D&D 5E Download LEGO's The Red Dragon's Tale

The Red Dragon's Tale is a free 20-page adventure you can download from D&D Beyond (along with some digital dice and graphics). It's produced by WotC to go with LEGO's recent D&D set, which you build as you play through the adventure, and is four four 5th-level characters--pregenerated characters are provided for a gnome fighter, elf wizard, orc rogue, and dwarf cleric.

 

[michaeljpastor]

There was an article earlier this week that said that Lego is taking a break from movies for a bit. I'm sure it doesn't help that DADHAT wasn't a runaway hit.

At least that leaves open a game? I'm not a huge fan exactly (I played it with an autistic "nephew" for a couple years, and it was fun to some extent). But if they released a game that is sortakinda like a BG3, I think I'd buy it.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

At least that leaves open a game? I'm not a huge fan exactly (I played it with an autistic "nephew" for a couple years, and it was fun to some extent). But if they released a game that is sortakinda like a BG3, I think I'd buy it.

I would, too, but Lego only has so many manhours available to it when it comes to getting new games made. So they will go with the ones that seem likely to be the biggest hits. Before DADHAT, I think they probably had a stronger argument for D&D than they do now.

We'll see how many Red Dragon playsets fly off the shelves. If it's a huge success, that will definitely help improve the odds of future collaborations.

 

[bedir than]

I would, too, but Lego only has so many manhours available to it when it comes to getting new games made. So they will go with the ones that seem likely to be the biggest hits. Before DADHAT, I think they probably had a stronger argument for D&D than they do now.

We'll see how many Red Dragon playsets fly off the shelves. If it's a huge success, that will definitely help improve the odds of future collaborations.

They already sold out of what they put available for direct order.

 

[overgeeked]

I would, too, but Lego only has so many manhours available to it when it comes to getting new games made. So they will go with the ones that seem likely to be the biggest hits. Before DADHAT, I think they probably had a stronger argument for D&D than they do now.

We'll see how many Red Dragon playsets fly off the shelves. If it's a huge success, that will definitely help improve the odds of future collaborations.

I’m honestly surprised it took this long with the pop culture resurgence of D&D since Stranger Things and Critical Role.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Yes, and then when the mage is dead they have to defeat the dragon. The mage can't do much to the dragon- the adventure says at the start he uses his Hold Monster scroll against her. She has 3 legendary resistances. And she'll wreck up the mage's day in a couple turns. Maybe one since it's a CR17 dragon with legendaries.

No, they don’t. If the dragon gets it egg back (and potentially the orb of dragonkind) it will leave. There is a typically Lego movie move hinted at - the PCs toss the egg to the sorcerer and do a runner.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

What kind of dragonborn is Alex? He is green and has poison resistance, but his breath weapon is fire.

 

[Distracted DM]

No, they don’t. If the dragon gets it egg back (and potentially the orb of dragonkind) it will leave. There is a typically Lego movie move hinted at - the PCs toss the egg to the sorcerer and do a runner.

I think we might be interpreting the text differently:

The dragon egg is surprisingly resilient. Fire doesn’t harm it, a fall won’t break it, and nonmagical weapons can’t crack it. Despite the egg’s natural resilience, Ervan won’t risk damaging the egg by attacking Player Characters near it. If the characters seize the egg, Ervan yells, “Thieves!” Before Ervan can take further action, Cinderhowl catches sight of him and flies toward the tower. Continue with scene 6.

Scene 6: The Dragon
The adventure concludes with a double “boss fight.” The Player Characters must deal with two foes at once: Cinderhowl and Ervan Soulfallen. Clever characters can turn one of these foes against the other.

Cinderhowl is a hostile adult red dragon who speaks Common (the language of common folk) and Draconic (the language of dragons). Her senses are excellent, and hiding the egg from her is nearly impossible. She accuses those closest to the egg of being thieves and threatens to roast them alive unless the egg is given to her at once.

Nothing the Player Characters say can quench Cinderhowl’s rage. The dragon is convinced Ervan hired them to steal her egg. As an action, a character can try to redirect Cinderhowl’s rage toward Ervan, doing so with a successful DC 20 Charisma (Deception or Persuasion) check. Use whichever skill seems most appropriate.

If Cinderhowl was lured to the tower by the Orb of Dragonkind (see scene 5), the dragon tries to kill whoever has the orb after the egg is safely in her custody. If a Player Character willingly gives her the orb, Cinderhowl keeps it while granting nothing in return.

If Cinderhowl regains the egg but seems on the verge of losing the battle, she takes the egg back to her mountain lair after warning the Player Characters that she will haunt their nightmares.
Conclusion
If the Player Characters defeat Ervan and Cinderhowl, Alax Jadescales prepares a banquet that includes platters of mouth-watering, all-you-can-eat hot wings. The Player Characters are welcome to stay at the Inn Plain Sight whenever they like
If she was lured by the Orb, she will kill whoever has it- if it's given to her, she keeps it while granting nothing in return.
I imagine that's the part that's making you think "if she gets the orb and the egg she'll leave."

Nothing can quench Cinderhowl's rage.
If Cinderhowl regains the egg but seems on the verge of losing, she leaves after threatening the PCs with revenge.
As per "Conclusion," for our happy ending the PCs have to defeat both Ervan and Cinderhowl.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I think we might be interpreting the text differently:

The dragon egg is surprisingly resilient. Fire doesn’t harm it, a fall won’t break it, and nonmagical weapons can’t crack it. Despite the egg’s natural resilience, Ervan won’t risk damaging the egg by attacking Player Characters near it. If the characters seize the egg, Ervan yells, “Thieves!” Before Ervan can take further action, Cinderhowl catches sight of him and flies toward the tower. Continue with scene 6.

Scene 6: The Dragon
The adventure concludes with a double “boss fight.” The Player Characters must deal with two foes at once: Cinderhowl and Ervan Soulfallen. Clever characters can turn one of these foes against the other.

Cinderhowl is a hostile adult red dragon who speaks Common (the language of common folk) and Draconic (the language of dragons). Her senses are excellent, and hiding the egg from her is nearly impossible. She accuses those closest to the egg of being thieves and threatens to roast them alive unless the egg is given to her at once.

Nothing the Player Characters say can quench Cinderhowl’s rage. The dragon is convinced Ervan hired them to steal her egg. As an action, a character can try to redirect Cinderhowl’s rage toward Ervan, doing so with a successful DC 20 Charisma (Deception or Persuasion) check. Use whichever skill seems most appropriate.

If Cinderhowl was lured to the tower by the Orb of Dragonkind (see scene 5), the dragon tries to kill whoever has the orb after the egg is safely in her custody. If a Player Character willingly gives her the orb, Cinderhowl keeps it while granting nothing in return.

If Cinderhowl regains the egg but seems on the verge of losing the battle, she takes the egg back to her mountain lair after warning the Player Characters that she will haunt their nightmares.
Conclusion
If the Player Characters defeat Ervan and Cinderhowl, Alax Jadescales prepares a banquet that includes platters of mouth-watering, all-you-can-eat hot wings. The Player Characters are welcome to stay at the Inn Plain Sight whenever they like
If she was lured by the Orb, she will kill whoever has it- if it's given to her, she keeps it while granting nothing in return.
I imagine that's the part that's making you think "if she gets the orb and the egg she'll leave."

Nothing can quench Cinderhowl's rage.
If Cinderhowl regains the egg but seems on the verge of losing, she leaves after threatening the PCs with revenge.
As per "Conclusion," for our happy ending the PCs have to defeat both Ervan and Cinderhowl.

I think in your reading you are failing to take account of the tone of the adventure - child-friendly comedy. You can repel oozes with sticky source!

Clearly, non-combat solutions are encouraged. Or they can simply be elsewhere. The dragon can't kill the PCs if it can't find them, and it has more important things to do than to hunt them down.


That aside, if I was running this, the dragon is clearly motivated by a desire to retrieve it's egg, and it speaks common. Clearly the PCs can negotiate - that is just the way I would run any encounter with an intelligent foe.

 

[Distracted DM]

I think in your reading you are failing to take account of the tone of the adventure - child-friendly comedy. You can repel oozes with sticky source!

Clearly, non-combat solutions are encouraged. Or they can simply be elsewhere. The dragon can't kill the PCs if it can't find them, and it has more important things to do than to hunt them down.


That aside, if I was running this, the dragon is clearly motivated by a desire to retrieve it's egg, and it speaks common. Clearly the PCs can negotiate - that is just the way I would run any encounter with an intelligent foe.

I understand your point, but that just means that the adventure is poorly written; it's telling the person running it that the players have to defeat the dragon to win- it presents circumstances for helping with that defeat, turning the mage and the dragon against one-another, but that isn't gonna cut it at all.
If you're an experienced GM yeah, you're not going to run it as written- but as a novice GM you're gonna TPK.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

the players have to defeat the dragon to win

“Defeat” does not mean kill.

An “run away and hide” is something that would occur to even the most novice of players. And an inexperienced DM would not know how the dragon could counter that.