Dragons (part 2) - What should they be?

[Aus_Snow]

Bite, claw, wings/flight (generally), breath weapon (generally), fear aura (in some cases), intelligence (varies a lot), minor magical powers (for many), major magical powers (for some), can be subdued and captured (sure, as much as anything else can. . .), can be found asleep in lair (why not, on occasion, depending.)

So I (kinda) voted accordingly. As closely as possible. From that list, anyway.

 

[S'mon]

Originally, it wasn't actually something to bother the PCs with - it was there so any poor men-at-arms (and the odd henchman) went screaming away whilst the PCs fought the dragon alone. (Levels 5 or lower).

As the editions rolled on, it became something that affected any level of PC.

Yeah, I voted 'Fear Aura', but it's a marginal vote - I was thinking about something that makes the retainers/hirelings flee in terror, not a nerf on the PCs. Area effect powers that are great vs armies but less so vs lone heroes work very well with dragons, and help explain why the army doesn't just go kill them. I'm against general PC-affecting fear auras if the dragon is level-appropriate.

Everything else I voted for I see was shared by a clear majority of voters, including yes to minor magical powers, derived primarily I think from draconic charisma and keen senses (so eg Suggestion and Blindsight powers are good), but no to actual spellcasting.

Edit: And no to the 4e Black's incredibly annoying Darkness ability!

 

[Plane Sailing]

Other things I would have added to the list?

Poisonous acidic blood? Tick!
Wing and Tail attacks? Tick!

My main vision for Dragons was originally inspired by the Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K LeGuin.

 

[TerraDave]

Ah, here is subdual.

(Note that this is also Tolkien inspired, but where are his many followers defending it?)

Extending subdual to other creatures could add a whole new dimension to the game.

It would also basically make the PCs slavers. But you can't have everything.

 

[Nebulous]

I mentioned this in the other thread, but i think 4e dragons should have access to specialized rituals/spells that can be cast quickly in combat (or normally if out of combat). Yes, it might mean bookflipping, but when i think about a red dragon casting cold resistance, or setting up a glyph of flame on its front door, or unleasing a prison of salamanders kept in stasis, or wearing a crown of fire that augments its own abilities, etc, it makes me think of how similar many 4e dragon fights will turn out if run by the book. Basically, every dragon does the same thing with minor damage tweaks or saving throw tweaks. The DM can certainly twist this around with minions, traps and encounter obstacles, but i would like to see more of a baseline difference between each chromatic and metallic type, even if it boils down to more of a story hook than a combat hook.

 

[Dausuul]

Well, it would vary depending on the dragon, but as a general guideline, my picks would be bite, claws, flight, breath weapon, intelligence, minor magical powers, and can be found asleep (which is not to say easily killed) in its lair. No spellcasting per se.

Some dragons might not have wings and/or breath weapons, and some might have major magical powers. A few might have a fear aura, but in general I believe the only "fear aura" a dragon needs is the perfectly rational fear of people confronted with a FREAKING DRAGON. Virtually none would have spellcasting per se.

Smaug is, for me, the definition of a true dragon. He tends to be the dragon by which I judge all other versions of dragons I've seen. I also hold Verminthrax from Dragon Slayer in high regard in how a dragon should be presented.

My picks would probably be, in order:

• Yevaud, the Dragon of Pendor from A Wizard of Earthsea. (Mainly for this exchange, after the dragon baits the hero with an offer of protection from his personal nemesis: "It is very seldom," the young man said at last, "that dragons ask to do men favors." "But it is very common," said the dragon, "for cats to play with mice before they kill them.")
• Maur, the Black Dragon of The Hero and the Crown. Most terrifyingly evil dragon I've ever encountered.
• Smaug the Golden, of course.

This whole thing has got me thinking - I believe one of the things I'm going to incorporate into my home campaign world is that true dragons lay many eggs, but perhaps only one of many dozen may hatch to be another true dragon...the others fail to aspire to gather the necessary majesty or power, and are born as lesser things - wyverns, drakes, draconians and other such lesser draconic beasts.

Ooh, I like this. Yoink!

 

[Hexmage-EN]

Before I started running and playing D&D I had never considered dragons as intelligent, and I certainly didn't think they should talk. I still have trouble thinking of dragons as anything more than flying, fire breathing dinosaurs.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Before I started running and playing D&D I had never considered dragons as intelligent, and I certainly didn't think they should talk. I still have trouble thinking of dragons as anything more than flying, fire breathing dinosaurs.

I guess a lot depends upon the prior exposure that one has had to dragons. What literary dragons had you come across before D&D?