were-dragons what would you run them like

[Amdy_vill]

so were-dragons appeared in dragon magazine 134. they are a race of only females who have the power to transform into a dragon. they only produce female were dragon offspring and can not be cured or pass it on through bites. so my question is would you run were dragons like this or would you retool them to be more like other lycanthropes.

[GlenSmash!]

With true dragons already able to shape-shift into humanoid form, and were dragons not functioning like any other lycanthrope, I'm not sure weredragons add anything to my game.

[Sigreid]

I wouldn't. Dont see a place for them in any campaign I gave or will run.

[Rfkannen]

I think a fun way to do it would just be a clan of dragons that get the alter self ability as wormlings.

[Arcangel4774]

Id have it as a race of dragons cursed to assume the frailty of there human forms when most vulnerable (when pregnant, when young, etc.)

[some guy]

Retool them as normal lycanthropes, but only for creatures that are large enough to survive a dragon's bite. So you get a fire giant-weredragon that destroys like 11-20 villages per full moon. Let the pc's be far below it's CR. Then throw in something different but equally destructive, so the pc's can't confront it directly but can set up the destructive forces against each other. BAM YOU GOT YOURSELF A POSSIBLY KINGDOM DESTROYING ADVENTURE

[ImproperJustice]

I would ignore everything in Dragon Magazine and have a giant Wooly Dragon with massive claws and physical attributes that breathes a cloud of Lycanthropy.

Failing the save turns living beings into a were creature under the Dragon’s control until Dawn.

[MagneticKitty]

I'd probably make them like a goku situation.

They're oblivious that they change into a kaiju once a month. Have them be very sympathetic. Have the adventurers trying to catch this monster only to realize it was the npc they trusted / was helping them.
(I don't think female only matters, either gender.)

[Amdy_vill]

Retool them as normal lycanthropes, but only for creatures that are large enough to survive a dragon's bite. So you get a fire giant-weredragon that destroys like 11-20 villages per full moon. Let the pc's be far below it's CR. Then throw in something different but equally destructive, so the pc's can't confront it directly but can set up the destructive forces against each other. BAM YOU GOT YOURSELF A POSSIBLY KINGDOM DESTROYING ADVENTURE

i don't think it has to do with size but instead health but that is just me

[Nifft]

so were-dragons appeared in dragon magazine 134. they are a race of only females who have the power to transform into a dragon. they only produce female were dragon offspring and can not be cured or pass it on through bites. so my question is would you run were dragons like this or would you retool them to be more like other lycanthropes.

Sounds like something from one of those Japanese dating games, or from Mass Effect.

[Amdy_vill]

Sounds like something from one of those Japanese dating games, or from Mass Effect.

that sound right man

[A Fat Dragon]

I would probably change it from Were-Dragon to Were-Drake, and have it be both genders.

[JackPhoenix]

Sounds like something from one of those Japanese dating games, or from Mass Effect.

Yeah. Female only that turns into dragons? My first thought was that it's someone's magical realm.

[Mercurias]

If I were going to add this to a game, I’d just play it all the way to the hilt. These women would be the ones in charge, if not of an entire world then at least of their own empire. They might even be worshipped as divine. Being a dragondaughter would automatically make you a member of the upper echelons of society. Control over their dragon forms would be encouraged, and those with a lack of control would either be isolated where they can do no harm, nudged towards the military where they can be put to use, or killed if too volatile.

I’d make them covetous, but self-aware of it as a draconic trait.

Men and normal women would live normal lives, just with interesting masters and cultural norms. I’d have to stop anemic do more thinking to consider the affect it would have on gener roles because that would be complicated and there are a lot of ways I could go.

[Dr. Cliché]

Even by the standards of weird D&D monsters, these just sound bizarre and out of place.

If I was ever going to include a were-dragon, I'd go for something quite different - probably a magical experiment or somesuch. Here's the thing, though, rather than just being a were-dragon, I'd have it be a hybrid of a werewolf and a dragon. So when it transforms, you've got this disconcerting mix of dragon and wolf - probably dragon-shaped, but with fur instead of scales and a noticeably wolf-like head.

[Glorthindel]

I am strongly opposed to any concept of "easy lycanthropy" - to me lycanthropy (and I hold the same view of Vampirism) is and should be a horrible, destructive curse, which has no positive or redeeming features. Therefore, in my mind, if I was to implement them, it would be as engines of mindless bloody destruction, chaos and insanity incarnate. Control would be entirely off the table (a "weredragon" able to control their transformation is ultimately no different to a Dragon, so serves no interesting role).

[Dr. Cliché]

I am strongly opposed to any concept of "easy lycanthropy" - to me lycanthropy (and I hold the same view of Vampirism) is and should be a horrible, destructive curse, which has no positive or redeeming features. Therefore, in my mind, if I was to implement them, it would be as engines of mindless bloody destruction, chaos and insanity incarnate. Control would be entirely off the table (a "weredragon" able to control their transformation is ultimately no different to a Dragon, so serves no interesting role).

I'm not really a fan of that sort of thing. If you just want mindless, bloody destruction, then I don't see why a lycanthrope is even necessary. Might as well just use a feral dragon.

I can understanding wanting lycanthropes to all be evil (no cuddly werebears for you :smallwink:), but mindless destruction always seems like the laziest form of evil. I'd have thought the scariest part of lycanthropes would be the ability to appear human, even normal. Hence, I think it would be much more effective to have them act more as psychopaths. They seem like perfectly good, nice people, but really they have no true friends and merely use people to get what they want. When someone no longer serves a purpose or gets in their way, they are killed neatly and without hesitation.

[Amdy_vill]

I'm not really a fan of that sort of thing. If you just want mindless, bloody destruction, then I don't see why a lycanthrope is even necessary. Might as well just use a feral dragon.

I can understanding wanting lycanthropes to all be evil (no cuddly werebears for you :smallwink:), but mindless destruction always seems like the laziest form of evil. I'd have thought the scariest part of lycanthropes would be the ability to appear human, even normal. Hence, I think it would be much more effective to have them act more as psychopaths. They seem like perfectly good, nice people, but really they have no true friends and merely use people to get what they want. When someone no longer serves a purpose or gets in their way, they are killed neatly and without hesitation.

i kind of agree with this. why use such an interesting idea for such a bland way of story tellling

[Glorthindel]

I'd have thought the scariest part of lycanthropes would be the ability to appear human, even normal. Hence, I think it would be much more effective to have them act more as psychopaths. They seem like perfectly good, nice people, but really they have no true friends and merely use people to get what they want. When someone no longer serves a purpose or gets in their way, they are killed neatly and without hesitation.

Actually, I am a big fan of Wolfweres and Jackalweres (and all the other versions) for this reason - the idea of a wolf/jackal/etc that can assume human form to hunt is a really good concept, and explores a niche that I feel normal werebeasts don't (the animal in human skin). Of course, normal shapechanging Dragons fill this role already.

[Dr. Cliché]

Actually, I am a big fan of Wolfweres and Jackalweres (and all the other versions) for this reason - the idea of a wolf/jackal/etc that can assume human form to hunt is a really good concept, and explores a niche that I feel normal werebeasts don't (the animal in human skin).

Yeah, I like those creatures as well. Although (unlike with 'true' were-creatures), I tend to be more flexible with their alignments.


Of course, normal shapechanging Dragons fill this role already.

I'm not so sure about that. I think dragons - even those capable of assuming human form - have a different feel/flavour to them.

For a wolfwere, assuming a fully human form is probably the only way it will be able to interact with humans in any meaningful way (compared to a dragon, which can easily interact with humans in its true form - and might well benefit from doing so).

Moreover, remaining human might well be a matter of survival for the wolfwere. By D&D standards, they're really not all that powerful. They can maybe overpower some villagers or ward off bandits, but are unlikely to survive attack by any well-trained force. Even if the wolfwere is actually friendly, most humans in this period are liable to be hostile towards wolves - especially ones that can look human. Not to mention that some may simply mistake them for werewolves, and deal with them appropriately. Hence, wolfweres will have to be very careful in their interactions with humans (even killing in self-defence may bring the wrath of guards/hunters/adventurers down on them if they inadvertently reveal their true forms), making sure that they're well away from civilisation before changing back into wolves. And if anyone sees them transform, they may be forced to bribe or kill that person to keep themselves safe.

Dragons are a different matter. As above, they can easily interact with humans (or other sentient creatures) in either form. And their dragon form will frequently give them a considerable edge when it comes to making deals. Many will probably agree to a dubious/bad deal out of fear. What's more, whilst a wolfwere is maybe a threat to a few bandits, a dragon can easily lay waste to entire towns. They only really 'need' a human form when a plan requires subtlety, and their real shape would attract unwanted attention.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that wolfweres(/jackalweres) and dragons will generally use there shapeshifting for different reasons. Wolfweres will need to appear human even for most day-to-day interactions, and will probably lean towards being (or acting) very friendly or else be quite introverted. As in, they'll either try to get on with people or else simply try to avoid them wherever possible. Dragons, though, will generally be using their shapeshifting to achieve a specific goal (and so, unless it's an ongoing/long-term scheme, their human disguise will probably only be used for the duration of that particular plan). What's more, the dragon almost certainly won't have the same fear of detection that a wolfwere might and so is much more likely to let its arrogance boil through. It's more likely to be assertive/authoritative, and may well get quickly irritated at any hint of disagreement.

I don't know if I'm expressing myself very well here, but hopefully you get what I mean. :smalltongue:

[Snails]

With true dragons already able to shape-shift into humanoid form, and were dragons not functioning like any other lycanthrope, I'm not sure weredragons add anything to my game.

Exactly.

The idea of a bloodline of (1) dragons that is (2) known to spend much time in humanoid form and has a (3) peculiar curse is a launching pad that has some promise. But going straight to lycanthropy is a bit of a boring way to handle it. No need to put yourself in a box, when dragons already open up so many "fey curse" possibilities beyond the simple were- issues.