3 Tiamat themed elite dragons (levels 24, 25, 27)

[Mesh Hong]

Ok so here is another encounter from my Epic campaign. This is the penultimate encounter in my players raid on “The Shrine of Tithe”, a temple of Tiamat high in the mountains.

For the record this is a level 25.5 encounter for 6 level 24 PCs and is set in a very large area with a simple stone temple at one end with a 5foot high large semi-circular stone platform in front of it and a 10foot square, 60ft high solid gold pillar on either side.

When the PCs come over the brow of the mountain top they see a huge three headed green dragon in the sky (bit of plot as it rips apart a mysterious flying mage) who wheels round and roars, to be joined immediately by the answering roars of a large dragon with a black and a red head, and another large dragon with a white and a blue head. The PCs gulp, and cautiously approach fearful for their lives and the battle is on…..

White/Blue Dragon Level 24 Elite Skirmisher
Large Natural Magical Beast XP 12,100

Initiative +23 Senses Perception +25, darkvision
HP 448; Bloodied 224; see Bloodied Breath
AC 38; Fortitude 36, Reflex 37, Will 36
Resist 20 cold; 20 lightning
Saving Throws +2
Speed 6, fly 10 (hover)
Action Points 1

Claw Swipe (Standard; at-will)
Reach 2; attack +29 vs. AC; 2d8+9 damage

White Head Bite (Standard; at-will) ♦ cold
Reach 3; attack +29 vs. AC; 2d6+8 damage; on hit target takes 15
ongoing cold damage (save ends)

Blue Head Bite (Standard; at-will) ♦ lightning
Reach 3; attack +29 vs. AC; 2d10+7 lightning damage; on hit target gains
vulnerability 10 lightning (save ends)

Double Bite (Standard; at-will)
Dragon makes a White Head Bite and a Blue Head Bite attack

Cold Breath (Standard; recharge ) ♦ cold
Close blast 5; attack +27 vs. Reflex; 4d6+9 cold damage

Lightning Breath (Standard; recharge ) ♦ lightning
Area burst 1 within 5; does not provoke opportunity attacks; 2d8+9
lightning damage; on hit target is dazed until the end of Dragons next
turn; on miss target takes half damage

Double Breath (Standard; encounter)
Dragon makes a Cold Breath and Lightning Breath attack

Bloodied Breath (Free) ♦ when first bloodied
When Dragon is first bloodied its Double Breath recharges as a free action

Alignment Evil Languages draconic
Skills Endurance +24, Intimidate +22, Nature +25
Str 26 (+20) Dex 28 (+21) Wis 26 (+20)
Con 24 (+19) Int 20 (+17) Cha 20 (+17)


Red/Black Dragon Level 25 Elite Brute
Large Natural Magical Beast XP 14,000

Initiative +19 Senses Perception +18, darkvision
HP 572; Bloodied 286; see Bloodied Breath
AC 37; Fortitude 39, Reflex 37, Will 37
Resist 20 fire; 20 acid
Saving Throws +2
Speed 6; fly 8 (hover)
Action Points 1

Tail Smash (Standard; at-will)
Reach 3; attack +28 vs. AC; 3d8+10 damage

Red Head Bite (Standard; at-will)
Reach 2; attack +28 vs. AC; 4d6+10 damage; on hit target is grabbed
(escape ends); Dragon cannot use this attack while it has a target
grabbed with this head

Black Head Bite (Standard; at-will) ♦ acid
Reach 2; attack +26 vs. Reflex; 2d6+10 damage; on hit target takes 15
ongoing acid damage (save ends)

Incinerate Captive (Standard; recharge ) ♦ fire; grabbed target only
Target must be grabbed by Red Head Bite attack; attack +26 vs.
Fortitude; 5d12+8 fire damage

Bite and Smash (Standard; at-will)
Dragon makes either a Red Head Bite or Black Head Bite against a primary
target and a Tail Smash attack against a secondary target

Wave of Panic (Minor; encounter) ♦ fear
Close Blast 5; enemies only; attack +26 vs. Will; on hit target is pushed 5
squares, dazed and takes a -4 penalty to attack rolls (save ends both)

Combined Breath (Standard; recharge ) ♦ fire, poison
Close Blast 5; attack +26 vs. Reflex; 4d10+10 fire and acid damage

Bloodied Breath (Free) ♦ when first bloodied
When first bloodied Dragons Combined Breath recharges as a free action

Alignment Evil Languages draconic
Skills Athletics +27, Intimidate +25, Stealth +24
Str 30 (+22) Dex 24 (+19) Wis 22 (+18)
Con 26 (+20) Int 20 (+17) Cha 26 (+20)


Three Headed Green Dragon Level 27 Elite Controller
Huge Natural Magical Beast XP 22,000

Initiative +22 Senses Perception +26, darkvision, truesight 10
HP 496; Bloodied 248; see Bloodied Breath
AC 41; Fortitude 39, Reflex 40, Will 41
Resist 30 poison
Saving Throws +2, +5 vs. charm
Speed 6, fly 10 (hover)
Action Points 1

Claw Swipe (Standard; at-will)
Reach 3; attack +30 vs. AC; 2d8+9 damage

Quick Bite (Minor; at-will) ♦ poison
Reach 3; attack +31 vs. Reflex; 1d8+9 damage; on hit target takes 5
ongoing poison damage (save ends), if the target is already taking ongoing
poison damage it is instead increased by 5 for the appropriate duration

Sickening Bite (Standard; recharge ) ♦ poison
Reach 3; attack +32 vs. AC; 3d8+9 damage; on hit secondary attack +31
vs. Fortitude; on hit target is weakened (save ends)

Tail Spike (Immediate Reaction; at-will) ♦ poison, attacked by enemy
within reach
Reach 5; attack +30 vs. AC; 1d10+9 poison damage

Poison Breath (Standard; recharge ) ♦ poison
Close blast 7; attack +31 vs. Fortitude; 4d10+9 poison damage; on hit
target takes 15 ongoing poison damage (save ends); on miss target takes
half damage

Wave of Nausea (Standard; encounter) ♦ poison
Burst 7; enemies only; attack +31 vs. Fortitude; 5d12+9 poison damage;
on hit target is slowed and dazed (save ends both); on miss target takes
half damage

Bloodied Breath (Free) ♦ when first bloodied
When first bloodied Dragons Poison Breath attack recharges as a free
action

Alignment Evil Languages draconic, common, elven, dwarven
Skills Bluff +28, Insight +26
Str 26 (+21) Dex 28 (+22) Wis 26 (+21)
Con 24 (+20) Int 20 (+18) Cha 30 (+23)

When this fight started I was actually thinking that I might manage to kill someone, but what was I thinking? My PCs through good tactics and good fortune kept all the dragons pinned down and separated, and destroyed them reasonably easily. Though they did expend a few dailies and item powers which I suppose is all you can really expect from a level +1.5 encounter.

At the time I was surprised with how easy they found it, but once the final encounter started it turned out for the best as that turned into the fight of their lives……..

But the encounter with an Exarch of Tiamat is a different post.