What would be an appropriate CR adjustment for this dragon defending her lair?

[comareddin]

So you have a good old fashioned young adult red dragon and she is defending her lair. The lair is in the middle of a lava lake in a volcanic region and there are pillars of granite scattered around some with surface large enough to support the dragon and some more people, some with room for only one medium creature. The characters have to jump or fly between the pillars. Some of the pillars will be trapped as well. To add some more variables to the equation, there are random volcanic fire euptions in the lake so while traveling between pillars the characters might get caught in one (I am open to suggestions for mechanics for this one). Another effect active over the battleground is a permanent gust of wind which would be a cause of trouble for many characters, especially small ones.) The dragon will possess some knockback capabilities such as bullrushing and a ring of the ram or scrolls of telekinesis.

So I am asking the community, what would be an appropriate CR adjustment for this lair and do you have any suggestions for making it more difficult.

Regards,
Com

 

[darthkilmor]

With the chance of falling in lava, what motivation does the group have to slay said dragon?

aside from that:
As for the lava erupting, what were you thinking dmg wise? character that gets splashed with lava takes 4d8 fire dmg or what? also what kind of odds are there the lava will erupt?

and , in all this intense heat, how does the dragons hoard not turn into one slag of gold ?

 

[Philip]

If the party would rather have two young adult red dragons in a 'normal' situations than this one with his lair defenses, I would say CR +2.

If they rather fight a single one with this lair that two dragons in a 'normal' lair CR +1.

Just don't be angry if the PCs, after surveying the situation, attempt to fight it somewhere else or neutralize the enviroment before engaging the dragon. Because with the enviroment so set against them, they would be foolish not to try.

 

[Infiniti2000]

No CR adjustments at all. Do not modify the CR of a creature for tactics or environmental advantages. Give them XP for each of the traps you set up and perhaps ad hoc XP adjust the dragon (by say +25%), but don't adjust the dragon's CR.

 

[Philip]

No CR adjustments at all. Do not modify the CR of a creature for tactics or environmental advantages. Give them XP for each of the traps you set up and perhaps ad hoc XP adjust the dragon (by say +25%), but don't adjust the dragon's CR.

I think he said 'the dragon's CR' but meant the encounter's EL. Enviroment and traps certainly figures into EL calculations. Tactics figure into calculations if it is above and beyond the norm for the typical opponent of that CR.

 

[iwatt]

To add some more variables to the equation, there are random volcanic fire euptions in the lake so while traveling between pillars the characters might get caught in one (I am open to suggestions for mechanics for this one).

Any character travelling over open lava fileds at less than 60' above the fiery surface (or whatever is appropriate) has a 20% chance (adjust up or down depending on RBDMness ) of been engulfed by a lava flare. 5d6 (adjustable as well) fire damage, DC 20 Reflex save for half.


About the altitude: You might want to set a safe altitude at which characters aren't subject to the lava spurts.

About the spurt chance: depends on how relevant you want to make it. It's directly tied in to the damage dealt. If you say the lava spurt is pure lava (you'd have to go for the full 20d6 damage), I'd reduce the chance to 5% (just to avoid having to roll 20d6 so many times ). If you keep the damag dealt at a smaller value, I'd make it more likely.

 

[PrinceZane]

Dragons are sexy. Period. And I hate seeing any slayed. So, I say, give em heck. Dragons should never be "just another fight". Every dragon the party faces should have lasting memories forever. They're too beautiful to just go with the flow against.

Make them go through 2-3 characters before they get done with it

 

[Arbiter of Wyrms]

I treat the CR for all dragons as though they were encountered in their lair, PCs fully aware and as prepared as their resources and time allows to fight This Specific Dragon, while the dragon doesn't know their coming. I reduce the XP award of any dragon encountered in any other circumstances.

I want dragons to be remembered as nigh-on-unkillable relative to their CR.

I rarely use dragons, and when I do, I take off the kid-gloves, pull out all the stops, let the dragon meta-game as much as I can get away with, and I TRY TO KILL PCs.

 

[Someone]

I want dragons to be remembered as nigh-on-unkillable relative to their CR.

That sounds a lot like "This tree is 6 feet tall, but much higher."

 

[moritheil]

I think he said 'the dragon's CR' but meant the encounter's EL. Enviroment and traps certainly figures into EL calculations. Tactics figure into calculations if it is above and beyond the norm for the typical opponent of that CR.

Inf is suggesting that you follow the adjustments in the book of Challenges, Rooms, Puzzles, and Traps. That's how they handle it there - rather than increase the EL, they just award an additional 10-25% exp if they think the group has a rough time due to the circumstances.

And what the heck - a dragon being in its lair is "above and beyond the norm?" Doesn't it live there and thus spend most of its time there?