I agree that a collection of tougher NPC's should be able to at least drive off, if not outright kill, a dragon. However, by "should", I mean from a game mechanics perspective, not necessarily a logical one. After all, Bethesda could say that dragons are effectively immortal and indestructible, and it's the shout of a Dovahkiin specifically that makes them vulnerable to attack. In that respect, the "if my sword can cut them, anyone's can" argument goes right out the window. However, I don't think that's wise from a metagame view, since (as others have pointed out) the PC can't be everywhere at once, and a crew of a few dragons could then quickly decimate towns and murder all inhabitants of the world.

Maybe it's something in between though. Perhaps the shouts do make the dragons more vulnerable, which is why the PC has a shot when taking one on by himself. A collection of NPC's can bring one down, but they're much heartier and difficult to injure without being affected by a shout first.

Just pullin' at straws here, but I think that makes sense from both the game mechanics and lore sides of the fence.

Hmm I disagree, I don't think they've said anywhere that only Dovahkiin can kill a dragon.

I'm sure you could stumble upon a random encounter where some people are fighting them. I mean, it would make the world seem empty if the only npcs to venture outside of towns get slaughtered whenever a dragon comes around, not to mention game-breaking as well as limiting.

In fallout 3, you encounter folks fighting behemoths. Same diff really.

The fact is you do not know that only the player can kill dragons. You are making an assumption. It's possible, but it's also possible you are wrong. The burden of proof of anyone making a definite claim lies on the one making the claim, not on those who say they might be wrong.

It would be like me saying "Deep under the surface of Mars there is an advanced alien civilization! I know this, try and prove me wrong!" It doesn't work that way. The burden of proof would be mine for making such an claim.


We don't know what the dragons want. They aren't animals, and they even have their own language including writing. If only you can fight them, could they spread out and take on each city? Yeah, but is that part of the plan? I'm really hoping we meet dragons with different personalities/goals too. Cookie cutter "we are big bad dragon villains, rawr" would be disappointing to me, as would the game being an extermination quest with a bunch of cookie cutter evil dragons. I'm sure I'll enjoy the game regardless though.

After you close the one outside Bruma Burd thanks you and syas if any more open his men can close them. Also the Imperial Legon was busy with them in the other provinces as Chanceller Ocato tells you.

your signature is wrong, it's Fus-Ro-Dah. Lol

What everyone is saying here, is that a GROUP of strong NPCs should be able to take down ONE dragon.
The difference between the Player and the group of NPCs is then that the player can single-handily take down a dragon, while the group needs, you guessed it, a group to take down a dragon^^

Well, I'm sure by the time you take down your first dragon, that there will still be much more powerful NPCs than you. so why wouldn't one of those NPCs be able take down one of the weaker dragons by himself/herself?

As I said above, perhaps because the dragon is weakened somehow by one of your shouts.


Premise: A dragon not under the influence of one of your shouts is very hearty and difficult to injure, making it nigh impossible to destroy (except perhaps by a strong collection of NPC characters). What makes you special is the ability to shout. It figures that the dragons fear you because one or more of those shouts can be used to somehow make them more vulnerable, thus enabling you take one down single-handedly.

Be′cause they use dragon shouts and anyone not using them will lose against them because they simply surpass normal magic?

Dragons are infinite as wolves are infinite, they are like any other enemy in the game. A single dragon shout consists of 3 words, by slaying a dragon you learn a word. Reading things in ruins and such might let you learn a few words.

But it hasn't been confirmed that we would be the only ones who can slay dragons, it has hoqever been confirmed that we are not the only humans who can use shouts.

hm, possible. I just feel if there are still any NPCs that are my still my challenge around level 50, and my Dovahkiin can take down a dragon probably around level 5, then those NPC's would be able to kill the dragon anyway.

I personally want there to be other "dragon-slayers" out there. like a town that has a really powerful local-hero, other than you, that protects the city from dragons.

Who said that the dragonborn is the only one who can kill dragons??

The dragonborn is the dragonborn because he has the power to defeat Alduin, not because he can defeat dragons. That's like saying the CoC is the only person capable of killing daedra or that the Nerevarine is the only person who can kill ash vampires. They've already stated that dragons will raid cities. They're not going to have creatures attack cities full of NPCs that will just sit there and die.

Dragons making vulnerable only by dragon shouts? Some people here are asuming things and then making explanations to those asumptions.

I am firmly convinced that the only reason most people thinking NPCs can't kill drangons think like that, is they wish to believe that. So the only argument against asuming that is that it wouldn't be so cool.

Sort of, yeah, but I think several folks are also reading into the voiceover line from the trailer "But there is one they fear". Some are translating that into "there's one that can really mess 'em up", and are assuming it's because of the shouts and resistances inherent to the Dragonborn.

And yes, of course people are assuming things and running with it, because it's all we've got right now and it's fun to speculate. But no-one is speaking definitively here. We're all just trying to think through this stuff because it's something to keep the brain busy while we all drool for the next 220 days. :-/

220?!? :shocking:

I certainly hope that in some cases NPCs will be able to defend themselves from the dragons. This is what I'm thinking, since the dragons are unscripted they can attack at any moment, regardless of town, player level, quests, etc. So let's say I just finished a quest and I'm super low on health. A dragon attacks the city that I'm currently in and I choose not to fight it, due to health or whatever reason you choose. Will the dragon just go on killing all 'killable' NPCs until it either leaves or I kill it? While that would be realistic for the dragon to completely destroy a town and its inhabitants, I hope that other NPCs can be relied on for assistance or in some cases outright killing the dragon.

I suppose the NPCs are able to wound them to an extent but since they lack dragon shouts I guess they can't kill them, instead the dragons flee when on low health? But considering your damn title is "Dragon Born", I doubt you'll come across anyone else in the game more bad-ass than yourself.