Help me make an icy dragon's lair!
- Thread starter DM_Matt
- Start date
GreenMonster
First Post
One of My favorites
Place the dragons lair on an island in and underground lake. The lake of course is frozen and the cavern is large enough that a good thick mist hovers over everything (obscuring mist (enlarged) or fog cloud) that way the dragon gets to use its blindsight to maximum effect and the mist cannot be dispelled. Then the party's visibility is down to 5' and the dragon can start using wall, of fog, sleet storm, and the BESTEST spell of all SOLID FOG (note: this blocks bindsight) to really slow them down. Of course the wizard in the group will try and fly and be invisible (too bad invisibility doent effect dragons and this one is waiting upside down on the ceiling! Once the party is good stuck you start taking the floor our from under them (shatter) or the bestest trick of all! cast CONTROL WATER - raise water and watch all the ice break at the same time!
Oh yea...If you want some thorns - ice storm (no save), cone of cold, energy substitute fireballs into iceballs or sonic balls (good ice breaker too)
then summon some good old orca wales to inhabit the lake!
Place the dragons lair on an island in and underground lake. The lake of course is frozen and the cavern is large enough that a good thick mist hovers over everything (obscuring mist (enlarged) or fog cloud) that way the dragon gets to use its blindsight to maximum effect and the mist cannot be dispelled. Then the party's visibility is down to 5' and the dragon can start using wall, of fog, sleet storm, and the BESTEST spell of all SOLID FOG (note: this blocks bindsight) to really slow them down. Of course the wizard in the group will try and fly and be invisible (too bad invisibility doent effect dragons and this one is waiting upside down on the ceiling! Once the party is good stuck you start taking the floor our from under them (shatter) or the bestest trick of all! cast CONTROL WATER - raise water and watch all the ice break at the same time!
Oh yea...If you want some thorns - ice storm (no save), cone of cold, energy substitute fireballs into iceballs or sonic balls (good ice breaker too)
then summon some good old orca wales to inhabit the lake!
?Inconsequenti-AL
Breaks Games
Or you could 'dispel' the carpet with a claw, claw, bite combi... although the player will almost certainly throw dice+toys at you 
hmmmm
1) Series of caverns that have stalagtites and stalagmites, where it forces the characters to stay flying. Have dragon be a level above them and knock some of the ceiling down to close off the exit and close off the entrance.
Summon a few ice elementals.
2) symbols of insanity. summon monster 8. nice scary tactic, they are insane they might kill each other but they won't be able to really work well together while getting ambushed.
3) shrink a whole bunch of stalactites using shrink item. have the dragon put it into a catapult with an enchantment that dispells the shrink spell once they leave the cup of the catapult. Instant field of ice ballista (non-magical cone of cold but more deadlier, i wonder how shrapnel works when it gets shrinked since that would mean more shrapnel)
4) Tiny Hut in the middle of a cavern. A place of safety? maybe. I Happen to be watching James Bond last night, Die Another Day. There was a comment that the human element makes a natural balance of hot and cold for the Ice palace. Now imagine if a trap was made with the HUMAN/WARM BLOODED element is in play. They walk into the cavern, stay in the hut. rest. BOOM stalactites from the ceiling covered by illusion that has been hacked a little start crashing down on the hut. X where the hut is. lol
5) Several Potions marked Cure potions are in face gaseous form. The glee of the dragon flapping it's wings and blowing the characters about and they can't do anything.
6) Enlarge Person, Mass. Hmm while they walk over ice????
7)Dragon is on the other side of a thick ice wall with improved invis with holes on the wall. Holes are just for line of sight. Prismatic spray, finger of death, magic missile, etc.
8) Dragon plays cat and mouse. hit and run tactics. It may take days before they actually corner him into a finale fight.
9) dragon created a simulacrum of himself. He's actually off doing something else, leaving the simulacrum to take care of the heroes.
10) Dimensional Anchor all over the place so that the heroes can't just teleport. Dragon knows all the secret hiding places so he could invis, walk outside of the anchor influences and teleport if needs be.
Just some random brainstorming while at work on a snow day. hope this helps.
1) Series of caverns that have stalagtites and stalagmites, where it forces the characters to stay flying. Have dragon be a level above them and knock some of the ceiling down to close off the exit and close off the entrance.
Summon a few ice elementals.
2) symbols of insanity. summon monster 8. nice scary tactic, they are insane they might kill each other but they won't be able to really work well together while getting ambushed.
3) shrink a whole bunch of stalactites using shrink item. have the dragon put it into a catapult with an enchantment that dispells the shrink spell once they leave the cup of the catapult. Instant field of ice ballista (non-magical cone of cold but more deadlier, i wonder how shrapnel works when it gets shrinked since that would mean more shrapnel)
4) Tiny Hut in the middle of a cavern. A place of safety? maybe. I Happen to be watching James Bond last night, Die Another Day. There was a comment that the human element makes a natural balance of hot and cold for the Ice palace. Now imagine if a trap was made with the HUMAN/WARM BLOODED element is in play. They walk into the cavern, stay in the hut. rest. BOOM stalactites from the ceiling covered by illusion that has been hacked a little start crashing down on the hut. X where the hut is. lol
5) Several Potions marked Cure potions are in face gaseous form. The glee of the dragon flapping it's wings and blowing the characters about and they can't do anything.
6) Enlarge Person, Mass. Hmm while they walk over ice????
7)Dragon is on the other side of a thick ice wall with improved invis with holes on the wall. Holes are just for line of sight. Prismatic spray, finger of death, magic missile, etc.
8) Dragon plays cat and mouse. hit and run tactics. It may take days before they actually corner him into a finale fight.
9) dragon created a simulacrum of himself. He's actually off doing something else, leaving the simulacrum to take care of the heroes.
10) Dimensional Anchor all over the place so that the heroes can't just teleport. Dragon knows all the secret hiding places so he could invis, walk outside of the anchor influences and teleport if needs be.
Just some random brainstorming while at work on a snow day. hope this helps.
Nightfall
Sage of the Scarred Lands
Use spells from Book of Eldritch Might on the dragon magic section, dragon 309, plus the draconomicion. LOTS of spell traps, especially ones that allow him to alter his breath weapons, spells to cast cold based attacks. Also plenty of illusions of him and the dragon so to fake out the party when they think they get near.
Add to that some geguleons and possibly some other cold based outsiders/elemental creatures.
Top it off with an Ice/Crystal Golem as well. Possibly three, all well hidden.
Add to that some geguleons and possibly some other cold based outsiders/elemental creatures.
Top it off with an Ice/Crystal Golem as well. Possibly three, all well hidden.
DM_Matt
First Post
These are great, 'keep em coming! Thanks guys!
Thanks, and good idea about the dispel...That still wont get rid of the asperii or the air elemental, tohugh, and the mage is a gnome so the other might have enough extra carrying capacity to pick her up. It will still make a nice dent in their maneuverability though
Will do!
Yup, the dragon has some nice Draconomicon spells and feats...including the feat that turns his line breath weapon into a vastly more useful cone. I'll consider the Gleugons....
A must-have, and I would have forgotten it..damn blink dog/abundant step/dimenson door.
Spells as an eight level sorc, not either level spells. Still, confusions would be nice to drop down if just before they get mobbed by lackies like Ice Elementals, Ice Scrags, Ice-type Abyssal Drakes, or whatever.
I'll check that out, thanks.
Even better, the dragon can meet them in a dark underground area, since his ring renders him entirely invisible to darkvision.
I like the floor shattering...useful when its just above the mouth of a sea creature...
Especially good in conjuntion with a tail slap or a fireball to really bust it up.
Piratecat said:
Thanks, and good idea about the dispel...That still wont get rid of the asperii or the air elemental, tohugh, and the mage is a gnome so the other might have enough extra carrying capacity to pick her up. It will still make a nice dent in their maneuverability though
KidCthulhu suggests: weaken parts of the ceiling. When area effect spells begin flying, they're going to get crushed.
Make the floor shiny ice. Dragons have claws, but PCs don't. Balance checks suck.
Will do!
Yup, the dragon has some nice Draconomicon spells and feats...including the feat that turns his line breath weapon into a vastly more useful cone. I'll consider the Gleugons....
A must-have, and I would have forgotten it..damn blink dog/abundant step/dimenson door.
Spells as an eight level sorc, not either level spells. Still, confusions would be nice to drop down if just before they get mobbed by lackies like Ice Elementals, Ice Scrags, Ice-type Abyssal Drakes, or whatever.
I'll check that out, thanks.
Even better, the dragon can meet them in a dark underground area, since his ring renders him entirely invisible to darkvision.
I like the floor shattering...useful when its just above the mouth of a sea creature...
Especially good in conjuntion with a tail slap or a fireball to really bust it up.
Olgar Shiverstone
Legend
Alternately, the entire lair is submerged in near-freezing water (or perhaps that's just the way to get in). No flying there - you have to contend with the cold plus underwater combat, which isn't what characters usually prepare for when facing a dragon.
Another way to ground the characters -- most of the lair consists of narrow, 5' high, slick icy passages, none of which form a level surface (forcing constant balance checks). Of course, this can disadvantage the dragon, too, so we make it a maze, where the mirror-polished ice make it appear that the dragon is in places he isn't. Add some illusions to the mix, and ...
If you're really evil, the mirror-ice maze is flooded with crystal clear water, providing a big surprise to anyone teleporting in ...
Another way to ground the characters -- most of the lair consists of narrow, 5' high, slick icy passages, none of which form a level surface (forcing constant balance checks). Of course, this can disadvantage the dragon, too, so we make it a maze, where the mirror-polished ice make it appear that the dragon is in places he isn't. Add some illusions to the mix, and ...
If you're really evil, the mirror-ice maze is flooded with crystal clear water, providing a big surprise to anyone teleporting in ...
Last edited:
Similar Threads
