The Great Dragon Hunt

The Great Dragon Hunt is a Fate Core hack of giant flying lizards in a fight for survival against humanity.

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TGDH Hack

Setting

It is the twilight of a majestic race of giant lizards. Dragons once held dominion over all of the north. The coming of men and other sentient races — originally paying tribute to the mighty dragons — are now harnessing the power of alchemy and ingenuity. They are developing cunning engines of fire and death, and pervert dragon rebels through manipulation against their kin to now challenge the dragons’ dominance of the skies.

The quest of man is to eradicate the last of dragonkind and trade in the fabulous wealth of dragons. In addition to possessing ages-old hoards of silver and jewels, dragons are themselves a manifestation of the raw elements — fire, shadow, cold, and even iron. And the remaining eggs of the mighty dragon matrons — priceless geodes that take an age to incubate and possess riches and exceedingly rare elements — are coveted by man to power airships and machines of war. The surviving eggs now number only in the mere dozens.

The end of the winged lizard kings draws near. Their noble bearings begin now to erode to reveal their raw, untamable and tempestuous natures. They guard their hidden lairs and hoards from mankind, sometimes moving them as needed when their territories fall to pioneers with the courage and grit enough to lay stake further north.

Although each dragon may lair separately, in order to survive, the savage serpents have founded Serpent’s Spire, their last refuge and solitary place of unified strength. They gather in a rivalry-fueled loose unity under the ailing Elder Wyrm — greatest living member of their kind. Without some semblance of solidarity, putting aside differences and territorial disputes, enterprising man would have already hunted them down to extinction.

Through their devious consumption of stolen dragon eggs, mankind is developing numerous marvels, including airborne gasbag powered warships, cruel adamantium harpoons and black powder cannons. Along with these innovations is the empowerment that comes with rising to challenge the dragon’s supremacy.

Dragonkind strives to survive. The threat of man, a dwindling frontier to serve as food and refuge, in addition to the lost dragon eggs that need to be recovered and incubated are not the only threats the species faces. Their own raw natures threatens to spill over their levees to consume them and the world, and their contest to amass the resources necessary to survive the coming hibernation at the end of the age number among their challenges. They must adapt to the cleverness of the human mind or face extinction. And even immediate survival will amount to little if they cannot foster a new generation.

High Concept

Within the loose confederation of dragons, each may take on a specific role. Think of this like a dragon-specific profession. There are egg keepers, lore masters, guardians, skirmishes, first-strikers, lair watchers, hunters, air wardens, among any others that fits in. A good concept may be anything, but is best when it includes a positive or powerful virtue, a prominent physical feature or coloration, and a role. Examples might be Majestic Frilled Hunter, or Sleek One-Eyed Blue Mist-Maker.

Feel free to deviate from the model as long as the Concept conveys some sense of role, ability, or other unique identifier. All characters are assumed to be dragons.

The Nature of Dragons

A dragon’s Nature aspect stands in for Core’s Trouble aspect. It defines both the raw elemental spirit nature of a dragon individual (Terrible Ice King) as well as another negatively-skewed personality trait or flaw writ large (Ponderous Lodestone Lizard). Since dragons are large and destructive, their Natures may still be invoked more than your average Trouble aspect to help in rolls, but with destructive natures, it tends frequently to be associated with dire consequences. This could take the form of compels reflecting negative changes to a territory due to the presence of an influencing dragon during its frequent expressions of power, or other unintended attrition. Additionally, a Nature aspect should always be consulted when seeking options for success costs and should be at the forefront.

A dragon’s lair should always contain an abundance of the material linked to its nature. Without this abundance, a dragon may not successfully stoke its furnace, and may not survive hibernation.

Aspects

Choose three more relevant aspects, including things like a code of honor, a rival relationship, a faction, or a connection with another player dragon.

Anatomy of a Dragon

No two dragons look the same. With the loss of some of the dragons’ majesty and traditions, they have lost much of their ability to speak verbally. Although they can understand spoken speech, dragons communicate amongst one another through a combination of telepathy and bestial sounds and behaviors. Some truly gifted can communicate in one form or another with other specific races or individuals (to do so requires a stunt).

Unfortunately for the survival of the species, they generally mate for life. Rogue dragons who have broken from tradition may occasionally dominate a harem of young females, but such cases are exceedingly rare. Dragon eggs possess an amalgam of the unique mineral makeup of both parents. Young typically take an entire age to incubate and usually hatch at the awakening following a period of hibernation.

Precious metals are indeed part of a dragon’s makeup. This is one reason why dragons will amass wealth, or reside in ore-rich lairs. The magnetic and auric qualities of these important alchemical commodities energizes a dragon during slumber and helps to keep its furnace stoked. A dragon possesses a furnace, the fierce internal force of elemental power that serves as a dragon’s personal talisman. Whether powered by fire or alternative elemental forces or elements it is required not only for their potent and destructive breath, but also to keep them aloft during flight. If their furnace extinguishes by releasing all of their energy in one apocalyptic burst, it is costly in terms of time to re-stoke and leaves them vulnerable. Historically, only when a dragon knows its demise is nigh do they release all their energy.

All dragons, even the young, are heavily armored with an array of fearsome weaponry at their disposal. Aside from their terrible breath, their fanged maw, talons, wings, tail, and even physical girth are all formidable tools of war. They are easily capable of destroying armies, and a single adult dragon can decimate a city.

However, mankind’s ingenuity has tested the dragons’ natural superiority. And now they must adapt or suffer extinction.

Dragons generally are solitary except for their chosen mates and brood. Now they have formed a loose alliance and rally around their chosen elder, who at present suffers a wasting curse that none currently understands nor knows how to combat. Rivalries threaten the dragons’ future as much as the next wave of dragon hunters. Many dragons cultivate relationships with a variety of mortal minions — dwarves to craft more formidable defenses, barbaric northman tribes to serve as lookouts and spies, as well as craftsmen and scribes to do such menial tasks that a dragon could not or would not do.

Skills

All beginning characters are assumed to be adult dragons (Great +4). A dragon’s Age level (see ‘Age’ skill below) also places a cap on its Skill Pyramid.

Core Skills

• Breath (Shoot)
• Conjure*
• Cunning (Burglary, Deceive)
• Courage (Will)
• Flight (Athletics, Drive)
• Hoard (Resources)
• Intellect (Empathy, Lore)
• Majesty (Provoke, Rapport)
• Prowess (Fight)
• Senses (Investigate, Notice)
• Stealth
• Territory (Contacts, Crafts)

Age (Physique) – this skill is divorced from the skill pyramid and progresses regardless of the others according to the March of Ages which closely influences a dragon’s hibernation cycle (in other words, it is set with a rank from +1 or +8 and does not fit into the skill pyramid). All dragons who successfully prepare their lairs and hoard for the coming slumber and emerge uninterrupted automatically increase their Age skill one step along the following chain:

• Hatchling: Mediocre (+0)
• Very Young: Average (+1)
• Young: Fair (+2)
• Juvenile: Good (+3)
• Adult: Great (+4)
• Mature: Superb (+5)
• Old: Fantastic (+6)
• Ancient: Epic (+7)
• Elder Wyrm: Legendary (+8)

In addition to gaining a ‘Body’ stress track and bonus consequence slots as described in Fate Core, it also grants a ‘Furnace’ stress track. A furnace track contains a number of boxes equal to the numeric modifier (thus, an Ancient dragon would have 7 boxes). The boxes are checked whenever a dragon wishes to use its breath weapon (from its lowest available box sequentially to its highest). Thus the stress track controls the number of times a dragon may use Breath (Shoot) to attack. More than one box may be checked at a time, adding its combined value to the roll. For example, a dragon checking its 1- and 2- Furnace boxes in one go adds +3 to the roll.

Dragons may uncheck boxes if they take part in a short slumber in its lair, making a Hoard overcome roll. The number of shifts determines the value of unchecked boxes to be unchecked starting with the highest one. Any excess shifts that cannot be applied immediately to a checked box are ignored. For example, if a dragon with its 1- and 2-stress boxes are checked and it gets 2 shifts on a Hoard roll, that dragon may only uncheck its second box.

If a dragon checks its highest value box in a Breath attack, the dragon’s furnace snuffs out completely. Such a dragon can no longer fly nor use its breath again until it hibernates according to the ‘March of Ages’ (see below). Checking boxes must always occur before a Breath attack roll. Note that dragons may still use Breath for overcome and create an advantage actions without the need to check a Furnace stress box.

Breath (Shoot)

This works just like Shoot, however a dragon’s Nature aspect will always color the narrative flavor of the breath. Thus, a dragon with Fires of Rage as a nature aspect will always attack with a flame-themed breath weapon. Also see relevant parts about a dragon’s Furnace in Age, above.

• Overcome: Breath might be a way of overcoming physical barriers, such as castle walls, a tangle of forest concealing a human base, or other such reason. Note that the nature of the breath type must justify making a roll altogether. Making an Overcome roll requires no boxes of the Furnace to be checked.

• Create an Advantage: In physical conflicts, Breath can be used to catch someone On Fire!, get an army Stuck in Mud, or other distraction. Depending on the narrative flavor of the Breath, it may come in handy for a good number of uses in and even outside of combat. Making a Create an Advantage roll requires no boxes of the Furnace to be checked.

• Attack: This skill makes physical attacks. You can make them from up to two zones away, unlike with Prowess. However, to make an attack roll, a dragon must check a minimum of one Furnace stress box. Sometimes the range will change with the nature of the Breath type. Some Breath types may not narratively justify the use of the Attack action.

• Defend: Breath is unique in that it doesn’t really have a defense component to it—you’d use Wings for that. You could use it to lay down some covering flames—which might act as a defense for your allies or provide opposition to someone else’s movement—though it could just as easily be represented by creating an advantage (Raging Conflagration or Brilliant Flashes of Lightning, for example).

Breath Stunts

• Enhanced Breath Gain an additional 'Furnace' stress box.

• Great Reek. Your Breath causes great destruction which produces smoke and other detritus. Use Breath to Defend against missile attacks like harpoons or rain of archery instead of Wings when you are creating clouds of smoke and the like to occur.

• Widen Blast. Once per conflict when you check a 2-stress Furnace box or greater, you gain +2 to attack with Breath and may attack multiple targets within your own zone by splitting shifts between the targets.

Conjure (Original Skill)*

Conjuration is not one skill, but rather a body of magical skills, each with its unique name and place within a dragon’s skill pyramid. Examples include Domination, the act of cowing a populace, Stonecraft, the act of summoning and manipulating rock and gems, or Stormancy, the art of commanding the weather. Each must be chosen as a unique skill that controls, manipulates, or creates a narrowly defined portfolio of abilities. A special stunt must be taken to add attack or defend to the default actions of the magical skill.

Every dragon has a unique Conjure skill, so the same exact flavor may not be reproduced among any two dragons. However, some dragons must mature in order to manifest their unique skill (in other words, do not put a skill in their initial skill pyramid). A dragon may also take more than one Conjure skill. A dragon must possess a skill at Average (+1) skill rank in order to utilize the skill. A dragon’s Nature is always a good compass for the types of magical powers they might possess.

The GM has the final word when it comes to specific Conjure skill abilities.

• Overcome: Just like any utility type magic skill, the defined portfolio of your Conjure skill can achieve numerous outcomes. Most commonly will be the use of the Overcome action. A Conjure (Domination) skill might subjugate a mortal mountain tribe elder as a simple Overcome, while a Conjure (Shadows) skill might create a small region of murky habitat of deeper shadows. The possibilities are endless.

• Create an Advantage: Even more numerous are the ways a Conjure ability can create advantages. This will be the skill’s most frequent of the four actions. Create elemental fields in the form of ghostly lights, of summon undead minions.

• Attack: Conjure doesn’t commonly allow for attacks without a special stunt.

• Defend: Unless the Conjure skill is counter magic, this skill does not commonly allow for Defend actions without a special stunt.

March of Ages

Dragons are powerful manifestations of raw nature. But they are also subject to long periods of dormancy. At the end of a scenario or arc, the GM may signal the time of a hibernation.

This serves a few purposes: (1) to mark the passage of significant time, allowing dragons to grow and age, accounting for large expansions of power in limited relative play time; (2) to measure the long-term outcome of playing to find out what happens, and the effects of human expansion and development; and (3) to impose a new current issue on the game to replace an old one. Thus one of a game’s two issues will always be the March of Ages (current issue). This could be The Three Empires, The Renegade Turncoats, The Great Sky Navy or similar issues.

At the end of an Age, each dragon must roll his current Age level or better on a Hoard roll. Some actions each dragon will invariably take during the game will influence the chances of making the roll. Success at a cost is an option, but may impose a permanent change in terms of modifying a character aspect.

Due to the expansive nature of the setting, much of play will default to “zoomed out” play, with actions, Challenges, Contests, and sometimes even Conflicts drawn out over an epic period of narrative time.

Stunts & Refresh

Each dragon has 3 Refresh and 3 free stunts as per Fate Core. These may be spent to add abilities of speech, or augment skills, creating specific maneuvers or abilities.

Create the World

Without creating a hugely detailed world, color the setting with specific mortal races, factions of men and/or dragonkind, and empires or cities.