Disguising a Juvenile / Young Adult Dragon

[Chester]

Hello!

I'm planning an encounter that sends my party to retrieve something from a juvenile or young adult Blue Dragon.

Depending on how cool they play it, the PCs may be able to make a fair trade or get a counter-offer from the dragon.

Or, they could be a bunch of jerks and get their butts kicked. :smalltongue:

Either way, I'd like the dragon to be disguised in human form, but Blue Dragons don't get Alternate Form. Furthermore, a young Blue can't yet cast polymorph spells.

I don't mind the players figuring out that he is a dragon, but I'd like it to unfold slowly.

I could give him some kind of polymorph ring, but if the party actually fights and slaughters him, it's not the kind of thing I want them to get.

Maybe the dragon might only communicate through an intermediary, like a servant or something? Maybe he only speaks through a sealed door? Maybe his Old father polymorphed him before he took a long nap across the desert somewhere?

Any ideas on how to hide this dragon's identity (for a little while, at least)?

[Gavinfoxx]

Uh, Alter Self into something else that is dragon type?

[Calimehter]

Juvenile and young adult blues don't get second level spells yet. However, you could go Precocious Apprentice with one of its feats to get Alter Self as a second level spell, and get a medium-sized draconic form that way. Alter Self into a half-dragon (or whatever other humanoid-looking critter with the Dragon type floats your boat) and then cast disguise self to look like a normal humanoid, if desired.

If you don't want to go that route, its hardly a stretch to have the dragon working through a cat's paw intermediary. Minions are cool, and it opens up the option to use different classes/skills on the intermediary instead of using what the dragon has.

[Tarlek Flamehai]

Eternal Wand of Alter Self: Alter to Half-Dragon
Softhands Gloves: You resemble an ordinary member of your nondraconic race
You can then use Change Self to look like a Fabulous member of your nondraconic race, cause you know dragons are vain.

[Chester]

Juvenile and young adult blues don't get second level spells yet. However, you could go Precocious Apprentice with one of its feats to get Alter Self as a second level spell, and get a medium-sized draconic form that way. Alter Self into a half-dragon (or whatever other humanoid-looking critter with the Dragon type floats your boat) and then cast disguise self to look like a normal humanoid, if desired.

If you don't want to go that route, its hardly a stretch to have the dragon working through a cat's paw intermediary. Minions are cool, and it opens up the option to use different classes/skills on the intermediary instead of using what the dragon has.

I like the idea of an intermediary better than jumping through feat hoops.

Would polymorph scrolls work, though?


Eternal Wand of Alter Self: Alter to Half-Dragon
Softhands Gloves: You resemble an ordinary member of your nondraconic race
You can then use Change Self to look like a Fabulous member of your nondraconic race, cause you know dragons are vain.

I actually don't mind if he appears half dragon . . . from a distance, he's just a human, but up close, the party realizes that they're in a world of hurt and they have to play the game the dragon's way.

As for eternal wand of alter self . . . I don't intend for the party to pick a fight with this dragon, but if they do, and they win, I don't think that's TOO powerful an item.

[Gavinfoxx]

As for eternal wand of alter self . . . I don't intend for the party to pick a fight with this dragon, but if they do, and they win, I don't think that's TOO powerful an item.

Rember that this means that people have, for a single 10 minutes / caster level casting from the wand:

-A method of flight
-A method of a swim speed
-A method of a burrow speed
-A method of a climb speed
-A method of stealth
-A method of getting access to a few feats
-A method of getting several high-speed forms
-A method of getting several great combat forms, with lots of natural armor


http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=2811

[Tarlek Flamehai]

Rember that this means that people have, for a single 10 minutes / caster level casting from the wand:

-A method of flight
-A method of a swim speed
-A method of a burrow speed
-A method of a climb speed
-A method of stealth
-A method of getting access to a few feats
-A method of getting several high-speed forms
-A method of getting several great combat forms, with lots of natural armor


http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=2811

It's only usable twice a day.
If truly worried can switch to a regular wand with a minimal number of charges, then rely on UMD to activate.

The intermediary requires a motivation, with an evil dragon at this age/wealth level that would likely mean someone he could intimidate into serving.

[Jack_Simth]

Eternal Wand of Alter Self: Alter to Half-DragonAlter Self won't let you do templates (assuming 3.5). So no half-dragon.

However, a simple Disguise (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/disguise.htm) check will do. -2 for different race, possibly -2 or -4 for the age category switch (although this is optional) to any Large-sized creature. Nobody expects the ogre to be the dragon. Cross-class ranks + Disguise Self (which the Dragon can cast directly) should do the job.

[Zweisteine]

Giving the dragon Alternate form probably wouldn't be too bad. I think Draconomicon has a thing about that, something along the lines of "in dragon-heavy campaigns co wider giving all dragon alternate form."

Or use Disguise Self. Or put up an illusion and hide behind a rock.

[sleepyphoenixx]

Dragons of Eberron has the Alternate Form feat. It requires sorcerer level 5 though so you'd need a young adult loredrake blue dragon if you want to stick with RAW.

[Drachasor]

Giving the dragon Alternate form probably wouldn't be too bad. I think Draconomicon has a thing about that, something along the lines of "in dragon-heavy campaigns co wider giving all dragon alternate form."

Or use Disguise Self. Or put up an illusion and hide behind a rock.

Disguise self doesn't let you change your body type. So I don't think a dragon could appear to be humanoid.

On the other hand, it could appear to be anything else with four legs and wings. A Sphinx, maaybe a Manticore, maybe a Kirin, a talking Pegasus, etc. Though it would be large size since you are limited in how much of a difference you can make.

Though Dragons ostensibly can manipulate things with their claws just like hands. So a hate of Disguise could be used to appear to be a large humanoid with wings, maaaybe.

But I think a talking Pegasus with a Unicorn horn will throw of the players the most. That or a Sphinx. Something like that they aren't likely to question as much. But its tracks wouldn't change, so best to stick to stone floors.

Or, as others have said, using a Silent Image combined with Unseen Servant could work.

[Scots Dragon]

Dragons of Eberron has the Alternate Form feat. It requires sorcerer level 5 though so you'd need a young adult loredrake blue dragon if you want to stick with RAW.

If a juvenile dragon, give it six levels of sorcerer. If a young adult dragon give it three levels of sorcerer. That would cover the spellcasting requirement and the next level at which it would be able to acquire the feat after that point.

[Drachasor]

Another option is Disguise Self to make it look like a dragon; a gold dragon.

The party thinks they are working for a good guy that way.

[Sith_Happens]

As far as I can tell, a dragon disguising itself as a humanoid is at most a -4.

[Chester]

So it appears that the least complicated avenue is to use an intermediary and hide the dragon's identity for a short time.

The question now is appropriate CR. I'm not anticipating the party to attack the dragon (he will be blue), but you never know!

By the time they encounter him, a juvenile would be an appropriate challenge. However, if I make him young adult, it can be an optional battle for later on.

What do you recommend--make it reasonable NOW, or build it for a possible future encounter?