Council of Wyrms
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| Genre | Role-playing games |
|---|---|
| Publisher | TSR |
Council of Wyrms is a Dungeons & Dragons boxed set, published in 1994.
Contents
The Council of Wyrms boxed set provides all the rules and background material necessary for staging adventures with dragon PCs. The dragon's color substitutes for race and class, with the addition of proficiencies (such as Chanting, Looting, Religion) and a character kit (including Dragon-Mage, Dragon-Priest, Dragon-Psionicist). Players also may experiment with half-dragon PCs, spawned from the union of polymorphed dragons and their demihuman vassals. The adventures of this setting occur in the Io's Blood Isles, a string of islands in a self-contained world.[1]
The Council of Wyrms boxed set includes rules for playing dragon, half dragon, and dragon servant characters. It includes three rule books: one for the base rules, one for dragon family and clan histories, and one for adventure modules.[2] The setting of the campaign is a chain of islands called Io's Blood Isles. These islands represent all major climates. It is separated from the rest of its fictional world by very large oceans.[2]
The dragons on the islands are described as having a loose democratic government with a caretaker. Each dragon clan with a wyrm level dragon gets a vote on issues before the Council of Wyrms. The caretaker only gets a vote on tied issues. Thus dragonkind cooperates and makes decisions on issues affecting dragon welfare.[2]
Humans are not native to the islands, and those humans who come to the islands are mostly adventurous dragon slayers.[2]
According to the draconic myth described in the setting, the islands were created by the dragon god Io. Seeing his children, the dragons, engulfed in dragon war, Io cried out: "If dragon blood must be spilled, then let it be mine!" He then slashed open his belly with his own claws and spilled his blood into the oceans. The divine blood solidified and became a chain of islands. These islands Io gave to the dragons, hoping that they would be able to live there in peace.[2]
Publication history
The Council of Wyrms boxed set was designed by Bill Slavicsek, and published by TSR, Inc.[1]
In 1999 the setting was slightly revised and reprinted as a hardcover book.[3]
Reception
Rick Swan reviewed Council of Wyrms for Dragon magazine #213 (January 1995).[1] He recommended this set for anyone who was "an AD&D game player who's had your fill of wizards, who's fed up with fighters, who doesn't care if he ever lays eyes on another thief".[1] Swan did conclude that the set "doesn't lend itself to long campaigns, since dragon PCs are too disruptive to function in traditional AD&D settings [...] But as a change of pace, the Council of Wyrms set is a roaring success."[1]