Many players of dungeon fantasy type games have wanted to play dragons. In GURPS, this is actually possible. The template given below is at a point level suitable for a 250 point game; it’s written in a format suitable for Dungeon Fantasy, though under the hood it’s a full GURPS setup. Note that this build, while it can replicate a large number of literary dragons, is not equivalent to the dragons in DF:Monsters; it is generally more of a brute than the dragons there, and suffers from No Fine Manipulators, not Bad Grip. It also has a number of traits that, while probably uncommon among dragons as a group, make it more easily justified as a player character. This includes shapeshifting and disadvantages such as curious and sense of duty. It also lacks being actively hunted.
Note that, while draconic abilities are magical, they have no limitation for this; instead, draconic abilities feed off of the dragon’s internal mana supplies, which in turn are represented by Dependency.
Text that is underlined has tooltips explaining GURPS mechanics.
Attributes[174]: ST 40 [60], DX 12 [24], IQ 12 [40], HT 15 [50]
Secondary Characteristics[-5]: Damage 4d+1/7d-1; BL 320 lb; HP 40[0]; Will 12[0]; Per 14[10]; FP 15[0]; Basic Speed 6.00 [-15]; Basic Move 6[0], SM +4
Advantages[177]: Claws, Sharp [5], Dragon Breath* [40], Dragon Scales*† 8 [24], Dragon Talent* [10], Flexible [5], Heavy Natural Weapons* [1], Magery 0[5], Nictating Membrane 4 [4], Penetrating Voice [1], Reduced Consumption 3 [6], Shapeshifting (Human or Hybrid)* [15], Teeth (Sharp) [1], 50 points from ST +5[10] or +10 [20], DX +1-2 [20/level], IQ +1-2 [20/level], HT +1-2 [10/level], Basic Speed +1-2 [20/level], Per +1-2 [5/level], Will +1-2 [5/level], Chameleon† 1-2 [5/level], Claw Expert*† [4], Clinging† [20], Dragon Mask*† [1/level], Dragon Scales† [3/level], Extra Breath Weapon* [6], Extra Head*† [15], High Pain Threshold [10], Hypnotic Gaze* [6], Increased Move† 1-6 [5/level], Infravision [10], Night Vision 1-5 [1/level], Perfect Balance [15], Peripheral Vision [15], River Monster*† [20], Sea Monster*† [25], Terrain Adaptation† [5/type], Terrifying Roar* [6], Vibration Sense [10], Voice [10], Winged*† [35], and Wyvern*† [30].
Disadvantages[-131]: one of Configuration (Biped*, Quadruped*, Semi-Upright*, Serpent*) [-30], Armor Chinks* [-1], Dependency (Mana, Constant) [-25], Frightens Animals [-10], Greed (12) [-15], Miserliness (9) [-15], Social Stigma (Monster) [-15], and a further -20 points chosen from Bad Temper [-10], Bloodlust [-10], Bully [-10], Callous [-5], Curious [-5], Jealousy[-10], Laziness [-10], Lifebane [-10], Overconfidence [-5], Paranoia [-10], Pyromania [-5], Sense of Duty (companions) [-5], Stubbornness [-5], Xenophilia [-10]
Skills [35]: either Brawling-16[12] or Brawling-14[4] and Sumo Wrestling-14[8], Breath Control-15‡[2], Connoisseur (choice)-12‡[1], Diplomacy-11[2], Fast-Talk-12[2], Gambling-10[1], Heraldry-11[1], Innate Attack(Breath)-15‡[4], Intimidation-12[2], Merchant-12‡[1], Strategy-10[1], Survival-14[2], 4 points that may be spent on Acting, Camouflage, Mount*, Stealth.
*This is a special advantage or metatrait, discussed below.
†This does not apply in Human form.
‡Includes Dragon Talent
Your fore-claws do Thrust/Cut (instead of Thrust-1) and count as weapons when attacking.
Each dragon has a breath weapon, which counts as a ranged attack. All dragon breath attacks have a fatigue cost of 2 and a recharge of 6s. They have additional effects based on type, as follows:
Acid Spray: 2d corr, Cone 5 (Acc 1, 1/2D 10, Max 20). The acid sticks, and unless washed off will cause the same damage again in 10s.
Fire Breath: 5d burn, Cone 5 (Acc 1, 1/2d 10, Max 20).
Frost Breath: 5d burn, Cone 5 (Acc 1, 1/2d 10, Max 20). Cannot start fires. Creatures and objects that fail death checks should be assumed frozen solid, and might be recoverable if carefully warmed (this is mostly relevant to collecting loot).
Lightning Breath: 2d+2 Burn in a 1 hex line (Acc 3, 1/2d 100, Max -). Treats metal armor as DR 1. Victim must make a HT roll, at -1 per 2 penetrating damage, or be physically stunned.
Toxic Breath: 1d Contact Poison +4d Breath Poison, Cloud 2 hex radius (Acc 1, 1/2d -, Max 5), Resistible (HT-4). The cloud lingers for 10s, continuing to do damage until it dissipates or victims leave the area.
Your head has a bone mask, such as a triceratops. Add your level of Mask to face and skull DR, as well as Neck DR on attacks from above (or behind, if horizontal). Cannot exceed your level of Dragon Scales. You may purchase Nictating Membrane to a maximum of half your head DR.
Dragon scales function as worn armor, preventing wearing other armor. They are also flexible; crushing attacks for 5+ basic damage always cause at least one point of injury. They also offer special protection against the dragon's own breath type, as follows:
Acid: DR cannot be reduced by acid.
Fire: Increase DR by 50% vs Fire, and add the same amount to resist Heat.
Frost: Increase DR by 50% vs Cold, and add the same amount to resist Cold.
Lightning: Increase DR by 50% vs Lightning, and add the same amount to resist Shock and Sound.
Toxic: the dragon is completely immune to its own poison, and adds (DR-1) to resist all other poisons.
Dragon talent adds to rolls to use draconic powers, counts as magery for spells that match your dragon type (e.g. fire spells for a standard fire-breathing dragon), adds to Breath Control and Innate Attack (Breath), adds to rolls to resist your breath type, and adds to all rolls to know what something is worth (including recognizing counterfeits and forgeries).
An additional breath weapon of a different type from your regular one. Also means your Dragon Talent applies to spells covered by your extra breath weapon type. Your scales still only resist your primary damage type. Shares a cooldown with your regular breath weapon.
An extra head does not let you breathe and bite during the same turn, but it does let you bite, breathe, talk, etc, while holding something in your other mouth, and it lets you look in two different directions at once.
Your natural weapons have a weight of BL/20 (BL/2 for whole body attacks such as slam and constriction attack) rather than ST/10.
You have horns that do Thrust +1/die Impaling damage. They count as a weapon when attacking or parrying, but can only target foes directly in front of you.
You can concentrate and hypnotize someone who meets your gaze. Roll a quick contest between your IQ (+Talent; normal range penalties apply) and the target's Will-1. This causes them to be dazed for (20-Will) minutes, minimum 1. In addition, this means your Dragon Talent applies to mind control spells.
Dragon meals are about 100x the weight and cost of human rations, but a dragon only has to eat once per month (so its overall cost of food is similar to a normal human). Reduced consumption adds to survival checks when attempting to feed yourself, but has no effect on other types of survival checks.
The dragon moves at full speed in water or across mud and other wetlands. In addition, it can hold its breath for 6x normal. It can safely dive to a depth of 30'.
As River Monster, but can hold either hold its breath for 25x normal, or breathe water (choose one), and can safely dive to 300'.
PC dragons have the ability to shapeshift into human or hybrid form. It has the following effects:
ST is reduced to (calculated ST/5) +4, or 12 for a base size dragon. [∆-40]
Delete your Shape template; this increases DX cost to [40]. [∆+46]
Delete Reduced Consumption. [∆-6]
Delete Social Stigma (monster) ∆[+15]
Reduce Dragon Scales to 3 levels [∆-15] in Hybrid form, 0 levels in Human form.
Reduce Nictating Membrane to 1 level [∆-3] in Hybrid form, 0 levels in Human form.
In Human form, delete all advantages noted with †.
In Hybrid form, gain Social Stigma (savage).
It takes a Ready action to switch between Human and Hybrid form. It takes 10 seconds to switch from either into Dragon form. Choose which of those three is your default; if knocked unconscious, you will revert to that form.
You know how to attack with your tail. Does Thrust/Crush with a Reach of C,1-5, or C,1 in hybrid form.
As Tail Attack, but Impaling.
Roar to force foes to make a fright check. This can only affect a given target once per hour, and does not affect dragons or beings that are accustomed to dragons. This takes a Ready action.
You have the ability to fly (move 15; must move at least 4). You have the effects of telescopic vision 3, but unlike the Scout ability, it does not help you aim. When making a Move and Attack with claws while flying, you are not limited to 9- to hit. Requires 10 hexes of open space on both sides to fly.
As Winged, but your wings are your front limbs, and thus you cannot use them when flying.
Bipedal dragons are generally shaped in a way similar to a bird or therapod dinosaur, with a body that is held near vertical when sitting still, but may be angled or near horizontal when walking, and it's capable of leaning over and clawing or biting objects on the ground. It has No Fine Manipulators [-30]. When upright, it stands 20-25' tall, with a counter 4-5 hexes long and 3 hexes wide; when leaning over, it's 12-15' tall, 8-10 hexes long (1 hex head, 1 hex neck, 4-5 hexes body, 2-3 hexes tail), and 3 hexes wide (fully outstretched, it will be a bit longer); tall. In either case, its legs are located near its midpoint. It's flexible enough to fit through a two hex space without too much trouble.
Quadruped dragons operate on all four legs, and might be like giant crocodile, a lizard, or not that similar to either one. It has Four Legs [5], Move +1 [5], Horizontal [-10], and No Fine Manipulators [-30]. It's normally 12-15' tall (10-12' at the shoulders), 8-10 hexes long (1 hex head, 1 hex neck, 4-5 hexes body, 2-3 hexes tail) and 3 hexes wide. It's flexible enough to fit through a two hex space without too much trouble.
A semi-upright dragon is basically a quadruped that's more comfortable than average when on its hind legs. It generally has legs a bit further back than a biped, and thus doesn't adopt the same leaning posture. It has Four Legs [5], Semi-Upright [-5], and No Fine Manipulators [-30]. It's flexible enough to fit through a two hex space without too much trouble.
A gigantic snake. It has Constriction Attack [15], replaces Flexible with Double-Jointed [+10], loses Claws [-5], and has No Manipulators [-50]. In the normal S-curve of a moving snake it will be 8-10 hexes long and 3 hexes wide, fully outstretched it will be half again longer and only a single hex wide, coiled up, it's only 3-4 hexes across.
Natural DR is subject to the Attacking Chinks in Armor rule. Does not apply to Nictating Membrane, eyes are already a chink.
This is the skill of letting other people ride you. Details are out of scope for DF, but 1 point gives others +1 to ride you.
Dragons are not tool users, and they don't have chi masters and the like, but that doesn't mean they haven't developed sophisticated combat styles of their own. There are a few new maneuvers here, and also just points to note. This section takes advantage of Martial Arts, but only lists default uses; techniques are beyond the scope of DF.
Attack Shield: dragon damage is high enough for this to be a plausible choice. Shields have DR 4 and HP appropriate to their weight (16 for small, 20 for medium, 24 for large). Dwarven or Meteoric shields are DR 8 and +25% HP due to greater weight. Attacking a shield works like attacking a weapon, but is somewhat easier (-4 + DB) and only bucklers and cloaks can be disarmed. A bite can only attack the edge of a shield (additional -2 to hit) but lets you hold on (shield is unusable until you release it... though your head is rather conveniently located for punishment).
Attack Weapon: weapons typically have DR 4-6 and 8-14 hp; this does count for purposes of Hurting Yourself. A bite is at additional -2 to attack edged blades (and DR is halved), but can choose to bite and hold.
Bite and Hold: when biting, you can latch on. Make a normal attack roll; if you hit, you do damage and also latch on. This is incompatible with a cautious strike. Further effects depend on your SM relative to your victim's SM:
<0: you cannot bite the skull at all. You can only seize hold of extremities. Treat your grip as one-handed. You can use further attacks to worry -- damage is automatic with no attack or defense roll. Treat all damage from bite and worry as a single attack for purposes of maximum damage and crippling.
+0 or +1: you can bite any location. You can seize hold of (and worry at) extremities, limbs, and necks, and are considered to have a two-handed grip.
+2 or more: you can bite any location. You can seize hold of (and worry at) any hit location and are considered to have a two-handed grip.
Claw/Claw: it is possible to make a dual-weapon attack with two claws, at normal penalties (note that there is no off-hand penalty with Karate). The normal way a quadruped does this is rear up on its back legs, then come down on the target (a moving version of this is a Pounce).
Defensive Attack (Unarmed): This is equivalent to a Step and Attack, and cannot be used with all-out attack or move and attack. Make any unarmed attack. Damage is at -2, or -1 per die, whichever is worse, and the target has +1 to defend against grapples; however, the effects of Hurting Yourself do not apply to this strike. This is is incompatible with Bite and Hold.
Natural Weapon Weight: treat your natural weapons as having a weight of BL/20, not ST/10 (16-25 lb), or BL/2 for a slam, pounce, or constriction attack.
In situations where a SM+4 creature is reasonably able to fight, it's pretty potent, but less so than you might think -- sure, it's durable and hits hard, but it's also easy to hit and only attacks once. In one on one combat, it probably beats a Knight or Swashbuckler, though it's closer than you might think. A combat monster knight is something like ST 17, weapon master (broadsword, weapon bond), high pain threshold, with DR 4 and a medium shield; damage 3d+6(21), block 14, dodge 11, parry 16. A dragon that decides to just go for ripping faces off might be fire breath, ST 50, DX 13, dragon mask 6, high pain threshold, horns; damage 5d+16(15) Imp or 5d+11 (15) Cut, dodge 9, parry 10.
The dragon will start off with a breath weapon, which can be expected to hit (at an optimal distance of 4, hit chance on the hex is 20, reduced to 18 with a move and attack, and there's nowhere safe within move and attack range) but is unlikely to take him out. Knight then takes a Move to reach melee range. The dragon steps back and does a defensive dual-weapon attack at skill 11 (4% one crit, 37% two hits, 45% one hit), the knight parries (95% vs first hit, 91% vs second), overall about an 11% chance of the dragon hitting; 5d+6 will probably force a death check and means the fight is close to over one way or another. The knight will respond by stepping forward with a rapid deceptive (-3) attack, total skill is 21 +4(SM) -3 (rapid) -6 (deceptive) = 16; dragon defense is 10 +3 (retreat) -3 (deceptive) = 10, we expect slightly over 1 hit, call it one hit for 17, for 9 wounding; we expect it to take 6 rounds for the knight to get the dragon down to 0 (no aimed shots are especially useful, due to the high skull DR), during which time the dragon either lands a hit or gets off a breath weapon, so most likely at this point the knight is also teetering.
Basic dragon vs basic knight, the dragon probably starts the fight out with fire breath, and then the dragon has skill 14/parry 10 (retreat 13), the knight has skill 20/parry 14. A dual-weapon attack gives around a 25% chance to get a single hit in (the knight will not want to retreat, due to the dragon's large reach advantage), probably at 4d+4 (defensive attack). The knight has an effective skill of 24 due to SM, so it attacks twice with deceptive attack 3 (12- to hit; dragon retreats, modified parry 10-), expected number of hits 0.76.
(or dual-weapon attack at skill 10, which is probably the best chance; 75% chance to force a defense roll at -1, 25% to force a defense roll at -3)
A dragon that goes all-in for fighting will be doing 5d+11 at skill 16 (an average of 28.5), which is considerably more raw damage than any other build. On the other hand, a knight that goes all-in (half-ogre weapon master, ST +1, Striking ST +2, using a broadsword) does 4d+8 (average 22) at skill 20, or skill 17 attacking twice.
At base stats, with no further investment, a dragon will be attacking for 4d+8 cutting at skill 14 (or, more likely against dangerous foes, 4d+4 with a defensive attack). By comparison, a Knight will probably be doing something like 2d+1 cutting at skill 20 (or twice at skill 14). However, the dragon has fewer options for boosting offense; a damage max knight is a half-ogre weapon master with an additional ST+1 and Striking ST +2, doing 4d+8 cutting at skill 20 (or three times at skill 14),
the knight who decides to max out damage will take ST +3 [30], Striking ST +2 [10], Weapon Master [20], for a total of 3d+9 at skill 20, or 3 attacks at 14 (or be a half-ogre that does 4d+. By comparison, the max for the dragon would be ST +10 [20] and DX +2 [40], resulting in 5d+11 at skill 16.
A reasonably typical dragon might choose to take ST +5 [10], Peripheral Vision [15], and Wings [35]. Its bite and claws do 5d+9, or 5d+4 with a cautious strike, which no viable melee build can accomplish (casters can do more, but not very often). On the other hand, it's a single attack at skill 14; a reasonably optimized swashbuckler can do 3d+6 or so three times per turn at skill 16.