Dungeons and Dragons Lore: Gold Dragon 

Whoops, sorry, I gave the stats for the Adult dragon, my bad, you are totally correct Kyle, thanks for catching that.

@@AJPickett No problem. I had to somewhat memorize Ancient Gold Dragon abilities for the campaign I'm DMing. In the campaign I run, the king of the setting I created is an Ancient Gold Dragon named Geros Aurix. He's supposed to be the strongest of his kind in my setting, so I gave him both the Monster Manual spell casting abilities and 26 levels in Wizard. He's meant to have the kind of influence where if a small village is put into his territory, then most evil forces will avoid that town, even if that settlement only has a handful of low-level guards. Most forces of evil are too scared of Geros to make direct assaults on any of his territory, so the campaign is centered on dealing with evil forces that employ stealthier tactics until they can amass a force large enough to go to war with the king.

I usally do a younger gold dragon that got mixed up with powers they could have not control and ended up needing the adventurers help. Ancients in any capacity should blow the adventurers minds with the shear power over magic, especially wizards (even if they can cast 9th level spells).

@@ShineDark That setting sounds like Thomas Hobbes' _Leviathan._

@@HenriFaust (Be warned, this is long as I haven't had much chance to talk about this with others) Based on the explanation I gave, I can see why you'd make the comparison. How Geros actually runs his country is actually a Semi-Democratic Meritocracy. You see, the way he first became a king was that, after sleeping in his cave for ten years, he woke up to find a city had been built around his underground lair. He met the city's leadership and decided that he'd work as the city's protector, due to him having the same affinity for humanoids as the kindest of Silver Dragons. He also lent his aid to help manage the city's policies when the leaders felt overwhelmed. After a few years, the city's leadership and people decided to just ask Gero to be their official leader. As time went on, other settlements heard about the city run by an Ancient Gold Dragon and asked to join a protective alliance with them due to the dangers of this setting. Geros, due to his superhuman intellect, would provide his aid to the governing powers of these settlements as well. Eventually, they chose to bow to Geros and submit to his laws as well, due to his superior skills in actually running a society. The former rulers now took the positions of nobility under Geros' rule, still running their communities, but now enforcing Geros' laws. This pattern continued on for 200 years until Geros found himself running a country that was a third the size of the United States. With his nation officially formed, the dragon named the country after himself, calling it Aurix, and the first city now turned capital, called The City Of Geros. Like with his previous motivations, this naming convention was done to scare off evil forces and keep people safe, by letting the world at large know that this was his territory. By the time he'd founded the country, Geros had found that the noble families had grown self-important and self-indulgent. As such, Geros formed an Elite order of Eldritch Knights to first serve as his own personal guards. After the guard was formed, Geros passed a law to all settlements in his country. Every settlement must have clean water and food, proper housing for its people, and there had to be a minimum percentage of their population who were educated well enough to pursue their desired careers. Essentially, Geros wanted to make it so that those living in his country would have at least low-class 1st world living conditions. King Geros then explained that if any of the nobility failed to meet this standard within 5 years, then their family would be stripped of its power, and the settlement would hold an election for a new leader. If a noble failed, they still had the option to try to get re-elected, which would happen in settlements that liked their current nobility, and who just needed more time to get things up to standards. Quite often, leaders of famous adventuring groups would become candidates for these elections, as they were loved by the common person, had some leadership knowledge, and were strong enough to be viewed as their city or town's champion. These same laws would also apply to Geros within is own city. What Geros was trying to ultimately convey was that leadership lived to serve those they led, not the other way around. Geros would wind up stepping down from the thrown three times throughout his country's history, as even his title of King was just that, a title. The first time this happened was shortly after Geros had put his new laws into place. The nobility, upset with this new standard they had to live up to, rallied their citizens to demand Geros step down. Much to their surprise, Geros complied with his people's wishes and stepped down for one of the nobles to take his place while he went to sleep. He woke up ten years later to find the people of his kingdom rioting and the leadership unable to manage things. After having lived under such a truly benevolent ruler for so long, the common folk were in no way happy with their new, more self-centered rulers. The then king gathered the remnants of Geros' guards and presented them to Geros as a way to beg the dragon to come back as their king. He assured that the begging wasn't necessary and reassumed his place on the throne. After coming back, Geros eventually implemented a new system to determine the country's leader. If Geros would ever die or step-down again, an election to decide the next king or queen would be held. The candidates would be composed of the members of Geros' immediate court(essentially, his most trusted friends and allies), three candidate spots would be reserved for members of the nobility, and then three more invitations would be sent out to the leaders of whoever were the three most renowned adventuring parties at the time. Due to having as long a lifespan as he does, Geros decided that an election for rulership should be held every ten years while he's on the throne. His second time stepping down from the throne was 50 years after he established this election system. The Kingdom of Aurix managed to govern itself for roughly 20 years until a more tyrannical individual took the throne and abolished the election system Geros had established. This would mark the only time Geros would use force to take power, taking out this individual and reassuming his position as king at the behest of a rebel faction led by former members of his elite guard. King Geros put the election system back into place and held the throne for another few 150 years until he lost the election to one of his court's members. Geros would act as a personal aid to Aurix's kings and queens for the next hundred years, and the elite guards would serve them. Eventually, Geros was elected once again and has held the throne for so long that the Kingdom Of Aurix is 1,000 years old at the start of my players' campaign. He does currently have a human Cleric with an extended lifespan as his queen, and their half-dragon son holds the title of prince, but only the queen has any claim to the throne, and only as much as the other members of the court.

or a bard backstory imagine the possabily!

More like how your player character got isiekaied.

The origin of a line of draconic bloodline sorcerers?

It should have been Goldmember's final form lolxd!!.. 😂

Lol

Name checks out.

Depends on the weapon.

They are social outside of their lair, it would be a rare thing for them to invite guests to the site they keep their most valuable possessions, and so, it is the location where they can relax and stay in their far more comfortable and enjoyable true form.

@@AJPickett I think it would be a "Guest house" that would have the above ideas. Obviously they wouldn't put their valuables in a risky position.

That's... That's an interesting combo. How did it come about? Usually gold dragons and red dragons don't get along for obvious reasons, but then there are always exceptions and D&D is full of strange things. Was it the offspring of a mated red dragon and gold dragon, or was it the result of a magical experiment? What was its alignment?

@@cornuschristi1814 I'd also like to know the back story there :)

@@cornuschristi1814 Well, It was a Male Gold and a Female Red and well... She wanted to mate with the Strongest Dragon around- that happened to be an equivalent Teenager Gold Dragon. Hormones being what they are to all living creatures we got a hybrid. A very interesting, two natures warring against themselves in his mind hybrid. A Hybrid who essentially figured out that he was going to follow the stronger nature within himself (that of his Gold side) and therefore decided to put himself in a meditative/regenerative sleep inside of an enchanted volcano where the molten rock wasn't your typical lava but molten gold. Through an ancient draconic spell and inspired alchemy he was going to change his nature through this endeavor. Too bad some adventurers decided to wake up said Dragon despite repeated warnings that they should move on to the main quest or the handful of side quest. Waking up a Dragon is bad- waking up a dragon whom is undergoing a magical metamorphosis forcing him to start from scratch is worse.

@@MrRedFoxorMrelzorrorojo Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

​@@MrRedFoxorMrelzorrorojoYea, they deserved that

Automatic kobold army.

"I summon my familiar, Bruce Lee"

True.

There would have to be an evil creature nearby for that, although a dragon would probably have enough experience with illusion magic to fake it.

Rat wasps... that is a horrible... oh wait... bats with venom, yeah that could totally work.

AJ Pickett That form hiveminds.

@@purplehaze2358 that form hive minds by biting humanoids.

Did someone say *Wasps* ???

Wax on Wax off... yes, keep polishing my treasure.

@@AJPickett ohh myy

Or the guy he stole the image of.

Woah. Can you explain that more? I am interested but kind of new to DnD. I read a lot of Dragonlance in my youth.

Bahamuts most common avatar is a old human wizard. When he manifests he his always accompanied by 7 yellow canaries that are actually all great gold dragons. As his proxies imbued with a fragment of his power, they have unique powers & each is easily as powerful as the king of gold dragons. Each is nearly a demigod but they choose to serve instead of rule

Dwarves use the divine power of Moradin to greatly accellerate their productivity, the hymms they sing to him and the work they do actually generates divine power, they can carve through stone like a hot knife through butter. The fine crafting details take the most time, but again, they are amazingly hard and competent masons, smiths and artists.

@@AJPickett Yeah, I figured that might be the case... Cant see a gold dragon hanging out in a cave/unfinished palace for 3 years. Thanks for the info, AJ! You're still the most responsive youtuber I've ever seen by a mile!

@@shamusfarmer I could see it. Considering their lifespan a year to a gold dragon probably feels like a few days to us. But patience of individuals would vary.

@@ada_of_aurora2682 patience is one thing, but there are still 24 hours in a day... I would imagine, though, that the golds would be more wise and less egotistical, so maybe they would be cool with it. If we were taking about a red, let's say, Im pretty sure it would balk at the dragon equivalent of living in your car for a few years while the dwarves worked...

@@rachdarastrix5251 lol, yes

they are a link (homage) to the lung dragons. but also provide a larger surface area to provide lift.

Thank you 😊

But I'm still waiting for a video on that "Pixies' Mafia on Sigil" thing :D

Certainly.

Wizards are essentially the scientists of the realm. They just use the most useful tool they have at their disposal for their quest for knowledge. Magic. So why would that differ depending on race? Schools of magic are just ways of focusing your scope so as to achieve mastery faster. I imagine a dragon can achieve true mastery of all schools if it so chose to. They just live that long.

Yeah there is a whole mini campaign for playing dragons back in ye day, I am sure it can be converted to 5E (probably already has been), the Council of Wyrms.

@@AJPickett 🤩

Kobolds are Kobolds, they wish to please their masters, thus, will do good, in order to please a good dragon.

I like to think that alignment in monstrous races is only a baseline, there will be individuals that fall outside the norm in many of them. They may be very rare and get killed of within their own society's alot of the time, but they happen. I have a story in my head about a chaotic good aligned Yuan-ti I've always wanted to play.

The history and lineage of the dragons is so obscure and convoluted (and lets face it, wildly dependant on what dragon you ask), it really is hard to be absolutely sure, but here is my tip... when you are talking to a dragon.. They all descend from THAT dragons ancestors... I would rather be incorrect, than a pile of ash.

@@AJPickett lol, true, but I didn't think metallics would kill you for that? Jesus!! I guess the gods aren't as "good" as I thought!

My daughter has a gold dragon egg. I already had a eldar dragon come and talk to the group in human form. They didn't know he was a dragon until the druid in the party ran after him in the woods while he was trying to slip out and witnessed his transformation and fly off. I'm going to have fun role playing a gold dragon soon.

yes

@@AJPickett Thank you sir 😁

an update video on Theros now the book is released? Hmmm, I can take a look.

I'll be diving into that lore soon Corey, I don't know all the details yet.. part of the fun of making these vids is learning as I go :)

3.5 has a few pdf books you can find for free on dragons, draconomicon is one.

Madness is a variant rule option in the DMG.

@@AJPickett & I learned it from an answer of yours! Fear & Madness would work so much better if they were linked to Sanity instead of Wisdom.

@@AJPickett could U make a video on the Sanity, Honor & Madness optional rules?

This is actually the plot of a series of three books written by Richard Lee Byers called “The Year of Rogue Dragons”. This is simply referred to as “The Rage” and follows a series of adventurers (one a human half-golem) and a Song Dragon who seek to discover the cause of the Rage and put a stop to it. If you are interested the three books are “The Rage”, “The Rite”, and “The Ruin”. These books take place in the year 1373 DR.

Yes.

I do sleep :)

@@AJPickett ok, I will believe, but don't overwork.

@@Skin1in I make no promises.

My Warlocks patron is a particularly nasty Black Dragon! he's working to try and break said pact, without having his face and beard burned off.

Exactly. Just make sure you're house-broken!

High level adventurers are not a joke, and thats not counting archmages.

I like your point and I think you'd find my comment interesting... Playing the dragon's "pet" could be fun.

@@Zasek2112 I pity the poor dragon that tries to make Halaster Blackcloak a pet.

Flurry of no's. (sorry, could not resist, I'll get there eventually, I average about one class video per year)

Codricuhn, his exarch, aspects and demon minions are on the list of future videos. As for Gold adopting reds? Most likely they would not, they would leave it alone.

@@AJPickett Thanks !

I AM LAMP

@@AJPickett fiat lux

@@AJPickett *insert holy acapella choir music right here*

Well, one might have to venture inside the body of Dendar the Night Serpent in order to find a shard.

@@AJPickett Oh!? Well this sounds like some really interesting lore. Do pray tell or point me in the right direction.

Even if it's not real, get a gold dragon to put you into a dream demi-plane and cast permanence on it and.... Look, I'm sure there's a way to make just about anything if you keep thinking about this. You want to start making infinity spindles and make the whole party demi-gods? Go for it.

Shapeshifting, I guess.

Mage hand, or shapeshifting into a humanoid form.

@@AJPickett what if they just made a really big book?

@@reptilprinceoflizardpeople5797 yeah they most just record stuff via magic, into gems and such. Books are a novelty.

The psionic and magical abilities of a dragon are above 99% of any creatures and thus even minor psychokinetic abilities would be an extremely minor task for them. Having a slave/friend turn a page at their telepathic nudge would not be out of place however. I also used their "tentacles" around their mouths for delicate tasks.

Just put a blanket over it if a Paladin comes over for dinner.

@@AJPickett Or put a bucket over the paladin's head. Depending on the paladin's intelligence.

There is info on Lurue in the Faiths and Clerics video, but I can go into more detail on that faith for sure, they are interesting.

Not prescription, PROscription. ie: banishment or execution