7hannibal7
2013-02-27, 04:44 PM
tl;dr Need epic dragon battle feat, spell, and tactic suggestions.
I am currently running a Pathfinder game (with some 3.X content allowed) and the PCs have just reached 10th level by defeating my Fire Giant Jarl and his gnoll minions. The battle took place in one of the previously-floating castles that crashed to the ground on Faerun many years ago to create the Stonelands. It was unbearably hot in the keep without protective magics and once the giant was dead, the party sought the source of said heat. Through divinations and some lucky knowledge history rolls they were able ascertain that taking residence in the lowest level of the keep is an adult red dragon trying to unearth the Heartstone that made the castle float.
Now, I don't know if they're high or what, but they seem convinced that they have to go fight it. So we spent last session with them selling and buying loot and preparing for the battle. This next session will be them delving into the scorching hot dungeon level to confront the beast.
The party's composition is as follows:
Gnome Archivist Bard 10 (weilds a Dragon Staff and makes judicious use of Illusions and Pilfering Hand)
Half-Elf Archer Ranger 10 (with a Boon companion tiger and a frost bow)
Human Invulnerable Rager Barbarian 10 (supersition and other magic-hating rage powers)
Dhampir Summoner 10 (uses a defense-optimized biped eidolon with AC32)
Gnome Teleportation School Conjurer 6/Paragnostic Scholar 4 (makes average use of summons, very teleporty)
Aasimar (afflicted Werewolf) Cleric 6/Moon Guardian 4
With 6 PCs that puts their average party level to 11. An "Epic" encounter is equal to APL+3, or CR 14. An adult Red Dragon happens to be CR14!
So, my goal? Make this fight EPIC!
To do so, I have adjusted Seryndalar's feats (that's the dragon's name, FYI) and I would like your opinions and suggestions.
Original Feats:
Cleave, Greater Vital Strike, Improved Initiative, Improved Iron Will, Improved Vital Strike, Iron Will, Multiattack, Power Attack, Vital Strike
New Feats:
1. Iron Will
3. Power Attack
5. Hover
7. Improved Iron Will
9. Snatch
11. Multiattack
13. Flyby Attack
15. Quicken Spell-like ability: Pyrotechnics
17. Dazing Assault
I also have a few ideas about his lair. First of all, his goal is to excavate the lowest dungeon level in an attempt to find an artifact and the easiest way he knows how is to melt the floor away. This has caused pools of magma to form all over the place. He has been digging for some time now and the floor-to-ceiling height is about 200 ft. which should allow him to maneuver effectively aerially. He has dug ledges out of the walls for him to lounge upon and has treasure on each one.
The PCs will be entering through a tunnel at ground-level and have the vast lair before them with pocks in the ground spewing magma about and choking smoke impairing vision in multiple locations.
My idea is to use Quickened Pyrotechnics to blind the party and then Flyby Attack with Snatch to bite and grab one PC per round and drop them into lava. With Dazing Assault they will be Dazed and unable to get out of the lava for one round dealing 20D6 and then 10D6 for 1d3 rounds. This should remove their Protection from Energy spells and allow the Breath Weapon to actually do some damage. Then, Seryndalar will hide in the pools of lava and pop out and breath on them. Finally, he will Haste himself and fly 10 ft. above the party and full-attack them to death with Dazing Assault.
One final point: this battle has nothing to do with the story so I feel no remorse killing them. I am not a vindictive DM and never purposefully kill PCs, but they are walking into a dragon lair and hope to kill a dragon for its loot. IT'S GONNA BE HARD!
Suggestions/comments/questions?
I am currently running a Pathfinder game (with some 3.X content allowed) and the PCs have just reached 10th level by defeating my Fire Giant Jarl and his gnoll minions. The battle took place in one of the previously-floating castles that crashed to the ground on Faerun many years ago to create the Stonelands. It was unbearably hot in the keep without protective magics and once the giant was dead, the party sought the source of said heat. Through divinations and some lucky knowledge history rolls they were able ascertain that taking residence in the lowest level of the keep is an adult red dragon trying to unearth the Heartstone that made the castle float.
Now, I don't know if they're high or what, but they seem convinced that they have to go fight it. So we spent last session with them selling and buying loot and preparing for the battle. This next session will be them delving into the scorching hot dungeon level to confront the beast.
The party's composition is as follows:
Gnome Archivist Bard 10 (weilds a Dragon Staff and makes judicious use of Illusions and Pilfering Hand)
Half-Elf Archer Ranger 10 (with a Boon companion tiger and a frost bow)
Human Invulnerable Rager Barbarian 10 (supersition and other magic-hating rage powers)
Dhampir Summoner 10 (uses a defense-optimized biped eidolon with AC32)
Gnome Teleportation School Conjurer 6/Paragnostic Scholar 4 (makes average use of summons, very teleporty)
Aasimar (afflicted Werewolf) Cleric 6/Moon Guardian 4
With 6 PCs that puts their average party level to 11. An "Epic" encounter is equal to APL+3, or CR 14. An adult Red Dragon happens to be CR14!
So, my goal? Make this fight EPIC!
To do so, I have adjusted Seryndalar's feats (that's the dragon's name, FYI) and I would like your opinions and suggestions.
Original Feats:
Cleave, Greater Vital Strike, Improved Initiative, Improved Iron Will, Improved Vital Strike, Iron Will, Multiattack, Power Attack, Vital Strike
New Feats:
1. Iron Will
3. Power Attack
5. Hover
7. Improved Iron Will
9. Snatch
11. Multiattack
13. Flyby Attack
15. Quicken Spell-like ability: Pyrotechnics
17. Dazing Assault
I also have a few ideas about his lair. First of all, his goal is to excavate the lowest dungeon level in an attempt to find an artifact and the easiest way he knows how is to melt the floor away. This has caused pools of magma to form all over the place. He has been digging for some time now and the floor-to-ceiling height is about 200 ft. which should allow him to maneuver effectively aerially. He has dug ledges out of the walls for him to lounge upon and has treasure on each one.
The PCs will be entering through a tunnel at ground-level and have the vast lair before them with pocks in the ground spewing magma about and choking smoke impairing vision in multiple locations.
My idea is to use Quickened Pyrotechnics to blind the party and then Flyby Attack with Snatch to bite and grab one PC per round and drop them into lava. With Dazing Assault they will be Dazed and unable to get out of the lava for one round dealing 20D6 and then 10D6 for 1d3 rounds. This should remove their Protection from Energy spells and allow the Breath Weapon to actually do some damage. Then, Seryndalar will hide in the pools of lava and pop out and breath on them. Finally, he will Haste himself and fly 10 ft. above the party and full-attack them to death with Dazing Assault.
One final point: this battle has nothing to do with the story so I feel no remorse killing them. I am not a vindictive DM and never purposefully kill PCs, but they are walking into a dragon lair and hope to kill a dragon for its loot. IT'S GONNA BE HARD!
Suggestions/comments/questions?