What makes a linnorm so special?

[EltonJ]

What, exactly, makes linnorms so special?

After all, I'd like to know the difference between a regular, run of the mill red dragon and a linnorm.

[Volkard Abendroth]

The death curse for killing one.

[Tarik Blackhands]

Linnorms are basically fey dragons as opposed to more generic terrestrial dragons. Linnorms are generally dumber, don't use wings to fly (magic flight), have passive freedom of movement, and overall a better suite of passive immunities. Also no spell casting on them either. And they're not color coded for convenience and curse you if you stab them to death.

[Tacticslion]

All the snowflakes.

[Matthew Downie]

Red dragons don't get particularly strong unless they're over a hundred years old.

Nobody ever seems to meet baby Linnorms or young adult Linnorms, which may mean they rapidly grow to full size.

[Chromantic Durgon <3]

Daddy issues?

[Potato disciple]

"But daddy, what if I don't want to mercilessly murder humans?"
"Nonesense. Now shut up and eat your elves."
Of course dwarves help sight. Have you ever seen a linorm with glasses?

[Chromantic Durgon <3]

I was more referring to Fafnheir and Ragadahn

[SheepishEidolon]

Tarik Blackhands wrote:

Linnorms are basically fey dragons as opposed to more generic terrestrial dragons. Linnorms are generally dumber, don't use wings to fly (magic flight), have passive freedom of movement, and overall a better suite of passive immunities. Also no spell casting on them either. And they're not color coded for convenience and curse you if you stab them to death.

Further, they are bigger than 'normal' dragons (chromatic / metallic), always of CE alignment, have built-in regeneration (bypassed by cold iron) and play a special role in the Land of the Linnorm Kings.

So they make good random encounters - while I wouldn't use a 'normal' dragon for that role. A 'kill them because X' quest works for both linnorms and 'normal' dragons, but usually the 'normal' dragon will be evil then.

[Senko]

Potato disciple wrote:

"But daddy, what if I don't want to mercilessly murder humans?"

"Nonesense. Now shut up and eat your elves."
Of course dwarves help sight. Have you ever seen a linorm with glasses?

Amusingly I actually found a manga about that recently. Young red dragon gets booted out of the home for being a disgrace to dragon kind and sets off to find his own home where he'll be safe. During which he needs to be rescued from dragon hunters, random adventurers and the many, many inapropriate houses he finds along the way. Last chapter I read a real estate agent was trying to sell him a death trap stronghold by demonstrating all the death traps on him much to his unhappiness.