Re: Dragonewts

From: David Cake <dave_at_...>
Date: Tue, 6 Aug 2002 12:12:09 +0800

At 2:05 AM +0300 5/8/02, Mikko Rintasaari scribbled:
>This may be something for the GD, but just a quick primer.
>
>The classic sources on Dragonewts seem to say that they have (and can
>have) no powers over the elements. (RQ2 : can't join any elemental rune
>cult | KoS gives them incapable of lighting a fire...)
>
>Yet, in the classic dragon magic (RQ-3) "spells" fire breathing is
>rather central.

        I think magically, the fire-breathing is a power over themselves (ie a self-transformation magic, to turn themselves into a fire-breathing being), rather than a fire magic per se. Its a fire magic in the same way that growing wings to fly with is an air magic.

At 2:34 AM +0300 5/8/02, Mikko Rintasaari wrote:
>So I suppose I'll run it so that the "element" of the dragonewt (or
>draconic human) determines what he/she learns to breath as the draconic
>trick.

        I don't think dragons are necessarily limited that way. Particular dragons could probably breath all sorts of things, and probably combine more than one element.

At 2:34 AM +0300 5/8/02, Mikko Rintasaari wrote:
>The breath with propably be something elemental. Windblast or lightning,
>Fire, parhaps steam or ice for the water element, darkness/fearshock or
>parhaps cold, and maybe spitting poison for the earth element.

        I think the breath could be all sorts of things. Dragons could breath life or death, or sound or silence, or transformation. Or other effects, such as the elemental ones.

        If any creatures in Glorantha can evade the God Learner classifications, its dragons. I'd treat the fire breathing not as evidence that they can gain elemental powers, but rather as evidence that their abilities are not classified that way.

	Cheers
		David