Where to fight a dragon

[Winternight]

Say you were an 8-level group, modest but not heavly equipped.
You entered a dungeon. The dungeon is loacted in the montains were there is little cover. The dungeon itself is a corridor room, corridor, room dungeon.
You know following facts:

• the Owner of the Lair is returning
• It`s a dragon
• He fills a corridor (no way of passing by)
• In the outside there is little cover, he may spot you
• In his lair he WILL spot you
• The dungeon has a second level which is unexplored
• Maybe the dragon does not fit the stairs down

What would you do? You have about 1 or two minutes.

I see several possibilies:
Make a "last" stand
- in the dungeon
- in the open
flee in the open
flee the dungeon down

Do you see any more possibilities?

Our DM does not Kill PC's lightly but if we decide dumb he lets the dices roll.

 

[Malicene]

If there is no way to hide in the explorered area :
- try to go to the 2nd floor : hoping to find a safe area (i don't think so ... but perhaps there is "something" to help you downstairs)
- Prepare to fight : try to have the best from his lair ! prepare for smackdown as you certainly will not have many rounds to kill him !
- Flee in panic : got into the open and runaway in all direction !
"runaway ! run for your life" !!

One thing missing in your post : which color is the dragon ??

 

[Winternight]

One thing missing in your post : which color is the dragon ??

Black
but that dosn't have to mean anything, cause our DM changes stats as he likes.
The corridor is 10' wide and the dragon rubbed on the walls. (Me being abad player looking up in MM, a dragon with a face of 10'x20` is way out of league)
After we fight our first black dragonwe know he uses acid, fire or lightning.
ohh - It IS evil for shure- so no dipolomacy roll.

edit: minor changes

 

[Voadam]

How are you as a group resource wise? Do you still have spells and hit points?

Do you feel lucky, punk? Do you?

If you don't feel up to a dragon fight go down into the dungeon. This could lead to a dungeon campaign as you can't go back due to the massive threat that has you trapped. You are sort of on the cusp of real smacking power at your levels but it would be close dependin on the dragon and how it is run.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

Is the dungeon setup so that its possible to catch the dragon at a four-way intersection, and use hit-and-run tactics? ZAP him/shoot him with arrows and run off? If you can set up the situation to your benefit, you might be able to win. Also, how much time do you have to make a decision? If you can check out the lower level and still potentially have time to run for the hills before the Dragon makes it back, that might be good.

 

[WizarDru]

Where do you fight a dragon?

On his deathbed, if you're lucky.

Seriously, more important to the discussion is the party make-up. Since this black dragon is non-standard, we can't make any assumptions about him...for example, I'd expect there to water near or in the lair of a black. It's one of their best strategems, the use of their water-breathing and mobility.

Your options are fairly limited. Most of the spells available at that level won't keep the whole party safe, or will, but not for long enough. If this isn't a large dungeon, chances are that the dragon has totally dominated it. That would mean the second level is either cowed, defeated or beneath his notice. On the other hand, they may be his servants.

The question becomes: do you think you can take the dragon, under optimal conditions? If the answer is yes, then decide, and decide NOW whether or not you want to fight. The chances are that you'll lose some of the group in this encounter. Escape into open ground is suicide, unless you're all stealthy and he's not looking for you. With flight, he'll take you down handily, picking you off with his breath weapon, most likely.

If you could stone-shape the corridor, or cause it to be an inconvience to him, you might be able to fight him in there. The caveat is that you MUST control the combat, or you will be owned.

The safest bet, relatively speaking, is to retreat down into the tunnels below, and hope that whatever is there is all that the dragon left behind, not what he recruited. As it is, if you're not prepared for him, the only hope you have is that he also isn't prepared for you.

 

[Larry Fitz]

Offer the dragon the rogue as a sacrifice and begin worshipping him. Help him by exploring the parts of the dungeon he has not yet explored and brining him the treasure from it. Seal off entrances to his lair that he no longer fits through and help him plan and execute strategies for defeating meddlesome adventurers. Go to the nearest town and sack it, bringing all the treasure back for your dread draconic master.

Yeah...


Badd, baby, just Badd.....

 

[Sejs]

1) Unless you are, or have access to a druid of 12th level or higher, do not under any circumstances, fight a dragon in fully open terrain. They fly. You don't. That means they can just flap about outside of your ability to hurt them and then kill you with impunity. If you have some high-power archers or wizards you may be able to annoy a flying dragon, but chances are you won't be able to force it to ground. An enemy you can't hurt is an enemy you cannot defeat.

2) Do not fight a dragon in large open areas. They have natural AoE attacks. That means unlike a normal spellcaster they won't run out of their ability to deal area damge. Oh, and they tend to be spellcasters themselves, too. Choose where you fight carefully - if there's nothing you can do to choose the battleground, do your best to scupt it to your advantage. Stone Shape and the various Wall spells help here.. but uh.. do make sure it's a -solid- wall you use.. not wall of fire, etc. If possible, use the dragon's large size against them. A choked terrain where their movement is restricted, but you can move freely works very much to your advantage. Remember the old axoim - he who controls the earth can conquer heaven.

3) Always have some way out. Fighting in a corner is for rats.

4) If possible, present as many potential targets as possible for the dragon - summoned monsters, or outsiders called with Planar Ally/Binding are useful, but always keep in mind the HD limitations of these spells, and how it will interact with the dragon's natural Fear abilities. The more time a dragon spends tearing appart that Celestial Girallion is time he's -not- focusing on killing you or your friends.

5) Don't listen to the doomsayers who are crooning 'oh, you have no chance, you should just give up'

If you were apt to just giving up at the drop of a hat, you wouldn't be an advenurer, now would you?

^_^

 

[apocalypstick]

If you don't feel up to a dragon fight go down into the dungeon. This could lead to a dungeon campaign as you can't go back due to the massive threat that has you trapped.

This is a great idea; consider it stolen.

Originally posted by Larry Fitz


Help him by exploring the parts of the dungeon he has not yet explored and brining him the treasure from it.

Looking over the options that others have presented, I think this would be your best bet, if you can get it to talk before it kills you. Play to its ego, tell it you'll get all the treasure from downstairs for it in exchange for your lives... and then come back up to the top after you're healed and rested and have your hands on all the goodies that are (hopefilly) down there and slay it.

Hey, it's not like it was going to really let you live after you brought it back the treasure, anyway...

 

[iwatt]

Hey, it's not like it was going to really let you live after you brought it back the treasure, anyway...

What's a black Dragon's Sense Motive like? Remember you just fed the rogue to the dragon unless you have one of those pesky bards to do the talking, you're going down.