Saw the movie, and thought it was cool. I was curious what a D&D world would look like in that same type of situtation. I'd thought I'd toss some ideas out and see what people think.
The fundemental idea behind this is the fact that dragons aren't as viciously independent and stubborn as the tales have painted them. Despite their typically solitary existances, they are capable of working together, even cooporating, even if they are evil. The idea behind it is you have one evil dragon who is particularly intelligent, even for his kind. He's also particularly ambitious, cunning, and in possession of considerable patience.
A great red wyrm decides that it is time for the other races of the world to take their rightful place under dragon rule. The increasing adventurers, and the slaughter of dragons both old and young filled him with remorse, even if the dragons were not of his type. Through words, bribes, threats, and deeds, he slowly swayed other dragons to his view, even those normally considered "good."
The metallic dragons possess a measure of arrogance unmatched even by the chromatic dragons. They wouldn't believe that the evil dragons would work together for an extended period of time, for normally they would be right. But pride goeth before a fall. Further deception, and careful training of their own groups of dragonslayers deprived the metallic dragon community of their greatest leaders.
When the rest of the dragons rose up to take control, the battles were fierce, but brief. The metallic dragons either accepted their new roles under the chromatic leaders, or perished. The gem dragons mostly didn't give a damn. Some protested, and were slain. Some fled for parts unknown and were never heard from again. The others stayed where they were, and flowed with the new world order.
The Great Red had planned carefully, and the sisters and brothers of the Underdark, the deep and shadow dragons, were given full control of the shadowed realms, and kept the potentially troublesome fierce races below from fleeing. However, unlike the open world above where people could be seen in a single flying pass, the Underdark was harder to control. Pockets of the races escaped, and remain free until this day.
The races of the world fought fiercely, but their weapons had been blunted before they began. Sabotoge in the greatest centers of learning and magic destroyed vital records of spells that might have laid many dragons low. Artifacts that could have slain them had been stolen. Magical weapons were left without wielders as assassins in the employ of their draconic masters were set against the dragonslayers. Some dragons fell, but those that opposed them found their homes burned, covered with acid, shot through with lightning, or simply ripped to shreds.
Where were the gods in this titanic struggle? Dragons are far more devout than the records suggest. So little was known about the dragon gods that the gods of the other races couldn't have warned their worshippers and servants. The gods of the dragons are to the gods of the other races what those races are to dragons. Some gods died, others banished, and most were imprisoned. Divine magic in the world fell silent when it was needed most.
Now most of the races live under the rule of one of the draconic masters. Each parcel of land is ruled under one dragon overlord, with many other dragons below him. The word of a dragon is law, the defy it means death.
Oddly enough, the land is not totally barren. Dragons are wise and intelligent enough to see that scorching the earth would only bring ruin. Scorching the earth to the bedrock is reserved for special punishment, for the homes of the most vile of traitors.
Many cities, particularly human cities, remain mostly intact, albeit with buildings built for the comfort of dragons.
Humans are by far one of the most numerous races left, but they are also the most often killed. Humans breed like rabbits to dragon eyes, so they are the most useful fodder for any task that needs to be done.
The dwarves still exist, though greatly diminished. Most dwarves died rather than let themselves be taken hostage. It was their skill in processing metal and making beautiful objects that caught the dragons' eyes. The few dwarven communities that survived mostly intact were forced into brutal production in a vain attempt to satisfy the unending lust for treasure that all dragons share. They are a broken race now. They mutter no oaths, they swallow no beer, there are no hearty jokes, or great stories of battle. All but the oldest dwarves have forgotten or never knew life before dragon rule. Weaponsmaking is forbidden to them now, and all they know how to weild are the tools of their trade, the pick, the hammer, the shovel.
The gnomes are almost as bad off as the dwarves. Their skill in gem-crafting spared them from annihilation. They were ripped from their forest homes and put into production with the dwarves. Equally broken the dwarves and the gnomes consider themselves brothers in misery.
The elves only exist in small pockets. The green dragons considered them too much of a threat to continue to exist, due to their ancient knowledge of magic and extensive knowledge of the forest that the greens called their homes. They exist now only in the most utterly remote regions of the most inhospitiable wilderness. Tundra is the most common place, it being too cold for the greens and not cold enough for the whites. Most dragonslayers come from the ranks of the vanishing elven race.
Half elves are much more common, as more remote human villages that don't rate the contant presense of a dragon overlord would shelter small groups of elves. In a desparate attempt to keep a small portion of their race alive, desperate unions were formed, and half-elves were the result. Some travel with the remaining elves, others try to hide amongst humanity. The elves, with their long memories and lifespans, keep the hope alive of freedom from dragon rule. The elves that visit human towns incite rebellion with their tales of former freedom.
The roving halfings faired the best of the longer-lived races. Always cutting and running, they've managed to outrun and hide from the worst of the dragon onslaught. They make deals with the dragons to maintain their freedom, or at least their illusion of it. The halflings exist as the only freely-moving non-dragon race left alive. They maintain the supply and trade routes throughout the world. Oftentimes they are the ones that help smuggle elves to more distant cities, though this is risky. In order to maintain their freedom, they'll gladly give up any illegal passenger or good if questioned. Asking a halfing to transport something the dragons don't approve of is always risky, but sometimes the only way.
The orcs faired the worst. The dragons use some for slave labor, but because most lack the intelligence to do the tasks asked of them, many are simply kept as fodder.
Giants and other races were also put under the claws of the dragons. Some were allowed a certain measure of freedom, but given tasks to fulfill and overlords to answer to. Others were killed out of hand.
It is in the Underdark, ironically once the world's greatest threat, that the world's greatest hope survives. The races of the Underdark were ruthlessly picked by survival of the fittest to be more deadly and ruthless than their surface cousins. Others, like the illithids, never saw the sun, but were no less dangerous. Even before dragon rule, they were geared toward survival in what was, at the time, the harshest of environments.
When the shadow and deep dragons came to bring the Underdark into line, over a third of all the intelligent races, and almost a quarter of the others escaped. They live in roving bands, all mixed together for survival. Alliances that would have been impossible before dragon rule are now the norm. Drow, duerra, deep gnomes, illithids, and beholders all work together to maintain their freedom from the dragons. They have the most resources of all the races to wage true war agains them. It is to them that the most dragons have fallen.
The dragons maintain their hold on the races by both force and persusation. They have lowered themselves to allow for the birth of several half-dragons to act as the intermediaries between the other races and their dragon overlords. The half-dragon is a common sight, and a feared one.
Most of the classes allowed in this world are limited. Because the dragons do not allow weapons or armor to be made except for half-dragons and the few humans they allow to use them to act as a police force. Getting ahold of a weapon is nearly impossible for a normal person. Tools are the only weapons most have left. The fighter class doesn't exist in it's normal form. Rogues are much more common, using the club, quarterstaff, sap, and the occasional kitchen knife.
Paladins and clerics don't exist, due to the silencing of the gods at the beginning of dragon rule. A few devout clerics of the dead gods have managed to find pools of leftover power from their former dieties and have squeezed some divine power from them. But they are very rare. Rangers exist amonst any free people, though their weapons and armor are crude. Druids still exist, and their magic remains at full strength, but they remain hidden as much as possible to avoid death.
Monks, with their lack of need of weapons, were considered a danger by the dragons. Most monesteries were demolished and the inhabitants killed. Monks still exist in secret, however, hiding their art by posing as tradesmen. They still teach in secret, and so monks are still fairly numerous.
Wizards no longer exist except amongst half-dragons, the few remaining elves, and the free Underdark races, for to teach one of the other races magic is a death penalty. Sorcerery still exists, but anyone that shows traces of magic as a child is killed. Some sorcerers train in secret and conceal their powers, but they live in fear of getting caught.
Adventures in this world could include a crusade by an Underdark band to slay one of their dragon overlords, traveling with a halfling caravan to bring tomes of magic to a distant city, or a fearful quest to find enough real weapons to take out the half-dragon overlord of a small town to allow the inhabitants to escape.
It would be a very grim and gritty world, all in all. So, questions, comments, concerns?
The fundemental idea behind this is the fact that dragons aren't as viciously independent and stubborn as the tales have painted them. Despite their typically solitary existances, they are capable of working together, even cooporating, even if they are evil. The idea behind it is you have one evil dragon who is particularly intelligent, even for his kind. He's also particularly ambitious, cunning, and in possession of considerable patience.
A great red wyrm decides that it is time for the other races of the world to take their rightful place under dragon rule. The increasing adventurers, and the slaughter of dragons both old and young filled him with remorse, even if the dragons were not of his type. Through words, bribes, threats, and deeds, he slowly swayed other dragons to his view, even those normally considered "good."
The metallic dragons possess a measure of arrogance unmatched even by the chromatic dragons. They wouldn't believe that the evil dragons would work together for an extended period of time, for normally they would be right. But pride goeth before a fall. Further deception, and careful training of their own groups of dragonslayers deprived the metallic dragon community of their greatest leaders.
When the rest of the dragons rose up to take control, the battles were fierce, but brief. The metallic dragons either accepted their new roles under the chromatic leaders, or perished. The gem dragons mostly didn't give a damn. Some protested, and were slain. Some fled for parts unknown and were never heard from again. The others stayed where they were, and flowed with the new world order.
The Great Red had planned carefully, and the sisters and brothers of the Underdark, the deep and shadow dragons, were given full control of the shadowed realms, and kept the potentially troublesome fierce races below from fleeing. However, unlike the open world above where people could be seen in a single flying pass, the Underdark was harder to control. Pockets of the races escaped, and remain free until this day.
The races of the world fought fiercely, but their weapons had been blunted before they began. Sabotoge in the greatest centers of learning and magic destroyed vital records of spells that might have laid many dragons low. Artifacts that could have slain them had been stolen. Magical weapons were left without wielders as assassins in the employ of their draconic masters were set against the dragonslayers. Some dragons fell, but those that opposed them found their homes burned, covered with acid, shot through with lightning, or simply ripped to shreds.
Where were the gods in this titanic struggle? Dragons are far more devout than the records suggest. So little was known about the dragon gods that the gods of the other races couldn't have warned their worshippers and servants. The gods of the dragons are to the gods of the other races what those races are to dragons. Some gods died, others banished, and most were imprisoned. Divine magic in the world fell silent when it was needed most.
Now most of the races live under the rule of one of the draconic masters. Each parcel of land is ruled under one dragon overlord, with many other dragons below him. The word of a dragon is law, the defy it means death.
Oddly enough, the land is not totally barren. Dragons are wise and intelligent enough to see that scorching the earth would only bring ruin. Scorching the earth to the bedrock is reserved for special punishment, for the homes of the most vile of traitors.
Many cities, particularly human cities, remain mostly intact, albeit with buildings built for the comfort of dragons.
Humans are by far one of the most numerous races left, but they are also the most often killed. Humans breed like rabbits to dragon eyes, so they are the most useful fodder for any task that needs to be done.
The dwarves still exist, though greatly diminished. Most dwarves died rather than let themselves be taken hostage. It was their skill in processing metal and making beautiful objects that caught the dragons' eyes. The few dwarven communities that survived mostly intact were forced into brutal production in a vain attempt to satisfy the unending lust for treasure that all dragons share. They are a broken race now. They mutter no oaths, they swallow no beer, there are no hearty jokes, or great stories of battle. All but the oldest dwarves have forgotten or never knew life before dragon rule. Weaponsmaking is forbidden to them now, and all they know how to weild are the tools of their trade, the pick, the hammer, the shovel.
The gnomes are almost as bad off as the dwarves. Their skill in gem-crafting spared them from annihilation. They were ripped from their forest homes and put into production with the dwarves. Equally broken the dwarves and the gnomes consider themselves brothers in misery.
The elves only exist in small pockets. The green dragons considered them too much of a threat to continue to exist, due to their ancient knowledge of magic and extensive knowledge of the forest that the greens called their homes. They exist now only in the most utterly remote regions of the most inhospitiable wilderness. Tundra is the most common place, it being too cold for the greens and not cold enough for the whites. Most dragonslayers come from the ranks of the vanishing elven race.
Half elves are much more common, as more remote human villages that don't rate the contant presense of a dragon overlord would shelter small groups of elves. In a desparate attempt to keep a small portion of their race alive, desperate unions were formed, and half-elves were the result. Some travel with the remaining elves, others try to hide amongst humanity. The elves, with their long memories and lifespans, keep the hope alive of freedom from dragon rule. The elves that visit human towns incite rebellion with their tales of former freedom.
The roving halfings faired the best of the longer-lived races. Always cutting and running, they've managed to outrun and hide from the worst of the dragon onslaught. They make deals with the dragons to maintain their freedom, or at least their illusion of it. The halflings exist as the only freely-moving non-dragon race left alive. They maintain the supply and trade routes throughout the world. Oftentimes they are the ones that help smuggle elves to more distant cities, though this is risky. In order to maintain their freedom, they'll gladly give up any illegal passenger or good if questioned. Asking a halfing to transport something the dragons don't approve of is always risky, but sometimes the only way.
The orcs faired the worst. The dragons use some for slave labor, but because most lack the intelligence to do the tasks asked of them, many are simply kept as fodder.
Giants and other races were also put under the claws of the dragons. Some were allowed a certain measure of freedom, but given tasks to fulfill and overlords to answer to. Others were killed out of hand.
It is in the Underdark, ironically once the world's greatest threat, that the world's greatest hope survives. The races of the Underdark were ruthlessly picked by survival of the fittest to be more deadly and ruthless than their surface cousins. Others, like the illithids, never saw the sun, but were no less dangerous. Even before dragon rule, they were geared toward survival in what was, at the time, the harshest of environments.
When the shadow and deep dragons came to bring the Underdark into line, over a third of all the intelligent races, and almost a quarter of the others escaped. They live in roving bands, all mixed together for survival. Alliances that would have been impossible before dragon rule are now the norm. Drow, duerra, deep gnomes, illithids, and beholders all work together to maintain their freedom from the dragons. They have the most resources of all the races to wage true war agains them. It is to them that the most dragons have fallen.
The dragons maintain their hold on the races by both force and persusation. They have lowered themselves to allow for the birth of several half-dragons to act as the intermediaries between the other races and their dragon overlords. The half-dragon is a common sight, and a feared one.
Most of the classes allowed in this world are limited. Because the dragons do not allow weapons or armor to be made except for half-dragons and the few humans they allow to use them to act as a police force. Getting ahold of a weapon is nearly impossible for a normal person. Tools are the only weapons most have left. The fighter class doesn't exist in it's normal form. Rogues are much more common, using the club, quarterstaff, sap, and the occasional kitchen knife.
Paladins and clerics don't exist, due to the silencing of the gods at the beginning of dragon rule. A few devout clerics of the dead gods have managed to find pools of leftover power from their former dieties and have squeezed some divine power from them. But they are very rare. Rangers exist amonst any free people, though their weapons and armor are crude. Druids still exist, and their magic remains at full strength, but they remain hidden as much as possible to avoid death.
Monks, with their lack of need of weapons, were considered a danger by the dragons. Most monesteries were demolished and the inhabitants killed. Monks still exist in secret, however, hiding their art by posing as tradesmen. They still teach in secret, and so monks are still fairly numerous.
Wizards no longer exist except amongst half-dragons, the few remaining elves, and the free Underdark races, for to teach one of the other races magic is a death penalty. Sorcerery still exists, but anyone that shows traces of magic as a child is killed. Some sorcerers train in secret and conceal their powers, but they live in fear of getting caught.
Adventures in this world could include a crusade by an Underdark band to slay one of their dragon overlords, traveling with a halfling caravan to bring tomes of magic to a distant city, or a fearful quest to find enough real weapons to take out the half-dragon overlord of a small town to allow the inhabitants to escape.
It would be a very grim and gritty world, all in all. So, questions, comments, concerns?
