How frequent are dragon encounters in your game?

[fanboy2000]

So I ran my first dragon in encounter in 4e last night. I did this for a couple of reasons: 1) Dragons are awesome, and 2) I had a couple of new players and I felt the need to just half the name of the game.

When the players realized they were going to fight a dragon, one of them who hadn't played sense 2e was current mentioned that he had never fought a dragon. I found this interesting because the game is called Dungeons & Dragons. But then I got to thinking; back home I was the only one who ran dragons with any frequency among my friends. Now, I don't want to make it sound like I run dragons as often as I run Orcs, but I do run them with some frequency.

Actually, I run many of the D&D iconic monsters frequently, Illithids, Orcs, and rust monsters are my personal favorates. The only exception are beholders, in 8 years, I've ran one beholder.

What about you? If you're a player, do you often fight dragons? If your a DM do you often run dragons? Are there any dragon PCs or NPCs in your game?

 

[the Jester]

There have traditionally only been a few true dragons in my campaign world; they are worshipped as gods and are clearly indicated on the map (as in, "this mountain range and surrounding areas for hundreds of miles are claimed by the dragon Brespicacious as her lair").

A couple years back, when 3.0 was hot and fresh, I ran an adventure in my campaign involving an attempt to breed and release hundreds or thousands of new dragons into the world. Now, in my 4e game, which is set an indeterminate number of years after that, I intend to have them as much more common creatures. I've already had one dragon encounter in my 4e game, the pcs know of the lair of a "don't mess with him, he's OLD" dragon, and I plan to have a lot lot lot LOT more over time.

 

[Greg K]

I have been running since 1982 and I think that I have included four dragon encounters from then until now. My world has a few dragons. Most are powerful and the players are wary about seeking them out as even the great Dragon Sage is rumored to eat many of those seeking him out for knowledge.

As a player, I can only recall having encountered four dragons- two of those were encountered while going through two Dragonlance modules.

And, since you mentioned the use of iconics, I have never used blink dogs, displacer beasts, death knights, mind flayers, githyanki or githzeri (?). Furthermore, I have only used beholders, rust monsters and drow on one occassion each (and the drow was when running Vault of the Drow when it first came out).

(Edit: I have never even used kobolds or gnolls and, as a player, only encountered them in Baldur's Gate).

 

[Sitara]

Most adventures have been low leverl in every edition,thus fewer dragons. In 3e most dragon fightsat low level equaled TPK's OR were unsatisfying because they involved juvenile dragons

Now in 4e you can fight a dragon atlevel 1 and thats a young dragon, at level 5+ you can fight an adult white dragon and win! A respectable fight at that!

I am forseeing a problem with 4e though, in that since fights are so long dragon fights are even longer and it boils down to Dragon fury every round for the dragon vs a-wills each round for the party.

 

[S'mon]

Somewhere around 1 in 8 sessions. I ran 'Lost City of Barakus' over about 32 sessions, it has 2 dragons, both of which were encountered twice. My current campaign has had 1 dragon in 7 sessions (the 1st) and is likely to have 4 dragons in around 24 sessions.

 

[Vegepygmy]

If your a player, do you often fight dragons? If your a DM do you often run dragons? Are there any dragon PCs or NPCs in your game?

As a player, not often, but I've fought them. As a DM, I think they should be used sparingly, or else they become "old hat." I don't allow dragon PCs in my games, and tend not to use them as NPCs much.

 

[malraux]

Lets see, I ran the white dragon fight in Sunless Citadel, and since then.... none. In 3e dragons were just too much monster for me. I'm planning a dragon fight for the culmination of my current plot arc.

 

[dnddays]

Before running that 4e White Dragon scenario, I hadn't run a dragon since the mid-80s back when PCs in my game went looking for their eggs. I guess those games in which every PC had a dragon mount left me with such a bad taste in my mouth I never wanted to run them again.

Yeah, it was my fault for allowing it, but I was a kid. What did I know back then? I used to like GoBots.

 

[Jack99]

So far (20 sessions of 4e) none. First real dragon won't be until around 12-13th level (they are 8th level now).

I had more dragons in my 3.x campaigns. I just decided to make them more special this time around.

 

[fanboy2000]

And, since you mentioned the use of iconics, I have never used blink dogs, displacer beasts, death knights, mind flayers, githyanki or githzeri (?). Furthermore, I have only used beholders, rust monsters and drow on one occassion each (and the drow was when running Vault of the Drow when it first came out).

While I'm sure I've used them once or twice, I can't remember the last time I used a blink dog. I think my players have used displacement more than I've used a displacer beast. I ran a 3e version of Vault of the Drow, but they've shown up a couple of times sense then.

Rust monsters are fun, but I use them far less than than I use dragons because the just screamed "bastard DM." I don't mind being a bastard DM, but I don't want a player riot. (After all, the players outnumber me!)