Adult dragon affected by feeblemind

[Mike Miller]

How would you handle an otherwise cunning dragon trying to TPK the party after it is affected by feeblemind? Is it just an animalistic predator trying to eat food now? Is it smart enough to use its breath weapon? Will it flee or fight to the death?

[Crake]

How would you handle an otherwise cunning dragon trying to TPK the party after it is affected by feeblemind? Is it just an animalistic predator trying to eat food now? Is it smart enough to use its breath weapon? Will it flee or fight to the death?

I'd say it's definitely still smart enough to use it's breath weapon, and feeblemind does specify that you can still differentiate friend from foe. How it reacts though would depend on it's nature. A chromatic dragon would likely try and do everything it can to single mindedly maim and kill everything around it, while a metallic dragon may well try and flee, though it would depend on where it's fighting, if it's at it's home and defending eggs, it may fight to the death, but if it's out in the wild, it would probably flee.

Basically, the answer to this for dragons is just as varied as it would be for humans and ultimately comes down to: It depends.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

How would you handle an otherwise cunning dragon trying to TPK the party after it is affected by feeblemind? Is it just an animalistic predator trying to eat food now? Is it smart enough to use its breath weapon? Will it flee or fight to the death?I'd say it depended on the dragon, but at that point its personality is largely suppressed. However, fragments would remain, and those would determine how it would act. Animals can be especially aggressive, clever, lazy, sadistic, etc, so figure out which traits an animal could share with the dragon and use those to determine what it would do.

An animal wouldn't be able to do any (or at least most) spellcasting (too complex), but it could use other instinctual magical abilities it happened to have, such as its breath weapon or other (relatively) simple abilities it has practiced with extensively until they're second nature. Most soulmelds, for instance, are simple enough even an animal could be trained in their use, even if they grant new body parts the animal isn't used to having.

Consider the dragon as having been "trained" as per the rules on domesticated animals in most of its racial abilities. I'd exclude spellcasting from this, as spells require a LOT of mental effort the dragon would no longer have. Perhaps if it has especially simple spells, such as physical buffs with VERY clear physical effects, but nothing that requires complex tactics or planning to take advantage of.

[Mike Miller]

Well, it can't cast spells because the casting stat has dropped below 10, right? I was thinking more along the breath weapon and how it would continue the battle. This dragon is evil and fighting for food near-ish to its home so I suppose it would fight to the near-death.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Well, it can't cast spells because the casting stat has dropped below 10, right? I was thinking more along the breath weapon and how it would continue the battle. This dragon is evil and fighting for food near-ish to its home so I suppose it would fight to the near-death.Well, the dragon COULD be using Strength as its casting stat due to Lost Tradition. How are we supposed to know? :smallamused:

Also, animals don't tend to fight to the death, because that's counterproductive to their purpose, which is, y'know, living. Though protecting one's mate(s) and offspring are viable reasons for sacrificing oneself, since reproduction is on an even higher scale of importance than individual survival, when it comes to evolutionary imperatives (else we wouldn't habitually put ourselves at risk of death for our family).

[Mike Miller]

Well, the dragon COULD be using Strength as its casting stat due to Lost Tradition. How are we supposed to know? :smallamused:

Also, animals don't tend to fight to the death, because that's counterproductive to their purpose, which is, y'know, living. Though protecting one's mate(s) and offspring are viable reasons for sacrificing oneself, since reproduction is on an even higher scale of importance than individual survival, when it comes to evolutionary imperatives (else we wouldn't habitually put ourselves at risk of death for our family).

Heh, I already over optimized this encounter without making it use STR for casting. I am just trying to find a way for the party to win without me toning it down! Feeblemind just seemed like one of the most likely things for them to try, should they head into combat. Although I am not certain they'll have enough debuffs to make its will save low enough to reliably succeed on a feeblemind. I'll find out I'm a few hours...