I am planning a game for the day after Christmas. I'd like the party to face a young red dragon, and I am designing the scenario around that. On the day of that game the party I run for will range in level from 2nd to 4th level, so I expect facing a 7th level solo will be a very tough encounter for them.
I've found (for my group, at least) that easy encounters tend to be far too easy and standard encounters end too quickly, with little risk to them. Since we play infrequently, I want the majority of battles to be tough. So, I always go above the normal range of XP budget for encounters.
(Example, I ran the PCs (levels in parens): ranger (1), rogue (3), rogue (2), cleric (3), fighter (3) vs. 1 each of 4 Deathlock Wight, 3 Skeleton, 3 Gravehound in the first encounter [475 xp total] and then 2x Harpy (6), 1 Elf (2) and 1 Grey Wolf (2) in the second [750 xp total]. One PC died in the second encounter, and the first they were easily able to overcome.)
How do the dragons stack up in 4E? This will be my first shot running one, and I'd like some impressions from folks who have used them in game.
What is the minimum party I could pit against a young red? I may have as few as three 4th level PCs that day or as many as three 4th level PCs, two at 3rd and one at 2nd level. Is the young red too much for that group? How would you adjust the stats to make the battle possible (but obviously still really really difficult)?
I've found (for my group, at least) that easy encounters tend to be far too easy and standard encounters end too quickly, with little risk to them. Since we play infrequently, I want the majority of battles to be tough. So, I always go above the normal range of XP budget for encounters.
(Example, I ran the PCs (levels in parens): ranger (1), rogue (3), rogue (2), cleric (3), fighter (3) vs. 1 each of 4 Deathlock Wight, 3 Skeleton, 3 Gravehound in the first encounter [475 xp total] and then 2x Harpy (6), 1 Elf (2) and 1 Grey Wolf (2) in the second [750 xp total]. One PC died in the second encounter, and the first they were easily able to overcome.)
How do the dragons stack up in 4E? This will be my first shot running one, and I'd like some impressions from folks who have used them in game.
What is the minimum party I could pit against a young red? I may have as few as three 4th level PCs that day or as many as three 4th level PCs, two at 3rd and one at 2nd level. Is the young red too much for that group? How would you adjust the stats to make the battle possible (but obviously still really really difficult)?