Dragon Turtle: Intelligent or Not?

[petespahn]

Just wondering how you handle dragon turtles in your game. Do you play them as intelligent animals or more like dragons? I've always run them as more dragon-like personally, but the description leaves it pretty open. Every module I've seen with a dragon turtle has played them pretty much as animals that attack if you tick them off (or land your boat on them), although I'm sure there are exceptions.

[bighara]

FWIW, the AD&D MM lists them as "Very" intelligent. I've always imagined them with at least human level INT.

SPOILERS

In Wrack & Rune, the DT isn't stupid, it's just hungry and feeding before going back to its lair for a long sleep. It's not attacking out of malice, it's largely indifferent to the people around its hunting grounds. If the party finds a way to engage it in conversation, they might be able to RP some sort of deal.

[Malcadon]

Dragon Turtles are smart, but Dragonne Turtles on the other hand can teach you Energy-bending.

[bighara]

I forgot to mention this before

http://geekechoes.blogspot.com/2012/04/ ... urtle.html