Fantasy Dragons or Dinosaurs of Doom?

It always struck me that Dragons were listed in many fantasy settings as their own, super powerful, monsters. If they are so magical, intelligent and super strong, why haven’t they taken over everything and rule the entire world? They have all of this capability and yet they squander it sitting on a pile of gold. So in thinking this over, and for Cresthaven RPG, dragons are to be overhauled. I’m going to roll them out one at a time, but they’ll all share the following characteristics.

Key Features of Cresthaven RPG Dragons

1. They are dinosaurs
2. They have wings and can fly
3. They have breath weapons differing by color of dragon
4. They are only as intelligent as to they can speak to each other and be negotiated with as long as you can speak draconic, approximately the intelligence of a 4 year old human. They are not capable of other languages.
5. They are hoarders, especially shiny things.
6. They have superiority complexes towards other races
7. They are not magic using (no spells) but they may have wizards in their service
8. They reproduce extremely slowly
9. They are very large and have lots of hit points
10. They sleep approximately 75% of a day and hibernate for 6 months of the year. (roll to see if they are sleeping)

Average Blue Dragon

Blue dragons can be found in dry arid environments like deserts. They love to soar in the hot desert air, usually flying in the daytime when temperatures are highest. Some nearly match the color of the desert sky and use this coloration to their advantage. Its scales vary in color from an iridescent azure to a deep indigo, polished to a glossy finish by blowing desert sands. Its hide tends to hum and crackle faintly with built-up static electricity. These effects intensify when the dragon is angry or about to attack, giving off an odor of ozone and sand. Their vibrant color makes blue dragons easy to spot in barren desert surroundings. However, they often burrow into the sand so only part of their heads are exposed. Blue dragons lair in vast underground caverns, where they also store their treasure. Although they collect anything that looks valuable, they are most fond of gems—especially sapphires.

Stats

Special: Blue dragons shoot a bolt of lightning out of their mouths 3 times per day. A successful DC Save vs Constitution will result in half damage.

What would you change about Dragons in your fantasy game? Post a comment!