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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Reynard" data-source="post: 2114036" data-attributes="member: 467">So, for the local annual game day/mini-con, I am running what refer to as a "Hardcore" game -- all rolls open on the table, let the dice fall where they may, win or lose by tactics and luck.  This year, it is Hardcore<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />ragonhunt.  Despite some "adventure" pretenses, really it all comes down to a fight between the PCs and a dragon.  Here's the details:There are 12 (!) 12th level PCs, covering a broad range of classes.I allowed the sue of the Draconomicon for PCs, so there are lots of anti-dragon feats in use.All PCs have max hit points, 32 point buy attributes, and standard wealth with a limit of 24K on a single item.  One paladin PC has a dragonell mount.The dragon is a Very Old Black -- CR 18, with feats built primarily toward aerial combat and spells bent toward illusions.The dragon rules a flooded valley and lairs in a submerged cave system.I am looking for some advice as to how to make this a truly "Hardcore" game -- I don't want to cheat or screw the players, but I do want to see some PC deaths.  i want to scare them.  What kind of tactics need to be worked out?  What do I need to think about to make sure the fight is hard?  the dragon has some divination type spells, so he knows the PCs are coming and can view them from afar (the dragon has bred with some local nasties, so it will be able to witness an encounter or two with the PCs versus dragon type creatures).One thing I have already worked out it when the dragon is ready, it will ambush the PCs with the intent to kill one character, a spellcaster most likely but it depends on how some of the "test" encounters go.  Giving thanks to the designers for the horrible penalties to spot for distance, I plan on having the dragon dive/charge, quicken breath breath, tail constrict/snath the target, and if necessary go aloft and drop the PC from a great height.  Other than that, I only know that the dragon will use water to its advantage and has a high hide/move silently score for ambush purposes (invisibility is just too easy to beat at high level).Help me make some PCs suffer!Oh yeah -- I plan on having the dragon use Otilukes Sphere on characters it has dragged under water so as to trap and drown them.  Is this viable?Thanks.</blockquote>

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