My 7th level party just killed a young adult dragon!

[Glaurung]

There were 4 of us,
me (a 5/1 rogue/sorcerer), a 7th level cleric of pelor, a 6th level assimar paladin/templar (5/1), and a 7th level wizard.

It was a black dragon, but honestly it had really bad tactics. We were on a small island and the thing just came up to use and breathed on the wizard and the cleric. The wizard promptly flew away (a la fly) and then cast polymorph other on the dragon--that was it! The damn thing failed both Fort and SR. It was the most anticlimatic thing I've ever seen. If you had asked me yesterday, I would have said a 5th age category dragon would've wiped the floor with us!

If I were running a black dragon, I would've used darkness right off the bat and then finish off the party with its blindsight. Or maybe jump over the little island we were on and kill us one by one with its spring attacks. Or at least breath and then sink back underwater! oh well, at least no one died.

-Michael Gill

 

[Someguy]

It was a young adualt, it was overconfident, and you got lucky too...

 

[Wolfspider]

Urk!!!

 

[Nightfall]

Silly Dragon...

Should have sent in a few half-breed to soften you guys up THEN attacked you. Half-dragon Saughin with a few levels in Druid/Blood Witch? Plus maybe a half dragon-kobold sorcerer. Those two would have been GOOD foils while the dragon picked you guys off.

 

[Thorntangle]

*Blows smoke off the tip of his finger*

Mike - I think you forgot to mention the style, gallantry, flair, pizazz and panache I displayed. Not to mention the way it really ticked off Dave.

 

[reapersaurus]

well, yet another example to not have Polymorph Other in a campaign.

 

[Fade]

What did you polymorph it into? Remember that it retains all supernatural and extraordinary abilities - including its breath weapon.

 

[Altalazar]

Oh C'mon!

It could have been any spell that it failed all its protections against that did it in. How about hold monster? That would make it just as dead.

Just because a dragon is tough, don't mistake that for invincible. Just one spell can kill if you get unlucky with SR and saves. And a young adult dragon is in fact younger than many humanoid races it would be fighting if it were to attack adventurers. In other words younger, less wise, less clever.

An older dragon would perhaps send minions and otherwise stay out of sight. A young dragon does not have that luxury - much like a fresh graduate from college, they are still making their own way in the world, and so they have to go out and gather resources themselves. If there were creatures appropriate to use as minions, who is to say some other, much older dragon hasn't already co-opted them. Remember, a young adult dragon isn't just competing against the world of adventurers - it is also competing against other dragons, many of which are much older and more powerful. Not exactly a good spot to be in - all those long years of struggle.

 

[Left-handed Hummingbird]

What a pleasant surprise this thread is! I opened the thread expectin to read sentiments like "You probably didn't roleplay the dragon right.", "Did you remember this or that power" and stuff like that.

I agree with Altalazar, any powerful enemy can be taken down if you are lucky with the dice. However, you do need to be lucky. But player ingeniuty also goes a long way.

Still, Dragons are and should be a challenge, and any party should have the utmost respect for those creatures. To paraphrase some country song; "Know when to walk away - and know when to run".

 

[JacktheRabbit]

Why not just remove any spell that doesnt do hitpoint damage as being unbalancing.

Sheesh

well, yet another example to not have Polymorph Other in a campaign.