Excellent!

See here for thread 5, don't worry, it's not long, no posts were lost
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/33187512/

You used the pic I was going to.

Any ideas for non-dragon bestiary? I keep coming up with plants, but no animals

>>33226926
Hm, that's good. I could have sworn there were some other posts when I went to bed, but I guess it doesn't matter now one way of the other. I was looking at it on Suptg a few minutes ago after I realized we didn't have a thread anymore and someone needed to make a new one. I lifted the artwork from that thread, including the lead and neon dragons, and I'd add them to the wiki page if I knew how.

Anyway, the last thing we were talking about was dangerous monsters besides dragons that our setting contains. There's room for lots of stuff here, so no one be afraid of tossing out ideas! I recommend, for ease of later organization if we want to assemble these things into a bestiary, that descriptions of dangerous creatures and other hazards include mention of habitat and a (very rough) threat level. Rank them on a scale of 1-5 for now, this isn't a CR system or anything, just a convenience for us to be able to tell what environments are lacking less dangerous and more dangerous monsters.

>>33227072
top left corner, there's an edit tab. Click it.

sidebar, there's an Upload File link, click it, upload pic.

Copy template from another entry with a pic. update picture name

reposting with danger ratings

Glassgrass, grass with razor sharp silica pieces embedded in the edges and will cut you even if you only touch it. Burning it is worse, because then the pieces get in your lungs. Alternate name and inspiration: Ripgut grass Danger 2, (only dangerous if you walk into it)

Sinkholes, always a danger in some areas. Some beasts have taken to living in the smaller ones and, like trapdoor spiders, repair the hole until you step in. Danger 3-4

Caltrop bush, seeds have long spines that are arranged similarly to the spines on a caltrop, they easily penetrate leather and are nearly impossible to remove from flesh without causing a great deal more damage, cutting it out is usually necessary. The seeds grow in clusters of 4-5 and as they reach maturity the cluster explodes violently, flinging the seeds up to 100 ft away. The flowers of this bush are used in several expensive perfumes. A bush can have both mature seeds and flowers on it at the same time. Danger 4

Fevergrass, for a few individuals this plant poses no danger, but for 80% of the population the pollen causes a severe allergic reaction; fevers, trouble breathing and hives are all common. Fortunately this plant prefers wet areas and bogs and only spreads elsewhere during extremely wet years. Danger 2 (within habitat)

Take-a-piece cactus, this cactus' spines can penetrate anything softer than iron plate with ease, pieces break off easily, and a spine only needs to penetrate by less than a millimeter to get a grip. Treatment is the same as Caltrop bush should it penetrate deeply. Washing the wound with Tincture of Silver is advised, as the spines carry on them an infection which will cause gangrene of the surrounding tissue if left alone. Also called Hugging Cholla. Danger 3

>>33227211
Snare Vines, these vines have serrated thorns which lock onto anything that walks into them as well as each other, often trapping animals and adventurers in a web of barbs. They are resistant to fire and the fiber present in the bark will rapidly dull most knives and swords. To escape requires the patience to unhook each vine individually. However, stands of these vines are frequently home to micaraptors whose scaly exterior allows them to easily slip through the vines. Danger 3, (w/ micaraptors 4)

Dreamstem: the berries of this shrub are very nutritious and tasty and are a highly valued trail food in the Wilds, but all parts of the plant except the berries are highly toxic, causing terrifying hallucinations and diarrhea to the point of fatal dehydration. Unfortunately the berries are quite small and the stems easily come with them. It takes only 5 stems to poison a grown man. Inspiration: elderberry Danger 3-4

Paintree: This somewhat common tree bears upon all its surfaces miniscule hairs which, when touched or breathed in, causes pain beyond the imagination of any who have not experienced it. Small exposures will cause agony for several weeks or months and can be retriggered by heat or cold for years after. Large exposures cause death. The hairs are easily broken off by wind and can be found several hundred feet downwind of the source. Treatment for skin contact involves waxing the area to pull out the hairs. Also called Gimpi and Stinging Bush. Danger 4-5

Poison Green: a form of poisonous algae that flourishes in still water. Swimming in water which hosts it causes tremors, hallucinations and hypersalivation. Drinking water with it causes death within half an hour. Generally, concentrations high enough to affect humans turn the water emerald green, but smaller or slight individuals have less tolerance, succumbing to symptoms when exposed to water with only half the concentration necessary to affect a regular human. Danger 2 (for lightweight races 4)

Updated the Vanadium dragon alloying bit, and made note that the Antimony dragons are fine with hurting people, they just won't use fire even if they can(and runic Antimony's are very good at fire).


>>33226988
Fortunately, I specialize in animals!

I've already mentioned the beasts with shear-thickening flesh(I'm leaning toward them looking like gorgonopsids)

The Micaraptors are mentioned as well.

For the ferrofluid and liquid crystal slimes, I figure they started out as parasites that absorbed chunks of their respective dragons types, but some have been gradually tamed into pets. They only eat their respective substance, so are harmless to the mortal races, although they will eat armor and weapons much like Rust Monsters from D&D.
Although some of the magnetic dragons have been known to carry a Ferrofluid slime that they can turn into a shapeshifting weapon, similar to a water cutter but more deadly.

Thaumaavores, creatures that consume magic and are generally found around large amounts of it are a possible creature.

Therizinosaurs with razor-sharp obsidian claws might work(I'm currently leaning toward dinosaurs being made of minerals, much like dragons are made of pure elements)

One of the hazard for the deserts could be swarms of tiny insect that disguise themselves as sand.

Orcs might have to deal with animals that feed off their belief, especially dangerous given they are philosophers who believe strongly about their chosen philosophy.

Crows with obsidian beaks that they deliberately shatter when diveboming
swarms of insects with wings of glass that suck blood by cutting you with them as they fly past
porcupines with fiberglass spines
ohoh... the liquid crystal slimes can mimic their surroundings and change their shape and color to perfectly mimic almost any plant or rock (like a liquid crystal tv screen)

Having psychic predators that feed on belief would be interesting.

I'm glad you're here. Otherwise I'd just be sticking minerals onto existing animals.

>>33227072
I'm just going to elaborate on this more, now that I have a moment.

Here's a list of habitats that I think covers our bases: Forest, Jungle, Grasslands, Desert, Snowforest, Tundra, Arctic, Mountains, Caves, Aquatic, Coastal, Urban, and Other (Specify). That's 13 different places, including a miscellaneous catch-all for things that don't quite fit into the system. I think that's enough, since this is suppose to be a general classification. We can add more if it because apparent that we need more later, but I'd caution against adding any biomes that are really specific.

I'll clarify the different biomes briefly, but just insofar as I think some people might confuse them. Forest is a broad category that includes wooded areas of all densities, with the exception of snowforests (AKA boreal forests or taigas, if you want to look it up) and jungles (characterized by very dense growths, high humidity, and typically tropical conditions). Tundras are regions that are cold enough to have little or no trees, which is their primary distinction from a taiga, and by definition have areas of permafrost where the ground is frozen year-round. It's probably where our "arctic race" lives, ironically, as opposed to the actual Arctic area. Arctic regions are even colder and support no plant growth, so you can think of them as cold deserts. The Aquatic biome includes all bodies of water, but should only contain creatures that actually live entirely in the water itself. Things that just leave near the water should be put in the Coastal group or one of the other groups (depending on if we're talking about an actual coastal region or, for example, a lake in a forest).

>Cont

>>33227982
do we want mostly shallow seas or deep oceans? Shallow seas have a lot of life in them, but deep oceans give deep mysterious places to explore.

>>33227982
For threat levels, like I said, let's range them from 1-5. This isn't for any kind of use as a CR system, but helps us understand how dangerous something is. Threat level 1 would be something that your average adventurer can and does regularly defend himself against, and even an untrained (but healthy) non-adventurer has a good chance at fighting off. Threat level 2 is what an average adventurer thinks of as dangerous- it can be fought off or overcome, but you'd best be prepared for it because it will kill you if you aren't. Threat level 3 is the reason you travel in groups, a particularly skillful and powerful adventurer can fight something of this range by themselves but for most adventurers, being caught alone by this means almost certain death unless you're really lucky. Threat level 4 are the really scary monsters that can wipe out villages unless a timely hero or small battalion of soldiers comes by to save them. Threat level 5 are the things that you field armies against, and it's where a lot of our dragons are categorized.. A man who slays this sort of beast alone is instantly flung into legendary status.

Format monsters as "Name (Habitat, Threat Level): Description", and try to make sure we cover a wide variety. We don't need five different forest monsters all at TL 2, after all. Let's proceed for now with the assumption that we will later make a bestiary. We should aim for around 4-6 entries for each habitat, and most regions probably won't have monsters at TL 5 (even TL 4 monsters might not be in every biome). That works out to a bestiary with somewhere between 50 and 80 monsters in it, but don't rush and try to pump out tons of stuff to fill it. We want quality over quantity, so if you want something to end up in the hypothetical bestiary (here's hoping that we get that far with this project!), take care to make something creative and interesting that fills a logical role in the environment and would be sensible to throw at players in a game.

>>33228223
Well, aside from the submarine using dwarves, themselves a small subset of a relatively sparsely populated race, no one's really going to be exploring really deep oceans, aside from maybe an adventurous metallic dragon who isn't worried about sinking into the primordial ooze forever.

Since this world is known to have more land than Earth does, proportionately, I recommend that its seas be more like what ancient Mars once was, Mediterranean sized, relatively shallow (about a mile and a half at most deep), with deep canyons connecting them to the mountainous highlands from whence the snow returns to the seas.

Without as much water, the natural valleys that are formed through tectonic activity will be more noticeable to a landbound observer, since they're not as full of water. Think the Rift Valley in Africa for an IRL example.

Such features would be more common on this world, they'd have high air pressure, tend to be very warm, and would feature strong winds falling from the high rim walls. In almost every case, they would feature a single large river, and if they were very deep, volcanic fumaroles and Yellowstone type features in patches at the bottom.

Okay.

Shear-thickening gorgonopsids- grasslands, 2-3, 4 if you only have blunt weaponry.

Micaraptors- jungles and some forests, 1, but travel in packs

Slimes- Any environment but only in areas with dragons. 1, except for their respective dragon types, in which case they are 2.

Thaumavores- areas with large amounts of magic, 1 usually, but 2-3 for wizards.

Obsidian Therizinosaurs- Forests, 1-3, but are herbivores.

Living Sand- deserts, 1-5 depending on size of swarm. larger ones are rarer.

Belief eaters- normally 2, but 3-4 for those with strong beliefs like orcs.

Gem bugs- wasplike organisms that live in a hive with fiberoptic tunnels for communication and whose sting causes crystallization of flesh. They eat crystals, and aren't picky about using their sting to make food.
Jungles, 1-2.
http://th04.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2014/062/6/2/gem_bug_by_soulwithin465-d78slof.png

Saltwater beasts- Animals made of freshwater with their bones and a shell made of salt.
Herded and hunted by coastal denizens due to being one of the few sources of freshwater.
Coastal, 1-2.

Will fix these up to proper standards in a bit.

Added a section to the wiki page to use for listing our non-dragon monsters... Is there a maximum size limit for pages on the wiki that we'll have to worry about? Between the section for dragons and this, I think the page is going to just keep getting bigger and bigger.

>>33228443
We should try to keep monsters limited to one threat level, maybe with an extra note about something being notably more or less dangerous in certain circumstances (like how you have the slimes and thaumavores). Something like the Living Sand is okay because that understandably can vary a lot, but it's probably best if we minimize the number of monsters that have threat levels expressed in ranges of X to Y. On the other hand, it's not suppose to be a CR system that exactly quantifies monsters, so maybe I'm just nit-picking.

Also, on a side note, if we're actually going to make something out of this, we should probably refrain from using other people's artwork. For just a temporary reference should be okay, but obviously using art we don't have permission to use in the "final product", should we get that far, will have to be avoided.

>>33228926
Should I continue with dangerous plants or not?

>>33229084
chemdude here, you might as well go ahead and post some plants. It's an oft-overlooked part of many settings.

I'll be lurking the thread for now, sundays being my RPG day, but I may pop in later tonight.

>>33229150
scroll up, I already created 8

>>33229157
Yeah, I saw them. They looked pretty cool, particularly the take a piece cactus.

>>33228431
I posted this piece about geology earlier, maybe consider that for a bit if you get bored with doing plants. After all, everything has a foundation of rock and dirt.

>>33229084
Hm... You've got nine so far, right? Do you think you can turn some of them into something more monstrous? I mean, sure, a Paintree is dangerous the way you've described it, but it's still just a tree. It's just kind of there to be avoided, so it isn't the sort of thing I'd think to put in a bestiary. Now, if it were some large trent monster that actively uses its hairs to disable and kill prey, which is then crawls over to so its can take root over the corpse and feed on it for the next couple of weeks, that's something that goes in a bestiary.

My two cents on that, anyway. As for making more plants, let's not throw ourselves at the bestiary yet. There's lots of work yet to be done for the setting so we don't have to rush stuff out and populate the bestiary section.

I feel like I'm just bossing people around now though, and I don't like that. I'm eager for tomorrow to come and hopefully bring more people back to continue working on this project.

>>33229150
Oh hey, cool, I was just wondering if Chem Bro was still with us.

>>33229235
Oh god, I just realized how badly I screwed that sentence up. Lemme take two.

Now, if it were some large trent moster that actively uses its hairs to disable and kill nearby prey, before then crawling on top of the corpse so it can take root and feed for the next couple of months, that's something that goes in a bestiary.

>>33229235
Well, there are plenty of things that run and eat your face, but there are almost never any things that you can walk into and melt your own face off by accident. I was trying to create things that you'd be walking down a path and suddenly your foot has giant spikes in it. Or you're riding your horse and suddenly its intestines are on the ground because you rode into a patch of Ripgut grass. It's often not the animals that kill you in the wild, it's eating hemlock thinking it's a carrot or breaking your leg in a rabbit hole.

I guess 'bestiary' is the wrong place for dangerous plants, but I feel they deserve some mention. (Yes I'm biased, shut up)

Ok, created sub-pages for dragons, races, bestiary and stories.

>>33229448
Looks nice and compact, though I fear it doesn't look as dramatic now that the dragons aren't easily visible to a casual onlooker. Maybe have something that sets the THIS IS WHERE THE DRAGONS ARE apart from the rest somehow, to draw attention?

Since the dragons are what anyone who cares is probably coming to read, and all.

>>33229317
Having those things is good, I just don't think all the plants should be that way. I actually like the Glassgrass for being something you could wander into and very quickly regret. I mean, if we assume the things in the bestiary are going to be used for encounters, which I don't think in an unreasonable assumption, then 90% of the bestiary should be things that you can use to make an encounter. Some plants, like the glassgrass, you could use for an encounter as a form of hazardous terrain, but you can't make an encounter with only difficult terrain. I'd say the bestiary can have a small section for normal plants that are hazardous or otherwise noteworthy, like glassgrass and dreamstem. We can also have plant-monsters, of course, like what I described for the paintree, and those would be included with the main section like any other monster.

I'm just trying to think of it from the perspective of what makes a good bestiary. /tg/ had a project a while back to make its own bestiary that I participated in, but the project ended up losing interest and support. I guess I'm trying to make sure things go smoothly for making a bestiary for this project, but in the end, I don't have an authoritative say in the matter, because this whole thing is a community work. I just have an opinion, and we collectively have to look at everyone's opinions and make something cool from it.

is there a common religion in this setting?

>>33230315
Not yet, although apparently the universe is thought to have originated through some perfect creation runes, far improved versions of our transmutation runes that actually created stuff from nothing. The Lophora have insect gods, but they probably aren't wildly worshiped the other races.

>>33230315
We haven't really talked about it, actually. In a dispersed setting like this, polytheism, tribal religions, enclave faiths and such like are going to be very common.

Really widespread faiths are going to be difficult to spread, because of the long travel time and isolated cultures.


The dragons on the other hand, might all believe in a primordial supreme dragon, who broke himself into pieces (nuclear fission) to create all the draconic species we know today. Radiant dragons might see themselves as holier than others because of this percieved closeness to the progenitor, perhaps.

>>33230034
well, like the micaraptors in the snarevines, some things could live in the plants, increasing the danger of both. Or savvy predators like Gorns could herd adventurers into traps by pinning them against a stand of cholla or throwing caltrop seeds at them.

Not ALL the plants, but having some gives more variety that just GRARGH! GROWL! Like just two or three per biome that you have to watch for.

>>33229958
ok, switched things around

>>33230315
Different races probably have different creation myths, and like >>33230388 says, individual cultures probably have their own interpretations. If there's a set of major dwarven gods, for example, the dwarven communities might have different ideas about which one is the chief god and how they created the world

Do we want to have a pantheon of gods that definitely exist, like how Pathfinder is? Or just different religious beliefs that operate on faith that your god is real, more like how the real world is? Considering the way things are set up, I'm feeling the second one will be more fitting to the setting.

Perhaps, all of the radiant dragons could have what some call "divine-silent-death-mandate"? Things killed by them or their radiance stay dead permanently, so that means no undead which may spontaneously arise due various circumferences of their death.

>>33231069
Actually, undeath is another important issue- we still never settled if oxidation is undeath for metallic dragons, and if so, how it all works.

What elements still need a blurb about their dragon to be written up?

>>33231024
let's go with the second option. It does fit better. You could have some cultures that believe that their belief is what powers their magic, and others that take a more scientific approach, leaving it an open question.

>>33232083
most of the Lanthanide series, pretty much most of them between 40 and 60

>>33232139
70, I meant to say 40-70

bump for life

>>33232900
It's a Sunday, and that's TTRPG-night for a lot of folks, so hopefully we'll be seeing more people tomorrow.

>>33232931
well, keeping it off page ten is good enough for me

>>33231100
A brainfart:

Almost all of the metalic dragons are covered in tiny layer/sheen of "rust", which arises due exposure to air. This is their equivalent of dead skin cells. While metallics, usually, have great elemental affinities to earth and fire, their wind affinity is not only not neutral, but in fact is negative - an extremely rare phenomena. So, the air "hurts" the dragon's exposed body, which results in creation of rust.

Dragons remove build up of dust by scratching themselves into rocks trees, burning it of with fire(breath) or in some cases using acidic liquids. Unoxidized scales and flesh is considered a beautiful and sexually attractive quality by almost all of the metalic dragonkind. Basically, this is their form of hygiene and grooming.

Uncauterized open wounds can get "infected" by the rust, which can results in pain and swelling in infected wounds and metalics equivalent of gangrene. In rare cases a sepsis like complication can occur: Dragon will slowly rust from inside, and then their whole flesh turns to rust they enter a zombie-like state, an undeath. These unfortunates seem to be in constant state of growth and decay, leaving trails of rust where ever they go.They are Inflicted with endless hunger to keep their bodies from decaying into nothingness.

These, rust dragons are known to be to hard to kill using common weapons as they have tendency to reform after some time. Most effective methods to do so proved to be purification with fire or just simply locking them up and starving them till they crumble.

Runic oxygen dragons are known notorious necromancers, not only they control regular undead, they can create and control rust dragons. Their breath weapon(s) are dangerous and their well placed fatally venomous bite kills them from inside and turning them into rust dragons. This makes them even more unpopular to metalic dragons.

Fixed up creatures.

Shear-thickening gorgonopsids(grasslands, 3)- A gorgonopsid with flesh that becomes much harder when struck with blunt force.

Micaraptors(jungles, 1)- A microraptor who has razor-sharp sheets of mica for feathers. Relatively harmless alone, but can attack in packs.

Slimes(around dragons, 1 or 2)- The two types of slimes are liquid crystal and ferrofluid. Relatively identical ability wise, save that liquid crystal slimes can change color to camouflage themselves while ferrofluid slimes are hardier.
They are really only dangerous to dragons of their category, which they consume pieces of in a painful fashion.
However, some slimes have been trained as pets by dragons.

Thaumavores(around large amounts of magic, 1 or 3)- Thaumovores, while harmless to most beings, are deadly to magic-users. They will hunt them down and drain the mana from them in a very harmful fashion, while being nigh-immune to magic directed at them.

Obsidian Therizinosaurs(Forests, 3)- Therazinosaurs with razor-sharp obsidian claws, very dangerous but are herbivores.

Living Sand- (deserts, 1-5)- Living sand is a mass of small, carnivorous, insects masquerading as sand. Small amounts are relatively harmless, but swarms as large as dunes have been heard of. Fortunately, larger swarms are much rarer than smaller ones.

Belief eaters (around intelligent beings, 4)- highly dangerous protean monsters that feed off of belief, growing stronger from it. Prefer to prey upon orcs, given they near-universally have strong beliefs about some form of philosophy.

Gem bugs(jungles, 1)- wasplike organisms that live in a hive with fiberoptic tunnels for communication and whose sting causes crystallization of flesh. They eat crystals, and aren't picky about using their sting to make food.

Saltwater beasts(Coastal, 1) - Animals made of freshwater with their bones and a shell made of salt.
Herded and hunted by coastal denizens due to being one of the few sources of freshwater in the area.

>>33230388
One idea I've had about that is some sort of dragon city made in a giant crater that they believe is where the progenitor dragon tore themselves apart.

This is a basic unedited version of what I have on a few orc tribes.

Sokratk Tribe: A group known cheifly for their inquiring minds, steady methods, and ethical ways. There way of questioning to find basics of belief and eliminating contradictions can be soon either as a boon or an annoying bane to the other tribes. Thought to be one of the first tribes to gain any real foothold in the lands. They are respected by most of the other tribes and seen as providing the foundation for the beliefs that followed (especially in the field of Orc ethics).

Kunfshis Tribe: Another older clan, and one that is quite small in modern day. They've either been allies to or used by other tribes through out history. They put focus on honor, respecting family and ancestors as well as knowing "one's place" in the world. To them social order can only occur if the prince is the prince, the servant the servant, the father the father, the son the son, etc.

Orkism Tribe: They are the most eloquent tribe or so they like to say. Promoting the idea that each orc has the right to give their life meaning and shape it as they see fit (this puts them especially at odds with the Kunfushis) they beleive that values and ethics come from orc experience rather than being inherent spiritual laws. Commonly arguments and wars spring from the tribe's idea that traditional spiritual beliefs inhibits orc potential.

>>33233398
Aw. Before, I thought the Living Sand monsters were literal living sand... I kind of thought that was really cool, actually. I figured that therare threat level 5 Living Sands were more akin to literal living deserts, a whole semi-mobile environment that you'd never know is trying to kill you until it's too later. Bugs are okay, though.

On another note, how attached are you to those names? The names of the last three are a little meh I think, and we might come up with something better if we think about it for a while.

>>33233398
Neat ideas. Do you mind if we sort of take them and run with them? They're good bases but we obviously need more than just a sentence or two for every monster, and I wouldn't mind working on some of them.

>>33233415
I'm not so sure about a dragon city, but having a big crater like that could be cool. The only thing about a city of dragons is that they're still suppose to be fairly rare and thinly scattered, not to mention probably territorial. On top of that, a lot of dragon species specifically don't get along, or can't coexist in the same environment (Noble and Metallics).

>>33233972
>>33233711
I don't mind if you change the name or add bits or anything.

made a list of undescribed dragons in the Links section, when you make one, be sure to change the list to reflect that

moved that list to the top of the page

>>33234360
Sweet, thanks. I made a list for myself a couple days ago, but I lost it and never got around to making a new one.

Blister bush: this small bush, or at times a vine, is common where the undergrowth is sparse. Travelers often think to take a shortcut through these areas and strongly regret leaving the path afterwords. The leaves of this plant are covered in a corrosive oil that, upon contact with skin, produces blisters and the feeling that your limb is on fire. Cloth is useless since the oil easily soaks through it and leather is little protection, as the oil will disintegrate it within an hour. Extreme or prolonged exposure can induce shock and death in most individuals. Some alchemists seek the plant out in order to extract the oil to use for coating weapons. Be warned against burning this plant, as the oil volatilizes easily and inhaling the smoke can cause blisters within the lungs, leading to suffocation. (hello poison ivy+hot peppers)

>Working on a plant monster, trying to think of a decent name

[something better than Amberpine?] (Forest, DL 1): These plant creatures are dangerous to those who are unprepared or unwary. They are known to dig shallow pits and fill them with their sap, which possesses many of the qualities of quicksand. Upon stepping on seemingly solid ground, an adventurer will find themselves up to their ankles in a substance that is at first very thin, but quickly becomes extremely viscous with agitation, such as someone trying to step out of the puddle. As the trapped person struggles, more of the substance hardens, eventually becoming a solid mass. Melting your way out is extremely unadvised, as the sap is more flammable than pine sap; it has been known to ignite from boiling water. Walking out of your boots is an option, but these creatures never dig only one trap, often creating 5 or more. Forest roads are particularly vulnerable, carrying a walking stick to test the ground ahead is highly recommended. Fully hardened chunks of this sap are highly valued as firestarters by adventurers, being soft enough to carve a fire rune into and able to start even wet wood.

The creatures themselves are rarely seen, their true appearance is unknown, though the most frequent description is that of a bear with pine needles instead of fur.

What would be the most useful thing for me to do right now?

Write up more dragons?
Write up some religions?
Write more magic related things?
Or write up monsters?

>>33238046
more Dragons, please

>>33229317
No way man no better way to kill a player than have them get stuck with a stray branch and catch swank fever, slowing down the entire party until they die screaming and helpless.
I've got a few right now, if were going with the shallow sea and and central mountans them with valleys and high winds than I propose,
Cloud-noose. skys above the seas and valley tops. Threat level 1
These monsters float high in the sky and use air bladders to keep themselves afloat. They resemble octopus with long thin tentacles that never stop growing and are used by these great beasts to snare food and bring it into the clouds to be eaten. The cloud-noose us a solitary creature unless they are mating, females leave egg sacks on mountain tops after fertilization.
After hatching the babies are usually eaten by birds or captured by adventurers but those that manage to drift along the currents and hide in the great clouds that hang above the spines of the world begin to hunt for food on the ground below.
The usual diet is carrion and fish but people and livestock have been grabbed by adults and carried off though that is rare.
They are slow with there tentacles and they can be easily severed or even broken by hand

>>33238817
>No way man no better way to kill a player than have them get stuck with a stray branch and catch swank fever, slowing down the entire party until they die screaming and helpless.
I'm not sure whether you're endorsing the idea or discouraging it.

>>33238906
Endorsing for sure.
I've wiped a party before because someone disturbed a nest of vipers while rock climbing, of you have monsters and dragons than everything is going to be just as crazy scary to deal in a harsher environment, chances are humans would have insanely good immune systems due to evolving besides so many different races, though a plague ever few hundreds years is to be expected.

>>33239030
your grammar makes me twitch

>>33238125
Platinum dragons, also known as the Noble Metallics, are an extremely rare species of shimmering white dragons that are practically impervious to all forms of corrosion, even more so than gold dragons. They are also one of the few metallic that are entirely immune to the mercury dragon’s poison flesh.

Greatly dense, they are not able to fly and their wings have developed into repeating hexagonal plates that are highly attractive to all those that view them, especially members of the dragons’ opposite sex. In fact they are so dense that they generally cannot swim, however, they have been known to wade into lakes that are shallow enough for them not to sink into, but seeing as they are taller than a large number of other dragons this is not generally a problem.

With scales that are more durable than gold or silver dragon’s scales, the platinum dragon has a reasonable defense against attackers. Along with the fact that the scales rarely have to be preened to remove tarnish and that they are some of the greatest alchemical catalysts, the scales of a platinum dragon are far more valuable than silver and gold dragons, making the platinum dragon a prideful species.

They often are fairly unconcerned with the world outside of themselves and most are narcissistic to some degree, only seeking to increase their status, wealth, and power at any cost to others. This is shown with their hiring of guard copper or nickel dragons when traveling to see important figures as a show. Despite their weaker electric breath than either gold or silver dragons, their size, strength, and durability make them a tough match for many other dragons, and they are entirely capable of defending themselves.

>>33239170

Due to their prideful and noble nature alloyed breeds are rare, but occasionally a cobalt and platinum hybrid will appear. Although smaller and weaker than its platinum parent in strength they have a more powerful electric breath and have an extremely powerful ability to manipulate magnetic energies, often seen with metal floating around it just due to the hybrid’s existence.

Updated the bestiary to include everything we've thought up so far, with proof-reading. While I was working on the edit, someone else edited the page to include habitat categories under the monster listing- I removed them, half because I be arsed to sort them all after all the other copy/pasting, proof-reading, alphabetizing, and other stuff I did, and half because (for the more valid reason) some things can go in multiple habitats, so it's not really the best index to sort by.

>>33239307
nice job. I wasn't thinking about creatures with multiple habitats when I made the sections

>>33239170
>>33239191
So they're Gold dragons+, basically? How tough a material is platinum, because even though it's obviously not as tough as gold, I thought it was still relatively soft.

w-w-who's the wizard that turned the table of contents into an ACTUAL PERIODIC TABLE?

whoever you are... wow. Just wow.

>>33239575
It's less hard than stuff like iron, but its much harder than gold and many of its alloys. Jewelers hate working with the stuff for that reason.

Whoa, whoever did that edit to the main page with the Periodic Table, I don't know how you did that formatting, but good job and good idea.

>>33239613
Do you think there's anything particular about platinum we could add to the dragons, or maybe take away some features that they already have? As it is now, the Platinum dragon is okay, but strikes me as TOO similar to the Gold dragon. We're allowed some creative and artistic liberties. Maybe we could translate platinum's economic value and usefulness for electronics and jewelry into something besides the hoity-toity loftiness that Golds have as a result of their similar properties?

>>33239734
maybe accent its catalytic property? It's crazy-useful as a catalyst for a ton of reactions, way more than I can really think of, though wiki specifically mentions it being valuable in fuel production, so, the sea-dwarves would probably value it highly.

>>33239734

Perhaps making their scales exceptionally good for runic work? Either lasting longer before wearing down, or giving the spell some extra oomph.

>>33239852
Spells only wear out if they're constantly being overcharged... Wizards don't have this problem and I don't think you'd want to leave platinum sitting in a public forum, no matter how well you bolted it to the floor

>>33239734
Well, platinum is a common catalyst, and is used in catalytic converters to reduce pollution.
I already did something similar with the Palladium dragons though, so I'd recommend going in a different direction than I did with them.

>>33239852
>>33239883
Well, true, but the scale can still wear down the normal way, or be shed, and platinum dragons are good at not having that happen... How about instead of being arrogant and social, they're highly reclusive (representing rarity) and have a very strong, almost universal tenancy towards trying to become runics?

>>33239734
I guess exemplify the catalytic properties. Though I feel their pride is actual far more well placed than gold dragons, and they take it much farther into the extreme, as well as not having any coalesced community to discourage cheap actions. They will do the things golds won't for their own gain. They put the golds to shame in terms of narcissism.

>>33240132
Here's my revised version

Platinum dragons, also known as the Noble Metallics, are an extremely rare species of shimmering white dragons that are practically impervious to all forms of corrosion, even more so than gold dragons. They are also one of the few metallic that are entirely immune to the mercury dragon’s poison flesh.

Greatly dense, they are not able to fly and their wings have developed into repeating hexagonal plates that are highly attractive to all those that view them, especially members of the dragons’ opposite sex. In fact they are so dense that they generally cannot swim, however, they have been known to wade into lakes that are shallow enough for them not to sink into, but seeing as they are taller than a large number of other dragons this is not generally a problem.

With scales that are more durable than gold or silver dragon’s scales, the platinum dragon has a reasonable defense against attackers. Along with the fact that the scales rarely have to be preened to remove tarnish and that they are some of the greatest alchemical catalysts. They are required for the best of any potions, the main component in many industrial processes of the dwarves, and some alchemists believe their scales hold the secret to immortality or a philosopher’s stone. It is for these reasons the scales of a platinum dragon are far more valuable than silver and gold dragons, making the platinum dragon a prideful species.

>>33240235
They often are fairly unconcerned with the world outside of themselves and most are narcissistic to some degree, only seeking to increase their status, wealth, and power at any cost to others. This is shown with their hiring of guard copper or nickel dragons when traveling to see important figures as a show. They have no unified culture to stop them from doing things that gold dragons see as shameful, and the value they put on themselves puts the gold dragon to shame. Despite their weaker electric breath than either gold or silver dragons, their size, strength, and durability make them a tough match for many other dragons, and they are entirely capable of defending themselves.

Due to their prideful and noble nature alloyed breeds are rare, but occasionally a cobalt and platinum hybrid will appear. Although smaller and weaker than its platinum parent in strength they have a more powerful electric breath and have an extremely powerful ability to manipulate magnetic energies, often seen with metal floating around it just due to the hybrid’s existence.

Also the other one I was working on.

Cadmium dragons are a small, bluish-gray species of metallic dragon that unique in that they may not have a breath weapon of their own initially, but after coming into contact with a source of electricity, they absorb the energy and can use it as a medium strength violet laser breath weapon that not only burns those directly hit by the weapon, but also causes something akin to a sunburn in those nearby.

The cadmium dragons also like to sunbathe, and by some means this recharges their ability to use their breath weapons, albeit very slowly, taking up to a day and a half just to generate the energy for one use of their breath. It is for this reason that their wings are relatively large for their size in order to capture sunlight and for these wings not to hinder walking they have a series of folds that allow the dragon to compact them for normal movement. These large wings also make them exceptional long distance fliers and even though they lack maneuverability, they often can cover much more ground than other dragons in the same time period.

They greatly prefer to charge using the electric breath through the means of a wizards magic or by the breath weapons of other dragons, and sometimes even by developing electric runed scales. This makes them a highly cooperative species to work with as they understand their vulnerabilities. Unfortunately for the cadmium dragons, their flesh is toxic to most creatures, and this can seep into their environment if they are not careful with their shedings.

Despite their toxic nature, the scales of the cadmium dragon are highly valuable for their ability to defend against the radiant dragons’ mysterious energy, as well as create yellow, orange, and red dyes. Because of the cadmium dragons’ cooperative natures, they are not often hunted and they trade their scales for the ability to charge their breath as well as for protection from those who would take advantage of or hunt them.

>>33240289
Aw, damn, you beat me to the punch. I had decided to do Cadmium yesterday, but hadn't finished it yet. Oh well, I like what you did with them anyway, so I can't complain.

>>33240496
Aw, sorry about that man, but thank you for the complement.

>>33240545
No problem, it's my own fault for beating around the bush. Besides, there's plenty of other cool and interesting elements left, so I still have an opportunity to contribute on that front.

Indium dragons are one of the weakest dragon’s due to the fact that they have extremely soft scale-less bodies and one of the weakest electric breaths among the metallics. However, what these gray dragons lack in power, they make up for in the ingenuity of their adaptations.

Indium dragons have three main properties that protect them. Firstly they have strange pigments in their skin that allow them to change into other colors and mimic their surroundings with startling clarity and accuracy. Secondly they secrete a very slick, oily substance from their skin that allows them to slide out of harm’s way as well as protect them from tarnishing. Thirdly the touch of their flesh but not their oil is deadly to many metallic dragons, having an effect on aluminum dragons that is similar to but weaker than the gallium dragon’s, and on other metallics reducing their ability to withstand heat.

The anti-tarnishing properties of their oil make the product very valuable to metallic dragons, at least those that aren’t afraid of dealing with them. Amongst the alkali dragons this oil is a necessity to those who wish to venture out of their desert habitats, and maybe even for an easier existence in their current environment. Amongst the mortals the oil is useful to those who wish to prevent rusting on their structures, and to the dwarves the oil is what lubricates most of their machinery and keeps there machinations operating smoothly.

Tellurium dragons are extremely rare on the planet, being slightly rarer than platinum dragons. Adding to the mysteriousness of these strange dragons, an influx of them appear after large meteor showers and similar events, leading many to believe that they are not native to the planet. Some mortals even believe that these dragons orchestrate these showers to bring in more of their kind, but these claims are entirely unfounded by any research or logic concerning the beasts.

To further the extraterrestrial beliefs concerning these dragons, they gain exceptional power from being in sunlight, so much so that they prefer to make their homes on cloudless mountaintops to get closer to what strengthens them. Unlike cadmium dragons which only adapted wings to catch sunlight, the tellurium dragons’ entire back has shifted to help them gather the sunlight. Their wings are not as broad as cadmium dragons, preventing them from requiring folds to allow walking, but instead the wings have adapted to bend into dishes that reflect and intensify light while still allowing great flying capability when unbent. This intense light is mostly reflected towards their back which also has embedded dishes that capture light very efficiently.

The light the wings reflect can also be turned towards the tellurium dragons’ foes, and when combined with the power of the tellurium dragons’ moderate electric breath the combination is devastating. The tellurium dragons can channel this breath indefinitely when in bright direct sunlight, but in darkness it only has a limited use, forcing them to resort to their sharp yet brittle claws.

>>33241383
Their scales are quite hard which offers good protection against slicing weapons, however, they share the same brittleness as the claws of the dragon, creating a weakness to very powerful blunt bashes. Their scales are valuable to wizards who can use them as both electric and solar focuses, as well as being exceptional radiant energy detectors with the right runes placed upon them. The dwarves also find these scales to be quite useful in their mechanical endeavors as well, as mixing a tellurium dragon’s scales with other metals allows them to be machined much easier, allowing for mass production of their machinations.

>>33241418
"allows them to be machined much easier"

Maybe it's because it's so late into the night, but the meaning of this has totally flown over my head. Could you elaborate?

>>33241513
when a part to something is created through metal working, generally by cutting, drilling, etc, the process is called machining.

>>33241639
Oh. Never knew that was a verb.

Are you trying to power through all the remaining elements and finish off the dragons? You've done three in quick succession and it gives me the impression of it.

>>33241684
Kinda, I'm just in a writing mood right now, so I'm taking advantage of it. I'm not really powering through. Soon enough I'll stop for the night. I wrote 7 of these last time I was feeling like it.

>>33241769
Fair enough. How many dragons do who have now whose element is used in dwarven machinery? I guess it's just the last two, since we only decided dwarves have that level of technology (they have to, if they're producing their "Underships" and ocean drilling platforms). We're straddling the line between "sufficiently advanced magic" fantasy and hard magitech now, and we need to decide what side of that line we want to be on. I guess that'll be the subject of the day for tomorrow.

>>33241922
*dragons do we have
*we only recently decided dwarves

Yep, going to bed in the next few minutes.

>>33241922
Yeah, it'd be good to discuss that tomorrow

Technetium dragons are the lightest of the radiant dragons by a wide margin, making it the best flier amongst the radiants, having a skill level comparable or exceeding that of other metallic dragons. This is also aided by the gas bladder they have within themselves that fills with a lighter than air gas that is hypothesized to be similar or identical to that which a helium dragon produces.

Technetium dragons have a near identical coloration to that of platinum dragons, albeit much, much smaller, as well as lacking the hexagonal wings, but instead having striking wings of that resemble stars, no doubt as a result of their origin. The dragons are also quite corrosion resistant and enjoy time in bodies of water.

The origin of technetium dragons is a strange one, being entirely artificial. The dragon species was first birthed by a deranged wizard who wished to create a beautiful radiant dragon in an isolated lab within the now defunct city of Stingard. The exact events of the tragedy are lost to all but those amongst the highest rankings of the wizards, who are trying to prevent a similar event from unfolding by withholding the knowledge of it.

>>33242583
The story that is known tells that the deranged wizard became interested in the taboo of creating life, especially dragons. So he research incessantly and shut himself away from the world. He created a great deal of experimental dragons similar to the technetium dragons, which could be called prototypes. These prototypes were highly unstable similar to the Francium dragons but far less powerful. Eventually he succeeded and created the first technetium dragon and proceeded to create a total of 16 technetium dragons. Unfortunately for the wizard he neglected to dispose of his prototypes, and one broke free. This in turn led to all 30 artificial dragons escaping. The prototypes being unstable as they were flooded Stingard with radiant energy, destroying it and its inhabitants. Most of these prototypes met their ends in the city violently with explosions of radiant energy.

The technetium dragons fled the chaos and populated themselves in the world, and although they are rare they are not endangered in numbers. Their violent origin still draws stigma for their kind.

Despite this stigma the technetium dragons are tolerated for their usefulness and difficult to kill. As they are radiants they have a natural defense against foes and a powerful breath weapon of radiant energy, that while weaker than the other radiants is still quite powerful. Because they emit less radiance than other dragons they are not as harmful to the environment and the energy can be used in alchemy to force new compounds into existence. Not only does the energy act as a catalyst, their scales do as well.

Niobium dragons are a very odd species of dragon; they are the only species who forgoes the preening of their normally gray-silver colored scales to remove the oxidation, which is a distinctive dark grey-blue color.

They are not exceptionally strong dragons with their soft bodies and lack of a breath weapon, and are more prone to flying away to avoid conflict than actively part take in it. When left with no other options they use their powerful magnetic manipulation skills which are greater than platinum-cobalt hybrids. Despite being more powerful, they do not have the signature floating metals that the platinum-cobalt hybrids do as a direct result of their greater precision and skill with the power.

The other distinguishing factor concerning niobium dragons is that they are most likely the most promiscuous of the dragon breeds, showing no qualms about breeding with many other species. This is due to the “super alloy” dragons that result from breeding. These hybrids loose the magnetic ability of the niobium dragons, but are much stronger than either parent in most respects. In the past dragons had sought out niobium dragons to consume and create these super alloys on themselves, however, the process was not as very effective compared to the actual hybrid offspring for reasons unknown.

This hybrid creating ability has created a set of niobium dragons that will sell themselves to create such offspring, often incurring great profits. The scales of the niobium dragon are also useful for wizards as magnetic focuses, and are sold for a high price to them.

Molybdenum dragons are an interesting breed of dragon that lacks a breath weapon, but makes up for it in sheer power. Highly resistant to heat and having very hard scales, the molybdenum dragons are not afraid to take on other dragons with sheer force.

Despite being light enough to fly the molybdenum dragons’ wings have shriveled over time becoming vestigial, so much so that they are often mistaken for underfed, skinny, and juvenile lead dragons.

Amongst dragons they are not considered to be attractive to others and this explains the relatively low rates of molybdenum hybrid creations when they form even better “super alloys” as niobium does, with the same stipulations on consumption. Due to the vanity of many dragons, the fact that their offspring would retain the undesirable looks of the molybdenum dragon parent is enough to turn them away, but some power oriented dragons will pay handsomely to have a molybdenum hybrid.

Molybdenum dragons have value to mortals as well, with scales that act a catalyst and reagent in alchemy. It is often theorized that the technetium dragons’ catalytic properties were derived from molybdenum dragons. Other uses for the dragons’ scales are as a fertilizer, for weapons and armor especially from hybrid scales, and among dwarves as an essential component for any device that will be working with or under high pressure. The dwarven Undersubs would not be able to go as deep without molybdenum components.


And that's all for tonight. Hopefully the thread wont disappear into the night again so I don't have to repost all these tomorrow.

bumping for the moment, won't be around to bump later

>>33226839
KILLER MERCURY DRAGON THAT'S OFFSPRING ARE ALL 100% HYPER AUTISTIC
0% EMPATHETIC AND THEY ACT LIKE EDERITCH HORRORS

WHEREVER THEY WALK, THEY POISON EVERYTHING KILL THE GROUND, AND THOSE WHO FIGHT THEM DIE JUST BY BREATHING THE AIR THAT SURROUNDS THEM

LIQUID METAL DRAGONS

>>33245686
Hg already been done, and the 'kill errythin' is a radiant property. Want to give Fluorine or Cadmium a try?

>>33246241
>>33246241
>Fluorine

As in flouride?

>>33246259
Fluoride contains it, yes, but the mineral is nothing like the pure gas. wiki it. Seriously.

IT MAKES WATER CATCH ON FIRE.

>>33246295
Okay, so said dragon probably:
>Hates vermin, from mice to rats to wererats, kill on sight
>Also hates Skeletons, and the undead, rots ands eatthem away
>Horde is teeth, mostly god fillings and normal teeth from children it's Kobolds are like uncanny valley tooth faeries that wear their victims jaws
>It has flaming tears and bodily fluids
>Can cause blindness and makes you piss blood when in contact/physically attacked by it
>Crystals give it a rough edge body, sort of looks like that one dragn from bersek
>Sorceror Variants ear wisdom teeth
>Disguises itself as a dentist
>The worst one to ever live permanently fucked up an entire planes water supply
>On god terms with Vampires, and as a rare treat feasts on Dhmapire jelly bones

>>33246627
Dragons don't have corresponding kobolds in this setting. We also don't have planes, I think?

>>33246776
Well that suck shit, regardless Ima brainstorming.

>>33240256
Much better description of Pt.

>>33240496
You can always post and I'll integrate it, some of the most interesting dragons are the ones that originally had multiple definitions. (carbon and radium are the two I can remember off the top of my head)

>>33240235
>>33240256
>>33240289
>>33240761
>>33241383
>>33241418
>>33242583
>>33242614
>>33242856
>>33243082
PRed and added to 1d4,

>>33246776
nope, no Elemental planes, I went through and got rid of all planar references...yesterday I think?

>>33245686
ALL CAPS IS FOR COOL PEOPLE. ALSO, SPELLING, PUNCTUATION, AND GRAMMAR ARE FOR FAGS.

File: Pfft.png (26 KB, 322x243)

26 KB PNG

>>33247615
says that punctuation is for fags
uses commas

>>33247784
Pretty sure he's being sarcastic there, but that aside, let's not snip at each other if we can help it. Too many things spiral out of control and leave cool projects burning when that happens.

>>33247837
sorry, I couldn't resist.

>>33247784
Why yes, friend. Because commas are part of good punctuation.

I'm still on that writing kick, so I'll continue with some more dragons today.

Ruthenium dragons are oft mistaken for juvenile platinum dragons due their similar coloring and wing shape, but can easily be distinguish by closely looking at the wings and observing that the hexagonal patterns are elongated which provide for the fight ability of the ruthenium dragon.

Contrary to what one might believe from looking at a ruthenium dragon, they are much more closely related to iron dragons than platinum dragons, and share a similar hardness in their scales, but lacking the forging skill and versatility of the irons. In its place the ruthenium dragons have mid-range electric breaths and magnetic manipulation, both of which seem to gain strength in sunlight through a mysterious mechanism similar to other dragons.

Unlike irons the ruthenium dragon’s scales also have a reasonable catalytic property and are used as focuses for electric, magnetic, and solar magic. These scales can also create “super alloys” through consumption unlike other dragons. Unfortunately this alloying only occurs with nickel dragons which are generally not strong enough to make such a confrontation profitable in the long run. Therefore ruthenium and nickel hybrids are a relatively common hybrid as they grow more powerful in every respect compared to their parents.

>>33247910
>These scales can also create “super alloys” through consumption unlike other dragons.
clarify for me?

So, how do we feel about >>33241922, anyway? If we go the "sufficiently advanced magic", then I think that would encompass having little in the way of technology, everything very clearly runes on magic. The sea-dwarves are clearly the most technologically advanced people in this setting, and if we go this way, even their coal-burning engines are hyper-advanced tech that is very rare.

Magitech implies technology is more common, and most places will have access to some kinds of machinery. We handwave the issue of how it works with magic runes, but it's still pistons and gears. Magic would just be a replacement for the really high-tech stuff that wouldn't fit the setting, like... touch-activated gates, the transmutation production, creation of precise "lab" conditions for wizard "experiments".

At this point, I think we lean more towards magitech, but I don't think we should push too hard in that direction or else we'll start to loose the fantasy-setting vibe that we're going for. It makes sense to regard runes as a science in some ways, because we've already had comparisons of them to the laws of physics and mathematical formulas earlier in discussion.

>>33247986
I think that the most technologically-advanced race is the sea-dwarves, no question. They do things with engineering that most other races view as impossible without runes. Not that they don't have wizards, but they focus much more on the mechanical than magical, and they guard their secrets jealously. No one but a dwarf is ever allowed in an engine room or oil platform.

The other races have some magitech, such as screw-pumps that run without literal horsepower, but for the most part they rely on magic like we rely on electricity.

>>33247910
>>33247940
made a guess and changed it to
>These scales can also create “super-alloys” through consumption by other dragons, unlike the scales of Niobium and Molybdenum dragons.
Y/N?

>>33248184
Yes that's more clear.

>>33247986
>>33248052
I agree with both of you that this should be a more magitech setting. Also every race probably has differing levels of use with alll of them.

Dwarves 75% tech and 25% magic
Elves 75% magic and 25% tech
Humans should be 50-50
Orcs know cursory magic and tech, but due to their nomadic nature do not have very much of either.
Kobolds should be 60% tech and 40 magic since they live underground similar to the dwarves
The Arctic race 70% magic and 30% tech because the cold environment hinders tech use
The Desert race should be 60% magic and 40% tech because they are somewhat isolated, but not inaccesible

I've been thinking, should we agree that 'rust' is the in-universe term for all forms of oxidation? It would make things simpler in terms of describing redox reactions.

>>33248561
I think rust should be most forms of oxidation, with the exception of tarnish on the dragon's scales.

>>33248561
Sure. Keeping it simple is better.

>>33248629
'rust' would be any substance which forms on a dragon's scales that readily flakes off as a powder, regardless of color.

>>33248687
I thought we had rust as more of a toxic thing to dragons in the last thread, like gangrene, but tarnish is the harmless stuff that dims their scales and they preen to keep themselves looking pretty.

>>33248762
hmm... ok, yes, let's go with that. Rust = dragon pus

>>33248792
Is the last thread archived? If I remember correctly someone created rust husk dragons and dragon necromancy

>>33248823
yes it is, and I was there. I'm just trying to find a word to use when powders form through oxidation (to contrast with tarnishes which usually don't flake off). 'Rust' seemed like a good word, but it's already taken.

>>33248864
Maybe it could be called tarnish powder? Since its fairly similar to tarnish, but it flakes off in a powder.

>>33249106
Or maybe both could be referred to as tarnish since both are harmless forms of rust. In that case tarnish is just a general term for harmless rust.

Rhodium dragons are very close relatives to the platinum dragons, so much so that some believe that platinum dragons were once mutations of the rhodium dragons. These dragons are far more common, and although they share the same coloring and a similar but weaker corrosion resistance, rhodium dragons do not have the notable features of platinum dragons and are much more common.

Rhodium dragons do have the ability to fly, but their wings lack any form of specialization and serve to allow average flying to the species. Rhodium dragons are also much smaller than their platinum cousin only becoming a bit larger than a horse. Much to the chagrin of the rhodiums they also lack a breath weapon, but their extremely hard scales and sharp claws tend to make up for it. Despite their relatively small size they are very strong and formidable in a fight, and this is compounded by a near complete resistance to electric energies.

Another useful facet of rhodium dragons is that they have an extra sense which allows them to detect radiant energy and therefore radiant dragons. Due to their skilled ability to do so, some hire rhodium dragons as an early warning system either for evacuations of cities that lack good defenses, or by rich adventurers so they can avoid certain death. They also have a history of being hired by great radiant slayers in order to track the beasts.

The detection property can be revived in shed scales with the correct runes, albeit much weaker, but still giving them value. The scales are also valuable as they are very good catalysts, and although they may not be as powerful as platinum scales, they are far more common.

Praseodymium dragons are, like many of the more dense varieties of dragons, rather less common, though some naturalists have reported that they are no less numerous than Tin dragons. Extremely reclusive, their rarity is compounded by inaccessibility, so they are slightly mythical to the average person.

They possess a powerful magnetic ability and an aura that causes accelerated tarnishing in certain varieties of dragons, especially the Alkali and Alkaline subspecies which can be fatal with any but the briefest exposure, so few Metallics are willing to get near, though the Crystallines show a marked resistance.

An ancient tale from a Diamond dragon tells that once they were far more accessible, but when some of them traveled to the deserts where the Alkali dragons live, their auras, which until then were little more than a nuisance, caused a great massacre. Ever since then they avoid contact with most Metallics, though they are occasionally seen in the company of other Rare Earth dragons.

With flaking green scales and yellow eyes, their appearance is distinct among dragons, though they can be confused with an old Copper in poor light.

Despite the danger of their aura, some Magnesium dragons have been known to seek them out in order to consume their scales, as alloying with them greatly increases their resistance to water, as well as providing unparalleled resistance to heat and pressure.

>Since I"m the main updater of 1d4, I don't want to just add my own without a Y/N from at least one other person. So, comments?

>>33249106
good idea

>>33249182
I like it. You've done a very good job with it.

Here's Rhenium. I based Rhenium dragons off the fact that it is really only used in high-performance jet engines.

Also, dibs on lanthanum and cerium.


Rhenium dragons, despite being one of the the heaviest dragons, are nevertheless among the best fliers.

One of the rarest dragons, and the last one to be formally documented by others, Rhenium dragons are nevertheless studied greatly. Appearing similar to hornless mercury dragons, Rhenium dragons lack horns, and have two rounded cylinders on their back attached to relatively small wings.

While they are the third most resistant dragon to heat, their claim to fame is their incredible flight abilities. The cylinders on their back are capable of creating large blasts of air, sufficient to propel them at incredibly high speeds. Their breath weapon is a similar blast of air, and can rip an armored human to shreds at short distances.

Offspring with nickel dragons show superalloy properties, most especially a resistance to deformation of their bodies due to heat or impact. They also exhibit much improved endurance, capable of exertion for longer without physical strain.

The existence of Hafnium dragons is a hotly debated topic among dracologists. Some argue that they are simply Zirconium dragons, though scale samples show that the density is nearly twice as great for Hafniums. However, given the similarities in appearance to Zirconium dragons and the mutations present in some species such as Phosphorus dragons and the Uranium-Francium relationship, there are many who deny the existence of Hafniums.

However, there are several pieces of evidence that support the existence of Hafnium dragons. First, Zirconium dragons always exhibit a white tarnish, while only the "hyper-dense Zirconium" dragons occasionally have an opalescent brown layer. Second, Niobium dragons are known to seek out and consume the scales of suspected Hafnium dragons, afterwards showing an increase in durability and heat resistance, but they show no preference for Zirconium scales, nor do they exhibit the same improvements upon consuming them. Third, Zirconium dragons tarnish at a slightly, but definitely, faster rate than Hafnium dragons. And lastly, experiments with Radiants show that, unlike Zirconium, Hafnium scales are able to absorb the lethal energy, unlike Zirconium scales, though the degree of diffusion is inferior to Boron and the material is far heavier, making it impractical for personal equipment.

>again, would like some input before adding.

>>33249904
PRed and added

Lanthanum dragons, despite their soft scales and lack of a breath weapon, are nonetheless highly valued by others.

Silver white and bearing large wings, Lanthanum dragons appears standard except for their eyes. Their eyes are unusually large, and appear to be spectacle lenses, being translucent and lacking features such as whites, irises, or pupils.

Lanthanum dragons have among the best vision of all dragons, being capable of distinguishing between individual people from miles away. When added to their ability to fly, as well as produce incredibly bright light, they are in frequent demand as sentries and scouts.
While many dragons are known for having some ability with fire, electricity, or magnetism, Cerium dragons are notable for having skill with all three.

Lacking a breath weapon and possessing soft scales, Cerium dragons make up for these defensively due to the fact that striking them causes the area hit to produce gouts of flame. Furthermore despite lacking a breath weapon, they are capable of producing and controlling electricity, fire, and and magnetism, although not to the heights of the more powerful dragons in each category. Nevertheless, they are formidable opponents due the sheer variety of their attacks.

Sorry for the typos.

>>33250471
That's what I'm here for. :)

>>33250429
ok, because of the number of changes I made with the Ceriums, I'm going to ask for you to OK it.

While many dragons are known for having some ability with either fire, electricity, or magnetism, Cerium dragons are notable for having skill with all three.

Though Cerium dragons lack of breath weapon and possess soft scales, they are far from defenseless. Due to the fact that striking them causes the area hit to produce gouts of flame, melee attacks are a poor choice. Furthermore, they are capable of producing and controlling electricity, fire, and and magnetism, although not to the degree of more specialized dragons. Nevertheless, they are formidable opponents due the sheer variety of their attacks.

So if this is a world with several dozen species of highly lethal, powerful dragons everywhere, how are there still humans alive? I guess that can be said about most fantasy worlds, but still.

>>33250840
Also, how much of the world is constantly cold, to make room for all the gas dragons?

>>33250840
the dragons rarely actively hunt mortals, some even work with them, so there isn't really much pressure beyond Radiants and the few species that go after organics
>>33250877
We haven't decided on any kind of map yet

>>33250616
Sounds great!

>>33250915
Does human use precious metals as currency in this world? Because if so, I can imagine that people would start going after gold, silver and platinum dragons.

Another question: do the dragons need to eat the element they are made of in order to grow, or do they somehow produce more of that element inside their bodies? Because if it's the latter, that would mean that more and more precious metals come into existence all the time, meaning nobody would mine because it's much easier to just enslave and breed dragons for their "meat". Just saying.

>>33250966
they do, but those dragons are A: rare and moving, unlike a mine B: unlike ore, they will crush you into paste if you try to stick them with a sword. Besides, they shed scales on a regular basis, making killing them a literal golden goose situation

>>33250966
I think the later is more likely because certain elements are in such small concentrations in the earth's crust. Remember though that dragons are very powerful and it'd be extremely difficult to hunt them let alone enslave.

>>33250966
and I didn't read the second paragraph.

No, they produce it naturally, but we should think of some way to counter the inevitable inflation, though the process would be extremely slow, given how absurdly rare the dragons are versus just mining

>>33251048
There would still be a bunch of precious dragon corpses around, since they don't get broken down organically. Which is a good adventure seed: find one of the fabled "dragon graveyards", without getting crushed by angry relatives of the deceased in the process.

Would Rune or Antimony or Anon care to give feedback on Hafnium?

>>33251100
the dragons rarely die of old age and usually die from another dragon eating them.

>>33251101
I think it's good, but do they have a breath weapon or other offense?

>>33251121
How often do they breed? Because having a population boom of walking, living nukes would be kinda terrible for everyone on the planet.

>>33251187
I think since dragons are solitary and territorial, they only breed when necessary due to a lowered population.

>>33251168
ok, change to
>However, given the similarities in appearance and ability to Zirconium dragons...

Hafnium is almost exactly like Zr, I emphasized the differences as much as I could, but there's next to none

>>33251187
the rarer the element in the crust, the fewer dragons of that element there are. As such, they breed slowly, with a few exceptions such as the Carbons who have to breed like rabbits to keep their numbers up

>>33251121
So do dragons need to eat, then? They have digestive tracts? Can dragons starve? And even if they only die of diseases or violence, there would still be dead dragons lying around,

>>33251242
those get scavenged by other dragons or by humans. We haven't talked much about diet, and the biggest reason a dragon eats is to eat another dragon to gain its properties.

Given the unique biology of this world, it's not unimaginable that there are creatures that eat dragon carcasses, such as the ferroslimes and crystal slimes

>>33251242
I think dragons do neat to eat, but not a ton. Also I think a dragon probably has the presence of mind t go off and hide to die when its sick. In terms of violence it'd be dragon on dragon violence which leads to at least one being eaten.

Saying a species of dragon is common is speaking in relative terms. Even those "common" dragons are rare, and there's probably a fair chunk of the population that lives their life without ever having seen a real dragon. They typically live in the Wilds, where the small minority of the population, adventurers and travelers, make their excursions. Some of the dragons species are social enough to willingly and in some cases eagerly interact with the humanoid races, and these dragons may visit or live in some of the metropolis cities. However, for the case of the many, many small villages, the mere sight of a dragon is something that might come only every few generations (and in some cases, are very bad for the village). Dragons breed rarely and live for such a long time that by the scale a of human's life, dragon populations are practically static.

In any case, we can come up with something particular that happens to a dragon's body when it dies. Maybe we say that, unlike common animals and the other intelligent races, dragons are unique elemental beings (they already defy reasonable biology) who are made of mana solidified into matter. We've already talked about the idea of that with perfect creation runes that formed all the matter and world from mana, so this would give dragons a belief that they are somehow connected to the origins of the world- that primordial dragon we've talked about. Anyway, as a result of their bodies being solidified mana, when they die, their remains will start to decompose into mana. This also does away with them having to eat their material- most dragons have a digestive system that converts digestible matter to their element for integration into their body.

>>33251321
in fact, those slimes might be the dragon's version of crows and maggots, dissolving the elements back into organic matter. That would give a nice cyclical nature to the whole thing

>>33251341
need*

>>33251321
And yeah, those slimes are often parasites to dragons, and it's not hard to imagine them as decomposers as well. Also given the biology, a dragon carcasss eating bacteria isnt out of the question.

>>33251352
but decomposing back into mana would make killing a dragon for its scales and body completely worthless. By extension this would include shed scales as well.

>>33251321
So why did you object to me suggesting scavenging dragon parts as an adventure seed, then? I'm confused.

As I imagine it, a dragon that knew it was dying would probably try to find a secluded, hard to reach place to do so, since getting melted down is kinda undignified.

>>33251415
because this is still in its formative stages?

no one's exactly sure about the answers to the questions you're asking, so I'm making things up on the fly. As I consider points you make I get new ideas which I incorporate into answers. Its all part of the process. You're doing a lot to get some of the lumps hammered out.

>>33251410
Okay, here's another idea then. There's two problems here: people just harvesting corpses of dragons that died naturally, basically being opportunists, and people actively hunting dragons. The first one, we address with the draco-slimes, like is suggested. They spring really, really fast when a dragon dies, so they might already be chewing on the corpse 24 hours after death, and it might be gone by the next day. So, you can't harvest dragon materials by looking for corpses, unless you're extremely lucky. We've made it impractical. So, someone might try hunting instead. Well, make this infeasible. It's already really difficult and something you'd usually have to call up an army for. Add in the fact that it's hard to find the dragon in the first place. Third, take that belief in a primordial dragon and make it common to other races too. If it's a common belief that the world exists because of dragons, the majority of people would be morally opposed to hunting them. Basically, I say make it a taboo, if not for the reasons I described then for some other reason.

It doesn't totally eliminate dragons as a source for materials, but doing these things makes dragons such a slim percentage of production that it can be mostly ignored, I think.

>>33251644
I like the first two ideas, but I don't feel that everyone should have the primordial dragon belief. there's so much distance that religions are fractured. I feel the first two already make dragons as a resource difficult enough. Plus dragons probably dislike their kspecies being killed so you could inccur their wrath.

>>33251929
Well, some dragons won't, but some dragons hate certain other dragons and probably would be glad to see them dead. The majority of dragons probably don't like it, though. What if in the past there was some kind of pact made between the different dragons and the mortal races the stipulates you don't hunt dragons (in exchange for something for the mortal races, maybe it's why a lot of the dragon species in turn don't actively hunt the mortal races). That makes dragon-hunting an illegal black market thing. Now it's a taboo without religious overtones. There would be the violent dragons that don't respect the pact though, like Francium dragons who attack the mortal races and dragon races alike, but perhaps it becomes okay to attack them in return once they break the pact. As for why people don't keep corpses from these dragons: another part of the pact says that the dragons keep the corpse. They destroy it or eat it or bury it or whatever, but for some cultural reason they don't like giving the corpse of another dragon, even one that betrayed the pact, to the mortal races.

>>33252183
I like the idea of the pact, but I think a few things should be changed. Firstly, the pact is between the intelligent dragons and the mortal races. This would allow for certain dragons like Carbon dragons to still be hunted as their lore states as well as allow for mortals to hunt the aggressive bestial dragons that will attack mortals. Secondly I don't think the corpse stipulation is necessary due to the other factors concerning their deaths, its just so rare to even have the opportunity to find such a corpse that it wouldn't be necessary in such an agreement. Everything else is good though.

>>33251644
>let's make sure there's absolutely no chances for adventure or any interesting human/dragon conflicts happen in this setting

Gee, what a swell idea. Wouldn't want this setting to be useful for games or anything, after all.

>>33252410
I don't like this very much, a lot of the action is going to revolve around the dragon/human relationship and if you make it illegal to hunt them then you remove most of that. Sure, there might be some city-states that would have such an agreement, but they would be in the minority. For some kinds of dragon, going out and killing one, even if it takes an army, would be more cost effective than mining, so it wouldn't matter what kind of restrictions you put in place, if people need protection from radiation they're gonna go out and get some Boron or Lead skins to keep themselves alive, and mining a dragons-worth of osmium is a tremendous task. Much easier to just go kill one.

Making a pact, like >>33252611 says, removes 90% of the action from the setting, which is the entire point of the game. If you want to forge agreements, you can do that when YOU play. Some of us want to go out and try slaying a plutonium dragon.

>>33252611
>>33252785
Good point, I wasn't thinking when I made that suggestion. Retracting the idea for the pact then.

>>33251644
>>33252183
>>33252611

I feel the conflict for this world will come from the fact that the pact is often broken. Another could be that after centuries of the world working with the pact in place the mortal races have expanded too much for the dragons liking especially since they believe in the primordial dragons and may believe they are holier than the mortal races. Another factor is that the mortal have magic and machines which the ancient and powerful dragons never figured out which pisses them off. Thirdly the mortals and dragons religious beliefs are contradictory to each other so there is zealotry.

>>33252811
It would be interesting to work it in in selective instances, but a world-wide treaty is going to make it difficult to play this as a regular game.

There is definite potential to having some areas where dragon-hunting is off limits, since you can really push the 'save the village! oh, now the king is mad because you broke the treaty' situations.

>>33252862
>>33252899
Even scraping the treaty idea, a lot of these conflicts still work.

Dragons and humans are definitely going to be in conflict about land.

Dragons likely believe they are holier than mortals and act as such.

Dragons can still be pissed about not having tech and magic.

The religion will also be a point of contention.

Finally if treaties are still around but not widespread there can be a lot of political conflict between dragons, nations, and adventurers concerning such treaties.

>>33253020
Dragons do have magic, though. Some oldster runics might be pissy about humanoid races starting to get into magic approaching/better than their own though, feeling that the natural order should include dragons being the best wizards. Alternatively, dragons could be pissy about the progression of technology over magic, feeling that the humanoid races are ignorantly forsaking tradition and magic in the name of "progress". Most likely, both of these ideas will be present in draconic culture, it's probably a subject of debate between dragons.

Using religion as an excuse to fight is kind isn't my cup of tea- enough of that in the real world- but as long as we don't make it a major part of the setting, I guess it's fine.

Maybe dragons are also upset by the recent progress of the humanoid races, secretly worried that they might soon be outpaced or outdone by the mortals if they are left to their own devices.

Really, there's no shortage of potential motivations for conflict.

>>33253240
All of those are valid, but in most rpgs 70% of the action comes from encounters, and since dragons are the focus of the entire setting, I feel that cutting encounters with them down in any way defeats the purpose.

>>33253240
Let me rephrase the magic issue. Dragons are known to have trouble obtaining magic in the first place. In a few decades a human can surpass centuries of a dragons studying. Dragons are confirmed to have no tech whatsoever, so the mortals are fast outstriping dragons in ability.

>>33253510
I agree with you. I'm looking at these conflict ideas as ways that dragon mortal conflicts would be more common

Barium dragons are another of the relatively small and hyperreactive metallic dragons, forcing them to live in very dry habitats. They are the size of large horse and have the typical wyvern body shape, with the exception of their long tail that is nearly the length of their body. While their scales are truly a dark silver color, they are seen with a coating of dark greenish-gray tarnish, which they neglect to remove for it would return as fast as they preen.

Although this species is not as violently affected by water as it’s relatives, coming into contact with it is still a very painful experience. The hyperreactivity of the barium dragons flesh does have an advantage though. By using its tail as a whip, it can severely burn organics, some metallic and crystal dragons, and the fluid dragons, even the nobles. They are also recognizable by their striking green flame breath.

Being one of the few alkaline dragons with a well-developed intelligence, it recognizes these talents and will sell its strength for wealth as well as oil to protect it from the environment. The alkali also have a talent in that when consumed for alloying, they cleanse rust from the dragon which opens a source of trade but also makes them hunted. Amongst mortals their scales are useful for fireworks, glass making, and as a bleaching agent.

>>33253697
There are only 14 dragons left if we stop at Curium

>>33253510
I'm suggesting these as potential sources of encounters, not trying to cut down on them. I don't know where you're getting that impression.

>>33253697
oh, I had an idea, Bariums' tails are like salamander tails, when they get too damaged they fall off and regrow

>>33253759
it sounded to me like you were listing other sources of conflict to avoid encounters. I guess I misinterpreted what you were saying.

>>33253741
I think it was agreed in one of the earlier threads that we'd stop at curium, yeah. Anyway, I'm working on erbium right now.

>>33253785
gah, I meant skink tails, though salamanders to something similar

>>33253805
yeah sounds good. Just add it where you feel its appropriate.

I'm making a scary story dragons tell each other about the "best at x" breeds, but I have question first.
Are Polonium or Francium dragons more radioactive?

>>33256035
francium

>>33256035
Franciums win that contest, but they'd really rather not.

>>33253697
ok, added to 1d4

So, researcher, you've come to ask a humble Lanthanum dragon why exactly he's so humble.

How did I know? You told your apprentice when you left your house half a mile from this watchtower. No I couldn't hear you, I just know how to lipread. Anyway, on to the question.

While Lanthanum dragons may have the best vision of all dragons, we are certainly not eligible for the upper echelons of the Paragons.

Paragons? Ah, the dragons with the most power in a specific field, and the ability to use it in combat. Diamonds, Silvers, Neodymiums, Rheniums, Uraniums and Plutoniums, Franciums, and Fluorines. What, you wish to hear more about my views on them? Very well.

The Paragons of Durability are the Diamonds, the 'Adamant Lords'. While Carbon dragons, the juveniles, are little more than fire-breathing beasts, Diamonds are the closest thing to indestructible there is in this world. They can be dropped from great heights, strapped to a bomb, and held under a Magnesium's breath for hours without a scratch.

The Paragons of Electricity are the Silvers, the 'Hammer of the Gods'. Possessing lightning strong enough to destroy castles and blind with a single blast, they are rightly feared by all dragons save Poloniums. This is made even worse by the fact that they live in large groups.

The Paragons of Magnetism are the Neodymiums, the 'Magnetic Magisters'. While they are physically vulnerable for dragons, they are nonetheless feared. Especially because most dragons are metallic, and they are fully capable of flinging around a metallic dragon without ever touching them through pure force of magnetism. They are made even more formidable by their high amounts of Runic individuals, although fortunately most prefer to enhance precision in their Magnetic fields as opposed to increase their already high power.

The Paragons of Flight are the Rheniums, the 'Outflyers of Sound'. Their name stems from the fact that they can fly fast enough to outrun the sound of their own flight. While flight alone wouldn't make them eligible for the position of Paragon, their durability lets them use it to attack. One of the most durable dragons, Rheniums are fully capable of using themselves as living battering rams, and the wake from their flight can damage non-dragons.

The Paragons of Fire are the Uraniums and Plutoniums, the 'Twinned Firestorms'. They are fully capable of producing strong enough blasts of fire to destroy city walls, and can keep it up for great lengths of time. Little wonder numerous kingdoms seek to acquire their services. Most dragons are just grateful that they have so far failed to gain the service of more than the rare greedy youngling.

The Paragons of Radiance are the Franciums, the 'Twice Brightened Children'. Their moniker comes from the phrase 'the candle that burns twice as bright burn half as long'. Except Franciums burn a thousand times as bright.

The Paragons of Corrosion are the Fluorines, the 'Corrosive Nightmares'. Many dragons bear some degree of corrosion, but the Fluorines can even make water explode. Even dragons revere Saint Gilles de Mont-Eiresen for reducing the supply of Fluorines.

That is why this Lanthanum dragons is so humble. How could he not be, when there are such powerful dragons?

I really want to make a Diamond Dragon with scary magic now. And a creepy god or belief.

bumping because I'm not sure it'll be here when I'm done

>>33257915
>>33257999
Added to Story section

bumping