I like Linnorms. Do you?

[DeBracy]

Love 'em myself. They actually come from Norse myth, if I'm not mistaken, and I think their name in the actual mythology is "lindorm," rather than "linnorm." (Though I'm sure it's been transliterated both ways.)

Well, I can't tell you what it "actually is" but here in Sweden they're called Lindorm.

Never pictured them as cool, probably because it was right next to the "real" dragons in a book for Swedish Drakar och Demoner ("Dragons and Demons"), but now that I think it... it's quite cool. I think I'm going to use one for my upcoming AD&D game.

 

[arwink]

1. Have any of you used a linnorm (as a DM) or encountered one (as a player)? Tell us about it.

I used a dread linorm in a 2e game, which was the clumination of a fairly intense adventure. The fight started with people dropping down into its lair one by one on a rope, hoping it wouldn't notice.

Unfortunately, it did.

The ability to use a pair of breath weapons proved to be a major part of the battle, although the PC's won by strength of numbers and clever play.

2. Were linnorms in an earlier edition of (A)D&D? If so, which tome?

Before they hit the annual, I remember a series of Linnorm articles that ran through two consecutive issues of dragon. The first dealt with common types, the second with a few unique creatures.

 

[Shade]

I've used a dread linnorm and frost linnorm (conversion). I've faced a gray linnorm. Both campaigns are epic or near-epic, and the linnorms fared slightly worse than a true dragon of the same CR, mainly due to their weaker breath weapons.

The landwyrms are actually not that similar to the linnorms. Essentially, landwyrms are non-true wingless dragons that lack breath weapons and spellcasting ability, whereas linnorms are non-true wingless dragons that are highy magical and possess breath weapons.

Also, if you dig linnorms, check out the swamp linnorm on WOTC's site:

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fw/20030822a

 

[J_A_Garlock]

.

Also, if you dig linnorms, check out the swamp linnorm on WOTC's site:

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fw/20030822a

I like the way it's served by " leathery-skinned bog mummies ". Thanks for the link, it's an interesting monster.

 

[Sebastian Francis]

whereas linnorms are non-true wingless dragons that are highy magical and possess breath weapons.

But can't some linnorms fly? I don't have my MM2 in front of me but I seem to recall some blurb about how "flying linnorms can use breath weapon in same round blah blah..."

 

[Voadam]

I like linnorms but I've only seen the 2e ones from dragon, I don't have the 3e MMII or 3e Draconomicon.

 

[Shade]

But can't some linnorms fly? I don't have my MM2 in front of me but I seem to recall some blurb about how "flying linnorms can use breath weapon in same round blah blah..."

I only said that they are wingless.

Many have fly as a spell-like ability.

 

[JustKim]

I love Norse mythology and I enjoy the various versions of linnorms in D&D, but I haven't and can't use the MM2 linnorms because the numbers don't sync up. 13 HD for a CR 20 creature? Linnorms as written are dead before they can act. A challenging linnorm would have to be rebuilt completely, which is not an easy task when it comes to such an epic dragon.

 

[Mighty Halfling]

Dragons: A Natural History has a nice long entry for dragons. Having read this first, I'm not a big fan of the D&D write-up of the creature.