D&D 5E Understanding Adult Red Dragon

[77IM]

Even fantasy lava is dense, but an adult red dragon has a Strength of 27 so I think it will work out fine. Heck, if a blue dragon can burrow through sand at 3mph, I'm thinking that locomotion through dense materials isn't a problem for dragons.

(Also, if it's still inside the volcano, I think it's technically magma?)

 

[Oofta]

Which is a trick, in keeping the exposure very short, it's like jumping through the harvest fire or walking on glowing coal with bare feet. What is correct though, is that you will not sink in like with water. Maybe you and @MarkB have different lava temperatures in mind.
While a lava stream pretty much downhill of a volcano might cooled of enough be crossable with minor burns if you are fast, @MarkB is correct on Lava e.g. directly in active volcano which you wont survive even by standing only close enough to it because it does heat up the surrounding air to much.

Don't get me wrong - movie lava is not real life lava. Well, and there is no one type of lava. The continuous never-ending stream of lava that never ever solidifies that we see in dungeons/lairs can only be justified by "magic".

If it works for the story and it's fun for the dragon to have a burrow speed in lava, go for it. Don't let real world logic get in the way of a good story, especially when we're talking magical creatures!

 

[dave2008]

Lair Actions - I tend to create my own, and give Ancient dragons much more powerful LAs than the ones in the book. Obviously you only get LAs in your lair, and they compensate for the restricted space.

By RAW yes, but I give ancient dragons access to their Lair Actions at all times. Lair actions don't change the CR, but they do make the battle more interesting and difficult for the PCs.

 

[akr71]

If it works for the story and it's fun for the dragon to have a burrow speed in lava, go for it.

Go ahead. I'm not getting close enough to an adult red dragon to ask it if burrowing in lava is fun.

Oh wait, you meant fun for the game and players Nevermind

 

[Oofta]

Go ahead. I'm not getting close enough to an adult red dragon to ask it if burrowing in lava is fun.

Oh wait, you meant fun for the game and players Nevermind

You had it right the first time. I only care if the dragon has fun. If he's lucky he brings some ketchup because adventurers go well with the proper condiments.

 

[BlivetWidget]

Lair actions don't change the CR, but they do make the battle more interesting and difficult for the PCs.

Lair action do change the CR, the MM just doesn't provide you with both values. From the DMG | Dungeon Master's Workshop: "When calculating a monster's damage output, also account for special off-turn damage-dealing features, such as auras, reactions, legendary actions, or lair actions."

What I will agree to WRT recalculating CR: ain't nobody got time for that.

 

[dave2008]

Lair action do change the CR, the MM just doesn't provide you with both values. From the DMG | Dungeon Master's Workshop: "When calculating a monster's damage output, also account for special off-turn damage-dealing features, such as auras, reactions, legendary actions, or lair actions."

What I will agree to WRT recalculating CR: ain't nobody got time for that.

That applies to making your own monsters; however, I assume that is already accounted for in published monsters. For example: Liches are noted to by one CR higher (CR 22) when they are in their Lair. Dragons are not. Also, most dragon Lair actions don't have a damaging effect and there are really no guidelines for determining how they modify its CR.

 

[BlivetWidget]

That applies to making your own monsters; however, I assume that is already accounted for in published monsters. For example: Liches are noted to by one CR higher (CR 22) when they are in their Lair. Dragons are not. Also, most dragon Lair actions don't have a damaging effect and there are really no guidelines for determining how they modify its CR.

It applies to changing any monster stat, which adding lair actions certainly does. While some lair actions don't cause damage, they're likely intended to be of similar "power", so I would just use the one that causes obvious, straight up damage (if I were doing it at all, which I wouldn't).

CR doesn't visibly change for dragons with lairs because of the system's granularity; they're so high level that moving an ancient red dragon from CR 24.X to CR 24.Y doesn't show up in the end result because you take the floor value.

So lair actions do change CR, just not always enough to bump the result to the next integer value. If your claim was meant to be specific to dragons, that's fine and it's not wrong, I just didn't want anyone to think it was a generally true statement about lairs.

 

[dave2008]

So lair actions do change CR, just not always enough to bump the result to the next integer value. If your claim was meant to be specific to dragons, that's fine and it's not wrong, I just didn't want anyone to think it was a generally true statement about lairs.

Yes, I was speaking specifically about dragons. I of course agree that Lair Actions affect the CR or I wouldn't have pointed out how they change the Lich's CR.

 

[BlivetWidget]

Yes, I was speaking specifically about dragons. I of course agree that Lair Actions affect the CR or I wouldn't have pointed out how they change the Lich's CR.

Indeed, but of course I couldn’t have known that prior to your response. All is well; carry on, good sir.