[Week 3] Which is the Playground's favorite monster?! (2.0) - Dungeons & _______!

[Yael]

Welcome to week 3 of us finding out popularity on monsters by direct vote!

You may vote freely for any number of monsters of the selected theme, and at the end of each day for a whole week, we'll see which one was the favoirte 7 days later.
This isn't a competition, just a game, and as a game, everyone is entitled to their opinion of which monster is the best for them, so no arguments please, be good bois. Feel free to say why you love your picks, to help us expand on our viewpoint of that particular creature.
Any vote cast as a reply will be added or counted, so if your monster isn't named yet, vote for it and it will appear and compete~!

This week's theme is:

Dragon type

Art by Daren Bader.
Artwork found in the Player's Handbook.

The end date will be next Wednesday, July 8th.
Any source in 5e is fine, as there isn't that much to pick from (yet), and for those obscure 3rd parties, just point out where are they located for the sake of reference~

My vote: I'm going to vote this time for the Pseudodragon, they are just like cats, except you know, the non-cat stuff they do. I don't know, they are way too likable and adorable for their own good, and I even believe they are better statted than in 3.5 lorewise (but that's just how I see them). Their non-5e lore is great too, and thus they get my vote~

Creature	Creature Type [Tag]	Source	Votes
Amethyst Dragon	Dragon	Strongholds & Followers, p220	1
Black Dragon	Dragon	Monster Manual, p87	2
Brass Dragon	Dragon	Monster Manual, p104	1
Copper Dragon	Dragon	Monster Manual, p110	1
Faerie Dragon	Dragon	Monster Manual, p133	3
Gold Dragon	Dragon	Monster Manual, p113	1
Green Dragon	Dragon	Monster Manual, p93	1
Guard Drake	Dragon	Volo's Guide to Monsters, p158	1
Pseudodragon	Dragon	Monster Manual, p254	5
Red Dragon	Dragon	Monster Manual, p97	4
Ruby Dragon	Dragon	Strongholds & Followers, p202	1
Shadow Dragon	Dragon	Monster Manual, p85	1
Silver Dragon	Dragon	Monster Manual, p116	2
Steel Dragon	Dragon	Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage, p273Referenced	2
Turtle Dragon	Dragon	Monster Manual, p119	3
Wyvern	Dragon	Monster Manual, p303	2

Spoiler: Playground's Favorite Monster's Week (3.5) Index.

Show

Week	Type/Subtype	Most voted!
[Week 1]	Aberration Type	Aboleth.
[Week 2]	Dragon Type	Pseudodragon.
[Week 3]	Lawful Subtype.	Inevitable, Marut.
[Week 4]	Undead Type.	Lich.
[Week 5]	Ooze Type.	Living Spell.
[Week 6]	Earth Subtype.	Earth Elemental.
[Week 7]	Outsider Type.	Asmodeus, Lord of the Ninth

Spoiler: Playground's Favorite Monster's Week (5e) Index.

Show

Week	Theme	Most voted!
[Week 1]	Aberration Type	Aboleth
[Week 2]	Humanoid Type	Kobold
[Week 3]	Dragon Type	Pseudodragon

Disclaimer: I am not sure where this thread should be located, as is D&D 5e specific, but isn't addressing any rules, so feel free to move it to the appropiate forum if neccesary. Thanks.

[MrStabby]

Yeah, going to go with pseudodragon as well.

They are pretty fun. In particular I like to apply the spellcasting variant rules to a psudodragon... to provide cantrips




How are you handelling template type dragons (dracolich/shadow)? Is a shadow white dragon a white dragon or its own thing?

[rickayelm]

Ever since reading The Moonshae trilogy I have always loved faerie dragons.

[Imbalance]

I'll squeeze in my choice via technicality, since DMM's Stalagma is actually just a reskinned silver and her brief appearance doesn't fit well into the established lore that I can find. But alas, a steel dragon has appeared in 5e, and based more on earlier editions I think they're my favorites.

[D&D_Fan]

I will second steel dragon, but there is a massive dragon list in 5e articles(comics)
This is the comic
It is at the bottom, but all of it is worth reading.
Not all are in 5e though, but was created during 5e D&D.
Fun read.

[Lupine]

I’ll jump on the farie and pseudo dragon.

Wyverns and dragon turtles are cool too.

If you only mean true dragons, then I’m all for brass and red dragons. Red, because they’re fun to roleplay, brass because their conversation seeking nature can lead to all sorts of fun misunderstandings.

[ScoutTrooper]

From Strongholds & Followers by Matt Colville,

The Gemstone Dragons,

Ancient Ruby Dragon for my personal favorite. Legendary actions for perceptions checks, making stealth builds work for it. The lair actions, to mess with everyone's long rest dreams, helps to reintroduce NPCs in a fun way. Saving throws get turned up a bit, allowing lower minions with saves or spell casters with hold person, a better chance to contribute to the fight.

[P. G. Macer]

I’m gonna go for the gold dragon because I’m a sucker for the Big Good.

[moonfly7]

Guard drakes. Easily my favourites. They re cute, can offer help in combat, and are just generally lovely

[Yakmala]

I'm putting in my vote for Green Dragons.

Why greens?

Because while other dragons covet gold, gems or magic for their hordes, Green Dragons horde connections. Masters of diplomacy, deceit, intrigue and manipulation, they look at other intelligent creatures as assets, to be influenced, corrupted or otherwise bent to their will. They are willing to play the long game to get what they want.

To me this makes Green Dragons much more interesting and entertaining adversaries.

In the current home campaign I run, the players have formed an alliance with a Young Green Dragon in the High Forest that has convinced them she has changed her ways and plans to follow Mielikki. She has been helping steer the adventurers towards evil threats in the forest, including some of her own siblings. What's really happening is that she's getting the adventurers to help eliminate the competition without getting implicated in the process.

[ForeverFlame]

I second/third Pseudodragons.

[JackPhoenix]

I'll go with the classic, the icon, the legend: Red dragon. Dragons should be burninating the peasants and their thatched-roof cottages, hoarding immense piles of treasure in their lairs, and generally be buttholes, and no other dragon does that as well as red.

[Wizard_Lizard]

Gonna have to go with Faerie dragon. Love it so much. Also rainbows.

[togapika]

I like my dragons sparkly, so I'll go with the Amethyst Gem Dragon!

[Tanarii]

Red Dragon. They're bigger. They're badder. Ladies and gentlemen, they're too much for Mr Indred... uh sorry wrong genre. But yeah, they're to the top dog, final boss, the iconic big bad guy dragon.

[Witty Username]

I am going to have to say Shadow Dragon, Deadly undead spawning breath weapon, bonus action hide, wide spread damage resistance. And back in the day could cause permanent level loss. Great dragon for horror as much as action.

[Millstone85]

From among the chromatic, the red dragon.
This is "the" dragon, the timeless classic, the one that breathes fire and hoards every coin.

From among the metallic, the silver dragon.
This one goes full "Yup, just hanging out with my buddies". The curator angle is cool too.

From among the others, the dragon turtle.
Because it amuses me how close we are to having an official stat block for Bowser.

[stoutstien]

I have an affinity for the dragon Turtle.

[Dragonsonthemap]

Tie between silver dragon and black dragon, I think those are the two best dragon designs D&D has.

[Millstone85]

Spoiler: Shout out to great draconic creatures from older editions, that wouldn't have the dragon type in 5e.

Show

Brainstealer Dragon

"Run! It is Cthulhu!"
"It looks like Cthulhu, but due to international copyright laws, it is not."
"Still we should run like it is Cthulhu!"
"Though it isn't."
"Aaaaaaaaaah!"

This brainstealer dragon is, of course, the result of illithid ceremorphosis on a dragon.


Catastrophic Dragons

Pictured above: a wildfire dragon, an avalanche dragon, and a typhoon dragon. There are others.

Basically, what if MToF's elder elementals didn't behave like beasts, but like dragons?

[Aett_Thorn]

Throwing back to 2e, the Mercury Dragon. Fast, excitable, and able to use their wings as solar reflectors to burn all who oppose them.

But if we’re going 5e only, then I’ll have to go with Copper Dragons. Something about them that I’ve always liked. They’re like 6-ton gnomes.

[Warlush]

Black Dragons

[moonfly7]

Spoiler: Shout out to great draconic creatures from older editions, that wouldn't have the dragon type in 5e.

Show

Brainstealer Dragon

"Run! It is Cthulhu!"
"It looks like Cthulhu, but due to international copyright laws, it is not."
"Still we should run like it is Cthulhu!"
"Though it isn't."
"Aaaaaaaaaah!"

This brainstealer dragon is, of course, the result of illithid ceremorphosis on a dragon.


Catastrophic Dragons

Pictured above: a wildfire dragon, an avalanche dragon, and a typhoon dragon. There are others.

Basically, what if MToF's elder elementals didn't behave like beasts, but like dragons?

So, I might be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that Cthulu and all of H.P. lovecrafts works are public domain and free to use for anyone. Not because of time, but because he never copyrighted the ideas. In life he encouraged many of his writer friends to use his ideas(like the necronomicon) and I'm pretty sure they remained uncopyrighted in death.

[Dork_Forge]

Pseudodragon all the way for me, they're adorable.

[Tanarii]

Pseudodragon all the way for me, they're adorable.

Augh why would you tie-break with that! They're not even real dragons,

[Millstone85]

So, I might be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that Cthulu and all of H.P. lovecrafts works are public domain and free to use for anyone. Not because of time, but because he never copyrighted the ideas. In life he encouraged many of his writer friends to use his ideas(like the necronomicon) and I'm pretty sure they remained uncopyrighted in death.

That's possible. I was just referencing the "Run, it is Godzilla!" scene from the third Austin Powers.

[loki_ragnarock]

Wyvern.

Heraldic symbol, can be encountered at reasonable levels, just fast enough to be a recurring threat during that time, most fun to use as a mount.

Basically non-epic dragons that can be a problem for local communities without totally overwhelming them and overtaking and defining the story.

[Dork_Forge]

Augh why would you tie-break with that! They're not even real dragons,

You say that to Mr Soft Belly's pouty face!

[Yael]

I will second steel dragon, but there is a massive dragon list in 5e articles(comics)
This is the comic
It is at the bottom, but all of it is worth reading.
Not all are in 5e though, but was created during 5e D&D.
Fun read.

I just learned about Steel Dragons, they are pretty interesting on what they do, and how they do it. Also their purpose.

Spoiler: Shout out to great draconic creatures from older editions, that wouldn't have the dragon type in 5e.

Show

Brainstealer Dragon

"Run! It is Cthulhu!"
"It looks like Cthulhu, but due to international copyright laws, it is not."
"Still we should run like it is Cthulhu!"
"Though it isn't."
"Aaaaaaaaaah!"

This brainstealer dragon is, of course, the result of illithid ceremorphosis on a dragon.


Catastrophic Dragons

Pictured above: a wildfire dragon, an avalanche dragon, and a typhoon dragon. There are others.

Basically, what if MToF's elder elementals didn't behave like beasts, but like dragons?

Oh boy, the Brainstealer Dragon is my second favorite from 3.5 just after Tome Dragons, kinda sad they didn't make it into the big 5 (I learned about Tome and Brainstealers after making the first edition of WITPFM, so yeah).

Augh why would you tie-break with that! They're not even real dragons,

How dare you speak of Fluffy Ears like that?!

As for now, votes are over~
The winner is, surprisingly unexpected (not), the tiny cat-like dragon that is everyone's aim for a familiar, the Pseudodragon. Come to think of it, they also won during 3.5's edition of Favorite Monster I guess they are that likable. They were followed by the iconic Red Dragons (which I love for their simplicity), which in my opinion, were always a strong choice.

New thread is up.