Fighting a black dragon...

[DracoSuave]

...O
#DDO
.DDo
..oo

If # is the pit, any square marked with O is too far away for the dragon to simply shift you into.

Problem solved.

Dwarves, of course, have even more leeway.

And, if he -does- shift you in the pit, you've only a 45% chance of falling in, if you have no save modifiers at all.

 

[James McMurray]

But that's where the dragon is ..

It is the GM's job to create fun and challenging encounters. If he sets it up in advance so that it must end in TPK or devolve into him fudging then he's a poor excuse for a GM and needs to read more threads and blogs about how to do things well.

 

[DracoSuave]

Do you do the same thing day in and day out, or do you mix it up because you're bored? Now tack 1,000 years onto your life and answer the boredom part again.

Low end green dragons slide the target 2 squares, which is not always going to be enough to throw someone over a ledge. Even when they do, there's a 55% or better chance that the target falls prone instead. Higher level dragons can go up to 4 squares, but are then contending with character who have better defenses against falling.

It's a good tactic. It's not always the best one, nor is it always available. Sometimes you'd rather put another character inside your breath weapon's area, especially since it could mean more damage (keeping in mind the DMG fall guidelines). Pulling them closer to your frightening presence could also be fun.

Agreed on all points. The dragon doesn't do one thing, it does whatever is best/most fun for it. If that means collecting players for breath weapon, that's what it does. If it means sliding someone out of flanking so that they can (foolishly) walk back into flanking (SMACK WITH THE TAIL) it will do that.

 

[Danceofmasks]

@James McMurray

But that's my point, though.
The green dragon has a power that's a TPK machine, and played to the hilt (as Dracosuave suggests doing), that's exactly what it's going to do.

Playing the power as it says under the monster's tactics section doesn't stop you from otherwise making the encounter interesting and challenging.

 

[James McMurray]

It's not a TPK machine power. It requires the GM create an area where there is no space without a deadly cliff within 2 squares (1 if there are dwarves around). It's possible to have an encounter where there are dangerous cliffs available, but not deadly ones every 2 squares. You're excluding the middle.

 

[Danceofmasks]

If there is a deadly cliff available, why shouldn't the dragon camp next to it?
After all, it has options at range, including luring you in.

 

[James McMurray]

Because we're playing a game, not an excuse for the GM to masturbate his ego.

 

[Danceofmasks]

Well, sure, but if there's a deadly cliff nearby, and the dragon has used such a tactic in the encounter (or actually, if monsters in the game in general have otherwise behaved in such a manner) ...
Beating a dragon after all that doesn't feel like a real win ... but DM putting on the brakes.

 

[Anguirus]

I had a young black and two Blackscale Brutes tangle with a level 5 party. They were meant to win...it was the draconic equivalent of a street thug going after them for money. The dragon did pretty well considering that 1) for 6 turns straight he didn't recharge a single power and 2) he got tied down by the battlerager and his claws were barely getting through. Eventually, though, he managed to bloody the battlerager, get his darkness and breath back, and breath attack the whole party with CA. Twice.

So even with some pretty bad luck, and being at a lower level, a black dragon can put the fear of god in a party in a dark alley.

 

[Sunglare]

Is there any reason a Black Dragon couldn't have 2 clouds of darkenss going at once, A nice big 30'x60', Maintaing them every round? It would hamper his actions sure but he would be able to hide in there pretty well until he can breath again, and the party would always have a -5 to hit him as long as he is in there.