D&D 5E How Should Dragons Be Handled In 5e

[Doug McCrae]

As others have said, the game is called "Dungeons & Dragons" for a reason.

Eh, it's just because it sounds good with the alliteration, it doesn't mean anything. How the heck does a dragon fit in a 10 ft corridor anyway? Dungeons and dragons don't reallly mix.

 

[Sunseeker]

Eh, it's just because it sounds good with the alliteration, it doesn't mean anything. How the heck does a dragon fit in a 10 ft corridor anyway? Dungeons and dragons don't reallly mix.

Well if we take "dungeons" to include caverns then it's not such a big deal.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Why should dragons resort to silly mortal structures like spells when they can use more primordial forces?

"Because I want them to."

Really, I think the designers need to take the view that people will do what they want with the game, and they should give us to the tools to do it. What does it matter if you don't think spellcasting dragons are cool? Someone might disagree with you. D&D should be their game, too.

Don't like rainbow dragons? Awesome, all dragons in your world have logically environment-appropriate coloration. Don't like weak dragons? Awesome, all the dragons in your world are mighty. Don't want complicated spellcasting for dragons? Awesome, none of your dragons have spells and they all just use monster powers.

Like rainbow dragons? Like fighting wyrmlings? Like adding spellcasting? Awesome. Those need to be options, too.

I don't think the 5e team can approach any rules element, including dragons, with the idea that they're telling us how it's going to be. They need to approach it by giving us the tools to make it how we want it.

That kind of conflicts with the typical "alphabetical listing of creatures you might encounter" model of a typical Monster Manual, but honestly I don't think that encyclopedic database is very relevant for the play of the game now. Rather than say "Dragons are too proud to bother with mortal spellcasting, so we didn't design them to do it, and they don't" the game needs to say "Here's how to add class abilities (including spellcasting) to any monster (including dragons), and what happens when you do." I think the 5e MM needs to be more of a challenge-building-book and less of a creature-reference-book.

I've got my view of how dragons in my games should be (powerful forces of nature that dominate the campaign but are also spread out over several levels to make them a reoccurring theme rather than all just distant threats), but my view is just mine, and it shouldn't be forced on anyone who has a different view of things.

 

[Incenjucar]

There isn't a single edition where you can't just add traits to things.

 

[Hassassin]

Firstly, I agree that dragons have never been done perfectly, but that some earlier versions are better than the (core) 4e dragons.

With regards to spellcasting, I think most dragons should have certain spells at-will instead of using a spell system like Vancian or sorcerer. Some old dragons could be wizards or sorcerers on top of that and have more usual spellcasting ability. I'm not sure how it should be implemented exactly, but maybe a short spell list for each color and all those would be available at-will.

 

[avin]

Dragons should be formidable oponents.

Dragons shouldn't have "sorcerer levels", this is a major pain in the arse. Monsters should be quick and easy to run, I just don't have the time to carefully prepare spell lists for npcs anymore.

 

[Leatherhead]

I mostly want my dragons to fly.

Breath weapons and mythical abilities are nice things for show, but they only get used a few times per encounter (I suppose they should happen more often, a breath weapon gets good action economy against a group after all). Tooth and claw, while dangerous, are more of a backup or filler attack option when the breath weapon can't be used.

Flying should be a dragons primary mode of movement. Getting a dragon into the air dramatically reshapes the encounter. It changes the pacing, the parties formations, the strategies, and it really defines what fighting a dragon should be about.

But flying, is never emphasized enough. It might be that the flying rules are a pain, or perhaps the metagame keeps monsters at swords length. But whatever the reason is, when a dragon isn't flying, the encounter isn't as good as it could have been.

 

[Kingreaper]

Firstly, I agree that dragons have never been done perfectly, but that some earlier versions are better than the (core) 4e dragons.

With regards to spellcasting, I think most dragons should have certain spells at-will instead of using a spell system like Vancian or sorcerer. Some old dragons could be wizards or sorcerers on top of that and have more usual spellcasting ability. I'm not sure how it should be implemented exactly, but maybe a short spell list for each color and all those would be available at-will.

No spell lists. I don't want to need the PHB as well as the monster manual to run a dragon.

If the dragon's get spell-like abilities: Write out what they do.

 

[Mattachine]

I hope some dragons are presented as huge, powerful, and bestial creatures. Though I can create some of my own dragons to be that way, many dragon archetypes are not smart and do not use magic. For every Smaug or Fafnir, there is a classical, unnamed dragon that ravages the countryside.

 

[Scribble]

I'd like Dragons to start as Large bestial powerful beings. Add options for giving them spells if wanted/needed. Maybe give "possible spell selections" in the entry.