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Lore for Red, Silver, and White Dragons
 Monster Manual IV introduced a sidebar that has since become the norm when new monsters are provided: the Knowledge check. This handy item takes the guesswork out of what a character (as opposed to the player) knows about a given creature and rewards those characters with ranks in the appropriate Knowledge skill. Over the course of the next few installments, we'll provide Knowledge check results for a variety of monsters, starting with some of the most iconic that lack this sidebar.
This week we finish up with the last of the classic dragons: the red, silver, and white dragons.
If you're interested in taking on these dragons once you've learned something about them, be sure to consult our earlier Tactics & Tips series: Bigger, Tougher, and Meaner Than You:
Red Dragons
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A Peek Behind the Rules Curtain
So how do designers determine the Difficulty Class for Knowledge checks about creatures? The following is excerpted from Monster Manual IV:
The description of the Knowledge skill indicates that in general, the baseline DC of checks to identify monsters and remember one bit of useful information about their special powers or vulnerabilities is equal to 10 + the monster's HD. Every 5 points by which the check result exceeds the DC yields another useful piece of information (PH 78).
As a general rule of thumb, a DC 15 check or higher will reveal all of the base creature's type and subtype traits as defined in the glossary. This often includes information about energy resistance or various immunities. For instance, a DC 15 Knowledge (arcana) check reveals that dragons have high hit points (12-sided HD), all good saves, and have darkvision out to 60 feet and low-light vision. They eat, sleep, and breathe.
Information specific to the creature, such as its type of damage resistance, spell-like abilities, or immunities come with the high DC check results.
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The red dragon is the baddest of the bad, combining brute strength with the sheer, terrifying power of its mighty fiery breath weapon. Most players forget that red dragons possess some unusual special abilities that seem outside the scope for such a fire-centric creature. If a red dragon wants to find you . . . it will.
Red Dragon Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcana) can learn more about red dragons. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.
Knowledge (Arcana)
DC Result
15 This also reveals the fire subtype.
20 The breath weapon of a red dragon produces a cone of fire.
25 Red dragons are immune to fire, but vulnerable to cold. At various stages of its life, a red dragon gains damage reduction: young adult -- DR 5/magic, mature adult -- DR 10/magic, very old -- DR 15/magic, and wyrm -- DR 20/magic.
30 At various stages of its life, a red dragon gains the following special abilities: juvenile -- locate object, old -- suggestion, ancient -- find the path, great wyrm -- discern location.
Silver Dragons
Silver dragons are regal and noble members of the dragon family. Because they spend so much of their time in some alternate shape, silver dragons often act as secret allies and providers of information or other types of assistance for good-aligned characters.
Silver Dragon Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcana) can learn more about silver dragons. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.
Knowledge (Arcana)
DC Result
 15 Silver dragons are good, statuesque dragons with an altruistic sensibility. They spend most of their time in alternate forms to study and assist good creatures. Silver dragons live among the clouds and mountaintops and can walk on clouds as if they were solid ground. This also reveals the cold subtype.
20 Silver dragons can produce two types of breath weapons: a cone of cold and a cone of paralyzing gas.
25 Silver dragons are immune to acid and cold, but vulnerable to fire. They can assume alternate forms. At various stages of its life, a silver dragon gains damage reduction: young adult -- DR 5/magic, mature adult -- DR 10/magic, very old -- DR 15/magic, and wyrm -- DR 20/magic.
30 At various stages of its life, a silver dragon gains the following special abilities: juvenile -- feather fall, adult -- fog cloud, old -- control winds, ancient -- control weather, great wyrm -- reverse gravity.
White Dragons
Crude and animalistic, white dragons prowl the frozen wastes of the world. Although nowhere near as smart as other dragons, white dragons still maintain a deep cunning and heightened sense of worth that makes them extremely dangerous. Because white dragons claim such enormous swathes of land as their territory, adventurers heading into the rime wastes should learn as much as they can about white dragons on the not-so-off chance that they run into one.
White Dragon Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcana) can learn more about green dragons. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.
Knowledge (Arcana)
DC Result
 15 White dragons are evil, cruel, and simplistic dragons that live in frozen wastes and frigid mountains. This also reveals the cold subtype.
20 The breath weapon of a white dragon produces a cone of cold.
25 White dragons are immune to cold, but vulnerable to fire. They can walk on icy surfaces, similar to spider climb, at birth. At various stages of its life, a white dragon gains damage reduction: young adult -- DR 5/magic, mature adult -- DR 10/magic, very old -- DR 15/magic, and wyrm -- DR 20/magic.
30 At various stages of its life, a white dragon gains the following special abilities: juvenile -- fog cloud, adult -- gust of wind, old -- freezing fog, ancient -- wall of ice, great wyrm -- control weather.
Game Resources: To use the material in this article to its fullest, check out the following resources: Dungeon Master's Guide, Monster Manual, and Player's Handbook.
About the Author
Eric Cagle cut his teeth at Wizards of the Coast, but now lives the extravagant freelancer lifestyle. Look for his name on D&D, d20 Modern, and Star Wars books. Recent credits include d20 Apocalypse, Monster Manual IV, and the Tome of Corruption from Green Ronin Publishing. He is also a contributor to the Game Mechanics, Dragon Magazine, and this lovely website. Eric lives in Seattle where the coffee is dark and bitter like his goddesses.
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