Dragons of Editions Past: Anyone ever use them?

[AFGNCAAP]

Oh yeah, forgot to ask about this, as well:

In Basic D&D (specificially, the Basic/Expert/Companion/Master/Immortal sets), there were only six dragons (the classic 5 chromatic, plus gold). However, later in the series of boxed sets, there were 6 more dragons (much more powerful ones, IIRC). I know that 1 of them was a Brown Dragon (opposite the Gold Dragon), but I couldn't recall the other kinds of dragons. Weren't they gemstone dragons of some sort (for basic D&D)?

 

[Alzrius]

Oh yeah, forgot to ask about this, as well:

In Basic D&D (specificially, the Basic/Expert/Companion/Master/Immortal sets), there were only six dragons (the classic 5 chromatic, plus gold). However, later in the series of boxed sets, there were 6 more dragons (much more powerful ones, IIRC). I know that 1 of them was a Brown Dragon (opposite the Gold Dragon), but I couldn't recall the other kinds of dragons. Weren't they gemstone dragons of some sort (for basic D&D)?

First seen in the Master Set, Mystara had six types of gem dragons (which are quite different from the gem dragons of AD&D): Crystal (later called Crystalline), Onyx, Jade, Sapphire, Ruby, and Tiger's Eye (aka Brown). These were also in AC9 Creature Catalouge and, IIRC, the Rules Cyclopedia.

The AD&D 2E Mystara Monstrous Compendium Appendix had listings for the Crystalline (here is where they were renamed), Jade, Onyx, and Ruby dragons. IIRC, it also had a sidebar saying to just port over the Brown and Sapphire dragons from the Monstrous Manual without the psionics (which MM Sapphire dragons had).

The entire saga of the coming of the gem dragons to Mystara is the subject of the novels Dragonlord of Mystara, Dragonking of Mystara, and Dragonmage of Mystara, by Thorarinn Gunnarsson.

 

[TheLostSoul]

I very rarely use dragons in my campaigns, and the few times I have used them, it has been for flavor. I might use the Mercury, Mist or Steel dragon in the future, as they have always been favorites of mine. Most likely, though, I will not use any dragons, exept, perhaps, for a one-shot game.

 

[Prince of Happiness]

I've used a mist dragon in an adventure where the players went to recover the crown of a kingdom that had a post-Roman-esque barbarian invasion. Anyways, they find this "treasure" map (one which had a cool encounter with a well that was very dark, and the unfortunate guy on watch got to see shadows spilling over the lip of the well), go through a forest (I had written different encounters for multiple paths), and if they got the clues scattered through the adventure right, choose the right tributary of a great river to follow up to get the waterfall where the mist dragon lived, who kept the crown for safe-keeping. They were also followed by an ambitious lord and his goons who wanted the crown for himself. Big cinematic fight between the two parties in front of a heart rendingly beautiful waterfall while the shimmering mist dragon watched impassively. I think I also had some kind of test from the dragon to test the PCs heart/soul so that the crown would either go to someone in the party with a good heart, or take it to the regent of the realm so he could be properly crowned as king. Yeah, or something like that. So, yeah, I've used variant dragons before.

 

[Whimsical]

Gem Dragons

You can find 3.0 versions of the Gem Dragons (amethyst, crystal, emerald, sapphire, and topaz dragons) here on the WotC web site. It is a web enhancement for the 3.0 Psionic Handbook.

 

[Cam Banks]

Woot! Gotta get me that book during GenCon! Thanks for the notice Cam!

If I'm hanging around the Sovereign Press booth, I'll even sign it for you!

Cheers,
Cam

 

[LondonReign]

I've got a mist dragon readied for a particular not-too-distant encouter in my current campaign.

I also have a specific spot where mercury dragons live (have they been updated for 3e?) in my campaign world, but don't foresee anyone traveling there soon.

 

[Alzrius]

You can find 3.0 versions of the Gem Dragons (amethyst, crystal, emerald, sapphire, and topaz dragons) here on the WotC web site. It is a web enhancement for the 3.0 Psionic Handbook.

They're also in the Monster Manual II, which means they have 3.5E updates in the Accessory Update Booklet.

I also have a specific spot where mercury dragons live (have they been updated for 3e?) in my campaign world, but don't foresee anyone traveling there soon.

Mercury dragons have indeed been updated, to 3.5E statistics. Also available on WotC's website in 3.5E are Mist dragons, the aforementioned Obsidian dragons (in 3E, not 3.5E), and Steel dragons (aka Greyhawk dragons; they were given 3E stats under that name in Living Greyhawk Journal #1). Also there are the (AFAIK) all-new Ectoplasmic dragons, along with other draconic creatures.

Does anyone know if the Adamantine, Arboreal, Axial, Beast, and Concordant dragons from Dragon #321 are from previous editions or not? I don't think they are, but I was sure I saw a vague reference to an adamantine dragon in a Planescape product dealing with one of the lawful Upper Planes.

 

[Incenjucar]

Not to mention the brine dragon and the amber dragon...

 

[Alzrius]

Not to mention the brine dragon

From 2E's Monstrous Compendium Annual vol. 2 (I'm not sure if this is the same as the Sea dragon in the new Dragonlance Campaign Setting or the Aquatic dragon in the new Bestiary of Krynn).

and the amber dragon...

From 2E's Monstrous Compendium Annual vol. 3.