D&D (2024) Check Out The New Monster Manual’s Ancient Gold Dragon

Wizards of the Coast has previewed (part of) the stat block for one of its iconic monsters on social media. Take a look!

 

[Sulicius]

Alright, since you guys have been arguing about it: tomorrow I will test the dragon agianst a 19th level party. To even out the initiative, I will add 4 Metallic Peacekeepers.

I'll use the Red Dragon lair from Fizban's, but I haven't decided on much else. Any advice to make this gold dragon keep up?

View attachment 1737105909500.png

 

[dave2008]

Alright, since you guys have been arguing about it: tomorrow I will test the dragon agianst a 19th level party. To even out the initiative, I will add 4 Metallic Peacekeepers.

I'll use the Red Dragon lair from Fizban's, but I haven't decided on much else. Any advice to make this gold dragon keep up?

View attachment 393264

How many PCs? Per the guidelines in the 2024 DMG the gold dragon is a hard encounter for (3) 19th level PCs or (4) PCs when the dragon is in its lair Also, what is your class mix?

Also, why not the gold dragon lair from Fizban's?

 

[Sulicius]

How many PCs? Per the guidelines in the 2024 DMG the gold dragon is a hard encounter for (3) 19th level PCs or (4) PCs when the dragon is in its lair Also, what is your class mix?

Also, why not the gold dragon lair from Fizban's?

Am I calculating something wrong? A lvl19 PC has a High budget of 17,200.

Times 4 = 68,800
68,800 - 65.000 = 3,800 left.

So it's without lair actions, right?

EDIT: Oh, the gold dragon lair doesn't have lava

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Well I mean how dumb does the Ancient Gold Dragon have to be to not know Fighter's and Barbarians are "tougher" than Wizards and Rogues?

Doesn’t know the classes, would have to judge by actions and appearance. Which is why the barbarian should always wear a robe and pointy hat.

Fighters and Barbarians stand with the Wizard then.

Makes it easier to breath weapon everyone. And creative use of the Pounce ability can be useful: “look, a rabbit!”

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

Out of its lair a party is unlikely to be ready for a gold dragon (unless they are traveling towards the lair to fight it). It’s probably an encounter where the gold is coming to see the party or is a random encounter. I’m not really sure how a party could take it out or if there would be enough fly spells prepped for that. It can just separate the party and fly away and focus single targets from a distance. If it gets in trouble, it can word of recall.

Speaking of word of recall. What would you choose for the location of its relocation? It’s pair? Maybe somewhere else, within the lair more secret?

It can polymorph so maybe it’s living among normal people and has it attuned to a temple somewhere? This would be an additional level of research that the party would need to discover to properly dispose of the dragon even if they ‘defeat’ it.

If it were me, I’d have it in a remote location close to the lair. A hut or cave where it can recall to and then easily fly to its lair but far enough away that it can hide and recover if it is caught and defeated in its lair. Maybe it lives as a (polymorphed) hermit in the mountains near its lair.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The banished creature returns to a space of the dragon's choice. What if the dragon can't make any choices anymore?

Practical answer: they reappear in, or as close as legally possible too, the point they were banished from.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Doesn’t know the classes, would have to judge by actions and appearance. Which is why the barbarian should always wear a robe and pointy hat.

For low level PCs that might work, although the muscles and weaponry might create doubts.
For level 20 PCs which are probably known to everyone on the plane, not so much.

Makes it easier to breath weapon everyone. And creative use of the Pounce ability can be useful: “look, a rabbit!”

 

[Paul Farquhar]

For level 20 PCs which are probably known to everyone on the plane, not so much.

That would certainly be true if the PCs were famous, but I have never had PCs acquire (or seek) fame, even at level 20.

But I doubt such a simplistic disguise would fool any smart NPC!

 

[Stalker0]

Yes the 2024 update of Indomitable looks unbelievably good (if a tad overpowered) - I think that alone makes me believe the dragon might be in trouble again.

Yeah I think people are forgetting the new fighter ability when they talk about banishing him. The fighter is the WORST target for banish at this point, its practically a waste of a use of the ability in most circumstances.

 

[Stalker0]

That would certainly be true if the PCs were famous, but I have never had PCs acquire (or seek) fame, even at level 20.

But I doubt such a simplistic disguise would fool any smart NPC!

Unless your group is some secret special forces team that intentionally goes around in stealth and anonymity, I would have serious trouble believing 20th level PCs would not be world famous (and probably at least well known in certain planar realms if they do planar travel).

Hell your team should its own entry in legend lore at that point!