Dragons have been listed in the game manuals as an enemy since Quest for Glory I: So You Want to Be a Hero (1989), always with the advice to run whenever you see one. However, Quest for Glory 5 is the first and only time that a living dragon actually appears in the game, and the first time that the hero must fight it.
Unlike the second and third games, in this game the Fighter cannot become Paladin. However, for the players who did not play as Paladin in the previous games, a saved Paladin character is included in the imports folder as special bonus.
In this game, the hero finally meets Erana in person, providing that he chooses to rescue her from Hades instead of Katrina. She appears briefly in the end of the previous game Quest for Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness (1994), but only as spirit.
All kinds of potions are available in this game, including stamina potions which are unavailable in the previous two games.
Unlike the first three games, in this game no Dispel Potion is used.