what would you do with a Dragon's body?

[Duncan Haldane]

Hi, in my campaign my PCs killed a young dragon without damaging it's body too much (mostly with arrows).

They then decided they could sell it. They cast gentle repose on it, and arranged to have it sold in a nearby city.

For a long time now I've been planning that someone of evil intent bought the creature, and I now need to run this adventure.

What I've been thinking: The dragon has been brought back to life somehow, by something - the question is ... what? And what form is it in now?

I'm thinking of a Sorceror/Dragon Disciple, with his body guards, has the dragon and will bring it back to life to attack the PCs.

I'm still looking for my antogonist, his companions, and what to apply to the dragon - I'm thinking of different templates, etc, since the PCs have gained about 3 levels since they killed it.

Any suggestions welcome!

Thanks,

Duncan

 

[GMVictory]

You could slap the Lich or Ghost template from MM on the dragon and a Necromancer could be the antagonist.

Or the Fiendish of Half-Fiendish templates could work too.

Perhaps the Dragon Disciple is possessed by the spirit of the dragon that was killed and gives him the full Half-Dragon template.

The Dragon Disciple is in service to the dead dragon's parent(s). He is trying to gain revenge for his overlord. He has lots of money to hire thugs to harass the PCs. There could be an older dragon sibling that is helping too and could let the PCs believe that the Disciple brought "it" back to life to gain revenge on them.

 

[DethStryke]

A Flesh Golem could be made from the corpse.

Perhaps the sorcerer/dragon disciple has the soul of a truly ancient dragon in a magic container. He was killed by *insert old/some other badarse adventuring party here* and requires a body to possess. The Corpse then can be brought back to life with a particular ritual and readied for the old soul. Would be interesting, to have a possessed dragon. I mean, unless the dragon became a lich of some sort, they are all going to die eventually...

For something completely new, a mechanical golem of some sort that can fly / move like a real one (or close enough for government work)... the dragon body would only be for the "camouflage", so arrows dink off and the like (whatever metal you want to use for it would be good.) Should be a good time trying to kill a dragon thinking it is a living, breathing creature and find out it is more like a remote control airplane.

 

[snarfoogle]

I, personally, would cook and eat it.

 

[Silver Moon]

How about this. The dragon was the leader of a religious cult, who worshiped him. They turn the body into armor, and swear vengeance upon the party. Toss in elements from any and all fanatical religions that you have ever heard of, and you've got quite the campaign.

 

[Munin]

My friend, you have the ultimate antagonist.
What greater motivation does any self-respecting dragon need than getting back at the chumps who killed it?

The dragon comes back from the dead, or some form of unlife...how is not important.

It then begins to plan the party's demise, gathering forces and political clout.

Assassination attempts are made, the only clue being a token found on the attacker(s) that bear the emblem the dragon has taken.

The party peels back the layers of this conspiracy, their paranoia growing as they discover this emblem on stronger and more influential foes.

Finally, when the time is right, the dragon reveals itself in all it's magnificent horror to rain down unrighteous vengance on the dumbfounded pcs.

How's that?

 

[Jamdin]

Our gamemaster came up with making dragon ships out of dragon bones many years ago. Whatever powers the dragon has during life, the ship receives that power. It was cool having a flying dragon ship that spat out a cone of ice.

The only problem was that it took many sorcerers, money. workmen and time to build a dragon ship.

 

[Sharack Bladestorm]

Ideas and such

Hi all,

I like Munlin's idea. Perhaps, instead of emblems, small scales can be left behind either on the body or embedded in it...

Usually, in my RM games, the players/NPCs made armor from the skin (hard leathers from topside hides and soft leathers from underside hides), turned the bones and horns into weapons or instruments. The brains and blood into potions. And, iirc, if you eat the heart, (and survive) you gain the ability to converse with or at least understand a dragon ( german myth? ).

On old friend, Ben Forest, had one of his dragons come back in a skeletal lich form. Then the skin can armor its followers/army (armored zombies or such).

Ciao,
Sharack

 

[Sanackranib]

why not animate it as adraco-litch? if the party is too low then animate it as skeletal, use the hide for armor as well as the blood and heart for potions and scrolls (either resistance/bull's str) use on of its talons a a stylus (for making the above scrolls) and imbue it with spell ability or cloak it with illusions and have the party fight it again, but this time give it more backup.

 

[snarfoogle]

Anyway, eating a dragon steak might cause strange effects or give you strange powers.

If dragon's blood is a ingredient in powerful potions, think how powerful drinking raw dragon's blood could be.