My Dragon Killed a PC and lives to tell the tale!

[JacktheRabbit]

Well if this is near the dragons lair then I doubnt there are any ledges one can hide under that the dragon has no scoured out in advance to make sure a foe cannot hide from them in it.

Barring that one thing a Blue Dragon should be really big on is using the explosive power of his breath to blast structures both constructed and natural.

 

[Ruvion]

I think such a feat, should they exist (and I know it doesn't in the Tome and Blood splat book), should be well thought out before adding it to the campaign. A breath weapon is usually linked to the dragon in a primal and elemental way, just like his immunities. For example, a red or gold dragon breathes fire (well gold also breathe a weakening gas) and as fire subtypes are hence immune to fire in general. Giving a Energy Substitution for the red dragon's breath for ice would go against the grain of his elemetal attunement. That is a finer point in dragon physiology, and such I think should remain unchanged.

 

[Wolfspider]

Maybe it could be a spell instead of a feat....

 

[JacktheRabbit]

How about a rather dragon specific sorceror spell of about 6th or 7th level that for 1 round per level that alters the dragons breath weapon energy type?

Powerful oh yeah, but something that a dragon would be VERY interested in learning.

You know a really nasty dragon would have alter self as one of his spells and spend most of his time changed to the color of a weaker smaller dragon then he really is.

I think such a feat, should they exist (and I know it doesn't in the Tome and Blood splat book), should be well thought out before adding it to the campaign. A breath weapon is usually linked to the dragon in a primal and elemental way, just like his immunities. For example, a red or gold dragon breathes fire (well gold also breathe a weakening gas) and as fire subtypes are hence immune to fire in general. Giving a Energy Substitution for the red dragon's breath for ice would go against the grain of his elemetal attunement. That is a finer point in dragon physiology, and such I think should remain unchanged.

 

[Ruvion]

Now that is an idea...why didn't I think of that! A red dragon disguised as a white dragon using a simple low level spell. Imagine the surprise on face of the party as they fireball, flame wall, meteor swarm the "white dragon" and it stands unscathed! Add in a cantrip (or maybe a more powerful illusion spell) to make the white dragon to be wearing some kind of equipment, and the PCs will pull their hair out trying to divine what manner of artefact grants fire immunity (or something near to it) to a "white dragon".

 

[Ruvion]

Of course, I wholeheartedly agree that a spell would make sense:

Breath Energy Substitution...or Change Breath Energy anyone?

 

[JacktheRabbit]

If I remember the spell Alter Self right an older dragon should be able to get the spell to pretty well last 24-7.

Very evil.

Now that is an idea...why didn't I think of that! A red dragon disguised as a white dragon using a simple low level spell. Imagine the surprise on face of the party as they fireball, flame wall, meteor swarm the "white dragon" and it stands unscathed! Add in a cantrip (or maybe a more powerful illusion spell) to make the white dragon to be wearing some kind of equipment, and the PCs will pull their hair out trying to divine what manner of artefact grants fire immunity (or something near to it) to a "white dragon".

 

[reapersaurus]

Strange that you mention this. I was just thinking about this exact same thing earlier today.

Exact same thing here...

Cloudgather: in your campaign, "The North" is an uncharted wasteland, where humanoids don't live?

Hmm.. I guess IF your 150-year old dragon is basically the first one in all of dragon society to come down south and have any run-ins with this unknown race called humans (and the like), I guess the unpreparedness of your dragon would make sense.

Personally, I view this approach as an extreme eunich-ing of a dragon's major advantage:
Time to prep, and knowledge.

But as long as that approach is not used in the dragon's lair, it's no big deal.

One thing, Cloud:
I don't see how the dragon killing only one member of the party and barely making it out is a particularly successful combat by the dragon.
He still has 7 opponents who know more about him than he knows about them.
Only in a meta-gaming view does killing a PC have any impact.

Think how would the dragon feel about this situation?

 

[Ruvion]

2 thoughts...

one might be: Leapin' Lizards! Those humans are tough...I only manage to kill one out of eight and they almost gave me the smack down...

the other alternative is: I knocked down one of the two most dangerous players in that group of humans...Next time with some preparing, buffing, and a change of strategy I will make sure to eliminate those two (assuming that archer gets raised) first then take care of the rest at my leisure...Mwuhahahah!!

 

[Draco Argentum]

Breath Substitution

There is a spell in the Cult of the Dragon book from 2ed. I don't have the stats at work but it is available for download at WotC.