If there is a singular problem that I have with dragons in my campaigns, its that my players have their abilities memorized, which takes some of the magic away from a most magical creature. Give the color of the dragon to your players and they'll tell you the type of breath weapon without batting an eye. AC and HD soon follow. Generally speaking, I don't use dragons in a game that has "Dragon" in the name of the game that the OSR is firmly rooted in. There are, of course, a plethora of dungeons ;)
That is why I was initially apprehensive when Fat Goblin Games offered me a copy of Sinister Serpents, a monster manual of sorts for dragons using the Labyrinth Lord rules (but totally suitable for Swords & Wizardry and other OSR games.)
Imagine my pleasant surprise when I found NOT the expected retread of the chromatic dragons but over 3 dozen new takes on dragons. Some are meant to be foes, others potential allies, all are unique and well thought out. Not all will fit in your campaign, but that's not the point. The idea is to pick the ones that will.
For some damn reason, this one is my favorite. The potential for some interesting campaign events tied to a Mad Brewer Dragon are simply endless and I like the idea that not every dragon has to be seen as a combat foe.
There are 37 other dragon types in the book which clocks in at 29 pages. Its $5.95, so that comes to less than 20 cents a dragon. Don't ask me how to convert that into treasure hoards ;)
If you are looking to add some unique dragon types to your campaign Sinister Serpents might be just what you are looking for.
Disclosure: I was given Sinister Serpents to review (or not review, the choice was given to me to simply read and enjoy) by Fat Goblin Games.
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Dragons are the iconic creatures for most fantasy games. They come in all shapes and sizes, can fill almost every niche that a game master can imagine and are usually highly magical. They can be monstrous ends, wise oracles, sources of insanity or keys to reality. Here are 38 new species using Labyrinth Lord statistic blocks. They can be used in most other OSR games with little difficulty in conversion.
We seem to be of the same mindset in regards to dragons. This sounds like a monster tome I need.
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