Dungeons and Dragons Lore: Drake

Lesser Dragons, Dragon kin, draconic cousins to the true dragons, the wyverns and filling all the niches of the draconic ecosystem, today I take a look at the more common drakes and the greater riding drakes.

[@chaddixon9764]

We got Dragons, we got Drakes, we got Wyverns, we got Lung. We didn't name this game Dungeon and Doilies.

[@AJPickett]

LOL, exactly!

[@trippdouglas4467]

I know it is kinda randomly asking but do anybody know a good website to stream new tv shows online?

[@80Elminster]

Although we probably got them too!

[@loren6102]

We have Tarrasque also you might say its a dinosaur not a dragon But FUCK YOU WE MADE IT A DESTROYER OF WORLDS ITS NOT DUNGOIN AND DRAGONS ITS DUNGOINS AND DIE PAINFULLY

[@johnathoncrines3198]

Drake animal companion sounds like the best idea ever for a beastmaster Ranger

[@CaliBassin]

Yes Sir.

[@BigsZone]

Let one of my players take one, was pretty cool.

[@Uhshawdude]

Guess what came out in UA today

[@leosciotti1389]

BOY I have some good news for ya media.wizards.com/2020/dnd/downloads/UA2020_102620_Subclasses05.pdf

[@theropen1997]

There's also Hengeyokai, which are like reverse lycanthropes in which certain animals gain the ability to shapeshift into a human form and a humanoid hybrid form, and there's a Drake version of those.

[@Im-Not-a-Dog]

Drakes are the draconic version of regular animals. So a cool idea might be a particularly wealthy kingdom could have a regular zoo and a draconic zoo as a display of opulence that players who’ve gained the kings favor can visit.

[@jacklau2558]

I'm thinking higher tier nobles riding them into battle or an elite unit in the army. Coastal towns could have a type of turtle drake that instead of a shell uses the under side of ships.

[@Im-Not-a-Dog]

@@jacklau2558 Thats definitely got to be a thing. But my thoughts are, we gave wealthy nobles war dogs and they bred them into pugs and poodles. Imagine what they'd do with things like Drakes, Pseudodragons, Owlbears, and Displacer Beasts.

[@jacklau2558]

@@Im-Not-a-Dog Oh God no

[@jameswilliams2075]

Then have someone sabatoge it and the party had to try and recapture them and limit the deaths

[@purplehaze2358]

Drakes were basically wingless dragons in mythology, and to be honest I prefer the D&D definition because it’s a lot more interesting.

[@thetreatment498]

Good to see you here.

[@shadowknight743]

​@@thetreatment498Same here.

[@spookyspecter2864]

Take a shot every time he says "Drake" in this one

[@AJPickett]

*alehouse drake befriends you*

[@brianmead7556]

What's the Drake count in the script?

[@nvfury13]

Ok, so what do I do *after* everybody but me is dead?

[@harrietr.5073]

r.i.p.

[@harrietr.5073]

@@nvfury13 be a dimensional traveller.

[@coltonh6472]

I love how this dude talks like he's giving a college lecture. Honestly this is insanely immersive

[@angetalelbari2196]

In my campaign dragons are rare and barely seen so drakes are much more common, so the appearance of a actual dragon is a spectacular event.

[@snforde4603]

You know, the way you describe drakes and their role in the world remind me of the Jack Vance book, Dragon Masters.

[@clairvoyantKos]

This has given me so much inspiration for using drakes in my game, im so excited to include them!

[@thethingwithfins]

and yes is DOES taste like chicken... best line... Very in love with the drake idea... Now my Dream character needs a drake as well... Just imagine a pixie with a bonded drake, its a battle pet, its a mount, its a mtherfing dragon on a tiny scale

[@tatsusama3192]

Love Drakes! I want a badass buddy the size of a tiger to help on my journey, haha.

[@dr.calibrations7984]

Tatsusama hey, dont i know you?

[@tatsusama3192]

HA! FudgeMuppet, Warsky, and now AJ Pickett! We meet again, my friend

[@dr.calibrations7984]

Tatsusama you have officially become my favorite KZbin Easter Egg 😂

[@tatsusama3192]

hahaha, I'll try to comment on more of the things I watch now! I've never had a comment tag buddy

[@KZBluCaesar3]

“This is after all; Dungeons and DRAGONS!” You can’t put it better than that.

[@SeeTreeBee]

I need a series a series of this, I fell like there’s loads of information on them or at least a part 2😅 I’m trying to learn more and implement drakes more often into my own campaigns.

[@AJPickett]

Yes, this does need a series.

[@danielpaske8473]

9:07 the blue drake is Tarusk from the Unexpectables

[@ShizaruBloodrayne]

In my worldbuilding project, the planet is 3x bigger than earth, leaving much room for diverse life for a variety of complex niches.....so there's dozens of drakes and dragons everywhere but the world is just so vast that civilization and other eco life and even slumbering titans lurk without much consequence on the world at whole....on top of that.....in a multiverse, multiple worlds tied together through different ley lines can have beings cross over overlaps between the seems whether intentional or not.

[@baconlover7747]

Anybody else want a drake on their shoulder like a parrot?..... A poison spitting parrot?

[@elricengquist9989]

I always quite liked Drakes, and wyverns in games. Very informative. I honestly took the idea of Legend of Dragoon abit for a setting, as well as Korean Imoogi/Imugi legends. In a quite large civil war like conflict you have two sides, on one side you have the Wyverns, while on the other side you have Drakes (well slightly more intelligent than the ones in this vid). In the conflict you have them fighting over a finite resource called Dragon-hearts that are crystalline orbs of various colors linked to different energies an beings, that a Wyvern or Drake can use to advance into becoming a full-fledged dragon. With the type of dragon being largely based on the Dragon-heart, but also the appearance of the dragon they become based on if they were a Drake or Wyvern prior.

[@Menzobarrenza]

That's pretty cool. And hello from the future!

[@antwan1357]

great content , drakes are so overlooked unless they are someone's familiar.

[@leodouskyron5671]

So fun seeing this (again) with the Drakewarden being a thing. (I really wish I had pdfs of the Dragon Magazine archives at times like this.)

[@Greenscyth22]

I love Mead Drakes.

[@MrRedFoxorMrelzorrorojo]

Great video. I'm thinking of using this information in a lower level campaign of mine. Imagine what would happen if a group or level 7-10 Adventures came upon a clutch of Drake eggs in a jungle and then tried to steal them. Now imagine how much stalking the parents of said clutch could do trying to take them down. Yeah... this could be fun.

[@bluecat1462]

Found it finally! I’m here from the Tressym video!

[@ingramalastrine261]

Dragons were my absolutely favorite fantasy creatures since I can remember 💓💓💓💓💓 Nice 😉

[@bleddynwolf8463]

in my world 5e Drakes fill a similar niche as land crocodiles did in prehistory, which is similar to the niche filled by tigers. Ambush drakes are like small lions or coyotes

[@_Tzer]

Guard drakes are resistant depending on what scale they are made from. not just lightning you forgot to mention it in your video.

[@RotaFury]

In setting I've been working on, I have my orc tribal national as drake riders and breeders. So they often have them to fight with.

[@linguisticallyoversight8685]

Love the vids man thank you for all the hard work

[@ricardoramos1059]

In short drakes are like having a dog and horse rolled into one. That said theyre a good concept; recently ive been brainstorming a fantasy empire greco roman inspired that utilizes drakes and wyverns as part of their society mainly in militia. Think dragon booster cartoon and how to train your dragon fused together. Also id name a gaurd drake beau for obvious reason.

[@juggalox1000]

Legendary drake with bard levels

[@gabrieladerre2862]

WOOHOO! This wasn't even in my suggested vids, and I still found it, by accident, when browsing for videos on Tiamat. I love happy little suprises like this! Thanks AJ! By the way, do you intend on doing a Tiamat video?

[@AJPickett]

sure do!

[@johnobrien7626]

Great video, very informative; downloading drakes for printing.

[@thedarkmaster4747]

anti dragon spells, so cool 😎😵🤓 definitely video worthy. this video is fantastic dragon lore wise.

[@MrNicster]

Here i was hoping for info my favorite, the Star drake. So little info to get in this guy, yet so different than the others :D

[@connorb1775]

I thought the ambush drake was just a guard drake using green dragon scales instead of blue I've not played Hoard of the Dragon Queen yet, and I am drawing information from Volo's guide

[@ratsass9549]

So it's just a dragon...... With no wings?... I'm so lost 😂😂😂

[@AJPickett]

Drakes have two legs and two wings, no arms.

[@AJPickett]

Articulate is a pretty long word Emma, I think you sell your brain short :) in any event, you are most welcome.

[@yungmuney5903]

@@AJPickett So a wyvern?

[@_Tzer]

Drake is a lesser dragon with 2 less limbs usually

[@jameswilliams2075]

@@AJPickett um I always change it because historically a drake has no wings and 4 legs if it has 2 legs and 2wings it's a wyvern

[@jakabokbotch420]

More on drakes please like hours more I love those really lengthy videos

[@davidfletcher6703]

I could see there being a drake that would be the equivalent of a ferret that has a longer lifespan, and doesn't have that strong musky smell, and can spit a sticky goo for catching small rodents

[@sonichalo1527]

There aren't just blue guard drakes, volo's guide has a sidebar for making them any of the 5 main chromatic types. I would assume ambush drakes could follow the same rules. Great video though, definitely going to make wild drake packs a thing

[@AJPickett]

for sure, I actually completely forgot to check Volo's guide, so thanks for that tip!

[@Sasqmo]

Totally necroing this, but, the rules provided in Volos guide for Chromatics, could theoretically and easily enough be applied to make Metallic Guard Drakes too.

[@chris4238]

@@Sasqmo While I haven't been able to find any currently existing, I see no reason why they can't exist. It just seems that Tiamat and her followers are more inclined to create monstrous pets.

[@chaddixon9764]

Did he say a breath weapon of bees or wasps??? What in the name of Io...?

[@AJPickett]

I feel that in the early days of D&D, creators were less fettered by the constraints of reality... in a good way.

[@nvfury13]

Chad Dixon In the article it was explained that that “breath weapon” was due to the fact that that drake has formed a symbiotic relationship with bees and/or wasps, its breath weapon organ produces a sweet nectar like substance that bees/wasps find irresistible; and they then build hives within its chambered tissues, when the drake is threatened (or commanded to, if trained) it constricts the tissues, stirring up the hive and then expelling them as it forces air through the chambers...just as any drake or dragon does to use their breath weapon. Oh, he even mentions that in the video... This is a very reasonable one honestly, more biologically realistic than most dragon breath weapons.

[@nvfury13]

AJ Pickett It is honestly more biologically realistic than most elemental dragon breath weapons.

[@Good.shepherd420]

I played everquest forever and this totally changes my opinion about drakes.

[@ruhalajn]

The artwork at 18:00 is incredible

[@aaronwilliams007]

Thanks for this content.

[@rickveenbergen9021]

i wouldnt mind using one of those as a mount.

[@aidencranston2601]

Awesome job AJ!! Just out of curiosity, have you considered doing a video on Vampiric Dragons?

[@AngelusAnsell]

On the subject of spicing in fantasy creatures into your fantasy world, I recall a carnival where contestants rode tamed squigs in a kind of race across a small but diversely terrained field. The winner got given basically a free Find Squig spell once per short or long rest. (Find Steed, only it's your own personal squig that only can be ridden by the caster). Ya boi here was a lore bard who was also working to be a cleric of Kelemvor. And now he gets to ride an angry toothy mouth with legs when he's not being haunted by nightmare visions of hags, kobolds, and goodberry bushes. Worst. Day. Ever.

[@Yuudaddy]

Another great video :]

[@mythzerous]

Great Video!

[@TheLict0r]

Great videos! Keep it up!

[@WarnarI]

AJ, you should look at Volo's Guide to monsters for Guard Drakes. They're not limited to just blue, they can be any color from Chromatic or Metallic dragons. There variants have different speeds for swimming and/or climbing, even some can breath in water. But none of them have a elemental bite attack in 5ed.

[@AJPickett]

Yeah I noticed they dropped that aspect. I forgot to check Volo's guide when I was researching the video, thanks for the tip!

[@loosingmymemory7]

My dragon actually has fur and it growls! How to train your dragon. My dragon does not have a breath weapon but it does have bad breath sometimes.

[@dillongage]

I'm gonna be honest, after you said ale-house Drake I didn't hear a thing. I got lost in the RP possibilities of a small Drake bickering with a tavern keeper to the bemusment of a thoroughly perplexed adventuring party.

[@cowdogg3085]

Great video!! Definitely adding some of these to the campaign!!

[@stonedsnakestudios]

Great video as always my friend

[@blueperry5409]

Chickens are descended from dinosaurs, and they share the same taste as other critters descended from dinos... that's why so many things, especially lizards, share the flavour.

[@SupCom78]

i thought drakes were not worth my time but so far some of them seems to be like cats and dogs pack bound very interesting i like the loyal ones and the tavern drake imagine a dog or cat that can speak with you i would like it if a drake talks to me. ;) but i guess not all can speak ?

[@sabastjunberthiaume8391]

Hey Drake part 2 ...

[@jackiesantos2121]

Different kind of these creatures yeah real life Pokemon variants now

[@purplehaze2358]

“Humans are the dominant animals on the planet” If ants weren’t basically biological robots....among other requirements....they would be extremely insulted by that statement.

[@goolabbolshevish1t651]

Same could be said of wild hogs. Only contenent they don't thrive on is Antarctica. They can start having babies at 6 months old and have between 7-12 babies 3 times a year and can get very aggressive (some reports in Texas and SE Asia even having them killing cattle when other forums of food become scarce)

[@lukagrlanovic81]

That lagiacrus tho he looks fine

[@Mr_Maiq_The_Liar]

Feels weird calling things a drake if they can fly tomb of beast.

[@BigsZone]

I played a short 2 session game as a Barbarian, killed an assassin then went down to a pair of guard drakes. Course i had durable and a peraipt of wound closure, so i was good to go in an hour.

[@thehillz726]

Could the drakes have been the precursors of the kobolds, dragon spawn and dracains? Like serving as insperation or something.

[@AJPickett]

There were some proto dragons, the drakes are an offshoot of them.

[@VigneIII]

Are you gonna do Landwyrms too? They are in the 3.5 Dragonamcon.

[@CantHandletheFlumph]

So basically a drake is like a big scaly cat?

[@filimonpoptudor799]

Do dragonborn use drakes as mounts or pets?

[@AJPickett]

Absolutely

[@thethingwithfins]

or? there is no otr... THERE IS ONLY BOTH

[@chris4238]

Which drakes would be better suited for pc mounts though?

[@chef4208]

Yes and yes

[@Menzobarrenza]

@@chris4238 Riding Drakes at early levels. Battle Drakes at late levels.

[@CaliBassin]

I want a pet Drake

[@TheSoldierChristian]

Lol one of those drakes look exactly like a lagicrus from monster hunter.

[@mme.veronica735]

Almost 10k subs! We can do it!!!!!

[@jameswilliams2075]

Can you do a video on the dragon spells i would like them for my campaign. And maybe you could help me with some im trying to make a small series of spells Draconic form, Lesser draconic form and Greater draconic form. Like polymorph but draconic my idea was using size for it lesser are smaller dragons like psudodragon alehouse drakes and such. Draconic form middium to lower large dragons like wyverns gard drakes. And greater draconic form the big boys reds coppers an such. I want it to have to take part of the dragon you want like a scale or fang of 2 or more pounds as a spell component but can't think of another component and some rules

[@pbr-streetgang]

Thanks for the vid sir.

[@genobreaker1054]

Please do a video on the elemental drakes?

[@johnathoncrines3198]

AJ how do you make all these cool intros?

[@ichaukan]

Bronze Drakes are the only true parade-drake.

[@benry007]

Does anyone know where I could get more information on the Ghost Drake? I can't find anything online. I couldn't work out how he spelled the other name for them. Are they from another edition or a third party monster book?

[@wagz781]

Don't suppose you could include some various sub-species of drakes in specific videos? not neccissarily one drake type per video but more like the ferous dragons where you grab a bunch of related drakes and do a video on them.

[@AJPickett]

Rabbit in Glasses like habitats and habits of the Drakes?

[@jamesforgie6594]

AJ Pickett that sounds like it would be good to me, Aj.

[@shalomcollege6482]

Dragon born who walks on all four, a drake?

[@JoeMama-zw8zb]

Where did you get all the information I’ve been searching all day and I can’t find anything

[@AJPickett]

Dragon magazine.

[@axelmartinez2413]

Are there any other that shows high intelligence🤔

[@logan4761]

near the begining where the person was riding a blue drake, is that from a game?

[@jasonsantos3037]

Adelaide Dragon subspecies yeah I Drake sarsour l guard dogs

[@thejack5952]

Can Drakes be used for racing?

[@AJPickett]

yes

[@thejack5952]

@@AJPickett Really?! Is there a video on your channel discussing such things? :D

[@zacharytvrz3995]

I have a necromancer character and I want a drake. Is there an undead type and if not what type would you recommend?

[@AJPickett]

Apply a zombie template to a Hive drake (same stats as a guard drake, but it can fly).

[@zacharytvrz3995]

AJ Pickett Thank you!

[@AJPickett]

Anytime Zax :)

[@zacharytvrz3995]

Really enjoy your channel by the way! Great stuff, I use it as a great place to find less common monsters and ideas for my campaign! You do great work man!!

[@Iguana5k]

Abush drakes arepretty much the perfect kobold pets/mounts

[@AJPickett]

Agreed

[@bleddynwolf8463]

@@AJPickett would you say guard drakes are big enough for a human to ride?

[@AJPickett]

@@bleddynwolf8463 generally not.

[@bleddynwolf8463]

@@AJPickett thanos voice, "fine i'll do it my self"

[@AJPickett]

@@bleddynwolf8463 Rage Drakes are large enough (though they are quite dangerous) and you can train some of the larger winged drakes as mounts.

[@AncientRylanor69]

😸😸

[@austingomez9630]

🐲🐉 are all Japanese dragons then drake's?

[@AJPickett]

I'm less familiar with specifically Japanese dragons

[@llHippiell]

KKEENNDDRRIIICCCKKK

[@dragonballtalk8527]

Drake is a rapper