Dragons (again???)

[acreRake]

For a long time i've wanted to "create" a Mystic Chinese Dragon, so i've gathered all the evidence of them i could find, and here it is. Usually, when someone brings up the topic of statting out Chinese dragons the answer comes back: "use a Chiang Ku". That really doesn't do it for me. Maybe i'll use them as a starting point ...

Anyway, here's what we know: (all page listings are Mystic China, any added emphasis is mine)

1. Listed with entity, infernal, ghost and other supernatural creatures under blind mystic’s “spirit sight” 60 [this goes along with numbers 7, 8, 9 and 14. These Dragons, i feel can become pure chi]

2. Many immortals, Infernals and quite a few mystic creatures (especially dragons) have control over magic and some have a wider range of spells than those described [in Mystic China] 68
......While this probably indicates there are additional Chi Magic spells not presented, it leads me to believe dragons know/use more/different kinds of magic.

3. Listed with Yin Tigers as commanders of vast amounts of PPE. They are said to be reluctant to share 69

4. Geomantic events and confluences produce no extra PPE in mystic china probably due to the dragons, who are known to live on the geomantic energy and consume all the excess PPE from these events. 69 Also, the Nexus points give off little PPE, and ley lines none without the help of a Geomancer
......This is one of the most outstanding traits that differs from standard palladium dragons...

5. Most Chinese dragons can generate living clouds of chi, which is a living part of the creature even while out side of it. 69
.......Since this blurb describes how the spells are based off observed “powers of the supernatural creatures” it would seem the dragons have these as natural abilities, not spells.

6. Listed with deific and immortal magic: requiring 16 to save 70

7. Sense TI CHI – earth/dragon chi: under earth flow chi: sense presence of any “earth dragons” even those a mile away 74
This goes along with:
8. Sense alchemical aura: dark yellow: a dark yellow glow on the ground, over water, or in the sky indicates the hidden presence of a dragon. An actual dragon would glow so brightly that nothing else would be seen, and there would be a dark yellow aura over everything in sight. Dragons who are in human form usually glow dark blue (transformation color) 78
and 9. Animus of elemental water: sense Yeng chi: Water Dragon in 50 miles as well as whether the dragon is asleep and how far away it is 93

......So it seems to me these these dragons actually live inside other substances (that seems to fit with the Earth dragons i've read about any way) I think they can assume a pure chi form at will, much like a Fox spirit or Infernal.

9. Mentioned along with the realm of the White Tiger is a gathering place of Earth Dragons in the Tung Tien 81
.......Could go along with dragon racial dimensional magic, i guess.

10. Spit dragon Pearl: spit a pearl in the same way a Water Dragon can… 94
.......Here's something interesting. An actual power ascribed to a dragon. Could be considered a breath weapon, if the clouds of living chi weren't already. Also, if Water Dragons spit pearls, what special abilities might the other kinds possess?

11. Helix of dragon summoning/ command: the caster draws a helix large enough to fit a dragon (obviously possible, so they must not be that big, another thing in common with Chiang-Ku). Types of dragons: “earth, water, etc” have a different helix (i'm guessing the etc. refers to wood, fire and metal?).

12. “Dragons have enormous bonuses to save versus magic”. Apparently part of the celestial court. 95-96
......Chiang-Ku get +2, and a maximum PE of 22 (+4) (average: 17 (+1))

13. Mudra for reflection of the dragon’s gaze: Living clouds of chi again mentioned as coming from dragons. Also (more importantly) living Beams of chi are mentioned (SO the Dragon’s Gaze is a Living BEAM of Chi????) 107

14. Possessed immortals: Powers of immortality: entities often have powers similar to those of advanced Wu Shih, dragons, and even Infernal... This is what really started it all, i'm trying to make a character possessed by something "with powers similar to a dragon"...

15. Fourth time refined elixir of immortality: Riding the Dragon: Dragon Kings mentioned, the immortal has the ability to sense “lesser” dragons. The living chi cloud gifts are described: acid, obscuring, flaming and funeral. One might guess these are closest to what the dragons (lesser) actually have.129-30

16. Dragon spirit kung fu: Feng Long is rumored to be the human form of a dragon of the air (with human descendants!).


That's everything i could find, and right now i'm pretty befuddled, so i'll turn the time over to you all for ideas, thoughts, fanfic and criticism...

[Tinker Dragoon]

Supposedly Chinese Dragons were to be presented in the fabled "Mystic China Sourcebook" that was never written. You may notice a number of loose ends in Mystic China that seemed to be lead-ins for the next book, such as the "weapons of power" mentioned in the mudra section, non-standard vajra, etc. And I agree, Chiang Ku don't fit at all, particularly since there's little about them that actually conforms to Chinese mythology (and to the Taoist themes of Mystic China). But I have yet to find a decent replacement

[Borast]

Short of doing research into the assorted Chinese mythologies, the only thin I can think of it to look at an ancient text that is long out of publication that provides such things for a different system (1st ed AD&D), but that sort of thing is frowned on around here, so I'd say use the NAMES and PHYSICAL DESCRIPTIONS only, throw the rest out and do your own dragons. And yes, they would correspond to the 5 Chinese elements (except of course the Chinese Celestial Dragon)...

[Guest]

7. Sense TI CHI – earth/dragon chi: under earth flow chi: sense presence of any “earth dragons” even those a mile away 74
This goes along with:

Actually, "earth dragons" here refers to 'ley lines" (I use the term loosely when relating to Chinese Geomancy, since they often aren't lines per se).


As part of my research into Japanese mythological creatures (all 500 or so), I've had to research chinese dragons quite a bit, so I've got some decent notes floating around.

[acreRake]

7. Sense TI CHI – earth/dragon chi: under earth flow chi: sense presence of any “earth dragons” even those a mile away 74
This goes along with:

Actually, "earth dragons" here refers to 'ley lines" (I use the term loosely when relating to Chinese Geomancy, since they often aren't lines per se).


As part of my research into Japanese mythological creatures (all 500 or so), I've had to research chinese dragons quite a bit, so I've got some decent notes floating around.

Thanks for that info, and I'd love to see the notes/results of your research! What's it for? (please say gaming!!) (I didn't see anything like that [dragons and demons] on your site...)

[Guest]

You must have enough notes to create a Palladium version of Encyclopedia Brittanica.

Almost. Palladium really hasn't covered enough areas to do something like that, so there's lots of work to be done overcoming that.

[acreRake]

I just found this and thought it was worth bringing up...

Water Dragon (or Shui Long )
By: Jeremy David Balsley
jbalsle@tiger.lsuiss.ocs.lsu.edu

Alignment: Any
Attributes: (See Serpent of the Wind for data)
IQ: 2D6+10 ME: 2D6+10 MA: 2D6+10 PS: 2D6+18 PP: 2D6+10 PE: 3D6+10 PB: 5D6 Spd: 1D6*10+10
PPE: 2D4*100 CHI: 2 * PE + 100
MDC: 1D4*1000 MHP: 2PE + 2D6/Level
Horror Factor: 12
Natural Abilities:
1. Expel Cloud of Pearly Chi
Range: 200' Area
Duration: 1Min / Level
Effect
Victims in cloud must save vs. 16 (PE bonuses are valid, or be knocked out for 3D6 rounds. )
-or-
The Dragon can condence the Cloud to allow him to apply 40 MDC per melee round to a stationary object in the cloud.
2. Spit Dragon Pearl
Range: 50' spit, or as per PS thrown.
Damage:
1D6 MDC per Chi point spent
2D6 Chi per Chi point spent (when _first_ spit)
Bonuses: +8 when spit.
As thrown object when thrown.
3. Change to pure positive Chi.
The character discorperates into pure positive Chi. He can fly as per the Fox Spirit at incredible speeds (at about 500 MPH)
He becomes invulnerable to physical attacks, but he still is hurt by Magic and Psychic Effects, as well as by Chi. His strongest weakness in Chi form is negitive Chi. He will be Chi-attacked by the negitive chi as per the chi combat section in Ninja's and Superspies.

4. Sense Flow of Chi.
She can sense the flow of Chi in an area, and determine whether those she looks at are charged with positive or negitive chi. Effectively, the dragon is constantly using the ability of Chi Awareness on everything within 100' of her.
5. Sense Magic
As per the spell, but with a range of 200'
6. All Sensing Leyline powers as per a Line Walker.
7. Metamorphosis: 5 Hrs/Level
Damage: As per Supernatural PS and Combat technique.
Combat:
Select Gui Long Kung Fu (Dragon Spirit), plus one additional CHINESE style from Ninjas and Superspies or Mystic China.
Bonuses: +3 Save versus Magic, +1 APM, and +3 save versus Psyonics, in addition to Attribute and Hand to Hand bonuses.
Magic:
All Spells Levels 1 through 11 from Mystic China (INCLUDES Geomantic and Living Chi spells), plus roll or select one of
the below.
01-30 All Chi Magic from Levels 1 to 15
31-50 Select Three Mudras from each of the Mudra Classes.
51-70 All Western Spells up to Level 2+1D4
71-90 A Level D4+2 Shifter
91-00 A Level D4+1 Warlock
Psionics:
Due to this Dragon's link to Chi, the Dragon has no natural Psionics. He saves at a base of 14.
Chi:
Select 2 powers from Positive or Positive/Negitive Chi Mastery
Skills. These are in addition to any extras the Dragon may have aquired from a Martial Art.
Skills:
Language: Chinese (Max), Literacy: Chinese (Level 4: Classical)(Max), Basic and Advanced Math (Max), Lore: Demons and Monsters (Max), Lore: Faeries (90%), Language/Literacy: Dragonese (+20), Language/Literacy: Select Two Others (+10%), in addition to theskills provided by her martial arts. She is effectively a Dedicated Martial Artist when it comes to skills)

Anyone know anything about this, or this guy?

[Kryzbyn]

We now pause for a Beavis and Butthead moment...

9. All Long Wang (Dragon Kings) have an army of humanoid crabs, prawns, lobsters, clams, different fishes and such, to protect them.

Beavis: Heh, heh heh heh-heh hehehehe
Butthead: Uhhh huh huhuhuh huhuh...he said "long wang"... uh huhuhuhh
Beavis: Yeah! heheh ehehhehehhe


Ok I'm done.

[Kryzbyn]

Sorry to offend!

Its totally a joke.
I knew a guy named Wu Quok Wah (Black magic frog?)
Hee Hee
He goes by Mike

You mean pronouncing wang (way-ng) like wong? Or is it actually 2 syllables?
Forgive my Quai Lo ignorance

[Library Ogre]

I knew a guy named Wu Quok Wah (Black magic frog?)
Hee Hee
He goes by Mike

Actually, this is fairly common in my experience. I have had a fair number of Chinese and Vietnamese students, and while many of them have traditional names, they will often choose an "American" nickname to go by in class. When I was a substitute teacher, I actually had one student come up to me, point to his obviously Vietnamese name, and say "That's pronounced 'Fred'" (phonemically, it was not), and sat down. I said OK and called him Fred.