jrients
Level 6 Magician
Posts: 411
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Post by jrients on Aug 31, 2007 8:29:00 GMT -6
D&D's Purple Worm originally appeared in Chainmail as a mention of the flightless "Purple, or Mottled" dragon. Has anybody ever used a dragon figure painted purple to represent one of these beasties? The text does not specify a breath weapon, but neither does it indicate that the Purple Dragon lacks one. I'm seriously considering using fire-breathing Purple Dragons with scorpion-like tails in my next D&D outing.
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Post by Finarvyn on Aug 31, 2007 12:24:46 GMT -6
D&D's Purple Worm originally appeared in Chainmail... Quote from Chainmail Other kinds of Dragons can be introduced into games, if a little imagination is used. White Dragons live in cold climates and breathe frost. Black Dragons are tropical and split caustic acid. The Blue variety discharges a bolt of electricity. Green Dragons waft poisonous vapors -- chlorine -- at their opponents. Finally, the Purple, or Mottled, Dragon is a rare, flightless worm with a venomous sting in its tail. Wow.  Dunno how many times I've read Chainmail and I never realized that this was an early Purple Worm. I feel so dumb. Nice catch, by the way! |
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serendipity
Level 4 Theurgist
Member #00-00-02
Bunny Master
Posts: 140
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Post by serendipity on Sept 1, 2007 10:27:28 GMT -6
To misquote Ogden Nash:
I never saw a purple worm,
I hope I never see one.
But I can tell you this right now:
I'd rather see than be one.
Though now that I think on it, it might be sort of kewl to be a purple, flightless beastie with a stinger on its tail....
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Post by Rhuvein on Sept 1, 2007 14:35:31 GMT -6
Interesting. Monsters & Treasures has the "purple worm", but this guy sounds more like a "wyvern" as described there and compared to what's written in Chainmail. I think I like him not having the breath weapon. For unsuspecting players thinking it's a dragon and wanting to perhaps get behind the creature, the barbed stinging tail will be loads of fun for the DM!! ;D Heh, of course having both abilities unleashed would be "kick ass" as well!  |
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serendipity
Level 4 Theurgist
Member #00-00-02
Bunny Master
Posts: 140
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Post by serendipity on Sept 2, 2007 20:00:54 GMT -6
Dragons usually have a breath weapon, so it makes sense to me that this feature should exist in Chainmail's Purple Dragon as well, in some form or another. If the Purple Dragon didn't have a breath weapon, I think it would read, "rare, flightless worm lacking a breath weapon," since that would be as distinctive a feature as its inability to fly. Either way, PCs are in for a surprise the first time they encounter the stinger!  |
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Post by kevinmayle on May 9, 2008 13:50:46 GMT -6
Monsters & Treasures has the "purple worm", but this guy sounds more like a "wyvern" as described there and compared to what's written in Chainmail. I asked Gary Gygax in his Q&A thread on EN World about the Purple Dragon / Purple Worm, and he said they were the same creature. |
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Post by dwayanu on May 12, 2008 23:38:06 GMT -6
Dragons have varied around the world. I think the Purple resembles more that native to the British Isles, the Red more the Nordic variety.
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Dunno how many times I've read Chainmail and I never realized that this was an early Purple Worm. I feel so dumb.
