Dragons: how many in an average continent?

[Jonathan Drain]

I think it's said that a dragon considers its territory to be everything within a day's flight, but I'm not sure whether or not that's a return flight. For one day's flight that's 160 miles for most non-ancient dragons. That's 80,424 square miles or 20,106 square miles if you assume that's return.

Lets say that's not a return flight. A single dragon considers his territory to be about the size of the United Kingdom. Three juvenile dragons would rule an area the size of Texas. Forty-six would divvy up the United States, and discounting water, no more than five hundred might rule the world.

If we assume the dragon controls an area within a day's return flight, two juvenile dragons would claim the British Isles or the state of Kentucky. Thirteen would rule an area the size of Texas, and the number of dragons claiming territory in the world is something in the region of 2,000 to 3,000.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I think it's said that a dragon considers its territory to be everything within a day's flight, but I'm not sure whether or not that's a return flight. For one day's flight that's 160 miles for most non-ancient dragons. That's 80,424 square miles or 20,106 square miles if you assume that's return.

Lets say that's not a return flight. A single dragon considers his territory to be about the size of the United Kingdom. Three juvenile dragons would rule an area the size of Texas. Forty-six would divvy up the United States, and discounting water, no more than five hundred might rule the world.

If we assume the dragon controls an area within a day's return flight, two juvenile dragons would claim the British Isles or the state of Kentucky. Thirteen would rule an area the size of Texas, and the number of dragons claiming territory in the world is something in the region of 2,000 to 3,000.

I like both sets of those numbers, depending on how common I want dragons to be in a given campaign, but I am very much in the camp of every dragon has a name and every dragon is, essentially, a really big NPC.

For a game more like, say, the G series, where a red dragon is just plopped down into the lower level of the fire giant king's dungeon, this sort of math doesn't really work. In that case -- which is a perfectly valid way to play -- a dragon is just a big treasure guard dog. (I actually think the red dragon might be named, but he's still not what the adventure is about, which is what my preference would be any time there's a dragon running around.)

 

[Sigurd]

I like the numbers for dragons so far but I think there are other factors involved.


Dragons and Food

Feeding dragons is really, really ghastly if you go by any reasonable metabolism and necessary food supply. This doesn't even account for Dragon Waste which would be a pretty big indication of where a dragon has been.
I think you have to assume that dragons sleep a lot because

a) their dreams are that good - Magic comes to Dragons in their sleep
b) they conserve energy and reduce their food needs dramatically by sleeping. Sleep and magic may actually sustain them.
c) sleeping allows all sorts of necessary world plots to go on.

A feeding dragon decimates herds and wildlife especially when it is clutching (laying eggs), or raising young.

Dragons Density

While the majority of encounters are with a single dragon that doesn't mean that others are not in the same region. At least half the time more than one dragon shares a region when they are from a related bloodline or a competing one.
Related dragons may avoid bloodshed.
Competing dragons may actively avoid each other - waiting for the right time to attack.

Dragon Gender

All dragons are territorial and greedy in their fashion but not equally so. Male dragons often spend much of their earlier age categories 'tom catting' around seeing the world and looking for a mate. Female dragons, like cats, tend to have a smaller range and are more intent on a permanent lair and nursery.
Perhaps a powerful dragon will tolerate dragons of the opposite gender for the length of a dragon courtship period? Gender among dragons might be more powerful than dragon type, depending on how you view alignment. A young Red Dragon might accept the attentions of a beautiful White Dragon if there are no Reds in the area. (Everyone knows there are enough dragon types to justify!)

Alternate Forms

Dragons themselves may adventure far from their hoard in one form or another. They may assume smaller forms to reduce their need to hunt or to better understand\teach a humanoid settlement.

Hunting as Punishment

All dragons treat predation as a violent act and may indulge themselves to punish a foe or region. Dragons may simply oppose the spread of settlements. From the dragons perspective it may not be an evil act to burn a village from the side of a mountain - they may be saving the mountain.


Sigurd