A Dragon`s Egg

[shaka gl]

So, the party in the campaign Im DMing just killed a Green Dragon, and one of them took one of this dragon´s eggs. He now wants to learn if its possible to raise him and teach him stuff. What do you think? When the egg hatches, what should happen? A cute little dragon will emerge or a medium sized killing machine? Is it trainable? Is it evil from the start or you could teach him to be good-aligned?

Help!

[kpenguin]

It should come out as wyrmling. Information on dragon eggs are found in this excerpt from the Draconomicon.

[Admiral Squish]

It's all nature vs. nurture, isn't it? Whether we are born evil or become that way. The greatest question of the ages. But then, I suspect you're not here for philosophy.

Logically, they'd respond like most reptiles or birds who just hatched. Imprinting. But you wouldn't want to make it handle animal to teach them things, as they'd still be sentient. Diplomacy checks, with a +5 bonus for being the perceived 'mommy'. Of course, if the character's male, you could have fun making the dragons always refer to him as 'mommy' and let the other characters mock away.

Maybe they could be sort of thoughtlessly destructive? Like eating squirrels or dogs without really thinking about it, put forth an interesting psychological question to your PCs of if they should kill them now to prevent future evil, or try to discourage the natural evil of them.

[Mando Knight]

It would be a small-sized killing machine... and would need a DC 25 Constitution check to survive if it hasn't been kept in acid, etc., as said in before-mentioned Draconomicon.

I would say that as a wyrmling without previous knowledge of good & evil, law & chaos, it would be true neutral for a bit... then quickly change to the alignment of the character that did the most with it. I would also not immediately award the skill ranks of the dragon... give it some time to learn to Jump, Hide, etc.

[Azerian Kelimon]

To tame him, you need diplomacy, handle animal, insane checks, and luck. If I'm correct, you need a few years and a few DC 25 minimum check to tame the lil guy.

[13_CBS]

It's all nature vs. nurture, isn't it? Whether we are born evil or become that way. The greatest question of the ages. But then, I suspect you're not here for philosophy.

Logically, they'd respond like most reptiles or birds who just hatched. Imprinting. But you wouldn't want to make it handle animal to teach them things, as they'd still be sentient. Diplomacy checks, with a +5 bonus for being the perceived 'mommy'. Of course, if the character's male, you could have fun making the dragons always refer to him as 'mommy' and let the other characters mock away.

Maybe they could be sort of thoughtlessly destructive? Like eating squirrels or dogs without really thinking about it, put forth an interesting psychological question to your PCs of if they should kill them now to prevent future evil, or try to discourage the natural evil of them.

IIRC, the Draconomicon seems to suggest both. You CAN nurture the nature out of them, but for chromatic dragons, you more often than not end up with the nurture side.

[Corlis]

There's also the question of how much time the "parents" will be willing to expend on training the dragon; if they're anything like normal humans then they'll likely have to hang around and give the little wyrmling a lot of attention, which would get in the way of adventuring. Of course, they could take him along on their adventures once he hatches, but you'll have to ask yourself how the people they meet will react to them raising an "evil" dragon.

[nerulean]

A green dragon hatches with Int of 10 and a Wis of 11. That makes him about as intelligent as your average adult human, and more importantly, about as impressionable. He's got enough ingrained in him from mum by whatever passes for genetics in a magical world that he's going to be evil straight out of the shell, but your average Joe Shmoe on the streets is persuadable, teachable and shapeable.

If you want him to seem young and babyish, you could go with the child like forms of evil, which are selfishness and bullying and generally thinking that your self and your needs are more important than anything else in the world. Evil people don't have to be maniacs. He could be perfectly fine until he gets hungry, at which point you'd just better have some food for him, or you're going to be food for him.

[seedjar]

The others have kind of hinted at this, but I don't think it's been said explicitly. I think a newborn dragon would probably operate on a much more innocent level than a mature, socialized one. Depending on how you play alignment in your game, this could mean it hatches as a true neutral and behaves as such, or it hatches as evil but doesn't strongly act on that alignment (and is somewhat malleable until it develops its own sense of self.)
I like to play kind of loose with alignments, but also use them as a guide. In my own game, the wyrmling would hatch as neutral, but would be predisposed to vaguely evil acts, kind of like what nerulean said. It might be selfish, gluttonous, aggressive or short-tempered. My interpretation is that (sentient) monsters take on the ideals of an alignment due to their nature and ecology; metallic dragons take on good alignments because they're naturally altruistic, whereas chromatic dragons are cutthroat by nature and subscribe to evil ideals because that's how they can survive amidst their conspecifics.
~Joe

[Solo]

To tame him, you need diplomacy, handle animal, insane checks, and luck. If I'm correct, you need a few years and a few DC 25 minimum check to tame the lil guy.

Dominate Monster + Programmed Amnesia

[Gralamin]

Dominate Monster + Programmed Amnesia

Thats rather heartless and evil solution Solo

[Solo]

Thats rather heartless and evil solution Solo

I suppose I should be grateful that you don't know what I do to succubusses, then.

[Parvum]

Are there 'natural laws' on the alignment of dragons? This'd be easier for outsiders, because they ARE alignment, but dragons are living things. Living things on an entirely different set of rules, but still living things. What truly determines their alignment? Is it really just genetic disposition (In which case you need an epic animal handler)? Is it simply the parents (in which case making the dragon good is absolutely no problem)? Or is it divine intervention from the great Dragon Dieties (in which case Bahamut might see fit to turn that green dragon into a metallic equivalent or at least allow it to be good)?

Personally, I think that you should override the rules due to the sheer interesting-ness of the situation of raising an evil dragon into goodness. Have rolls heavily swayed depending on what would happen in a good book, though it could be seen as blasphemy. Hey, that's why I'm not allowed into power seats.

But if you have a burly he-man in the group who prides himself immensely on his masculinity, make the wyrmling disgustingly cute, follow him everywhere, and always squeak 'momma' in obvious reference to him.

[Foeofthelance]

Hmmm. Where is programmed Amnesia?

[CthulhuM]

I actually had this happen in a game once (well, with a white dragon instead of a green, but close enough). I can't remember if this was an interpretation of an official rule or not, but the way the DM ruled it was that the dragon was born with evil tendencies, that would normally develop into the full-blown evil normal for its race. Since it's an intelligent creature, you can't really tame it, so instead we had to convert it.

Our sorcerer did this by making diplomacy checks once per day, opposed by the dragon's sense motive (with each one accompanied by a "lesson" the player had to think up). Our DM ruled that if he made 7 in a row, the dragon shifted one step towards good. Theoretically, we could have done the same thing to make it lawful, but it didn't seem necessary.

Keeping the dragon under control through all of this was, of course, our problem. Mainly, we used a muzzle.

[Eldritch_Ent]

Depending on how you DM, there's many ways to go about it. It depends on wether you're Lawful or Chaotic in your DMing methods. I'll start with Lawful and work my way Chaotic.

Heavy Lawful- RAW uses Objective Evil, so I doubt you could do it without magic. (Conversion, draconic helmet of switch alignment, Atonement...), and even if you do it's shakey- but dragons aren't outsiders, they're just magical creatures, so more extreme methods COULD work.

Sorta Lawful- Rules as intended, you stand a better chance. The more ridiculous ways of doing it are probably out, but you might stand a better chance with less extreme methods. Diplomacy, Profession: Nanny, Bluff (Of course this is how Green Dragons act!)

Neutral- If you're willing to throw out some of the rules in order to capitalize on a great roleplaying opportunity, just think up how he should handle it, ask the players what kind of roll's they're making (Diplomacy, Make Magic Item, Survival to hunt it some chow...) to support the little guy and just follow how the dice land.

Somewhat Chaotic- I say let him have the egg. The little guy is going to be a real handful at first, (Think a child stuck in the Terrible Twos for 10 years instead of 1.) BUT with enough love and patience, should shift towards neutral, and even good eventually. Just make sure to play up the bratty behavior- tons of "No, I don't wanna!" and "Gimme!" behavior.

Extremely Chaotic- Polymorph into a Gibbering Mouther and devour the kneecaps of your player group while juggling penguins...


Of course, all this begs the question- What is your Party's Level, Classes, and Alignments?

[Kizara]

I suppose I should be grateful that you don't know what I do to succubusses, then.

Which is what, exactly?

If you don't want to post it public, PM me.

[Solo]

Which is what, exactly?

If you don't want to post it public, PM me.

Let's just say it involves use of Black Tentacles to restrain them first, the brainwashing schtick second, and lastly, a casting of my own new spell, "Leomund's Luxurious Love Shack".

[shaka gl]

Of course, all this begs the question- What is your Party's Level, Classes, and Alignments?

Party (all lvl 11, but the gnome who`s 10)
- Half-Elf Knight LG
- Human Cleric of Tyr LG
- Half-Orc Duskblade LN (the one who wants the egg)
- Gnome Beguiler CG
- Dwarf Barbarian CG

One more question: at the time of birth, would the creature be able to speak? Draconic at least?

[tyckspoon]

One more question: at the time of birth, would the creature be able to speak? Draconic at least?

Yes. Dragons are born intelligent and with basic knowledge of the world and their own abilities. The wyrmling should know at the minimum Draconic and Common.

[WhyBother]

Dragon Magazine #320 had an article called "The Perilous Burden" about raising hatchlings. Apparently a significant number of dragons leave hatchlings with devoted worshipers (or foolish humans) either to get their offspring out of harm's way, to raise offspring that they don't particularly care about (such as a half-black-dragon T-Rex that's going to end up guarding a horde somewhere), or just to have the human deal with the tedious task of childrearing.

This also introduced the dragon cohort feat (reprinted in Draconomicon), which is probably the best way to handle this situation. On the other hand, the article says that most chromatic dragons remain evil, and their handlers tend to suffer unfortunate "accidents" once the wyrmling has learned all it can from them.

[NamelessArchon]

First and foremost:
Will the presence of a dragon cause disruption or imbalance in your campaign? If the answer is "yes", or even "probably", and said disruption is undesirable, my suggestion is simply to have the egg be stillborn. Keep in mind, if you let it hatch then you're giving this player a (potentially powerful) follower, albeit one they'll have to convert and keep in check while it's "coming up in the world". Unhatched eggs might, however, make useful alchemical and magical reagents, if you prefer not to have the hassle...

Assuming you allow it:
Dragons are born sentient and aware. Imagine waking up on day 1, knowing everything about your language, and being able to speak it like a lifelong native. It's a very different thing to go from "googaagoo" to "Are you my Mommy?" Play this up, particularly if your players try to talk "down" to the hatchling. (Talking "down" to an evil dragon is probably not going to go over well in the interests of converting him...)

Further, I note that there are no evil members of the party, and that this is a green (hence: evil) dragon. If you're going to allow the egg to hatch, there should be a significant amount of RP involved with rearing the dragon, as dragons are born into and (barring intervention) practice their alignments from day 1. (In chromatic dragon lairs, runts would have a rough time, indeed!) To avoid "association with evil" type issues, your players should be told that they'll have to keep an eye on the hatchling like they would a smart, capable, and dangerous flying human with the emotional capacity of a two year old (with a toothache!) and a tendancy towards selfish, bullying, domineering, and manipulative behaviors. The hatchling will think (again, barring intervention) that there's nothing wrong with stealing, lying, cheating, and so forth. This tendancy can be used as plot hook, or simply plot obstacle, as desired.

Whichever route you go, and whatever you decide, remember: The hatchling will expect to be treated as a person, even an equal! Treating it like a familiar, prisoner, or even a possession would most likely result in the hatchling leaving - but only after it's torn holes in their tents, driven off their mounts, smashed what items it can't steal, and left its excreted lunch in their saddlebags...

...come to think of it, having the players encounter this spurned dragon later (when it's much bigger) might be interesting. If they only grew up quicker...

[Bag_of_Holding]

Let's just say it involves use of Black Tentacles to restrain them first, the brainwashing schtick second, and lastly, a casting of my own new spell, "Leomund's Luxurious Love Shack".

Too much information, sir