CR for a Old Black Drag. PsyWar5?

[blargney the second]

Dragons are supposed to be at the top of the heap in their CR bracket. Non-associated.

 

[Shin Okada]

As otheres said, increasing the number of opponent is much better way than making 1 uber monster and let 7 PCs fighing againt them. The Big Monster may either be proved to be unstoppable (because of AC and Spell Resistance are too high or it's special attack is too strong for PC's levels), or completely shleddered into piecese in one round (7 attacks are concentrated on one target).

Regarding PsyWarrior's Powers, Expantion is a notable one. Enlarge Person can only enlarge humanoids. But Expantion is effective on other typed of creatures (read as dragon himself). And now the dragon can take various combat-related psyonic feats such as Unavoidable Strike.

 

[blargney the second]

ps - Take the Practised Manifester feat then use expansion. "HOW big is that dragon?" *wet pants*

 

[Slaved]

What would the bonuses and penalties be for an expanded dragon?

 

[blargney the second]

"What do you mean a COLOSSAL black dragon?!?"

Player incredulity is the best kind of bonus.

 

[Dimensional]

A collosal Black dragon with pounce! - don't you just love Psionic Lions Charge?

Jeremy

 

[QuaziquestGM]

On the equipment issue:

I'd let the dragon have "Starting gold" equal to a 7th level character as a 5th level PW who is also a dragon can get better prices....Buy what the dragon would want.

Then I would use an online random treasure generator for the hoard, and click on the "Include psionic items" box. This simulates the random treasure acquired by the dragon. If any of it is usable, equip it.

Now the other way, maybe this is a monkish/spartan dragon devoting himself to psionic-marshal mental perfection. He is still by draconic nature greedy, but he meditates sitting on a blanket rather than sleeping on a pile of gold and useless baubles. He has only what he can use.

In other words, he has cashed in his entire hoard on only the equipment that he can use all at the same time.

So the pcs find an expanded dragon with mostly psionic items in all body slots in a cloud of ion stones (including defensive ones like spell absorption) .

In other words, he is not sitting on his hoard, it is floating around him.

 

[Brace Cormaeril]

7 PCs?! Ok, more bodies are definitely needed. Maybe a small harem of young adult female dragons, none of which like each other all that much. The older dragon is basically conniving them and they infight for his favor. This means that there will be plenty of dragons to go around, each PC grouping gets their own dragon to fight if they get split up and IF the players get in over their heads, one rival dragon might decide the time is ripe to strike down a rival female. And if the older dragon's favored mate gets killed by her rival dragon, he might even kill her slayer in anger as he starts tearing into the PCs as befitting the chaotic evil nature of black dragons.

Lol, actually Frank, that is the encounter 3 lvls from now for these PC's, only it's vs. a Garg. White Dragon, his two huge Mates, and a bunch of Juveniles.

To Shin> Mr. Okada, your point about Expansion is why I'm using this combination, and it will be a Mature Adult Black Dragon/ Psy Warrior 3.

I have taken into consideration party resources, and believe that this will be a very challenging encounter, but not impossible, although the possibility of a TPK is there. And the Players know it.

There are many arguments, to be sure, that this is too easy (one creature) or too hard (CR17 v. 7 9th characters). However, I have proven to Players, (and to their poor, dead Characters), that as long as a monster has an Int score greater than, oh... 16-ish, a sub-CR encounter can be as lethal as the DM chooses.

The Party:
Warlock
1/2 Celestial Paladin
PsyWar/Scout
Fighter
Cleric
Sorceror (force mage)
Bard

The Threat:
Mature Adult Black Dragon PsyWar 3 whose feat whose feats are:
Max Breath
Hover
WingOver
Imp Manuervability
Power Dive
Clinging Breath
Power Attack
Tempest Breath
Imp. Init
Dire Charge
Whirlwind Tail Slap
Psionic Meditation
Ghost Attack

 

[abri]

If the feats and powers of the dragon psy warior are carefully choosen then definitly cr21:
-practiced manifester and practiced spellcaster.
-Expansion
-psionic lion charge
-Unavoidable strike (might not really need it if his hit bonus is high enough)
-all the power that boost your claws...
-partial to presience/precognition offensive
-And don't forget rapid strike, improved rapid strike (to get more claws attacks) and power attack
-dispelling breath spells (and any breath spell he can get really)
-GMW would be a good bet too

All spells and powers should be swift action and/or buffs (and do include shield and mage armor) or breath spells (you'll want to dispell the pc and the breath version of dispell is the best way of doing it). For items it really depends if you want the players to have a chance against him, but i'd think a dragon would have a circlet of the mages [the one that is basically a rod of quicken] just to make sure he has resist energy and shield up and running (if you want a tpk add a belt of battle+ring of spell battle).
ps: I really don't think a group of this level can survive against such a dragon, we are talking (when buffed) about AC40ish, hit in the 30ish, damage in the 30-50 per attack, full attack every round and most likely resistant to whatever energy the pc are using. And the pc will be fighting unbuffed due to the dispelling breath...

 

[Darklone]

I agree that these full attack charges are real bad coming from that dragon... one dead PC per round.