Green Dragon Going to War VS 15th level Party: Advice?

The Party in my campaign is on its way to fight an Old Green Dragon. Its been "harassing the villagers, being an evil dragon, and responsible for several evil half-dragon villains in the area." So the Party is going after the Green Villain.

The party has had one run in with some of the Dragons half-dragon kin. A half-dragon/half-fog giantess (fighter) and a half-dragon/half-human sorcerer. The sorcerer was slain in the first round by a flame strike (50+ damage) and failing the Massive Damage save. The Giantess proceeded to pummel the party with her two-handed great club. The party, due to tactics, was able to survive her wrath and only end the combat "wounded". The Giantess surrendered and asked for mercy, which the Paladin and the Fighter of the party granted. She was allowed to fly home, with the corpse of her half-brother, under the condition that she no longer "attacked anyone, but defense of ones home would be permitted." She flew away from the party in a SW direction, the same direction that the Green Dragon's lair was supposed to be.

I have basically one week to detail the lair beyond my notes, and the party was planning on camping overnight, regaining their special abilities, etc. that they used against the giantess. Therefore the Dragon and kin have about 12 hours to prepare.

Thus far, most of the spells of the Dragon are defensive in nature. Mirror Image and Displacement were at the top of my list.

Besides the Sorcerer and the Giantess, the dragon also kept a Wizard son, and a Fighter/Beserker (from Quintessential Fighter), both of 10th level. The wizard is a Enchantment/Transumtation Spell Focused individual, while the Fighter is a melee machine (as usual).

The Giantess was capable of noticing several of the parties tactics. Thus far she has observed:

There is at least 2 stronger fighter types (one that has spell casting capabilities).
There is a very capable cleric.
They have 2 not so capable woodsmen assistants.
At least one Wizard who can construct walls of Force, and fireballs that delay their explosions.
She counted 6 with their party, but there could be more.


They tend to use bows to strike at larger creatures and they make use of tumbling to close on creatures with reach. While they do use bows, they are not profiecient with their use (rarely hit her when she was in melee with other creatures). The Elven Cleric can make himself invisibile, as can the Elven Wizard. She only meleed with one of the Fighters, of which he seemed rather weak, but he was capable of dealing out great damage at least once.

What the Party actually consists of:
1 Fighter/Paladin/Sorcerer
1 Fighter/Gladiator/Aristocrat/Wizard/Ranger
1 Cleric/PrC's
1 Wizard (Npc)
2 Rangers (Npcs)

Party averages about 15th level now, with only a few 14's left. The party also had a few players missing which will probably show up at the next session. Here are the ones that were missing from the standard party:

1 Fighter/Barbarian
1 Fighter/Dragonslayer
1 Cleric
1 Wizard
1 Fighter/Master Samurai
1 Rogue

Any of these individuals could show up at the next session, adding to the parties strength.

I have decided that the dragon lairs near/in a large lake within the forest, that from reports of various woodsmen the dragon modified with its own digging. What I'm trying to think of now is strategy and tactics for the Dragon and its Kin against the invaders.

I want the party to have a difficult fight. What advice can ya'll give me?

Dragon's should be hard to kill

Make the dragon ancient, and give it lots more minions, such as a huge tribe of trap-making kobolds, lots of party-separation magic to reduce them to easy to eat morsels, and in general try to kill them from a distance, including dropping large rocks out of the sky onto their heads. No one should be able to waltz up and kill a dragon...

Divide and conquer... no sane opponent would face off a whole troupe of adventurers. Split the party into several groups, let each of his progeny take out one group.

LightPhoenix

Well, considering that you have way more than the 4 characters that the CRs in the Monster Manual are based on, I would raise the levels of the half-dragon NPC by quite a bit...perhaps giving them 15 class levels instead of ten. Similarly, I would make the dragon older than just Old. It's CR is 17 against a party of four; against a party of 12, it would have almost no chance at all. Ancient or even Wyrm seems more appropriate.

Since the party uses bows to soften up its targets, the spell protection from arrows should be cast on all of the defending beasties. Remember that the actual arrows fired from magical bows are not considered magical unless the arrows themselves are individually enchanted.

Don't underestimate the use of invisibility magic coupled with the ability to fly. All of the dragonkin with wings should be under the effects of invisiblie (or even the improved version) if they have it.

The cleric is definitely one of the greater threats. I would have all the dragon kin focus their attacks (including breath weapons) on the cleric in order to take him out of the fight as quickly as possible. Without healing the party should go down quick.

Wands of dispel magic, created by the dragon or one of its children, should be distributed among the half-dragons so that they can counter enemy magics.

I would have the dragon flying overhead, under the effects of improved invisibility (which it has prepared a couple times in case its dispelled), watching the battle. Whenever it has an opportunity to strike from surprise, I would have it swoop down and try to pick up one of the characters. He can then drop the character in the middle of the lake you mentioned, where a few young (and hugry) dragon offspring wait for their dinner.

Don't let the dragon melee with the characters!

Repeat, do not let the dragon melee with the characters!

It will get slaughtered by the party's fighters, especially if the dragonslayer and samurai show up.

Instead, the green should use hit and run tactics. Spells, swooping attack, breath weapon. If some of the wizards take to the sky, it should retreat into the lake. (Any characters who follow the invisible Ancient green dragon into a lake filled with its hungry children gets what they deserve.) Remember that its breath weapon and other abilities work perfectly well under water....

If the dragon sees all of its children fall under the blades and spells of its enemies, it decides to flee the battlefield. It will plot its revenge from the safety of its secondary lair, which is underneath the lake. The primary lair, which the party seeks to loot, has actually been rigged to collapse through judicious use of stone shape. If the party survives the cave-in, they will have to dig out, giving the dragon more time to escape and/or plot. Of course, the choicest parts of the dragons hoard are in its secondary lair (although I'd throw the party a few nice bones for their trouble if they got this far).

Those are all the suggestions I have right now. I'll get back to you with more later.

B.A.D.D. lives!

Also, have the dragon send some of its lesser minions (a tribe of kobolds sounds about right) to harry the party at night so they have a hard time resting and regaining spells.

Wolfspider said:

Also, have the dragon send some of its lesser minions (a tribe of kobolds sounds about right) to harry the party at night so they have a hard time resting and regaining spells.

Click to expand...

Yes! Have a small group attack every hour or so after dark. They won't get any sleep.

With Greens you have some options that will press even the most well prepaired party:

1) Acid Immunity and Water Breating - The dragon's horde and main chambers should be completly flooded with acidic water. Add a couple half-dragon dire sharks and you have something of a memorable fight. Read up on underwater combat and drowning.

2) Grind down the magic defences! Lots of pools of acid and traps to get rid of all those elemetal resistance spells. Put gold keys in the bottom of pools of acid and have one or two filled with green slime instead for good measure.

3) Use a tribe of Kuo-Toa, sahuagin or Trogs with some heavy hitters to keep the PCs from resting up. If you are mean you can have the pcs find these guys first with underwater lairs they keep non-acidic (using magic or in alkali caves) and hopefully the PC's will not realize they wandered into dangerous waters until protections start failing

4) Don't forget the dragon casts as a 9th level sorceror. Buff all you want!

5) Roll treasure before hand and make good use of it!!!

6) Make sure the dragon has a plan "B". Escape routes are vital!! Hopefully it involves getting away and sealing the PCs in an acid filled underground chamber.

that's all I got for now
Kugar

Whatever you do.... repeat! Whatever you do...do NOT let the party get even NEAR to the lair without the dragon knowing about it.

With this forewarning of enemies in her forest, intent on killing her and her progeny, she will NOT be arrogant.
She will NOT be surprised by what the adventurers can do (18 INT, 19 WIS unbuffed), and she will be BUFFED with so much magic that that should be the battle right there.

She will have a lot of magic at her disposal.
DON'T just generate random magic items for her hoard.
Have her use stuff before the battle, and any dragon would have some ability to instantly escape (Scrolls of Teleport or something?)

This is the sanctum sanctorum of a 500 year old legendary creature.

I think you're party is suicidal in just trying to waltz in and smite evil on her.

Have them get their heads handed to them for their arrogance.
It is your duty not to play this dragon as a patsy.

So says this member of B.A.D.D.! LOL

P.S. What instant-kill dangers does the party possess?

I almost forgot - add a ring of counterspells: with harm loaded.
kugar

Kugar said:

I almost forgot - add a ring of counterspells: with harm loaded.
kugar

Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure that doesn't work. Spell turning specifically says touch range spells are not affected....

Just kill the cleric first, easier right? (heh)