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| Dragon Rider by Mohamed Saad on Deviant Art |
Hatchlings and Training
Eggs can be purchased or stolen from a lair, with all the risks associated with such an endeavor. A brotherhood centered on a cult of dragons or an order of dragon riders enable worthy disciples access to eggs. Training requires the handler to be within close proximity when a hatchling emerges, preferably alone. The hatching among these associations makes the subject of solemn rites.
The base market values of eggs and hatchlings are listed in the individual dragon descriptions (next article). These market values vary a great deal depending on the circumstances and the dragon’s breed (also see Longevity later in this article for more information on this topic). Bear in mind that selling such marvels would have to be performed on a private level, if not utterly kept secret, for local rulers may very well object to anyone in their lands raising dragons, and therefore forcibly seize the goods. Values vary depending on the following circumstances (adjustments are cumulative):
–25% Dragons are totally unknown in the region or thought of myths and tall tales
–25% Dragons are notorious and feared in the region; selling/owning one may be against local laws; eggs and hatchlings are subject to vengeful mobs seeking to destroy them
–20% Seller just stole the egg and wants to get rid of it fast before momma comes to retrieve it (or as the case may be, the egg was stolen from a local dragon cult or from an order of dragon riders)
–20% Small breed (B/X-BECMI only)
N/C Dragons are somewhat common in the region
+20% Huge breed (B/X-BECMI only)
+25% Dragons are thought of as fabulous magical creatures dwelling in faraway places
+25% Disciples of a local dragon cult, an order of dragon riders, or a mage guild are actively looking for dragon eggs, driving up market values
+50% Seller is in a wealthy or a merchant city
+100% Seller is greedy (but perhaps willing to haggle)
Training a hatchling continues until the dragon reaches the approximate weight of 1,500 lbs. (680 kg) to be able to fly with an average human-size rider without being encumbered (so, a “medium-sized” dragon will do fine). See Encumbrance later in this article.
A dragon’s breed is a critical factor in training. Small breeds demand 51 years for a specimen to grow to “medium” size. Large breeds take 26 years, while a Huge requires only 16. These timeframes come from the official dragon description in the AD&D game; they ought to be used with B/X-BECMI game mechanics for convenience.
In a dragon cult or an order of dragon riders, the handler’s sway over a dragon can be transferred to another or to a rider as part of a ritual. In all such cases, the rider must have been working with the handler(s) since a young age to qualify for the transfer when this time comes. Unaffiliated PCs will either need potions of longevity or be very patient since they are handling their hatchlings on their own. Provided they survive long enough, PCs raising their own mighty steeds will need to care for these beasties until they become young adults, at the cost of 10gp per month +20 per hit point. This includes housing, maintenance, research, documentation, medication, playthings, equipment, and specialized services. A section later in this article addresses the cost of food alone. Failure to maintain expenditures will cause the young to escape and be permanently lost.
Once training is complete, an initial reaction check is still needed as introduced in the original horse article when the rider first attempts to fly. Failure affects the dragon’s behavior. Likewise, a new reaction check can be rolled at the player’s option each time the rider earns a new experience level.
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| Dragon Egg by PhaseRunner on Deviantart |
Reaction Checks
A reaction check is needed during the rider’s first dragon flight. The mount gets a better sense of its rider’s character and handling abilities. The breed’s preferences indicate under which attribute to roll a reaction check. Preferences are listed in the individual breeds’ descriptions in the next article (preferred alignment guidelines are covered in a separate section). For example, if a description states a preference for “Strength 13+,” this means the dragon prefers a rider with a Strength 13+, and reaction checks are rolled under the Strength attribute.
If a dragon was charmed, it should consider the rider to be of the preferred class, race, and alignment, so long as the spell isn't broken. If the roll fails, the dragon is still under its charm effect but might think something along the lines of: "Yeah, I love this character, but I wish he/she were a better rider, honestly."
The attribute under which the reaction check is rolled (a single die roll) receives modifiers matching the rider, the dragon, and other circumstances. If it succeeds, the mount is comfortable with its rider. If it fails, all future riding checks incur a –2 penalty. A new reaction check can be rolled when the rider earns a new experience level or at the DM’s discretion. In the long term, mounted dragons earn experience independently from their HD. This will be detailed in a later article in this series.
- Favorable Reaction: The mount is generally friendly with its rider. If the reaction check succeeds by at least 3pts, the amount of treasure the rider shares with the dragon is reduced –10% (treasure sharing will be addressed in the next article).
- Unfavorable Reaction: The mount accepts its rider, but somewhat reluctantly. If the reaction check fails by at least 3pts, the amount of treasure the rider shares with the dragon increases +10%.
Rider’s Modifiers:
Dragon culture: +1 (disciple of a dragon cult or an order of dragon riders)
Subdued the dragon: –3* (probably forbidden to disciples)
Speaks the language of dragons: +1 (dragon whisperer)
Dragon riding skills: +1
No riding skills: –1
Preferred race: +1
Disliked race: –1
Preferred attribute: +1
Disliked character class: –1**
Preferred alignment: +1
Disliked alignment: –1
(*) Increase the penalty with each subsequent reaction check.
(**) B/X-BECMI dwarves and halflings count as fighters; elves count as both fighters and magic-users. Replace monks with mystics. Thieves include bards in other OSR game systems.
Dragon’s Modifiers
Dragon is a male: –1 (+1 Str bonus up to 18)
Dragon is a female: nil (+1 Con bonus up to 18)
Dragon is sick, hurt, irritated, or frightened: –1
Dragon has more hit points than rider: –2 for each 10 hit point difference or fraction thereof
A natural roll of 20 under the check’s attribute always fails, regardless of bonuses. If combined modifiers reduce the reaction check’s attribute to zero or less, the dragon permanently rejects the rider and leaves unless subdued or subjected to a charm or some other coercive means. |
Feeding
As stated earlier, a reasonable approach is to look at real-world wildlife to draw parallels with a fantasy creature. One troubling question, however, is whether dragons should be cold- or warm-blooded. This makes a big difference because warm-blooded creatures eat a lot more than cold-blooded ones. The answer is not obvious. Dinosaurs were probably warm-blooded, birds are, but crocodiles are not. Dragons can be very active like a raging T-Rex, but they are known to sleep for long periods of time—that’s more like a crocodile. The croc is a quadruped but the western dragon is a hexapod while the oriental is more snake-like. My head hurts already.
Since dragons are supposed to be magical creatures, some of the above logic can be tossed out, including whether their breath weapons are at all related to their metabolism. I’d go with the Schrödinger approach suggesting they are both warm- and cold-blooded. This would enable them to be inactive and sleep for long periods of time during which their feeding is minimal, and at other times to become active and far more demanding food-wise. In short, don’t wake a dragon up if you don’t have to.
On the one hand, we know that an adult crocodile eats roughly the equivalent of 5% of its body weight per week. An adult lion, however, needs about 3.5% of its body weight in meat per day. Both can easily eat up to 15-20% of their body weights in one session to last them for some time. Kleiber’s Law equation is needed to convert these numbers for a 30ft-long adult dragon weighing 11,400 lbs.
- Crocodile: If a 2,000 lbs. croc eats 100 lbs. of meat per week, the dragon would need about 3.7 times more food. Here’s how it works: (11,400/2,000)^(3/4) = 3.7. That’s 370 lbs. of meat per week.
- Lion: If a 420 lbs. lion requires about 15 lbs. of meat daily, then the dragon would need 11.9 times more food, based on the same equation: (11,400/420)^(3/4) = 11.9. That’s about 175 lbs. per day or 1,225 lbs. per week.
A crocodile can go without food for as long as 2 years. A sleeping dragon could easily do the same, perhaps much longer. It’ll be quite hungry when it wakes up. A dragon used as a mount will require regular sustenance, graciously provided by the rider. This could be as much as 1,225 lbs. of fresh meat per week if a lot of flying or fighting is involved. If the dragon isn’t active, then 370 lbs. of meat per week will be enough. Underage dragons that are growing (adolescent and younger) require double portions until they reach young adult age.
If the dragon sleeps, then no food is required. It’s like a car: drive far and like a maniac = lots of gas; drive little and leisurely = less gas; don’t drive = no gas. A fine courser would be cheaper and more convenient but it would be like comparing a Ferrari with a flying, flame-throwing Hummer. Elves may also be disappointed to learn that vegan diets are not a valid option. Sorry, no lembas for dragons (or adventuring rations). They can otherwise be turned loose to hunt, likely causing problems with local farmers (perhaps it’s not an issue for malevolent riders).
Logistics: An active or hungry dragon should be able to devour a 1,400 lb. cow (635 kg) in one sitting, including flesh, skin, bone, horns, and all. D&D costs for a cow comes to 15 gp. Prices can double or triple if inflation sets in, which is to be expected in a place with limited cattle supply. Gourmet dragons (I’m thinking of silver, gold, and platinum dragons) may also demand the finest “Kobe-beef” quality causing big headaches for their riders.
Some dragons are aquatic in nature, requiring instead freshwater or marine fish, causing other logistical challenges when away from large bodies of water. For reference, figure a large tuna weighs as much as a cow while a Mekong catfish can weigh 500 lbs. (227 kg). Colossal and greater sea wyrms are likely to go after whales, gobbling 38 tons (34½ mt.) or more in one frenzied feeding, leaving the rest for smaller fish and gulls to finish off. This means an aquatic dragon might have to leave its rider during a long adventure to find suitable fishing, which may take many days depending on distance. Here’s a chart giving approximate food requirements and costs (not incl. inflation) for various dragon body sizes.
Weekly Food Requirements for Western Dragons | ||||||||
V. Small | Small | Medium | Large | Massive | Huge | Colossal | Un’thly | |
Active | 10½ lbs. | 59 lbs. | 308 lbs. | 1 cow | 3½ cows | 6 cows | 11 cows | 18 cows |
Inactive | 3.2 lbs. | 18 lbs. | 93 lbs. | 605 lbs. | 1 cow | 2 cows | 3½ cows | 5½ cows |
Active | 4.8 kg | 26.7 kg | 140 kg | As above | ||||
Inactive | 1.4 kg | 8 kg | 42 kg | 182 kg. | As above | |||
Hi. Cost | 1½ sp | 6½ sp | 3½ gp | 15 gp | 53 gp | 90 gp | 165 gp | 270 gp |
Lo. Cost | 3 cp | 2 sp | 1 gp | 6½ gp | 15 gp | 30 gp | 53 gp | 83 gp |
Weekly Food Requirements for Oriental Dragons | ||||||||
V. Small | Small | Medium | Large | Massive | Huge | Colossal | Un’thly | |
Active | 1.9 lbs. | 8 lbs. | 37 lbs. | 91 lbs. | 794 lbs. | 1½ cows | 2½ cows | 5½ cows |
Inactive | 9.6 oz. | 2½ lbs. | 11 lbs. | 28 lbs. | 239 lbs. | 604 lbs. | 1 cow | 2 cows |
Active | 840 g | 3.7 kg | 16.7 kg | 41 kg | 360 kg | As above | ||
Inactive | 280 g | 1.1 kg | 5 kg | 12.7 kg | 108.5 kg | 274 kg | As above | |
Hi. Cost | 2 cp | 9 cp | 4 sp | 1 gp | 8½ gp | 22½ gp | 38 gp | 83 gp |
Lo. Cost | 1 cp | 3 cp | 1 sp | 3 sp | 2½ gp | 6½ gp | 15 gp | 30 gp |
Some dragons are described as eating gold, gems, and magic. In this case, simply convert the cost of meat into the equivalent gold, gem, or magic-item value. Sorry, gold-eaters’ dung is just like any other manure. For the sake of hygiene, someone will also have to clean the dragon’s mess and its leftovers (presumably the rider), but that’s another story. This all seems very cheap overall, given the prices of most things in D&D games, but that’s fantasy for you!
Waste
As carnivores go, about 1/10th of what dragons consume comes out the other end. So, a large and active specimen devouring one daily cow (1,400 lbs.), produces 140 lbs. of waste per day (63.5 kg). Compare this to a herbivore like an elephant weighing 13,000 lbs. (about the same weight as a large dragon) and producing 220 lbs. of dung per day (100 kg). Since an elephant defecates 8-10 times daily, one could assume a dragon does so 5-6 times a day as an average, delivering about 28 lbs. each time (12.7 kg). A skilled dragon cultist should be able to identify dragon waste (how recent a dropping and how large a dragon, if not its breed). Liquid waste for a dragon of this size amounts to about 10 gallons (US) per day, or about 2 gallons per occurrence (7.5 liters). Dragons do not soil their lairs unless they have a deep pit for their business. The alternative is discarding waste while in flight, like birds do do. Most readers will agree that some avians delight in targeting land lubbers, so do dragons. With one large enough, a single dropping could certainly take out a small house. It should therefore be considered a heretofore-unaddressed lethal missile weapon, with the added satisfaction (for dragons and DMs alike) to embarrass survivors beyond belief. In the event that a dragon cult houses a menagerie of dragons near an urban center, serious thought will have to be given to sanitary issues. Have shovel and bucket, will travel.
Administrative Concerns
Permissions: Local rulers may not permit anyone (but themselves) to own dragons and keep them near populated centers. The options are to do so with or without consent. In the second case, consequences rest entirely in the rider’s hands. In the first case, an agreement should come into effect, such as a quasi-feudal obligation for the dragon rider to answer a summons from local authorities in a timely manner and at no charge to defend their towns, nearby lands, or the rulers themselves if a need for such should arise.
In a bureaucratic setting where dragons are well known, the agreement may come instead in the form of a charter defining the rider’s obligations and liabilities, which include a yearly fee of 100 gp per Hit Die. If the dragon’s alignment differs significantly from that of the local cultures or the dragon is known to present a danger if mishandled, double or triple its charter’s dues. Issuing authorities may also demand a right to inspect the rider’s dwelling at any time and confirm the number and appraised age(s) of the dragon(s) therein. All of the above may apply.
Liabilities: Another aspect, entirely anachronistic but well within the bounds of high fantasy, involves the infamous purveyors of warranties. In a society where people are in the habit of suing each other for every little thing (such as in the western medieval world), lawsuits should be expected in the wake of a dragon’s depredations. If the rider’s whereabouts are known, lawyers will soon follow and demand compensation. Whether demands are legitimate or without merit whatsoever remains to be proven. Assumptions may rest among unscrupulous litigators that a dragon must have a hoard and, therefore, grabbing a piece of it might well be worth going to court however slim their cases. Sadly, keeping dragons also tends to attract thieves, dragon slayers on a quest for glory, and religious zealots presuming to rid the land of monstrous evils.
Purveyors of warranties most likely represent wealthy bankers involved in the business of sending ships on expeditions. Some sell financial protection in the event of catastrophes, such as the loss of ship and cargo. If this is the case, underwriting such beasties as dragon steeds rather than cargo ships may be possible. Warranties only cover damage to third parties and their properties (not the rider or the dragon itself), provided the rider wasn’t wantonly breaking laws. The warranty requires a one-time payment of 500 gp per Hit Die, plus another yearly 100 gp per Hit Die to maintain coverage (double or triple premiums if the dragon is seen as a major risk). Such warranties may be a legal obligation in a bureaucratic society and fit within the purview of local authorities to enforce. Purveyors of warranties reserve the right to investigate incidents privately, hiring rangers and other spellcasting specialists to ascertain circumstances and liabilities. Dragon cults and orders of dragon riders operating overtly and within the law should be able to negotiate better terms for all of their dragons, given the political clout they likely enjoy. The riders are then only personally liable to their organizations.
Travel Distances
Migrating birds can
easily cruise at 40 mph. As a rule of thumb, I’d suggest that dragons can fly an
hour per HD + Constitution bonus. Conveniently dividing by
10 their MV rates per turn results in a reasonable cruising speed in miles per hour. For example, an adult black
with 7 HD and a +2 Constitution bonus could fly 9 hours non-stop. With an MV
rate of 240 yards per turn, this amounts to 9 x
(240/10) = 216 miles non-stop. If a dragon is still airborne when reaching its
maximum flight time, it must land, gliding down at a 45˚ angle.
The same mechanics determine travel distances for swimming dragons except that they can go for twice as long as their flying cousins. A 13 HD dragon turtle with a 90-yard/turn MV, for example, could keep swimming for 26 hours, covering 234 miles. When its swimming time is reached, the dragon simply needs to rest.
Pushing farther requires a Con
check. If the roll succeeds, the mount may continue for another hour before
another check is required. The dragon needs rest after the first failed roll.
If denied, another check is required for every hour further; the dragon lands immediately after the second failed roll.
Tired dragons fight with a –2 penalty to hit, to save, and to attribute checks
until fully rested. Flying dragons' resting times equal their flight times. Aquatic dragons can rest for half that time.
Note: AD&D MV rates are expressed in inches, such as 24” for a flying dragon. This is equivalent to a 240’ MV rate per turn in B/X-BECMI, or 240 yards/turn outdoors.
A Strength check is needed to fly against gale-level headwinds while the dragon is mounted (one roll with the first maneuver while in combat or one per hour when traveling). A flying mount incurring more than 50% damage must land if it is encumbered, otherwise, it can sustain up to 75% damage before it must land immediately. Detailed game mechanics will probably come into play at some point. CAL3 Alfdaín Ascendant provides a good flight system (pp. 74-75) addressing maneuver effects, hovering, flight conditions, and travel speeds. Tailwinds and headwinds can double or halve a dragon's travel speed.
Encumbrance
All flying dragons can easily take off while carrying loads up to 20% of their body weights (at least 360 lbs. or 160 kg for a “medium-sized” mount). A dragon turtle can carry loads up to 30% of its body weight while on the ground, or up to 100% while swimming.
Plus or minus Strength modifiers alter load-bearing capabilities +/–10%. So a medium-sized dragon with a +2 Str bonus can lift at least 360 lbs. + 20% = approx. 430 lbs. Though oriental dragons rely on magic alone to fly, their Str bonuses suggest an increased levitating capability when airborne. Fabulous beings indeed!
Dragons carrying more than the above limits are considered encumbered. If so, halve their ground and swimming MV rates, or subtract 30 from their flying MV rates. They will refuse to carry loads more than twice the above limits.
Attributes
Dragon Strength does not readily relate to normal human attributes. It concerns their ability to carry loads and has no bearing on combat mechanics. In an odd case when a dragon might want to grasp or snatch something while at odds with a humanoid-sized being, the dragon’s relative Str needs to be adjusted as follows:
Very Small Half Strength (rounded up) Massive +9
Small No Change Huge +14
Medium +2 Colossal +20
Large +5 Unearthly Godly
In other words, a human being could arm-wrestle a small dragon. Anything bigger becomes harder or impossible. Evidently, Strength increases as a dragon ages and grows bigger. A hatchling could have a 3 Str.
Official game mechanics dictate Intelligence and alignment. Intelligence varies with the dragon’s age as follows:
Intelligence by Age & Breed (B/X-BECMI) | |||
Ages | Small | Large | Huge |
Hatchling | 5 | 6 | 7 |
“Younger” | 7 | 9 | 11 |
“Adult” | 9 | 12 | 15 |
“Older” | 11 | 15 | 19 |
Intelligence varies differently depending on the game system. The attributes listed in the official rules correspond to adult dragons (listed in blue in both tables). With B/X-BECMI, basic Intelligence is the same for all dragon colors; it changes with the category (Small, Large, or Huge).
Int. by Age (AD&D) | |
Ages | Modifiers |
Hatchling | –5 |
Very Young | –4 |
Young | –3 |
Sub-Adult | –2 |
Young Adult | –1 |
Adult | N/C |
Old | +1 |
Very Old | +2 |
Ancient | +3 |
Under AD&D-style rules, Intelligence varies instead with the dragons’ colors. Age can then alter this score. For example, an older Huge dragon of any color in the first game system would have a 19 Int; the AD&D Monster Manual rates gold dragons as "genius" (17-18 Int). An old gold could reach 18-19, or up to 20-21 for an ancient one regardless of their Hit Dice. So, yeah, a baby platinum starts its glorious journey through life with a minimum 14 Int. It can technically cast fireballs as it hatches!
As established in earlier articles, you should roll for Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Wisdom, and Charisma using 2d4+8. This ensures that attributes do not max out right from start. Avoid the usual cheating methods (rolling 3 dice and keeping the 2 best, swapping rolls to max out certain attributes, and so on). The +8 is intended to prevent really bad scores. A DM is always welcome to change these scores as needed.
Wisdom could be subject to the same modifiers as those suggested for Intelligence. Charisma is only valid among dragons or with other creatures if they polymorph into an appropriate race. Dexterity is used to define the ability to jump obstacles, which made sense for horses in the earlier articles but not for dragons since they have wings; this attribute does not confer combat or AC bonuses but should relate to flight maneuvers. Certain breeds’ attributes will incur modifiers causing them to exceed 18. In the case of AD&D Strength ratings, only use 1801 and 1850 before reaching 19.
Alignment
Established game mechanics define a dragon’s alignment. Unless a backstory indicates a clear preference for its rider’s alignment, roll 1d6: 1-4. The dragon prefers a rider with the same alignment. 5-6. It prefers one with a different alignment (see below).
For B/X-BECMI:
· If Lawful or Chaotic: Preferred rider’s alignment is Neutral.
· If Neutral: roll 1d4: Preferred rider’s alignment is 1-2. Lawful, 3-4. Chaotic.
For Other OSR games, roll 1d4:
· If LG or CG: 1-3. NG, 4. The closest of either LN or CN.
· If LE or CE: 1-3. NE, 4. The closest of either LN or CN.
· If NG or NE: 1. Tends toward Lawful, 2. Toward Chaotic, 3-4. True Neutral.
· If LN or CN: 1. Tends toward Good, 2. Toward Evil, 3-4. True Neutral.
· If True Neutral: 1. NG, 2. CN, 3. NE, 4. LN.
Longevity
The official AD&D game specifies age ranges, but B/X-BECMI does not. The simplest approach for the latter is to use AD&D age groups as follows:
“Younger” Dragon: very young, young, and sub-adult AD&D age groups
“Adult” Dragon: young adult and adult AD&D age groups
“Older” Dragon: old, very old, and ancient age groups
Unlike horses in the first article, grown-up dragons don’t come with an age-based “market value.” These are unique creatures that can’t be traded unless they’re hatchlings, but even then, especially with AD&D game mechanics, some hatchlings may already possess high intelligence, and therefore special considerations must come into play. The buyer matching the dragon’s preferences better than the seller may ensure the dragon does not object to the transaction and seek to escape. See Hatchlings & Training earlier for more information on market values. In truth, if riders see their dragons as a source of pride, the latter might think more of the former as carry-on luggage (hey, you know, brings me food, gives me gold, picks my fangs, scratches my belly, sweeps out the dung…).
Bonding
A dragon may form a special bond with its rider after a significant amount of time the two have been associated. These bonds may enable a special ability if:
- The dragon has already earned at least one extra HD from the association with its present rider.
- The dragon currently earns a +5% bonus to its experience points.
Feeding this Dragon
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