BADD- evaluate my dragon DM'ing? (KotSQ, Glacier Season module SPOILERS)

[Victim]

Curses, I lost my post. I had quite a bit more stuff.

According the MM, your dragon should fly 40 miles in hour without hurrying. If it flies for 8 hours hustling, then it goes about 640 miles but takes 127 points of subdual. Just cast Heal at the end of the flight and remove the real and subdual at once.

Remember that the dragon casts as a sorcerer, and thus has a known spells cap.

Shield + Mage Armor + Haste + Shield of Faith = 60 AC. The PCs can have fun hitting it without touch attacks.

Antimagic Field is too small to cover the whole dragon, so it might not be a good idea.

 

[Jairami]

As to how to figure out how far they travel in an hour/day, from the SRD...


Dragon Overland Movement

Dragons are exceedingly strong flyers and can cover vast distances quickly.

Dragon Overland Flying Speeds

Flight Speed....100 feet....150 feet....200 feet....250 feet
------------....--------....--------....--------....--------

One Hour

Normal..........15 miles....20 miles....30 miles....40 miles
Hustle..........24 miles....40 miles....60 miles....80 miles

One Day

Normal..........120 miles...160 miles...240 miles...320 miles

Dragons do not tire as quickly as other creatures when moving overland. If a dragon attempts a hustle or forced march, check for subdual damage once every 2 hours instead of every hour.

 

[Wolfspider]

Make sure you prepare for the cleric's possible use of the harm spell. It's best to tell them beforehand what your special rulings (if any) you have concerning this dragon-killing magic.

 

[Dr Midnight]

Liches are required to be of evil alignment. I find it difficult to believe an adventuring party would go around with an Undead compatriot in any event. But, to each their own. Have you got any specific plans yet on what the Dragon is going to do?

I can find nothing anywhere that says anything about liches having to be evil. This is the thread he started when he was looking into it (on Monte's boards):
http://pub58.ezboard.com/fokayyourturnfrm12.showMessage?topicID=789.topic

Make sure you prepare for the cleric's possible use of the harm spell. It's best to tell them beforehand what your special rulings (if any) you have concerning this dragon-killing magic.

I did- Told him the dragon would be entitled to a Will Save. I heard no end of whining and bitching about it. Ugh.

It did save the dragon's scaly white bum, though!

 

[Alejandro]

Antimagic Field is too small to cover the whole dragon, so it might not be a good idea.

This is an interesting interpretation, and differs from mine, so I thought I'd discuss it. IMC, AMF is centered on the character (surrounds the character) and emanates 10' from him. In my mind, this represents the entire dragon, plus 10' in all directions (up, down, all around).

 

[Tiberius]

I agree with the previous posters with respect to the dragon's mercy level. It should show none.

Further, in its 1,200+ years, it must have met some very powerful (still-living) people. Why not have them cast Discern Location on the lich's phlyactery, then have the dragon teleport/plane shift to its location, then eat, dispel, or cast Mordenkainen's Disjunction on it? THAT would teach the lich a lesson.

Also, remember the entirely unwholesome range of the creature's blindsight. IIRC, it gets 30' per age category or 30 * 12 = 360 feet. If it knows when they are next coming, you could have it hide in its anti-flanking nook, cast an illusion over the area to make it look like the nook has caved in, and blast the party when they come knocking again.

Good luck dealing out appropriate retribution!

-Tiberius

[EDIT: Italicized Discern Location]

 

[MasterOfHeaven]

I did- Told him the dragon would be entitled to a Will Save. I heard no end of whining and bitching about it. Ugh.

It did save the dragon's scaly white bum, though!

Good call. By the way, from the SRD:

Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary or troupe (1 lich, plus 2-4 vampires_ and 5-8 vampire spawn)
Challenge Rating: Same as the character + 2
Treasure: Standard coins; double goods; double items
Alignment: Any evil
Advancement: By character class

Note the Alignment part. Maybe I'm wrong though... I haven't really researched the matter, but as I understand it you have to be evil to be a lich. Which makes sense, IMO.

 

[Dr Midnight]

That means your average lich... just like how your average goblin is evil, but you could create a good one and roleplay him.

 

[Tom Cashel]

IMC, AMF is centered on the character (surrounds the character) and emanates 10' from him. In my mind, this represents the entire dragon, plus 10' in all directions (up, down, all around).

From the SRD's description of Antimagic field:

"Note: Should the character be larger than the area enclosed by the barrier, any part of the character's person that lies outside the barrier is unaffected by the field."

Doc, I think your dragon is the well-handled terror that it should be. However, I think you're cutting your "goateed, system-exploiting" characters too much slack.

Everyone "jumping" into a bag of holding? I'd not allow that. A portable hole, yes, but not a bag.

From the SRD, assuming they have a Type 4 Bag of Holding, the largest one:

"max weight: 1,500 lb., 250 cu. ft.
If the bag is overloaded, or if sharp objects pierce it (from inside or outside), the bag ruptures and is ruined. All contents are lost forever."

Now, it's a judgement call on your part as to whether the bag is pierced from within...but keep in mind that 250 cubic feet is just a tad bigger than a 6x6x6 cube. Not very big, and certainly not big enough to fit more than, say, three party members.

If you did allow them to squeeze more people into the bag, the chances of a puncture and being "lost forever" would raise significantly. And if they were squeezing into the space, they certainly wouldn't just be diving in like Ringling Bros. clowns into their tiny car...and while they try to fit everyone in the dragon could be breathing on them again and again.

At this point, I'd tell your players that you will be implementing the correct "Aid another" rules, explain to them why they can't use their bag of holding as a party-carrier, and have the dragon come back to kidnap one of them...it has the best possibilities for role-playing and humiliation and, well...hurt.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[drnuncheon]

Liches are required to be of evil alignment. I find it difficult to believe an adventuring party would go around with an Undead compatriot in any event.

He's a cleric of Wee Jas, the godess of magic and death. I would think that lichdom would be a completely natural thing for them to aspire to, as it combines both of her aspects!

Since it's been a long-stated goal, and the DM and none of the PCs have had a problem with it, and it's very in character (check out the story hour for more details), I don't think that trashing on the players because there's a lich is very productive.

J