Metallic Dragons: General Lore

Alright, we’ve gotten through the bad guys. Now, let’s talk about the good guys!

Whereas chromatic dragons sought to gather treasure and spread destruction, metallic dragons seek to protect the world balance. Rather than viewing themselves as superior to the other races, they simply see themselves as an especially powerful member of regular society. While they do covet treasure, they don’t have the same greedy lust as their counterparts. They only take treasure that is unclaimed to store in its lair. Often times, these treasures will reflect their personality and accomplishments.

While they are willing to part with these treasures, they’re not easy to convince. It often requires a lot of bribing and persuading to convince them to do it. Who truly owns or needs an item is unclear to the dragon, so it prefers to be careful.

At some point in its life, a metallic dragon will learn how to transform into another creature. They’ll often stay in these forms for years, immersing itself in the culture of its chosen race. Some are too shy or paranoid to stray far from their lairs, but others adore traveling. Some even prefer to remain in that form for many years to prevent gathering enemies, though these ones tend to be out of touch on current events.

Their memories are long, longer than most other creatures. They’ll often form an opinion on a race based on events that occurred between it and them long ago. They can even recognize certain bloodlines by smell, making them great friends for families it deems worthy. However, their connection to the past often blinds them to the present. For example, they may be fond of a villain if they bear the smell of a kind old lady or resentful of a noble hero whose ancestors attempted to steal from it.

Of all the metallic dragons, the Platinum Dragon Bahamut stands at the top. He resides within the Seven Heavens of Mount Celestia and often wanders into the Material Plane while disguised as a human beggar. He’ll often be accompanied by seven golden dragons in the form of golden canaries. He often avoids getting involved in mortal affairs, though he’ll make an exception if his old enemy Tiamat is up to no good.

There is literally no limit to the stories you could tell with this! Maybe the party needs to redeem someone’s bloodline in the eyes of a dragon they need to befriend! Or perhaps they can get into a difficult negotiation with one for a plot-important item! Maybe you want to aim big and bring Bahamut in for a Tiamat plotline! Put your creativity cap on and you can write countless interesting stories!

Even more so if you want to run a chaotic-evil campaign. But that’s a topic for another day.