Dragon Frequency? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Dragon Frequency? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Rastan3
03-25-05, 11:50 PM Traditionally in D and D, metallic dragon species are more rare than their chromatic counterparts.
Why and how?
Unlike chromatics, metallic dragons are more likely to care for their young for longer periods of time, fight less among themselves and find alternative methods of resolving disputes, and are more likely to work with other intellegent species (such as humans). Metallic dragons also temd to be more intellegent, magical, and physically powerful. Chromatic dragons are more likely to arowse the warth of nearby adventurer-hireing kingdoms and wizards.
Metallic and chromatic dragons live the same length of time, come to maturity at the same time, and reproduce at the same rate. So no advantage here.

In my standard campaign world the metallics actually outnumber the chromatics, but they aren't generally naitive to the lands that PCs are usually in (too bad...).

My question is what explanation to use in worlds such as Grayhawk and the Realms, where chromatics outnumber metallics, in spite of their disadvantages.
guardiandashi
03-26-05, 12:39 AM because often metallics (that can poly) blend in with the normal population. Silvers like pretending to be human/demihumans and live in towns

golds do the same on occasion

another thing is:
"Did you ever hear the story about the old shepard that lived in 'dragon valley' he was attacked by a group of bandits..... well it turned out that poor shepard was a gold dragon in disguise... he ended up EATING the bandits and their horses."
Tenzhi
03-26-05, 12:58 AM I'd say that that while Metallics care for their offspring longer, they also have fewer of them. And while the frequency of younger chromatics might be greater by far, the older metallics should outnumber the older chromatics.
Draco Obscura
03-26-05, 01:41 AM Plus, several of the chromatics (white and blue specifically) are described as having only an animal cunning, even if their int is well above a humans, and since animals breed more frequently than intelligent beings, chromatics breed more frequently than metallics. But that's just a theory.
Keenath
03-26-05, 02:00 AM Actually, there's an obvious balance to the metallics care for their young: Chromatics don't play nice. If a red dragon shows up, it kills and eats any and everything it can. Meanwhile, a gold is more likely to avoid sentient food sources and only eat what it can get by legitimate (for a dragon) means.

Metallics get better care, but chromatics cheat to make up for it.

By the way, I'm such a geek that this thread's title at first made me think you were referring to a communications band frequency, and I thought, "What kind of stupid question is that? Does he think telepathy has a frequency or something?" Then the rest of my brain backslapped that part and told it to shut up.
Vatras
03-26-05, 06:49 AM They are not rarer than the others, unless a DM makes it so :)
RavinRay
03-26-05, 05:50 PM IMHO, for balance. Collectively, the five metallics (all 19th-level sorcerers at great wyrm, plus 2 breath weapons) are stronger than the five chromatics, so if they are equal in number, the former would most definitely overpower the latter and good would carry the day, hands down.
Ferox
03-27-05, 02:43 AM Doesn't it say somewhere in the monster manual that although good dragons and more inteligent dragons guard their eggs, evil dragons or younger ones tend to lay clutches of eggs all around the countryside? They could lay many more eggs this way, but most of the offspring would die. However, the chances of encountering a chromatic dragon would be higher, they're just have a higher mortality rate that metalic dragons, so eventually the populations even out.

That and metalic dragons would be harder to find if they didn't want to be found.
Khaibit_Ema_Neteru
03-27-05, 09:23 PM Plus, several of the chromatics (white and blue specifically) are described as having only an animal cunning, even if their int is well above a humans, and since animals breed more frequently than intelligent beings, chromatics breed more frequently than metallics. But that's just a theory.

I'm curious as to where they say that. Because I've always seen blues described as the more intelligent and team-oriented types. The type that would willingly, say, make an alliance with a blackguard and form a dragon-and-rider pair.
Draco Obscura
03-27-05, 09:34 PM Perhaps I was incorrect about blue, but white I am positive of. The MM says, and I quote, "most white dragons are simply animalistic predators".
Vaalingrade Ashland
03-27-05, 09:40 PM Chromatic live longer because they're smart enough to not take the goodie good option all the time. They do what they need to and thus live longer.
Khaibit_Ema_Neteru
03-27-05, 09:54 PM Chromatic live longer because they're smart enough to not take the goodie good option all the time. They do what they need to and thus live longer.

That's cute, but no. For every metallic dragon that gets killed doing the "goody goody" thing, there's a chromatic that gets killed by adventurers for being conspicuously evil and generally fracking people off.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Rastan3 03-25-05, 11:50 PM	Traditionally in D and D, metallic dragon species are more rare than their chromatic counterparts. Why and how? Unlike chromatics, metallic dragons are more likely to care for their young for longer periods of time, fight less among themselves and find alternative methods of resolving disputes, and are more likely to work with other intellegent species (such as humans). Metallic dragons also temd to be more intellegent, magical, and physically powerful. Chromatic dragons are more likely to arowse the warth of nearby adventurer-hireing kingdoms and wizards. Metallic and chromatic dragons live the same length of time, come to maturity at the same time, and reproduce at the same rate. So no advantage here. In my standard campaign world the metallics actually outnumber the chromatics, but they aren't generally naitive to the lands that PCs are usually in (too bad...). My question is what explanation to use in worlds such as Grayhawk and the Realms, where chromatics outnumber metallics, in spite of their disadvantages.
guardiandashi 03-26-05, 12:39 AM	because often metallics (that can poly) blend in with the normal population. Silvers like pretending to be human/demihumans and live in towns golds do the same on occasion another thing is: "Did you ever hear the story about the old shepard that lived in 'dragon valley' he was attacked by a group of bandits..... well it turned out that poor shepard was a gold dragon in disguise... he ended up EATING the bandits and their horses."
Tenzhi 03-26-05, 12:58 AM	I'd say that that while Metallics care for their offspring longer, they also have fewer of them. And while the frequency of younger chromatics might be greater by far, the older metallics should outnumber the older chromatics.
Draco Obscura 03-26-05, 01:41 AM	Plus, several of the chromatics (white and blue specifically) are described as having only an animal cunning, even if their int is well above a humans, and since animals breed more frequently than intelligent beings, chromatics breed more frequently than metallics. But that's just a theory.
Keenath 03-26-05, 02:00 AM	Actually, there's an obvious balance to the metallics care for their young: Chromatics don't play nice. If a red dragon shows up, it kills and eats any and everything it can. Meanwhile, a gold is more likely to avoid sentient food sources and only eat what it can get by legitimate (for a dragon) means. Metallics get better care, but chromatics cheat to make up for it. By the way, I'm such a geek that this thread's title at first made me think you were referring to a communications band frequency, and I thought, "What kind of stupid question is that? Does he think telepathy has a frequency or something?" Then the rest of my brain backslapped that part and told it to shut up.
Vatras 03-26-05, 06:49 AM	They are not rarer than the others, unless a DM makes it so :)
RavinRay 03-26-05, 05:50 PM	IMHO, for balance. Collectively, the five metallics (all 19th-level sorcerers at great wyrm, plus 2 breath weapons) are stronger than the five chromatics, so if they are equal in number, the former would most definitely overpower the latter and good would carry the day, hands down.
Ferox 03-27-05, 02:43 AM	Doesn't it say somewhere in the monster manual that although good dragons and more inteligent dragons guard their eggs, evil dragons or younger ones tend to lay clutches of eggs all around the countryside? They could lay many more eggs this way, but most of the offspring would die. However, the chances of encountering a chromatic dragon would be higher, they're just have a higher mortality rate that metalic dragons, so eventually the populations even out. That and metalic dragons would be harder to find if they didn't want to be found.
Khaibit_Ema_Neteru 03-27-05, 09:23 PM	Plus, several of the chromatics (white and blue specifically) are described as having only an animal cunning, even if their int is well above a humans, and since animals breed more frequently than intelligent beings, chromatics breed more frequently than metallics. But that's just a theory. I'm curious as to where they say that. Because I've always seen blues described as the more intelligent and team-oriented types. The type that would willingly, say, make an alliance with a blackguard and form a dragon-and-rider pair.
Draco Obscura 03-27-05, 09:34 PM	Perhaps I was incorrect about blue, but white I am positive of. The MM says, and I quote, "most white dragons are simply animalistic predators".
Vaalingrade Ashland 03-27-05, 09:40 PM	Chromatic live longer because they're smart enough to not take the goodie good option all the time. They do what they need to and thus live longer.
Khaibit_Ema_Neteru 03-27-05, 09:54 PM	Chromatic live longer because they're smart enough to not take the goodie good option all the time. They do what they need to and thus live longer. That's cute, but no. For every metallic dragon that gets killed doing the "goody goody" thing, there's a chromatic that gets killed by adventurers for being conspicuously evil and generally fracking people off.