D&D 5E Level 6 PCs Kill CR 23 Dragon

[Zardnaar]

s the title says today I had 4 PC kill a Ancient Blue Dragon. The adventure was Dread Dragon Temple and they found a staff with 4 charges. That turn you into a Adult Dragon of whatever colour you like.

4 Gold Dragons >1

I made 1 mistake and 1 potential mistake.

1. It was unclear if the PCs were young or adult Dragons. Text said both in different places and the adventure is a converted Pathfinder one and young and adult Dragons are different in power there. I was not sure if 4 smaller Dragons could take a larger one so went with the bigger Dragon.

2. Dragons are not immune to other Dragons frightful presence.

Basically the Dragon was an easy fight in Dragon form. X 4 breath weapons+ legendary actions to pass savers. 5 rounds later 1 dead Dragon.

Next up tweaking the lead in to Skyreach Castle from HotDQ is hovering over the PCs liege lords town of Threshold.

 

[guachi]

So it isn't really level six PCs killing a dragon. It's four adult dragons killing a dragon.

 

[Zardnaar]

So it isn't really level six PCs killing a dragon. It's four adult dragons killing a dragon.

Heh yeah sue me.

 

[Matrix Sorcica]

Click bait thread title of the year!

 

[Draegn]

Zaard if your players are level six, why didn't you have them change to the equivalent level six dragons? It seems that for this fight you gave your players a bunch of extra levels to use.

 

[Zardnaar]

Zaard if your players are level six, why didn't you have them change to the equivalent level six dragons? It seems that for this fight you gave your players a bunch of extra levels to use.

Prepublished adventures and the PCs enjoyed it.. I knew the big one would get owned.

 

[Sammael]

So, are you complaining that they did it, or just recapping a cool moment?

If everyone had fun, great job. I'd make sure they have minor side effects from the experience - perhaps one could have delusions of grandeur, another can become obsessed about treasure, the third will enjoy taking progressively ever longer naps, and the fourth would feel the need to give unsolicited wise advice to the others. Nothing debilitating, just minor effects that serve as a reminder that mortals and dragon psyche don't mesh well.

 

[Zardnaar]

So, are you complaining that they did it, or just recapping a cool moment?

If everyone had fun, great job. I'd make sure they have minor side effects from the experience - perhaps one could have delusions of grandeur, another can become obsessed about treasure, the third will enjoy taking progressively ever longer naps, and the fourth would feel the need to give unsolicited wise advice to the others. Nothing debilitating, just minor effects that serve as a reminder that mortals and dragon psyche don't mesh well.

It was mostly for fun.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

I bet four level 6 Necromancers could kill a bog-standard MM CR 23 Ancient Blue Dragon if it refused to run away, if the DM went by RAW on how heavy obscurement works, and if the DM ruled that skeletons whose Necromancer is killed keep obeying their orders until the 24 hour duration is up.

(Use advantage from heavy obscurement to counter disadvantage from long range and/or Frightful Presence.)

That is of course why you should never run bog-standard MM Ancient Dragons. Always make them spellcasters.

 

[Jester David]

This might come up in my game soon enough. My party of level 5 adventures wants to drug and bleed an ancient blue (with dozens of expendable kobolds), so they can steal its treasure.

Will be interesting.