reacting to the NEW D&D dragons! | 2024 D&D Dragon Redesigns

[@mr.maip_macrothorax]

Context behind bronze dragon concept: the bronze dragon is an aquatic species that live in sea caves and etc explaining the fish style

[@abookwyrmdraws]

It matches so well then!!! And it makes them look really unique too

[@jamesdoyle6914]

Finally I might remember the difference between brass and bronze dragons

[@ysteinschiefloekanestrm7652]

The old black dragon’s tail had this barb on the end similar to the Xenomorph from Alien. For that reason, I love them continuing the homage by gjving the same spines they have all along the tail.

[@abookwyrmdraws]

Ohhh that’s so cool!

[@themeekwarrior]

I ADORE the direction they took with the white dragon. The White was one of my favorites, too, bc of its ice breath and primordial nature more than its design. The rebrand of the Green is also really nice, looks prettier than the crocodile dragon from before, but quite the longboi. LOVE the Black, I personally am a fan of the intimidation factor in the chunkier ornamentation. The Gold dragon I'm really pleased with bc they kept the manta-wing thing going and made it more resemble an oriental dragon as was the intention before. The Silver is just as resplendent to me, but yet I probably would be happier mixing the facial features of the old and new, as the fins do look a little too different. The Brass is amazing, the ceratopsian inspiration in the frill really improves it and the markings on its body are really beautiful. The Red looks the same to me, very villainous. I am only really disappointed by the Copper and Blue I'm sad to say. The Copper did have weird human-like lips, but I liked the sort of robust, square shape of the head and the thick plated horns. The new Blue looks great but lacks some of the features that sold the design for me, the ears and thick, short neck. It's a burrowing dragon, and the ears were able to close to keep sand out. A dragon with spikes like that will have a harder time burrowing, but maybe they changed its ecology. Overall the body changes of them both are nice, I agree that the Copper doesn't need the blue spots but both copper and bronze metals develop a patina due to chemical reactions.

[@abookwyrmdraws]

Oh yes the patina of course! That does make sense. In the dragon art PDF it presents Blue as more of a flight-adapted dragon (which I have beef with but that’s an aside). They still mention the desert and there’s really not a lot of “life history/natural habitat” info in the art book so I don’t know for sure but I believe they have changed its ecology

[@kylienielsen6975]

​@abookwyrmdraws blue dragons are both the flying dragon in that they are the best gliders (Hensel the new albatros like wings) and the digging dragon Hensel the stocky build of the old design. I think they should have kept the ears and segmented tail of the original but I love the new wings. They are my favourite dragon so I have a lot of opinions about them

[@SweetTaleTeller]

If I ever get to DM like I dream of, I think I'll use both the new and old designs for different dragon characters. Because, they both look cool and may fit different dragon personalities more. I definitely prefer the new gold dragon's look to the old though.

[@abookwyrmdraws]

Yoooo that’s such a good idea!

[@wonderfulfam2141]

I love how they gave the dragons their own unique body plans. Unlike the previous designs, which had the same body plan with different appearances Also I think the reason the black dragons horns look so bulky is because of the angle we're looking at. Because another official image shows them spiraling outwards

[@abookwyrmdraws]

Yeah I also enjoy the variety in body plans! Good to know for the black too 😊

[@drakobloodwing540]

And that, but one of the other things I always like to remember, dragons don't have to be big.Bulky lizards , dragon could look like anything. There's been dragons that have hair.Even humanoid facesand everything in between

[@abookwyrmdraws]

I honestly love small dragons! (And I wish I could have one)

[@Dookieman1975]

The original French tarasque was a dragon. And it had a lion head, a scorpion tail and stinger, has a turtle shell, bear legs, and torso of an ox. I think one had a human face, was part bird with feathered wings, and a serpentine body with multiple lil legs

[@fang609]

I have to say, Im very fond of how for the new designs, they leaned more into lore, personality, ecology and stats of the dragons, and reflect it physically. Like you mentioned the Gold Dragon looks like a sword in flight, and Golds are all about law, justice, supressing coruption and evil. Blacks are said to have the skin on their faces sloth as they age, due to the acid they produce and have a high Dex stat. Red just took what made it the red and cranked it up to 11. Silver is essentially a knight so big, bukly, angular look, tail even looks like a sword, tho I do like some bits of the original a bit more more as well. White as you mentioned looks more like a polar bear, and has the fur like spines, and generally looks more primal, strong and unmoving. Bronze they played more with its aquatic and costal habitat prefrence so the more fishy look, the blue accents are aparently the scales rusting with age, like real coper so curious to see if that will be more prominent on the oldest indeviduals. Green now reflects is theme of lies, schemes, deception and its slender body makes moving among and though trees easier, even the wings mimic leaf shapes, and their young even mimic Black Dragon hatchlings in colour to look more dangerous. Coper is very socialable and life of the party, jokesters and pranksters, the low body, friendly looking face and the vibrant wing colouration and patterns. Blues are sky dragons and storm chasers, so its sleak, swift, has an enrmous wingspan and realy feel pul the vibe better than the old bulky look. F for the ears tho. Brass are vain, bragging, proud and like to be center of atention types, so the bold patterns, the lion esc look and vague similarties to Gold fits. Its kinda like "what if Gold was less noble?"

[@ChaosSparkles]

I must have been living under a rock, this is the first time I've heard about the new designs, they look awesome!

[@abookwyrmdraws]

Yeah I was so hyped when I found out! And a lot of the art was done by one of my favorite artists so I was extra happy to see that

[@CptnLukky]

New black has designs reminiscent of Skull Crawlers and Xenomorph. It has the old lore of blacks being known as Skull Dragons

[@abookwyrmdraws]

I totally see the xenomorph element now that people have pointed it out! Pretty cool imo

[@graysonsnow2832]

Never played DnD, but many of the themes from there are incredibly interesting. And a lot of what I know about dragons from there, I know from the MrRhexx channel. And I have to say that I absolutely love the redesign! Before this, many dragons, especially metallic ones, were too similar to each other, but I don't know much about metallic dragons, but the Bronze one looks just incredibly beautiful and much more aquatic, which makes them very charming. But the chromatic ones... those evil lizards... I just have no words. Despite the general similarities in previous design, I like the Black, Green and Blue ones the most, purely because of their habits, habitats, or general vibe. And I just recently saw the news about the redesign, and it was art with a Black dragon and I just fell in love. Those horns look incredibly powerful, and the fact that the dragon's face now not only resembles a skull, but is also lighter than the rest of the body makes a great accent on it, and I can just imagine how such a giant would sit somewhere in the water, watching the movements of mortals in some small fishing village, plotting insidious plans, and all that can be seen is just a pale silhouette of a skull in the depths. The thin sharp tips of the wings look epic, but most of all I probably like the fact that the dragon now looks more like a crocodile, which is perfect for Black dragons who like to sit in swamps and set up ambushes. And the Greens! Gods! They are beautiful! Not only are they the most insidious, cunning conspirators, but now the fact that they are incredibly secretive, stealthy and dexterous is perfectly conveyed through their design. Their wings aren't that big because they prefer to fight within their forest, their serpentine shape is great for sneak attacks and conveys the whole poisonous vibe perfectly. The previous design of the Green Dragons had this crest on their head, and it seemed to rise when they released their poisonous breath, and if they now look more like cobras, then I can imagine that their mantle will open wider when they attack, although judging by the art it looks like the crest is still there. I liked the blue ones visually before, the rhinoceros horns have some special charm or something. So I'm just a little upset that this horn is now much smaller, but overall I like this design much more. Firstly, these dragons, at least of all the chromatic ones, spend the most time flying, so it makes sense that their wings are now huge and the body itself is smaller and more aerodynamic. I also like that sparks of electricity run along their scales now, and I'm glad that the legs are still relatively powerful, because blue dragons also often dig themselves dens, although... with such wings it will probably be difficult underground, heh The white ones, by the way, also look much better. The previous design gave me strange associations with birds, especialy scavengers, but now these dragons really look like polar bears AND hunters, becase they are. Although there is not much to say about them yet, too little visual information. The gold ones look very cool, now they are like a living ribbon, heh But I am more or less neutral to the rest, they look much cooler, definitely, however, for example, the red ones have become a little more powerful and spiky, but they do not need radical changes in design, they worked great before, but now they have been given more visual power. In general, I am incredibly happy with the design update, they are now all so unique and look very cool

[@noctae_corvus]

I was one of those people who wasn't crazy about DnD dragon designs for the most part... I actually used Pathfinder dragon art for my campaigns because I thought they looked much better😂 So I'm really digging the redesigns!

[@abookwyrmdraws]

I need to lookup the pathfinder art now ~

[@noctae_corvus]

@@abookwyrmdraws Ben Wootten's illustrations specifically look incredible!

[@Nook_Miis]

looking through the designs I can't help but think about the resemblance caraxes from HOTD, Spinosaurs and monitor lizards also come to mind.

[@abookwyrmdraws]

I totally agree on the spino/monitor thing-I thought many of the new dragons looked more biological if that makes sense? More like a real animal (or dinosaur) compared to the old designs, and I like that actually (though I may be biased b/c I’m a fan already of the artist that drew the character sheets)

[@tyrotorathetiger7674]

I'm 100% on board with all the redesign. They all look so amazing to me

[@abookwyrmdraws]

Eyy that’s great!

[@IdontknowIreallydontknow-d5y]

I love DND, me and my friend have three campaigns going, I'm finally going to be a game master for one and its so fun doing the worlding building and ugh. Its just such a fun game~! 🧡

[@abookwyrmdraws]

I’ve only ever been a player but I am always in awe of how much thought the DM puts into the game and the worldbuilding! And then when a player character decides to do like… the opposite of what is planned the game ends up being even more unique and creative! Good luck in your next campaign ☺️

[@marcusaaronliaogo9158]

I love the dragon designs especially the gold one with the slender body

[@abookwyrmdraws]

Yeah it’s pretty cool!

[@Saberrex1]

Looking at the new designs, I like to think in my head-canon that all chromatic and metallic dragons are evolving in-universe as they become more powerful. I honestly love all the new designs and feel they look more in line with what I personally wish for. Also, no more annoying ears on the blue dragon. I know that sounds a little harsh and I know it will likely be an unpopular opinion for a while, but the lack of external ears and the more menacing shape make me take them far more seriously. Seeing this blue dragon immediately takes my mind to Lothaenorixius, the great wyrm blue dragon used in the 1st edition of the Draconomicon for DnD. In my mind, this new design is exactly how he's meant to look.

[@abookwyrmdraws]

Omg I love the thought of them evolving so much! Also agree that the lack of ears makes them look more serious (for me, the lack of ears reminds me of dinosaurs as well which I think is cool)

[@drakobloodwing540]

I'm a fan of both because in one case. Yes, sometimes ears. Look, silly, but I say I could drag you with a good idea. That has ears is like, you know. The picture of European dragons on the flag.Or the dragon from dragon dogma. Because he has ears, but he looks fucking terrifying. The ears don't make him look silly, they add to it I think you can put ears on dragon as long as you make it look blend in whale. Like, for example, I don't know why a blue dragon who lives in a desert would have the thin like ears that doesn't make sense honest. To God I would like the idea. They have the big ones like a cobalt or like a you know, maybe a fantastic box for heat distribution or things like that, but also because you know sand dragons. I mean, blue dragons live in the desert. So I can perfectly pitch your one hiding under the sand and all the sudden. You're trying to sneak up on one and you see the big ears perk up like like just swiftly move indicate. It knows you're there but Is keeping its eyes closed I say both can work.I'd like to thank some dragons.Have ears because of either age or just a different mutation and some don't I like both and if I ever do my own campaign There will be some dragons to have ears and some that don't like , for example I don't think a red dragon.We need external ears.​@abookwyrmdraws

[@shadedwisper8478]

Dragons are cool and all, but I need to know if 1:37 is a reference to TMBG or just a happy accident.

[@SerpentKnight555]

The gold dragon is also meant to look more like the dragons in eastern mythology and the gold dragons of earlier editions

[@abookwyrmdraws]

Ah yes I totally see that influence!

[@BS-dr8pl]

Do you know how we could get the official PDF art book? Is it possible just to buy it by itself?

[@abookwyrmdraws]

I personally don’t know unfortunately! But tbh there are several pages of it just available on Google images

[@Dookieman1975]

The black dragon looks like a buffed skull devil. And I think the spikes and shiny af skin fit the silver dragon more better than the frills but that mf also looks like he’s mewing. And the golden/yellow dragon’s old design seemed like it was trying to be more like an eastern dragon and I really liked that touch. But the new one does look prettier. Both remind me of ghidorah and that’s a bonus either way. And I like how the bronze and copper ones looks like they’re partially oxidized but their colors are a bit too similar. And I have a feeling they watched a vid about how dragon wings would have to be super HUGE and they’d have to be slimmer and lighter to fly and they incorporated it and put a lot of thought into how they could even fly. And ur def onto something with the brass dragon looking like a lion. Looks like a sabertooth cuz of the tusks and the eyes. But I thought it looked like a triceratops cuz of the head shape which made me wonder wtf is that defense mechanism for? What could these things possibly fear and see as predators Also instead of saying dragon-y I think the official term is draconic

[@waynebates6414]

why have they done the front legs to look like rear legs at the shoulder ?

[@z00mfr1days5]

I'm new in dnd about a year and so a really got excited to see the new designs and after seeing them all i come to conclusion of best, good ,and could be better: The best: 1.Gold dragon (simple perfection) 2.Green dragon (now fits better with the snake theme body and I never liked the old design so this one was amazing) 3.Black dragon ( I really loved it the skull that is now white by aging and the new horns design) 4.Red dragon (it was turned more devilish I had to admit it's better) 5.Brass dragon ( I can't explain in words but it's a very good design and the head have more justice) It's good: White dragon (unfortunately I'm still attached to the old design but I had to admit this one is better but I'm getting attached to it) 7.Silver dragon (it's like all the unique body design is the best part of this redesigns but the head really make miss the old one) 8.Bronze dragon (at first I hated it they changed the color the head but after reading comment on reddit and X I changed my opinion and then I saw your opinion I ended up kinda linking it the new color fits with the ocean theme again the unique body design is amazing but the head design could be better) 9.Coper dragon (the body design the color are the best part but changing the head really uhhf make me miss the old one) Whyyyyyy: 10.Blue dragon (the wings are better but I really missed the old design vibe and the ears😭 whyy take them off, I'm sorry but the blue dragon was my favorite and this design could really be good mixture of the old and the intention of the new design )

[@AaronKnight-fe1vm]

I love dragons and old ones but this new ideas

[@drakobloodwing540]

Also fun fact the thing about black dragons.They're even among the evil dragons.If you ask any of the chromatics who's the most evil vile dragon, they will all look at the black dragon.But also black dragons are also called skull dragons. Because when they get older and bigger their face.And skin Go Then an almost look like is wrapping Because they don't grow Much meat On their face , but also basically all the skin on their face Looks ripped apart or almost burnt. Hence wide they're called Skull dragons.

[@abookwyrmdraws]

I do enjoy the skull aspect of their design. I initially thought they were the most powerful chromatic because their design is so ominous! (I heard it’s the Red that is like the king of the chromatic dragons-I’m not super well versed in D&D)

[@user-xo1cj9ne7f]

⁠@@abookwyrmdrawsYou’re right. In 5e lore red dragons are stronger than the others. Ironically though the strongest named dragon is black dragon turned dracolich, not a red dragon.

[@cheepcheep4499]

Yeah their face deteriorates due to their acid breath

[@woody2shoes64]

I understand why they decided to make the gold dragon look like the volume 1 version. But I would have made the wings bigger.

[@abookwyrmdraws]

Yeah they definitely went with the “flight is possible due to magic” thing 😅

[@AaronKnight-fe1vm]

But it nice to see a bit of creative ideas

[@alienstar2088]

My only real complaints are the Bronze and Blue Dragons. For those of you unaware, Bronze Dragons in D&D are the Metallic counterpart to the Black Dragons, where Black Dragons love to torment and torture their victims, Bronze Dragons are all about upholding justice. The similarities between the two don't end there as both the Black and Bronze Dragon have a semi-aquatic life style which I think should've been emphasized more within both their designs but specifically the Bronze Dragon's since they tend to live near sea coasts and not swamps like Black Dragons. The original Metallic Dragons had this weird almost Manta wing design that I thought could've looked great on the Bronze Dragon if they took more inspiration from Manta Rays. As for the Blue Dragon, my favorite Dragon, I'm not a fan of the slim redesign. Yes, I know that they want to mirror the Dragon designs with their elements and personalities but - personality wise, Blue Dragons are more of your average school bully who'd take your lunch money and make your life miserable just because they had nothing else better to do. Blue Dragons love to take caravans full of merchandise and magically create mirages for people lost in their desert homes just because its funny. To me, the old bulky Blue Dragon design better aligned with their personalities of being just creatures that like to throw their weight around and push those smaller than them to the brink.

[@abookwyrmdraws]

Omg a manta-like Bronze would have looked excellent purely from a design standpoint let alone being a callback to their old design. Also I totally get where you’re coming from with the Blue. I thought the old design had more personality and that’s kind of missing in the new for me. Anyway thanks for the D&D lore insights as well!

[@shane907lol]

I love your style my favorite is red dragons! Gold dragons are the greatest of mettalic dragons and red dragons are the greatest of chromatics!

[@abookwyrmdraws]

Oh thank you!

[@Trike71171]

Overall I’d say a lot of these fellas look pretty dang neat to me the brass with the shielded head, the red being a pretty cool update, and the new polar dragon easily one ups the prior design so I’d say all have a pretty cool flare to them Idk about the green and blue though, the green just ain’t clicking maybe it’s the lack of pattern as the original had some black thrown in The Blue meanwhile I have much thoughts on, honestly can’t help but feel it kinda flopped for me especially in the colors, really feels like it’s missing greenish yellow highlights which makes it feel very samey color wise in my opinion, doesn’t really help either that besides flying I can’t imagine this fella living in a desert especially digging out a den as with how huge the wings are compared to the rather lanky body I feel one would see it on a high mountain if anything. Its good, great art even but it does feel like it’s going for somthin entirely separate which does admittedly make me miss the prior one

[@abookwyrmdraws]

Oh man greenish yellow highlights on the Blue would look so good! As for its body type, the 2024 dragon art book says something along the lines of Blues being expert fliers and adapted to catching prey on the wing, as opposed to emphasizing the desert, which I thought was weird because the old design and descriptions were desert-centric. It just mentions “desert” with the egg. It also made me a little salty because in my old book Silvers were the ones adapted to flying the most and I felt like it was stealing that trait away 😂

[@boss5718]

I don’t know if it’s just the angle the wings are at on the gold dragon but they look way too small for its size.

[@abookwyrmdraws]

I know right! In the lore it says they fly using magic but… I prefer my dragons to fly through physical means

[@boss5718]

@@abookwyrmdraws like, if they wanted to make a Chinese dragon they could have just left the wings off entirely. It’s already most of the way there with the tendrils, general philosophy, and serpentine looking body.

[@abookwyrmdraws]

Yes!!! There is a tiny part of me though that would want to keep the wings because they make the dragon’s silhouette look like a sword 🗡️

[@Tawnya1991]

So cool!!!!

[@abookwyrmdraws]

Thank you 😊

[@TheBMan95]

My only complaint is that the Bronze Dragon isn't really Bronze in color. It just looks like another variation of the Copper Dragon. if they made it look more yellow in color then that'd be fine. Plus why they heck did they give it a fine spike on what already looks like a fin like tail? Copper has this to and it just looks funky. Like I get the two sort of hang out in more aquatic environments and so have more fishlike parts to their physique. But most fish don't have their tail end in a spike. I can sorta give Copper a pass cause it sorta looks like a Ray, which have barbs on their tail. but most of Rays that have barbs like a 3rd of the way or so down their tails not at the tip.

[@Yamina]

The "tentacles" on the original Gold dragon were always whiskers. They were just more inspired by cat fish whiskers than cat whiskers. I'm not fond of the wing shapes for Golds in general, but especially not the new one. I like the new look of the Black. Reds are my personal favorite. I love love LOVE the original design. While I'm not as in love with the new design, its better than I expected from Wizards of the Coast The new silver looks so weird. The snout is far too short compared to the proportions of the body. Yuck. I was never a big fan of silvers, but the original design is far superior to the new. White dragons are supposed to be immune to cold and ice, so there is no need for them to be bulky and preserve heat. They also fully freeze their prey before eating it. I like the look, but I'm on the fence. Bronze dragon, my 2nd favorite. Love the new design, but I don't like the head shape. And the colors looks a little wrong, more reddish than a Bronze color. And it shouldn't have blue accents in there, but greenish. The new Green, I am absolutely not liking. Nope. Don't like it. Just nothing about that appeals to me. Also, their breath weapon is not poisonous gas. Its chlorine gas. I'm neutral on the new Copper. I would prefer to see more of the original, especially in the face, but otherwise meh. I enjoyed the old Blues, and I do enjoy the new blue. But there is a disconnect. I just don't see it thriving in deserts the same way as the original So far I really like the new Brass.

[@abookwyrmdraws]

I didn’t know about the gold whiskers! Or the chlorine gas of the green or the cold immunity of the white! It makes a lot of sense though. In the dragon art pdf it says something about the scales of the white conserving heat too, so idk if they were trying to add like a “physical reason” for cold immunity? Anyway, I enjoyed reading your takes on the design!

[@Yamina]

@@abookwyrmdraws Thank you! I'm an avid 3.5e player, along with my husband. So it was interesting to see the new designs :)

[@AaronKnight-fe1vm]

I do like old sliver dragons thr brozen to

[@RachDarastrix2]

It don't really bother me. Its not like I would ever touch anything that came out after 3.5E with a 27ft boarding pike.

[@abookwyrmdraws]

🤣🤣🤣

[@LORD-c7w]

I'm old Fan Of the Designs of The 10 Dragon types in The universe of Dungeons & Dragons but when I see the new ones the new designs in 2024 I was like "What!?" Is hard or complicated to accept the new designs of These dragons but I prefer the old designs to be honest.

[@Luna_the_Eurasian_Wolf]

I really like these designs (even though I don't play DnD). I think, that my top 5 would be: 1. Bronze 2. Gold 3. Brass 4. Black 5. Red Anyone have similar?

[@abookwyrmdraws]

I am a huge fan of the new Brass as well and would also put it maybe 2 or 3!

[@Luna_the_Eurasian_Wolf]

@@abookwyrmdraws yess it's one of the best dragon designs I have ever seen:)

[@Luna_the_Eurasian_Wolf]

@@abookwyrmdraws like all of them

[@shealupkes]

I feel like they could have gone farther and i think hasbro are cowards for not letting the designers go all in making the bronze dragon a massive orca-hawk-hippopotamous and removing the gold dragons legs for good

[@abookwyrmdraws]

Hahaha I wanna see orca-hawk-hippopotamus Bronze so bad now!

[@AaronKnight-fe1vm]

I don't like abit red but that good that you do

[@thecreekoftheocean]

I I'm a girl who likes dragons too 😂

[@abookwyrmdraws]

Dragon girls ftw 👸

[@AaronKnight-fe1vm]

But the black i don't like some things

[@squidonyvidmations1801]

I am personally not a fan of the new Blue Dragon, other than the new wings (I love the new wings). It looks naked without the ears, loved the bulk, and if you look closely, it actually has a second point on the horn. The Ears and the 2 pointed horn have been in its main design for almost all of AD&D's existence, and the fact they got rid of those kind of make it feel off to me. Other than that (and maybe the green dragon, still iffy on that) I really like all of the new designs.

[@abookwyrmdraws]

Oh dang… I didn’t know about the two pointed horn! Or the history of the blue dragon design. It’s kinda interesting how they kept/enhanced some of those classic traits in some of the dragons and got rid of them in others

[@drakobloodwing540]

Yeah, that's why a lot people don't like the blue dragon.Not because it's a bad design but it's like with most things when you're so used to something for years on end and they immediately get rid of something so to the character it throws everybody off

[@walrusmedia4035]

I actually had such a disliking for the original 5e dragons. They were all just so. Samey and boring. Loving the new direction they're going, but I have only seen the red and gold design so far.

[@abookwyrmdraws]

Oh yes the new ones are so much more unique! It makes the designs way more fun

[@edryu9688]

I feel like despite their attempts to make them look more different from each other, they end up just as same-y, especially in the legs. Also, this realistic paleoart style they're going for doesn't suit the high fantasy aesthetic of dnd. I don't hate them, but I also don't care for them.

[@kramooo9666]

i dontlike the new blue dragon I can't take them seriously and look like lesser dragons to me like Dragonnels note these are my own personal opinions and veiw the new design dose not click with me and is a 4/10 at best for me looks like its from Yugioh The White is probably my favorite looks So CHONKY