Thoughts on Dragon hide armor

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by Langy

Gotta admit, I really like that. If I ever get my Age of Myth setting off the ground, I'll probably steal this idea.

However, a question arises - how long does it take for someone wearing the dragon hide armor to turn into a dragon? And why don't people know about it?

Originally Posted by ericthered

because the fledgling dragon takes over the mind first, and waits for a good time to reveal itself. People don't think 'Barl turned into a dragon', they think 'a dragon showed up and ate Barl'. In fact, that may be where all the 'family member' stories come from. The followers of the dragon slayer wear the armor, and turn into dragons much like the first.

To be really plausible, the transformation must be delayed. Perhaps years.

And dragon hide must be really tempting armor, so that nobody kills a dragon and just leaves the hide.

Perhaps, through magic or microscopic parasites, the death of the dragon causes a compulsion to make and wear dragon hide armor.

Then, years down the road, when the hero is finished adventuring (and in the process has build upon the original treasure horde) another compulsion will hit to go off on "one last adventure"...alone.

[roguebfl]

If the dragon can polymorphy, there will be a lot of dragon propaganda spreading not just how to make the hide armor, but its virtues

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by aesir23

To be really plausible, the transformation must be delayed. Perhaps years.

And dragon hide must be really tempting armor, so that nobody kills a dragon and just leaves the hide.

I'd solve it with a combination: dragon treasure is cursed (there's a long tradition of this); those who possess it want to hoard it and become jealous about it (there's a long tradition of this one). It also causes you to want to become a dragon. Dragon hide armor turns you into a dragon, but only after you've succumbed to the dragon treasure curse.

[Langy]

I think it'd work better if the dragon hide armor slowly turning you into a dragon is actually mistaken to be a curse on the dragon's horde.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Langy

I think it'd work better if the dragon hide armor slowly turning you into a dragon is actually mistaken to be a curse on the dragon's horde.

There needs to be something that causes people to actually wear the dragon hide armor. Even if it's really nice armor, someone who's already got a dragon hoard probably doesn't need to wear his armor that much because, well, he's got enough money to retire on. Unless he's picked up Miser, but again, that should be something that comes from the hoard, not something that comes from the armor.

[Langy]

Originally Posted by Anthony

There needs to be something that causes people to actually wear the dragon hide armor. Even if it's really nice armor, someone who's already got a dragon hoard probably doesn't need to wear his armor that much because, well, he's got enough money to retire on. Unless he's picked up Miser, but again, that should be something that comes from the hoard, not something that comes from the armor.

It probably looks really nice and is really comfortable. Even if he doesn't need it for armor, it can probably be put to use as clothing instead.

[martinl]

I always wanted to have a batch of PCs with dragon hide armor meet a dragon wearing human hide armor that bounced their attacks.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by martinl

I always wanted to have a batch of PCs with dragon hide armor meet a dragon wearing human hide armor that bounced their attacks.

You mean plate Armor? humans don't have much of a hide.

[Anders]

Originally Posted by aesir23

To be really plausible, the transformation must be delayed. Perhaps years.

And dragon hide must be really tempting armor, so that nobody kills a dragon and just leaves the hide.

Perhaps, through magic or microscopic parasites, the death of the dragon causes a compulsion to make and wear dragon hide armor.

Then, years down the road, when the hero is finished adventuring (and in the process has build upon the original treasure horde) another compulsion will hit to go off on "one last adventure"...alone.

Or make dragon hide irresistibly sexy and watch co-evolution - humans who like dragon armor will be selected for and dragon armor that is sexy will also be selected for.

[Flyndaran]

A curse that makes the owner of dragon hide keep getting exposed to the type of damage the hide protects against.
"Lucky I have this armor proof against acid with all these blasted acid beasts attacking me lately."