Sunless Citadel question: opening a can of wyrms..spoilers)

[Droogie]

Ok, the party is pretty much done with the module and to make a long story short, Calcryx, the white dragon wyrmling is in its (newly repaired) cage and theirs for the taking.

One of the characters, a wizard/ranger, has much interest in the little creature and wants to subdue it. His plans: rear it as a pet.

I'm beginning to realize that the wyrmling doesn't pack that much punch and if they grapple it, they will subdue it pretty easily, just like they did when they first rescued it from the goblins.

Of course, it will try to escape--its fast enough-- but what if they try to subdue it through the cage bars? What do you think, maybe -4 to hit on top of the -4 for subdual?

If they succeed in taking it, then I guess they'll try to rear it with the Handle Animal skill. DC for a beast is 20+ HD, but I'll up the DC since its a dragon.

If they don't succeed with that (which they prolly won't ), my final question is:

What is the market price for a white dragon wyrmling?

There are many questions this situation raises, but this is the one I will most likely need the answer to first.

 

[Angelsboi]

well if i was a little wyrmling i would be pissed. Id breathe any time i could. The mean people are sticking things at me. Breathe on them. Have to stop them.

Take me to market to sell me? Ill breathe on someone there too. ill show them my feirce powers. Stoopid humans.

 

[X.plosion]

One thing you have to remember is that dragons are SMART, many smarter than most humans. While it is a wyrmling, it does posses an INT of 10, which is more than the average human. IF they could subdue it, it would be more-so as a slave than as a pet. Try to keep in mind that your party wont be able to get it to do anything they couldnt get almost any other powerful NPC to do. Your PC's would have an easier time making this thing there freind than making it there pet (allthough they'll have a hard time doing either).

 

[Droogie]

Hmmm... Int of 10...didn't think of that one. I suppose Handle Animal skill is out...maybe Bluff or Diplomacy? I don't think friendship is possible anyway. It is a dragon, and it is evil...the PC is good.

It will indeed breathe on them and try to escape by any means. Won't do much damage tho, since they have endure elements available, it only does 1d6, and the save is only 12. But rest assured, it will breathe when it can.

I figure most towns won't allow the thing in, even if it is caged or whatnot...too dangerous and there's always the possibility of its mother showing up.

There's always someone willing to buy it, tho. Just wanna be prepared with a ballpark estimate.

 

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Actually if i was a Dragonling and looking to escape being the captive of some kobolds i might just go along with the PC's. Of course as soon as i won thier trust i'd escape and confinement they might use on me and give them the ol' breath weapon in the middle of the night attack.

Most people don't cast endure elements before bed.

 

[krunchyfrogg]

10 INT is more than the average Human?

 

[Quinn]

Hmmm... Int of 10...didn't think of that one. I suppose Handle Animal skill is out...maybe Bluff or Diplomacy? I don't think friendship is possible anyway. It is a dragon, and it is evil...the PC is good.

It will indeed breathe on them and try to escape by any means. Won't do much damage tho, since they have endure elements available, it only does 1d6, and the save is only 12. But rest assured, it will breathe when it can.

I figure most towns won't allow the thing in, even if it is caged or whatnot...too dangerous and there's always the possibility of its mother showing up.

There's always someone willing to buy it, tho. Just wanna be prepared with a ballpark estimate.

I'd pick something you're comfortable giving them. Perhaps 2,000 GP is a lot of gold to the PC's right now. It allows them to buy some magic items with it, but nothing really out of the ballpark. Higher than that, it might be too much to give them at this point. Just don't let the players turn this into an argument and don't let them start metagaming the issue.

 

[dshai527]

Use it as a plot hook.

Have Cal start to develope language and try to negotiate his freedom. "I know where treasure is, my mother's horde is just over the mountains." It could be a trap or it could be real, it could have a sphere that ages dragons and now the PC's have unleashed a terror onto the lands. Have the dragon start to manipulate the party.

If they do sell it, have it return later in their careers as a bad guy who wants revenge for the indignity of being sold as a slave or pet. In other words make it sneaky since it isn't strong yet. It knows its time will come. It may treat the PC's like its master until it can find a way to escape or kill them.

 

[KnowTheToe]

10 INT is more than the average Human?

You must understand, I was used for the baseline for that statement.

 

[Zad]

I think you also have to take into account that the white dragon is inherently evil and therefore selling it could have moral consequences. Your group may or may not have an issue with this.

One of the things we considered when we hit this module was that it would probably be a lot easier to nip this evil in the bud now rather than waiting til it was old enough to ravage the countryside.