I'm happy to have the gem dragons in 5E, but one thing bugged me.
"Crystal" is not a type of gem like an emerald, ruby or amethyst, etc. Crystals are atomic structures within minerals . (gems are cut and polished minerals)
So, if WoTC wanted a gem dragon with white to translucent scales, they could have named it either a diamond, quartz or calcite dragon.
(There are other minerals that are white translucent, but these are the three most widely known)
Just my 2 cents. Of course, the DM is free to change whatever they want, or not.
We’ll add that to the list including how long swords aren’t really “long” swords, there’s actually 15 different kinds of shields, none of which are correctly represented in the PHB, and how plate mail wasn’t used in the same historical period as other armors. And of course, everyone knows that irl you use salamander poop, not bat guano when you make a fireball.
Words have multiple meaning. Crystal, when used as a noun, is usually referring to glass. It's a glass dragon. Does that make it more aligned with gemstones? Not particuarly.
This is what happens when you let humans name things, instead of asking the dragons what they'd like to be called
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Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Human: Since most of us were unable to pronounce the name of your kind in draconic, we travelled the realm far and wide asking the general public what we should call you in our common tongue.
Dragon: Very well. And what have you decided?
Human: Keep in mind, this wasn't my decision. It was the public.
Dragon: Get on with it.
Human: I mean... the thing is... please don't kill me.
Dragon: You are trying my patience. Speak now or perish.
Human: *sigh* It was a two-way tie between scaly von scalenheimers and deeznuts be dragon.
How did “Dragony McDragonface” fare in that polling?
True that "Crystal" is a legacy name, but would it really have been a game-changer name changer if they did go for diamond or quartz? I mean they shattered the sole Ruby, possilby making the world out of it, sure, so why not. I really doubt there'd be as much lore purist upsets as some other lore tweaks and abandoned fidelity 5e has gone through.
I'm fine with Crystal dragons, though, while they seem to be drawn toward diamonds hoard wise, they also seem to have a more "pure abstraction" (more the crystaline structure than an specific gem expression) in their bonds to the Positive Plane, and starlight, it's like they're not a fully worldly formed dragon, they're connected to the prime material but also to something more ideal and abstract, almost like a platonic form gemstone dragon ... at least that's how I'm seeing myself run them. Also allows for the possibility that the Fizban's dragon taxonomy isn't necessarily accurate and there may be celestial/astral/stellar/star dragons of which the Crystal is actually more closely aligned than the rest of its gem kin, but that's homebrew lore.
Crystal just sounds cool, and the image you get is basically the image of a gem dragon but white/clear.
Diamond dragons would have players arguing that they can make items of superior hardness with the scales, quartz is the Ringo Starr of gemstones, and calcite just sounds like a rock.
Yes, humans made the name. Sometimes humans have good instincts about that kind of thing and sometimes aesthetics is more important than being technically correct.
Just for folks info while crystal is often used for glass (lead crystal, etc) it’s original use was for clear quartz crystals which can grow to several feet long. A crystal ball is NOT made of (lead crystal) glass but of a piece of a large polished quartz crystal. So yes a crystal dragon could also be called a quartz dragon.
Oh yeah, calcite is awesome. I love geology. I was just speaking from a marketing perspective. Most people can visualize "crystal" right away. Many would need some elaboration on a calcite dragon.
Personally, I'll be repurposing crystal dragons as opal dragons, my favorite gemstone.
Yeah, calcite doesn’t get the credit it deserves, it’s too soft (Mohs 3) to be good for scale toughness but when found in clear crystals it splits light into 2 parallel paths if your going to make a crystal dragon be a calcite dragon you might lower the AC but give them a twin spell effect on any radiant damage spell ( but not their breath weapon - too OP)
Who's to say the crystal need be uniform? Scales of diamond, organs of quartz, flesh of calcite, it's not like the dragon's a "natural" geologic formation anyway.,
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Yeah, calcite doesn’t get the credit it deserves, it’s too soft (Mohs 3) to be good for scale toughness but when found in clear crystals it splits light into 2 parallel paths if your going to make a crystal dragon be a calcite dragon you might lower the AC but give them a twin spell effect on any radiant damage spell ( but not their breath weapon - too OP)
Given that each ray of light would only be half the intensity, wouldn't it be more appropriate to split the spell into two independently targetable spells, but half damage each?
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
The 2 rays are polarized which tends to amplify the effective intensity so they don’t lose strength ( think road glare that is wiped out by polarized sunglasses that block one of the orientations) the glare is more damaging than the unpolarized light.
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Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
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I'm happy to have the gem dragons in 5E, but one thing bugged me.
"Crystal" is not a type of gem like an emerald, ruby or amethyst, etc. Crystals are atomic structures within minerals . (gems are cut and polished minerals)
So, if WoTC wanted a gem dragon with white to translucent scales, they could have named it either a diamond, quartz or calcite dragon.
(There are other minerals that are white translucent, but these are the three most widely known)
Just my 2 cents. Of course, the DM is free to change whatever they want, or not.
Also, it's about forty years too late for that argument: gem dragons were first added to the game back in 1980.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
We’ll add that to the list including how long swords aren’t really “long” swords, there’s actually 15 different kinds of shields, none of which are correctly represented in the PHB, and how plate mail wasn’t used in the same historical period as other armors.
And of course, everyone knows that irl you use salamander poop, not bat guano when you make a fireball.
Words have multiple meaning. Crystal, when used as a noun, is usually referring to glass. It's a glass dragon. Does that make it more aligned with gemstones? Not particuarly.
This is what happens when you let humans name things, instead of asking the dragons what they'd like to be called
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
WotC inherited the “Crystal Gem Dragons” from the game’s original publisher (TSR) when they bought the IP in 1997. They’re stuck with it now.
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How did “Dragony McDragonface” fare in that polling?
True that "Crystal" is a legacy name, but would it really have been a game-changer name changer if they did go for diamond or quartz? I mean they shattered the sole Ruby, possilby making the world out of it, sure, so why not. I really doubt there'd be as much lore purist upsets as some other lore tweaks and abandoned fidelity 5e has gone through.
I'm fine with Crystal dragons, though, while they seem to be drawn toward diamonds hoard wise, they also seem to have a more "pure abstraction" (more the crystaline structure than an specific gem expression) in their bonds to the Positive Plane, and starlight, it's like they're not a fully worldly formed dragon, they're connected to the prime material but also to something more ideal and abstract, almost like a platonic form gemstone dragon ... at least that's how I'm seeing myself run them. Also allows for the possibility that the Fizban's dragon taxonomy isn't necessarily accurate and there may be celestial/astral/stellar/star dragons of which the Crystal is actually more closely aligned than the rest of its gem kin, but that's homebrew lore.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Crystal just sounds cool, and the image you get is basically the image of a gem dragon but white/clear.
Diamond dragons would have players arguing that they can make items of superior hardness with the scales, quartz is the Ringo Starr of gemstones, and calcite just sounds like a rock.
Yes, humans made the name. Sometimes humans have good instincts about that kind of thing and sometimes aesthetics is more important than being technically correct.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
Rocks are an aggregate of one or more minerals, so all minerals are essentially rocks. :>)
Very cool looking rock.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcite
Never, not once in my life, have I heard something I love as much as this.
Just for folks info while crystal is often used for glass (lead crystal, etc) it’s original use was for clear quartz crystals which can grow to several feet long. A crystal ball is NOT made of (lead crystal) glass but of a piece of a large polished quartz crystal. So yes a crystal dragon could also be called a quartz dragon.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Oh yeah, calcite is awesome. I love geology. I was just speaking from a marketing perspective. Most people can visualize "crystal" right away. Many would need some elaboration on a calcite dragon.
Personally, I'll be repurposing crystal dragons as opal dragons, my favorite gemstone.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
I should do this in my game. My wife LOVES opals, and it would definitely make her want to befriend the dragon and open up doors for plot points.
Now I like the idea of Crystal dragons resolving conflicting disputes by keeping a steady beat, or harmonic resonance.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Yeah, calcite doesn’t get the credit it deserves, it’s too soft (Mohs 3) to be good for scale toughness but when found in clear crystals it splits light into 2 parallel paths if your going to make a crystal dragon be a calcite dragon you might lower the AC but give them a twin spell effect on any radiant damage spell ( but not their breath weapon - too OP)
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Who's to say the crystal need be uniform? Scales of diamond, organs of quartz, flesh of calcite, it's not like the dragon's a "natural" geologic formation anyway.,
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Given that each ray of light would only be half the intensity, wouldn't it be more appropriate to split the spell into two independently targetable spells, but half damage each?
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
The 2 rays are polarized which tends to amplify the effective intensity so they don’t lose strength ( think road glare that is wiped out by polarized sunglasses that block one of the orientations) the glare is more damaging than the unpolarized light.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.