Chronicles of the Wyrm
Fire and Death
Introduction
There are few monsters, few creatures I...
Fire and Death
Introduction
There are few monsters, few creatures I...
Chronicles of the Wyrm (Dragon Quest)
- Thread starter Maugan Ra
- Start date
- Fantasy
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- Tags
- fantasy dragon magic pathfinder
- Created
- Status
- Ongoing
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Intro and Mechanics
- Location
- London, England
Chronicles of the Wyrm
Fire and Death
Introduction
There are few monsters, few creatures I find more appealing in all of fantasy than a proper Dragon. Their combination of arrogance, wisdom and sheer physical might makes for wonderful storytelling opportunities, and in this Quest I will be indulging in those opportunities with shameless abandon.
In this Quest, SV gets to be a Dragon.
From birth until death, this Quest will follow the life and adventures of a single Dragon, one whose every major decision and life changing event will be decided upon by the voter base as a whole. Will you be a staunch protector of freedom and liberty? A fearsome tyrant who rules over the lesser races? A merciless beast that drives all before you with spell and claw? The choice is yours.
Mechanics and Setting
The mechanical underpinnings of this Quest will come from the Pathfinder RPG, and the setting will be the world of Golarion that said RPG established. That said, actual mechanics will be taking something of a back seat in a lot of ways, even in combat - I'm not going to roll out every swipe of a wing or bolt of lightning, and you should generally take what the rules indicate as more of a loose guideline and benchmark than anything else.
That said, the mechanics can be found in the PRD and the setting details can be found in the Golarion Wiki.
Note that you can and probably will take levels in a class on top of the base advantages offered by being a dragon. Most dragons do, though such advancement will come through studying and practice rather than simply by accumulating 'experience'. This will be covered in more detail when it becomes relevant.
Draconic Morality
One thing I should probably clarify now is the matter of morality, or perhaps more specifically Alignment. Pathfinder models itself as a successor to D&D, and as such adopts the infamous nine-point Alignment grid. Your alignment will be tracked as the Quest goes on, and can and will have an impact on story events - evil dragons are vastly more likely to find a noble band of Paladins trying to hunt them down, after all.
The main reason I'm bringing this up now is that certain types of Dragon are more inclined towards particular types of morality - Red Dragons are almost always Chaotic Evil, while the odd Silver Dragon who is anything other than Lawful Good is a rare find indeed. This, however, is not an absolute rule, and Dragons of all colours can and have adopted ethical positions all over the alignment map at different times. It is, instead, more a matter of instinct than anything else - Black Dragons tend towards sadism and are thusly almost always evil, but a mere psychological preference is not sufficient to condemn one as either good or evil without the appropriate actions backing it up.
Breed-specific quirks will be detailed in the opening post below, but for now I think I might as well go over some of the most universal Draconic quirks and what kind of behaviour they are likely to encourage:
Dragons are arrogant. Even the weakest and least exceptional dragon is a mighty creature, capable of living for thousands of years and wielding the arcane energies of the world as easily as breathing. Even the good aligned dragons are aware of their own strengths and advantages relative to those around them, and this tends to colour all of their interactions with other creatures.
Dragons are powerful. This ties into the arrogance, but a dragon is only very rarely left entirely without options. In the vast majority of cases they will be the stronger party in any given confrontation or negotiation, and they tend to make assumptions grounded in their own sense of superiority.
Dragons are greedy. All dragons, without exception, desire material possessions. Some favour the traditional piles of gold, others collect rare books or even skilled servants, but every dragon holds within themselves a psychological need to build a hoard of some kind. Among other dragons, the size and quality of one's horde is a significant status symbol, and few dragons will tolerate even the smallest item being removed from their possession without their express permission.
Dragons are magical. Certain kinds of elemental and arcane energy respond better to certain mindsets and emotions - the destructive uses of fire magic are made all the stronger when invoked by someone passionate about their use, for example, while wielders of earth magic tend to be as stoic and patient as their element. Quite aside from the mystical significance of a dragon's particular elemental affiliation, there is a certain self-reinforcing appeal to using a particular kind of magic to solve your problems. Even the most patient and restrained of Red Dragons is constantly aware of how easy it would be to just set everything on fire, after all...
Character sheet
- Location
- London, England
Character Sheet
Name - Murazond
Species: Gold Dragon
Age: 16 (Young)
Gender: Male
Size: Large
Class: None
Alignment: LE
DEFENSE
AC: 24, touch 11, flat-footed 22 (10 base +2 Dex +13 natural -1 size)
HP: 138 (12d12 +48)
Fort +12, Ref +9 Will +11
Immune: Fire, Paralysis, Sleep. Weaknesses: Vulnerability to Cold
OFFENSE
Speed: 60ft, Swim 60ft, Fly 200ft (poor)
Melee: Bite +18 (2d6+11), 2 claws +18 (1d8+7), 2 wings +16 (1d6+4), tail slap +16 (1d8+11)
Space: 10ft, Reach: 10ft (15ft with bite)
Special attacks: Breath weapon (40ft cone, DC20, 6d10 fire damage OR 3pt strength damage)
STATISTICS
Str: 25, Dex: 12, Con: 19, Int: 16, Wis: 17, Cha: 16
Base Attack: +12, CMB: +20, CMD: 29
Feats: Hover, Multi-attack, Wingover (3 more available)
Skills: Appraise +8, Bluff +12, Diplomacy +16, Fly +9, Intimidate +16, Knowledge (Arcana) +16, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +9, Knowledge (Geography) +9, Knowledge (History) +9, Knowledge (Local) +12, Knowledge (Nature) +9, Knowledge (Religion) +12, Knowledge (The Planes) +12, Linguistics +8, Perception +14, Sense Motive +10, Spellcraft +14, Survival +8, Swim +12
Languages: Draconic, Celestial, Common, Elven, Infernal
MAGIC/SPELLS
Innate Magic (CL 12)
Detect Gems - By concentrating for a few moments, you can sense the location of any and all precious stones within approximately 800ft of your current position. In addition to finding treasure, this can also be used to orientate yourself underground.
Detect Evil - By studying one target for a few seconds, you can determine whether their soul has been influenced by or resonates one of the lower planes. While not necessarily a strict guide to their allegiance or temperament, with experience you can learn a great deal about someone just by the condition of their aura. This can, however, be hidden or altered by magical means, and is thus not absolutely reliable.
SPECIAL ABILITIES/QUALITIES
Breath Weapon: You can choose to exhale a cone of gas at will, which will weaken and slow anyone exposed to it. At your option you can also light this cone on fire, to deal direct damage to enemies.
Change Shape: With a few moments of concentration, you can call upon your innate magic to alter your physical form, adopting the shape and size of any animal or humanoid between small and large in size (Halfling to horse, for reference). While transformed you keep your basic statistics, but lose access to the majority of these special abilities in favour of those possessed by your adopted form.
Draconic Senses: Your eyes are fantastically keen, about twice as good as a human's vision in daylight and four times theirs in dim light. In pitch blackness you can see clearly for up to 120ft, though you cannot discern colour without the assistance of a light source. Additionally, so acute is your hearing and sense of smell that you can perfectly locate and track all beings and environmental features within 60ft of you, with the need for perception checks.
Fast Flight: You are faster than most dragons of your size, particularly over long distances. Your flight speed is calculated as though for a dragon one size larger than you are.
Water-breathing: You are fully capable of surviving underwater and cannot drown. Being submerged has no effect on your breath weapon - it simply becomes a cloud of super-heated steam.
Name - Murazond
Species: Gold Dragon
Age: 16 (Young)
Gender: Male
Size: Large
Class: None
Alignment: LE
DEFENSE
AC: 24, touch 11, flat-footed 22 (10 base +2 Dex +13 natural -1 size)
HP: 138 (12d12 +48)
Fort +12, Ref +9 Will +11
Immune: Fire, Paralysis, Sleep. Weaknesses: Vulnerability to Cold
OFFENSE
Speed: 60ft, Swim 60ft, Fly 200ft (poor)
Melee: Bite +18 (2d6+11), 2 claws +18 (1d8+7), 2 wings +16 (1d6+4), tail slap +16 (1d8+11)
Space: 10ft, Reach: 10ft (15ft with bite)
Special attacks: Breath weapon (40ft cone, DC20, 6d10 fire damage OR 3pt strength damage)
STATISTICS
Str: 25, Dex: 12, Con: 19, Int: 16, Wis: 17, Cha: 16
Base Attack: +12, CMB: +20, CMD: 29
Feats: Hover, Multi-attack, Wingover (3 more available)
Hover: You can remain stationary in the air without making a fly check. If you are close to the ground the beat of your wings may knock people down and kick up concealing clouds of sand and dust.
Multi-attack: Secondary natural attacks, such as your wings or tail slap, only take a -2 penalty as opposed to a -5.
Wingover: You do not need to make a Fly check in order to perform a complete 180-degree turn while flying.
Multi-attack: Secondary natural attacks, such as your wings or tail slap, only take a -2 penalty as opposed to a -5.
Wingover: You do not need to make a Fly check in order to perform a complete 180-degree turn while flying.
Dragon Class Skills: Appraise, Bluff, Climb, Craft, Diplomacy, Fly, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (All), Linguistics, Perception, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Stealth, Survival, Swim, Use Magic Device
Appraise 2
Bluff 6
Diplomacy 10
Fly 12
Intimidate 10
Knowledge (Arcana) 10
Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 3
Knowledge (Geography) 3
Knowledge (History) 3
Knowledge (Local) 6
Knowledge (Nature) 3
Knowledge (Religion) 6
Knowledge (The Planes) 6
Linguistics 2
Perception 8
Sense Motive 4
Spellcraft 8
Survival 2
Swim 2
Appraise 2
Bluff 6
Diplomacy 10
Fly 12
Intimidate 10
Knowledge (Arcana) 10
Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 3
Knowledge (Geography) 3
Knowledge (History) 3
Knowledge (Local) 6
Knowledge (Nature) 3
Knowledge (Religion) 6
Knowledge (The Planes) 6
Linguistics 2
Perception 8
Sense Motive 4
Spellcraft 8
Survival 2
Swim 2
Languages: Draconic, Celestial, Common, Elven, Infernal
MAGIC/SPELLS
Innate Magic (CL 12)
Detect Gems - By concentrating for a few moments, you can sense the location of any and all precious stones within approximately 800ft of your current position. In addition to finding treasure, this can also be used to orientate yourself underground.
Detect Evil - By studying one target for a few seconds, you can determine whether their soul has been influenced by or resonates one of the lower planes. While not necessarily a strict guide to their allegiance or temperament, with experience you can learn a great deal about someone just by the condition of their aura. This can, however, be hidden or altered by magical means, and is thus not absolutely reliable.
Charm Person (DC14) - Dragons are naturally majestic and inspiring creatures, and your native magic enhances this ability. By speaking to someone, you can rapidly enchant them to view you in a friendly and positive light, an impression which lasts for hours after you have finished speaking to them. This generally does not work if you or your allies are currently attempting to commit violence or some other crime upon them, however.
Create Water - You can tap into the elemental planes to summon up to two gallons of fresh, drinkable water upon command, generally causing it to appear in a nearby receptacle or by falling from the air.
Detect Magic - By concentrating on a person, object or area you can use your own arcane powers to determine if there is any kind of magic present in your target. This will generally involve visual auras appearing around them to your senses, and with concentration and knowledge you can use those auras to deduce the type and strength of magic involved.
Ghost Sound - A relatively minor illusionary trick, this ability allows you to create many different kinds of sound within a relatively short radius around you - approximately 30ft. The sounds can be almost anything, but are limited in volume to about what four adult humans could normally produce.
Magic Aura (DC14) - In addition to detecting magical auras, you have also learned to suppress or alter them. This can make a mundane item appear magical or vice versa to those with the appropriate senses or spells.
Prestidigitation - Less a specific technique and more a reflection of your general grasp of the arcane, this spell allows you to perform a variety of minor magical 'tricks'. You can clean or soil something, make it change colour, create minor illusions and so on.
Create Water - You can tap into the elemental planes to summon up to two gallons of fresh, drinkable water upon command, generally causing it to appear in a nearby receptacle or by falling from the air.
Detect Magic - By concentrating on a person, object or area you can use your own arcane powers to determine if there is any kind of magic present in your target. This will generally involve visual auras appearing around them to your senses, and with concentration and knowledge you can use those auras to deduce the type and strength of magic involved.
Ghost Sound - A relatively minor illusionary trick, this ability allows you to create many different kinds of sound within a relatively short radius around you - approximately 30ft. The sounds can be almost anything, but are limited in volume to about what four adult humans could normally produce.
Magic Aura (DC14) - In addition to detecting magical auras, you have also learned to suppress or alter them. This can make a mundane item appear magical or vice versa to those with the appropriate senses or spells.
Prestidigitation - Less a specific technique and more a reflection of your general grasp of the arcane, this spell allows you to perform a variety of minor magical 'tricks'. You can clean or soil something, make it change colour, create minor illusions and so on.
SPECIAL ABILITIES/QUALITIES
Breath Weapon: You can choose to exhale a cone of gas at will, which will weaken and slow anyone exposed to it. At your option you can also light this cone on fire, to deal direct damage to enemies.
Change Shape: With a few moments of concentration, you can call upon your innate magic to alter your physical form, adopting the shape and size of any animal or humanoid between small and large in size (Halfling to horse, for reference). While transformed you keep your basic statistics, but lose access to the majority of these special abilities in favour of those possessed by your adopted form.
Draconic Senses: Your eyes are fantastically keen, about twice as good as a human's vision in daylight and four times theirs in dim light. In pitch blackness you can see clearly for up to 120ft, though you cannot discern colour without the assistance of a light source. Additionally, so acute is your hearing and sense of smell that you can perfectly locate and track all beings and environmental features within 60ft of you, with the need for perception checks.
Fast Flight: You are faster than most dragons of your size, particularly over long distances. Your flight speed is calculated as though for a dragon one size larger than you are.
Water-breathing: You are fully capable of surviving underwater and cannot drown. Being submerged has no effect on your breath weapon - it simply becomes a cloud of super-heated steam.
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Hoard details
- Location
- London, England
Hoard details go here
Setting and NPC details
- Location
- London, England
Setting and NPC details go here
I - Hatching
- Location
- London, England
Warm. Dark. Safe.
Trapped.
You cannot say what it is that provides that first, momentary impulse to escape your confinement. Perhaps it is some sign or sound, perhaps it is a natural instinct, perhaps it is merely a sudden realization that you can... but whatever the reason, you suddenly find yourself with a deep and abiding need to escape.
Your struggles are weak, at first, little more than a few futile gestures that stir the inside of your world and scratch at the limits of your imprisonment. It takes time to build enough strength and understanding to make true progress, to bring all your nascent strength to bear and crack the shell.
Eventually, however, you succeed. The walls crack, the shell falls away, and you emerge into the world at large with a high pitching keen that fills the air.
Bright.
Your eyes are sensitive, still far too used to the dark confines of your egg, and the sudden onslaught of sensation is enough to send you staggering on trembling limbs as you struggle to make sense of it all. Eventually you resort to just curling back up into a ball, and as you do so, you catch sight of your own scales.
What colour are they?
[ ] A dark, glossy Black
[ ] A rich and striking Blue
[ ] A shining Brass
[ ] A muted Bronze
[ ] A polished and gleaming Copper
[ ] A magnificent and inspiring Gold
[ ] A bright and verdant Green
[ ] A vivid and impressive Red
[ ] A shining and brilliant Silver
[ ] A pure and splendid White
Trapped.
You cannot say what it is that provides that first, momentary impulse to escape your confinement. Perhaps it is some sign or sound, perhaps it is a natural instinct, perhaps it is merely a sudden realization that you can... but whatever the reason, you suddenly find yourself with a deep and abiding need to escape.
Your struggles are weak, at first, little more than a few futile gestures that stir the inside of your world and scratch at the limits of your imprisonment. It takes time to build enough strength and understanding to make true progress, to bring all your nascent strength to bear and crack the shell.
Eventually, however, you succeed. The walls crack, the shell falls away, and you emerge into the world at large with a high pitching keen that fills the air.
Bright.
Your eyes are sensitive, still far too used to the dark confines of your egg, and the sudden onslaught of sensation is enough to send you staggering on trembling limbs as you struggle to make sense of it all. Eventually you resort to just curling back up into a ball, and as you do so, you catch sight of your own scales.
What colour are they?
[ ] A dark, glossy Black
Sadistic and cruel, black dragons see the world in terms of fear. Safety is obtained when all others fear the consequences of crossing you, and one's will is best worked upon those who are too terrified to disagree. That this mindset frequently leads the dragon into sadism and cruelty is a well known fact, and there are few beings indeed who regard the approach of a black dragon with anything less than fear. This is as it should be.
Black dragons exhale clouds of acidic vapour and are typically found in swamps and other semi-aquatic terrains.
Black dragons exhale clouds of acidic vapour and are typically found in swamps and other semi-aquatic terrains.
[ ] A rich and striking Blue
Neat and tidy to the point of neurosis, Blue Dragons find it easy to become obsessed with order and control. They are managers, organizers, puppet masters and schemers, never content with anything less than absolute control over all affairs within their domain.
Blue dragons can control lightning and are typically found in desert biomes.
Blue dragons can control lightning and are typically found in desert biomes.
[ ] A shining Brass
Whimsical and light-hearted, Brass dragons often find it difficult to pursue a particular occupation or course of action for an extended period of time. Even so, they are driven to meddle in the affairs of others and help out where they can, and this combined with their great intellect often leads Brass dragons to become fixtures of their local community, whether in the guise of a wise vizier or a regular patron at the local tavern.
Brass dragons breath great gouts of flame, and often prefer desert environs for their lairs.
Brass dragons breath great gouts of flame, and often prefer desert environs for their lairs.
[ ] A muted Bronze
Contemplative and watchful, Bronze dragons are driven to steward and protect the world around them, whether that means fending off an invading army or founding a public library to ensure the preservation of knowledge and history. They are the ultimate protectors, though it is a rare being indeed which can count on one of these magnificent creatures to watch over their families and possessions.
Bronze dragons are fully aquatic and can produce great bolts of electricity from their maws upon demand.
Bronze dragons are fully aquatic and can produce great bolts of electricity from their maws upon demand.
[ ] A polished and gleaming Copper
Idealistic and cheerful, Copper dragons are great lovers and champions of freedom. They cannot bear the thought of being constrained, and view the tendency of other races to subjugate and enslave one another to be the greatest of evils. Sometimes derided as flighty and unreliable, there is no stronger ally to the oppressed and helpless than a valiant copper on a mission of mercy.
Copper dragons summon and control acid, and are often found in mountains or other rocky biomes.
Copper dragons summon and control acid, and are often found in mountains or other rocky biomes.
[ ] A magnificent and inspiring Gold
Calm, patient and wise, the mighty Gold Dragons are the greatest of all their kind by just about any measure. The leaders and guides of Draconic society, a Gold dragon can generally expect a degree of respect and deference from even the most malevolent chromatic, and they feel compelled to guide and advise all others as wisely and ethically as they possibly can.
Gold Dragons are masters of fire, and have the ability to call upon their arcane blood to cast divine spells as a cleric might, though they do not serve any particular deity.
Gold Dragons are masters of fire, and have the ability to call upon their arcane blood to cast divine spells as a cleric might, though they do not serve any particular deity.
[ ] A bright and verdant Green
Obsessed with the ideal of self-perfection, Green Dragons often exhibit a degree of self mastery and discipline far beyond that enjoyed by any other Draconic breed. They tend to be academics, mystics and students of the martial arts, and of all the chromatic dragons are perhaps the easiest to approach without being instantly slain for the presumption.
The breath weapon of a green dragon is acidic in nature, and they generally make their homes in thick forests, which their natural magic allows them to command and control.
The breath weapon of a green dragon is acidic in nature, and they generally make their homes in thick forests, which their natural magic allows them to command and control.
[ ] A vivid and impressive Red
Arrogant and destructive, Red Dragons are the very embodiment of what most people think when they hear the word 'dragon'. While capable of patience and restraint, few Red's see the need for such things, and when provoked by the ignorant or foolish their wrath is the stuff of legends.
Red Dragons are lords of fire, and are some of the most physically imposing of their mighty kind.
Red Dragons are lords of fire, and are some of the most physically imposing of their mighty kind.
[ ] A shining and brilliant Silver
Often compared to the Paladins of lesser races, Silver dragons have a nigh-irresistible urge towards self-discipline and order. They find a great sense of satisfaction and contentment in metaphorically chaining themselves in oaths and codes of conduct, and will generally act in full accordance with those oaths at every opportunity.
Silvers are masters of cold and ice, and they can walk upon the clouds as easily as solid ground.
Silvers are masters of cold and ice, and they can walk upon the clouds as easily as solid ground.
[ ] A pure and splendid White
Looked down upon as barely-sentient beasts by many of their cousins, white dragons have an undeniably primitive outlook on life. Only rarely does one of their kind become more than a savage predator of the wilderness, usually with the aid of a differently-coloured mentor, but for all their limitations and simple preferences they are still dragons. More than one would-be monster hunter has forgotten that and paid dearly for it over the years.
White dragons are most typically found in arctic conditions, where their mastery of snow and ice allows them to thrive.
White dragons are most typically found in arctic conditions, where their mastery of snow and ice allows them to thrive.
shepsquared
Erratic Aussie
- Location
- Melbourne, Australia
- Location
- London, England
Yeah, there are so many types of Dragons I considered presenting as options here. In the end though I just decided to stick to the classics, if only because I have Dragons Revised to help me properly grok their particular mindsets and preferences.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[] A polished and gleaming Copper
[ ] A shining and brilliant Silver
Not sure which one, but I like both of these.
...actually. Other than for balance reasons (which we're obviously discarding) is there any reason a Dragon couldn't somehow also be a PC class...I mean, other than the 'not human shaped' thing which could put a crimp on *some* abilities?
Just curious, @Maugan Ra
Because becoming a Silver and then *actually* becoming a Paladin could be pretty neat.
[ ] A shining and brilliant Silver
Not sure which one, but I like both of these.
...actually. Other than for balance reasons (which we're obviously discarding) is there any reason a Dragon couldn't somehow also be a PC class...I mean, other than the 'not human shaped' thing which could put a crimp on *some* abilities?
Just curious, @Maugan Ra
Because becoming a Silver and then *actually* becoming a Paladin could be pretty neat.
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- Location
- London, England
You can absolutely take levels in a PC class, yes. Other dragons will do this too. I will freely tweak and customize the classes as necessary to work around the fact that the default assumption is for a humanoid character.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Gosh, I'm going to have to look through all of the classes again.
Let's see, classes I like:
Witch, Cleric, Druid, Rogue (thematically, even though it sucks), Paladin...hrm.
[ ] A shining and brilliant Silver
--Paladin.
[] A polished and gleaming Copper
--Rogue? Paladin of Freedom! (*bald eagle screeches*)
...not sure how the heck a Dragon would become a Witch, Cleric or Druid...hrm!
How long is the vote open?
- Location
- Australia
[X] A magnificent and inspiring Gold
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- Location
- London, England
Until I figure I've got enough votes or a clear winner emerges.
At least a full day though.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Dragon-Witch, Dragon-Druid, Dragon-Paladin...just gotta find out which start favors which and decide!
Or we could be a dragon Vigilante, since I'm sure nobody will notice that we're secretly a dragon.
Or we could be a dragon Vigilante, since I'm sure nobody will notice that we're secretly a dragon.
Either way, we are going to spend a lot of time training, so picking species focused on that sounds like a good choice, especially since it is easy to go mage route with it.
Fact that it allows us to white-knight without actually forcing us to do so is just a bonus.
Green covers everything SV usually does.
Fact that it allows us to white-knight without actually forcing us to do so is just a bonus.
Green covers everything SV usually does.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Let's see. Green makes a pretty obvious Druid.
As I said, Silver could make a good Paladin, and Copper a Paladin of Freedom.
Not sure what would lead into a Witch, though.
As I said, Silver could make a good Paladin, and Copper a Paladin of Freedom.
Not sure what would lead into a Witch, though.
Rungni Khazadson
Just another random Runesmith!
- Location
- New Zealand
[X] A muted Bronze