About Rust Dragon

[Shin Okada]

Within few months, I am likely to run an adventure in Acheron. And I want to feature creatures native to that plane. Of course I can use "axiomatic" creatures, but there are only few creatures truly unique to this plane. So I am likely to use Bladeling, Mhorg, Justicator and Rust Dragon.

Planar Dragons are very unique and interesting. But Rust Dragon's breath ability makes me nervous. If it uses the rusting breath, PCs must roll saves for all the metallic items they are wearing or holding, right? I guess it will ruin so many important magic items the PCs have and the party will suffer almost Irrecoverable financial damages.

On the other hand, if I warn the existence of such monster before they go to Acheron and they prepare for it (say, every character wearing Gauntlet of Rust), the creature become suddenly mediocre. And such warning maybe, somewhat unnatural.

Am I missing something? Or are there any way to make this encounter an interesting challenge, and not a totally frustrating one?

[FEADIN]

You can say that anyone who fail his save has to roll for each metallic (ferrous) item.
Don't forget that magical items save as the wielder if it's better than the item save.

[Voadam]

Will the players get to research Acheron before going there? Hear from people who have been there or dealt with things from Acheron? I used both these techniques when I ran Lord of the Iron Fortress to foreshadow the possibility of rust dragon attacks. One PC got a rust proof enchantment for his armor. They only ended up seeing a rust dragon corpse upon entering the eternal battlefield and avoided the family of rust dragons that were on the cube they were investigating later.

One option is to go with the theory that rust dragons are corrupted metallics and give them one of their base dragon breath weapons in addition to the rust one or maybe in place of if you are not comfortable with a rusting breath weapon. Alternatively change the flavor of rust to essentially be acid corrosion damage or bludgeoning damage from flecks of rust expelled in the breath weapon.

[frankthedm]

While I prefer the willingness to destroy gear the older editions had, I can also understand how intertwined PC's abilities are with their gear. What I'd suggest is leave the chance for the gear to rust away exactly as written. BUT a magic item that is rusted just becomes nonfunctional and looks like a rusted out piece of crap. Detect magic shows only the faintest of auras.

Magic weapons function as non magical improvised weapons
Magic armor now looks like a ragged jumpsuit of rusted scrap
Other items are now hunks of rust.

The effect persists until counteracted:

Make Whole [caster level check [DC 10 + Dragon's HD]
Remove curse cast directly on the Item.
Soaked in a mystic spring of liquid metal {There might even be one in the dragon's lair]

[Shin Okada]

They will certainly know that their destination is Acheron beforehand. And they will have enough time to prepare for that adventure. So they may prepare some countermeasure against Rust Dragon ..... or not. I am not sure. It depends on how they estimate the possibility to meet one.