List of dragons

Version 0.28: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

"On the other hand, Confucius is made to say to his disciples, 'I know how birds can fly, how fishes can swim, and how animals can run. But the runner may be snared, the swimmer may be hooked, and the flyer may be shot by the arrow. But there is the dragon. I cannot tell how he mounts on the wind through the clouds, and rises to heaven. Today I have seen Lao-tsze, and can only compare him to the dragon.'" -Life of Confucius "This Dragon had Two furious Wings Each one upon each Shoulder; With a Sting in his Tail as Long as a Flail, Which made him bolder and bolder. He had long Claws, and in his Jaws Four and forty Teeth of Iron; With a Hide as tough, as any Buff, Which did him round environ." -"An Excellent Ballad of a most dreadful Combat, fought between Moore of Moore-Hall, and the Dragon of Wantley", retold by Ambrose Philips, _A Collection of Old Ballads. Corrected from the Best and Most Ancient Copies Extant. With Introduction Historical, Critical, or Humorous_. 1723.

Dragons are powerful reptilian monsters which prowl the deeper portions of the Dungeon, using their elemental breath attacks to devastate any heroes they come across. The draconian race is closely related to them, though this genetic similarity does not make these beasts any more amicable. While dragons vary wildly in their strengths and weaknesses, they are all susceptible to weapons of dragon slaying (currently limited to the artefact lance Wyrmbane), and some of them have other vulnerabilities.

Despite their outward similarities, wyverns and hydras are not true dragons and are instead considered reptiles.

Dragon Types

D Steam dragon- The smallest of the dragons, steam dragons breathe scalding steam to blind prey.

D Acid dragon- A tiny dragon that sprays corrosive acid.

D Swamp dragon- A smallish dragon which bellows poison fumes at its prey.

D Fire dragon- The archetypal fire-breathing dragon, these creatures are quite powerful but are also weak to cold.

D Ice dragon- Slightly smaller than their fire-breathing cousins, ice dragons breathe powerful frost breath and are vulnerable to fire.

D Storm dragon- Fast, strong, and armed with lightning breath, storm dragons are one of the more powerful members of dragonkind.

D Quicksilver dragon- Slight and swift, these terrors breathe devastating irresistible energies, making them more feared than many of their larger cousins.

D Shadow dragon- While their claws and teeth are dangerous enough, shadow dragon breath withers even powerful characters with draining negative energy.

D Iron dragon- Made of living iron, these dragons are slow and unable to fly. They make up for it with lethal metal shard breath and immense durability.

D Pearl dragon- A proud and noble dragon with breath of holy fire. They are a symbol of the undaunted heroic spirit and an inspiration to young heroes that they can in fact make it all the way to the Orb of Zot. That doesn't mean they won't still eat you.

D Bone dragon- Cobbled together from the skeletons of others, these "dragons" lack most draconic powers but are phenomenally strong all the same.

D Golden dragon- The kings of all dragons, golden dragons can breathe and resist multiple elements. Despite this, they are hunted for the phenomenal hides they produce.

Drakes

Diminutive cousins of dragons, don't be fooled by drakes' (relatively) small statures: they come with a wide variety of dangerous abilities, and can be just as deadly as many of their larger cousins.

k Rime drake - A miniature ice dragon which breathes slowing blasts of icy breath.

k Swamp drake - A miniature swamp dragon. Although it lacks the venom of its larger cousins, its noxious breath causes confusion.

k Death drake - A miniature shadow dragon, rife with corruption and capable of breathing miasma.

k Lindwurm - A strange, flightless dragon with potent fire breath, though still no match for an actual fire dragon.

k Wind drake - A sea-dwelling dragon that breathes blasts of piercing winds and can swat prey out of the air.

Unique Dragons

D Bai Suzhen - She first appears as a draconian, but make her angry enough and she'll reveal her true form: a dragon with watery breath, surrounded by a constant thunderstorm.

D Xtahua- An ancient and powerful fire dragon whose breath leaves lingering flames. Beware their paralysing roars!

D Serpent of Hell - A three-headed demonic dragon found deep in one of the four Hells.

Retired Dragons

k Fire drake - A miniature dragon capable of spitting gouts of fire. Replaced with Rime drakes in 0.18.

D Mottled dragon- A tiny dragon with a mouth full of napalm. Replaced with acid dragons in 0.20.

Dragon Scales

"His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal. One is so near to another, that no air can come between them. They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered." -KJV Bible, Job 41:15-17.

In spite of the risk involved, slaying most dragons can prove extremely rewarding. Upon killing a dragon, there is a 33% chance for you to find an intact set of scales which can be used as armour. The different types of dragon scales grant a wide array of resistances and levels of protection and have the added benefit of being able to fit almost any species regardless of size -- ogres, trolls, and spriggans will almost certainly want to seek out some dragon scales at some point. You can also occasionally find dragon scales in shops, lying around the Dungeon floor, or as a god gift from Okawaru. Even artefact dragon scales exist, and can provide phenomenal benefits.

• Steam dragon scales: An extremely light yet somewhat durable suit of armour, often used by casters or stabbers. Provides rSteam++.
• Acid dragon scales: Slightly sturdier than steam dragon gear, and with only a minor loss in mobility. Provides rCorr.
• Swamp dragon scales: A balanced defense suitable for nimble close-quarters fighters or casters willing to endure a little burden. Provides rPois.
• Fire dragon scales: Somewhat heavy armour that provides decent defense and stops fire attacks dead, though it handles cold poorly. Provides rF++ and rC-.
• Ice dragon scales: Slightly more durable than fire dragon armour, ice dragon armour provides an inverse set of resistances. Provides rC++ and rF-.
• Quicksilver dragon scales: Armour that increases its wearer's willpower and has low encumbrance for its AC. However, it can't be enchanted for extra protection.
• Storm dragon scales: This armour is undeniably heavy, but provides excellent defense against physical and electric attacks. Provides rElec.
• Shadow dragon scales: Provides similar physical protection to Storm dragon armour, while providing Stealth++++. A stabber's best friend.
• Pearl dragon scales: Although harder to come by than most forms of dragon armour, this suit provides an excellent balance of mobility and defense, particularly against the forces of evil. Provides rN+.
• Gold dragon scales: Staggeringly heavy but nearly unparalleled in defense, a golden dragon's hide creates a very desirable prize for those who engage in pure melee combat. Provides rF+, rC+, and rPois+.
• Faerie dragon scales: A relic of a long-lost species of dragon, the last surviving suit of faerie dragon scales is worn by the Enchantress. It provides similar protection to acid dragon scales, but has additional randomly-determined magical properties.

Retired dragon armour

• Mottled dragon scales: Was essentially the same as acid dragon scales, but provided rSticky.

History

• Prior to 0.19, instead of being created occasionally on death, butchering the corpses of dragons had a chance of creating a hide that could be enchanted using a scroll of enchant armour to turn it into the dragon scales variant for that type of dragon. Also, they were called dragon armour.
• Prior to 0.15, the dragon slaying brand was available for all polearms.
• Prior to 0.14, fire dragons were simply called "dragons".