Running a dragon vs a high level party

[azhrei_fje]

A dragon, with its superior intellect, would probably use this tactic when it would be sure its intended targets would have limited ability to evade (cliffside path? down in a gorge?)...with fairly sizeable rocks (AE?). It wouldn't so much be aiming at the party as aiming at a spot.

Now here's an interesting tactic if the terrain supports it:

Dragon casts wall of force at one end of a gorge.
Dragon approaches party from the other end and drops a boulder like a bowling ball.
The boulder takes 1 round to hit the ground. (Boulder is falling as dragon continues to move forward.)
The boulder hits and the party runs towards the wall of force.
They hit the wall and bunch up, and the dragon uses its breath weapon (maybe using the feat that changes a line into a cone, if the gorge is fairly wide).

A very interesting discussion of tactics. Carry on!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

One of the reasons I still assert that Dragonslayer has the best dragon in film history is that the beast flies like it was born to be an air combatant. In open air, it maneuvers like a fighter pilot...in closer spaces, it uses helicopter-type tactics.

I mean, I run mean, mean dragons...but if I were an actual combat pilot, I'm sure I could step it up a bit.

Watching Dogfights on the Military History Channel has been enlightening, to be sure, but no matter how much I'd watch that show, I'd just be recycling tricks...and maybe not the appropriate ones for the situations.

A real pilot running a dragon in aerial combat? Gah!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Given time and a bit of OCD, a spellcasting dragon who likes the boulder bomb tactic could use Shrink Item over and over and over again, building up an arsenal of tiny, clothlike boulders...

Then, flying over the party with his arsenal, he says the trigger word while releasing them...resulting in either a cluster bomb effect (if released simultaneously) or a carpet bomb effect (if released sequentially).

Sort of like the 2Ed spell "Bombard," but not really dispelable.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

One of the reasons I still assert that Dragonslayer has the best dragon in film history is that the beast flies like it was born to be an air combatant. In open air, it maneuvers like a fighter pilot...in closer spaces, it uses helicopter-type tactics.

I mean, I run mean, mean dragons...but if I were an actual combat pilot, I'm sure I could step it up a bit.

Watching Dogfights on the Military History Channel has been enlightening, to be sure, but no matter how much I'd watch that show, I'd just be recycling tricks...and maybe not the appropriate ones for the situations.

A real pilot running a dragon in aerial combat? Gah!

Yeah, Dogfights was awesome, and i usually hate the more modern/WWII stuff.

Thinking of dragons like fighter jets might not be a bad idea, though certainly not like helicopters. Fighter jets move at great speed, but need to take wide turns, do barrel rolls (I hope I'm using the right term) for evasion and getting behind the enemy, etc.. because of that speed. Helicopters are slower, but more maneuverable. Dragons, having high speed and low maneuverability, are definitely more like jet fighters.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Well, by helicopter tactics, I mean primarily taking advantage uneven terrain.

In Dragonslayer, Vermithrax- again, thinking in 3D- uses his speed and maneuverability to make sure Ulrich loses LOS even though the mage is on top of a mountain, then hugs the ground for a low approach and pops up at the edge of the mesa to hover (briefly) and breathe fire at his target. When the strike proves unsuccessful, Vermithrax ceases his hover, stalls and rolls right to dive away.

Ulrich anticipates the strike, yes, but the tactic is sound, and resembles the way some birds will attack prey, as well as certain dogfight techniques and helicopters' use of hillsides to travel behind and occasionally pop up to launch a rocket, and then drop down again.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Another bit of nasty for spellcasting dragons:

The low-level spell Mirror Image turns one dragon into a fearsome flying attack squadron.

The party came hunting for one...and 4 are diving for a strafing run? It's not a fear effect, but anyone who hasn't faced that spell in a long time might not realize what's happening until they'd already soiled their armor!

 

[NewJeffCT]

Another bit of nasty for spellcasting dragons:

The low-level spell Mirror Image turns one dragon into a fearsome flying attack squadron.

The party came hunting for one...and 4 are diving for a strafing run? It's not a fear effect, but anyone who hasn't faced that spell in a long time might not realize what's happening until they'd already soiled their armor!

That is a great use of a low level spell - and, certainly a way to make the party panic into soiling their armor.

 

[NewJeffCT]

Quick question - in reading over the Dispelling Breath spell in Draconomicon, does that replace the normal breath weapon, or is that on top of the breath weapon damage, which would be pretty scary. The text is not clear to me.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I agree that its not 100% clear, but I'd lean towards the spell's effect being a substitute for the normal breath weapon effects instead of being an add-on.

 

[freyar]

Considering they used a different language than the spells that add an effect to the breath, I'd agree that it's a substitution, not an addition.