Dragon Overview [Dragonlance]

Here, dragons are thought of as the world's own children, living embodiments of its elemental forces and the most majestic of all creatures. Physically they match dragons elsewhere, but their minds, aims and beliefs are very different.

When the gods made good, evil and neutrality, their quarrels led to a war among the gods that ended when good and neutral powers united to deny evil its victory. The balance of the three still underpins everything. Dragons followed the same pattern: neutral dragons sided with the good against the evil, but tired of the endless struggle and nearly all left the world. Little is known of them now. Black, blue, green, red and white dragons always serve evil, while brass, bronze, copper, gold and silver dragons always serve good.

Three great dragon wars shook the first age. In the last, a young knight of legend received the secret of the dragon-slaying lance and, riding a silver dragon, broke the evil dragons in the skies. To keep the balance, the good dragons then departed, and for ages dragons were only legends. After the great cataclysm, when the gods' fury fell on the world, the Dark Queen woke the evil dragons and seized the good dragons' eggs, promising their safety if the good dragons stayed out of mortal affairs. She corrupted the eggs into drakeborn instead. When the good dragons learned of it they went to war, and alongside the good peoples they won the War of the Dark Queen.

Afterward the good dragons seemed to vanish again. In truth many were dying of a mysterious sickness and others had been called home to guard their ancestral land against an expected attack. The Dark Queen struck again, but with mortal help the dragons cured the plague, secured their homeland and turned her back. Only constant watchfulness keeps evil at bay.

Unlike reclusive dragons on other worlds, these have always been entwined with humans and demihumans. Evil dragons partner with evil mortals in conquest and oppression, and good dragons stand with the forces of justice and honor. A mystic bond links good dragons and good people, built on trust, respect and shared effort. While it holds strong, both flourish at the height of their abilities; when doubt, contempt or discord weaken it, both decline.

Few humans know it, but dragon scholars have excelled at astronomy, mathematics, history and philosophy, and a small number of dragons have composed great poems, music and stories. Good dragons are especially gifted, though evil ones have produced scholars and artists the equal of any race. Their tradition is spoken rather than written, but they also record ideas and events in sculpture, paintings and other art, which they count among their most precious treasures.

Base Hit Dice, armor, alignment, treasure, experience, senses, spells, breath weapons, physical attacks, lairs, diet, family life and tactics all match the same dragon colors on other worlds. Age adjusts Hit Dice and the combat modifier, which adds to every physical attack and damage roll but never to breath. Each dragon saves as a warrior with a level equal to its Hit Dice; a copper hatchling, with a base of 13 minus 6, has 7 HD and saves as a 7th-level warrior. They age a little more slowly than other dragons, and their fear auras are weaker, with smaller radii and milder save modifiers by age.

Black dragons are rash and jittery, act before thinking, produce the fewest scholars and artists, and ally only when it suits them, so evil armies seldom rely on them. They move silently, hit fast and love darkness to hide their attacks. Blue dragons favor deserts and dry lands though they lair in caves, believe the gods love them best, and make dependable line troops; most dragonriders fly them. Their squads are so close that losing a comrade can leave the rest too depressed to fight well. They are strong spellcasters and fighters but favor their lightning breath.

Green dragons are infamously cruel and hot-tempered even among evil dragons, self-indulgent lovers of treasure, rich food and pleasure, and subtle fighters who prefer magic and tricks but will melee when needed. They obey only leaders they respect, and a leader who loses that respect may end up in their jaws; they are used for assassinations rather than big offensives. Red dragons are the mightiest and most feared, smarter than blues, cooperative but defiant of orders they dislike. They see the universe as random chaos where only the strong survive, love burning cities and then picking through the ashes for loot, work well in groups, stay loyal to the Dark Queen, and hunt down every foe unless prisoners are useful. White dragons are the weakest evil dragons, mostly want to be left alone, care nothing for art and little for grand plots, and serve as scouts or guards of minor areas, weakening foes with breath before closing.

Brass dragons see life as a series of trials that sort strong from weak. Kind to lesser beings, they still think the superior should thrive. The least cultured good dragons, they would rather plan for hardship, fight with tooth and claw, and save breath and spells for emergencies. Bronze dragons love war and are fascinated by humans; in old times they were said to pose as farm animals to study them. They trust intuition over logic, since the universe is not logical. Copper dragons have no fixed philosophy, are easily swayed, always ask what cooperation will earn them, and rarely decide anything big without consulting other dragons. Still, they are kindhearted, loyal to friends, wary of strangers and quick to use both breath weapons.

Gold dragons prize intellect, have produced fine mathematicians and philosophers, and respect all thinking beings, yet arrogantly avoid other races. They are superb wizards and attack with spells. Silver dragons devote themselves to good, hold all life sacred and all creatures equal before the gods, and go to war unwillingly but will die for a cause. They are the dragons mortals love most, often taking human or elven shape, which they may even prefer, and helping humans whenever possible.