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When many think of Dragons, they harken back to the days of High Fantasy where Dragons were great evils and wielders of torrential magic. InDungeons & Dragons, they come in a few other forms, including the wise and primordial Metallic Dragons. These creatures are stalwart defenders of good and purity, and are often among few creatures in a D&D fantasy setting that isn’t actively trying to kill the party.
Related:Dungeons & Dragons: The History Of Bahamut And Tiamat
Properly playing a Metallic Dragon means embodying something that are far older than the players themselves. Through tribulation and triumph, these creatures have overcome great obstacles and learned from their mistakes.
Metallic Dragons
Descendants of the great Platinum Dragon Bahamut, Metallic Dragons are wise, noble creatures who use their abilities for good rather than evil. Althoughthey still possess the great size of Chromatic Dragons, they oftentake mortal formsto better approach creatures and mortal beings they wish to ally themselves with.
Metallic Dragons can transform into any humanoid shape or beast formthey like, as long as the creature has a challenge rating no greater than its own. This is wonderful for fooling players, asyou can have your Ancient Gold Dragon transform into a Giant Crab, a Tyrannosaurus Rex, or even a simple Cat. The reason for their transformation might differ from deeply logical and tactile to completely innocent or even playful.
Breath Weapons
Brass
Talkative and engaging, Brass Dragons are social creatures. Though they prefer friendships, they are just as happy talking to enemies for hours on end. Their passion for gab is followed solely by their affection for warmth and fire.
Finding themselves in great peaks and earthen formations, their entrance lies Eastward, paying to their approval of flame and comfort. Deserts and other arid landscapes are also to their liking, if it’s warm enough, but they also prefer proximity to trade routes and cities, such that they might converse with the locals.
Fire breath in a large cone. They can also use a breath weapon that can put creatures to sleep.
Bronze
Bronze Dragons have a zeal for adventure and exploration. They mate for life, finding that sacred bonds forged in a life well spent to be the most valuable thing a person could ask for. Often, Bronze Dragons are rescuers of wayward souls out in the ocean, where their domain rests.
Far-reaching caves and deep ocean caverns are where Bronze Dragons are often found. They surround their lairs with fossils and coral, hoping to dissuade unwanted visitors. While some of their lair is always above-water, they often travel from each section by swimming through intricate underwater tunnels.
Electricity in a massive line. They also have a breath attack they can use to push enemies back, through a great exhalation of repulsion energy.
Copper
A little more arrogant than their fellow Metal Dragons, Copper Dragons seek to learn, investing their time in study and education. They enjoy entertaining and baffling mortals, when they aren’t cracking jokes and playing tricks.
Caves and labyrinths are the domain of choice for a Copper Dragon. They tend to enjoy elaborate puzzles, and making their home into one is just another way to mess with mortals.
Acidic breath in a large cone. In addition, they have a breath ability that can slow creatures in an area down.
Gold
Paragons of the Dragon world, Gold Dragons seek to destroy evil in all its forms. Along with Copper and Silver Dragons, they spend much of their time in human form, but unlike their brethren, they do so hunting down creatures of evil. Often Gold Dragons will turn in a captured adversary rather than killing them, abiding by the law of the land.
Gold Dragons maintain an established order of justiciars, developing massive underground lairs where they work under explicit leadership. These fortresses are akin to subterranean palaces, filled with meetings halls and treasuries meant to house and equip members of their order.
Fire breath in a large cone. They can also exhale a cone which weakens all caught in its grasp.
Silver
Taking to a mortal form the most often, Silver Dragons will live their lives as Elves or Humans and live among them. They share the Gold Dragon’s desire for justice yet are more passive observers, assisting most often by request.
Most Silver Dragons tend to establish lairs within frozen spires and icy mountains. Others instead spend their lives in Human or Elven communities, forgoing lairs altogether.
Cold breath in a large cone. They can also exhale a paralyzing breath in a cone of the same size.
Playing A Metallic Dragon
Sharing the lifespan of Chromatic Dragons, Metallic Dragons have developed their wisdom not solely from their age but from their relationships as well. Through their abilityto transform into mortal and beast forms,theycreate interpersonal connections, sewing seeds of joy and intrigue in their wake. Each type provides a different desire, but they all seek the same thing;to assist mortals wherever possible. This should be reflected in their mannerisms, as they hold a great respect for life and love.
Metallic Dragons also differ in alignment. Gold, Silver, and Bronze Dragons are lawful, abiding by laws of the land or strict guidelines for themselves. Brass and Copper Dragons however have no such restraint with their Chaotic alignment, living life freely and earnestly.
Metallic Dragons, especiallyBronze, Brass, and Silver Dragons, are empathetic creatures. Though they might not exactly see mortals as equals, theyrespect their lives as equal to their own, andlove as deeply as humans do. If nothing else, Metallic Dragons should bea culmination of joy and vitality. They should maintain a zeal for life and honor that afar surpasses that of their Chromatic kin. When playing them, encourage yourself totake risks, go above and beyond the call of duty, and find value in the littlest of things.
Brass Dragons
You could easily consider aBrass Dragon to be the most socialof Dragons. Though they don’t have the highest Charisma scores among Dragons, they still tend to find themselvestalking to all manner of creatures. Whether it be discovering the complicated psychology of a great hero or discerning the day-to-day life of a wayward toad,Brass Dragons never find themselves in a dull moment.
If it wasn’t apparent already,playing a Brass Dragon means talking; asking questions, prying for details, uncovering secrets, and so on. Never without an inquiry on their lips, theymight pursue payment for their good-doings in the form of a tale or juicy story. Having them appear to the players in the form of an animal is always a good start, having them turn into a human only to reveal that they have been speaking in fox-language for months on end. However you introduce them,play them with the utmost curiosity.
Bronze Dragons
Consider the Bronze Dragon to bethe boldest of the Metallic Dragons, joining armies across the Sword Coast. In their humanoid forms, they remainproud sailors and explorers, tending torescue their fellow soldiersin the heat of battle. When introducing a Bronze Dragon,have them take to their true Dragon form only in dire circumstances, tending to use it only as a last resort.
Bronze Dragons also happen to beexcellent swimmers, often working alongside armadas and fleets as captains.Playing a Bronze Dragon pirate could add a fun twistto your campaign, but keep their good Lawful Good alignment in mind. Piracy could be an effective cover they use to fool others or even allow them to infiltrate a criminal syndicate.
Whenever you play a Bronze Dragon, ensure thatthey are always working one step ahead of the enemy, only trusting those they know won’t betray them.
Copper Dragons
Tending to be themost intelligent of Metallic Dragons, they do so for good reason;to entertain. Copper Dragons tend touse their knowledge to baffle and surpriseother creatures and mortals, playing elaborate tricks and summoning great spectacles.Fireworks are of great fascination to Copper Dragons, and they use them whenever a celebration comes to being.
Holding true to the Metallic Dragons' quest for good, theysee the world in terms of joymore so than the others. Bringing a sense of whimsy to every situation, utilize Copper Dragons less in the front lines, and morein large cities or refugee camps. Even if it meansreading picture books to small children, Copper Dragonsfind their purpose in watching the wonder twinkle out of a child’s eye.
Think of Copper Dragons asthe Santa Claus of the Dragon world, bringing merriment wherever they go.
Gold Dragons
If you were to break down the Metallic Dragons into classes, the easiest to categorize would be theGold Dragon as the paladins of the Dragon world. Seeking to establish order wherever they go, theystrictly follow the laws of the land, paying homage to the mortals who established them. Oftenthey will go out of their way to seek out and bring evildoers to justice, doing so through the use of anelaborate organization of Gold Dragonswhich they serve.
Gold Dragons often don’t work alone. Their lairs areled by a single leader, a fellow Gold Dragon who commands their ranks and divides their resources. Whenever you play a Gold Dragon,remember that they have likely been sent to complete a specific task, or end the wrongdoings of a renowned villain. Whatever the case may be, understand that evil in this world is much more prevalent than good;Gold Dragons are spread thin.
Though they might seek bring about justice,they have little time to chat idly, leaving that to their Brass Dragon brethren.
Silver Dragons
Drawn to asense of justice by their Dragon bloodline, Silver Dragons often becomeswept away in the lives of mortals.Elves and humans take a particular fascinationfor them, owed to their deep love for nature and each other. Taking to a mortal form, Silver Dragons can often beconfused for mortals; especially when sharing longer life spans as an elf. Only through their offspring’s tendency toward sorcery does their lineage become apparent.
When their homeland is in danger, or great evils need to be corrected,Silver Dragons may leave the safety of their familiar lives to help destroy their enemies. When introducing a Silver Dragon, youmight have them appear as a knight or noble, taking a call to action when situations call for it. Much like the others, theymight hide their Dragon form, but only so that they might support the lie of their mortality.
In other circumstances,Silver Dragons may instead unite themselves under a common banner, much like Gold Dragons do. Instead of spreading themselves far and wide, however,they tend to defend a designated region, such as a city or kingdom. Taking to their Dragon wings under the cover of darkness, their parallel lives are sacred. If they doreveal their Dragon forms to the players, they would do so discretely.
