Dragonslayer (1981)
Possibly the greatest cinematic dragon, Vermithrax Pejorative, leapt off the screen and set fire to my imagination in this 1981 dark Disney film. It’s ripe with material for dungeon masters and D&D players alike.
Ideas
- Dragons are so powerful that brute force alone cannot defeat them. Magic and trickery will be needed.
- Special weapons must be forged—gather rare materials and find a worthy smith.
- A kingdom is in danger from a dragon. Sure, it’s cliché—but embrace it. Run the cliché.
Watch Dragonslayer for free on Hoopla. See the trailer below.
Books About Dragons
- The Penguin Book of Dragons
- The Dragon in the West: From Ancient Myth to Modern Legend
- Dragons, Serpents, and Slayers in the Classical and Early Christian Worlds: A Sourcebook
Articles About Dragons
- Wise, lucky, terrifying: The surprising 4,000-year history of dragons
- Dragons and their Origins
- Are Dragons Real? The Unique History and Origins of Mythical Dragons
- A Natural History of Dragons
- Dragon (Wikipedia)
Podcasts About Dragons
A conversation between two British historians explores the mythology of dragons.
The same two historians discuss history’s most famous dragonslayer.
Two non-British, non-historians talk dragons and more. (Hint: I’m one of them.)