Post by Wizard on May 3, 2019 20:09:05 GMT -5
As I walk down an aisle of bookshelves in the library, the word I notice the most in book titles is "Dragon." "Dragons of A Lost Star." "The Ring of Dragons."
Why are dragons so popular? Darned if I know. But let me suggest one aspect that I think is part of it.
They're robust.
Time? Dragons grow stronger with age. Large armies? Fire. Various slings and arrows of life? Scaly armor and being larger than a house go a long way here.
And the thing is, all of these things are come by honestly. No shortcuts; no spell to be dispelled, no magic item to be stolen. Dragons do not have power; they are power. There's no weak point; they are just strong. Their only weakness is Ref saves, and effects requiring Ref saves tend to do raw damage, which must contend with a massive HP pool and elemental resistances.
But dragons are not the only manifestation of robustness in popular fantasy. In Magic:the Gathering, darksteel is an indestructible material that is...well, indestructible.
Orthanc, Saruman's indestructible tower, also comes to mind.
There is one kind of magic, that changes. It is the magic of the willow, the dandelion, the flame, the bolt of lightning. But there is another kind---the magic of oak, and stone. It is old, slow, and powerful.
Why are dragons so popular? Darned if I know. But let me suggest one aspect that I think is part of it.
They're robust.
Time? Dragons grow stronger with age. Large armies? Fire. Various slings and arrows of life? Scaly armor and being larger than a house go a long way here.
And the thing is, all of these things are come by honestly. No shortcuts; no spell to be dispelled, no magic item to be stolen. Dragons do not have power; they are power. There's no weak point; they are just strong. Their only weakness is Ref saves, and effects requiring Ref saves tend to do raw damage, which must contend with a massive HP pool and elemental resistances.
But dragons are not the only manifestation of robustness in popular fantasy. In Magic:the Gathering, darksteel is an indestructible material that is...well, indestructible.
Orthanc, Saruman's indestructible tower, also comes to mind.
There is one kind of magic, that changes. It is the magic of the willow, the dandelion, the flame, the bolt of lightning. But there is another kind---the magic of oak, and stone. It is old, slow, and powerful.