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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Chaosmancer" data-source="post: 9553557" data-attributes="member: 6801228">Okay, so we assume fighter has +5 con, rogue, cleric, and wizard have +2. That gets approximately 600 between all four... but then you must account for the fact that the Gold Dragon isn't dealing 71 damage with their breath weapon. They are dealing about 178 on average, which is pretty darn close to 1/3 of the party's total health. And even if you feel that is a bit high (maybe you want to throw fire resistance on the wizard) even if you get it down to 1/4 of the party's total health, that is significant. Additionally, that health is unevenly distributed.Absorb elements can reduce the damage the wizard takes, yes. But shield? Your standard wizard isn't going to be getting much higher than a 22 AC with Shield, and three or more attacks at +17 to hit? That means the dragon needs to roll a 5 or better WITH shield. And if the wizard has about 90 hp, then that is potentially dead in two rounds (if we truly want to be vicious about the fight) And, again, the 71 is an average damage. The max damage of the fire breath is 130, which kills the wizard and the cleric from my example if they fail the save. Not that I think it is really necessary for the Dragon to drop a PC every single turn.Dropping a PC to 0 hp on round one before they have a chance to do anything is also unfun. Yet you have no problem calling the dragon weak because it seemingly can't do that. Powerful abilities are often not fun to be hit with. That's part of them being powerful.Yes, and they will need it. But your assumption of a solo dragon lasting only three or four rounds is predicated on the DM only using the average health (it is perfectly in the rules to set the DRagon's hp as high as 812) and having no healing. It is rather fundamental to your argument that the dragon is too weak and needs to hit harder.You don't see half the part being bloodied or potentially killed in a single move, with three legendary actions in the wings, as in any way a "problem" the party will need to deal with? I'm not approaching this as "this ancient dragon will immediately roflstomp an 18th level party" that's obviously not going to happen, but this looks like it would be a hard fight with lots of dramatic moments. And that is from HALF the statblock. I think you are vastly overestimating the resilience of a party, in the face of that +19 to initiative and legendary actions.</blockquote>

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