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Post by kiladecus on Dec 12, 2010 13:11:00 GMT -9
I have been torn on this, and I want YOUR opinion... DO DRAGON'S SPEAK? I have seen many examples of things like "Dragonheart" and the "Hobbit," where a dragon would have the ability to speak. Moreover, I have 4x the number of references where they are large, ferocious beasts... I know that I have even had the thought that they COULD speak, but they never find someone WORTHY of conversing with. What are your thoughts?  |
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Post by Parduz on Dec 12, 2010 13:25:23 GMT -9
Dragons are a ... ploy? Trick? they are the sum of all what we "want" to see in a extrem fearsome creature, or in a unexplainable noble entity.
So, they are powerful, "black" and ferocious if bad, and they roars.
Or they are equally powerful, but old, sarcastics, savy, and good, and they talk.
Killing bad dragons is the source of great satisfaction, working for good ones is like being elevated to the "archangel" status.
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Post by cobra on Dec 12, 2010 13:46:58 GMT -9
Of course they speak - i have long conversations with my pet dragon every day  But seriously (as seriously as it can be with a fantasy monster...) i think it depends very much on the setting. In most settings i have seen dragons are able to speak in some way or another. Either telepatically or directly using their voice. I play World of Warcraft a lot, and in that game, the dragons can speak whatever language they want. And chinese (or oriental) dragons are usually talkative. There are a lot of settings though, where dragons are just another ferocious beast that need to be slain, but at least half of the settings (books, movies, games, lore etc) i have experienced dragons are intelligent and able to communicate. /Cobra "Gleep!" said the dragon. (from "Another Fine Myth", by Robert Asprin) |
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Post by Tommygun on Dec 12, 2010 15:22:41 GMT -9
It depends on the culture and what time period you look at.
Old European legends tended to depict them as evil Hell demons and little more than evil animals.
If they talked at all, it was usually Satan talking through them or something similar.
At least after Christianity became wide spread.
I'm not sure how most pre-Christians saw them.
As said already, Chinese dragons could talk and where usually portrayed as good.
With modern fantasy literature or gaming anything goes.
In D&D, dragons did talk and I think could even disguised themselves in human form.
I guess it comes down to is what setting you want to use them in and if you want it to be based on historical traditions.
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Post by Dominic on Dec 12, 2010 21:54:51 GMT -9
It has been said already, but I'd boil it down to two "concepts" - either dragon as the epitome of beast, as a ferrocious and stong fighting machine, or as epitome of knowledge, as wise sages who happen to also have deadly natural weapons. I personally think that the second approach works better for most roleplaying needs, especially with the option of such a dragon chosing not to speak and turning himself into a wild beast.
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Post by Dryw the Harper on Dec 12, 2010 23:34:19 GMT -9
In my campaign if it speaks, it is a true Dragon. If it is more bestial and has a more animalistic intelligence, it is referred to as a Drake.
Dryw the Harper
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Post by kiladecus on Dec 13, 2010 4:51:31 GMT -9
Thank you all for your input! I see the trend is toward the fact that they can speak, and TG's version is horrifying! (Nice). Dryw's differenciation is intriguing! Well put, and noted! Thanks again... |
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