Of all the critters dreamed up by the D&D designers, the various dragon species are by far the most fascinating. They’re surprisingly close to us (demi)human folks. Who among your family, co-workers, etc. can you see in the beasties listed below (complete with the Latin binomials from the First Edition Monster Manual!):
First the good boys. . . .the Metallics.
Brass Dragon (Draco Impudentus Gallus). Lives in the desert, hides from blue dragons, breathes sleep gas and fear gas. Talkative, officious and will follow you around, talking to you.
Bronze Dragon (Draco Gerus Bronzo). Lives in sea caves, loves treasure, likes to swim , tease whales and people-watch. Likes a good fight. Breathes lightning and a repulsion gas.
Copper Dragon (Draco Comes Stabuli): Lives in rocky barren regions. Loves to talk, must be the centre of attention and loves riddles. Practical jokers. Breathes acid and slow gas. Irritating, but they mean well.
Gold Dragon (Draco Orientalis Sino Dux): Wise, judicious, benevolent. Loves fair play. Crusading do-gooders. Breathes fire and chlorine gas. Lives in stone caves, castles, etc. Tiresome, like that great-aunt who’s always giving out reams of good advice and is usually right.
Silver Dragon (Draco Nobilis Argentum): Cheerful, helpful, perky. Likes people (not to eat). Non-violent except when pushed (think Kwai Chang Kane). Breathes frost and paralysation gas. Lives on mountaintops or in cloud castles.
And the bad ones, the Chromatics (they’re more fun):
Black Dragon (Draco Causticus Sputum): Nasty, short-tempered, quick to take offence (and give it) Not too bright, but sharp teeth make up for that. Breathes acid. Lives in swamps, marshes, etc.
Blue Dragon (Draco Electricus): Very territorial. Always hungry. Likes planning ambushes for herd animals and travellers. Strategists, logicians and trophy collectors (don’t ask what sort). Lives in hot deserts. Breathes lightning.
Green Dragon (Draco Chlorinus Nauseous Respiratorus): Nasty, brutish and not at all short. Rude, cruel and sadistic. Likes to pick fights, poison and/or enslave people. Back-stabbers. Breathes chlorine gas, but will NOT sanitise swimming pools on request. Lives in the deep dark woods. Refuses to play fair.
Red Dragon (Draco Conflagratio Horriblis): Smaug, basically. Greedy, thoroughly evil, very powerful. Loves wholesale slaughter and destruction, but will lay waste to the retail market as well. Breathes fire and have been known to hold aerosol cans in front of their mouths before exhaling. Prefers to munch on maidens, but will eat rocks if pressed. Lives in caves, mountains, etc.
White Dragon (Draco Rigidus Frigidus): Dumb, dumb, dumb. Mean-tempered, though, in a vicious, lowbrow mob-enforcer kind of way. Breathes frost and lives in arctic environs. Likes frozen food, like factory-freezer trawlers.
Well that’s it. Do you know any of these people? If you do, chances are, they get home at the end of a long day and change into something a little scalier.
Nice, from the book A Practical Guide To Dragons isn’t it?
I collect info about dragons, and the pictures which are shown here have the same information as the description as the ones at http://www.draconika.com/types.php (chromatic dragons) and at http://www.draconika.com/types/metallic.php (the metallic ones). I refer to both websites, and I find it much easier! Thank you!
Actually, they’re from the WOTC artwork galleries for the 3E Monster Manual. I do have A Practical Guide to Dragons, though, and it’s a wonderful reference.
WOTC artwork galleries for the 3E Monster Manual? Hmmm. Sounds interesting. I need to get A Practical Guide to Dragons. What does it contain about dragons?
Copper dragons are way bigger. I am a copper dragon. My quiz told me. They said i was 30ft. tall as an adult and 50ft. long. When i’m old I am 40ft. tall and 60ft. long.How do you like them apples. Copper dragon is the bomb and is boss of you.
Where did you take the quiz?
Probably one of those quiz sites (e.g. ‘Quizilla!’) There are loads of dragon quizzes and all the info is different, so XP . You can be anything. This info and stuff is from the DnD monster manual, (just like johnth said) which I’m getting tomorrow.
I know the orignal line art was by one of the D&D artists, and I’m too lazy to look up which exact one it was, but who compiled these information sheets?
(The art seems slightly different to the original drawings, see, and I’m intrigued.)
Nice information….