Whenever enough new folks join the Dreamland RPG Facebook group or Discord server, I’m going to be posting new Dreamland material (the FB and/or Discord folks get to vote on what it is). In celebration of the Facebook reaching 350 folks, here is a brief post on Dreamland dragons, including three sample types: pasture, desert and mountain dragons.
Dragons
Dragons aren’t mentioned in The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, but Lord Dunsany writes about several of them, and of course there are dragons in Dreamland.
The most physically powerful of beasts, dragons are gigantic reptilian creatures with sharp swordlike teeth and magic powers. They can fly, either by flapping batlike wings or fishlike fins, or by coiling and floating through the air. Some are limbless and resemble snakes; others have two legs and two wings; still others have four legs and two wings. Some have webbed feet, indicating an amphibious nature. They come in all colors, with the most common being shades of green, black, blue or violet.
Dragons are intelligent and can understand and speak human languages, although due to their pride they may disdain to speak to their prey. They also have their own tongue, which they speak among themselves. Most are carnivores and devour whatever crosses their path, particularly enjoying the flesh of beautiful young men and women; frightened townsfolk often sacrifice their fairest youths to dragons so that they will spare the town. Other, more aesthetic, dragons do not eat meat but live solely through their proximity to beautiful things, particularly pearls and gems. Even flesh-eating dragons always know the location of at least one great treasure hoard, and compulsively gather gold, jewels and beautiful items to decorate their lairs.
Dragon’s magic is in their blood or possibly in a pearl-like formation in their brains. According to some reports their blood grants the power to speak to all animals or can heal all wounds, but others say it is poisonous. Still others say their blood congeals in the form of hematite or jade. Sages say a dragon’s severed head on a doorpost or gate brings good luck, but few have had the opportunity to test this.
Dragons’ most powerful weapon is their deadly breath, which, depending on the dragon, takes many forms. The statistics given for a single dragon are the minimum; some dragons have greater FGT and STB, plus multiple heads and other powers.
Special Traits (All Dragons)
- Vain. All dragons have –4 STB against Begging.
- Overwhelming. Hordes, groups and armies (except of other overwhelming creatures) have 1/2 FGT against them.
- Speaks Road. Knowing how to speak Dragon doesn’t grant any power over them.
Pasture Dragon
Pasture dragons, typically green or yellow in color, most resemble the dragons of European myth. They live in light forest and grasslands, and often wind their coils around a tree or a great rock when sleeping. Sometimes they sleep long enough that a “serpent mound” of earth and grass forms around them. When sick, they graze on wild lettuce or fennel, but generally they eat flesh. They breathe fire.
FGT 14+1D6 (deadly) SPD 5+1D6 (flying) PER 3+1D6 STB 6+1D6 (2+1D6 vs. Begging)
- Dragon Traits. Like all dragons, the pasture dragon is Vain and Overwhelming, and Speaks Road.
- Firestorm. If a pasture dragon wants to and is not surprised, it can breathe fire before its opponents can fight. Dreamers in the area must make a risky Agility challenge of 1D6+2 or become Injured.
Desert Dragon
Desert dragons live in sandy regions and often burrow under the sand. Long and low, they smash their prey with their flattened tails like a flyswatter swatting a fly. At times they attack their prey without uncovering their entire body, unleashing just one or two coils and perhaps a claw or two. They breathe either acid or sand; their blasts of sand can cause blindness.
FGT 18+1D6 (deadly) SPD 5+1D6 (flying) PER 3+1D6 STB 7+1D6 (3+1D6 vs. Begging)
- Dragon Traits. Like all dragons, the desert dragon is Vain and Overwhelming, and Speaks Road.
- Sandstorm. If a desert dragon wants to and is not surprised, it can breathe a sirocco of sand before its opponents can fight. Dreamers in the area must make a risky Strength or Agility challenge (player’s choice) of 1D6+4 or become Blind.
Mountain Dragon
Mountain dragons are embodiments of earth, which explains their hard scales, their fiery breath, and their love of precious metals. They are among the largest dragons and the sleepiest, their restless tossing as they sleep causing earthquakes. They eat flesh, but they also need to swallow gems for their gizzard to aid in digestion. They breathe fire, gravel or flaming naphtha (crude oil).
FGT 20+1D6 (godlike) SPD 6+1D6 (flying) PER 4+1D6 STB 8+1D6 (4+1D6 vs. Begging)
- Dragon Traits. Like all dragons, the mountain dragon is Vain and Overwhelming, and Speaks Road.
- Haughty. Humans have -4 on Persuasion challenges against them.
- Tremor. If a mountain dragon wants to and is not surprised, it can shake its coils and cause an earthquake and clouds of hot ash before its opponents can fight. Dreamers in the area must make a risky Strength or Agility challenge (player’s choice) of 1D6+6 or become Blind and Injured.
There are more dragon types than this in Dreamland; they may be the subject of a later post.