Designing a dragon

Since I've designed 14 different dragon species, I've come up with a sort of template about the different features you might consider while building your own dragon.
Of course, dragons can be whatever you want. The sky's the limit. These are just to get you started~

1. Body Type:
There's the western variety of dragon which is more or less like a winged lizard.


Then there are the bat-shaped dragons, like wyverns


And finally the long eastern-style dragons.



2. How many legs do they have? Are they like South American dragons, which have no legs?
Do they have only two legs? Maybe only hind legs. Or possibly just forelegs.

Maybe they have more than four legs.
Do they walk on their hind legs, or on all four feet? Do they have to slither like a snake if they're on the ground?
How many toes do they have? In China, only the emperor was allowed to wear anything with five-toed dragons on it.

3. Wings
Do they have wings, or do they float? Maybe they don't fly at all.
Do they bat-like wings, or bird-like wings? They might me insect-like wings.
If they have bat-like wings, how many fingers do they have? Usually there are one or more thumbs on the wing which they can use to walk on or grab things. And then there are the longer (usually more flexible) fingers that the skin membrane stretches between.
Do they have more than two wings?


4. Covering
Do they have scales, feathers, skin, or fur? Or a combination of them?
What colors is the dragon?

5. Head
What shape is it? Square, triangular, or more rounded.
Is the snout thick, or sharp?
How long is the snout?
How many heads do they have?
What shape eyes do they have? What color? What shape are the pupils?

6. Tail
They probably need a tail for balance while walking and during flight. What kind of tail? Lion-like? Lizard-like? Bird-like?
Does it have spikes at the end? A club,? A blade,? Maybe a spade end. Or a tuft of feathers or fur. Or frills to help it steer.


7. Horns and spikes
Do they have horns?
How many?
What shape? Think of curled ram horns, stag antlers, bull horns, antelope horns, etc. Do they curve down or up or forward? Do they curl or branch or twist?
Do they have any other kinds of spikes on their head? Anywhere else on their body, like ankles or shoulders?

8. Back ridge
Dragons often have something that run down the center of their back. It might be a mane, or a line of spikes or frills.

9. Ears or anything else on the head
Do they have ears?
Frilled ears? Cat or dog ears? Scaly shell-shaped ears?
Do they have any other kind of frills or ornaments anywhere else on their head? (Or anywhere else)

10. Ability
Finally, do they have magic? Do they breathe fire? Spit acid? Maybe they have some other elemental power. Breathing ice, spitting lightning, breathing poison gas, blasting wind.

Can they speak?
Can they use telepathy?
Can they control waters?

Anything else?
How big are they?
Are they benevolent, or chaotic?
Do they hoard treasure, or guard the rivers?

Have fun!