Help my Dragons find their Motivation

[Delgar]

Hey guys,

I was hoping that I could get some help on designing two different dragons personalities. As well as getting some help on Conveying the different personalities!

Well, in the last session the party was assaulted by a large blue dragon. It swooped down from the sky and picked up their kobold companion and flew off. The party followed it to it's lair and this is where we stopped for the evening.

Now, the blue dragon, was bought off by a drow priestess that wants information that the kobold has. My original intention was to have the players arrive, just as the priestess is leaving. She will have successfully extracted the information and have left the kobold with the dragon. She, won't stick around and fight she has WAY more important things to do, such as open a portal and allow Lloth to enter the prime material, but now I'm getting ahead of myself.

The players will most likely enter the lair in an attempt to rescue their Kobold friend, where they will find him still alive, but pinned under one of the dragons claws (I really want to make it clear that if they do anything the dragon will kill the kobold). However, this dragon would really like players to do something for him. He would like them to steal an object from another dragons lair and bring it to him. He claims that the object was originally his, and was stolen by this other dragon. If the party is willing to do this for him, he will release the kobold unharmed. He will also state that attacking the other dragon would probably be foolish.

Now what kind of object would a dragon want?
What kind of personality would this dragon have?
How can I protray that personality?

Ok, as for the other dragon, whose lair they will probably end up investigating. My plan was to have him be red. He will have been terrorizing the local area into tithing to him and occasionally dropping off a sacrifice. When the players arrive they will get to witness such a transaction as several human males (wearing dragon masks) drop off bags of treasure at the front of his lair, as well as a bound and gagged human female.

Now what kind of personality would this dragon have?
How can I protray it?
What kind of defenses would he have in his lair?
Would have have some sort of creature guarding his treasure?

I want my players to witness his personality and his power, I don't want them to try and take him on. Anyway, any help you can give me on this would be most appreciated!!

Thanks in advance

Delgar

 

[Gilladian]

The blue dragon sounds as if he is an organized plotter. He has a plan, he's working towards a goal, and he is willing to enlist others to reach it. He's probably lawful evil.

I'd play him as a slimy conniver, manipulative and corrupt, but with some element of believability; you do want to convince the players that he's trustworthy to at least the minimal degree that he'll give them their kobold back if they do his task, right?

If so, I'd have him speak in sibilants, dart his head around, stare piercingly at whoever is speaking with him, and perhaps flick his tail when he grows annoyed. At the same time, I'd be sure they see evidence he has loyal servants who trust as well as fear him. Perhaps he has guard/slaves with children living in/near his cave/lair. Maybe he keeps pets. Anything to make him appear less than absolutely rabid.

The red sounds much more like a chaotic evil bully. He should be aggressive at all times, using a loud voice and thumping with his claws or tail. Maybe he constantly trickles fire or smoke, keeping fear of his breath weapon foremost in his enemy's mind.

He may have slaves/guards but they cower fearfully, or bow down in worship of him. Have him casually slay one or more of them for trivial reasons. Have the villagers who pay him off tell how arbitrary he is, that even when they bribe him, he still comes sometimes and takes their cattle, or their children.

Hope this helps.

 

[Zephyrus]

The players will most likely enter the lair in an attempt to rescue their Kobold friend, where they will find him still alive, but pinned under one of the dragons claws (I really want to make it clear that if they do anything the dragon will kill the kobold). However, this dragon would really like players to do something for him. He would like them to steal an object from another dragons lair and bring it to him. He claims that the object was originally his, and was stolen by this other dragon. If the party is willing to do this for him, he will release the kobold unharmed. He will also state that attacking the other dragon would probably be foolish.

Now what kind of object would a dragon want?
What kind of personality would this dragon have?
How can I protray that personality?

Since you've made it clear you want them not to attack the dragon... for a 'Large Blue Dragon' that would mean either a Juvinille or Young Adult. So your talking a CR 8 or CR 11 creature. If Young Adult it would have is frightful presence at a DC or 21, if you've got Dracominominon ( ) their is alot of great stuff in their to customize your dragons. What level is your party? Are they of a level where they could concievably defeat a Juvinille or Young Adult Blue? Consider making sure their is little or no obvious 'horde' thus they wont be tempted.

With that said, a Young Adult Red would have DR and the Locate Object abilities and would prolly be more than a match for a Blue expecially if the blue was a Juvinille instead of a Young Adult as well. a Adult Red would be even more powerful (CR 15).

Play up the age difference (and that the Red is using its Locate Object ability). The Blue seeing the party as you said threatens to kill the Kobold hostage. play up that the kobold means nothing to him anymore but obviously means alot to the party. Taunt them lightly with degrading remarks about foolishly going into dragon lairs.. if they wish to die run an erand for him and he'll release the hostage. recover the item he wants from the red (as well as anything else they want, perhaps hinting at something semi-powerful that would have the Red Dragon inclined to chase the PC's instead of going after the Blue. Have the Blue even be 'semi-helpful' once they agree proving a item or two to help them (in reality he wants the item back bad enough its worth trading minor magic items to support hte PCs). but make it like he's being Generous with anything he gives even if they are not particularly powerful.

The Blue can be bitter but semi-humble. it knows it cant beat the red but wants to 'stick it to em' anyways somehow. and what better way than a bunch of pesky adventurers stealing his horde.

Perhaps the item he wants is an Iron Flask with a Celestial or Devil in it (or maybe its his pet Elder Arrowhawk).

Alternatly maybes its a Latern of Revealing that both want/use as a way to prevent invisible creatures from sneaking into their lairs.

Both items would be realtively powerful and valuable. Consider also that whatever they take from the Red would prolly /NOT/ be his complete horde but more of a small section of it.. thus freeing you from having to have too much valuable magic in such a powerful dragons horde.

Ok, as for the other dragon, whose lair they will probably end up investigating. My plan was to have him be red. He will have been terrorizing the local area into tithing to him and occasionally dropping off a sacrifice. When the players arrive they will get to witness such a transaction as several human males (wearing dragon masks) drop off bags of treasure at the front of his lair, as well as a bound and gagged human female.

Now what kind of personality would this dragon have?
How can I protray it?
What kind of defenses would he have in his lair?
Would have have some sort of creature guarding his treasure?

You could have fun with this situation. Perhaps the 'Human Males w/ masks' are actually Half Dragon children of the Red who act as his minions. Perhaps in the Lair are several women in various states of pregnancy and uses charm spells to make them willing but uses the guise of 'sacrifices' so that no one comes after them (Locals and sacrifices would be more likly to revolt if they knew the truth). He's trying to raise and Army of Half Dragon children and perhaps they are the only thing he cares about. the death of one of the older ('masked?') ones is perhaps the only thing lible to have him leave this lair ... of coure the PC's would have to make it not look like the Villagers did this least they be responsible for the dragons retribution. 1'st level Half-Human/Half-Red Dragon Fighter's, Sorcerer's & Rogue's wouldent be 'overly powerful individually but could be dangerous in groups.

Defenses.. as I said above make this a secondary lair and not his primary one. As such it would have less perminent/hardy defenses. Liberal use of Glyphs I think. Expecially Summon Monster ones to summon elementals. Consider using a mixture of elementals, some powerful fire elementals that hte PC's may be lible to use Fire busting magic on (thus draining them for any potential confrontation with the dragon itself) but also have smaller groups of Earth and Air Elementals who will physically beat down the PCs. Some mundane trip-wire draps would also be clever such as a glass orb full of acid that swings down and smashes against a PC who trips the trip wire.. if they evade the orb it smaskes against the ceiling above the PC behind them having them have to make a save for half. Traps for which the PC's may or may not have resistances to (ie its a Red, they are likly to have fire protections going).

Perhaps Humans are not the only thing he's bred with and he has other 'monsters' in his lair and a pit/slide trap is likly to deposit the party in an area they have to climb out of but have to deal with the monsters first or risk all kinds of Attacks of Oppertunity.

The Red as such might be (to many) Insane in his desire for conquest getting a private/perverse thrill out of using his offspring to subvert control?


Hope these idea's help?

 

[Delgar]

Great Ideas so far!

Any others???

Delgar

 

[Mr Gone]

Alternately, you could have the two dragons be of realitively equal power, and be intense rivals. The maguffin could just be the sign of who currently has the upperhand, and realy not do much of anything. this minimises the temptation for the players to try and keep the object.