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.
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
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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?
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.
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...
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.
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.
I've been thinking about what a Gem Stalker from Fizban's Treasury of Dragons effect on their crystal dart would be like if they were created by an obsidian dragon. Temporary banishment? Some kind of psionic malady? Just really damn sharp? The crystal dart's effect is usually seems to be related to the (secondary) effect of the gem dragon's breath attack, but the obsidian dragon's breath does not have a secondary effect as far as I'm aware.
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.
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. 😈
IQ strongly relates to openness to another's point of view. Would older obsidian dragons still be evil aligned when they can relate to other creatures more strongly?
I think you are confusing openess to understanding, you can understand and even empathize with an opposing point of view, even the correct point of view, just for sheer evil amusement.
Your character is now Neutral Evil and has an intelligence of 20, telepathy and can cast mage hand at will with no components. Why only 20? Because you can't roleplay an IQ of over 400, the DM has to do that FOR you. This is just my take on it, there is no correct answer.
@@codyfoster148 You *can* use a wish spell to wish for anything. You *cannot* stop the DM from interpreting ‘anything’ in the absolute worst way imaginable. Trust me. Related: If the DM asks “Are you *sure* you want to do that..?”- you *don’t* want to do that. 😑
@@AJPickett “You can’t RP an IQ of over 400.” My monocle and well-practiced habit of gazing into a fireplace for hours while saying “Hrmmm... indeed...” would beg to differ.
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!
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.
How would a creature with 15 intelligence that had just hatched act? How would you indicate that the thing the players are looking at is that intelligent without having it talk?
Instinctual behavior that seems supernatural, like, being able to read draconic text before they can talk. Using their acid breath to melt locks a cage bars, etc
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.
Considering that having an intelligence of up to 37 at great wyrm level, would make an obsidian dragon of that age & level the psionic equivalent of a super predator, I have a question. How do they interact with other psionicly empowered beings? I know that the mindflayers & abolithes both have prodigious psionics. The githyanki and githzerai also have formidable mental powers. During the time of troubles, in the books about drizzt, an entire drow family rose to prominence based on their impressive psionics. But how do other psions interact with and stack up to a great wyrm obsidian dragon?
Entities with that level of psionic intellect, such as the Elder brains (illithids) can exist in more than one place at the same time, so the Obsidian dragon may manifest as quite a different looking entity on the Astral plane. It's not completely implausible for the dragon to contest possession of the physical form of an elder brain from the astral plane, killing the astral projection of it's being and usurping control, thus, a mind flayer colony could actually be controlled by a dragon, cloaked in the physical form of a giant brain floating in a brine pool. Same could be said for a flumph circle or the Myconic Sovereign... so many possibilities!
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.
3.5 is my favorite addition and I still didn't know about these guys! Very cool! Are the arcane dragons next? And will we get videos on the dragons that are not true dragons such as the cloud dragon?
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.
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 believe there had been a reference to them essentially attempting a Zariel to try pleasing him at that point in an attempt to end Tiamat there. There was also a reference elsewhere that mentioned them in reference to the dragon familiar with giving some basic personality traits for other dragons with an article at the time. It mentions that while being paranoid and violent, they're also suprisingly "friendly" to those stronger than them, which would, normally, be making the younger ones as minions for the older and more powerful ones, but one that's a familiar will merrily do what their bosses say with enthusiasm, though in ways that most of the mortal races would view as twisting it in some of the more evil ways. Such as being sent to get a loaf of bread, they're more likely to pocket the coin and torture the bakers kids to force him to bake the best they can...then burn the bakery down on their way out to leave to survivors or trace.
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."
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!”
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"*
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.
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"
"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
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.
" 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.
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.
What alignment are baby Trolls? New-Troll....
@@rachdarastrix5251 I was going to post another joke, but it would just drag-on...
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
I’m loving the way you’re doing these videos telling as the sage is pretty awesome
Seems like the ideal opponent for a DND equivalent of chess.
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*
I can see this dragon as a great plot hook for an Uber enemy/mastermind! Wonderful presentation AJ!👍
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.
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.
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!
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.
Amethyst Dragons simply don't give a fuck. Obsidian Dragons don't give a fuck about you, specifically.
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.
Finally been waiting for these guys.
I've been waiting 84 years for this video
And I love it.
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.
For the record. The melting point of gold is double that of lead and nearly that of aluminum.
Yass! Right for my sleep time. Thanks AJ!
Thanks!
No no, Thank YOU! :)
HEY SHUSH DON'T TELL MY SECRETS!
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
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!
As a follower of Sardior; I'm excited for this.
Im still waiting for the lithium dragon, it's sonic breath weapon and home plane of nirvana...
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.
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.
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.
I've enjoyed this whole series but especially these Bad Mama Jammers
Thanks AJ 👍👍
Loving videos Loremaster Pickett! Really enjoying all the dragon content
There are chromatic, metallic, gem, and celestial dragons. What a pantheon
Also Ferrus dragons and Lung dragons
The old format I love! Amazing T.T love the video
1:48 T-Shirt logo?
You got it... subtle plug :)
Oh, lol. I actually didn't see it was already a t-shirt, just thought it would be a cool looking one
Seems like a dragon who’d be particularly good at Xorvintaal.
Absolutely.
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?
man you have been pumping these out! love it!!!
This is the coolest type of dragon yet
“Don’t tell me the moon is shining. Show me the glint of light on broken glass.”
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.
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.
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.
Defeating this monster would take some serious planning!
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?
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.
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.
Great job as always
YES! I was starting to miss this format of the monsterology videos. Any plans of finishing out the classes? I love that series too
Eventually
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.
Well I admit I was hoping to hear about Sadior's former thane but nice.
I've been thinking about what a Gem Stalker from Fizban's Treasury of Dragons effect on their crystal dart would be like if they were created by an obsidian dragon. Temporary banishment? Some kind of psionic malady? Just really damn sharp? The crystal dart's effect is usually seems to be related to the (secondary) effect of the gem dragon's breath attack, but the obsidian dragon's breath does not have a secondary effect as far as I'm aware.
Now if I can just find a way to overwhelm one of these with cinderspawns
Omg fine! I’ll watch this video after it being at the top of my recommended for the last week!
Awesome. Great stuff aj!
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.
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. 😈
IQ strongly relates to openness to another's point of view. Would older obsidian dragons still be evil aligned when they can relate to other creatures more strongly?
I think you are confusing openess to understanding, you can understand and even empathize with an opposing point of view, even the correct point of view, just for sheer evil amusement.
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.
As a character can you use a wish spell to wish to have the intelligence of an obsidian dragon
Your character is now Neutral Evil and has an intelligence of 20, telepathy and can cast mage hand at will with no components. Why only 20? Because you can't roleplay an IQ of over 400, the DM has to do that FOR you. This is just my take on it, there is no correct answer.
@@AJPickett thank you i appreciate your input
@@codyfoster148 You *can* use a wish spell to wish for anything. You *cannot* stop the DM from interpreting ‘anything’ in the absolute worst way imaginable. Trust me.
Related: If the DM asks “Are you *sure* you want to do that..?”- you *don’t* want to do that. 😑
@@AJPickett “You can’t RP an IQ of over 400.”
My monocle and well-practiced habit of gazing into a fireplace for hours while saying “Hrmmm... indeed...” would beg to differ.
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!
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.
I believe with the other psionic dragons left, the Ectoplasmic Dragon might be the only one...though there are the lesser gem dragons
Holy crap; it’s Darkseid!! And an ancient gold dragon could be Superman.
A great video! I love obsidian and I love dragons! What a great combination!
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,.
How would a creature with 15 intelligence that had just hatched act? How would you indicate that the thing the players are looking at is that intelligent without having it talk?
Instinctual behavior that seems supernatural, like, being able to read draconic text before they can talk. Using their acid breath to melt locks a cage bars, etc
That the hatchling is just as smart as them
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?
They quite literally have 400 IQ.
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.
The idea of a dragon vomiting up a bunch of magmins gave me a good chuckle.
This is an amazing dragon. I gotta use this
Excellent
Considering that having an intelligence of up to 37 at great wyrm level, would make an obsidian dragon of that age & level the psionic equivalent of a super predator, I have a question. How do they interact with other psionicly empowered beings? I know that the mindflayers & abolithes both have prodigious psionics. The githyanki and githzerai also have formidable mental powers. During the time of troubles, in the books about drizzt, an entire drow family rose to prominence based on their impressive psionics. But how do other psions interact with and stack up to a great wyrm obsidian dragon?
Entities with that level of psionic intellect, such as the Elder brains (illithids) can exist in more than one place at the same time, so the Obsidian dragon may manifest as quite a different looking entity on the Astral plane. It's not completely implausible for the dragon to contest possession of the physical form of an elder brain from the astral plane, killing the astral projection of it's being and usurping control, thus, a mind flayer colony could actually be controlled by a dragon, cloaked in the physical form of a giant brain floating in a brine pool. Same could be said for a flumph circle or the Myconic Sovereign... so many possibilities!
@@voodoophil The thing of nightmares...
@@voodoophil Neither do I but I LIKE IT!
@@AJPickett so, what you’re *really saying* is: “These are a great excuse to unleash one of those mindflayer-dragon abominations on your players!”?
@@paulpolito2001 you think that's the only suggestion I have?
The Moriarty of dragons.... sweet!
Who would be Sherlock?
@@tremendousyeet3467 Bahamut.
I like this type of video layout I'm adding this to my dungeons and dragons playlist on my channel
It's a 3.0 stat, not 3.5e unfortunately. I thought they got an update but sadly didn't.
Ah, thanks for that correction. :)
Joke’s on them- I don’t believe in decimals.
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!
3.5 is my favorite addition and I still didn't know about these guys!
Very cool!
Are the arcane dragons next?
And will we get videos on the dragons that are not true dragons such as the cloud dragon?
We have to save some dragons for later! :) I will be happy to get to them soon, I may even have videos on every type of dragon one day.
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.
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.
you had me at neutral evil
I seem to recall having heard something about Obsidian dragons having been banished from Sardior's court. Is there any other information about this?
... what more did you need other than Hyper intelligence and evil?
@@AJPickett, fair enough, just wasn't sure if there was something specific they had done.
I believe there had been a reference to them essentially attempting a Zariel to try pleasing him at that point in an attempt to end Tiamat there. There was also a reference elsewhere that mentioned them in reference to the dragon familiar with giving some basic personality traits for other dragons with an article at the time. It mentions that while being paranoid and violent, they're also suprisingly "friendly" to those stronger than them, which would, normally, be making the younger ones as minions for the older and more powerful ones, but one that's a familiar will merrily do what their bosses say with enthusiasm, though in ways that most of the mortal races would view as twisting it in some of the more evil ways. Such as being sent to get a loaf of bread, they're more likely to pocket the coin and torture the bakers kids to force him to bake the best they can...then burn the bakery down on their way out to leave to survivors or trace.
Bless the Mighty GlueStick
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."
Probably not going to be seen but it would be amazing to touch on Sardior the Ruby Dragon (going to check your channel after this post tho)
First view/comment! Love your content!