History OurDragonsAreDifferent / TabletopGames

* ''FAPP'' ('''NSFW warning'''): Within the context of the RPG's main setting, Jizzral, dragons are born from the deity Bahamut who, in an inversion to how he's usually depicted in ''Dungeons & Dragons'', has several heads; one of those happen to be Tiamat, [[AdaptationalHeroism ironically]], but one of ''FAPP'''s supplements, ''Dragon Layer'', [[CaptainObvious which focuses on dragons]], also reveals the rest of the heads to be Nidhogg, Ryujin, Leviathan, Vritra, and Typhon. It's also in ''Dragon Layer'' where Tiamat takes over Bahamut's body and banishes him, kicking off the events of the plot. She too inverts ''D&D'' tradition here by having only a single head during ''Dragon Layer''. Like [[RuleOfSexy most creatures in the land of Jizzral]], the dragons also have abnormally high levels of libido, to the point that the aforementioned supplement mentions that they "[[TheCasanova often leave mass pregnancies in their wake]]" and "[[AnythingThatMoves are well known for sowing their seed amongst mortals without hesitation]]."

** ''GURPS Dragons'' details a wide range of dragon types, with game stats, physiology, and abilities. It gives an overview of dragons' history in mythology, describes a number of types -- subdivided into limbless, snakelike wyrms, including two-legged lindorms and winged serpents; four-limbed wyverns; classic western dragons, including wingless varieties and ice dragons; SeaSerpents; and eastern dragons, including the growth stages of dragons who begin life as carps, various types of dragons holding authority over different parts of nature, and dragon turtles -- their enemies and foes, and how they might play out as antagonists, allies, powerful [=NPCs=] and player characters. It also explores several scenarios in which TheDragonsComeBack.

** "True" dragons are characterized by having [[VertebrateWithExtraLimbs four legs and two wings]], a BreathWeapon, [[WitchSpecies innate magical abilities]] (in some editions, each dragon is simultaneously a physical powerhouse and an increasingly-powerful Sorcerer), a [[SupernaturalFearInducer frightful presence]] that can send lesser enemies fleeing in terror, and for growing through a series of [[StrongerWithAge age categories]], from a humble wyrmling to a mighty great wrym. They are among the most dangerous creatures in the setting, as even without their magic, a dragon has substantial natural armor, and an array of combat options, ranging from bite and claw attacks to tail slaps or crush attacks. The oldest of dragons can be ''enormous'' -- ''AD&D'' red or gold great wyrms were larger than even an [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonov_An-225_Mriya An-225]], while in 3.5th Edition a full-sized red is "merely" 120 ft. long from nose to tail-tip, with a 150 ft. wingspan. Despite their size, dragons move with a [[CatLikeDragons feline grace]], and despite their fearsome appearance, they can be ''very'' intelligent. Thanks to GeneticMemory, an hour-old wyrmling is self-aware, capable of speaking Draconic at the very least, and as smart as an average adult human (not to mention powerful enough to tear one to pieces). Finally, dragons have an instinctive urge to accumulate a DragonHoard over their lives (which they can consume in their twilight years before flying off to a [[ElephantGraveyard dragon graveyard]]), so that they typically have three times as much treasure as a monster of their equivalent Challenge Rating. They can be grouped into several subtypes, often ColorCodedForYourConvenience:

* ''FAPP'' ('''NSFW warning'''): Within the context of the RPG's main setting, Jizzral, dragons are born from the deity Bahamut who, in an inversion to how he's usually depicted in ''Dungeons & Dragons'', has several heads; one of those happen to be Tiamat, [[AdaptationalHeroism ironically]], but one of ''FAPP'''s supplements, ''Dragon Layer'', [[CaptainObvious which focuses on dragons]], also reveals the rest of the heads to be Nidhogg, Ryujin, Leviathan, Vritra, and Typhon. It's also in ''Dragon Layer'' where Tiamat takes over Bahamut's body and banishes him, kicking off the events of the plot. She too inverts ''D&D'' tradition here by having only a single head. Like [[RuleOfSexy most creatures in the land of Jizzral]], the dragons also have abnormally high levels of libido, to the point that the aforementioned supplement mentions that they "[[TheCasanova often leave mass pregnancies in their wake]]" and "[[AnythingThatMoves are well known for sowing their seed amongst mortals without hesitation]]."

* ''FAPP'' ('''NSFW warning'''): Within the context of the RPG's main setting, Jizzral, dragons are born from the deity Bahamut who, in an inversion to how he's usually depicted in ''Dungeons & Dragons'', has several heads; one of those happen to be Tiamat, [[AdaptationalHeroism ironically]], but one of ''FAPP'''s supplements, ''Dragon Layer'', [[CaptainObvious which focuses on dragons]], also reveals the rest of the heads to be Nidhogg, Ryujin, Leviathan, Vritra, and Typhon. It's also in ''Dragon Layer'' where Tiamat takes over Bahamut's body and banishes him, kicking off the events of the plot. She too inverts ''D&D'' tradition here by having only a single head. Like [[RuleofSexy most creatures in the land of Jizzral]], the dragons also have abnormally high levels of libido, to the point that the aforementioned supplement mentions that they "[[TheCasanova often leave mass pregnancies in their wake]]" and "[[AnythingThatMoves are well known for sowing their seed amongst mortals without hesitation]]."

* ''FAPP'' ('''NSFW warning'''): Within the context of the RPG's main setting, Jizzral, dragons are born from the deity Bahamut who, in an inversion to how he's usually depicted in ''Dungeons & Dragons'', has several heads; one of those happen to be Tiamat, [[AdaptationalHeroism ironically]], but one of ''FAPP'''s supplements, ''Dragon Layer'', [[CaptainObvious which focuses on dragons]], also reveals the rest of the heads to be Nidhogg, Ryujin, Leviathan, Vritra, and Typhon. It's also in ''Dragon Layer'' where Tiamat takes over Bahamut's body and banishes him, starting the events of the plot. Like [[RuleofSexy most creatures in the land of Jizzral]], the dragons also have abnormally high levels of libido, to the point that the aforementioned supplement mentions that they "[[TheCasanova often leave mass pregnancies in their wake]]" and "[[AnythingThatMoves are well known for sowing their seed amongst mortals without hesitation]]."

* ''FAPP'' ('''NSFW warning'''): Within the context of the RPG's main setting, Jizzral, dragons are born from the deity Bahamut who, in an inversion to how he's usually depicted in ''Dungeons & Dragons'', has several heads; one of those happen to be Tiamat, [[AdaptationalHeroism ironically]], but one of ''FAPP'''s supplements, ''Dragon Layer'', [[CaptainObvious which focuses on dragons]], also reveals the rest of the heads to be Nidhogg, Ryujin, Leviathan, Vritra, and Typhon. It's also in ''Dragon Layer'' where Tiamat takes over from Bahamut and banishes him, starting the events of the plot. Like [[RuleofSexy most creatures in the land of Jizzral]], the dragons also have abnormally high levels of libido, to the point that the aforementioned supplement mentions that they "[[TheCasanova often leave mass pregnancies in their wake]]" and "[[AnythingThatMoves are well known for sowing their seed amongst mortals without hesitation]]."

* ''FAPP'' ( NSFW warning): Within the context of the RPG's main setting, Jizzral, dragons are born from the deity Bahamut who, in an inversion to how he's usually depicted in ''Dungeons & Dragons'', has several heads; one of those happen to be Tiamat, [[AdaptationalHeroism ironically]], but one of ''FAPP'''s supplements, ''Dragon Layer'', [[CaptainObvious which focuses on dragons]], also reveals the rest of the heads to be Nidhogg, Ryujin, Leviathan, Vritra, and Typhon. It's also in ''Dragon Layer'' where Tiamat takes over from Bahamut and banishes him, starting the events of the plot. Like [[RuleofSexy most creatures in the land of Jizzral]], the dragons also have abnormally high levels of libido, to the point that the aforementioned supplement mentions that they "[[TheCasanova often leave mass pregnancies in their wake]]" and "[[AnythingThatMoves are well known for sowing their seed amongst mortals without hesitation]]."

* ''FAPP'' ( censored for NSFW): [[spoiler: Within the context of the RPG's main setting, Jizzral, dragons are born from the deity Bahamut who, in an inversion to how he's usually depicted in ''Dungeons & Dragons'', has several heads; one of those happen to be Tiamat, [[AdaptationalHeroism ironically]], but one of ''FAPP'''s supplements, ''Dragon Layer'', [[CaptainObvious which focuses on dragons]], also reveals the rest of the heads to be Nidhogg, Ryujin, Leviathan, Vritra, and Typhon. It's also in ''Dragon Layer'' where Tiamat takes over Bahamut and banishes him, starting the events of that supplement's adventure. Like many other creatures in the land of Jizzral, the dragons also have abnormally high levels of libido, to the point that the aforementioned supplement mentions that they "[[BreedingSlave often leave mass pregnancies in their wake]]" and "[[AnythingThatMoves are well known for sowing their seed amongst mortals without hesitation]]." Suffice it to say...[[ReallyGetsAround they really know how to get around]] ]].

* ''FAPP'' ( censored for ''extreme'' NSFW): [[spoiler Within the context of the RPG's main setting, Jizzral, dragons are born from the deity Bahamut who, in an inversion to how he's usually depicted in ''Dungeons & Dragons'', has several heads; one of those happen to be Tiamat, [[AdaptationalHeroism ironically]], but one of ''FAPP'''s supplements, ''Dragon Layer'', [[CaptainObvious which focuses on dragons]], also reveals the rest of the heads to be Nidhogg, Ryujin, Leviathan, Vritra, and Typhon. It's also in ''Dragon Layer'' where [[spoiler:Tiamat takes over Bahamut and banishes him to her gigantic...[[TheBodyPartsThatMustNotBeNamed "god]][[EverybodyWantsTheHermaphrodite hood"]], kicking off the events of that supplement's adventure. She also inverts ''D&D'' tradition by only having one head here post-banishing]]. Like many other creatures in the land of Jizzral, the dragons also have abnormally high levels of libido, to the point that the aforementioned supplement mentions that they "[[BreedingSlave often leave mass pregnancies in their wake]]" and "[[AnythingThatMoves are well known for sowing their seed amongst mortals without hesitation]]." Suffice it to say...[[ReallyGetsAround they really know how to get around]] ]].

* ''FAPP'' (NSFW): Within the context of the RPG's main setting, Jizzral, dragons are born from the deity Bahamut who, in an inversion to how he's usually depicted in ''Dungeons & Dragons'', has several heads; one of those happen to be Tiamat, [[AdaptationalHeroism ironically]], but one of ''FAPP'''s supplements, ''Dragon Layer'', [[CaptainObvious which focuses on dragons]], also reveals the rest of the heads to be Nidhogg, Ryujin, Leviathan, Vritra, and Typhon. It's also in ''Dragon Layer'' where [[spoiler:Tiamat takes over Bahamut and banishes him to her gigantic...[[TheBodyPartsThatMustNotBeNamed "god]][[EverybodyWantsTheHermaphrodite hood"]], kicking off the events of that supplement's adventure. She also inverts ''D&D'' tradition by only having one head here post-banishing]]. Like many other creatures in the land of Jizzral, the dragons also have abnormally high levels of libido, to the point that the aforementioned supplement mentions that they "[[BreedingSlave often leave mass pregnancies in their wake]]" and "[[AnythingThatMoves are well known for sowing their seed amongst mortals without hesitation]]." Suffice it to say...[[ReallyGetsAround they really know how to get around]].

*** ''TabletopGames/BeastThePrimordial'': There are multiple Families that could draw power from a draconic Horror, but dragons are often associated with the Ugallu, who represent the fear of predators/judgment from on high.

* Creator/PalladiumBooks: ''TabletopGame/{{Rifts}}'', ''TabletopGame/PalladiumFantasy'' and related games feature a multitude of dragons, based on Western, Eastern, and other mythological sources, plus good ol' imagination, from Hydras to Chiang-Ku to Ogopogo (based on a real-life Canadian legend) to Crystal Dragons. ''Rifts'' even allows you to have a young hatchling dragon (as young as "just hatched a few minutes ago") as a playable character. Palladium's dragons are extremely powerful, both physically, psychically and magically, with many species capable of transforming into a human form; they're born able to do things like speak and do math due to GeneticMemory, and can live for thousands of years. Adults can take on a HumongousMecha and expect to win most of the time, while the most ancient can even give a ''god'' a hard time.
** In general, dragons are believed to hail from some unknown world and to be the progeny of a god called Styphon, but have long since spread throughout TheMultiverse and can now be found on almost any world where magic is strong enough -- they're quite common in the HighFantasy world of ''Palladium Fantasy'', and flocked to Earth in droves when magic returned with the Rifts.
** In Atlantis, dragons are respected and influential creatures who rule their own city, Dragcona; they're some of the very few creatures whom the monstrous Splugorth who rule the continent respect and treat as equals, although the dragons themselves very much do ''not'' view the Splugorth as equal peers. Atlantean dragons preach a religion called Dragonwright, which teaches that might is right, magic is the greatest might, the strong should rule over the weak, dragons are the mightiest and most magical creatures alive and the Atlantean dragon king Styphathal is a living god.

* ''TabletopGame/UnstableUnicorns': The ''Dragons'' expansion includes, besides some fairly typical Western dragons, dragoncorns, which are dragons with a single horn like a unicorn.

** Beyond the main family of dragonkind, there's a great variety of lesser strains descended from them by various circuitous means. Wyverns are two-legged creatures created when Dream Dragons born from lustful dreams mate with each other, and have established wild populations. Wyrms are great legless serpents with wings; they split off from other dragons in the distant and unrecorded past, and are the friendliest dragon breed to humans. Stoorworms are monstrous, poison-breathing beasts created when draconic beings are corrupted by Chaos. Dragonewts are [[LizardFolk reptilian humanoids]] who are immortal, and grow over the centuries in size, wisdom and power, until one day they die and reincarnate as True Dragons -- in fact they need to die and reincarnate several times for this to happen, but they always retain all the memories from their previous lives. They form the oldest and perhaps the most alien[[note]]many aspects of their culture were based on JidaiGeki Japan, which was [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny original and fresh back then]][[/note]] civilization in Glorantha. The parent dragons mostly let the dragonewts fend for themselves, but on one famous occasion when enemies tried to destroy the one place in the world where dragonewts can be reborn, the dragons took a hand. The resulting "Dragonkill Wars" weren't named for what ''happened'' to the dragons... and ever since, wars against dragonewts have stopped short of trying to exterminate them. {{Dinosaurs|AreDragons}} are further descended from dragonewts, originating from dragonewts who lost sight of their goal due to becoming lost in emotional impulses, degenerated into beasts and became permanently trapped in flesh

* ''TabletopGame/RuneQuest'':
** The big lizards flying around, burning crops and acting cranky are in fact just the dreams made manifest of the real sleeping Dragons. True Dragons are so large and awesome that they have typically been mistaken, for the last several hundred years, as mountain ranges. Needless to say, you don't want to wake one up...
** The world also has Dragonewts, [[LizardFolk humanoid reptilians]] who are immortal, and grow over the centuries in size, wisdom and power, until one day they die and reincarnate as True Dragons -- in fact they need to die and reincarnate several times for this to happen, but they always retain all the memories from their previous lives. They form the oldest and perhaps the most alien[[note]]many aspects of their culture were based on JidaiGeki Japan, which was [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny original and fresh back then]][[/note]] civilization in Glorantha. The parent dragons mostly let the dragonewts fend for themselves, but on one famous occasion when enemies tried to destroy the one place in the world where dragonewts can be reborn, the dragons took a hand. The resulting "Dragonkill Wars" weren't named for what ''happened'' to the dragons... and ever since, wars against dragonewts have stopped short of trying to exterminate them.

* ''FAPP'' (NSFW): Within the context of the RPG's main setting, Jizzral, dragons are born from the deity Bahamut who, in an inversion to how he's usually depicted in ''Dungeons & Dragons'', has several heads; one of those happen to be Tiamat, {{iron|y}}ically, but one of ''FAPP'''s supplements, ''Dragon Layer'', [[CaptainObvious which focuses on dragons]], also reveals the rest of the heads to be Nidhogg, Ryujin, Leviathan, Vritra, and Typhon. It's also in ''Dragon Layer'' where [[spoiler:Tiamat takes over Bahamut and banishes him to her gigantic...[[TheBodyPartsThatMustNotBeNamed "god]][[EverybodyWantsTheHermaphrodite hood"]], kicking off the events of that supplement's adventure. She also inverts ''D&D'' tradition by only having one head here post-banishing]]. Like many other creatures in the land of Jizzral, the dragons also have abnormally high levels of libido, to the point that the aforementioned supplement mentions that they "[[BreedingSlave often leave mass pregnancies in their wake]]" and "[[AnythingThatMoves are well known for sowing their seed amongst mortals without hesitation]]." Suffice it to say...[[ReallyGetsAround they really know how to get around]].

*** Chromatic dragons are the "always evil" dragon family. From weakest to strongest, they are white (animalistic arctic predators that breathe cones of ice), black (swamp-dwelling sadists that breathe lines of acid), green (forest-dwelling manipulators that breathe a cone of chlorine gas), blue (desert-dwelling overlords that breathe lines of lightning), and red (classic avaricious, murderous, fire-breathing terrors of the mountains). Tiamat, the goddess of evil dragonkind, takes the form of a massive dragon with five heads, each representing one of the above kindreds, as well as a wyvern's stinger tail. She appeared in the [[WesternAnimation/DungeonsAndDragons animated series]] as a secondary threat to [[BigBad Venger]]. In 4th edition, a number of previously unrelated dragons of evil or chaotic alignment are redefined as chromatics, described as the result of growing in-universe understanding of dragons and some changes in the actual breeds; these are gray dragons (formerly fang dragons, violent brutes from mountainous lands), brown dragons (formerly sand dragons, desert-dwelling gourmets of sapient prey with the ray-like wings normally associated with metallics) and purple dragons (formerly deep dragons, liars and manipulators from the depths of the Underdark).

*** Dragons are infamous for their cross-species virility, hence the [[MixAndMatchCritters "hald-dragon"]] template. Some dragons (usually metallics) learn to shapeshift to engage in InterspeciesRomance, others are happy to make an attempt with something in their natural forms, and some randy chromatic dragons are known to mate with other species just to see what kind of halfbreed results. In some cases, this has resulted in species of hybrid creatures with strong enough draconic traits to be given the Dragon type: dragonnes[=/=]liondrakes (part lion, part brass dragon), dragonnels (draconic pegasi), dracolisks (black dragon/basilisk hybrids), and dracosphinxes (red dragon/sphinx hybrids). "Drakken", in contrast, are animals with a clear draconic heritage, but lack their ancestors' arcane abilities, and so creatures like drakkensteeds and phynxkin have the "Dragonblood" subtype instead.

*** There are also several races of {{Draconic Humanoid}}s in the game, such as dragonkin, dracotaurs, spellscales, and kobolds. These weak but cunning creatures have [[ServantRace an innate need to serve dragons]], but kobolds console themselves with the truth that they are kin to these great wyrms. "Dragonwrought" kobolds occasionally hatch with wings and stronger signs of their heritage, and sure enough are classified as proper Dragons rather than "Humanoids (Dragonblooded, Reptillian)."

* ''TabletopGame/{{Rifts}}'' and related games feature multiple dragons, based on Western, Eastern, and Mythological sources, plus their own imaginations, from Hydras to Chiang-Ku to Ogopogo (based on a real-life Canadian legend) to Crystal Dragons. Unfortunately for would-be heroes, these are not color-coded, although there are some species that tend to generally be nicer than others. It even allows you to have a young hatchling dragon (as young as "just hatched a few minutes ago") as a playable character. Palladium's Dragons are extremely powerful, both physically and magically, with many species capable of transforming into a human form. Adults can take on a HumongousMecha and expect to win most of the time, while the most ancient can even give a ''God'' a hard time.

*** Primal dragons are elemental beings native to the four elemental planes and the Plane of Shadow, which cover the six neutral alignments. They count the LawfulNeutral brine dragons, arrogant tyrants who rule much of the Plane of Water; TrueNeutral cloud dragons, inveterate wanderers whose wanderlust takes them far from their homes in the Plane of Air; NeutralGood crystal dragons, vain but benevolent creatures who rule over a patchwork of fiefs and realms in the Plane of Earth; ChaoticNeutral magma dragons, emotional and unstable beings who lurk in places of intense heat; and NeutralEvil shadow dragons, who thrive wherever there is darkness and plenty of spectral undead to eat.

*** Landwyrms are reptillian predators with four legs and no wings or breath weapons, and come in a variety of subtypes adapted for specific environments, from the scrawny, pathetic Plains Landwyrm to the colossal Mountain Landwyrm.

** Cave drakes, or Rondóloki, are one of the oldest breeds of dragons. Since they date back to before the dragons' more refined features were bred into them, they lack wings, magic, breath weapons or much in the way of intelligence, and rarely grow very large or ambitious. They mostly live as wilderness predators and are terrified of their greater kin, although they'll bluster shamelessly when confronted with Men, Elves or Dwarves. They lie easily and often, but are very bad at it. Cave worms are a variant that resemble limbless, slimy serpents and live in the deepest recesses of the earth, burrowing through the rock and eating anything they stumble into. They're never seen on the surface, but many entered Moria when the Dwarves' mines breached into their homes.

** Ice-drakes a variant of cold-drakes that inhabits glaciers, ice caves and boreal seas, mostly preying on marine creatures. Besides their living preferences, they're distinguished by their ability to ingest large quantities of water and ice and spewing it back out as a sort of mock breath weapon.