ALL ABOUT DRAGONS
CHAPTER 1:
620_17668_DraconomiconA.qxd 9/5/03 4:41 PM Page 28
hoards often suffer so much emotional trauma that their spirits become restless even after death (see Ghostly Dragon, page 161). Second, and more important, dragons derive status among their own kind from the richness of their hoards. Though the primary measure of status among dragons is age, the value of a dragon’s hoard is what determines the relative status of dragons of the same age (when comparing hoard values, dragons consider magic items to be worth one-half their market value). A particularly large hoard can place a younger dragon on equal terms with an older dragon; a small one can demote it to an even lower status than its age alone would indicate.
pqs DRAGONS AND THE APPRAISE SKILL Though most dragons do not have the Appraise skill, dragons can appraise items readily, thanks to their high Intelligence scores. A dragon gains a +2 competence bonus on any Appraise check (or Intelligence check made to appraise an item) that involves studying physical aspects of the appraised item (such as fine details or weight).
pqs
28
Dragons with higher status have better access to mates. They have more influence among other dragons, and are more likely to be asked to render assistance or advice. This in turn increases their status even more. Dragons tend to boast about the value of their hoards among their own kind, which is understandable, since a dragon cannot derive any status from its hoard unless other dragons know about it. Such boasting is not without peril, however, particularly among chromatic dragons, since evil dragons are not above stealing treasure from each other. Among older dragons, treasure hoarding has an additional practical dimension. As a dragon ages, its magical aptitude gets greater, and the dragon becomes better able to employ the magic items in its hoard to its advantage.
LANGUAGE The language of dragons is one of the oldest forms of communication. According to the dragons themselves, it is second in longevity only to the languages of the outsiders, and all mortal tongues are descended from it. Its script was likely created long after its spoken form was standardized, since dragons have less need to write than other races. Some
