So is this indeed how it works?

[AZRogue]

In combat, WITH the PCs, the dragon is fully balanced. He has his Presence, his Aura, his Breath, his Claws, and the Tail and Wings, depending, as well as 2 Action Points. That's enough for the PCs to share and have seconds.

If you're looking for more complicated options, such as things the dragon should do outside of combat, rework him using the monster creation guidelines to get what you want.

Or, even better, just let him do, outside of encounters with the PCs, whatever it is you want him to do. Because you want him to do it.

 

[Regicide]

A high-level fighter doesn't have a 1000+ hit points, more like somewhere in the 200-240 range.

Dwarf fighter with 250 HP and 20 healing surges done as minor actions has a potential 1500 HP in an encounter before you add on magical healing, temporary HP and equipment boosts, and I'm willing to bet a high level fighter isn't naked in too many combats.

 

[hong]

Dwarf fighter with 250 HP and 20 healing surges done as minor actions has a potential 1500 HP in an encounter before you add on magical healing, temporary HP and equipment boosts,

No.

 

[AZRogue]

Dwarf fighter with 250 HP and 20 healing surges done as minor actions has a potential 1500 HP in an encounter before you add on magical healing, temporary HP and equipment boosts, and I'm willing to bet a high level fighter isn't naked in too many combats.

There's a limit on how many times you can access a Healing Surge per encounter.

 

[NMcCoy]

To elaborate on Hong's succinct and correct answer:
Second Wind can be used once per encounter. It being a minor for dwarves doesn't change that.
Didn't I see you making the same mistaken claim in another thread?

 

[Boarstorm]

To elaborate on Hong's succinct and correct answer:
Second Wind can be used once per encounter. It being a minor for dwarves doesn't change that.
Didn't I see you making the same mistaken claim in another thread?

I'm guessing not, since his postcount is sitting at 1.

 

[That One Guy]

So there's only two extremes? No, I don't want to spend 4 hours creating a monster. But I'd have no problem spending 30 minutes, even an hour, on the ultimate villian of my entire campaign, so that the players perhaps don't see every attack and ability he has in 3 rounds of combat.

To which...

It's not that hard really, just slap a template or two on your "ultimate villian series"...

Vampiric Wizard Red Dragon
Studly Fighter Red Dragon
"Coke and a Smile" Rogue Red Dragon
Abyssal Warlock Red Dragon

etc. (Most template names made up on the spot...)

is QFT. I assume Wizard dragons can do rituals too (or house rules it).

To me, rituals make 4e.

 

[baberg]

Seriously, the only difference that I see between 3.x and 4ed is that in 4ed you can get the same level of depth and get the monster that you actually want in a 1/8 of the time.

I think that's really the strength of 4e as far as DMing goes. If I need the complexity of an intelligent, Magic-using Ancient Red Dragon I can get it by just adding what I need into the block. But if I just need something huge to make my PCs tremble in fear, I've got it right there.

It's a lot easier to add complexity to a simple system than it is to simplify a complex system.

 

[Destil]

So there's only two extremes? No, I don't want to spend 4 hours creating a monster. But I'd have no problem spending 30 minutes, even an hour, on the ultimate villian of my entire campaign, so that the players perhaps don't see every attack and ability he has in 3 rounds of combat.

The dragon has the ritual casting feat, training and spell focus in arcana and has access to 5 random rituals of any level up to it's own. One (or more, depending on total value) bit of its hord treasure is a 'spellshard' that projects silvery diagrams of all the dragon's rituals into the wielder's mind.

There, that should cover 80% of the cool stuff dragons used to do without bogging down combat. Heck I bet we can even avoid messing with the XP value if the players are smart enough not to walk haphazardly into it's magically protected lair.

 

[essenbee]

It's not epic. It's long and boring. It's I claw you, you claw me, I claw you, you claw me, nothing else.

You are clearly not a very experienced DM!