Area of a dragon [Archive] - Wizards Community

Area of a dragon [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Free1983
04-07-06, 05:50 AM Hi all,

If you don't want to read all the background material just scroll down and answer to the final question.

I'm preparing a storyarc which involves the introduction of dragons in my world. So far, there are no more dragons in my homebrew world. I'm going to introduce them by using a magic event. It will be up to the PC's to prevent/allow this magic event from happening. I will give them a part of the trigger element via a treasure. The dragon disciples in the world want to bring them back. So they try to fullfil the requirements of the magic event. The dragons (only true dragons; chromatic and metallic) will enter the world via a portal. They then settle into the world and do what dragons do.

This settling in is giving me a headache. As far as I can see, the chromatic ones are the ones that are scheming and ruining the world. Not to mention the ravaging of a red dragon, which it just likes. The metallic ones protect the innocent and the weak, but from the description I'm concluding they won't easily band together to face evil.

Now I don't have problems with dragons ravaging my precious homebrew world (dimise of cities, annihilation of entire people, waste of entire lands), but I want to do it right. So:

FINAL QUESTION: How much room does a dragon need (in square kilometers please)? I mean, a dragon doesn't need much food, but if it can it will feast. As they seek hoard, how far will they go to find suitable items. How much dragons can live in an area as big as France?

I know it's my world so I can do as I like, but I like a sense of realism, so I guess no 50 dragons on a square kilometer.

If anyone could help, I'd be much obliged

cheers,

Free
Derren S.
04-07-06, 06:48 AM The area the dragon can cover in a 1 day flight around its lair, so it depends on teh size of the dragon. Slight overlapping is allowed and offspring is allowed to stay in the area untill juvenile/young adult stage.
And generally, as long as there is free territory the dragons don't fight about it but settle somewhere else.
kelvinaw273
04-07-06, 06:55 AM more like fifty by fifty kilometres per dragon!

There may be plenty of spare space, but dragons will fight over the choicest territory. I imagine the next few years in your world will consist of dragons turning up and demanding tribute from towns and cities, raiding castles etc, followed by other dragons doing the same, dragons fighting each other etc. until they manage to get territory sorted out.

Major cities may well gain the protection of a metalic dragon, but may have to pay for it in either policy changes, regime changes or hard cash. Even then, a powerful chromatic dragon may well decide to muscle in.

On the plus side, by the time things settle there will be quite a few less dragons around, and those that are about will be settling into mated pairs and raising wyrmlings in their weyrs in remoter locations (as they are safer).

Check up on what terrain dragons prefer, these will be the places in which large settlements are likely to suffer. Also recall that, hard as it may seem, a concerted defence backed up by magic can drive off a dragon.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Free1983 04-07-06, 05:50 AM	Hi all, If you don't want to read all the background material just scroll down and answer to the final question. I'm preparing a storyarc which involves the introduction of dragons in my world. So far, there are no more dragons in my homebrew world. I'm going to introduce them by using a magic event. It will be up to the PC's to prevent/allow this magic event from happening. I will give them a part of the trigger element via a treasure. The dragon disciples in the world want to bring them back. So they try to fullfil the requirements of the magic event. The dragons (only true dragons; chromatic and metallic) will enter the world via a portal. They then settle into the world and do what dragons do. This settling in is giving me a headache. As far as I can see, the chromatic ones are the ones that are scheming and ruining the world. Not to mention the ravaging of a red dragon, which it just likes. The metallic ones protect the innocent and the weak, but from the description I'm concluding they won't easily band together to face evil. Now I don't have problems with dragons ravaging my precious homebrew world (dimise of cities, annihilation of entire people, waste of entire lands), but I want to do it right. So: FINAL QUESTION: How much room does a dragon need (in square kilometers please)? I mean, a dragon doesn't need much food, but if it can it will feast. As they seek hoard, how far will they go to find suitable items. How much dragons can live in an area as big as France? I know it's my world so I can do as I like, but I like a sense of realism, so I guess no 50 dragons on a square kilometer. If anyone could help, I'd be much obliged cheers, Free
Derren S. 04-07-06, 06:48 AM	The area the dragon can cover in a 1 day flight around its lair, so it depends on teh size of the dragon. Slight overlapping is allowed and offspring is allowed to stay in the area untill juvenile/young adult stage. And generally, as long as there is free territory the dragons don't fight about it but settle somewhere else.
kelvinaw273 04-07-06, 06:55 AM	more like fifty by fifty kilometres per dragon! There may be plenty of spare space, but dragons will fight over the choicest territory. I imagine the next few years in your world will consist of dragons turning up and demanding tribute from towns and cities, raiding castles etc, followed by other dragons doing the same, dragons fighting each other etc. until they manage to get territory sorted out. Major cities may well gain the protection of a metalic dragon, but may have to pay for it in either policy changes, regime changes or hard cash. Even then, a powerful chromatic dragon may well decide to muscle in. On the plus side, by the time things settle there will be quite a few less dragons around, and those that are about will be settling into mated pairs and raising wyrmlings in their weyrs in remoter locations (as they are safer). Check up on what terrain dragons prefer, these will be the places in which large settlements are likely to suffer. Also recall that, hard as it may seem, a concerted defence backed up by magic can drive off a dragon.