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Old 12-16-2006, 10:46 AM   #19
KaVir
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Join Date: Apr 2002
Name: Richard
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A lot of mythology describes dragons as being more like serpents, although many of these are serpents with clawed feet (while I've described them as serpents with fins). The reason for this is primarily to provide a clear mechanical difference between the shapes - the standard dragon form has five combat locations with which it can fight: head, left foreclaw, right foreclaw, tail and feet/wings (combined into a single location).

The three Shape powers then switch various combat tables to something more appropriate - the hydra shape replaces the left and right foreclaw locations with additional head locations, the serpent shape replaces the left and right foreclaw locations with fin locations and discards the wings option from the feet table, and the wyvern shape replaces the left and right foreclaw locations with left and right wing locations and discards the wings option from the feet table. So while there is certainly a thematic parallel, the primary difference is really one of functionality.

Wyverns are certainly portrayed as "lesser dragons" by D&D, but there are alternative ways of viewing them. Wikipedia, for example, mentions that "The wyvern is a type of dragon with two legs and two wings. The rest of its appearance can vary, such as appearing with a tail spade or with a serpent-like tail...Wyverns have been described as the largest form of dragon, so large that they prey from creatures such as elephants and rhinos."

Draconian form will allow that sort of customisation with warps (10-20 warps, each of which can be applied to the 10 warpable locations such as mouth, head, arms, legs, wings, etc). Hydra will also be able to use something similar to select their three different heads, while wyvern will be able to customise their tails.

I'd originally avoided the idea of warps for dragon form partly because I wanted to keep them different from draconian form, and partly out of the fear that each dragon would become some sort of bizarre mutant. However I can also see your point in that it would greatly increase the amount of variety, and as long as the warps were handled carefully it shouldn't cause any thematic clash. I'd probably still keep the alternative shapes as separate powers, but other things (such as scales, wings and such) could perhaps be adjustable with warps.

It's certainly something I'll have to think over - thanks for the suggestion.
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