D&D Monster Spotlight: There’s Nothing Second Place About a Silver Dragon
If you’re looking for a dragon to befriend, the Silver Dagon may be your best bet… Assuming your party is by-and-large good.
Silver Dragons are different from many of their dragon cousins. Kind, helpful, moral, and interested in humanoids in a friends-not-food sort of way, this is the dragon to get in your corner. And with the ability to polymorph and a preference for pretending to be humanoid, anybody you meet on the road could be a Silver Dragon. So be nice!
First Edition
Much like their gold cousins, Silver Dragons are able to polymorph themselves to appear human or animal. Some of their favorite humanoid appearances of an old man or a beautiful damsel. Generally falling in the Lawful-good alignment, Silver Dragons aren’t ones you’ll typically have to worry about an attack from unless there’s a very good reason. But when engaged in battle, they use claws, fangs, their cone of frost breath weapon, or up to ten magic spells.
Second Edition
In stark comparison to many other varieties of dragons, Silvers are often kind and helpful creatures who will “cheerfully assist good creatures of their need is genuine.” The unicorns of the giant reptile world, if you’re pure of heart one of these creatures may be your new best friend. In general, Silver Dragons are opposed to violence and avoid combat unless faced with a very evil or aggressive enemy. They will even attempt to use nonviolent ways to end a battle such as Feather Fall to stop missiles or Control Weather to blind or confuse an opponent.
Their most common enemy are Red Dragons as the two often have overlapping lair territory. These fights can be terrible and deadly, but Silver Dragons often come out victorious because of their friendliness and general ability to make human and humanoid friends and allies.
Third Edition
Silver Dragons can most often be found living in mountaintop lairs, amid the clouds and the faint smell of rain always follows them. Which, just like Silver Dragons in general, sounds very pleasant. Their lair often has a magical floor for laying eggs and hiding treasure. Not only do they have the ability to take on human forms, but they also seem to enjoy doing so. Perhaps even more than staying in their true dragon form. They often take on mortal companions and form deep, lasting friendships.
Fourth Edition
4E tells us that Silver Dragons are the “knight-errant of dragon-kind.” While previous forms were adverse to violence or combat when not entirely necessary, in Fourth Edition they travel the world looking for interesting conflicts to assist in. They also no prefer melee combat, even though their breath weapon is powerful. They still don’t like aggression, but it seems to be when it’s focused on them. Silver Dragons are, however, quite susceptive to flattery. So if you see a Silver Dragon, tell them how cool and pretty they are. You just may make a powerful friend.
Fifth Edition
Fifth Edition dials back the Silver Dragon’s knightliness a bit. They no longer go in search of rights to wrong and “don’t take it upon themselves to root out evil.” But if evil is noticed they will stand against it. They will often befriend other Silver Dragons, but also like spending time as a human as much as their original form. While they’ll form friendships and bonds with any moral humanoids, the shorter-living people (such as humans) spark their curiosity in a way longer-living folk don’t.
Have you encountered a Silver Dragon? Was it in its dragon form or disguised as a humanoid? Did your party get along with the Dragon, or are your companions less than moral? Let us know in the comments!
Happy Adventuring!
