Design & Dev: Monsters (DRAGONS!)

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

I wonder how the Wizzy heals from the Clerics crit...

Probably some form of ability such that, when you score a critical hit while using a particular ability (Holy Strike?), you can heal an ally for a given amount.

 

[A'koss]

From a PC perspective, it seems the fighter can do about 500 points of damage with a "solid blow."

Somehow I doubt it was intended to suggest that a fighter can do that kind of damage in a single hit. I assumed that was just the blow that put it at under 1/2 it's HP...

 

[A'koss]

Actually, I think you'll find that Dragons have just lost most of their spellcasting and vulnerabilities. Nice.

That would be my guess as well. Powerful dragons were pretty much the worst stat abominations of all the monsters in 3e.

 

[Korgoth]

That seemed a bit too "extreme" to me. Hitting for 500 points? Lets move the decimal point to the left one step, OK?

Oy. Is it really going to be running around with AC 48 and striking for 584 points of damage and getting 8 actions per round and all that? I find the prospect bewildering. Not that it's too complicated for my brain; rather, that it's both a chore and impossible to relate to.

 

[Umbra_Kaitou]

Probably a bad way to initiate my first post here, but please take it as a neutral observation only.

That dragon fights sounds very much like an Onyxia showdown.

I am glad to see HP and AC over the Star wars-esque save system. And the cleric being able to heal and attack sounds promising.

 

[Branduil]

That AC is higher than any Dragon AC in the 3.5 MM.

 

[drowdude]

Actually, I think you'll find that Dragons have just lost most of their spellcasting and vulnerabilities. Nice.

Cheers!

Yeah, I sort of get the impression that the Xorvintaal dragon template from MMV was inspired by the changes they are making in 4e to some degree.

 

[Glyfair]

Not me.

I'm looking forward to 4e but that whole encounter just makes me go, "Hmmm... the continual disatisfaction that the design staff has with dragons, ranging form adding age categories in earlier editions via Forgotten Realms to making them powerful spellcasters with unique abilities in higher editions, has just taken a huge shot of crack cocaine to the new levels of silly."

I want to know exactly how PCs will handle the dragon's output at the appropriate level. We don't see enough here.

However, I do agree that they keep trying to upgrade dragons more and more. This reads to me like they really want to go with the Runequest/Glorantha true dragon paradigm and are just too afraid.

For those who never played old RQ, the monster manual entry for true dragons states that if they like you they talk to you, if they don't they eat you. They also take up full hexes on the region map.

It reads like the designers just want to go "the dragon shows up and kills you all unless you can manage to run away." Still, I'll wait for more information. Maybe PCs can take what they can dish out at the right level.

 

[grimslade]

Mommy.

Because of the ridiculous nose spike, dragons can't chew bubblegum. They can only kick ass. How many abilities did that dragon use in one round? That is insane. It seems like a lot of Draconomicon is being incorporated into Core. The old Clinging Breath on the secondary Fireball breath weapon.
Free action Breath Weapon. Free Action Tail Slap in response to the rogue, new AoO? Special Ability to take a standard action to toast the wizard with the Clinging Fireball. 20' reach to standard action attack Ftr and Clr. Immediate action to Breath Weapon in response to a charge, AoO?

 

[JoeGKushner]

Because of the ridiculous nose spike, dragons can't chew bubblegum. They can only kick ass.

If you're collecting them, take a laugh point.

Heck, I'm surprised we didn't see something in there about the dragon getting a nose spike attack!