mystraschosen
First Post
That is a very good idea DR. ...thanks bunches!
Dragons, Dragon Lairs, And Defenses
- Thread starter SHARK
- Start date
Need to collect the wealth and goods of that pesky Mountain Dwarf town you just wiped out? Have to make a quick gettaway before the armies of manfolk and elvinkind show up??
New from BADD ITS!:
Planar Ally to the Rescue!!
Or if you're short on time and just need a quick dine-and-dash solution there's
Summon Monster V: Wind Elemental!
disclaimer: fees and quests associated with Planar Ally, and any/all communication problems arising from Summon Monster V are wholy the responsiblity of the caster and not covered in any legal matter by BADD, its associates, or contirubtors. See local City-State laws and by-laws for collection of loot from wiping out small local villages. 2003.
New from BADD ITS!:
Planar Ally to the Rescue!!
Or if you're short on time and just need a quick dine-and-dash solution there's
Summon Monster V: Wind Elemental!
disclaimer: fees and quests associated with Planar Ally, and any/all communication problems arising from Summon Monster V are wholy the responsiblity of the caster and not covered in any legal matter by BADD, its associates, or contirubtors. See local City-State laws and by-laws for collection of loot from wiping out small local villages. 2003.
s/LaSH
First Post
I always say dragons are the biggest, the baddest, and the oldest things on the block. They didn't get to be big bads by being stupid. No, they find a niche and take it over. Example: The red wyrm from my campaign Razinus Peralin. He lives in Mount Etna (you know the one, in Sicily - the one that's still occasionally active). Somewhere in the middle, at the heart of a labyrinth of lava caves and bridge complexes that put Fellowship Of The Ring to shame. He's been there for centuries; he wiped out a Roman Legion when they started getting uppity, and he considers himself the absolute ruler of the nearby port city Catania.
The PCs sailed into town, bold crusaders for justice, and before their first night was out they were working for him. Razinus loved his town (whether or not it realised it was owned, like a jewel only smellier), and when something threatened it he took action, not by burning it to the ground but by using his vast intelligence to set adventurers on the track. Really, anything more would be beneath him.
Proactive, well-protected, connected yet remote. Is that what we're looking for?
The PCs sailed into town, bold crusaders for justice, and before their first night was out they were working for him. Razinus loved his town (whether or not it realised it was owned, like a jewel only smellier), and when something threatened it he took action, not by burning it to the ground but by using his vast intelligence to set adventurers on the track. Really, anything more would be beneath him.
Proactive, well-protected, connected yet remote. Is that what we're looking for?
As an example, I'll detail the last dragon that my group faced.
It was a tough old black, master of the swamp the group was trying to get through. She had set her lair up on an island in the marsh. In fact, the lair was only accesible by navigating under the black, brackish, foul water and reaching a cave inside the island. She would always approach from underwater, meaning that it was extremely difficult to even find where her lair was, since she was careful to always submerge some distance away and swim in.
Around the lair she had dominated a tribe of lizardfolk, who worshipped her as an aspect of their goddess. They would harry and harass any intruders, while runners told their goddess what was happening.
She'd then ambush from the water, with spells up to protect her. She was a rather savage opponent.
Unfortunately, for all that work, first round the sorceress cast a disintegrate, rolled a 19 on her SR check, I rolled a 2 for the save. Poof.
They neve did find the lair.
It was a tough old black, master of the swamp the group was trying to get through. She had set her lair up on an island in the marsh. In fact, the lair was only accesible by navigating under the black, brackish, foul water and reaching a cave inside the island. She would always approach from underwater, meaning that it was extremely difficult to even find where her lair was, since she was careful to always submerge some distance away and swim in.
Around the lair she had dominated a tribe of lizardfolk, who worshipped her as an aspect of their goddess. They would harry and harass any intruders, while runners told their goddess what was happening.
She'd then ambush from the water, with spells up to protect her. She was a rather savage opponent.
Unfortunately, for all that work, first round the sorceress cast a disintegrate, rolled a 19 on her SR check, I rolled a 2 for the save. Poof.
They neve did find the lair.
I think a typical dragon will want a lair that's easy to exit, so a nice big entrance, typically vertical. All but the dumbest dragons will also want some way to ensure they're not taken by surprise - my young adult red used shriekers. Hideously convoluted traps, endless pre-lair mazes and myriads of minions don't seem very dragonish to me, though, although this will vary by dragon type - blues are more conniving than reds, for instance.
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