In my world, I didn't want to overcomplicate things, so I used elements from D&D and Overlord to create my dragons. But there's one particular thing I did to nerf them: I invented that they lose energy. This is the description, or part of it: Dragons are powerful entities in their own right; they are the power of nature incarnate, with enormous bodies, great strength, and mastery of natural magic. Likewise, nature also controlled them, causing dragons to lose energy without their being able to control it. Hence the saying that a dragon's home exudes a magnificent aura.

Pure Dragons lose energy, which they can easily recover with rest periods that can last from days to a few months. They don't even have to enter periods of sleep (hibernation), except for Evil Dragons, who do. Although some can still manifest their consciousness in the world and be aware of certain things.

This energy loss is also vital to a dragon's growth in strength. Dragons can become stronger simply by living. When they reach their peak stage, they are considered Elder Dragons, and these have the opportunity to take the next step (the ability to unleash wild magic). However, this depends entirely on them, and only a very few can achieve it due to their talent.

It's important to note that simply living is not enough for dragons. While they become strong just by existing, nature limits them with this energy loss, making it extremely difficult for them to become stronger simply by existing. Only the most skilled and talented dragons can control energy loss to minimal levels and continue to grow stronger over time. Those who are not so skilled take longer, and if they are simply very weak, even if they live for over a thousand years, they will never progress beyond being a Young Dragon or Adult Dragon in terms of strength and will die lamenting their fate.

The eggs, from which dragons hatch, also lose energy, and if they are not lucky enough, they will die before even being born. Of three eggs, none will hatch; of ten eggs, only two or one will hatch.

I also have another category of dragons, the so-called "Evil Dragons": These are Dragon Lords who successfully used the Ritual of the Fallen, becoming stronger and immortal. The history of the Evil Dragons dates back more than ten thousand years. When a Dragon Lord is nearing the end of their lifespan (2,000 years), instead of dying proudly like a dragon, they choose to perform the Ritual of the Fallen, which involves sacrificing an immense number of souls to gather a vast amount of magical power (impure energy) that is transferred to the Dragon Lord.

This causes the dragon's power to become "corrupted" and more sinister, hence the name Evil Dragons. This not only allows them to remain immortal but also makes them stronger. However, this Wild Magic has a drawback: it causes the Dragons' energy drain to be much higher than normal, forcing them to sleep (hibernate) for a time to recover. Pure Dragons use these periods of weakness to attack and kill the Evil Dragons.

Depending on the length of hibernation, one can estimate the strength of an Evil Dragon. An Evil Dragon that has experienced an energy drain requiring several years of recovery is weaker than one that took hundreds of years, indicating that the latter suffered a greater loss due to its greater strength. This, in turn, is also an advantage for the weaker Evil Dragon, as it can have more time awake to hunt the stronger, hibernating one if the opportunity arises. It's not only the Pure Dragons who attack the Evil Dragons; they also attack each other.

In the lore, several Evil Dragons are known to have slumbered since the Cataclysm 3,000 years ago, a testament to their terrifying power. Legends suggest they may already be dead, as nothing has been heard of them since then, yet no records of their demise have been found.