GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Monsters 4: Dragons

[MIB.6361]

Originally Posted by Kromm

People tend to overlook that there's a dragon-blooded race on p. 15 of GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 3: The Next Level (2008), which has access to power-ups that turn them into mini-dragons, described on pp. 39-40 of GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 11: Power-Ups (2010).

Despite the tools existing for 8-10 years, I haven't seen a lot of powered-up dragon-blooded warriors discussed as PCs on these forums. My guess is that the point cost to be a strong, naturally armored, fire-breathing adventurer with impaling teeth and claws is regarded as being too high. That's probably because most of the benefits can be emulated for cash by buying weapons and armor . . . which highlights why monster races aren't always optimal PC races.

I have one Dragon-Blooded PC in my DF to DFRPG game that's close to purchasing Level 3 of Becoming the Dragon which will bring him to 390 points. He plans to retire after hitting 400.
But out of the near 70 PCs from my DF game, Grig was the only Dragon-Blooded.

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by MIB.6361

I have one Dragon-Blooded PC in my DF to DFRPG game that's close to purchasing Level 3 of Becoming the Dragon which will bring him to 390 points. He plans to retire after hitting 400.
But out of the near 70 PCs from my DF game, Grig was the only Dragon-Blooded.

I had one in my game a few years back. He was all about becoming a full on Dragon. Never quite got there.

[lwcamp]

Originally Posted by Kromm

People tend to overlook that there's a dragon-blooded race on p. 15 of GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 3: The Next Level (2008), which has access to power-ups that turn them into mini-dragons, described on pp. 39-40 of GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 11: Power-Ups (2010).

See, when I want to be a dragon, I don't just want to be a person in a scale suit with some head ornamentation. I want to be all slithery, with crushing coils and a powerful tail and long muscular neck and not-people-like lizard legs. Reading the description of dragon-blooded and becoming the dragon, I just don't get that. I mean, sure, maybe it is more effective for looting dungeons, but I don't get the same sense of awesome.

Luke

EDIT: Bought the dragon book, loved it. Lots of fun, makes me want to play with all kinds of dragony niftiness.

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by lwcamp

I mean, sure, maybe it is more effective for looting dungeons, but I don't get the same sense of awesome.

Oh, I get it on both counts. Being an actual dragon is totally awesome! But maybe it's best saved for a subgenre of fantasy where you don't spend 98% of your time either "in town" or "down a warren of 6'-wide corridors." I suppose being a dragon who can shrink or turn into a humanoid when needed would get around that, but now we're getting into crazy point totals . . . doing it all on few enough points to work with 250-point characters who have to have actual professional abilities is probably pushing it.

[lachimba]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Oh, I get it on both counts. Being an actual dragon is totally awesome! But maybe it's best saved for a subgenre of fantasy where you don't spend 98% of your time either "in town" or "down a warren of 6'-wide corridors." I suppose being a dragon who can shrink or turn into a humanoid when needed would get around that, but now we're getting into crazy point totals . . . doing it all on few enough points to work with 250-point characters who have to have actual professional abilities is probably pushing it.

An alternate form for the Druid that is a dragon isn't a ridiculous thing.

I'd totally let a Druid buy that (a smallish one) for enough points

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Originally Posted by Kromm

But maybe it's best saved for a subgenre of fantasy where you don't spend 98% of your time either "in town" or "down a warren of 6'-wide corridors."

Why not a smaller dragon?

[Rupert]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Oh, I get it on both counts. Being an actual dragon is totally awesome! But maybe it's best saved for a subgenre of fantasy where you don't spend 98% of your time either "in town" or "down a warren of 6'-wide corridors." I suppose being a dragon who can shrink or turn into a humanoid when needed would get around that, but now we're getting into crazy point totals . . . doing it all on few enough points to work with 250-point characters who have to have actual professional abilities is probably pushing it.

An alternate, human, form for a dragon shouldn't cost that much. On the other hand, it does remove most of the things that makes dragons awesome, so it'd really only be of use for walking around town. On the other other hand, it can be quite a hefty 'human' template before it's worth more than the dragon's racial template is worth, so a dragon could have a rather high-stat 'human' alternate form for the same price as the standard 0-point template.

[Turhan's Bey Company]

Originally Posted by SilvercatMoonpaw

Why not a smaller dragon?

That's what the dragon PC template in Pyramid #72 represents. It's SM +1, about the size of a barbarian. And, indeed, PC dragons (at least, according to that template) are more like barbarians than, say, wizards or knights. They're big and strong, but they're at their best when they're outdoors rather than in cramped dungeons.

[b-dog]

I like the idea that dragons have DR on their eyes to match their body with nictitating membrane. It keeps the scouts from shooting its eyes out too easily.

[Refplace]

Yeah Alternate Form (Human or Reptile Man) costs 15 points base and solves the getting around problem nicely enough.
The Dragin is only really awesome in large areas but that is probaby ok, still gives you awesome some of the time.
In my fantasy setting I have dragons in several roles.
The Land of Water and Land of Fire have reptile men and lesser dragons.
Though dragons though are village and city bankers. They sit in a cave/lair outside of town and protect the hard (vault) and take a %. They also have a small staff of bank assistants to deal with the loan requests and such.