D&D 5E How many dragons do we need?

[jgsugden]

Dragons are iconic creatures in D&D - we all know the game is named after them. I was doing an inventory of my miniatures yesterday and began to look at the dragons in it and began to wonder: How many dragons do we really need?

In popular lore we really only get one for the most part - an evil fire breathing dragon. D&D (over the editions) has added to that concept with:

4 other evil dragon types with different breath weapons
5 metallic dragons
2+ Dragon Gods
Skeletal / Lich Dragons
5 Gem Dragons
5 Space Dragons
5+ Metal Dragons (Iron, Steel, etc...)

... and then we have relatives like:
Sea Serpents
Dragon Turtles
Wyverns
Hydras
Faerie Dragons

... and in my lore I added
Drakes (essentially - dumb dragons that are intended to be used only as mounts)

In lore, dragons tend to be special. They tend to live in remote areas that are remote because the dragon is there. I have a massive primary world in my setting. The surface world is 12 times larger than Earth, and there is a Dyson Sphere like Underdark surface that is of nearly the same size. I don't have room for all of these dragons out there in my world, and I've been developing it for 40 years.

Are we diluting the specialness of the dragon by having so many types?

(And yes - I know the obvious answer - if you do not like them in your game, do not use them. My question is not aimed at how to fix my world - it is aimed at what the D&D brand is doing overall).

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Are we diluting the specialness of the dragon by having so many types?

No. Specialness is not a conserved quantity.

 

[DND_Reborn]

I think it has been at that point for some time.

I only use the base 10 "true dragons" as dragons. Although WotC gave the others the "dragon" creature type, I don't consider them dragons except for Faerie Dragons maybe, but more Fey than Dragon IMO.

 

[ECMO3]

Dragons are iconic creatures in D&D - we all know the game is named after them. I was doing an inventory of my miniatures yesterday and began to look at the dragons in it and began to wonder: How many dragons do we really need?

In popular lore we really only get one for the most part - an evil fire breathing dragon. D&D (over the editions) has added to that concept with:

4 other evil dragon types with different breath weapons
5 metallic dragons
2+ Dragon Gods
Skeletal / Lich Dragons
5 Gem Dragons
5 Space Dragons
5+ Metal Dragons (Iron, Steel, etc...)

... and then we have relatives like:
Sea Serpents
Dragon Turtles
Wyverns
Hydras
Faerie Dragons

... and in my lore I added
Drakes (essentially - dumb dragons that are intended to be used only as mounts)

In lore, dragons tend to be special. They tend to live in remote areas that are remote because the dragon is there. I have a massive primary world in my setting. The surface world is 12 times larger than Earth, and there is a Dyson Sphere like Underdark surface that is of nearly the same size. I don't have room for all of these dragons out there in my world, and I've been developing it for 40 years.

Are we diluting the specialness of the dragon by having so many types?

(And yes - I know the obvious answer - if you do not like them in your game, do not use them. My question is not aimed at how to fix my world - it is aimed at what the D&D brand is doing overall).

Ok first off my Faerie Dragon familiar Spinner wants you to know she is a Dragon and not a "spinnoff". She tells me to have you look in the monster manual where it clearly says she is a tiny Dragon.

With that out of the way, I would argue good Dragons do exist in the lore in the far east and they chose to live near people. So I would argue that is at least two types and moriffs.

Personally I would like to see the Gem Dragons hunted to extinction so we don't have to deal with them any more. I don't get what thematic purpose they serve and they are almost never in published adventures and usually not even referenced in the plot in the Dragon oriented plots like Tyranny of the Dragon or Dragonlance. Dragonlance is really telling; the entire world is about the good gods fighting the evil gods with the Neutral gods mediating and keeping both sides in check. Dragons play a dominant roll as servants of good or evil, but even here in this dragon-intensive setting the gem dragons do not make an entrance.

The rest I am happy with, and there are alot of players that want more dragon appearances. My son for example says and adventure is not D&D unless there is a Dragon.

 

[Fanaelialae]

In my lore, True Dragons are essentially all the same, but their outer form reflects their inner nature. Red dragons aren't all prideful because they're born that way, but rather they become a red dragon because arrogance is their defining personality trait. A red dragon who chooses to follow a nobler path could, over time, transform into a gold dragon. Similarly, a gold dragon who grows too arrogant would gradually transform into a red dragon. To them, this sort of change is totally natural.

As for whether there are too many kinds? IMO, the more the merrier. I'd rather have a ton of dragons that I never use, but always have a good option for any draconic adventures I'm planning, than not have enough and have to scrap the adventure because I don't have time to homebrew what I need.

 

[Xamnam]

I'll admit, in my homebrew world, I have the dragons function as patron protectors of the lands and their peoples, so I was thrilled to have so many already detailed options, but they also less aggressive than standard depiction. But even in other settings, I love them and the opportunities they provide, though I think it's fair to imagine that maybe not every type has an ancient one active in the world.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

all the dragons. We need all the types. Not for an individual game per say, but so we can pick and choose what dragons we want for the game.

Off hand I think that an individual MM 1 needs to be Metalic and chromantic with maybe a few 'other' off hand I want deep draco lich and shadow. Then I think the others are great for later books.

 

[BookTenTiger]

Just one true dragon. Then sidebars showing how to adapt it to different variations, elemental types, etc.

 

[the Jester]

I think the more the merrier, as long as they aren't truly redundant. Like, we have red dragons, so we probably don't need another evil fire breathing dragon with no other distinguishing characteristics. But cloud dragons? Shou lung (and the other lung dragons)? Brine dragons? Steel dragons? Song dragons? Gem dragons? Catastrophic dragons? Heck yeah. Bring 'em.

 

[Shiroiken]

How many dragons do we really need?

ALL THE DRAGONS!!!

@GMforPowergamers beat me to it, but lacked emphasis.