Copper Dragon: Master of jokes, wits, and pranks - right?

[Canarr]

In the campaing I'm currently running, the PCs occationally have the chance to interact with a young copper dragon (age: 108), who is the hereditary ruler of a small elven kingdom. The former Queen (the dragon's mother) was slain around 100 years ago, so the elves cut themselves off from humans and other races in order to raise the Prince until he'd be ready to take up the mantle of ruler and lead the elven people to victory over the evil humanoids threatening their forest kingdom. /BG.

Now, I've read through the Draconomicon, especially on copper dragon personality and behaviour, and it lists that they enjoy jokes, matching wits, and pranks. The matching of wits I can do - but I'm seriously stumped with regards to pranks. What kind of practical jokes would a dragon play? On other dragons, or on non-dragon races? In theory, it's a highly intelligent creature; but practically still a teenager, so maybe Dragonkind's version of fart jokes?

I'd really like to bring out this side of the Prince-now-King - both towards the PCs, as well as towards other creatures. Any and all ideas are greatly appreciated.

[Saintheart]

Mr. Welsh's list of things he may no longer do in an RPG springs to mind (with some adaptations, of course.)

[Amnestic]

Try not to overdo it though, don't forget that despite his genetics, he's still a dragon which has been raised over the past century for the sole purpose of ascending the throne and waging war on the oppressive humans. That might colour his outlook somewhat. By all means, include joking and playing around - he is still a 'teenager' after all, but I think treating him like any other Copper Dragon is the wrong way to go.

[NecroRick]

What kind of practical jokes would a dragon play?

It's like the joke about the 800 pound Gorilla. Where does he sit? Wherever he wants!

Even more so when you're the King. (Hail to the King baby) (Seriously, go watch some Army of Darkness)

Family guy might be an inspiration for various characters having a go at each other.

If you want the players to like the king, have him take one of the more pompous (and despised) nobles down a couple of notches. Maybe get the players involved.

----

If you can get it so that the players are thinking up practical jokes for the king, then you've just about reached nirvana. Of course, from there it's a steep and slippery slope to slapstick... and from there only a short hop... to mime... *shudder*

[Cerlis]

i'd combine 3 things. King Boomey from Avatar, the Duke dude from Kingdom of Heaven (the leper), and your trope of the badass cocky hero who can talk **** and back it up.

Amnestic is right. he has a very specific experience. However he is still a copper draon. he aint no human who can do anything. trickery is in his blood.

So i think the combination of him being Royalty who is inherently good, but also powerful. But he probably sees life in a humorous way, but cus of his responsibility doesnt see life as a joke.

I think this would combine to result in a Young ruler who who masters his power and authority. Learning to be diplomatic, clever, and insightful, but always with a grin on his face. Would seem the type To jump in a personally deal with a situation, using a joke to defuse the situation, while complimenting himself and being cocky. but with the power to back it up.

So he wouldnt so much as do pranks as use insightful tactics (like the type of person who'd pants the big bad evil guy to slow him down) and use witty humor and puns to aggrivate his enemies, and flatering jokes to defuse conflict.

[JaronK]

I would see him ruling in a prankish way... instead of direct confrontation, he'd humiliate enemies without them realizing who did it. He'd feel out new entrants to the realm by personally greeting them as a beggar or person in need to see how they react. He'd make good use of spies and deception over brute force.

JaronK

[Fouredged Sword]

He will allow foes to surrender, and then be very chatty and friendly with them after the fact. He will likely treat captives well, but will not release them without good reason.

He will try to be clever. He will favor tactics and intelect in combat. If invadeing expect ambushes retreating into more ambushes, and traps both deadly and debilitateing (both magic and non magic)

[Canarr]

That's some good points here so far... thanks for that. I can actually begin to see the King's personality take shape. :smallsmile:

Still, I'm mostly looking for ways he would treat/prank not hostiles, but friendlies. What would the PCs have to expect when visiting him? What could he think of doing to his elven "court", and what to the humans or other races? Would he set up the kind of elaborate pranks that require minions to pull off - say, the PCs? And if so, what might these pranks look like?

[Metahuman1]

If the Players haven't met him yet, have him enlist there aid in taking an especially arrogant Noble or Minister down a couple of notches in the guise of another noble or minister (read: He's changed shape for this.), who's promised an audience with the king if they'll help him. An audience they need and aren't likely to find anywhere else. Let them pull off publicly embarrassing the Noble/Minister that is the target of the prank, and when he orders them arrested, have the person who hired them tell the guards to stand down. Proceed to have the Target of the pranks work himself up into a spittle berating the younger noble that hired the PC's, then have it drop off as mid Tirade he shifts back into dragon form, and watches as the Noble/Minister he pranked, who normally kisses butt like it's going out of fashion, has his jaw hit the floor.

[Pokonic]

I could see him having the royal cook put some minor magical effect on the food that is surved to the court, such as:

Making whoever eats its hair turn into some outragious shade of pink or green.

Making whoever who eats the foods skin turn jet-black and hair white just to see the courts reaction to there temperary Drow-like apperence.



For a less of a prank and more of a gamble that I can see this dragon doing,
have him him be late for a minor meeting with the nobles, and than have him decend under a spell that makes him look like a very old black dragon. Then have him declare that he killed the young copper and now owns the kingdom, and will give power to those that declare alegence to him at that moment. After posiably a moderate chunk of the nobles present declare alegence to there "new" king, have him drop the illusion.Than have him do whatever he would do with people who would betray him for power.

[ImperatorK]

Mega-wedgie.

[Fouredged Sword]

I will just leave this here


Prestidigitations are minor tricks that novice spellcasters use for practice. Once cast, a prestidigitation spell enables you to perform simple magical effects for 1 hour. The effects are minor and have severe limitations. A prestidigitation can slowly lift 1 pound of material. It can color, clean, or soil items in a 1-foot cube each round. It can chill, warm, or flavor 1 pound of nonliving material. It cannot deal damage or affect the concentration of spellcasters. Prestidigitation can create small objects, but they look crude and artificial. The materials created by a prestidigitation spell are extremely fragile, and they cannot be used as tools, weapons, or spell components. Finally, a prestidigitation lacks the power to duplicate any other spell effects. Any actual change to an object (beyond just moving, cleaning, or soiling it) persists only 1 hour.

There are lots of funny things that could happen at a dinner party that everything had a altered flavor. Lets see what the dwarvish diplomat does when he descovers the dwarven whisky he has been drinking is actualy water, and he has been sober the whole time!

[NecroRick]

Polymorph has uses other than merely breaking the game

[herrhauptmann]

He's been raised for the last century, not merely as a dragon, but as the future heir...

I can see him being very spoiled. Very "I'm the king, so you have to do what I say!" in a childish way.
Like his council or lords, or whatever the advisors are called, walk into the throne room to discuss a serious matter, and get splashed when opening the door turns a bucket of water over their heads. With him laughing fit to burst.
Now, nevermind the fact that it's not really all that good of a joke, many of his court have learned that they need to laugh at even his most ridiculously dumb pranks. If they don't, they risk his tantrums. (Tantrums started when he was a 'baby,' and haven't stopped because he's so spoiled.)

[Tvtyrant]

Had an ancient silver dragon that went around as an elf female to seduce high ranking officials and then after getting their information publicly posting it.

[Pokonic]

Honastly, you cant go wrong with the creative use of illusions ex. Make every noble elf in the palace look like a drow, and Prestidigitations ex. make the water taste like fine wine and vice versa. Shapeshifting is also fun to abuse, and both mine and Tvtyrants suggestions are just two exampels.

[kamikasei]

He's very dignified and regal. He makes sure no one else gets to be, not for long. Whenever he greets petitioners or hosts a feast, his guests won't find things how or where they expect. They'll constantly feel as though they're embarrassing themselves by not knowing something that's obvious to everyone else, by not doing something that no one else even thinks should need to be mentioned. And through it all, he will keep a completely straight face and be very grave and courteous, and they'll feel like fools.

(If they show a bit of humour about it, he'll let them off the hook, a little. If they get annoyed, he'll keep winding them up.)

Since some of this will probably be hard to convey subtly, you might make it that he spends most of his effort on his own people and the elaborate rules and conventions of elven society, which provide lots of opportunity for trolling by setting obedience to the monarch against societal expectation. Instead of treating the party as fresh victims, he treats them as co-conspirators. Easier and more entertaining to play along (with some knowledge checks to recognize the ploys) than be played.

[BlueInc]

Constantly teases opponents and speaks in circles when he feels like he's dealing with an intellectual inferior. Watch a few Marx Brothers films for inspiration.