D&D 5E Dragon Age Categories: The Poll!

[dave2008]

So, I am interested in re-working and improving the 5e dragons. One of the things I want to do is bring back some of the additional age categories from earlier editions, and I would love to get your thoughts! Here are the descriptions of each option, using red dragons as an example. CRs presented are for illustrative purposes only. These could change. You can vote up to 3 times.

Option #1, Some old w/ some new: 9 categories (I like the symmetry around the adult stage)

Age Category	CR
Wyrmling
Very Young
Young
Sub-adult
Adult
Elder
Ancient
Wyrm
Great Wyrm

Option #2, Retro: 8 age categories (I like the symmetry around the adult stage)

Age Category	CR
Very Young	4
Young	7
Sub-adult	10
Young adult	13
Adult	16
Old	19
Very Old	22
Ancient	25

Option #3, Classic: 12 age categories (longest running)

Age Category	CR
Wyrmling	4
Very Young	6
Young	8
Juvenile	10
Young adult	12
Adult	14
Mature adult	16
Old	18
Very Old	20
Ancient	22
Wyrm	24
Great Wyrm	26

Option #4, Neo: 5 age categories (I like the symmetry around the adult stage)

Age Category	CR
Wyrmling	2
Young	8
Adult	14
Elder	20
Ancient	26

Option #5, Modern: 4 age categories (what we have now)

Age Category	CR
Wyrmling	4
Young	10
Adult	17
Ancient	24

Option #6, Modern Twist: 4 + 4 (4 stat blocks / 4 mythic options)

Age Category	CR
Wyrmling / Young	4/Mythic*
Sub-adult/Adult	10/Mythic*
Elder/Ancient	17/Mythic*
Wyrm/Great Wyrm	24/Mythic*

*Each stat block gets a mythic trait called the next higher age category. When you want an older dragon, but not up to the next CR, you activate the mythic trait. One stat block, two dragons.

Option #7, Retro Twist: 8 + 1 (Mythic Great Wyrm)

Age Category	CR
Wyrmling	4
Young	7
Juvenile	10
Young adult	13
Adult	16
Mature adult	19
Elder	22
Ancient / Great Wyrm*	25 / Mythic*

*The ancient dragon has the mythic trait called "Great Wyrm." When you want to have great wyrm, you just activate the mythic trait. One stat block, two dragons.

EDIT: I have completed my update of the chromatic dragons and posted them over at my 5e Updates: Monstrous Compendium; however, here are the direct links for you (they are a bit more complex than the MM dragons ):

• True Dragons: General Information
• True Dragons: Alternate Actions
• True Dragons: Chromatic Dragons
  • Black Dragon, Wyrm/Great Wyrm (Mythic, CR 27)
  • Black Dragon, Ancient (Legendary, CR 23)
  • Black Dragon, Elder (Legendary, CR 19)
  • Black Dragon, Adult (Legendary, CR 15)
  • Black Dragon, Young Adult (standard, CR 11)
  • Black Dragon, Juvenile (standard, CR 7)
  • Black Dragon, Young (standard, CR 3)
  • Black Dragon, Wyrmling (standard, CR 1/2)
  • Blue Dragon, Wyrm/Great Wyrm (Mythic, CR 29)
  • Blue Dragon, Ancient (Legendary, CR 25)
  • Blue Dragon, Elder (Legendary, CR 21)
  • Blue Dragon, Adult (Legendary, CR 17)
  • Blue Dragon, Young Adult (standard, CR 13)
  • Blue Dragon, Juvenile (standard, CR 9)
  • Blue Dragon, Young (standard, CR 5)
  • Blue Dragon, Wyrmling (standard, CR 1)
  • Green Dragon, Wyrm/Great Wyrm (Mythic, CR 28)
  • Green Dragon, Ancient (Legendary, CR 24)
  • Green Dragon, Elder (Legendary, CR 20)
  • Green Dragon, Adult (Legendary, CR 16)
  • Green Dragon, Young Adult (standard, CR 12)
  • Green Dragon, Juvenile (standard, CR 8)
  • Green Dragon, Young (standard, CR 4)
  • Green Dragon, Wyrmling (standard, CR 1/2)
  • Red Dragon, Wyrm (Mythic, CR 30)
  • Red Dragon, Ancient (Legendary, CR 26)
  • Red Dragon, Elder (Legendary, CR 22)
  • Red Dragon, Adult (Legendary, CR 18)
  • Red Dragon, Young Adult (Legendary, CR 14)
  • Red Dragon, Juvenile (standard, CR 10)
  • Red Dragon, Young (standard, CR 6)
  • Red Dragon, Wyrmling (standard, CR 2)
  • White Dragon, Wyrm/Great Wyrm (Mythic CR 26)
  • White Dragon, Ancient (Legendary, CR 22)
  • White Dragon, Elder (Legendary, CR 18)
  • White Dragon, Adult (Legendary, CR 14)
  • White Dragon, Young Adult (standard, CR 10)
  • White Dragon, Juvenile (standard, CR 6)
  • White Dragon, Young (standard, CR 2)
  • White Dragon, Wyrmling (standard, CR 1/4)

 

[Sword of Spirit]

#1 is closest to what I'd like. Basically you take the 4 that are already in 5e, and add one after each of those but before the last. I think perhaps for the one after Ancient you could maybe combine it with your Option #7 and make it Wyrm, with Mythic turning it into Great Wyrm.

I would use "Young Adult" rather than "Sub-Adult" in all instance though. Young Adult is traditional, whereas if you asked me what a Sub-Adult dragon was without showing me the chart my initial assumption would be that it just meant any dragon that was older than a wyrmling but not an adult yet. If I thought about it for a while, I might decide that perhaps it was referring to one just below the Adult category, but it's not as accessible as "Young Adult".

 

[QuentinGeorge]

You forgot Dragonlance SAGA which had 14.

 

[dave2008]

#1 is closest to what I'd like. Basically you take the 4 that are already in 5e, and add one after each of those but before the last. I think perhaps for the one after Ancient you could maybe combine it with your Option #7 and make it Wyrm, with Mythic turning it into Great Wyrm.

I would use "Young Adult" rather than "Sub-Adult" in all instance though. Young Adult is traditional, whereas if you asked me what a Sub-Adult dragon was without showing me the chart my initial assumption would be that it just meant any dragon that was older than a wyrmling but not an adult yet. If I thought about it for a while, I might decide that perhaps it was referring to one just below the Adult category, but it's not as accessible as "Young Adult".

Thank you for the input! I'm a little confused, do you prefer #1 or #7? Not the actual names, but the category arrangement?

 

[dave2008]

You forgot Dragonlance SAGA which had 14.

There was a 10 category version too, but those were both setting specific and not the base assumption for the whole edition.

 

[Krachek]

Dragon should also wear name tag with their name and age!
For me young, old, adult is enough.
We are stuck in a multiple levels progression, so we need to have dragon for all level.
Of course it feel awkward to say it’s a CR 13 dragon, But having 12 ages categories is not far from it.

 

[dave2008]

Dragon should also wear name tag with their name and age!
For me young, old, adult is enough.
We are stuck in a multiple levels progression, so we need to have dragon for all level.
Of course it feel awkward to say it’s a CR 13 dragon, But having 12 ages categories is not far from it.

That is a good point. D&D (BECMI) didn't have age categories at all, just small, large, and huge sized dragons (an then a modifier to make each size slightly bigger or smaller).

However, I wouldn't say stuck as it has changed in most editions:
1e = 8 ages
2e = 12 ages
3e = 12 ages
4e = 5 ages
5e = 4 ages

With 4e and 5e you have a 6-9 level / CR jump between ages, it is not exactly a treadmill.

 

[Aldarc]

5 seems like a nice number.

 

[dave2008]

5 seems like a nice number.

I do like the odd numbers: 5 & 9

 

[Crimson Longinus]

I don't think we need more age categories. In fact remove the wyrmling. Killing baby dragons is gross and also every dragon should be an utter menace, So lowest level ones being CR 10ish is fine.

Also, if one wants more categories, then it feels redundant to duplicate them for each type of a dragon. So instead of having 'young red dragon,' adult black dragon' etc. just have say ten dragon stat blocks of different power, and then a sidebar for giving them the type specific breath weapons, resistances and such.