Random thoughts in my brain as I listen to the video: " Obsidian, a gemstone of volcanic origin linked with the Aztec and Mayan realms of death, afterlife, ghosts and war. THIS'LL BE A HOOT." * pushes play.* " Huh. Highly intelligent? Secretive behavior and hunting patterns? Runs experiments on areas in it's natural terrain and people in said terrain with no remorse and utter amusement? Has minions at their beck and call? Explodes from " out of nowhere" using a FIREBALL to mask it's teleport signature? Chill, but can also be a dick like that one smart friend you have... yes you know. That one..... yeah.... Obsidian dragons are D&D versions of night furies." " So this is the reason why the people of Berk hunted Night Furies to almost near extinction.... makes sense now. Toothless was just an abnormality in the wyrmling Obsidian Dragon culture...." " getting tail swiped by one of these guys would be like getting cleaved in half by a tree trunk sized Macuahtil swung by a mac truck." * hears about the psychic version of a philactary* " Huh.... so now we are throwing in the realm of being undead into it as well. Good call back to obsidian mirrors that have been depicted in murals used in rituals for the dead in MezoAmerican culture."
@@sleepystar1638, I figure I have at least a D8 in history, lore, and various knowledges. It's enough to both get me into and out of a lot of trouble... now if I only had a die level in common sense I'd be set. XD
I had one of these dragons kidnap the party paladin. The paladin was kept in a small dark cell with a scrying constantly projected across from him of his friends. The rest of the party was given the ultimatum of doing some work for the dragon in exchange for their friend back. Progressively more terrible things that had seemingly no connection, and indeed several of them were just cruelty for cruelties sake, until the party had the blood of dozens of innocents on their hands and poisoned the head waters of a major river. And then the dragon gave the exhausted traumatized party their paladin back, having made him watch as his friends laid waste to his childhood home. Good times
You finally gave me the missing puzzle piece I needed for my exotic dragon focused story! Finally I have a face and stats for the mastermind behind the fall of the Holy Tolkien alliance! I now know what was pitting all the factions against each other. Who was it that created the map to all the dragon layers! And finally, I have a who can use the line that's been floating around in my head for too long: "Do you have any idea how much power I'd need to give up to be simply a god." The best lore videos are the ones that help you fit all the puzzle pieces together in your own story. Thank you.
Dm - You slay the dragon by jamming your sword into it’s eye Player - so is there any tresure me and the party could grab? Dm - you see a lake of gold Player misunderstanding - I DIVE INTO THE LAKE OF GOLD Dm - sighing roll me acrobatics Player - that’s a nat 20 Dm - you sprint towards the lake doing some flips to then swan dive into the LAKE OF MOLTEN GOLD hitting the surface and your slowly sinking in, what do you do?
Dragon: The only chance you had of possibly beating me was gone when I stopped being a wyrmling... Barbarian with a vorpal sword: Well, I sure Wish you were still a young wyrmling right now.
int:37...that would be an unfathomable level of genius,he would know stuff that he cant possible know,just from deducing it and he would be right 99,9% of the time.he could come up with perfect plans to counter any given situation within seconds.something that smart would be the doom of every group,with no chance of survival
@@hbsavage0387 when it comes to sheer power daurgothoth is hard to beat but i think in the long game daurgothoth would eventually lose....or worse they could both start to enjoy their "game" and become somwhat friends......
@@BruderSenf yea that’s kinda the same conclusion I came too sheer power would win initially but intelligence in the long run wins. Although both are so twisted and sick that they could just be the absolute worst thing to happen to everyone and everything
I feel like I remember there being some lore about Sardior the ruby dragon having a conflict with an obsidian dragon about who's the leader of the gem dragons. Maybe I'm imagining things. Also, maybe it was mentioned in the video and I missed it. Guess I'll just have to watch again! 😁 Thanks AJ!
My personal headcanon is that Obsidian Dragons were originally mortal ruby dragons, but they were banished and cursed by the Thanes of Sardior for blasphemy or some similar offense.
heck yea, ive tried homebrewing my own obsidian dragon a few years ago (i say tried cause my players got into a fight with it too early and basically killed themselves throwing themselves at it) but i didnt know where to look for lore on them, so this is awesome
Finally! I was really curious about them, with them being the only evil gem dragons (as far as I know), the most intelligent of them, and having been left out like they have. And holy hell, this might just be my new favorite dragon.
That was one of my favorite videos you've ever made, and you've made a lot of good ones. I love the idea that you come across a floating talking crystal, it can do some basic interaction and provide information, and it's actually a recovering obsidian dragon maneuvering the party the whole time.
I LOVE the idea of beings so smart that Azmodeus would think thrice before trying to double-cross them. An obsidian dragon that somehow got stuck in his psionic phylactery would make an amazing villain. Unable to bear their powers to full brunt but perfectly able to manipulate everything around them from the shadows.
Extremely useful, I just tied in a race for the Heart of Sardior against Sardior's thanes into my campaign and one option I came up with for how they could beat these god like Gem Wyrms would be to ask the descendants of the destroyed obsidian thane to assist.
This is new. I can't recall the last time I watched a video that I wasn't at least aware of the critter being referenced. I've never heard of this one. COOL! That said, I feel the creative juices flowing like a spring thaw at the thought of how I could incorporate one of these into my campaign setting. Thanks again, good Sir!
Regarding Firebreath> Mob of Magmins dirty trick... For solo monsters, boss monsters, or end-of-story encounters, it's always good to shake up the stat block with a few unique tricks. I've been around people playing for many years, and they can read the books too!
First gem dragon video I've seen, and this sucker seems to give the most sadistic, malevolent red dragon nightmares, making them abdicate their thrown as most evil dragon to this one.
If you can find a copy: Obsidian Dragon ... Dragon Magazine 146 (June 1989) and damn they have been so radically altered for 3.5... not even the same Dragon... ok having reread... it is the LAWFUL (Good, Neutral or Evil) silver dragon mutant referenced in the first few breaths of this blog (twould be interesting to see the two variants lock err horns)
I wasn't even aware there was an Obsidian Dragon prior to the 3.5e one from The Mind's Eye. They changed it to an elusive 6th Gem Dragon, probably because each Gem Dragon mastered a particular Psionic disipline and 3e introduced a 6th discipline so guess they needed a 6th gem dragon.
To be fair, the weakness of the intellect is often ego. And when that fails, the party being the pawns of similarly intelligent creatures like gods, primordials, and other obsidian dragons never hurts. If nothing else, Sadior killed one of the best of them and scattered the rest.
Thanks for this! I've been searching for this information. Now I need to figure out how the Emerald and Crystal dragons will handle this situation, along with the black dragon, in my second book. Thanks... I think, lol."
Great video, AJ... and wow. These dragons are completely alien to me. Also, who cares if they are not nearly as powerful as a Red Dragon in head-to-head combat capability? Their fringe, extraplanar, and intellectual capabilities made them pretty much demigods at least.
I’d love to see a video on firearms in D&D. I have seen a few of them in the official 5e adventures but I don’t remember them in the older versions out side of spelljammer.
I know in 5e there where firearms in Dragon Heist, Dungeon of the Mad Mage, CoS and laser weapons in Rime of the Frost Maiden. There may be some I missed.
Back in 3e, Gem Dragons could plane shift between the Material and Elemental Planes at will. So, not really Ravenloft. No idea why they chose to give them this, but part of it was to give them a more "reclusive nature" as opposed to the Metallics and Chromatics. Supposedly it could be used as a game world reason why Gem Dragons didn't seem abundant and as meddling in the world as the others.
I'm always nervous about monsters whose main advantage is intelligence: it feels difficult to portray that properly without outright cheating (too much). But this thing. Without the note about them being physically weaker than the Red, this feels less like something to run as a species and more something to have as a one-off ultraboss. Anyone who remembers Kalameet in Dark Souls, like that. Less a powerful member of a powerful species, more an nigh-or-outright demigod of wicked dragonkind. And nice mechanical advice on psionics. Theoretically you could do *most* of these tactics with a Red, too. So I'll chalk part of the impact up to AJ's description. But it is one hell of an impact.
For real tho, Kalameet wasn’t actually that tough, IMO. Reaching his boss gate alive with a Sunbro so I could finally chop off his damn tail without getting ganked by *at least* 37 asshole invaders- different story. Ugh... Also, Bloodborne is the greatest forever. Don’t @ me, bro.
From what I understand, all Obsidian dragons aspire to be mastermind villains of the highest order but what sets them apart from chromatic dragons is that they only serve themselves. A particularly ambitious Obsidian dragon would make an excellent BBEG.
If obsidian dragon is a gem dragon, is there a silica glass dragon? Calcite dragon, salt dragon, borax dragon, amonia dragon? Oh! A hash... I mean resin dragon...
These things are smart enough to make beholders look like dunces. Point-blank, it would sound ridiculous...if it wasn't, for some strange reason, the only gem dragon that instead of being neutral is blatantly lawful-evil...with a strong predilection for just plain neutral evil. #1 rule of D&D: if it's an enemy, it's a thousand times stronger and more horrific than anything the characters could consider an ally.
NEUTRAL evil... very very very important distinction... while I could say "Stay out of their sight and you will be fine"... its not that easy in practice.
I need more dragons! Can't wait to see the full lay list of all the dragons. But I am sure there are many more species out there that have yet to be studied.
I do not pray. When you think about it, praying is what landed Texas in this shit show in the first place. Now, leave politics out of the comments please.
@@kurayamaking6425 No offence caused, just nipping it in the bud before it some nutjob stampedes in here with some copy/paste rant they got off a cereal box.
@@AJPickett Need a mirror? It looks like you've become what you hate to me 😂 That was a huge over correction and it doesn't even solve the problem that you are trying to avoid, you're just making it worse with comments that are going to stir people up even more.
Obsidian Dragons are by far my favorite dragon subtype, they really stand out from all of the rest of the dragon types imo, not to mention they look badass and can outsmart just about anything in the multiverse.
Hey AJ, beautiful video! You have showed me some many different dragons that I have never seen or heard of before. I'm sure you have heard by now that we get a cameo appearance from Dark*Sun this summer. Seriously AJ, I can't wait to see what video you make from that Dark*Sun material. Thanks AJ, you have a wonderful day!
I've had two half dragon, well one's a hero the other... well this is going to give them the bbeg they always needed, the only thing to make them question whether or not they can kill it. Thank you for giving them this AJ, thank you. 😈
This. I've got a character in my all-half-dragon game whose draconic parent is an evil magma dragon, and you've just given me half the adventure featuring said dragon. Thank you.
When you jump back into covering dragons again I would love if you covered Moonstone Dragons They are my favourite of the dragons as they resonate with me. Imagine a Moonstone Dragon that is a fey lord with a small legion of Brigganocks who work tirelessly to mine wish stones to add to the dragons hoard. Small faerie dragons pinching bits of silver for the moonstone dragon in exchange for delicious pies and pastries. The moonstone dragon further builds on their hoard by using their regional effects as a means to easily export goods from the fey wild and ethereal into the material plane for trade. Not to mention their ability to communicate with the dreams of others much like the obsidian dragon except for a more symbiotic relationship. The moonstone dragon inspiring talented artisans in return for a donations of their creations.
Your videos are oddly calming. I have listened to them so many times that your voice has become a familiar sound. Also I love dnd. Keep up the good videos! you are a great narrator.
Since they're beings of fire and psionic prowess I'd assume there are more than a few Obsidian Dragon Pyrokineticist out there. I'd would be cool to see one use the Fire Lash ability as an extension of it's tail.
I mean… if you wanna steal the godhead of a dead deity, you need enough power/resources to reach a kinda critical mass - maybe one of these psi-phylacteries are the *perfect* power-up to let your BBEG start going all Reddit Atheism on the suckers-pantheon of your setting. Maybe throw in a subplot involving Ur-Priests or whatever… kinda writes itself, lol
I saw some green obsidian and it has me wondering about variations on this dragon. If they spend long enough on the plane of fire, maybe there's a slight chance they change into a different colored obsidian?
Okay, I know I said Orium dragons have a ton of story potential but this… THING. Its mechanics are nuts! You could really challenge a high level party with an old one of these.
I think that the high intelligence villains are by far the most deadly ones since well-laid plans can be a truly ridiculous force multiplier. If a party wasn't aware that they had made an enemy out of an obsidian dragon then they'd be screwed no matter what level they are. Unless the DM decided to go easy on them.
Not only have I really enjoyed making these vids, but its been absolute Rocket Fuel for my audience metrics... say whatever else you like about them, dragons are good for business!
Are you familiar with Occulus of 40k lore? Theres a reason I favor your videos and his so much. Anyone can make a lore video. It takes some creative energy to make it narrative. Even more creativity to remain consistent with the narrative. Quite the DM I imagine.
I love that channel. Especially the weary, exasperated sage character. The special, where he had a guest playing an Inquisitor, is something I replay regularly.
I don't know if you've ever done a video on them, but I really loved the concept of binders and vestiges from the 3.5e book Tome of Magic. I have no idea if there is other information out there except what was presented in that book.
While listening to this I had flashbacks to the Nightwings from WoF, and now I'm practically convinced all of this was written by an Obsidian Dragon as propaganda. Because I mean, they're impossible to find, and even if you do find the lair of one it's going to be exceptionally hard to reach it, AND EVEN THEN you aren't going to have much time before they either murder you or vanish into another plane. Therefore, I think it's highly likely the known information has been tampered with, if not outright influenced by an Obsidian Dragon. Not lying, but certainly exaggerating about their true greatness and potential. It's also sort of logical. If you can convince the world you're too powerful, intelligent, and elusive to bother going after, then obviously you're going to experience a lot less harassment by wannabe adventurers and heroes, which if I'm honest, if what is said about where they like to stick their lairs so people can't reach them, seems to be something the Obsidian Dragons want greatly. That being left alone. I should add that this is just my headcanon, not in any way fact. But if I ever do introduce an Obsidian Dragon, I'm going with this and making them more a reclusive scholar instead of a cruel evil monster. Still highly intelligent and powerful, just not the Shadow the Hedgehog of Dragons.
I like to lean into the idea, that chromatic dragons can turn into metallic or gem dragons if someone manages to set them on a path of good from a young age. Kinda like the story of Onyxia, the black dragon. The owner of the character who raised her, referred to her scales as being similar to that of obsidian. Shining, instead of being dull like a normal black dragons due to her good alignment.
Another great video sir was blown away the power of this dragon. Still trying to figure out what dragon would be good template to make the plangent dragon. Also have the obsidian basin middle eastern side of osse definetly a put obsidian dragon there dwelling.
Random thoughts in my brain as I listen to the video:
" Obsidian, a gemstone of volcanic origin linked with the Aztec and Mayan realms of death, afterlife, ghosts and war. THIS'LL BE A HOOT." * pushes play.*
" Huh. Highly intelligent? Secretive behavior and hunting patterns? Runs experiments on areas in it's natural terrain and people in said terrain with no remorse and utter amusement? Has minions at their beck and call? Explodes from " out of nowhere" using a FIREBALL to mask it's teleport signature? Chill, but can also be a dick like that one smart friend you have... yes you know. That one..... yeah.... Obsidian dragons are D&D versions of night furies."
" So this is the reason why the people of Berk hunted Night Furies to almost near extinction.... makes sense now. Toothless was just an abnormality in the wyrmling Obsidian Dragon culture...."
" getting tail swiped by one of these guys would be like getting cleaved in half by a tree trunk sized Macuahtil swung by a mac truck."
* hears about the psychic version of a philactary* " Huh.... so now we are throwing in the realm of being undead into it as well. Good call back to obsidian mirrors that have been depicted in murals used in rituals for the dead in MezoAmerican culture."
Critical success on that comment.
someone is proficient in history
@@sleepystar1638, I figure I have at least a D8 in history, lore, and various knowledges. It's enough to both get me into and out of a lot of trouble... now if I only had a die level in common sense I'd be set. XD
@@AJPickett Just added the 20th Thumbs Up to that comment, so that it's currently a Natural 20 for a moment. ; )
I had one of these dragons kidnap the party paladin. The paladin was kept in a small dark cell with a scrying constantly projected across from him of his friends. The rest of the party was given the ultimatum of doing some work for the dragon in exchange for their friend back. Progressively more terrible things that had seemingly no connection, and indeed several of them were just cruelty for cruelties sake, until the party had the blood of dozens of innocents on their hands and poisoned the head waters of a major river. And then the dragon gave the exhausted traumatized party their paladin back, having made him watch as his friends laid waste to his childhood home. Good times
That is genius
Who hurt you?
That was so beautiful🥲
You finally gave me the missing puzzle piece I needed for my exotic dragon focused story! Finally I have a face and stats for the mastermind behind the fall of the Holy Tolkien alliance! I now know what was pitting all the factions against each other. Who was it that created the map to all the dragon layers! And finally, I have a who can use the line that's been floating around in my head for too long: "Do you have any idea how much power I'd need to give up to be simply a god." The best lore videos are the ones that help you fit all the puzzle pieces together in your own story. Thank you.
“It was me... DIO!”
What alignment are baby Trolls? New-Troll....
@@rachdarastrix5251 I was going to post another joke, but it would just drag-on...
Dm - You slay the dragon by jamming your sword into it’s eye
Player - so is there any tresure me and the party could grab?
Dm - you see a lake of gold
Player misunderstanding - I DIVE INTO THE LAKE OF GOLD
Dm - sighing roll me acrobatics
Player - that’s a nat 20
Dm - you sprint towards the lake doing some flips to then swan dive into the LAKE OF MOLTEN GOLD hitting the surface and your slowly sinking in, what do you do?
“Regret nothing.” #SigmillionaireGrindset
"You take 10d10 fire damage as you climb out"
Dragon: The only chance you had of possibly beating me was gone when I stopped being a wyrmling...
Barbarian with a vorpal sword: Well, I sure Wish you were still a young wyrmling right now.
An adventure hunting a Black Dragon that's being tormented and eventually replaced by an Obsidian Dragon would be so badass.
Considering the intelligence gap of the two I can see the Obsidian Dragon getting fed up with the Black Dragon's stupid decisions.
int:37...that would be an unfathomable level of genius,he would know stuff that he cant possible know,just from deducing it and he would be right 99,9% of the time.he could come up with perfect plans to counter any given situation within seconds.something that smart would be the doom of every group,with no chance of survival
I have a question which would win Creeping Doom or the strongest Obsidian Dragon?
@@hbsavage0387 when it comes to sheer power daurgothoth is hard to beat but i think in the long game daurgothoth would eventually lose....or worse they could both start to enjoy their "game" and become somwhat friends......
@@BruderSenf yea that’s kinda the same conclusion I came too sheer power would win initially but intelligence in the long run wins. Although both are so twisted and sick that they could just be the absolute worst thing to happen to everyone and everything
@@hbsavage0387 They'd both end up enjoying the game enough to distract from their other schemes, which is a win for everyone else
@@Attaxalotl until your realize their games include EVERYONE ELSE.
I feel like I remember there being some lore about Sardior the ruby dragon having a conflict with an obsidian dragon about who's the leader of the gem dragons. Maybe I'm imagining things. Also, maybe it was mentioned in the video and I missed it.
Guess I'll just have to watch again! 😁 Thanks AJ!
Ancient history, but yep.
My personal headcanon is that Obsidian Dragons were originally mortal ruby dragons, but they were banished and cursed by the Thanes of Sardior for blasphemy or some similar offense.
That works quite well.
heck yea, ive tried homebrewing my own obsidian dragon a few years ago (i say tried cause my players got into a fight with it too early and basically killed themselves throwing themselves at it) but i didnt know where to look for lore on them, so this is awesome
Finally! I was really curious about them, with them being the only evil gem dragons (as far as I know), the most intelligent of them, and having been left out like they have.
And holy hell, this might just be my new favorite dragon.
Red dragon: Who are you?
Obsidian Dragon: I'm you but better.
*"I am the heart of the mountain, come to cleanse the world of your filth"*
" A ferocious dragon indeed, even mighty Anor Londo dared not provoke his ire ..." ~*Hawkeye Gough*~ Keep em coming AJ.👌
That was one of my favorite videos you've ever made, and you've made a lot of good ones.
I love the idea that you come across a floating talking crystal, it can do some basic interaction and provide information, and it's actually a recovering obsidian dragon maneuvering the party the whole time.
Well I admit I was hoping to hear about Sadior's former thane but nice.
Aw, yeah, some Mind's Eye online content. Makes me nostalgic for that 3.5 D&D site.
Some of us have been petitioning WotC to put the Archives back up, they took them down like the jerks they are.
Seems like the ideal opponent for a DND equivalent of chess.
I’m loving the way you’re doing these videos telling as the sage is pretty awesome
I LOVE the idea of beings so smart that Azmodeus would think thrice before trying to double-cross them.
An obsidian dragon that somehow got stuck in his psionic phylactery would make an amazing villain. Unable to bear their powers to full brunt but perfectly able to manipulate everything around them from the shadows.
Extremely useful, I just tied in a race for the Heart of Sardior against Sardior's thanes into my campaign and one option I came up with for how they could beat these god like Gem Wyrms would be to ask the descendants of the destroyed obsidian thane to assist.
As a follower of Sardior; I'm excited for this.
"Am i hinting that this is a nigh unbeatable foe?" "No"
Oh thank god, now he's gonna explain their weaknesses.
"Im outright telling you"
Fuck
Seems like a dragon who’d be particularly good at Xorvintaal.
Absolutely.
I've been waiting 84 years for this video
And I love it.
This is new. I can't recall the last time I watched a video that I wasn't at least aware of the critter being referenced. I've never heard of this one. COOL! That said, I feel the creative juices flowing like a spring thaw at the thought of how I could incorporate one of these into my campaign setting. Thanks again, good Sir!
Just doing my job *tips hat*
Regarding Firebreath> Mob of Magmins dirty trick... For solo monsters, boss monsters, or end-of-story encounters, it's always good to shake up the stat block with a few unique tricks. I've been around people playing for many years, and they can read the books too!
First gem dragon video I've seen, and this sucker seems to give the most sadistic, malevolent red dragon nightmares, making them abdicate their thrown as most evil dragon to this one.
If you can find a copy: Obsidian Dragon ... Dragon Magazine 146 (June 1989) and damn they have been so radically altered for 3.5... not even the same Dragon... ok having reread... it is the LAWFUL (Good, Neutral or Evil) silver dragon mutant referenced in the first few breaths of this blog (twould be interesting to see the two variants lock err horns)
I wasn't even aware there was an Obsidian Dragon prior to the 3.5e one from The Mind's Eye. They changed it to an elusive 6th Gem Dragon, probably because each Gem Dragon mastered a particular Psionic disipline and 3e introduced a 6th discipline so guess they needed a 6th gem dragon.
Finally been waiting for these guys.
I can see this dragon as a great plot hook for an Uber enemy/mastermind! Wonderful presentation AJ!👍
I've enjoyed this whole series but especially these Bad Mama Jammers
Thanks AJ 👍👍
Im still waiting for the lithium dragon, it's sonic breath weapon and home plane of nirvana...
To be fair, the weakness of the intellect is often ego. And when that fails, the party being the pawns of similarly intelligent creatures like gods, primordials, and other obsidian dragons never hurts.
If nothing else, Sadior killed one of the best of them and scattered the rest.
HEY SHUSH DON'T TELL MY SECRETS!
Yass! Right for my sleep time. Thanks AJ!
They quite literally have 400 IQ.
Thanks for this! I've been searching for this information. Now I need to figure out how the Emerald and Crystal dragons will handle this situation, along with the black dragon, in my second book. Thanks... I think, lol."
Great video, AJ... and wow. These dragons are completely alien to me. Also, who cares if they are not nearly as powerful as a Red Dragon in head-to-head combat capability? Their fringe, extraplanar, and intellectual capabilities made them pretty much demigods at least.
Now if I can just find a way to overwhelm one of these with cinderspawns
I’d love to see a video on firearms in D&D. I have seen a few of them in the official 5e adventures but I don’t remember them in the older versions out side of spelljammer.
WOW, you are in luck! Stay tuned, next month I am going to provide you with a complete guide to D&D Firearms... IN SPAAAAACE!
If I recall correctly, there was one early edition module that involved a crashed alien ship where the players could obtain laser weaponry.
I know in 5e there where firearms in Dragon Heist, Dungeon of the Mad Mage, CoS and laser weapons in Rime of the Frost Maiden. There may be some I missed.
@@inquisitorkobold6037 Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, yep.
@@AJPickett It's kind of sad that the first place I heard about that module was from an rpg horror story.
Have there ever been any of these guys in Ravenloft? Because of the plane shifting thing?
Highly unlikely, but hey, never say never. (and I will never tell anyone how to play their game or use the game lore I provide)
Back in 3e, Gem Dragons could plane shift between the Material and Elemental Planes at will. So, not really Ravenloft. No idea why they chose to give them this, but part of it was to give them a more "reclusive nature" as opposed to the Metallics and Chromatics. Supposedly it could be used as a game world reason why Gem Dragons didn't seem abundant and as meddling in the world as the others.
Every time you tell me to get a tasty
beverage. I fortunately, have bourbon on hand.
Just out of curiosity.. which brand of Bourbon?
@@AJPickett Buffalo Trace.
Loving videos Loremaster Pickett! Really enjoying all the dragon content
This is the coolest type of dragon yet
Holy crap; it’s Darkseid!! And an ancient gold dragon could be Superman.
For the record. The melting point of gold is double that of lead and nearly that of aluminum.
Defeating this monster would take some serious planning!
I'm always nervous about monsters whose main advantage is intelligence: it feels difficult to portray that properly without outright cheating (too much).
But this thing. Without the note about them being physically weaker than the Red, this feels less like something to run as a species and more something to have as a one-off ultraboss. Anyone who remembers Kalameet in Dark Souls, like that.
Less a powerful member of a powerful species, more an nigh-or-outright demigod of wicked dragonkind.
And nice mechanical advice on psionics.
Theoretically you could do *most* of these tactics with a Red, too. So I'll chalk part of the impact up to AJ's description. But it is one hell of an impact.
In a previous video, he used a picture of Kalameet and it gave me ‘Nam flashbacks.
For real tho, Kalameet wasn’t actually that tough, IMO. Reaching his boss gate alive with a Sunbro so I could finally chop off his damn tail without getting ganked by *at least* 37 asshole invaders- different story. Ugh...
Also, Bloodborne is the greatest forever. Don’t @ me, bro.
From what I understand, all Obsidian dragons aspire to be mastermind villains of the highest order but what sets them apart from chromatic dragons is that they only serve themselves. A particularly ambitious Obsidian dragon would make an excellent BBEG.
My Favorite of the gem dragons, make great villains and can be sympathetic if you look at their entire species getting exiled for the actions of one.
Excellent work considering the lack of official material. If you didn't mention it I'd have never known.
That lore was literally deleted off the internet, if it were not for the Wayback Machine, I would never have found it.
@@AJPickett Scumbag move on WoTC's part.
If obsidian dragon is a gem dragon, is there a silica glass dragon? Calcite dragon, salt dragon, borax dragon, amonia dragon? Oh! A hash... I mean resin dragon...
Ruby dragon god would just turned them into stone dust again.
Everybody gangster until the Ammonia Dragon falls in love with a Bleach Dragon.
Mustard Gas Dragon
Would That Not Just Be A Green Dragon?
There are chromatic, metallic, gem, and celestial dragons. What a pantheon
Also Ferrus dragons and Lung dragons
This is an amazing dragon. I gotta use this
These things are smart enough to make beholders look like dunces. Point-blank, it would sound ridiculous...if it wasn't, for some strange reason, the only gem dragon that instead of being neutral is blatantly lawful-evil...with a strong predilection for just plain neutral evil.
#1 rule of D&D: if it's an enemy, it's a thousand times stronger and more horrific than anything the characters could consider an ally.
NEUTRAL evil... very very very important distinction... while I could say "Stay out of their sight and you will be fine"... its not that easy in practice.
Who would win in a fight to the death between a black dragon and an obsidian dragon?
Obsidian if they're both of equal power I'd say. Psychic powers plus higher intelligence & breath weapon is pretty sick as well.
Obsidian. If they're about equal in age, then the Obsidian will always be smarter.
I need more dragons! Can't wait to see the full lay list of all the dragons. But I am sure there are many more species out there that have yet to be studied.
Prefect timing, pray for Texas if possible o' great sage
I do not pray. When you think about it, praying is what landed Texas in this shit show in the first place. Now, leave politics out of the comments please.
@@AJPickett Say less didn't mean to offend, or bring anything political.
@@kurayamaking6425 No offence caused, just nipping it in the bud before it some nutjob stampedes in here with some copy/paste rant they got off a cereal box.
@@AJPickett Need a mirror? It looks like you've become what you hate to me 😂 That was a huge over correction and it doesn't even solve the problem that you are trying to avoid, you're just making it worse with comments that are going to stir people up even more.
Obsidian Dragons are by far my favorite dragon subtype, they really stand out from all of the rest of the dragon types imo, not to mention they look badass and can outsmart just about anything in the multiverse.
Hey AJ, beautiful video! You have showed me some many different dragons that I have never seen or heard of before. I'm sure you have heard by now that we get a cameo appearance from Dark*Sun this summer. Seriously AJ, I can't wait to see what video you make from that Dark*Sun material.
Thanks AJ, you have a wonderful day!
I've had two half dragon, well one's a hero the other... well this is going to give them the bbeg they always needed, the only thing to make them question whether or not they can kill it. Thank you for giving them this AJ, thank you. 😈
A great video! I love obsidian and I love dragons! What a great combination!
Amethyst Dragons simply don't give a fuck. Obsidian Dragons don't give a fuck about you, specifically.
man you have been pumping these out! love it!!!
“Don’t tell me the moon is shining. Show me the glint of light on broken glass.”
The Moriarty of dragons.... sweet!
Who would be Sherlock?
@@tremendousyeet3467 Bahamut.
Excellent
I believe with the other psionic dragons left, the Ectoplasmic Dragon might be the only one...though there are the lesser gem dragons
This. I've got a character in my all-half-dragon game whose draconic parent is an evil magma dragon, and you've just given me half the adventure featuring said dragon. Thank you.
Tell your players I say Hi
psychic obisidian dragon?
W H Y D O I H E A R D A R K S O U L M U S I C?
When you jump back into covering dragons again I would love if you covered Moonstone Dragons
They are my favourite of the dragons as they resonate with me.
Imagine a Moonstone Dragon that is a fey lord with a small legion of Brigganocks who work tirelessly to mine wish stones to add to the dragons hoard. Small faerie dragons pinching bits of silver for the moonstone dragon in exchange for delicious pies and pastries.
The moonstone dragon further builds on their hoard by using their regional effects as a means to easily export goods from the fey wild and ethereal into the material plane for trade.
Not to mention their ability to communicate with the dreams of others much like the obsidian dragon except for a more symbiotic relationship. The moonstone dragon inspiring talented artisans in return for a donations of their creations.
oOoOO. This sounds like a great one. Thank you Mr Pickett.
What would the opposite of an obsidian dragon be
@@jamestucker2013 The opposite? Well, I don't know about that, but I do know they are opposed by good-aligned Metallic dragons such as the Gold,.
So the Obsidian Dragon would basically be the Red-Black Dragon from Yugioh 😮
Your videos are oddly calming. I have listened to them so many times that your voice has become a familiar sound. Also I love dnd. Keep up the good videos! you are a great narrator.
Since they're beings of fire and psionic prowess I'd assume there are more than a few Obsidian Dragon Pyrokineticist out there. I'd would be cool to see one use the Fire Lash ability as an extension of it's tail.
Go for it!
Awesome. Great stuff aj!
The old format I love! Amazing T.T love the video
I wanna steal their storage crystal resurrection tech.
Ima steal from the dragon.
*I want. I need.*
*I cannot be stopped.*
Well, we've found Villain #1 that will hire the party to go after a Obsidian Dragon.
@@Zaprozhan
Fear not. I will provide ample aid and be there in person. Just don't try to cheat me my prize for this investment.
I mean… if you wanna steal the godhead of a dead deity, you need enough power/resources to reach a kinda critical mass - maybe one of these psi-phylacteries are the *perfect* power-up to let your BBEG start going all Reddit Atheism on the suckers-pantheon of your setting.
Maybe throw in a subplot involving Ur-Priests or whatever… kinda writes itself, lol
@@paulpolito2001
Sounds about right
Great job as always
Dragon with psychic powers interesting to hear about
I saw some green obsidian and it has me wondering about variations on this dragon. If they spend long enough on the plane of fire, maybe there's a slight chance they change into a different colored obsidian?
Omg fine! I’ll watch this video after it being at the top of my recommended for the last week!
Are you going to do a video on the Lithium dragons of Nirvana?
Yes, I have a few planar dragons to cover, the Adamantine dragon certainly needs its own video.
Okay, I know I said Orium dragons have a ton of story potential but this… THING. Its mechanics are nuts! You could really challenge a high level party with an old one of these.
I think that the high intelligence villains are by far the most deadly ones since well-laid plans can be a truly ridiculous force multiplier. If a party wasn't aware that they had made an enemy out of an obsidian dragon then they'd be screwed no matter what level they are. Unless the DM decided to go easy on them.
I know dragons work differently there but these guys would be right at home in Dark Sun
Another fantastic one! Been loving these rare dragon vids!
Not only have I really enjoyed making these vids, but its been absolute Rocket Fuel for my audience metrics... say whatever else you like about them, dragons are good for business!
you had me at neutral evil
Woot woot..new dragon🎉🎉
Bless the Mighty GlueStick
The idea of a dragon vomiting up a bunch of magmins gave me a good chuckle.
Are you familiar with Occulus of 40k lore? Theres a reason I favor your videos and his so much. Anyone can make a lore video. It takes some creative energy to make it narrative. Even more creativity to remain consistent with the narrative. Quite the DM I imagine.
I love that channel. Especially the weary, exasperated sage character. The special, where he had a guest playing an Inquisitor, is something I replay regularly.
Ancalagon the Black was probably an Obsidian dragon.
Say AJ, ever consider making a video on the foods of the Forgotten Realms?
Yes :) I am a Dire Halfling after all.
@@AJPickett I would watch that repeatedly
@@AJPickett I would love this
Does the delicious pink slime video count? 🤤
I like this idea. It'd be even better if AJ recorded himself making the dish he's talking about!
@@Christopher_Pug The flavor enhancer made from alchemically treated Pink Ooze spray is ILLEGAL in most places.
I got some coke zero with me this morning and watching the Obsidian Dragon! :)
I don't know if you've ever done a video on them, but I really loved the concept of binders and vestiges from the 3.5e book Tome of Magic. I have no idea if there is other information out there except what was presented in that book.
While listening to this I had flashbacks to the Nightwings from WoF, and now I'm practically convinced all of this was written by an Obsidian Dragon as propaganda. Because I mean, they're impossible to find, and even if you do find the lair of one it's going to be exceptionally hard to reach it, AND EVEN THEN you aren't going to have much time before they either murder you or vanish into another plane.
Therefore, I think it's highly likely the known information has been tampered with, if not outright influenced by an Obsidian Dragon. Not lying, but certainly exaggerating about their true greatness and potential. It's also sort of logical. If you can convince the world you're too powerful, intelligent, and elusive to bother going after, then obviously you're going to experience a lot less harassment by wannabe adventurers and heroes, which if I'm honest, if what is said about where they like to stick their lairs so people can't reach them, seems to be something the Obsidian Dragons want greatly. That being left alone.
I should add that this is just my headcanon, not in any way fact. But if I ever do introduce an Obsidian Dragon, I'm going with this and making them more a reclusive scholar instead of a cruel evil monster. Still highly intelligent and powerful, just not the Shadow the Hedgehog of Dragons.
I like to lean into the idea, that chromatic dragons can turn into metallic or gem dragons if someone manages to set them on a path of good from a young age.
Kinda like the story of Onyxia, the black dragon. The owner of the character who raised her, referred to her scales as being similar to that of obsidian. Shining, instead of being dull like a normal black dragons due to her good alignment.
I run them more of a Dr. Frankenstein / Cave Johnson situation, where they are in it for the *_S C I E N C E !_*
Ohhh I love this dragon!
I like this type of video layout I'm adding this to my dungeons and dragons playlist on my channel
Another great video sir was blown away the power of this dragon. Still trying to figure out what dragon would be good template to make the plangent dragon. Also have the obsidian basin middle eastern side of osse definetly a put obsidian dragon there dwelling.
These guys sound ridiculously overpowered. No wonder they haven't been brought back officially to 5e.
Not really, comparing their 3.0 stats to even the 3.5e Red Great Wyrm stats, they're about the same in power.
It's possible to defeat a villain without facing them in direct combat.