Prep to kill a dragon

[buzzard]

OK, I suppose I should offer a bit more information. This dragon is Ashardalon from Bastion of Broken Souls. Given the location were are fighting in (the Bastion on the Positive Energy Plane) I'm pretty sure that both Gate and Solars are not going to be options. Supposedly the area is off limits to Gods and their direct emmissaries due to some ancient pact. I had been contemplating a Solar, which really is about the best one can do, but I don't think it's an option. I get the impression that the space that Ashardalon in within is somewhat constrained since he is as the font of souls (or whatever it is called). This might limit his flight and pin him down. The whole bastion doesn't seem to be big enough for a dragon to take advantage of the flight speed edge. Grapple has me mighty worried of course. I'm thinking maybe grease as a possible escape route. As for Stoneskin, I am considering it, but the Elemental Kiss spell gives DR +5/20 as well as elemental type. Choosing fire gives fire immunity, thus two birds with one stone. I just have to see how many of those the cleric can cast.

Though for sneaking up, etherialness isn't an option given the location (I think, correct me if I'm wrong, but the Etherial plane does not intersect the PEP). However the sniper does have a high enough hide that he could avoid being spotted by the dragon (he can make 60s without trouble on a hide). I don't have access to new equipment so arrows of slaying are a no-show (though I think gambling on a failed save is equally spurrious).

Thanks for all the ideas so far.

buzzard

 

[Gilrion]

Though for sneaking up, etherialness isn't an option given the location (I think, correct me if I'm wrong, but the Etherial plane does not intersect the PEP).

Unfortunately, I think you're right about the ethereal plane. Too bad, there goes your only (though slim) chance to sneak up on the dragon.

However the sniper does have a high enough hide that he could avoid being spotted by the dragon (he can make 60s without trouble on a hide).

The problem is the dragon's blindsight. With this as an (Ex) ability with a range of 360 feet the dragon need not bother with spot or listen checks.

If the killing of this dragon is important to the cleric's god, and said cleric has access to gate the PCs just win. Sepulchurave pointed this out at one point - gate in a solar. Solar with its 20 levels of cleric spellcasting gates in other solars. Repeat as many times as needed. DMs tend not to like that, however. And the PCs tend to get oh.. say no experience (it wasn't a challenge at all) and no treasure (payment in thanks to said angelic host), but hey... if it's the kill that's important...

I wasn't suggesting they gate in three solars--that was a joke (a bad one, if you will). I suppose the solar could gate in a succession of his best buddies, but that's just cheese. Besides, one solar is more than enough to deal with most threats.
I think summoning a powerful servant of your deity should be something doable by a cleric of high enough power. It should not be done frivolously, and always to further the deity's cause. If the solar cannot come for some reason, then it does not. A gate opens before it, and he doesn't step into it--or he does, hears what the cleric has to say, and wishes him luck--the solar may have better things to do.
Still, I dislike the holier-than-thou attitude many people use to portray solars and such powerful servants. As a 17th level cleric, you are a powerful servant youself, and even if all you are trying to save is some backwater prime world, those are your deities' followers that will die if you fail. In a system governed by faith, such a quest is worth a moment's attention. Anyway, that's just my opinion: I think clerics should be able to summon solars and planetars on rare, unique ocasions to further their deities' cause. I believe this is one such situation. Despite all this, it's a moot point: no outsiders allowed, apparently.

Sorry about the hijack. Good luck with Ashardalon.

 

[Numion]

Buy some Greater Arrows of Slaying (Dragon). Use a ghost-touch bow so the arrows will ignore the dragon's natural armor.
edit: since you have a deepwood sniper this might actually work. See if you can find a way to reduce it's CON first to lower that gawd-awful Fort save.

Ghost Touch? Isn't that the enhancement that let's you hit incorporeal targets 100% of time .. but I'm afraid this dragon is completely corporeal. Maybe you mean Brilliant Energy. But still, a Greater Arrow of Slaying is a long shot. The dragon is going to have a fort save of around, say, 30, so it's a moot point. At least use a normal Arrow of Slaying instead of greater - the dragon will only blow the save on a '1' anyway.

My suggestions:

Cleric should cast Anti-life shell. That should protect himself from melee, just needs to beat the SR.

In this case the cleric wouldn't be out of line preparing Revenance spells, from magic of faerun. A nihilistic spell, for sure, but might come handy.

Bastion of Broken Souls, you say? In for a nasty surprise, those adventurers .. but no more of that

My group relied on Protection from Elements instead of Energy Immunity. Against this great wyrm the Protections were breached with the second breath assault. At 20th caster level. Thats some nuclear type heat.

 

[MerakSpielman]

Yeah, I meant Brilliant Energy.

But a Deepwood sniper should get lots of shots off per round, and since this is 3.0, he can be hasted for even more, and use rapid shot for even more...

That dragon's gotta roll a 1 sometime, and if he's being hit by 6+ arrows per round, that sometime should be within 4 rounds... Statistically...

You realize, of course, that any plan is a long shot at this point.

 

[Malcolm]

Some spells that might help (good stuff posted by others):

1.) Zone of Speed = BoeM - cast (shaped if possible) as a readied action based on the dragon's movement. This will help you keep it on the ground if it starts there, and sufficiently hinder its movement.

2.) Prohibit Kind = give your party a few rounds to re-buff and heal if needed. If you can "cycle" this with readied actions in the rest of your party and cast it a couple of times you can output alot of dmg.
Note: Make sure that the Cleric is ready to Counter-spell any Heal or Fortunate Fate it may have up (whether through Contingency or just pre-buff).

3.) Maze = same as #2

4.) Pierce (?? BoEM3 possibly) = Must have! cleans away pesky force effects (and Shield) of 2nd lvl and under that the dragon will have on it.

5.) Bear's Heart buff (?? From DoF) = Temp hit points are never bad.

6.) Righteous Wrath of the Faithful = all the same alignment? If so, then use liberally.

7.) Slime Wave = If allowed by the DM have the Cleric use this (and have a backup mem'd for when the Dragon breath-kills the first batch), its usually a guaranteed Dragon-killer, if ruled not to be it still will harass the crap out of it.

8.) Dragonbane (?? From RR2) = very nice spell. Every bit of "smack" on a dragon helps.

9.) Rend The Soverign Soul + Hold Monster + "Spell Resist killer" (there is a spell in RR, name doesn't come to mind right now) = debuff like crazy then Rend, then Hold.

10.) Cheezy-ickiness = Spell Resist Debuff + Harm + Magic Missle (make sure Shield is down).
/waits for B.A.D.D. & B.A.H. to rear up and cry "Havoc!"*


NOTE: Bear in mind this is a Great Wyrmm Named gaurdian. It Should expect many of these spells from would-be slayers, and Will have thought out tactics against them.
Nothing that has stats is unkillable, it just depends on how far you're willing to go and how many resources you're willing to burn.
Personally I prefer killing my Great Wyrmms kindness. I find that most have a weakness for butter'd scones with raspberry icing and a pitcher of strong lemonade (with a tad of vodka in it). All that killing does make one hungry you know.

Good luck

 

[Sejs]

OK, I suppose I should offer a bit more information. This dragon is Ashardalon from Bastion of Broken Souls.

*wince*


er... ah. I see. I'm sorry.


Where would you like the flowers to be sent?

 

[Corporal_Cupcake]

Equal time, please

Of course, I wish you and yours all the best with your dragonslaying expedition. Goodness knows that I hope the players in my campaign reach an appropriate level for such fun in the near future (that is, if the mummies don't continue ganging up and striking them down).

But I wanted to say that I'm feeling a little sorry for poor old Ashardalon. The party is going to have the benefit of all these posts and fine, quality advice. But what about the dragon? Shouldn't we share some expertise with him or, barring that, the DM? So, what tactics should Ashardalon the Misunderstood engage in to defeat the party? I've seen the ever-popular "snatch 'n' munch" technique mentioned... Anything else?

 

[Radiating Gnome]

But I wanted to say that I'm feeling a little sorry for poor old Ashardalon. The party is going to have the benefit of all these posts and fine, quality advice. But what about the dragon? Shouldn't we share some expertise with him or, barring that, the DM? So, what tactics should Ashardalon the Misunderstood engage in to defeat the party? I've seen the ever-popular "snatch 'n' munch" technique mentioned... Anything else?

Of course. We can do that, too.

In a fight with the PCs, Ashardalon has to keep a few things in mind:

1. In a toe-to-toe fight with the whole party, Ashardalon's advantages are minimized. Use speed and mobility to spread the party out so that you can take them on piecemeal -- even if snatch and grab won't work very well, do what you can to divide the party.

2. Magic is not your friend. Sure, it helps, but it helps the PCs more. An antimagic field will leave you with most of your advantages and leave the PCs with very few of theirs. If you can, have the spell cast on an area ahead of time, in a specific location, and the lure the PCs into it. Then pounce. This works especially well if they come at you in a confined space where it's hard to use your mobility to it's full advantage.

3. Don't be caught alone. Have minions handy to distract the PCs while you pick them off one at a time. Golems make good minions -- you don't have to pay them, they don't steal from you, and they will dish out a load of hurt on those annoying melee types.

4. As for specific character types and how to handle them: Dominate the melee types (they have notoriously low will saves). Archers, especially elves, and immune to charm, so snatch and grab them if you can. Mages and clerics can give you trouble if they're played smart, but in most cases your SR and saves will make them easy to ignore. If you can snatch them and kill them one on one while keeping your distance from the melee types, do it.

5. Your breath weapon is great against hordes of little targets, but it will be remarkably useless against the PCs. They'll be protected from the energy type you can breathe (unless they're profoundly stupid), about 1/3-1/2 of them will have evasion or improved evasion and will take little or no damage from it, and you can only use it every once in a while. Don't bother.

6. Use that phenomenal grapple check that you have -- snatch up targets in your claws, land on top of them and crush them into a fine paste, etc. Even if you don't run off to eat a target you've snatched, odds are you can hold them and crush them to death while they are unable to make any attack on you in return.

7. Take your time. Their spells will run out, your strength never will.

That's a good start . . . .

-rg

 

[buzzard]

Times like these make me glad my DM doesn't read this board.

buzzard

 

[Spatula]

OK, I suppose I should offer a bit more information. This dragon is Ashardalon from Bastion of Broken Souls.

Hmmm, from what I recall of that module, the party should be at least 20th level by the time they fight Ashardalon. Perhaps the DM will tone him down somewhat in light of your power level.