So my PCs decided to go hunting for a dragon, and what I thought was going to be a TPK turned into a dragon slaughter.
The background: The PCs made a deal to take out the dragon for a fey lord. They knew it was powerful but not THAT powerful (aka CR 17). The dragon is in the employ of another fey lord, and the party tracked it back to a crater near the fey lord's complex.
The party had gotten some potions for the occasion and had studied emerald dragons. They had thunder and psychic resistance potions, as well as potions of heroism.
The party ranger and rogue snuck up on the sleeping dragon (rogue got a nat 20 on stealth, and has the ability to share his result with one other player). The rogue disabled the 4 alarm type traps all around the dragon (emerald dragons are supposed to be super paranoid, so I decided not to leave any guards directly near it because the dragon couldn't' trust them while it was sleeping).
the party also detected a major item underneath the dragon. The rogue couldn't' get it out but was able to disable it temporarily with another insane disable device check (it was a custom magic item: 1/week when the attuned creature takes damage, they are under the effects of invulnerability for 1 round).
The rest of the group was close, and then the party started. The ranger went first, going double crits on the sleeping dragon using the crazy ranger alpha strike power with accuracy bonus (about ~140ish damage). I then had the dragon wake up (so no more coup de grace's) but it was still on surprise round. Then the rogue went, and another nat 20, dealing ~80ish damage. In total the two did like 220ish damage.
I allowed the dragon to use legendary actions on surprise round (to give it something to do), and it used its maddening harmonics, which the whole party saved (potions of heroism are SO FREAKIN GOOD). The cleric was smart and cast silence on the area, and the dragon can't use its breath weapon in silence because its thunder damage. The warlock then did a bit more damage, and ultimately he dragon was on the knife's edge of death.
The dragon fortunately won initiative, however, he was so hurt any further damage was likely to take him out, even the OAs from the meleers around him. So I used grapples with his claws to fling the rogue out of the hole and over a nearby cliff! (not technically in the stat block but I gave it a little juice to still show it could be threatening). Rogue took a good amount of falling damage and was out of the fight, but had already delivered the payload if you will. It tried to toss the Ranger but the ranger avoided it.
Then the dragon tried to leave, thankfully the ranger's OA missed. However, the warlock did get its attack off and down the dragon went. A CR 17 down for the count!
Now back at the feylord's manor, its guarded by 4 clockwork golems. What the party didn't know is that the golems had what amounts to artillery cannons, and started pelting the area with "fireballs". I did some damage and scared them a bit, but ultimately they were able to run away, triumphant.
Just goes to show you, no CR can beat a party with surprise and coup de graces.
The background: The PCs made a deal to take out the dragon for a fey lord. They knew it was powerful but not THAT powerful (aka CR 17). The dragon is in the employ of another fey lord, and the party tracked it back to a crater near the fey lord's complex.
The party had gotten some potions for the occasion and had studied emerald dragons. They had thunder and psychic resistance potions, as well as potions of heroism.
The party ranger and rogue snuck up on the sleeping dragon (rogue got a nat 20 on stealth, and has the ability to share his result with one other player). The rogue disabled the 4 alarm type traps all around the dragon (emerald dragons are supposed to be super paranoid, so I decided not to leave any guards directly near it because the dragon couldn't' trust them while it was sleeping).
the party also detected a major item underneath the dragon. The rogue couldn't' get it out but was able to disable it temporarily with another insane disable device check (it was a custom magic item: 1/week when the attuned creature takes damage, they are under the effects of invulnerability for 1 round).
The rest of the group was close, and then the party started. The ranger went first, going double crits on the sleeping dragon using the crazy ranger alpha strike power with accuracy bonus (about ~140ish damage). I then had the dragon wake up (so no more coup de grace's) but it was still on surprise round. Then the rogue went, and another nat 20, dealing ~80ish damage. In total the two did like 220ish damage.
I allowed the dragon to use legendary actions on surprise round (to give it something to do), and it used its maddening harmonics, which the whole party saved (potions of heroism are SO FREAKIN GOOD). The cleric was smart and cast silence on the area, and the dragon can't use its breath weapon in silence because its thunder damage. The warlock then did a bit more damage, and ultimately he dragon was on the knife's edge of death.
The dragon fortunately won initiative, however, he was so hurt any further damage was likely to take him out, even the OAs from the meleers around him. So I used grapples with his claws to fling the rogue out of the hole and over a nearby cliff! (not technically in the stat block but I gave it a little juice to still show it could be threatening). Rogue took a good amount of falling damage and was out of the fight, but had already delivered the payload if you will. It tried to toss the Ranger but the ranger avoided it.
Then the dragon tried to leave, thankfully the ranger's OA missed. However, the warlock did get its attack off and down the dragon went. A CR 17 down for the count!
Now back at the feylord's manor, its guarded by 4 clockwork golems. What the party didn't know is that the golems had what amounts to artillery cannons, and started pelting the area with "fireballs". I did some damage and scared them a bit, but ultimately they were able to run away, triumphant.
Just goes to show you, no CR can beat a party with surprise and coup de graces.
