• cjoll4@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    12
    ·
    1 year ago

    Why are dragonborn excluded from the “many colors” section of the diagram? They have a wider variety of colors than goblins or tieflings. This is a very poor Venn diagram.

    Their small, fine scales are usually brass or bronze in color, sometimes ranging to scarlet, rust, gold, or copper-green. … The blood of a particular type of dragon runs very strong through some dragonborn clans. These dragonborn often boast scales that more closely match those of their dragon ancestor—bright red, green, blue, or white, lustrous black, or gleaming metallic gold, silver, brass, copper, or bronze.

    - Player’s Handbook, page 32

      • cjoll4@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        1 year ago

        I also considered that theory when I was trying to interpret the diagram, but it doesn’t work.

        [Tieflings] have thick tails, four to five feet long, which lash or coil around their legs when they get upset or nervous.

        - Player’s Handbook, page 42

  • Mossy Feathers (She/They)@pawb.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    6
    arrow-down
    4
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    Fyi there is (or at least was) a dragonborn sub-race that has tails, so this is kinda wrong. It’s purely flavor so it doesn’t really matter, but still.

    Edit: wait, tieflings also officially have tails, what the fuck are you on about?

      • Mossy Feathers (She/They)@pawb.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        4
        ·
        1 year ago

        …right, maybe I’ve just forgotten how venn diagrams are supposed to work, but doesn’t inclusion of “let’s ignore the book description of this race” mean that the op is saying that tails aren’t lore accurate? The reason I read it that way is because there are way too many people who insist that dragonborn with tails aren’t lore accurate when they can be.

        • cjoll4@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          1 year ago

          I definitely see where you’re coming from. The author excluded dragonborn from the “Many Colors” section, which might lead one to believe that this is a diagram of traits that are commonly expressed in a race despite the official book descriptions. e.g. it’s stereotypically common to make blue tieflings or green goblins despite the official descriptions.

          So either the author is wrong for saying dragonborn don’t officially come in many colors, or they’re wrong for saying tieflings don’t officially have tails. Either way, it’s a bad diagram.

          • Mossy Feathers (She/They)@pawb.social
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            1 year ago

            Oh thank god I wasn’t the only one getting confused by it.

            which might lead one to believe that this is a diagram of traits that are commonly expressed in a race despite the official book descriptions

            Yeah, this is pretty much exactly it. It seemed like a chart of things people include despite the lore, which is why I was left feeling confused as shit because, well, tails on dragonborn and tieflings are lore-friendly.