Lore of the Dragons

Post by **Kinslayer** » Thu Dec 11, 2008 10:55 pm

We all know the folklore about Dragons being able to cast magic and being super intelegant creatures. I came up with some house rules just now for allowing Dragons to cause magic, though they have to buy the upgrade at the points cost indicated. Let me know what you think of the lore itself and the spells I created, this needs work I will admit that, but it could be fun if worked out fully.

any Dragon may purchase any one of the following upgrades:

level 1 dragon - 30 points
level 2 dragon - 60 points
level 3 dragon - 90 points
level 4 dragon - 120 points

note: Dragons are extremely resistant to magic, they bring in 1 power dice and 1 dispel dice per level. So a level 2 dragon has 2 dispel dice not 1.

the number of your dragons' level determines the number of rolls it can make for spells. So, for example, a level one dragon has 1 roll on the chart, whereas a level 3 dragon has 3 rolls. No spell can be taken twice so reroll doubles, and any spell can be exchanged for number 1 if you did not roll it. These are just the usual rules for rolling spells to be honest.

1 - Summon Energy
2 - Dragonfire
3 - Flaming Screen
4 - Stare of Ages
5 - Wings of Death
6 - Flamestorm

Summon Energy power level: 4
The Dragon summons more energy from the realm of chaos, having great control over the forces there. If succesfully cast all spells cast in the same turn from that point onward are at +1 to cast.

Dragonfire power level: 6
Magic Missile. Range 24", fire template, strength D6.

Flaming Screen power level: 8
The dragon stands tall and claps its hands together, creating a shimmering ball of fire which surrounds it or any unit nearby, protecting them from harm. Pick any friendly unit or the dragon itself within 18", the unit now has a 6+ ward save. The dragon may focus itself on the spell, in which case so long as the dragon does not cast another spell or take a wound, the ward save will increase by +1 every game turn.

Stare of Death power level: 8
The dragon expands its aura of dread to one nearby enemy and then fixes them with its awful stare. Pick an enemy within 24", if succesfully cast the enemy unit must take a panic test on -3 Ld.

Wings of Death power level: 10
The dragon uses its magic to lift a friendly unit into the air as if borne aloft by the dragons own mighty wings. Any friendly unit within 12" may immediately make one flight move. This may carry them into combat (in which case they count as charging next turn), but not out of combat. If the unit causes fear/terror then enemies within 6" of where it lands must take a panic test.

Flamestorm power level: 12
The dragon calls upon all its' energy to summon a huge firestorm which engulfs every enemy in sight, burning flesh and searing enemies to the bone. Such is the might of the storm that the dragon uses up much of its own power to control the firestorm. The dragon immediately takes a wound, however every enemy unit within line of sight takes 2D6 str 4 hits. Any unit which takes a wound must take a panic test (not counting the dragon).

Post by **Dalamar** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 1:25 am

It's a nice idea... but:

Warhammer Dragons, while being magical creatures themselves, can't cast spells.

D&D dragons can, sure. But not Warhammer ones, these can't even talk.

Post by **Layne** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 1:54 am

Maybe they can, you know, but prefer not to.

Questions : how does a 24" flame template work?

Should level 3 or 4 Dragons not also take up a Lord choice instead of Hero?

Zakath the slaughterer · Fri Dec 12, 2008 6:20 am

They can't speak? Dalamar, I've never heard or read that the WHFB Dragons were able speak but I always assumed so.

Dalamar wrote:Warhammer Dragons, while being magical creatures themselves, can't cast spells.

Actually, there was a War of the Beard army list for Dawi and HE in which the HE Dragons were all Wizards.

I think the 1st level upgrade might be a bit underpriced.. Actually the thing you did with the Dispel Dice means all the costs might be off. I'd check out the levell upgrades for Greater Daemons.

The ideas are cool and I like them, however, the Wings of Death.. Flying Black Guard, anyone?

Post by **Dalamar** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 8:15 am

At the War of the Beard. those dragons were more powerful than current Star Dragons.

As for dragons talking... well, I've never read anything about them doing so so I think it's same to assume they can't.

Calith · Post by **Calith** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 1:34 pm

There was a dragon in the black libary book Guardians of the Forest and it did indeed talk to the elfs and to a human knight.

And I think it was back in the 4th ed of warhammer when dragons were mages and you could purchase extra levels of magic for emperor dragons.

Post by **Kinslayer** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 6:13 pm

24 inch flame template means you place the template within 24 inches somwhere and anything hit suffers wounds like normal. I thought this was a general rule, I didnt make it up.

Dread_knight666 · Post by **Dread_knight666** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 6:38 pm

Interesting idea but dragons are already powerful, doesn't this make them too strong?

I think I read in the HE army book although dragons communicate with one another through low grumbling, they can also communicate with other being trough telepathy if they see fit.

Lethalis · Post by **Lethalis** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 7:04 pm

Dalamar wrote:It's a nice idea... but:

Warhammer Dragons, while being magical creatures themselves, can't cast spells.

D&D dragons can, sure. But not Warhammer ones, these can't even talk.

Not all, but the High Elves WotB list suggested that Dragons for characters (not the ones Dragon Princes rode back then) could be upgraded to lvl 1 wizards with the Lore of Fire.

Now those were old dragons, really old ones, and a number of them would've gone down whilst fighting against the Dwarfs. Also remember Galrauch.

However, then you're talking about dragons from waaay back. Nothing that is fit for dragons these days.

Tich · Post by **Tich** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 12:29 am

In the gotrek and felix book dragonslayer the dragon doesn;t actually speak but it thinks in words so i'd assume it could talk if it wished.

Dannyfave · Post by **Dannyfave** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 4:48 pm

Demendred wrote:In the gotrek and felix book dragonslayer the dragon doesn;t actually speak but it thinks in words so i'd assume it could talk if it wished.

Yeah and everyone speaks english in that book aswell... its for conveniance that he "thinks in words"

but dont get me wrong im on your side that dragons speak.. if not audibly then telepathicly or some other way.

Also Liandra Athinols Dragon was a young dragon during the war of the beard (assuming he was based upon his lower than average dragon stats)
and he was still a level one fire wizzard, so I think it is completley possible to have talking , magic casting Dragons now because a sun dragon during the war of the beard would be at least a moon dragon now (as far as dragons go it has not been that long since the war of the beard. about 4,500 years?)

Darkangel16 · Post by **Darkangel16** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 8:39 pm

i spoke to a dragon the other day, he's very sad that people have this misconception.

wouldn't a lvl1 dragon who rolled a one be useless?

and also would they get arcane items...dragon scroll?

Post by **Kinslayer** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 8:51 pm

DarkAngel16 wrote:i spoke to a dragon the other day, he's very sad that people have this misconception.

wouldn't a lvl1 dragon who rolled a one be useless?

and also would they get arcane items...dragon scroll?

Apparently so. Perhaps the #1 and #2 spells should be swapped then, including their casting values, and perhaps Summon Energy made more powerful (+2 to cast?)

Pops71408 · Post by **Pops71408** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 3:11 am

I think it is a great idea, though it does need some tweeking. I do agree with kinslayer on switching spells 1 and 2. Also to make a dragon a mage should cost a little more. You should also limit their lvl. say a star dragon con only be upgraded to a lvl 1 mage but an emperor dragon is a lvl 2 mage with the option of lvls 3 and 4

Darkangel16 · Post by **Darkangel16** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 5:43 am

i do think this would make dragons insanely unbeatable, spell 4 would make most people fail their terror tests

and spell 5 shouldn't work while hes in combat, cant concentrate on 2 things at once

Ehakir · Post by **Ehakir** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:26 am

Make him Lvl 1 and give him an item that he can choose his spells, choose No. 3 and cast your spell on your dragon/other unit you do not want to get killed. It can't be dispelled and every turn your ward is increased by +1. A 4+ Wardsave in turn 3? Yes, please. 2+ Wardsave in turn 5+ All the way!

Ehakir · Post by **Ehakir** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:26 am

Make him Lvl 1 and give him an item that he can choose his spells, choose No. 3 and cast your spell on your dragon/other unit you do not want to get killed. It can't be dispelled and every turn your ward is increased by +1. A 4+ Wardsave in turn 3? Yes, please. 2+ Wardsave in turn 5+ All the way!

Post by **Kinslayer** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 3:42 pm

Gone for a bit of a revamp. Swapped 1 and 2, changed the wording, rules and casting values of some of the spells.

Lore of the Dragons

1 - Dragonfire
2 - Summon Energy
3 - Flaming Screen
4 - Stare of Ages
5 - Wings of Death
6 - Flamestorm

Dragonfire - power level: 5
The dragon creates a magical flame and hurls it an an enemy unit. Magic Missile. Range 24", fire template, strength D6.

Summon Energy - power level: 6
The Dragon summons more energy from the realm of chaos, having great control over the energy of magic. If succesfully cast all spells cast in the same turn from that point onward are at +2 to cast.

Flaming Screen - power level: 8
The dragon creates a shimmering ball of fire which surrounds it or a unit nearby, protecting them from harm. Pick any friendly unit within 8" (can pick the dragon itself). The unit now has a 6+ ward save. The dragon may focus on the spell, in which case so long as the dragon does move, fight, cast or take a wound, the ward save will increase by +1 every game turn (max 2+)

Stare of the Ancients - power level: 8
The dragon expands its aura of dread to an nearby enemy, afixing them with its awful stare. Pick an enemy within 24", if succesfully cast the enemy unit must take a panic test on -3 Ld. Does not effect ITP units or other Dragons.

Wings of Death - power level: 10
The dragon uses its magic to lift a friendly unit into the air as if borne aloft by the dragons own mighty wings. Any friendly unit within 12" may immediately make a flight move. This may carry them into combat (in which case they count as charging in the combat phase), but not out of combat. If the unit causes fear/terror then any enemy within 6'' of where they land must take a break test.

Flamestorm - power level: 15
The dragon calls upon all the' energy it can muster to summon a huge firestorm which engulfs every enemy in sight, burning flesh and searing enemies to the bone. Such is the might of the storm that the dragon uses up much of its own power to control the firestorm. The dragon immediately takes a wound with no saves of any kind allowed and the magic phase ends, however every enemy unit within the Dragons line of sight takes 2D6 str D3+3 hits. Any unit which takes a wound must take a panic test (not counting the dragon).

T'keela · Post by **T'keela** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 3:50 pm

Mmm while i like the idea i think dragons should have more innate abilities something along the lines of the Eye of the Gods table in the WoC book, sort of to represent how older wyrms are more stronger etc, etc. Thats all i've got to say. Other than that kewl.

Guardian112 · Post by **Guardian112** » Sat May 30, 2009 7:41 pm

I would make stare of the Ancients cause an enemy unit to become Stupid for a turn. Basically like how in The Hobbit and The Children of Hurin when a dragon looks at someone they just stand there transfixed unable to do anything.

Post by **Kinslayer** » Sat May 30, 2009 9:13 pm

Stupidity could work, but then the spell is too highly cast if we compare it to the #1 Slaanesh spell. Unless the target is immobilized (can not move or shoot in any way) for one turn?