What Is the Most Good-Aligned Dragon in D&D?

[@schizoolander]

imagine a copper dragon putting down clues to a dungeon it created, promising great treasure , then only leaving a letter in the treasure chest written, the treasure is the friends we make along the way.

[@sircastic959]

YOINK! And the ENTIRE Dungeon is PACKED with cooperative puzzles and riddles.

[@PlaneswalkerTARDIS]

@@sircastic959 They customize it for every group to highlight their strengths and force them to work together

[@sircastic959]

@@PlaneswalkerTARDIS Ideally, yes

[@darrinstanfill6846]

@@sircastic959 lol I get what you meant dude. It would be all that much more of a “smack in the face”. The more work it takes to get that jank ass letter,the better! ^_^

[@sircastic959]

@@darrinstanfill6846 And then have the letter be a high level spell scroll that has been obscured with a magic aura spell.

[@GodofTrek]

I always felt that Silver Dragons were the 'Most Good'. At least in terms of Books/Novels, Silvers are always the ones actively seeking out heroes to aid, while Gold's are more loners. Naturally lore changes from Edition-to-Edition and World-to-World.

[@HenriFaust]

That just means silvers don't want to get their own hands dirty.

[@jamesadamsfl]

As Esper points out, there's something to be said for a powerful being who prefers to let others fight their own battles until asked. They're kind of like draconic Gandalfs, offering advice and guidance, but only entering the fray personally when things go really bad.

[@rachdarastrix5251]

People talking about DnD dragons: "Chromatics are made in the spirit of European dragons, all of which are evil." Scottish Dragons: "Why did everyone stop caring about me?"

[@Sara3346]

The Welsh dragon too perhaps?

[@SirRayos]

I've never heard gold dragons described as humble. Goodly as they are I've always had the image of them as the rich kids of dragonkind. They are the strongest, fantastic at magic, and they know it.

[@zachbenedicic7582]

The Tony Stark of dragon kind.

[@HenriFaust]

They take enormous pride in their humility.

[@threadscore]

I always thought the silvers were the more active in their pursuits than golds, often living amongst humanoids for several lifetimes and aiding them if necessary.

[@SymbioteMullet]

When you consider that Bahamut is a silvery dragon with a cold breath weapon, you have quite a point... Silver dragons are my fave.

[@alex-uw4mm]

@@SymbioteMullet last time i checked bahamut was 1 of 4 platinum dragons btw why were platinums not mentioned? or am i missing something?

[@SymbioteMullet]

@@alex-uw4mm uh... who are the other 3? Also, not mentioned because they're unique rather than a breed

[@alex-uw4mm]

@@SymbioteMullet i only found 2 names Lendys and Tamara. but you know dnd lore often keeps things in the dark, like the true origin story of asmodeus for example which hasn't been properly "canonized"

[@bleddynwolf8463]

@@alex-uw4mm the old cannons dead anyway

[@purplehaze2358]

"Brass dragon. Personality: Hypersocial, talkative, extroverted" Are you sure they're not _brazen?_ I'll see myself out.

[@alexloch77]

I felt that copper dragon energy, since I'm the sort of person to tell jokes, a funny story, or speak at length about subjects I'm interested in. It's like my Dad says: "If we didn't laugh at ourselves or have a sense of humor, life would be so much more depressing." I appreciate his words more than ever now in these rough times.

[@esperthebard]

I second that. Be very wary of anyone who takes themselves so seriously that they cannot take a joke.

[@seancoyote]

Yeah, but a dragon that buries you neck deep so you are forced to hear their stories until they are bored with you isn't exactly noble. Sure, they fed you meals and drink, but...

[@khalidkhothiwale4124]

​@@seancoyote who say they force you or you create this yourself kid they are dragons not some most evil dieties or urban legends like you are talking

[@khalidkhothiwale4124]

they should have given more goodness like Bronze like there size they can fight monsters and protect Any human from unknown creatures copper should have loyalty and care of humans

[@draxthewarlocktitan5217]

I kind of disagree. I think silvers are more good than gold, if a gold dragon is justice then a silver dragon is freedom. Golds are more proactive in taking the fight to evil but silvers are more inclined to let people be people. If an “evil” person has not yet done any harm to anyone a silver sees no reason to get involved where as a gold will obliterate any with the stench of evil upon them. Also I would of ranked crystal dragons much higher. They seem to radiate goodness, they’re alignment in Fizban’s is wack.

[@thomasjenkins5727]

If an evil person has not yet done any harm to anyone... will they have the stench of evil upon them? Alignments are the results of actions, it's not like there's a group of arbitrary gods sitting at a table in another universe deciding our alignments for role-play... oh, wait.

[@draxthewarlocktitan5217]

@@thomasjenkins5727 sorry I meant it more as even if this is a very bad person and has already committed evil deeds but has not done so in a long time a silver dragon won’t harm them unless they are sure they are about to harm someone else.

[@khalidkhothiwale4124]

hahhahahah this is more like a angel who is living among humans instead of a mythical creatures i know they are really amazing they all should team up all good dragons and help humans togeather like copper and brass gaurd villages and elders and mighty dragons take care of the most evil and harm full monsters like tiamat trassque Kronos and others i don't know yet

[@ShadowedBattlegroundsCre-tk9md]

I disagree. I see Silvers hating evil just as much as Golds they just handle things differently. The Silver sit upon his throne and offers aid of all kinds to the adventurers fighting evil but the Gold dragon could secretly be that old wise hobo you helped along the road only to reveal his true form when things go too far south for the party. The Silver by contrast isn't lifting a finger unless something comes to fight him

[@jamesadamsfl]

I like that the metallic Dragons’ goodness ascends with the CR. A rare mix of power and character. Silvers are still my favorites. I don’t like their head designs (Pathfinder is better), but I love everything else about them: the reclusive scholars with a penchant for cold attacks vs. the avaricious and gluttonous cruelty and fire of the iconic Red Dragon. But I love almost all of these Dragons, and the great variety of goodly actions they can perform: from personally battling the forces of evil to quietly comforting and inspiring heroes and artists. Also, speaking of designs, I like the older Crystal Dragon Art way more than the modern art. The bird-like head, the sleek design, the color, the fins/crests on the shoulders and back, it all looks very unique and cool.

[@patrickbuckley7259]

That's funny sense I have always lived the Silver Dragons Mohawk thing.

[@jamesadamsfl]

@@patrickbuckley7259 To each their own. I hate the mohawk (and yes, I know it's supposed to be like the crests on Spartan helmets), and the weird membrane beard bothers me too. I will admit the double talons are the wings are kind of nice.

[@omnigoogle]

"Psychologically, the dragon is one’s own binding of oneself to one’s ego, and you’re captured in your own dragon cage. The real dragon is in you, it’s your ego holding you in ... how do you slay your dragon? Follow your bliss … do not be afraid to follow it. If the work that you’re doing is the work you chose because you enjoy it, then you’ve found it. But if you think, “oh I couldn’t do that…” That’s your dragon locking you in." - Joseph Campbell

[@aovermont]

Gold dragon - eating pearls, hoarding massive treasure of gems deep within its lair, shape-shifting and offering wisdom to allies.

[@derekstein6193]

I suspect golds didn't eat pearls in ancient times, but were once introduced to a mortal creation: Pearls of Power. After using them for their highly novel purpose, they gradually grew a taste for them. But because such items are rare, the golds tried out regular pearls and found them to be just as good. Maybe just head-canon, but sounds legit, right?

[@RoninCatholic]

@@derekstein6193 I could see them just liking the bland mineral taste and the crunchy texture for sure. I like eggshells and chicken wing bones for exactly that reason, after all.

[@kylienielsen6975]

​@@RoninCatholiccrave the mineral

[@generaljimmies3429]

I have seen video's on Tiamat but none on Bahamut. I would love to see a video on the Great Platinum Dragon.

[@danielbeshers1689]

I pretty strongly disagree with describing the character of goodness as being defined by opposing evilness, thereby overlooking acts of kindness, charity and care as being what actually spread goodness in the world.

[@iBloodxHunter]

The road to Hell is paved with good intentions, the road to heaven is paved with the wicked.

[@ShadowedBattlegroundsCre-tk9md]

Who said they overlook general acts of kindness? Actually doing the good enforcement is critical considering the forces of evil are very powerful and the world could use the help of things as strong as dragon if not just to hold evil dragons at bay. Sitting on your idle hands saying nice things isn't really good either

[@billymiles6870]

The thing that makes me think that the Silver is more good than the Gold is the fact that if you break the law the Gold will punish you and a Silver might overlook it if it was done for the greater good.

[@ShadowedBattlegroundsCre-tk9md]

Tough love can be good. At the end of the day having your feefees hurt and throwing a tantrum is chaotic evil

[@samuelbattershell3413]

I would argue that the Silver Dragon is the most Good dragon because they tend to be more active in helping others than Gold Dragons, and I am on Team Gold.

[@a.r.hollowayauthor7210]

You got the gold and silver mixed. Silvers love humans, they actively seek out people to help, and they are considered the most like humanity in terms of their moral ethic. They represent the Knights Errant archetype, going out into the world under disguise to help wherever they can. Not because others ask, but because they actually LIKE people. Golds tend to be aloof philosopher kings. Who are more concerned with grand strategy in the fight against evil, then they are with helping any individual or even group of individuals. A gold will literally fly over a burning village fighting a white dragon off, because it doesn't want to be late to a meeting where they are going to discuss how to get rid of that same white dragon from the area. The first half of their profiles you got right, but the second half is the issue.

[@esperthebard]

Golds are more Knights Errant or paladin-like than silvers. From the silver dragon lore (MM 117) "They don't take it upon themselves to root out evil, as gold and bronze dragons do, but they will gladly oppose creatures that dare to commit evil acts or harm the innocent."

[@mattmark94]

Prediction before watching the vid: Silver Dragon, Bronze is my second guess.

[@wojteksteclik8909]

Silver or Steel but the problem with Steel is that they want to live every moral life possible so they will kill random people steal and so on

[@soakedbearrd]

Your material, and presentation is top notch. I'm not even a D&D player (although I do like the lore and rpg occasionally) and you made this entertaining. Incredible the lore of D&D, almost old world wisdom in the form of metaphor.

[@NisGaarde]

I can never have enough dragon content!

[@aovermont]

Moonstone dragons definitely lean good. And they are beautiful in appearance.

[@esperthebard]

When WotC announced they were bringing back gem dragons, I wondered if there would be an opal dragon. The concept in my mind seemed rather beautiful. Well, moonstone is similar and also a great choice. Seeing as how the gem dragons in 5e ended up looking kind of funky, I'm glad the moonstone is its own separate kind.

[@jamesadamsfl]

I would rename Crystal dragons to Opal Dragons if I used them just because gemstones ARE crystals.

[@melodicmiserii]

I love your videos and this one for one reason or another has helped me mentally thank you Esper genuinely

[@melodicmiserii]

Just found your channel and am trying to get into dnd just want you to know you are appreciated by me

[@esperthebard]

Thank you too, very much! It's my great hope that my videos can do more than just entertain, but also provide some kind of inspiration or deeper resonance.

[@squashedeyeball]

Another legendary overview by the one and only! I love the dragons who are not overwhelmingly virtuous. They're like a "classic"/"Common" d&d party: it has good characters, and others who are more self serving (but not evil) and lean towards good. It's rare when a party is utter evil, or altruistic to no ends. Nonetheless, every now and then, our souls need to bask in the light of an almost divine sense of goodness and be inspired.

[@HiopX]

When you realize that the best reference for a Gold Dragon is Uncle Iroh, Dragon of the west.

[@jasonz7788]

Great work Esper. Thanks

[@aliceofspades]

Yay! I was hoping you'd also explore good dragons! I would adore a pseudodragon familiar, or a gold dragon mentor/ancestor!

[@esperthebard]

I would love either one myself!

[@agentchaos9332]

While they don't have stats in 5e. Adamantine and Elysian dragons in older editions were very good indeed. They were native to the upper planes of Bytopia and Elysium, and were the epitome of lawful good and neutral good respectively

[@cobblegen1204]

I have no books that mention these dragons, and the forgotten realms wiki says nothing about Elysium dragons. Where can I find more?

[@agentchaos9332]

@@cobblegen1204 apologies they're "Elysian" dragons. The KZbin channel "Nic the Dm" made very detailed videos about them, they may be from a planescape sourcebook. Adamantine dragons are from dragon magazine#321

[@cobblegen1204]

@@agentchaos9332 Thank you. I'll have to check out the video.

[@ARreckless14]

Another phenomenal video esper

[@genobreaker1054]

"Copper dragons are the most bardic of dragons." Song dragons: "Oh, okay then."

[@esperthebard]

I will have to look into song dragons. They're not in 5E, and I don't remember them from 3E or 4E, so they must be before my time. While they do sound kind of bardic, remember that not all bards sing. Bards encompass far more than just singers and musicians.

[@agentchaos9332]

The Planar Elysian dragons were pretty bardic as well. They're described as party dragons that hate violence

[@scorpiovenator_4736]

fizban's treasury says they don't actually exist, but they appear in previous editions so i don't know

[@genobreaker1054]

@@esperthebard they were 3E, Idr if 2E had them as well or not. Check out Monsters of Faerun, Dragons of Faerun, and Draconomicon, they're in there somewhere. I remember them for featuring in the books The Rage, The Rite and The Ruin, as one of the major characters, who clearly had levels in bard, though that isn't a racial trait for the species.

[@genobreaker1054]

@@agentchaos9332 I completely forgot about them lol

[@piece4157]

Great video

[@pablojosecrespogomez949]

Should I be worried that Esper the bard is referencing riding dragons all willy nilly in the intro?

[@esperthebard]

Copper dragon, spread your wings and fly! *rolls Acrobatics to leap onto its back during lift off*

[@captainrelyk]

Hmmmm

[@captainrelyk]

If esper was any other class like paladin no one bats an eye at what he says But he is a bard… and that adds a whole layer of “sus”

[@pablojosecrespogomez949]

@@esperthebard You rolled a 15 brother, being able to hold on top of the Dragon's back. His hard scales make it a bit hard to sit confortably. Your new dragon pal notices you but, decides to let you go with him. Unfortunately , your new destination is unknown.

[@redcapetimetraveler7688]

8:44 i'm srprised by the association of a pretty good temper creature with an image where it gets a scorpion''sting i know only one myth where scorpion can be neutral ( but with a bad reputation ) in the Gilgamesh epic where the Scorpion-men surprise the reader by not executing Gilgamesh on sight...

[@esperthebard]

I had a very similar thought. If you are looking at the pseudodragon quickly, you might even mistake it for an imp. Edit: Also the faerie dragon has a stinger/barbed tail, though the stat block has no sting attack. I wonder what's going on with that.

[@redcapetimetraveler7688]

@@esperthebard , you right , only the artists who created those pictures could explain : if it was just the inspiration of one day, a feature wanted by Wizzards of the Coast,,, or just the influence of an older representation they found somewhere.... whatever those arts are gorgeous , poetic, and very inspiring... dragons and scorpions were not evil but just some very effective predators...designed for hunting fast and fearce as the fire... c u next vid dear Bard.

[@davidperin9938]

Before watching I would say Silver unlike the other metallics it has the least chance to cause frustration and anger. Gold and to a lesser extent bronze: their hyper lawful nature could easily result in them stripping away the liberties of those in its territory in the name of "good". Turning them into a tyrant. Copper: a millennia old troll and prankster could easily accidentally, when combined with the might of a dragon, inflict real harm onto its victim. Brass: they are so dedicated to conversation sometimes they use either their sleep breath or manipulation of sand to force a conversation which isn't cool. All together the silver with their weeabooism for humans make them by far the goodliest of the dragons.

[@joedan5366]

There will always be antithesis to a thesis

[@lordgiblets7585]

According to a video I'd seen about copper dragons, while 5e books state that only ancient coppers can polymorph, apparently older versions and the lore don't support that. Of course, given that copper dragons love to pull pranks, I bet you could also argue that their inability to change shape is actually just a massive inside joke among copper dragons.

[@drdoominstien713]

You know I would bet that at some point copper dragons go out on a quest to find a polymorph spell that works for them. The only ones who have it are old copper dragons who make them jump through hoops to get it. Once they do they then continue the tradition.

[@RIVERSRPGChannel]

Nice list I agree with your thoughts about dragons

[@khalidkhothiwale4124]

i like all dragons you talk about in this video they all are good means atleast they not attack and all can be allied if i play this game i take every single dragon in my team and defeat the most firousious and deadliest evil monsters and dieties

[@agsilverradio2225]

Of the 10 classic metallic and chromatic dragons, from good to evil, I would say: silver, gold, brass, copper, brass, blue, red, green, white, black.

[@redfaux74]

You forgot bronze and included brass twice.

[@amendersc1650]

You said pearls gems and my mind goes to pearlescentmoon and geminitay from hermitcraft lol

[@israelmorales4249]

Esperanzo el Bardo, gracias por tu sabiduria!

[@Netherwolf6100]

Here's my question, is there any way to befriend an actual Dragon in D&D and make it your partner?

[@C3Squared]

Does anyone here have opinions on the other part of the spectrum, the Law v Chaos axis? Which dragon is the most Lawful? Which is the most Chaotic? Which is the most Neutral on this axis?

[@esperthebard]

I'm considering doing a law/chaos video. It would definitely be worth it. That axis, while it has a relationship with good/evil, is quite different.

[@C3Squared]

@@esperthebard Oh that would be exciting to see! I'll be here for whatever future videos you decide to make. I appreciate the videos you make because it helps inform me about the lore of this great game!

[@esperthebard]

@@C3Squared Thank you very much!

[@alexbosse8528]

Clearly the most righteous dragon is the Crush the Dragon Turtle. Riightouuusss!!

[@billymiles6870]

The Gold Dragon leader wanted to kill all Humanoid's.

[@rachdarastrix5251]

King Larbar?

[@billymiles6870]

@@rachdarastrix5251 I did not know his name. But he made a council to see if they should and he was one of the ones that said they should kill all humanoids'.

[@ShadowedBattlegroundsCre-tk9md]

@@billymiles6870 based n good

[@felixrivera895]

I wouldn't be so unquestioning of the goodness of a Bronze dragon. Where the Gold dragon is non-judgemental in its morality and sense of justice, but I wouldn't say the same for Bronze as an archetype. Bronze dragons a Extremely anal about rules, and mortals, in particular the lesser fey and eladrin, don't always follow rules even when benign or benevolent. Bronze dragons, as an archetype, can barely conceive of how Chaotic Good /works/ as moral framework.

[@TheHornedKing]

In MrRhexx's video about them, he does talk about they are more lawful than good. It can even reach a point were a bronze dragon will force its sense of justice upon others, its draconic pride convinsing it that it knows best, and effectively becoming a form of tyrant. A tyrant that actually means well, but a tyrant nontheless.

[@jamesmichael5]

Could you do a ranking of all the other Dnd dragons..like the exotic ones

[@esperthebard]

Have you seen my Dragons and Draconic Creatures ranking? It's based on Fizban's Treasury of Dragons creatures and has many rarer dragon-related monsters in it.

[@jamesmichael5]

@@esperthebard yes..but there's alot more

[@stinkymccheese8010]

Been a while, rules have changed some.

[@justinbowers2749]

Brass Dragon upon seeing a human avoid him: NOTICE ME SENPAI!

[@ArdentLion]

"Most Righteous Dragon" is a good band name

[@robertpolson8543]

What are your thoughts on the Steel Dragon?

[@williamturner6192]

Anoying neutral obnoxious meh. Still cool but... why?

[@travisterry2200]

Which dragon best pairs/allies with an illusionist wizard? Would it be faerie dragon? moonstone? something else?

[@esperthebard]

Faerie dragon all the way. Though moonstone and copper could work well too.

[@cp1cupcake]

0/10 Electrum dragon not included. They are basically dragon version of the gregarious lone researcher/artisan living on a mountain. With a heavy focus on the research part. The statue you just went by might just be one deep in thought.

[@esperthebard]

Electrum is a man-made alloy of silver and gold, so it doesn't really make sense to have a dragon of that kind. That's probably part of the reason why they haven't been in the game since 2e.

[@williamturner6192]

@@esperthebard makes more sense than all these people bringing up steel dragons.

[@TheLanceUppercut]

I'm currently playing a paladin sworn to Bahamut. I have a feeling I'll be referring back to this video a lot

[@coreycoffell6219]

The Snomes showed me cave paintings and spoken of such a creature. They are genuinely affectionate towards it in their tales.

[@coreycoffell6219]

It seems a strange dynamic, the crystal dragon, protecting the arctic gnomes, while hunting those are that have eaten the fungus and become the large murderous predator also shown in cave art, while at the same time the crystal dragon also guards the nooks and caves where the fungus can be found (at the right time) in abundance.

[@TheHornedKing]

About bronze dragons, in older editions they are more lawful than good, sometimes even to an extreme degree. It can reach a point were a bronze dragon will force its sense of justice upon others, its draconic pride convinsing it that it knows best, and effectively becoming a form of tyrant. A tyrant that actually means well, but a tyrant nontheless.

[@james739123]

This was the case of a young adult Bronze in my campaign story were he was in fact out logiced by the main villain, a ancient Green who twisted his mind by showing the one thing more harmful then any manipulations and scheming, the cold hard truth

[@SoulSoundMuisc]

The Black Dragon! For through their evils, they temper the souls, wills and bodies of those into which they sow terror and misery! Through such terror he creates the greatest of heroes, bettering the world, NAY!, the Multiverse!, as a whole!

[@orangexlightning]

I would argue that Gold Dragons are more concerned with fighting evil than everyone's well-being. Silver Dragons care the most about people's happiness over other Dragons, which makes them come off as more good to me. I also don't know that I would put a Bronze above a Pseudodragon since they're borderline Lawful Neutral, as their sense of law and justice can stretch a bit too far in an almost oppressive nature.

[@ShadowedBattlegroundsCre-tk9md]

Caring about humanoids feefees isn't necessarily good in the grand cosmic scheme

[@khalidkhothiwale4124]

are copper dragon and brass dragon not help people like bronze dragon

[@josephmynaugh]

Don’t gold hide away much more and are more the wise hermit that gives advice than the more active knightly silver dragon who are much more likely to fly out into battle?

[@esperthebard]

From the silver dragon lore (MM 117) "They don't take it upon themselves to root out evil, as gold and bronze dragons do, but they will gladly oppose creatures that dare to commit evil acts or harm the innocent."

[@redfaux74]

No one would know if they encountered a Gold or Silver Dragon unless it wanted them to know. Whatever you hear about them..... is purely speculation and rumor.

[@UNSCMarine117]

Parrthurnax! It's parrthurnax.

[@richarterra9146]

I think for most people the copper or bronze dragon are the favorite choice from the metalic kind, (I can be wrong) but for me its the case, they feel relatable and more grounded.

[@LoreleiVieshvelle]

So as long as I start a chart the Crystal dragon will like me! I can make so many charts

[@malikevans634]

Might this be followed by a 'The Six Levels of Good?' sometime down the line?

[@secondarytrollaccount]

Yea my party was playing a chaotic/neutral evil campaign then the players started complaining about the difficulty level. Smh the dm sent us into a cave which turned out to be the meeting lair of the golden dragon governing body with 6 ancients 3 juvies and one great wyrm. Never have i ever been shat on so hard so fast.

[@nicolaezenoaga9756]

Thanks.

[@singingcrow439]

Lob your vids. For a ranking video, have you ever considered taking a look at unofficial monsters? I would love to hear your opinion on the false hydra.

[@esperthebard]

Thank you, O Cow Minstrel! Well, most unofficial monster sources are very hit-or-miss for me. That's part of the reason my book is like 50% bestiary. I wanted to put some (in imo) amazing monsters out there in an independent source.

[@LoreleiVieshvelle]

Must have been watching Dungeon Dad

[@singingcrow439]

@@esperthebard nice. I've tinkered with few ideas for monsters myself, though only one can really be considered done and I still think it's a mixed bag. Homebrewing and inventing has got to be my favorite aspect of tabletop roleplaying games as a whole, but dnd especially.

[@patrickdees5256]

You can always find a bronze dragon spending it's free time playing war games like war hammer 40k.

[@esperthebard]

For sure! And what's very interesting is that you could have a game like D&D or Warhammer without any modern tech.

[@patrickdees5256]

@@esperthebard oh yeah because they originally had a Fantasy version.

[@travelwell8098]

I was expecting to see the Steel Dragon here

[@InquisitorThomas]

I disagree with Gold being the most good, they’re too aloof and detached from other creatures perspective, they are the best equipped to with cosmic evil, but their big picture perspective allows for all sorts of little evils, all mortals die eventually so what does it matter if a few deaths are required for the greatest number of people to be saved? It’s a tie between Crystal and Silver for which is the most good.

[@tristanderamos6455]

So I must treat my sins like a dragon huh

[@Weirdoid]

In earlier editions crystal dragons had a strong prankster streak they removed in 5th. That would have moved them closer to the copper on your chart.

[@iustitiamerchantxiv5872]

Because of these alignments, I take it that these dragons are scarce in the world of DND because if there are a lot of them then they could've easily thwarted the side of evildoers?

[@ShadowedBattlegroundsCre-tk9md]

There's even more evil varieties

[@yossiharr]

I wish you wouldn't limit yourself to 5E. The song dragon should really have been on this list

[@esperthebard]

I'm not necessarily limited to 5E. From time to time, I make videos that deal with 3E and 4E content. The thing is, 5E is the current state of the game, and I like to be a part of the front line, active with the current progression of things. You can bet I miss things from older editions, especially 3E, but overall 5E is a superior game (despite its many flaws).

[@michaelbalcom5233]

Going into the video I had placed the 5 metal in the order 1. Silver 2. Gold 3. Bronze 4. Brass 5. Copper Though after watching it I realized that I was kinda biased against Gold and Bronze from the Year of rogue Dragons trilogy

[@redfaux74]

I think Esper has been taken..... 😳 This was obviously a Doppelganger. Very short video about Dragons? 5 of them? 20 minutes? Metallic. Hmmm.... Not one tittle of sarcasm.... 🤨 I will rescue him. Let the adventure begin. ⚔️🛡🏹 🧐

[@RoninCatholic]

I'm a faerie dragon by virtue of one of my parents being a great fey and the other being a great dragon.

[@ninototo1]

No, you're a human

[@Xanifer26]

No love for Amethyst dragons on either list? Or are they like the true neutral of dragon kind?

[@esperthebard]

I did look them over, but couldn't justify them as being very close to good-aligned. They were covered in my Dragons & Draconic Creatures video, which is all about the Fizban's Treasury creatures.

[@rachdarastrix5251]

Hey I just realized who the hell's video it is I am watching. My friends recommended I subscribe to you so I will. Please don't make me regret it like only 3 youtubers ever have in 12 years. I'm sure you'll be fine.

[@ninototo1]

Silver and bronze are my favs

[@chellemaq]

What about Amethyst Dragons?

[@agsilverradio2225]

Bronze should have been lower on the list, because they tend to become benevolent tyrants. (The worst kind of tyrant, is one who thinks their tyranny is morally justified.)

[@travisterry2200]

Where do you think the pink dragon would fall on the good/evil spectrum?

[@williamturner6192]

Raw pink chromatic or hybrid pink? I'd be more curious of a corral dragon, is it color? Bone? Gem?

[@travisterry2200]

@@williamturner6192 kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJDGfnpooNGCsNE

[@williamturner6192]

YOU FOOL!!! You called the psuedo dragon a PET!!!

[@williamturner6192]

What? My comment is the 2nd one I see mentioning psuedodragons? Don't tell me nobody knows about the "pet" thing!

[@williamturner6192]

Just me... Oh no...

[@joshuabevins8244]

What about steel dragons?

[@indiana47]

Who is the goodest boy?

[@williamturner6192]

Don't say psuedodragon. They will ditch you

[@mochristie5419]

I think a chromatic or gem dragon that balked its own typical alignment is probably the most good. They actively make a choice to good action rather than their nature. If anything innately good creatures aren't really good at all, they don't need to choose to act in manners that are good to others with as much strife or difficulty. Additionally, depending on whether we take morally apt action to be deontological or teleological we change a bit, the deontologist is likely to argue the one that actively chose to be good is most good, were as the teleologist is likely to say the innately good Metallics are likely to be the best because they produce a higher good aligned outcome. If we are talking metaphysically good though, I suppose it's likely Metallics because they are far more tied to the possibility of a good aligned afterlife

[@mochristie5419]

Might have gone a bit far in that analysis- but I'm a master's student in philosophy, so ethics and goodness are kind of interesting, especially given how dnd's idea of good isn't really "moral good" it's far more "metaphysical, transcendentally good" almost like a Cartesian understanding of God, its unknowable good, which is hard to gauge with knowable metrics

[@ShadowedBattlegroundsCre-tk9md]

@@mochristie5419 Which is precisely why I love D&D alignment it skips over the snorefest of moral relativism or grey blobism and goes straight for embodied virtue ethics neither deontological or consequentialist. I don't think its an accident either a lot of the games themes are borrowed from Occultism, Platonics, Gnosticism and of course major religions. I love the idea of pure essence of spirits being embodied. And I'm a huge Plotinus stan so it gives me a lot to work with. I find the trend towards moral relatvism or perspectivism pretty bland because at the end of the day most people can't justify why they should still be good after ressurecting a dead fetus inside a living womans womb to be a thrall horrifying her and the village for life. Saying "its all just perspective brahhhh" doesn't really work on me I'm trained in the classics haha

[@ericwilliams5091]

Platinum is the most 'good' of the dragons, but I don't know if you would consider it a dragon or a god. But seeing it is a god it can't exist in the prime material plane in it's true form. Also the lawful dragons are hard to categorize, they don't go by human law since more then likely the area they are older then the kingdom that exists in their home territory. So if you think of an ancient gold dragon, humanoids are probably more like deer or cows to them then they are equals.

[@snakeyes1719]

why no steel dragons out of curiosity?

[@Zilegil]

You forgot Radiant Dragons from Mount Celestia. Definitely more good aligned than Gold Dragons

[@arthurpalha4605]

Neutal good > chaotic good > lawful good

[@sircastic959]

I kind of disagree with putting chaotic good above lawful good. Chaotic good still relies on whims, lawful good is more reliable. But yes, neutral(or "pure") good beats lawful good because there is no conflict between good and law.

[@esperthebard]

That does not hold up under scrutiny. Good/evil is one spectrum, and law/chaos is another. A creature could be just slightly good on one axis, and totally neutral on the other. Take pixies for example. They are shy little tricksters more than anything. For example, LG angels and bronze/silver/gold dragons are way more good-aligned than pixies, werebears, and centaurs.

[@arthurpalha4605]

@@esperthebard I think this is very subjective and depends on the person point of view on the law/chaos conflict. I just find that characters of pure law have less potencial for good than a more neutral-chaotic one. I find that being too lawful limits the good one can do

[@sircastic959]

@@esperthebard Yeah, have to agree with that example, it very much depends on the individual crature and the degree of alignment. Now let us for the sake of argument assume an extreme degree of alignment, at least on the good axis. Then we can ask the question, is leaning chaotic or lawful generally more conducive to the "good" part of the alignment? I have seen arguments that put lawful good as the strongest good alignment because of consistency. (For chaotic, ideals of freedom are usually cited). Personally I disagree, at a certain point strong lawful or chaotic tendencies conflict with strong good alignment, but I would rather deal with a strongly lawfully aligned vs a strongly chaotic aligned good creature, assuming they are both equally strong on the "good" axis. Neutral good avoids the pitfalls of law and chaos. It really is a no-brainer question of "Would you prefer to be at the mercy of a lawful, neutral, or chaotic good creature?" Easy choice right there: Neutral good. It´s easier on the evil axis, where lawful evil has a very strong tendency of being the "lesser" evil (at least on an individual basis).

[@esperthebard]

@@arthurpalha4605 Sometimes it happens that way, sometimes it doesn't. Again, they are 2 different axes: good/evil and law/chaos. A given character or creature can be at any point on each axis. Another analogue to this is to look at the planes of the Great Wheel. I showed an image of it early in my evil dragons video. You'll notice that there are in-between planes. For example, Pandemonium is CE, but it is more chaotic than it is evil. Bytopia is LG, but it is more good than it is lawful.

[@Yarradras]

What I never liked about most things, and especially for Dragons, in D&D is that they try to cover the whole spectrum. 1) why does a creature type need to be good and bad? I prefer universes where they are clearer defined. OR 2) why does the personality, the good or bad of a creature have to do with their origin/element? If there is large diversity, why does a certain color or element define pretty much everything about their way of acting.

[@iBloodxHunter]

That just sounds like you haven't put much thought into it. In DnD demons are personified metaphysical concepts, there's elements with legs and Vecna is messing with people personally. Simply put, many, many creatures are tied to the divine and the divine is an objective force which themselves are tied to the outer planes. The outer planes, being raw energy leak into the material plane and leak these creatures that are material representations of the plane energy itself.

[@ShadowedBattlegroundsCre-tk9md]

1. Because they're non biological and embodied spirits whose origin isn't of the material plane. 2. Because the spirits or metaphysical essences of law, chaos, good, evil and balance embodied certain elements during the creation of the material planes and this is just the order that it turned out You can flip them around however you like but for me erasing any tendency towards alignment makes them more dull and bland. "Oh look there's a silver dragon! And a black dragon! Same as the red dragon!"

[@alextopp8349]

Do a video about steel dragons please.

[@chefkochjay]

Who is the goodest boi?

[@chubbyninja89]

I disagree with the idea of the Brass Dragon, and the following video emphasizes what they are really like. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHPdhaCKorCVpNU Brass Dragons seem like they may not be the mighty "paladins" or whatever of the metallic dragons, but they are the ones who would truly be your friends and would face down evil for the sake of the greater good just as quickly as any Silver or Gold dragon, but just for slightly different reasons. They seem to me to be the dragons that appreciate how mortals live their lives the most, and that while much shorter than theirs, they can still leave an impact for good and all that, and that sort of stuff.

[@TheHornedKing]

AJ has made a revamp of that video that uis really good.

[@chubbyninja89]

@@TheHornedKing Oh yeah, I remember that one. He made a nice story to talk about the Brass Dragons a lot. But I still like his first one, which talks about Brass Dragons being the type to be your friend.

[@demonlordotrt754]

If i dont see the steel dragon ill be disapointed

[@demonlordotrt754]

Ok im disappointed.

[@williamturner6192]

They're neutral, people.

[@gavinblack412]

In my experience brass and copper dragons are always trolling duchbags I've had nicer negotiations with blue and green dragons and one of those time the green dragon took my hand

[@mikereese529able]

All hail Paladine!

[@BizarreM]

Will you feature Strixhaven dragons in the future? Asking because I'm hyped about their designs (I even followed the artist who made them on twitter) despite my hatred towards the setting and the sourcebook.

[@esperthebard]

Good question. I am considering doing a law/chaos video, so those dragons would fit in there.

[@BizarreM]

@@esperthebard Cool, thanks for the answer!

[@closair]

You forgot steel

[@johngleeman8347]

Holy smokes, the old art piece for silver dragons is badass!

[@lordvaust5830]

This video helped me learn about Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons, a book I’ve been hoping to have since I started playing D&D 5E 3-4 years ago. Seriously, a D&D book about Dragons? Should’ve happened much sooner if you ask me.