Dragon: The Rebirth¹

By Miguel Valdespino (miguval@aol.com)

Author's Notes

"Not another set of dragon rules for the World of Darkness..."

"At least it's not another Highlander."

This is the fifth set of rules that I know about. However, none of them appealed to me. Not that the others were bad rules, but most seemed to be excessive in one way or another and were out of balance with starting characters from other games. I wanted a game where the dragons were flexible and could grow to become the awesome power we all think of, but that started at a level comparable to other WOD supernaturals.

I have always loved the elemental forces and it fits in with my idea of dragons as primal forces still bound by mythic reality. Next the need to balance might with the demands of static reality brought the idea of dragons bound by mundane forms. Finally the World of Darkness brought the concept of the Elder Dragons and the Journeys of their children.

I encourage comments and thoughtful criticism. My current email addresses are miguval@aol.com and miguel.valdespino@frco.com, but like most email addresses they will probably change over time. I will also be posting this at http://members.aol.com/miguval/, but that is also not eternal. I am usually too busy to follow the White Wolf newsgroups, so please feel free to send comments to me directly.

Prelude

Rachel had always been most comfortable out on the water. Nothing on dry land ever brought out the depth of feeling that the surge of the waves always brought out in her. The only reason she got her MBA was to afford the beautiful boat she now had, a boat where she could stay out on the ocean and dream of living there forever. Even now, in this furious storm she had no fear of the twenty foot waves -- it was the howling winds that frightened her. Then the lightning came with a crack to split the heaven and she saw the flames rush up from the stern. The sight of the blaze steeled her to action and she dived into the ocean . . .

Wrapped in a joy so natural it almost burned, it took Rachel a while to realize that she wasn't drowning. Hours later, she noticed the webs on her fingers and toes and the green tint of her skin. Feeling truly alive for the first time in her life, she knew her old life was gone forever . . .

Introduction

When the Mythic Age drew to a close the dragons (now known as the elder dragons) were forced out of our world. Most escaped to the Deep Umbra, but a few abandoned their bodies and entered the Deep Dreaming. Their primal mythic natures could not coexist with the new world. Their elemental natures were denied by the new alchemical theory, and later by atomic theory. But dragons are stubborn and patient. They will not be thrown from the world lightly. Determined to retake the Tellurian and reinstate mythic reality, they overcame their solitary natures and created a new breed of dragons. These new dragons were bound into bodies that fit within the mundane world. They were also much less tightly bound by their elemental natures. This made them weaker than the elder dragons, but tolerated by the new reality.

The first hatchlings of the new dragons are now maturing. Will they be able to bring down the Age of Reason? Or will they rebel, rejecting the wars of the old hidebound serpents and make their own way into the World of Darkness?

Journey

Journey represents how these dragons were brought into the Tellurian and how they were raised. It affects their knowledge, their world view, and their backgrounds should be chosen in accordance.
• Garou: (Except Glass Walkers and Bone Gnawers) You were given to the Garou (or other changing breed), who raised you as their own and taught you their ways. You see the Gauntlet as the pain of Gaia and the overgrowth of the Weaver. However dragons are too solitary for pack life, and you must part ways.

System: You start with three dots in Form and three dots to split between Form and Elemental Paths. You also begin with a dot in Garou Lore (or other Changing Breed, as appropriate), but cannot take technologically oriented abilities.

• Marauder: You were introduced to this world by the mad ones. The Technocracy's mighty fist is the worst offense to mythic reality, but to some extent everyone who has a limited reality is a culprit. But madness takes its toll, and you must eventually choose sanity to restore the Mythic Age.

  System: You begin with three dots in Elemental Paths and three dots to split between Form and further Paths.. You also suffer from (or revel in) a minor derangement and have a dot in Marauder Lore.

• * Dreamspeaker: You were raised by the shamans of the magickal community. You see the Technocracy as the greatest evil in the world, but all who do not care for Gaia have contributed to the problem. The spirit world is important, but you need to focus on the real world.

  System: You begin with three dots in Elemental Paths and three dots to split between Form and further Paths. You also gain a dot in Mage Lore, but cannot take technologically oriented abilities.

• * Verbena: You grew up in a pagan household. You were raised to see the value of life and the natural world, and want to see that integrated with the modern world.

  System: You begin with three dots in Elemental Paths and three dots to split between Form and further Paths. You also gain a dot in Mage Lore, but cannot take combat abilities to start.

• Fae: You were born in the Deep Dreaming and raised by the kindly folk. You understand the terror of Banality that strangles the world and seek to remind the mortals of the dreams of long ago. Unfortunately, doing this often forces you away from your family as you confront the Banal ones.

  System: You have five dots to split between Form and Elemental Paths. In addition, you are enchanted with one dot in Faerie Lore. Enchanted dragons always have all of their form attributes in the Dreaming, which occasionally causes misunderstandings with Sidhe knights. You can learn cantrips, but a faerie must provide you the Glamour.

• Elder Dragon: You were raised in the Umbra by one of your parents. You were always told of the great goal of restoring mythic reality. Eventually you were deemed ready and sent forth into the strange static world. Confused and cut off from all you knew, you must now learn the lessons your parent couldn't teach you.

  System: You have seven dots to spend on Form and Elemental Paths. You also get a dot in Dragon Lore, but you cannot spend any freebie points on mundane choices. You are also limited to a maximum of one dot in any ability linked to the mundane world (driving, firearms, technology, etc.).

• Mundane: You were separated from your caretakers at an early age. You never knew your heritage or abilities, though you always found a link with your elemental nature (i.e., surfing, spelunking, hang gliding, pyrotechnics). Only in adulthood did your dragon nature emerge, and Harvard never prepared you for this.

  System: You have only four points to spend on Form or Elemental Paths (max 2 dots in any single choice) and can only spend freebie points on supernatural choices with Storyteller approval. However, you get 21 freebie points to spend.

Why are Glass Walkers and Bone Gnawers disallowed? Because the Walkers can't accept a return to the Mythic Age, and the Bone Gnawers are in no condition to take in a foundling. Why are the Dreamspeakers and Verbena the only traditions allowed? They are the only traditions whose idea of Ascension is compatible with the Mythic Age. Also, the Dreamspeakers are the only group to spend a lot of time in the Deep Umbra. In addition, most other mages immediately think Marauder when they think about dragons.

As with anything, if you want to go outside of these guidelines, make up a plausible story for the Storyteller. If it's good enough, they'll probably go for it. They may impose certain restrictions, but that's what you get for trying something new.

Attributes

Dragons get the standard 7/5/3 attribute split. Form (see below) allows them to increase some attributes under certain circumstances.

Abilities

Dragons get the standard 13/9/5 ability split. A dragon's Journey will sometimes add additional abilities or limit their choices.

New Skill: Breath

This is the skill used to target Elemental Paths.

Possessed by: Dragons.

Specialties: Specific Path abilities, called shots.

Form

Form is their ability to throw off their human disguises and reveal their true forms. Many new dragons cannot transform completely until they have a century or two under their wings. Dragons look like the dragon equivalent of Crinos until they have sufficiently high levels of Form. More details on the exact appearance are below.

For each dot in Form, a dragon can spread three dots among any of the attributes below. No single attribute can exceed five bonus dots. The choice of attributes may not be changed, but different attributes can be chosen when the dragon increases her Form. Form has a maximum of eight, but starting characters are limited to four points.

The Form attributes and their effects are:

• Sinuosity: The dragon's body and limbs lengthen and become serpentine.

  Add about 10% length per dot. +1 to Dex for every dot. Your tail also grows as you use this attribute.

• Muscle: The dragon grows powerful sinewy muscles.

  +1 to Str per dot.

• Resilience: The dragon grows scaly and more resilient.

  +1 to Sta per dot. Resilience can soak aggravated damage from everything but your opposed element.

• Size: The dragon grows larger. ("...and Leon is getting larger...")

  +1 Health Level per dot. Added Health Levels are bruised. The dragon retains the same number of Health Levels of damage when changing either way.

• Claws: The dragon grows claws and fangs.

  +1 in hand to hand damage per dot. Causes aggravated damage. -1 to fine manipulation of fragile objects per two dots. Fragile being a term relative to Muscle, Claws, and Size.

• Wings: The dragon grows wings, fins or burrowing claws.

  Gains their primary element's movement as below:

  • Air: Flight at 10+Dex yards per level
  • Earth: Burrowing at 3+Str yards per level
  • Fire: Flight at 7+Str yards per level
  • Water Swimming at 10+Dex yards per level

Form attributes (and some merits and flaws) can be combined to make just about any dragon you can imagine. For example:

• Godzilla: high Muscle, Resilience, Size; medium Claw and Wings (Godzilla is a water dragon; he always comes out of the ocean)
• Quetzacoatl: High Sinuosity and Wings; medium Size; serpent flaw.
• Nessie: high Sinuosity, Wing, Size; serpent flaw etc.

Changing forms is usually a slow but natural process; it is a free action that does not penalize other actions taken in the round. At the end of each turn, the dragon gains three points from the Form attributes previously chosen. No attribute can be raised more than one point per turn. Occasionally, this will mean a dragon may not be able to spend all three points because its remaining unchosen levels are in one or two Form attributes. This is the cost of specialization.

Dragons can change forms faster, but this is a painful and difficult process. Each turn the dragon rolls Willpower. With one success it can transform at double speed (six points, up to two in each Form attribute). On three successes, it transforms at triple speed. With five successes it transform completely. It can take no other action while transforming, and takes a -2 penalty for the next two actions due to the pain.

Dragons can stay in dracoform for one scene. After that, they must spend one temporary point of their primary Element per scene or take a point of aggravated damage. Dragons can stay in dracoform indefinitely when they are in their pure element (and usually need to be in dracoform to survive).

In addition, dragons have difficulty maintaining dracoform in the presence of mundanes. When in sight of mundanes, they must roll their primary Element versus a base difficulty of six every other turn. Modifiers are as follows:

• Any rabid skeptics (scientists): +1
• All rabid skeptics: +3
• All creative people (fantasy convention): -1
• Number of mundanes:

  1-5 people: -1
  6-10 people: 0
  10-15 people: +1
  15-20 people: +2
  

Players may spend Willpower or Element points to maintain their Form in the face of mundanes. Dragons inspire a Form of Delirium in mundanes, causing them to interpret the details in a way they can understand.

Form is also used to heal normal damage. A dragon can roll Form + Stamina (not including resilience bonus) versus a difficulty of eight. Each success heals one point of non-aggravated damage. This takes fifteen minutes per point healed. Aggravated damage can only be healed by spending Element points or by being in their pure element.

Element

Element has three aspects: the dragon's primary Element, Element ratings, and Elemental Paths. The primary element determines the nature of the dragon, as well as his strengths and weaknesses. The Element ratings are attributes like Willpower that determine how strongly a dragon is tied to his primary and secondary elements. Finally, Elemental Paths are the ability to manipulate the element.

A dragon's primal nature and mythic mindset cause it to be bound strongly to one of the four classical elements: Air, Earth, Fire, and Water. This is a dragon's greatest strength and greatest weakness. The element influences their Form, their powers, and their personalities. Dragons often have a lesser connection to a secondary element that has a lesser, but still significant influence.

Their connections to their elements gives dragons a sense when something or someone is elementally-linked. This lets them detect other dragons as well as elementals, caerns, nodes and artifacts that are elemental in nature. The player rolls Perception plus their primary element vs. 11 - the rating of the target. A dragon's rating is its primary Element rating, an elemental's is its gnosis rating, and all others use their rating.

A dragon's greatest vulnerability is its opposed element. Earth opposes Air and fire opposes water. Damage from the opposing element is aggravated. Dragons must make Willpower checks to face a large concentration of their opposed element. The element opposed to a dragon's secondary element makes it uncomfortable, but not so much that it has to roll. On the other hand, damage from a dragon's primary element is never aggravated and can be soaked at a difficulty of five.

Examples of Elemental attacks: Air: choking gases, winds, lightning; Earth stone, sand, lava; Fire: flame, lava, smoke; Water: water, ice, steam.

Air: Air dragons tend to be very mind-oriented. Mental attributes are almost always primary. They are the most perceptive of all dragons, often seeing things in intuitive ways. Physically they are not powerful, but make up for that with quickness. They are often creative and mischievous but sometimes absent-minded or flighty. Air dragons get a bonus specialty in Dexterity, Intelligence and Perception. They also have a -1 difficulty for any flying or piloting rolls.

Earth: Earth dragons are focused on the physical world. Physical attributes are usually primary. They tend to be practical, reliable and loyal. They are not the quickest mentally, but they make up for that with good solid common sense. The other side of their stability is that when they get stubborn they are as hard to move as a mountain. Earth dragons get an additional specialty in Strength, Stamina, and Appearance. They also have a -1 difficulty when constructing anything durable.

Fire: Fire dragons are all action. Any set of attributes can be primary; they can do most things well, as long as they can jump in and just do them. They live fast, die young, and leave only a pile of ashes behind. Contemplation is not their strong spot, but gut instinct is their very nature. Fire is hard to control, just like the temper of a fire dragon. Fire dragons get an additional specialty in Dexterity, Manipulation, and Wits. Fire dragons get a +1 to all initiative rolls.

Water: Water dragons are concerned with emotions. Social attributes are usually primary. They tend to be caring, warm and open. Their reactions are not the fastest, but their intuition is incredibly accurate. On the other hand, water dragons have a tendency to become too attached, and are often hurt by this. Water dragons get an additional specialty in Charisma, Appearance, and Perception. Water dragons get a -1 difficulty to all rolls about reading another's moods.

A Dragon has a need to be surrounded by its element -- it is uncomfortable without it. Often it feels a great need to be alone in a place surrounded by its element. This is called the pure element. It must reach a place far away from any other sentient being -- generally at least half a mile or more. There it meditates, relaxes and finds solace. Every half hour spent in your pure element allows you to heal a point of aggravated damage or regain a temporary Element point. If there is some amount of a dragon's secondary element present, temporary secondary Element points may also be regained. Otherwise the dragon will have to go to a pure source of that element.

Fire dragons have a hard time finding natural fire, so they must often make it themselves. They still need to find a secluded spot and the dragon must make a bonfire large enough to surround them in dracoform. Forest fires also meet this ideal as long as the dragon stays away from firefighters. Lava is also acceptable for dragons who have earth as their secondary element.

Element ratings are attributes with both permanent and temporary points, like Willpower. Each dragon can have a primary and secondary Element rating, but the secondary Element must always be less than the primary. Element ratings are a measure of how powerfully you are connected to that element and how much elemental power you have within. The Elemental rating is often rolled when using a power from an Elemental Path, and temporary Element points are spent to power most of these abilities.

Temporary Element points are usually recovered by spending time in the dragon's pure element, but can also be taken from caerns and nodes that are strongly dedicated to that element. Albeit at the risk of offending the owner.

Elemental Paths

Elemental Paths give a dragon control over its element. You must have a rating in an Element to use that Path. No dragon can start with a rating greater than three in a path. Paths must be followed in order; you must gain one level before going on to the next. Most Paths involve rolling an Element rating and paying a cost in temporary Element points.

* Sense the Winds: By spending one turn and making an Air roll, the dragon can attune to the air around him. This allows the dragon to use touch, hearing and smell at a distance of 15 feet per success. Intervening objects do not block perception as long as there is air around the object to be perceived. A normal Perception roll must still be made; this power only creates the attunement. This ability lasts as long as the dragon concentrates.

** Shape the Winds: By making an Air roll and spending a point of Air, the dragon can stir winds nearby. These winds have STR equal to one-half the number of successes and will blow loose objects around. The dragon can control the general direction only. These winds last for three turns per success. This may be added or subtracted to the strength of existing winds. While the winds are blowing, The dragon can roll Dex + Breath to deflect missiles per the table below:

Type of Missile	Difficulty
Arrows	6
Thrown objects (<10lbs.)	7
spears	7
Knives	8
Thrown objects (up to 50 lbs.)	9
Bullets	10

Dragons that possess this Path never suffer movement penalties due to strong winds.

*** Slicing Winds: By making an Air roll and spending a point of Air, the dragon can breathe winds with enough force to damage a target. This does one die damage per success, and is targeted with Dex + Breath. Range is 5 yards per success. This damage is not aggravated except against Earth dragons. This effect can also be used to create 1 cubic foot of pure air per success with or without causing damage. A dragon with this ability can breathe in any environment.

**** Thunderbreath: By making an Air roll and spending two points of Air, the dragon can breathe a bolt of lightning. This does the dragons Air rating plus successes in aggravated damage, and is targeted with Dex + Breath. Range is 15 yards per success. This effect can also be used to short out electrical devices, etc.

***** Become the Wind: By spending three points of Air, the dragon can transform himself into air. The dragon becomes immune to physical attacks and can move through the smallest spaces. However, it cannot affect physical objects except through the Path of Air. The dragon can use Shape the Winds at no cost. This effect lasts for one scene.

* Sense within Stone: By spending one turn and making an Earth roll, the dragon can attune to the Earth around him. This allows the dragon to use touch and hearing through the Earth or stone at a distance of 30 feet per success. Concrete, worked metal, or other man-made materials increase the difficulty to 9. A normal Perception roll must still be made; this power only creates the attunement. This ability lasts as long as the dragon concentrates.

** Shape the Stone: By making an Earth roll and spending a point of Earth, the dragon can mold earth and stone. This allows a dragon to shape one cubic foot per success as if it were soft clay. The material regains its normal properties once the dragon is done. Concrete, worked metal, or other man-made materials increase the difficulty to 9. At this level, two additional passive effects are gained: the dragon may burrow without leaving a tunnel behind and the dragon need not worry about breathing while surrounded by natural earth or stone.

*** Breath of Stone: By making an Earth roll and spending a point of Earth, the dragon can breathe a hail of small stones. This does one die damage per success, and is targeted with Dex + Breath. Range is 5 yards per success. This damage is not aggravated except against Air dragons. This effect can also be used to create 1 cubic foot of stone for every two successes (or 1 cubic foot of earth per success) with or without causing damage.

**** Petrify: By making an Earth roll and spending two points of Earth, the dragon can breathe a bolt of petrifying force. This does the dragon's Earth rating plus successes in aggravated damage, and is targeted with Dex + Breath. Range is 15 yards per success. Anything completely destroyed by this power turns to stone. Lesser damage can be healed like normal aggravated damage.

***** Become the Stone: By spending three points of Earth, the dragon can transform himself into stone. The dragon gains three points of armor, and three points of Strength, but loses two points of Dexterity. This effect lasts for one scene.

* Sense through Flame: The dragon suffers no penalty to any Perception roll for fire or smoke.

** Shape the Flame: By making a Fire roll and spending a point of Fire, the dragon can shape and control fire. This allows a dragon to shape one cubic foot per success. The dragon can cause the fire to move, grow or weaken, but the fire is still natural; it must have fuel, oxygen and heat to continue. Dragons with this Path take no damage from moving through natural fire and suffer no effects from breathing normal smoke.

*** Breath of Flame: By making a Fire roll and spending a point of Fire, the dragon can breathe Fire. This does one die damage per success, and is targeted with Dex + Breath. Range is 5 yards per success. This damage is not aggravated except against Water dragons. This effect can also be used to ignite fire of up to 1 cubic for every two successes with or without causing damage.

**** Inferno: By making a Fire roll and spending two points of Fire, the dragon can breathe a blast of intense fire. This does the dragon's Fire rating plus successes in aggravated damage, and is targeted with Dex + Breath. Range is 15 yards per success. This will ignite flammable materials.

***** Become the Flame: By spending three points of Fire, the dragon can transform himself into Flame. The dragon does his Fire rating divided by two in fire damage to anything he touches. The dragon takes only one wound (non-soakable) every time he is attacked physically. The dragon cannot affect anything physically except by burning it.

* Sense through Waves: By spending one turn and making a Water roll, the dragon can attune to the Water around him. This allows the dragon to use hearing and smell through the water at a distance of 50 feet per success. A normal Perception roll must still be made; this power only creates the attunement. This ability lasts as long as the dragon concentrates.

** Shape the Waves: By making a Water roll and spending a point of Water, the dragon can move water. This allows a dragon to shape one cubic foot per success. The water can be moved through the air and shaped, but regains its normal properties once the dragon is done. The dragon may instead choose to transform on cubic foot of water to vapor or ice. At this level the dragon need not worry about breathing while in the water.

*** Breath of Water: By making a Water roll and spending a point of Water, the dragon can breathe a blast of water. This does one die damage per success, and is targeted with Dex + Breath. Range is 5 yards per success. This damage is not aggravated except against Fire dragons. This effect can also be used to create 1 cubic foot of pure water for every success with or without causing damage.

**** Frostbite: By making a Water roll and spending two points of Water, the dragon can breathe a blast of frost. This does the dragon's Water rating plus successes in aggravated damage, and is targeted with Dex + Breath. Range is 15 yards per success. This will freeze objects subject to cold.

***** Become the Water: By spending three points of Water, the dragon can transform himself into Water. The dragon takes only one point of non-soakable damage from physical attacks and can move through the smallest spaces. However, it can only use one half of its normal Strength. This effect lasts for one scene.

(may be taken by dragons of any element)

* Speech of the Spirit: At this level, the dragon can speak to all of the classic elemental spirits. At this point the character has no ability to influence a controlled elemental and can only influence a free elemental with words. Characters get a reaction bonus from the elemental for having a rating in the elemental's element, or a penalty for having a rating in an opposed element. If the element is primary, give a bonus or penalty equal to the rating divided by two. If the element is secondary, use the rating divided by three.

** Spirit Servitor: The dragon next learns to command elementals. The dragon rolls his element rating vs. the Rage of a free elemental or the Willpower of the controller of a controlled elemental. Free elementals will be under the control of the dragon for one scene. Controlled elementals will be under the command of the dragon for one turn per success. A dragon may then spend one element point to gain control of the elemental for one scene. Elementals will do tasks within their abilities. Roll for the elemental's reaction as above to see how willingly they serve.

*** Summon the Spirit: By rolling its primary Element versus a difficulty of the local Gauntlet + 1 the dragon can summon an elemental of its primary element. If an elemental is present the summoning takes from five to thirty minutes. If the Storyteller decides there is no elemental present, this path will not succeed. For every point of Element spent, the elemental has five points to split between Rage, Gnosis, and Willpower. The spirit is friendly and will obey the dragon for one scene. After that scene, the elemental will depart unless convinced by the dragon.

**** Spiritfollow: The dragon then learns to return to the Umbra by hitching a ride with an elemental. After calling an elemental, a dragon can make an Element roll versus the local Gauntlet and spend a point of its primary Element to cross into the Umbra. The elemental also returns to the Umbra and is freed from service.

***** Spiritforge: By rolling its primary Element versus a difficulty of the local gauntlet +5 the dragon can create an elemental. The summoning takes an hour for every temporary element point spent. For every temporary element point spent, the elemental has three points to split between Rage, Gnosis, and Willpower. The spirit is friendly and will always obey the dragon unless abused. The elemental will also stay close by in the Umbra and can be easily summoned. Other supernaturals who attempt to summon a spirit nearby may summon the elemental. The dragon may fight for control of the elemental by a contest of Willpower with the summoner or by spending a temporary Element point.

Backgrounds

You have five points to spend on Backgrounds. You will have to justify them in terms of your Journey; if the storyteller balks, make up a story about how they can fit it in. Who knows; if your story is good enough, the ST may just let you keep it, and you get a greater feel for you character to boot.

Some guidelines:

Allies: Dragons often have one or more allies from their journey.

Arcane: Dragons may freely be Arcane. In fact this is encouraged for dragons with the elder dragon journey.

Avatar: No. Dragons cannot Awaken. Ever.

Chimera, Fetish, Talisman, Treasure: These may be taken by dragons with the appropriate journey. Note that other Fae, Mages or Garou may resent a dragon who possesses an artifact from their people and try to get it back.

Destiny: At the Storyteller's discretion, dragons may have a destiny.

Dream: Dragons do not have the connection to the Universal Unconscious, and therefore cannot take Dream.

Influence: Mages are the masters of subtlety. Dragons are primal forces of nature. Dragons just don't have the knack for this.

Kinfolk: There are no dragon kinfolk. This can be taken by those with the Garou journey, to represent contacts among the garou kin.

Library: Because dragon paths aren't recorded, dragons get no benefit from an arcane library, but they can have a library to assist in Mundane research.

Mentor: Because of the difficulty of dragons communicating through the Umbra, the mentor will usually be of the dragon's journey.

Node: The node is assumed to be an elementally charged location and can be used as a source of pure element if there is nobody within half a mile. Dragons may collect the qQuintessence as elementally-charged tass. Also, remember nodes will draw the attention of many of the other denizens of the World of Darkness.

Past Life: Dragons do not have past lives.

Pure Breed: Not allowed. By definition, character dragons are watered-down versions of the elder dragons.

Remembrance: Dragons are not Fae and have no remembrance.

Rites: Rituals may be learned by dragons with the Garou journey. Especially useful is the rite of Talisman Dedication.

Totem: If a dragon joins a garou pack, it may contribute to the pack totem.

Experience

Traits are raised as follows:

Trait	Cost
Attribute	Current x 4
New Ability	3
Ability	Current x 2
Form	Current x 4
New Elemental Path	4
Elemental Path	Current x 4
New Secondary Element Rating	3
Element Rating	Current x 3
New Rage	5
Rage	Current x 4
Willpower	Current x 2

Final Touches

Dragons start with twelve points to split between their primary and secondary Element ratings, Willpower and Rage. They must put at least one dot in Willpower and their primary Element. They do not need to choose a secondary Element and the second Element must be less than the primary Element. They also do not need to choose Rage and Rage has a maximum of five (dragons are not nearly as angry as Garou). Rage is treated exactly as for Garou, except that it cannot be used to change quickly.

Choose an appropriate Nature and Demeanor from any World of Darkness book.

Dragons have 15 freebie points (except Mundanes - see Journey) which can be spent as follows: Form: 7, Element Paths: 7, Attributes: 5, Abilities: 2, Willpower: 1, Element ratings: 1, Merits and Flaws: varies. Dragons may also purchase the numina of True Faith, Psychic Ability and Hedge Magic at a cost of seven per dot for the first numina and fourteen per dot of the second.

Merits & Flaws

Dragons can choose any appropriate merit or flaw, based on storyteller approval. Merits and flaws unique to dragons are listed below.

3 point flaw

In dragon form you have no forelimbs. They shorten by 20% and lose one dot of Str for each turn spent in transformation. When they reach 0 Str or 0% length, they disappear completely.

7 point flaw

You have no arms in humanform and no forelimbs in dracoform. Bummer.

4 point flaw

In dragon form you have no limbs. They shorten by 20% and lose one dot of Str for each turn spent in transformation. When they reach 0 Str or 0% length, they disappear completely. To compensate, you get a free extra dot in Sinuosity, can add two levels of Sinuosity per turn of transformation and Sinuosity increases length by 20%. The bonus Sinuosity dot can exceed the dragon's form rating, and raises the maximum Sinuosity to six. This flaw is only worth three points to water dragons.

10 point flaw

Allowed on Storyteller's approval only! You have no limbs in either Form. You do get the Sinuosity benefit listed above. Major Bummer.

5 point merit

You naturally transform at double speed. When quickly transforming, you get one automatic success.

6 point merit

You have two-primary Elements. You cannot choose opposed Elements. You gain the strengths of both, but suffer the weaknesses of both. Your personality is affected by both Elements, which sometimes causes you to feel torn between two worlds. The form attribute of Wing must be purchased separately for each movement mode.

4 point merit (+2 per extra head)

You have multiple heads in dracoform (no, you cannot take this for humanform). You may take an action with each head, but only one head may control the body. The player may decide at creation which head controls the body. The heads that don't control the body have four health levels: Ok, -1, -3, -5, dead. Each head must be affected separately with mental powers. Storytellers's may veto this power if they think it will be too silly for their campaign.

Relationships with the Elder Dragons

The elder dragons are a solitary bunch, especially compared to the rest of the World of Darkness, which seems to hang out in chummy little cliques². However the new dragons have been mixed with the most social animal around. Only time will tell how the new dragons develop. It is not easy to communicate between the Deep umbra and Tellurian, so the new breed now has the freedom to make their own choices.

As for now there are too few dragons to develop a society of their own. Only about twenty-five exist and they are all less than a quarter century old. A few have stayed with their "adoptive families", but most have left for one reason or another.

Some elder dragons have their doubts about the new breed. They feel that they are too human and will adapt to the world rather than try to change it.

Notes

¹ . . . or Dragon: the Next Generation for those who can stomach it.

²The World of Darkness is a high school. Mages are the academic nerds. Fairies are the drama club. Garou are the jocks. Vampires are the snobby rich kids, and the Wraith is the kid who kills himself in the middle of the school year.