When dragons decide they need hobbies...

[PenguinKing]

Hypothetical situation: if a dragon just doesn't happen to fit the traditional "sleep away the centuries on a mound of gold" image - maybe it's got the draconic equivalent of insomnia or whatnot - what does it do to pass th' time? In short, what's a dragon's idea of a hobby?

I recall one module wherein it's mentioned that a particular dragon was known to do some gemcutting in polymorphed form - I suppose that fits the image. Any other ideas?

- Sir Bob.

 

[The Dungeon Nazi]

The FRCS has a couple of really interesting dragons (as the FRCS has a lot of interesting *everything*).

The one that comes to mind right away is The Worm Who Hides in Blades -- I think he's a brass dragon by the name of Eldenser. He's a ridiculously-old dragon whose magically-preserved-albeit-withered body is secreted deep away from prying eyes and fingers. In the meantime, his consciousness flits from one sword to another all over the Realms, affording him the ability to spy on his wielder's surroundings and cast magic as if in his own body.

Oh, here we go.

"Eldenser ignores other dragons unless they discover him. He cheerfully battles attempts to menace or control him, and he resists any dragon attempting to hoard 'his' blade. A friend to adventurers (who as blade-carriers can bring him excitement and travel), Eldenser is wary only of spellcasters who want to magically examine the blade he's in. He actively spies on anyone working on magic that might allow a dragon to regenerate or replace an aged, crumbling body."

You know, now that this passage is fresh in my head, I wonder if he has any interest in the dracolich transformation?

 

[DM_Matt]

No dracolich for ihm...thats VERY evil...he wants rejuvination, not undeaditude.

 

[Tonguez]

In short, what's a dragon's idea of a hobby?

Crushing the Republic, Destroying the Jedi Council and establishing itself as Galactic Emperor

 

[Moe Ronalds]

Stamp collecting.



PS: 100th post! Holy tatertots!

 

[rounser]

Dave Trampier's Wormy played pool and wargamed extensively.

Hackmaster is state-of-the-art when it comes to draconic hobbies and contests. (These are taken from their write-ups in the Hacklopedia of Beasts Volume II, hopefully the Hard-8 folks won't mind):

Black Dragons like games such as dragon slayer trivia and 6 deck blackjack.
Spiny-Backed Blue-Ridged Blue Dragons enjoy foot races with their imaginary friends or shell games using empty sarcophagi.
Brass Dragons prefer contests such as debating contests, guess-the-land-formation and 2000 questions.
Bronze Dragons like challenges such as kiss-the-dolphin or checkers.
Cloud Dragons don't like contests, but if forced to, they accept challenges on aerial trivia or will play chinese checkers.
Slag-Copper Dragons like joke-telling, riddle-solving, minstrel-song parody and prank-playing contests.
Gold Dragons favor martini mixing and baccarat (which they always win at).
Green Dragons enjoy hocking up loogies to form the most pleasing shapes, or cooking contests.
Red Dragons prefer blind beggar tossing, dawg stomping, and stud poker.
Shadow Dragons enjoy ancient history trivia, shadow puppet contests (which they always win) and the shell game (which they rig).
Silver Dragons like food or wine tasting, or strip poker (when in human or demi-human form).
Slag-Scaled Titanium Dragons refuse to play contests because other dragons do.
Speckled Dragons specialise in dragon trivia or chess.
Spiny Dragons play "Where's-the-piercer?" or long sessions of backgammon.
Swack-Iron Dragons are suckers for contests of all kinds, but favour food and wine tasting, gem and jewelry appraisal and dwarven craps games.
White Dragons play smash-the-block-of-ice, ice-sculpting, or pitch-the-penguin.

Class.

 

[Deedlit]

Destroying villages with it's breath weapon, and letting archers bows bounce off them when the army is sent in.

 

[The Kender]

I was DMing the game and the players walked into a Dragon's Lair. He was Polymorphed at the time and asked the PC's to a game of chess. The dragon won (No surprise)

 

[Moe Ronalds]

maybe a dragon could offer to not kill the PCs if they win in a game of tiddlywinks.

 

[The Dungeon Nazi]

No dracolich for ihm...thats VERY evil...he wants rejuvination, not undeaditude.

Well, on one hand, you're absolutely right. The undead are unnatural in the grand circle of life, and they're rife with negative energy.

However, FR has a precedent in good-aligned undead in the baelnorn who walk the ruins of the mythal cities, protect the larger elven tombs secreted away in the forest, and generally carry on the good work of the elves across Faerun.

Anyway, even if he doesn't want undeaditude, with power to jump into any sword in the world and spy on whoever was nearby, he'd be nuts to have anything less than a passing interest.

That's one of the things I like about FR so much -- you run into evil elves, good liches, beholders who run thieves' guilds, and everything in between. So much gray area to play with!