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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dausuul" data-source="post: 3992845" data-attributes="member: 58197">I don't think it's entirely fair to require 3.5E, since a) 3.5E dragons are balanced around having spells, and b) 3.5E spellcasters are grossly overpowered.  But here we go.Ancient red dragon.  Its lair is veiled by a whole slew of permanent illusion spells provided by its bard minion (see below).  Among these is an illusion of the dragon sleeping on the east side of its lair.  The dragon itself wears a ring of invisibility and sleeps on the west side.  Scry-and-fry attempts are likely to end messily for the intruders... especially since the dragon's 12th-level kobold sorceror sleeps in the same room and has greater anticipate teleportation up 24/7.  The kobold only leaves when the dragon is awake.The dragon is served directly by four erinyes devils; a 12th-level kobold sorceror, a couple of 6th-level kobold sorcerors, and a tribe of lesser kobolds; and an 18th-level human bard.  The dragon recruited the erinyes by making a deal with a pit fiend; in exchange for the erinyes' services, the dragon provides a steady stream of victims for blood sacrifices, fuelling the fiend's advancement in the hierarchy of the Hells.  The erinyes use their teleport and charm powers to act as the dragon's agents and messengers.  The bard is the dragon's "high priest," and leader of its cult.The kobold sorcerors keep the dragon's lair warded with alarm spells and the like, and the 12th-level one provides teleport capability for the bard.  The normal kobolds build traps, dig tunnels, and so forth.  They live in and around the dragon's lair and feed off small rodents and animals that live in the vicinity, as well as scraps from the dragon's kills.Indirectly, the dragon has a cult of worshippers extending across several kingdoms.  With the bard's prodigious social skills and the supernatural charms of the erinyes, recruiting followers is not very difficult, mostly minor aristocracy and clergy but perhaps including some royalty as well.  The cult worships He Who Burns, a deity which is said to assume dragon form (of course, He Who Burns is actually the dragon itself).  Aside from the bard, the cult's big draws are lavish, orgiastic rites and a network of mutual support; cult members work to help each other into positions of power.  The dragon bankrolls major cult operations out of its hoard, making up the loss in the long run by having its minions divert funds from public coffers.The dragon seldom ventures out of its lair to do battle.  When it does, it sends its erinyes and the bard out to scout out the territory ahead of time and see what it's up against.  The agents locate the high-level defenders of the target and report back; the dragon then flies invisibly to their location and dives down on them, whereupon it unleashes fiery death on (hopefully!) surprised and unprepared foes.  Having dispatched those likely to cause it trouble, it then lays waste to everything else at its leisure.  Its frightful presence and DR 15/magic make it essentially immune to low-level archers--the handful of archers with magic bows will quickly draw the beast's attention and be incinerated.  Note that the bard will be riding the dragon under invisibility, and dropping cure critical wounds on it as needed.Naturally, the bard and the other cult leaders make the most of each such incident, playing up the reputation of He Who Burns.</blockquote>

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