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Help a party of five 20th level PCs defeat an Ancient Red Dragon
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<blockquote data-quote="Mercurius" data-source="post: 6085954" data-attributes="member: 59082"><p>This is exactly what I want to avoid.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Perhaps I need to back up a bit and explain the adventure as a whole and then the lead-up to the final confrontation. The following is from my Adventure Synopsis in Masterplan:</p><p></p><p><strong>Part 1: The Oracle</strong> - The PCs are "hooked" - Dred's cousin pays him a visit, dying, handing Dred a map, saying "No mortal weapon can slay her!" The PCs (probably) consult various contacts. They're eventually led to consult the Oracle and set off to find her. Once there, they enter her Sanctum and face the glass spiders, then climb the web to get to her inner chamber. The Oracle tells them that only weapons dipped in the Blood of a Dragherru, or Star Dragon, can harm X'zillarioth. She says they must go "Beyond the World" to find a Star Dragon, that only the Elder Kindred, the Zhalar, can take them through a Star Pool.</p><p></p><p><strong>Part 2: Starblood</strong> - the PCs seek out the Zhalar, finding one who leads them through a Star Pool (for a cost?). They travel through various gates along the Silver Road, and reach the Eternal City, the Great Wheel. They are told there that a Star Dragon sleeps in an asteroid not far away. They hire an asral skiff (githzerai?) and travel there through the Astral Sea and land on the asteroid where a great Star Dragon sleeps, and must find a way of extracting some of its blood.</p><p></p><p><strong>Part 3: To the Mountain</strong> - They return to the world and set off for the Burnt Mountain. Once there, they are attacked by an elder blue dragon (who they take to be X'zillarioth, perhaps, but is in actuality her consort, Abbradhurithar). After slaying him, they enter the mountain and travel through the Upper Halls, facing the undead king and his army.</p><p></p><p><strong>Part 4: Into the Depths of Hell</strong> - They find a gate that leads into the Lower Halls, which has been transformed into a kind of demi-plane of Hell. They face various demons (Abishai?) and finally reach the lair of X'zillarioth, an Ancient Red.</p><p></p><p><strong>Part 5: The Ancient Beast</strong> - They face off against X'zillarioth and after (hopefully!) defeating her, gain her horde. </p><p></p><p>(<strong>Alternate ending: </strong>The PCs figure out that X'zillarioth was actually calling great heroes to her, hoping that their blood would unlock the Blood Seal to her master, the Adversary deity, Sheharûn</p><p>, who has been imprisoned in the depths of the earth for 20,000 years. But in fact it is <i>her</i> blood that will unlock the Blood Seal and unleash Sheharûn - that he has been encouraging her to call great heroes in the hope that someday a group would come that would be great enough to spill her blood on the Seal. Sheharûn is unleashed and begins his quest for world domination! If the PCs survive, this can lead to an epic tier campaign. If not, the world falls into darkness for years and a new group of heroes rises up and this leads to a new campaign....5E?)</p><p></p><p>--------------------------</p><p></p><p>So as you can see, there is quite a lead-up and the PCs will probably go from 17th to 20th level by the they face the ancient red. My plan is that if they defeat her, they reach 21st level.</p><p></p><p>As for some of the other comments, the red doesn't have to be an level 30 creature - but she is <em>ancient. </em>She is one of the oldest creatures of the world, born tens of thousands of years before.</p><p></p><p>Ranger Wickett, the fight against the blue dragon will be more aerial - he will meet them at the entrance of the dwarven city and fly over them, attacking them with lightning, swooping tail and claw attacks. That fight is meant to be level appropriate. </p><p></p><p>Once they get to the ancient red, she will be resting on a platform which, if I go with the alternate ending, is the Great Seal that imprisons the adversary. The Great Seal exists within a great hellish cavern complete with magma flows, falls and lakes, and perhaps some sort of minor demon minions - abishai? - flying around and attacking them. I like the idea of the dragon employing spells, perhaps psychic attacks, and then blasting them with fire. If and when they get to her, she may be easier to dispatch. She will be tough, but she is decrepit and not quick anymore.</p><p></p><p>This could help solve the problem of knocking her prone - maybe she is already; or maybe her body is already partly fused to the Seal.</p><p></p><p>We plan on starting this up next weekend and then play five-hour once a month sessions, so it will take some time to actually get to the Ancient Red - so I have time to figure it out. Just thinking ahead a bit. I figure that Part 1 will take one session (Feb), Part 2-3 will take 2 sessions each (Mar-June), Part 4-5 will take one session each (July-August). So I won't get to Part 5 until August, maybe July at the earliest or possibly September.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Mercurius, post: 6085954, member: 59082"] This is exactly what I want to avoid. Perhaps I need to back up a bit and explain the adventure as a whole and then the lead-up to the final confrontation. The following is from my Adventure Synopsis in Masterplan: [B]Part 1: The Oracle[/B] - The PCs are "hooked" - Dred's cousin pays him a visit, dying, handing Dred a map, saying "No mortal weapon can slay her!" The PCs (probably) consult various contacts. They're eventually led to consult the Oracle and set off to find her. Once there, they enter her Sanctum and face the glass spiders, then climb the web to get to her inner chamber. The Oracle tells them that only weapons dipped in the Blood of a Dragherru, or Star Dragon, can harm X'zillarioth. She says they must go "Beyond the World" to find a Star Dragon, that only the Elder Kindred, the Zhalar, can take them through a Star Pool. [B]Part 2: Starblood[/B] - the PCs seek out the Zhalar, finding one who leads them through a Star Pool (for a cost?). They travel through various gates along the Silver Road, and reach the Eternal City, the Great Wheel. They are told there that a Star Dragon sleeps in an asteroid not far away. They hire an asral skiff (githzerai?) and travel there through the Astral Sea and land on the asteroid where a great Star Dragon sleeps, and must find a way of extracting some of its blood. [B]Part 3: To the Mountain[/B] - They return to the world and set off for the Burnt Mountain. Once there, they are attacked by an elder blue dragon (who they take to be X'zillarioth, perhaps, but is in actuality her consort, Abbradhurithar). After slaying him, they enter the mountain and travel through the Upper Halls, facing the undead king and his army. [B]Part 4: Into the Depths of Hell[/B] - They find a gate that leads into the Lower Halls, which has been transformed into a kind of demi-plane of Hell. They face various demons (Abishai?) and finally reach the lair of X'zillarioth, an Ancient Red. [B]Part 5: The Ancient Beast[/B] - They face off against X'zillarioth and after (hopefully!) defeating her, gain her horde. ([B]Alternate ending: [/B]The PCs figure out that X'zillarioth was actually calling great heroes to her, hoping that their blood would unlock the Blood Seal to her master, the Adversary deity, Sheharûn , who has been imprisoned in the depths of the earth for 20,000 years. But in fact it is <i>her</i> blood that will unlock the Blood Seal and unleash Sheharûn - that he has been encouraging her to call great heroes in the hope that someday a group would come that would be great enough to spill her blood on the Seal. Sheharûn is unleashed and begins his quest for world domination! If the PCs survive, this can lead to an epic tier campaign. If not, the world falls into darkness for years and a new group of heroes rises up and this leads to a new campaign....5E?) -------------------------- So as you can see, there is quite a lead-up and the PCs will probably go from 17th to 20th level by the they face the ancient red. My plan is that if they defeat her, they reach 21st level. As for some of the other comments, the red doesn't have to be an level 30 creature - but she is [I]ancient. [/I]She is one of the oldest creatures of the world, born tens of thousands of years before. Ranger Wickett, the fight against the blue dragon will be more aerial - he will meet them at the entrance of the dwarven city and fly over them, attacking them with lightning, swooping tail and claw attacks. That fight is meant to be level appropriate. Once they get to the ancient red, she will be resting on a platform which, if I go with the alternate ending, is the Great Seal that imprisons the adversary. The Great Seal exists within a great hellish cavern complete with magma flows, falls and lakes, and perhaps some sort of minor demon minions - abishai? - flying around and attacking them. I like the idea of the dragon employing spells, perhaps psychic attacks, and then blasting them with fire. If and when they get to her, she may be easier to dispatch. She will be tough, but she is decrepit and not quick anymore. This could help solve the problem of knocking her prone - maybe she is already; or maybe her body is already partly fused to the Seal. We plan on starting this up next weekend and then play five-hour once a month sessions, so it will take some time to actually get to the Ancient Red - so I have time to figure it out. Just thinking ahead a bit. I figure that Part 1 will take one session (Feb), Part 2-3 will take 2 sessions each (Mar-June), Part 4-5 will take one session each (July-August). So I won't get to Part 5 until August, maybe July at the earliest or possibly September. [/QUOTE]
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