1. What sources deal specifically with Mystaran Dragons?
I can think of:
The Draconic Cluster (DRM article)
Who is Who Among Dragons (DRM article)
From Dragon Ruler to Celestial Servant (DrM Article)
VotPa's material on Night Dragons (DRM articles)
Dragonlord Triology (Novels)
Wizard's Almanacs on Wyrmsteeth (PWA's)
Red Steel/Savage Coast Boxed set on Savage Coast Dragons (Boxed Set)
Giants and Dragons Supplement
Mighty Argos (Vapourware scenario)
Gold Box Immortal rules, on Dragon Rulers
WotI, on Dragon Rulers, revised
RC/BECM rulebooks on Dragons, including Gemstone ones
AD&D Monsterous Manual Mystara appendix
Anything else?
2. What sets Mystaran dragons apart from others in terms of biology, behaviour? How to combine information from different sources on this, especially in terms of Gemstone and Night Dragons....
3. What is known of Draconic Societies on Mystara and how to combine various sources on this, such as DL-trilogy and Who is Who Among Dragons?
Håvard
Some questions about dragons:
1. What sources deal specifically with Mystaran Dragons?
Perhaps the Secret Craft of Dracology in Glantri? (Gaz 3)
2. What sets Mystaran dragons apart from others in terms of biology, behaviour? How to combine information from different sources on this, especially in terms of Gemstone and Night Dragons....
Well, I thought about that one as well, when I tried to convert Mystara to 3.5E D&D. I wanted to keep the old alignments to preserve things like the Order of the White Drake, and I wanted to keep old D&D dragon species like the Ruby and Crystal dragons. And I didn't want to introduce all of the AD&D species, many of which are far to "Forgotten Realms" like for my taste.
On the other hand, I would like to introduce the Linorms from MMII and other such monsters into the Northern Reaches and Norwold, so I am in a bit of a fix here...
To answer your question: I think each DM will have to decide for himself what to use and how to use it.
3. What is known of Draconic Societies on Mystara and how to combine various sources on this, such as DL-trilogy and Who is Who Among Dragons?
Apart from the Dragon Realm in the Wyrmsteeth Range I can only recall a reference in the Ierendi Gaz to an adventure in which a dragon seeks PC help to win his usurped throne back... (or something like that).
:-) Jesper
Perhaps the Secret Craft of Dracology in Glantri? (Gaz 3)
Good one! That one should definately be in there, especially because it involves the Dragon rulers and the question of Diamond and Prince Jagger.
Well, I thought about that one as well, when I tried to convert Mystara to 3.5E D&D. I wanted to keep the old alignments to preserve things like the Order of the White Drake, and I wanted to keep old D&D dragon species like the Ruby and Crystal dragons. And I didn't want to introduce all of the AD&D species, many of which are far to "Forgotten Realms" like for my taste.
On the other hand, I would like to introduce the Linorms from MMII and other such monsters into the Northern Reaches and Norwold, so I am in a bit of a fix here...
To answer your question: I think each DM will have to decide for himself what to use and how to use it.
I decided to bring in metallics, especially since one of the DrM articles states that in theory any kind of dragon could exist, though of the metallics, the Gold dragons are by far the most common.
With Gemstone Dragons, I've noticed that they are different from the Gemstone ones from AD&D/3E so I'm undecided on what to do there. I know what you mean about alignments, but the Mystara Monsterous Compendium has a good deal on that, and 3E isnt that strict about alignments anyway.
I'm not really looking for a consensus on how to deal with dragons though, I'm just curious to how much peple have thought about the particulars of Mystaran dragons, like:
- Dragon Rulers
- Dracology
- Thelvyn vs. Prince Jagger
- The Draconic Cluster
- Night Dragons
- Gemstone Dragons
- The Ceremony of Sublimination
- Aquatic Dragons
- Dragon Kingdoms/Socitety
Apart from the Dragon Realm in the Wyrmsteeth Range I can only recall a reference in the Ierendi Gaz to an adventure in which a dragon seeks PC help to win his usurped throne back... (or something like that).
Interesting! Do you have a page reference? I need to check this one.
That makes our list:
The Draconic Cluster (DRM article)
Who is Who Among Dragons (DRM article)
From Dragon Ruler to Celestial Servant (DrM Article)
VotPa's material on Night Dragons (DRM articles)
Dragonlord Triology (Novels)
Wizard's Almanacs on Wyrmsteeth (PWA's)
Red Steel/Savage Coast Boxed set on Savage Coast Dragons (Boxed Set)
Giants and Dragons Supplement
Mighty Argos (Vapourware scenario)
Gold Box Immortal rules, on Dragon Rulers
WotI, on Dragon Rulers, revised
RC/BECM rulebooks on Dragons, including Gemstone ones
AD&D Monsterous Manual Mystara appendix
Dracology (Gaz3, K:KoA)
Ierendi Gaz
Håvard
Interesting! Do you have a page reference? I need to check this one.
Håvard
Respen-ak-Tarpis, huge red dragon, Draconic Earl, Prince of Arentela.
Arentela is "a distant island homeland", a "draconic kingdom".
Ierendi gaz page 27
:-) Jesper
Respen-ak-Tarpis, huge red dragon, Draconic Earl, Prince of Arentela.
Arentela is "a distant island homeland", a "draconic kingdom".
Ierendi gaz page 27
Wow Jesper! You have discovered a new Mystaran nation!
Has anyone else noticed this, or even used and developed Arenleta? Where in the world is it?
Håvard
Red Steel/Savage Coast Boxed set on Savage Coast Dragons (Boxed Set)
...
AD&D Monsterous Manual Mystara appendix
I'd add also the Savage Coast Monstrous Compendium Appendix, deals with Redhawk Dragons and Vermillion Dragons, as well as Orc's Head, which contains more info about Pyre (including an adventure).
And, maybe, also the wallara's people should be considered, due to their high affinity with dragons. So it could be better to check also the Savage Coast module or Red Steel boxed set. ;)
For an (exaustive?) list of known dragons you can check this at Vaults:
http://www.mystaranet.jamm.com/vaults/html/dragons2.html
(I'm quite sure the it omits at least some known dragons named in the CM modules: I remember a dragon in the Kwill dungeon in CM1 having a name - or is my memory failing? :D )
AC10: The Bestiary of Dragons and Giants
http://home.flash.net/~brenfrow/dd/dd-ac10.htm
It was actually quite good for its time, and I certainly got some use out of the scale chart on the inside cover and the cut-out dragon spell list generator.
The adventures were short and uninspired for the most part, comparable to the free adventures you can download from Wizards.com/dnd. Like those adventures, the ones in AC10 are perfect as a template to build up your own customised adventures though.
(I'm quite sure the it omits at least some known dragons named in the CM modules: I remember a dragon in the Kwill dungeon in CM1 having a name - or is my memory failing? :D )
Kwill was a druji, IIRC.
Kwill was a druji, IIRC
You are right, I was meaning: 'Kwill dungeon', sorry for the misunderstanding. The dragon (whose name I don't remember) was one of the monsters collected by Kwill before his druji transformation.
I think that also in CM2 or CM3 there should be some 'named' dragons, but I don't remember very well...
For an (exaustive?) list of known dragons you can check this at Vaults:
http://www.mystaranet.jamm.com/vaults/html/dragons2.html
LoZompatore, the Vaults are now at pandius.com so the above link should be http://pandius.com/dragons2.html the one you posted possibly still works at the moment but it should just be redirecting you to the real page, it won't do that forever.
Wow Jesper! You have discovered a new Mystaran nation!
Has anyone else noticed this, or even used and developed Arenleta? Where in the world is it?
Håvard
Yep - it's in Version 1 of Joe's Secret Project, before I decided to switch to a database (available at http://www.notcharles.ca:8080/Mystara%20Products.rtf). It's the only entry in the "Location Unknown" category, and its entire entry is:
Arentela
Major
GAZ4 - The Kingdom of Ierendi (one sentence mention in the adventure "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner", described as a "draconic kingdom" ruled by "Respen-ak-Tarkis, Draconic Earl, Prince of Arentela" who must regain control of his "distant island homeland")
You are right, I was meaning: 'Kwill dungeon', sorry for the misunderstanding.
Ops, you're right. The name is Smokynose.
Other dragons in CM modules include Korbundar (blue) in the Barony of Two Lakes Vale (CM2), and a red dragon in the volcano in CM3.
Another blue, Dominagon (IIRC), is found in M4, Five Coins for a Kingdom.
Wow Jesper! You have discovered a new Mystaran nation!
Has anyone else noticed this, or even used and developed Arenleta? Where in the world is it?
Giulio did some work on Arentela, locating it in the Great Waste region:
http://pandius.com/arentela.html
Anyway, Arentela itself can be anywhere in the world, since dragon kingdoms are almost invisible to (demi)human eyes (see the many draconic kingdoms that overlap with KW nations).
http://fleminge0.tripod.com/dragons.html
:-) Jesper
I don't know if this copy of a Dragon article on dragons is part of your list already?
http://fleminge0.tripod.com/dragons.html
Its already in there, but the link still comes in handy. I'm pretty sure that article is also on pandius.com though? Thanks for the link in any case!
Håvard
Arentela is a bit of a mystery, but if you re-jig it from being an island to being a Kingdom, Wyrmsteeth works very well.
A question a little bit on the side, but still within the subject (I think). How large an area would a dragon need? I understand quite well that this would depend on the size of the dragon, if it lives in an area where cattle herds are plentiful or if he burrows in the windswept deserts of the Emirates and so on, but still. My question is mainly concerned with a need to know how many dragons could sustain on the territories of the different nations. According to the lists there seems to be quite a lot of dragons in for example Karameikos, while places as the Emirates and Thyatis have been left in relative peace. Is this just because Karameikos has been a favourite for Mystara material up through the years, or are there any objective considerations behind. Like, the rural and uncivilised forests of Karameikos is a more favourable habitat for dragons than the arid deserts of the Emirates or the heavily populated Thyatis.
Gosty
I might be wrong, but wasn't there a name to a Black Dragon living in Denagoth, in X11? Saga of the Shadowlord or something. I'm not at home so I can't look till later. I'll check then and update that bit unless someone else does before me.
Vitriol, the destroyer of the elves of Lothenar in Denagoth.