To Approach a Dragon

24 Jun, 2025

"The brave men didn't kill dragons. The brave men rode them."

A dragon is not like an ordinary animal; it cannot be controlled with a whip¹ and treats. It is the predator of predators, it is fire made flesh.
A dragon has an Ego score that represents their will and force of personality. In order to tame a dragon, you must surpass this score on a 1d20 test (called an Approach) upon approaching it for the first time. Succeed, and the beast will bend its neck and allow you to climb aloft. Should you fail this roll, the Dragon will become hostile and attempt to incinerate you.

An offering of wealth earns a +1 to the Approach for every 5,000gp of worth in the hoard. The dragon will claim this treasure regardless of the outcome.

An offering of flesh is arguably cheaper. A hand or an eye severed will net a +2. A limb, +4.

A dragon is never tamed, and it is never under your control. When pressed, the Dragon can and will buck against its rider's will again; another Ego test must be made.
Situations warranting this include:

• When the dragon is brought to half or less hit points.
• When another dragon is encroaching on what is theirs.
• When the Dragon is told to yield to something it feels is beneath it.
• When the Dragon's specific demands are not met.

A Dragon's Ego can be decreased through good care, regular gifts, and shows of dominance. A saddle will decrease its Ego by 2 and grant the rider +1 to Initiative on dragonback, but none alive know how to make one; you must find one yourself.

Victory

5 HD. Armor as Chain.
Ego: 12
A scarred dragon with tarnished scales. Valor is old, a veteran of many aerial battles, with her name engraved on the harness she still wears years after her rider's demise. She roosts in a forest of stone pillars, feeding on nearby gryphon prides. The dragon remembers the banners of her rider's foes, and will attack any who hoist them even now.
A gryphon carcass grants a +1 to the Approach.
Carrying the standard of the Dragoons will grant +4.
Victory will resist any attempts to flee combat, but will not abandon her rider under any circumstances.

Barrowfiend

5+ HD. Armor as Chain.
Ego: 12
A foul, misshapen wyrm with molting cobalt scales. It earned its name from the locals for its tendency to break into tombs and crypts, devouring the corpses. It is roosting inside one such crypt currently, incinerating any who come to pay their respects. It is small for a dragon, the size of an elk, and tends to flee from anything larger. It detests bright light, and will demand to eat any carcasses it comes across.
A fresh human corpse will grant a +1 bonus to the Approach.
A mummified corpse will grant +3.

Calypso

6 HD. Armor as Plate.
Ego: 14
Brine-coated and smelling of the sea, this brass dragon spends her days perched over the cliffs, looking at the ocean. She lives on a lush island, attacking anything that lands on her shores with prejudice. The only exception is shipwrecks; those who wash ashore in wreckage will be left alone by Calypso. The Sea-Dragon is very afraid of abandonment; she will refuse to allow her rider to leave her alone for more than an hour out of fear she will be left behind again. Males will have a +1 bonus to their Approach.
Calypso enjoys old wines; a bottle of wine will grant +2 to the Approach for every decade it has spent fermenting.

The Bridegroom

7 HD. Armor as Chain.
Ego: 14
A sleek, red serpent of a dragon, the Bridegroom earned his moniker for his very particular diet: this dragon subsists almost exclusively on young maidens. It terrorizes the nearby townships, sparing them from fire in exchange for a monthly sacrifice. These townships will pool together a reward of 1,000gp for any who rid them of this monster.
The Bridegroom has no interest in flesh or gold; however, a virgin maiden sacrifice will grant a +6 to the Approach. Her ghost will haunt you, and the dragon will expect another virgin every month.

The Throne

8+ HD. Armor as Plate & Shield.
Ego: 22
This black dragon has carried emperors upon its back, and its wing membranes are tattooed with the imperial insignias. Upon its scaled crest is a crown, welded in place. Upon its back is a saddle-seat, grand and imposing, that still carries the skeleton of the Last Emperor.
A crown, rightfully yours, will grant a +1 to the Approach.
Declare your lineage, listing each royal member of your bloodline. Gain a +1 for each one; the Throne will know if you lie. To ride the Black Monarch is a royal honor. Whoever rides the Throne will be seen by many as the rightful Heir to the Empire.