Renegade Dragon Overview [Dragonlance]

Renegade dragons look exactly like ordinary brass, bronze, copper, silver, black, blue, green, red and white dragons; there are no gold ones. What sets them apart is their outlook on the world and on other dragons, and it varies by color and by individual.

They exist because of the choice forced on dragonkind during the War of the Dark Queen. When she freed the evil dragons, she expected all her children, as she thought of them, to fight for her. Being evil, many looked out for themselves and saw only risk and suffering in the coming war. They stayed away, and she cursed them in fury, creating the first renegades.

Bound by their oath not to meddle, the good dragons searched the world for their stolen eggs, and many combed a distant continent. Once the drakeborn hatcheries were found they considered the oath void and returned to fight. Some, especially those who had never laid eggs, stayed behind on the distant continent instead. Their kin shunned them, and they too became renegades.

Black renegades have claimed the southern marshes and steaming jungles. Always selfish loners, they are now fiercely xenophobic and, thanks to the curse, mad and unpredictable. Most attack anything not clearly stronger on sight, yet tales tell of strange, courteous encounters. They cannot cast priest spells and are chaotic neutral.

Blue renegades are rare, since their lawful natures made most obey. The few who refused did it through clever loopholes and justifications, so the Dark Queen took their priest spells and bound them to keep every word they say, exactly as spoken. Already hostile to humans, they now blame that race for all their woes (it started the old dragon wars, after all). They may not attack at once, but they use every power to bring harm and misery to humans. They are extremely lawful evil.

Green renegades are nearly as vicious and obsessive as other greens. They would not leave their sheltered groves, so the curse bound them there. Fanatically territorial, they treat anything, even their own kind, as a trespasser to kill, which keeps them from roaming or breeding, and their numbers keep shrinking.

Red renegades were the few who stayed home to seize new chances on the distant continent while their war-hungry kin marched off. The curse stole what reds value most, their self-confidence. Still powerful and greedy for gold and blood, they doubt their strength, so they skulk, ambush and cheat to overcome their fears. Away from battle they boast and preen to compensate. Facing any foe that seems even moderately strong, they hold back for a surprise attack. Other dragons call them cowards. They have no priest spells.

White renegades changed the most. They refused on a whim, and in return lost every outward sign of intelligence: they cannot speak or cast spells. They remain intelligent and know what they lost, which only feeds their savage fury. They are extremely chaotic evil.

Brass renegades found the choice easy, since their neutral streak simply took over. They were not cursed, but their kin rejected them, which hurts these sociable dragons deeply. Starved for company, they visit nomad tribes on the steppes just to chat and trade gossip, and many are known to the tribesfolk by name. They are neutral (good).

Bronze renegades mostly missed the call entirely. Their friends live in the sea, which the war barely touched, and the news never reached them. On their rare trips ashore they seem astonishingly out of date, and other dragons think them backward. They despise minotaurs with a passion. They are lawful good but rarely meddle in the world.

Copper renegades, once proud of their wit, have turned bitter, feeling unfairly punished for something long finished. They dislike other dragons and anyone who supports the dragons' cause, and they enjoy pestering good dragons, though never to the point of lasting harm. They have grown fond of the local gnomes, whom they find hilarious, the perfect cosmic joke. They are chaotic good (neutral).

Silver renegades stayed behind, they said, to protect the humans of the distant continent. Their motives were sincere, but guilt hounds them, so they wander among humans in disguise, obsessed with helping others and fighting evil, and push their companions to join the crusade. They are now the least tolerant of dragons, with a rigid code under which every evildoer deserves death. They remain firmly good but have become chaotic rather than lawful.