). Every other dragon had high to exceptional intelligence. If a DM played them like beasts, that did a huge disservice to the dragon.

dave2008 · Jun 14, 2019

oreofox said:
... the WOTC era blue dragon I am not a fan of (3/4/5e), and the skull-faced black dragon (3/4/5e) aren't my favorite renditions.

I am 100% with you there!

oreofox said:
Though, the skull-faced black looks better (to me) than the chopsticks jammed into the head look that is the AD&D (1/2e) black dragon.

But I disagree here. I do agree the horns are a bit tacked on, but I much prefer the rest of the design to the 3e or PF versions. I think the 1e version with more rooted 3e-ish type horns (but more bull horn like I think) would be best.