FR Dragon Question: Mates always match colors?

[jayoungr]

I have a quick question about dragons in the Forgotten Realms: do they always mate with other dragons of the same color? I'm wondering because I have a gold dragon trapped in human form in my Rise of Tiamat campaign, and he may try to flirt with the silver dragon who shows up at the council!

 

[CapnZapp]

Is your question really "who's sleeping with whom"? Because, well... dragons have needs too... not sure they're the most discriminating of species. (Perhaps adolescent dragonlings try to... carouse... with sheep before they figure out they're meant to eat them?)

Perhaps you meant "can a blue dragon and a yellow dragon have a baby and will it be green?

 

[jayoungr]

More like "Would a gold dragon realistically be attracted to a silver dragon, and vice-versa?" Or would they have some kind of filter that steers them away from interest outside their own subspecies?

 

[Tony Vargas]

All the half-dragons in 3.5 would point to it having little to do with cross-fertility. In a magical world it could be just because - it's their nature, essence can come before existence in fantasy logic, even for thinking beings. Since they're sentient it could be a taboo. Since they're arrogant, it could be feeling other-colored dragons are inferior (or in the case of weaker dragon types, being unable to bear being the weaker partner in a 'mixed' mating). There could be an arcane reason - maybe the juxtaposition of the elemental forces that power different breath weapons would make it unpleasant or dangerous. Or, more mundanely, as with some technically-separate species IRL, it could just be because their ranges are different, Red dragons never visit the tundra, White dragons never visit volcanoes.

Or, maybe they do, but the result is always one color or the other, not a mix.

 

[Lanliss]

Or maybe they breed, and the color is essentially random(outside of pure blooded mates). All depends on what kind of world you want to build. As far as the default system, I have no idea.

 

[discosoc]

Interesting concept, although it's not something I've really thought about before. I'd say that chromatic dragons are pretty likely not to mate with a different color, because so much of dragon psychology involves pride, narcissism, megalomania, and just plain disliking other people (including other dragons). There's also a real healthy does of inferiority complexes going on, when it comes to comparing themselves to other dragon colors, and I have a feeling all dragons have a general idea of where their particular color falls in the pecking order. Dragons rarely seem to work together unless each thinks they can gain the upper hand in the end, never cohabitate, and are kind of the ultimate "lone wolf" type of creatures.

That said, if two did mate, I'd guess there would be some predictable outcome for the offspring. Maybe children always take the mothers color? Or maybe the mother just eats any children that happen to be a different color?

 

[I'm A Banana]

More like "Would a gold dragon realistically be attracted to a silver dragon, and vice-versa?" Or would they have some kind of filter that steers them away from interest outside their own subspecies?

Dragons in D&D lore, like LOTS of creatures in D&D lore, are sexual omnivores, using shapechange to transcend the boundaries of species and nature on a regular basis (see: half-dragons). A gold dragon and a silver dragon could totally have a dalliance, and maybe even make an offspring!

As a DM, I'd rule that this would not be a common occurrence - the dragons are like different species of Galapagos finches, filling different niches and rarely overlapping - but entirely possible.

I mean, how do you think Electrum Dragons are born?

 

[DEFCON 1]

In fact... weren't the female gold dragon, Valamardace, and the male silver dragon, Deszeldaryndun Silverwing, technically a couple? They were found on the Floating Mountain over Everlund I believe, described in the Silver Marches campaign book I think.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

over the years I have gone back and forth on this... my biggest issue is there aren't enough dragons to keep the mateing pool open...

I totally made a purple dragon (mommy was red daddy blue) and a electrum dragon (Daddy was silver and mommy gold) back in the day just to have the PCs find out that those two had a Romeo and Juliet story going...

 

[jrowland]

Gold Dragon X Silver Dragon = The Elusive Electrum Dragon