HELP! Putting my PC's up against a Dragon... my players KEEP OUT!!!

[DarrenGMiller]

In my campaign, the party is about (or will be when they get there) 8th level. It consists of a Human Barbarian, Dwarf Fighter, Halfling Cleric of Farlanghn, Elven Pyromancer Sorceror, Elven Bard/Rogue. They are going to be facing a Green Dragon (in a heavily modified Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil moathouse... the original has a young Blue, but I want a Green of maybe Young Adult). Help me make it tough on them. Several of my players are good with strategy and min-maxing and think that a "not TOO big" Green (from the description given by an NPC trying to downplay the risk involved so that the party would go kill it) will be fairly easy. How do I put the fear of Dragons into them?

THANKS!!!

DM

 

[Nightfall]

Firstly, HEAVILY ward your terriority. Check out Draconomicon for some dragon spells.

Two, have the dragon hire a few heavy hitters/stealth guy assassins that hassle the pcs. (Hey if they get help dragon does too!)

Thirdly, have the dragon own an amulet of regeneration or some kind of fast healing/regen thing. Nothing says "I heal quickly!" and puts the fear of stuff into them like that.

Fourthly, be VERY sneaky. That's what green dragons do.

Fifthly, all else fails, RUN.

 

[Bryon_Soulweaver]

Put on the theifling template with the major fey bloodline. Trust me, dragons with fey blood is not fun to fight against.

 

[Bryon_Soulweaver]

Double Post.

Make it have two heads! with different mental scores!

 

[Snowy]

give the main dragon, little dragon minions.

The party fight a (small) dragon, go that was fairly easy, little touch and go at times but fine.
They see other little ones and kill or avoid them.

Couple of days later a (medium) beats the snot out of them probably just about losing in the end. Party goes that was nasty at least we beat the big bad dragon now.

A suave and sophisticated person wanders up to them in the pub/campsite/impregnible stronghold/ruins of town and politely asks about their killig of the little dragons, listens makes suggestions wanders off changes shape back to the huge dragon form and blasts them with an acid ball and roars in a deafening voice to stop killing his children or he will get angry, then have him fly off destroying lareg swathes of property on the way.

its about what happened in my campaign.