D&D (2024) Check Out D&D's New Gold Dragon Redesign

In the new 2024 edition of Dungeons & Dragons, WotC is redesigning its iconic dragons. ComicBook.com got a close-up and personal look at the brand new gold dragon, with a gorgeous art piece by Chase Stone. The dragon is, as can be seen, wingless--or at least with greatly reduced wings--in a nod to older editions of D&D--in AD&D 1E, gold dragons were more inspired by Asian dragons, but gained large wings in later editions. ComicBook's Christian Hoffer spoke to WotC's art director Josh Herman, who said "The wing change was really to give it a little bit of something extra, but also hopefully make it clear that they don't need their wings to fly all the time".

You can read the full article and interview here.

 

[Kaiyanwang]

I'm preferential to the 3.5e dragon designs myself, those really hit it out of the park.

I think the work Todd Lockwood did is still unparalleled, on top of THAT 3e Draconomicon cover.
Said this, this new art is technically excellent and they managed to make the dragons look imposing, with those wicked chromatic (I love the casting Green one! It was time to see it) and this piece captures very well the mystical nature of the Golden Dragon. Only general criticism is the "lobed" wings.
Said this, I always considered Goldie a middle ground between east and west while this one leans more toward east.

 

[Distracted DM]

Eh, I don't see the need to redesign them again.

I like the look of the new design better on the ground, though. In the air, the design looks confused and chaotic. I think I actually like the 3E design better, and I definitely don't agree with the supposed reasons behind the redesign. The chromatics definitely already had unique tell-tales to them. It's always been the metallics that get mixed up together, outside Gold and Silver dragons.

View attachment 364693

I like the OP pic. I do not like this one on the ground at all
I agree with everything else though!

 

[Riley]

Looks great!

I’m in favor of a diversity of dragons - both refreshing the official style now and again, and just ignoring it whenever possible.

 

[Chaosmancer]

I think this looks pretty amazing. I always liked leaning more into the Eastern Dragon for the Golds, frankly, it would be kind of neat to see a lot of the different dragons having a more extreme morphology. Instead of "Sea Serpents, Dragon Turtles, and Dragons are related" it could be cool to see Bronze Dragons taking over that roll of Sea Serpent, while the Gold is an Eastern Dragon, and you could have another type of dragon have the four-limb structure.

Not that there is anything wrong with what I've seen of the designs for 2024 to date, I love all of them, but it just tickles me that we could expand since we have 15 or so types of dragons (Chromatic, Metallic, Gem) that can cover the different draconic expressions and body plans.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Eh, I don't see the need to redesign them again.

I like the look of the new design better on the ground, though. In the air, the design looks confused and chaotic. I think I actually like the 3E design better, and I definitely don't agree with the supposed reasons behind the redesign. The chromatics definitely already had unique tell-tales to them. It's always been the metallics that get mixed up together, outside Gold and Silver dragons.

View attachment 364693

Okay, yeah, this definitely looks better than the shown image (though I still dislike the "tail twice as long as body+neck" look). I've never really liked the 3e-style "fish fin" wings on gold dragons, and the top level image goes hard on that aesthetic to the point of not even really looking like wings anymore. This image here at least looks like actual wings, albeit stunted ones.

 

[Vael]

Pretty

 

[Distracted DM]

View attachment 364693
I liked it 'til I saw this image of it on the ground :')
I thought it was an amalgam of the old east asian gold dragon and the 3-5e version, buuut it's very very ... not that. It's 80% tail, not body :'D

 

[Veltharis ap Rylix]

View attachment 364693
I liked it 'til I saw this image of it on the ground :')
I thought it was an amalgam of the old east asian gold dragon and the 3-5e version, buuut it's very very ... not that. It's 80% tail, not body :'D

I mean...

 

[BB Shockwave]

This looks pretty bad. The super long tail and the ribbon/flatworm shape is one thing, but Moose antlers? Eww..
Not happy that we are getting a complete redesign of all the Metallic and Chromatic Dragons, when Wizkids has not released a single Huge sized Metallic Dragon mini yet... At least we are more than covered with the Chromatics. Ah well, more money saved I guess on minis.

I think the work Todd Lockwood did is still unparalleled, on top of THAT 3e Draconomicon cover.
Said this, this new art is technically excellent and they managed to make the dragons look imposing, with those wicked chromatic (I love the casting Green one! It was time to see it) and this piece captures very well the mystical nature of the Golden Dragon. Only general criticism is the "lobed" wings.
Said this, I always considered Goldie a middle ground between east and west while this one leans more toward east.

I have only seen art of the Gold, Red and Bronze. Where have you seen the Green?

I mean...
View attachment 364720

Well, sure, Gold Dragons were basically chinese style Oriental Dragons in 1E and 2E, but since we got the Lung / Oriental Dragons later who are all that design, I feel 3E did the right thing by redesigning them.

 

[mach1.9pants]

I love that art, very inspiring.