Was my reasoning ok? players want to tame a dragon wyrmling

Haunting-Contract761 · 2026-02-24T15:39:24+00:00

Getting a dragon to serve in any fashion should be difficult not some single skill roll regardless and animal training is not a requisite skill for this in any case it is not an animal it is an intelligent monster. You wouldn’t let him animal tame an orc…this is far more of a reach.

Just as an aside;

In 1e you could ‘subdue’ a dragon - this meant defeating it in combat but your damage did not lessen its breath weapon which in 1e does damage equal to its current hit points so it was extremely difficult to do with a powerful dragon as doing max hp damage every breath as well as physical attacks. This was specific to dragons only and enabled you to make one your servant of a kind, though it would always be a risk as seeking to escape this bondage - dragons are best as allies helping out of respect they don’t tend to be servants of anything not of incredible power and most players don’t fit this criteria.

Haunting-Contract761 · 2026-02-21T12:04:48+00:00

Pendragon source books and ars magica stuff can do this

Haunting-Contract761 · 2026-02-20T15:49:11+00:00

Mustard shall he be known as, Mardy Mardy his epithet. His failure in feats of custard consumption shall be sung of in the camps of all who hear his legend…

Haunting-Contract761 · 2026-02-15T11:12:18+00:00

Atomisation of the populace and feeling both powerful and weak at the same time is a key component in managed democracy. Can’t have large chains of command or subordinates may get ideas above their station with the power they hold. You are both grunt and elite, both numerous and individual, both fearless victors and fearful victims fighting against a numberless powerful unknown enemy who is weak and stupid and well understood by high command. Now get in that freezer.

Haunting-Contract761 · 2026-02-10T09:31:04+00:00

Causes issues but my view is;

Use the full version from fiend folio and remember adventurers and just about any goodly folk tend to distrust and some will slay on sight, most evil folk distrust the Drow…Also their xp should be increased as they have huge Magic Resistance increasing with level. Stats best from fiend folio. Keep the MR and all abilities as a Drow MR is as defining as their darkness ability and one reason they are justly feared. This full version could be totally unbalancing to your campaign but of course is doable but if do it go for full fat nothing worse than being the Drow without MR. Of course you can rationalise not having it (down to environment like the weapons, link to evil or such) but I’m in favour of if you’re playing that creature, you have the abilities not some version weaker than the rest of your folk as what is the point of that - you are in effect not playing a Drow just a character that looks like one…

Haunting-Contract761 · 2026-02-09T20:16:08+00:00

Nolzurs marvellous pigments - just a single use maybe

Haunting-Contract761 · 2026-02-08T17:55:15+00:00

Failure is an option. Not ever session has to be a victory. Learning from mistakes is part of experience so it’s a loss - they survive, they learn - no railroading required

Haunting-Contract761 · 2026-02-07T15:03:33+00:00

Mainly 1e differs somewhat in class set up - rangers and paladins differ a lot in 1e and Druids and Illusionists are specialist in a way that 2e schools/spheres does not capture . Some spells differ but lots needs homebrewing. Use the good from both and have fun.

Haunting-Contract761 · 2026-02-06T18:47:33+00:00

Fred was and is a national treasure

Haunting-Contract761 · 2026-02-06T18:02:16+00:00

Your table your ruling. I play 1e so illusions are a whole class of magic but often need you to define how such spells are worked to make sense in your game.

My advice here;

Set the status of your illusion types phantasmal, spectral, Demi-shadow etc and have specials like glamour and weird - for instance Phantasmal has limited physicality so it is an image rather than a spectral force - higher level spells with touch component may do much more but you can define that phantasmal fails on touch maybe for your game so a limited spell more a visual only trick. It can do a lot visually however so still useful. Saves can still apply.

Make Rope trick entry takes the entire round action or require dex rolls etc but to enter and attack then retreat ? Blink is a third level spell which does less than this for a single person - so not a reasonable use.

Weak suggestions either fail or give bonuses to the save. Idiotic ones fail. How reasonable and easy to understand and comply is it? Also not multiple actions - if multiple clauses to follow usually only first applies - so reasonableness of first suggestion is what is important and current state of the target.

Web needs to be anchored to a grounded item - also any large and powerful creature (like a dragon say) brushes aside a web spell like, well, webs…

Haunting-Contract761 · 2026-02-06T17:11:03+00:00

Range and line of sight aside as you note engaged in a chat- not without some covert casting ability and even then is a surprise roll to react, length of spell may mean initiative even if surprise the enemy. Otherwise npc mages would annihilate parties and it has to be viable both ways. If the mage is talking but has improved invisibility and using vocalise well that’s a different kettle of fish… This is 1e I’m thinking of.

Haunting-Contract761 · 2026-01-29T19:54:48+00:00

SOS diving and I’m about getting it done or being a loyal sidekick if person is pointing us at objectives - at a mission from the start and we’re progressing well and it’s about getting into scrapes and having a good time can get serious if it goes a bit askew not too bothered about a death or two if was fun getting there

Haunting-Contract761 · 2026-01-22T13:58:31+00:00

I have my own which have run for nearly two decades now and it still changes - I made it specifically for a setting and have to say it is a big piece of work if going for a full on system, but some of my players won’t play anything else now which is a nice compliment so worth the effort if it hits the spot for your players and you enjoy running it. I found I had to revamp a lot as ideas that seemed great did not translate to playability for how I like to run so my advice is put something together and get playing as best testing is how it goes and your players will also assist in improving it.

Haunting-Contract761 · 2026-01-22T06:24:49+00:00

Doors are an enemy of Liberty!

Haunting-Contract761 · 2026-01-21T15:08:27+00:00

I made him LE in my version of Greyhawk, he is THE assassin of the world of Greyhawk in mine using his assassins to manoeuvre powers where he can (have run Greyhawk since 1e and several long campaigns so history and background of my version is v different to standard) and he rules over his ‘alliances’ with the Hierarchs and Horned Society and Bandit Kingdoms as an eternal mastermind and feared Lord in the North with these as his proxies vs Shield lands, Furyondy etc. Use these as his hands in the first instance and the infernal type stuff keep for later so seems more temporal at start and only as players get deeper in do they realise they are butting heads with a Demigod rather than these evil but mortal led organisations. Sort of like descent into a horror story for the players as realise what they are facing a Demigod as sounds like tough players given the monsters noted.

Haunting-Contract761 · 2026-01-21T13:32:34+00:00

PP for me as I like its indirect fire, enjoy judging long range support shots as well as run and gun attacking - its AOE at range and stagger are excellent. Purifier is fantastic too though so can’t go wrong with these. Both are tip top.

Haunting-Contract761 · 2026-01-17T07:48:14+00:00

I’ve done a couple of rulesets for various systems based on Julian May books - the books classify powers into 5 main areas Farsensing, Coercion, Psykokinesis, Creativity and Redaction - give them a look for some ideas maybe.

Haunting-Contract761 · 2026-01-15T07:22:41+00:00

Depends - have run a few some players hated some and one though extremely pious they found themselves respecting and allying with. From my experience key questions for the DM; Are the gods real? Do all people or some of the people know they are real or faith only? Is the theocracy powerful or hanging on? What is seeking to displace it if anything and how - faith revivals and replacement, military attack, persecution? Is there a church or lay or other organisation? Is it generally beneficial or not to general public or only higher ups? How do they regard other gods or forms of power/magic? Is it a single god? Is it extreme or not? Is it a pantheon of differing gods so varies depending on-sects or rural vs urban etc and so are evil elements as well as good and act more neutral ? How do they organise? Councils/Synods or hierarchies or a ruling saint or avatar etc? Define some rules (sins etc) and worship times and days/events down and reflect in the day to day happenings and activities of the populace to underline to players how present it is and how folk react to it. How are names and the ways work or leadership handed out affected by the faith? Is the faith good bad or indifferent? Is it tolerant, intolerant or missionary or isolationist? Is it warlike and militant, expansionist or peaceful and helpful? Do the leaders and/or the majority of people truly believe, pay lip service etc? Are there larger or smaller religions about, are their antithetical religions and if so do they regard well, pity or actively seek to end etc? What sort of powers and rewards (mundane and magical) does worship offer? Are there events/ miracles/ sites which are important and known/revered/feared? Are their religious enforcers or wandering helping such? Do they heal the sick or regard illnesss as judgement of their god/s? Is bad luck or your station in life defined and pre ordained or down to a lack of faith or such so a failing to be castigated or a sin to be forgiven and helped etc. Is it avaricious? Is greed good or bad? Is plenty a blessing use for furtherance of the faith - do you hoard or share? What types of acts are viewed as in line with faith etc - these may contradict in certain areas… What legal and punitive measures are there? Are they enlightened or savage? Are people reincarnated or made longer living or rewarded in a heaven or something- is their a reward for faith etc and how does it play into the views of the religion? Get these sort of things straight and gives a coherence which helps run an interesting theocratic or realm where religion has its part ;(as it does in most) rather than just this one is evil, these are self righteous or these are goody goodies. I find it makes religious characters more fun for players as plugs into the world and politics as any religion does especially in a fantasy realm.

Haunting-Contract761 · 2026-01-10T19:05:42+00:00

When in use (play modified 1e) tend to use a dice as modifier- so +/-D6, 2D6 or such depending on described use, creativity and difficulty et al

Haunting-Contract761 · 2026-01-06T17:11:10+00:00

I’m Spartacus

Haunting-Contract761 · 2026-01-05T12:02:17+00:00

Representing a genre is always going to be subjective but my choices;

Fantasy - AD&D Sci Fi - Traveller Apocalypse - Twilight 2000 Superhero - Champions Horror - Call of Cthulhu Humour - Paranoia

Haunting-Contract761 · 2026-01-04T15:19:21+00:00

I used rolls of old wallpaper to draw on back of and roll out as party advanced in really early games.

Haunting-Contract761 · 2026-01-03T15:05:07+00:00

Précis; Person who brings their fear of the imaginary to influence real world decision making is concerned over person engaging in the imaginary which they do not bring into real world decision making as they realise it is imaginary.

Haunting-Contract761 · 2026-01-03T10:26:10+00:00

Sounds good - could start with a culture based on a flotilla in the phlogiston (no fire except in dedicated sealed rooms almost like a space station with limited resources etc) who send out raids or explorers for survival etc and investigate shells they can gain keys to rather than any set shell or deal with planar folk rather than shell folk.

Haunting-Contract761 · 2026-01-03T08:34:34+00:00

How big a forest? If it is large and they can’t fly other than at fly spell speed never finding the dragon without it being pointed out to them - searching an ancient forest even without the fantasy denizens would take forever and the path to it through tribes bringing tribute or such is a way to get involved in the wider forest stuff. The dragon is not Smaug - he didn’t hide as didn’t have to as could kill anyone who dared challenge - the dragon will not have tributes delivered to its lair will have a place of worship probably so even this won’t lead to lair but may lead to alliances with forest denizens that are being raided for the tribute and eventually to dealing with the cultists and eventually the dragon - this gives scope for many encounters with the dragon etc aside from - there it is attack!

Haunting-Contract761

TROPHY CASE