Fighting a Red Dragon

[Graybeard]

Hi All,

My DM has just informed me that next session (Wednesday) my PC will be fighting a red Dragon for control of a very powerful organization. Having control of this organization will be beneficial in helping our group defeat a group of 5 very (epic level) powerful women and their minions.

My PC is a Dwarf Sorcerer and has just attained level 17. I need to pick a 7th and 8th level spell. I was thinking of the spell Energy Immunity to help against the dragons breath weapon. The spells I am considering are:

7th: Limited Wish; Energy Immunity; Summon Aspect of Bahamut; Control Weather

8th: Ghostform; Polymorph Any Object; Superior Invisibility; Polar Ray

Any ideas or suggestions?

thanks,

 

[Runestar]

Spell immunity really only works if you don't expect the DM to try and outguess your party (eg: he knows you will all load up on fire protection spells, so he finds ways of working around it, such as giving the dragon breath-substitution spells or something). In the same vein, he may expect your party to try and take advantage of his cold vulnerability, and counter this with a source of cold resistance.

Limited wish can be useful. Get within melee range of the dragon and use it to replicate a greater geas...

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

I'll check Spell Compendium.

7:
Avasculate: A nasty way to start a fight. Reduces the foe to half hp AND stuns him for a round if he fails a fort save (he loses the hp regardless). This is an evil spell, if it matters.
Stun Ray: Don't roll a 1 on the ranged touch attack and stun the target for 1d4 +1 rounds, or 1 round if it makes the fort save. Dragon will likely make the save. Still worth it if you have a greater metamagic rod of extend...

8: Not much of use...
Avascular Mass: Just like Avasculate, but also creates an effect similar to the web spell from the target creature outwards. Also an evil spell, if it matters.


You listed some other good ones. Personally, I'd take Poly Any Object, it's a great pre-battle buff. And works just as nice on your familiar, if you have one. For level 7, I'd say Limited Wish, Energy Immunity, Stun Ray, or Avasculate would be best. I don't know how strong the dragon's breath weapon is, do you think you need more than resistance 30 to survive it? Even if not, could you get Energy Immunity on a scroll instead of as a spell known? The dragon may just use an energy sub. breath weapon anyway.

 

[Runestar]

Make sure you have greater dispelling as well. The massive amount of buffs available to a dragon makes any sort of meaningful discussion next to impossible, IMO, since there is basically a counter to every problem (and a counter to that counter, and so on and so forth).

For instance, Scintillating Scales and/or Ray Deflection help protect against a poor touch AC. 5 lvs of abjurant champion and/or practiced spellcaster make up for the dragon's normally crap (relative to its cr) caster lv (which in turn makes dispelling more tricky, and spells like blasphemy more deadly). And if it opts to access maneuvers via martial study feats or lvs in martial adept classes...

Limited wish can be useful as you can use it to give the dragon -7 to its next saving throw, to help you force through a key spell (given their good saves).

 

[Shin Okada]

As already mentioned. Dispelling will be very, very important. Having Blindsight or True Seeing (either as your spells known or items) may help you targeting the dragon when it uses Mirror Image or Greater Mirror Image. When you can't distinguish those images from the real dragon, it becomes very hard to de-buff him down. Buying some scrolls of Mordenkeinen's Disjunction could be a good idea, too.

If your DM is using Draconomicon, you would better expect the dragon to have SR equal to it's number or HDs or higher. That means, 31+ for CR 21 Very Old Red Dragon. You would better have spells like Assay Spell Resistance and/or Attack Spells which ignore SR, say, Orb spells or Acid Storm.

Once you de-buff him down, Wingbind (L4) works very well against a flying dragon, especially when you have Heighten Spell feat. Ref is likely to be the lowest save for a true dragon.

 

[irdeggman]

Hi All,

My DM has just informed me that next session (Wednesday) my PC will be fighting a red Dragon for control of a very powerful organization. Having control of this organization will be beneficial in helping our group defeat a group of 5 very (epic level) powerful women and their minions.

Is this going to be a on-on-one encounter or is your PC part of a team?

If it is one-on-one, you are most likely overpowered by the dragon and will lose regardless of anything you can do.

A single dwarf sorcerer will almost always lose to a dragon. You need warrior types to help out or you will be toast here.

Dragons are almost never intended to be an appropriate encounter for a single PC. They are competant in both physical combat and spell casting.

 

[Runestar]

I think you underestimate the capabilities of a fully prepared high lv wizard, but I believe it will be a party effort here.

 

[Shin Okada]

Do you have a cleric in your party? Generally speaking, cleric is better at casting protective spells. So you would better discuss with your comrade cleric about defensive measures. You don't need to spend your precious spells known for something your friend cleric can cover.

 

[Thanee]

7th: Limited Wish; Energy Immunity; Summon Aspect of Bahamut; Control Weather

You are 17th level and do not know Limited Wish yet?

Bye
Thanee

 

[roguerouge]

Energy Immunity as a high level sorcerer rocks. In 3.0, my guy had immunities to all five going, along with mind blank, undetectable alignment and a borrowed death ward. Nigh immunity to enchantment, divination, evocation, and necromancy? Yes, please!