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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Psion" data-source="post: 27548" data-attributes="member: 172">Well, I don't run dragons that much, but have learned a few tricks over the years.<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Don't forget the spells - I cannot overstate the importance of this, especially now that dragons in 3e have sorcerer level. But even in 2e, I had a DM who used a few spells to great effect. (A green dragon with a paltry 2 2nd level spells once awaited us in its lair, invisible and levitating. A red dragon scried on one of our parties with clairaudience and knew how to counter our well laid plans.) Select spells like a dragon would take, not like a character would take. A fireball is useless to a red dragon, but a cone of cold will catch your players off guard. A feeblemind will handle that mage. A hold person is a good bet against that damage machine fighter (or better, dominate.)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Thou shalt not get trapped in thy lair - A dragon loses much of its effectiveness if it cannot fly. Flying helps keep it out of the reach of the melee-god fighters, and gives it the best vantage point for its breath weapons.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Breathe early, breathe often - Dragon's most powerful attack is a breath weapon. In 3e, this is doubly so since it has no hard per day limit. Don't pussyfoot around! Use that breath weapon! Don't wait for the right moment like you would with a mage with just one fireball. As soon as a shot is available, take it and worry about better opportunities later! With parties whittling away at your HP, there may be no second attack.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Fight on your terms - Parties with well laid plans are the biggest threat to dragons. The solution: don't let them pick the time and the place. You do it. Use servitors and magic to tell you when a threat is coming, and attack them before they attack you.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Know thy dragons - Have a complete stat sheet set out for the dragon, with important abilities highlighted. It's the best way to make sure you don't forget something. I recommend Charles Greathouse's dragon stat block generator.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Munch out thy dragon - Dragons have a huge complement of spells, skills, and feats. A dragon will have had time in its life contemplating how to use these. So pick an appropriate feat chain for your dragon, and consider how the dragon would fight ahead of time.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Be saavy to party tactics - Be wary of attempts to constrain you or hit you with annoying spell like harm. If you are high enough level, consider contingency. [/list=1] There was a dragon issue of Dragon last year... I don't know how much of this is replicated there... those are just my thoughts.</li> </ol></blockquote>

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