Dragons have long fascinated the human species. From the mythologies of our ancestral past to the stories of the dinosaurs today, large, reptilian creatures with the capability to stomp the snot out of the frail human beings have captured our imaginations. Dragons are a part of all good fantasy. Here is one description of them.

The dragons of The Carousel (the play world I have created) are rather small as dragons go. They get no larger than fifty feet long with a wingspan of one hundred feet. Their bones are hollow and are therefore quite fragile, all things considered. Their front legs have developed into their wings, rather like a bat, and their hind legs, though strong enough to stand on for several minutes, are made more for crawling than rearing.

Dragons are not very smart. They do not talk or cast spells. They protect themselves and their young by spitting a special venom at their prey. The dragon may spit for one second for every ten years (or fraction thereof, after the first ten years of being defenseless) he has lived. This venom has a very high freezing point and a very low combustion point. When in an area where the temperature is below 30°F, the venom will almost instantly freeze into ice shards that cause damage equal to a medium weapon for each second of the attack. When the venom is used in temperatures above 100°F, the venom combusts, setting fire to anything it touches, rather like napalm. In its liquid state, the venom is a thin, corrosive gel with a low pH, indicating high acidity. It will eat through metals, skins, and fabrics quickly, but has no effect on reptilian scales of any kind.

Dragons are very social creatures, usually living in large herds, travelling in groups from feeding ground to feeding ground. When two herds meet to claim the same feeding ground, territoriality becomes a hostile game of cat and mouse. Claws are extended from hind legs and wing extensions. Teeth are bared. Venom is spat. Some dragons come away with wings shredded and tattered, never to fly again.

Dragons imprint at birth upon the first living creature they see. If a character is close enough (and lucky enough) to be there when this happens, he has indeed won himself a future riding mount of superb abilities. Older dragons can be captured and taught to be riding mounts, but they are harder to control than wild mustangs in a cloud of horseflies.

Physically, the dragons are beautiful creatures. Their scales glisten, refracting the light around them. There is no single color; a dragon’s color scheme is dependent only upon light and temperature, and each dragon’s coloration is different.

A dragon’s claws are considered medium weapons during combat. The venom has several different damage ratings. When frozen, the venom does 3d10 per second of the attack. If these shards should melt, the acid does an additional 1 point of damage per second of contact. This attack is semi directional: assume a cone with a diameter of 10 feet at 50 feet, 20 feet at 100 feet, and so on. When gelatinous, the acid does 1 point of damage per second of contact. It is water soluble, but there is a minimum damage of 5 points. This attack is semi-directional: assume a splash radius of fifteen feet from the victim who gets it full on. When combusting, the venom does 3d10 per second of the attack. There may be additional damage caused by burning and scorching. The attack is semi-directional: assume a cone with a diameter of 10 feet at 50 feet, 20 feet at 100 feet, and so on.