(D&D 4E) Dragons! Return of Heroic Tier Solos (PEACH)

[Nu]

The Monster Manual 3 brought a deluge of challenging encounters for veteran 4th edition players, and for many, this was seen as a welcome addition to the game. However, perhaps a few people like myself noticed something: there is a near complete lack of heroic tier solo monsters in the MM3!

The upcoming Monster Vault promises to correct this issue, and the preview of the Young Black Dragon shows that heroic tier solos will make a comeback, and in the form of classic monsters such as chromatic dragons. However, I expect that only the dragons present in the original MM will be updated to the new standards. So, for fun, I've decided to attempt to update the three young chromatic dragons from the Draconomicon 1 to the new 3rd generation monster standard.

Feedback is appreciated, and frankly feel free to use such monsters and ideas in your games.

Young Brown Dragon

Spoiler

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(Level 3 Solo Lurker) 750 XP
Large natural magical beast (dragon)

Initiative +6
Senses Perception +3; Darkvision; Tremorsense 10

HP 138; Bloodied 69
AC 17; Fortitude 19; Reflex 16; Will 17
Saving Throws +5, Action Points 2, Speed 8; burrow 8; fly 6 (clumsy); overland flight 12
Resist 10 fire

{table=head]TRAITS

Action Recovery

• Whenever the dragon ends its turn, any dazing, stunning, or dominating effect on it ends.

Desert Winds

• At the start of the dragon's turn, if the dragon is bloodied, it can slide each enemy adjacent to it or any of its zones (those created by desert twister or sand breath) 1 square.

Dune Lurker

• The dragon has a +2 bonus to attack rolls against enemies it has concealment or total concealment against.

Instinctive Action

• The dragon can use a free action to charge or use bite on an initiative of its initiative check + 10. If the dragon cannot use a free action on this initiative count due to a dominating or stunning effect, then that effect ends instead of the dragon making its attack.

[/table]

{table=head]STANDARD ACTIONS

Bite ✦ At-Will

• Attack: Basic Melee 2 (one creature) +9 vs. AC
• Hit: 2d6 + 6 damage, and all creatures have concealment against the target (save ends).
• Miss: 5 damage.

Claw ✦ At-Will

• Attack: Melee 2 (one creature) +9 vs. AC. The dragon makes this attack twice, either twice against the same creature or one attack against two different creatures.
• Hit: 1d10 + 4 damage.

Sand Breath (zone) ✦ Recharge [5] [6]

• Attack: Close blast 5 (enemies in blast) +6 vs. Fortitude
• Hit: 2d6 + 2 damage.
• Miss: Half damage.
• Effect: The blast creates a zone of swirling sand that lasts until the end of the dragon's next turn. Any creature that moves into the zone or begins its turn in the zone takes 5 damage. The zone blocks line of sight for creatures other than the dragon.

[/table]

{table=head]MINOR ACTIONS

Desert Twister (zone) ✦ Encounter

• Effect: Area burst 1 within 10 squares; the dragon summons a twister in the burst which lasts until the end of the encounter. Any creature that begins its turn in the zone takes 5 damage and is slowed until the end of its next turn. Whenever the dragon uses bite or charges as part of instinctive action, it can move the zone up to 6 squares as a free action.

[/table]

{table=head]MOVE ACTIONS

Sand Cloud (polymorph) ✦ Recharge [6]

• Effect: The dragon transforms into a cloud of sand and shifts up to its speed. It can move through occupied squares but must end its move in an unoccupied space. Any creature whose space the dragon enters takes 1d6 + 4 damage and is blinded (save ends). The dragon returns to its normal form at the end of this move.

[/table]

{table=head]TRIGGERED ACTIONS

Sand Spray ✦ At-Will

• Trigger: An enemy hits or misses the dragon with a ranged attack.
• Attack (Opportunity Action): Ranged 20 (triggering enemy) +6 vs. Reflex
• Hit: 1d6 + 2 damage, and the target is blinded until the end of its next turn.

Bloodied Breath ✦ Encounter

• Trigger: The dragon is first bloodied.
• Effect (Free Action): Sand breath recharges, and the dragon uses it.

[/table]

Skills Endurance +8, Stealth +7
{table=head]Ability|Score|Modifier|Modifier + 1/2 Level

Strength|

19

|

+4

|

+5

Constitution|

14

|

+2

|

+3

Dexterity|

12

|

+1

|

+2

Intelligence|

12

|

+1

|

+2

Wisdom|

14

|

+2

|

+3

Charisma|

10

|

+0

|

+1

[/table]

Young Gray Dragon

Spoiler

Show

(Level 5 Solo Soldier) 1,000 XP
Large natural magical beast (dragon)

Initiative +6
Senses Perception +10; Darkvision

HP 195; Bloodied 97
AC 21; Fortitude 22; Reflex 19; Will 20
Saving Throws +5, Action Points 2, Speed 8; fly 6 (clumsy); overland flight 12
Resist 10 acid

{table=head]TRAITS

Action Recovery

• Whenever the dragon ends its turn, any dazing, stunning, or dominating effect on it ends.

Instinctive Action

• The dragon can use a free action to charge or use bite on an initiative of its initiative check + 10. If the dragon cannot use a free action on this initiative count due to a dominating or stunning effect, then that effect ends instead of the dragon making its attack.

Terrifying Presence (fear) ✦ Aura 5

• Enemies in the aura take a -2 penalty to saving throws.

Weakening Acid (acid)

• Whenever an enemy takes ongoing acid damage from one of the dragon's effects, if the dragon is bloodied, that enemy is weakened until the end of its turn.

[/table]

{table=head]STANDARD ACTIONS

Acid Breath (acid) ✦ Recharge [5] [6]

• Attack: Close blast 5 (enemies in blast) +9 vs. Fortitude
• Hit: 2d10 + 3 acid damage, and the target takes ongoing 5 acid damage and a -4 penalty to all defenses (save ends both).
• Miss: Half damage.

Bite (acid) ✦ At-Will

• Attack: Basic Melee 2 (one creature) +11 vs. AC
• Hit: 2d8 + 5 damage, and takes ongoing 5 acid damage (save ends).
• Miss: 5 acid damage.

Claw ✦ At-Will

• Attack: Melee 2 (one creature) +11 vs. AC. The dragon makes this attack twice, either twice against the same creature or one attack against two different creatures.
• Hit: 2d6 damage, and the target is immobilized and takes ongoing 5 damage (save ends both).

Horrifying Roar (fear) ✦ Recharge [6]

• Attack: Close burst 5 (enemies in burst) +9 vs. Will
• Hit: The target is dazed (save ends) and automatically fails one saving throw of its choice on its next turn.
• Effect: The dragon pushes the target 2 squares, and the target is deafened until the end of its next turn.

[/table]

{table=head]TRIGGERED ACTIONS

Tail Lash ✦ At-Will

• Trigger: An enemy misses the dragon with a melee attack.
• Attack (Opportunity Action): Melee 3 (triggering enemy) +9 vs. Reflex
• Hit: 1d12 + 4 damage, and each enemy adjacent to the target takes 5 damage.

Bloodied Breath ✦ Encounter

• Trigger: The dragon is first bloodied.
• Effect (Free Action): Acid breath recharges, and the dragon uses it.

[/table]

Skills Arcana +9, Intimidate +8
{table=head]Ability|Score|Modifier|Modifier + 1/2 Level

Strength|

20

|

+5

|

+7

Constitution|

17

|

+3

|

+5

Dexterity|

15

|

+2

|

+4

Intelligence|

14

|

+2

|

+4

Wisdom|

16

|

+3

|

+5

Charisma|

13

|

+1

|

+3

[/table]

Young Purple Dragon

Spoiler

Show

(Level 6 Solo Controller) 1,250 XP
Large natural magical beast (dragon)

Initiative +5
Senses Perception +5; Darkvision

HP 204; Bloodied 102
AC 20; Fortitude 19; Reflex 20; Will 23
Saving Throws +5, Action Points 2, Speed 7; fly 7 (clumsy); overland flight 14
Resist 10 psychic

{table=head]TRAITS

Action Recovery

• Whenever the dragon ends its turn, any dazing, stunning, or dominating effect on it ends.

Harmed by Sunlight

• If the dragon begins its turn in direct sunlight, it only take a standard action, a move action, or a minor action on its turn. If the dragon ends its turn in direct sunlight, it takes 51 damage.

Instinctive Action

• The dragon can use a free action to charge or use bite on an initiative of its initiative check + 10. If the dragon cannot use a free action on this initiative count due to a dominating or stunning effect, then that effect ends instead of the dragon making its attack.

Instinctive Command

• When the dragon is bloodied and charges or uses bite as part of instinctive action, as a free action the dragon can choose to have any creatures dominated by the dragon charge or use an at-will basic attack against a target of the dragon's choosing.

Mental Backlash

• Whenever an enemy hits the dragon with an attack against the dragon's Will defense, the enemy is dazed until the end of its next turn.

[/table]

{table=head]STANDARD ACTIONS

Bite (psychic) ✦ At-Will

• Attack: Basic Melee 2 (one creature) +11 vs. AC
• Hit: 2d10 + 4 damage, and takes ongoing 5 psychic damage (save ends).
• Miss: 5 psychic damage.

Claw ✦ At-Will

• Attack: Melee 2 (one creature) +11 vs. AC. The dragon makes this attack twice, either twice against the same creature or one attack against two different creatures.
• Hit: 2d8 + 5 damage.

Mesmerizing Breath (psychic) ✦ Recharge [5] [6]

• Attack: Close blast 5 (enemies in blast) +10 vs. Fortitude
• Hit: 3d6 + 4 psychic damage, and the target takes ongoing 5 psychic damage and is dazed (save ends both). Whenever the target fails a saving throw against this effect, the dragon can slide the target 3 squares.
• Miss: Half damage.

Mind Burst (psychic) ✦ Recharge [6]

• Attack: Close burst 5 (enemies in blast) +10 vs. Will
• Hit: 1d6 psychic damage, and the target is stunned until the end of the dragon's next turn.
• Effect: The target takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls (save ends). The target cannot save against this effect while stunned or dazed.

[/table]

{table=head]MINOR ACTIONS

Dominating Gaze (charm, gaze) ✦ At-Will

• Attack: Ranged 10 (one dazed or stunned creature) +10 vs. Will
• Hit: The target is dominated until the end of the dragon's next turn. The dragon can dominate only one creature with dominating gaze at a time.

[/table]

{table=head]TRIGGERED ACTIONS

Mood Whiplash ✦ At-Will

• Trigger: An enemy hits or misses the dragon with a burst or blast attack.
• Effect (Immediate Reaction): Each enemy in the burst or blast takes 5 psychic damage.

Bloodied Breath ✦ Encounter

• Trigger: The dragon is first bloodied.
• Effect (Free Action): Mesmerizing breath recharges, and the dragon uses it.

[/table]

Skills Bluff +13, Diplomacy +13, Intimidate +13, Dungeoneering +10, Insight +10
{table=head]Ability|Score|Modifier|Modifier + 1/2 Level

Strength|

12

|

+1

|

+4

Constitution|

12

|

+1

|

+4

Dexterity|

15

|

+2

|

+5

Intelligence|

13

|

+1

|

+4

Wisdom|

14

|

+2

|

+5

Charisma|

20

|

+5

|

+8

[/table]

[Siegel]

Awesome. Any chance you could make "normal" statblocks with the Monster builder ?

[Nu]

Awesome. Any chance you could make "normal" statblocks with the Monster builder ?

Is that something that comes with a DDI subscription? If so, I do not have it.

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

*Subscribes to thread.*

Wow, I'm glad to see someone else who even knows what the MM3 stat block is or has looked at the rules updates.

Horrifying Roar (on the gray dragon) seems a tad overpowered, perhaps it should be toned down and be an encounter power usable only while bloodied.

[NineThePuma]

Really hate to burst your bubble, but the (Chromatic) Draconomicon already introduced these things... And at LEAST one (the Young Brown) is inferior/downgraded compared to the official version. I haven't read the others yet, but you seem to have gotten most things almost exactly right, then randomly failed. A few things AREN'T right, but I believe those are things you home-brewed in.

Granted, I haven't read the MM3 versions of the new dragons (if the Brown/Grey/Purple are included) so... Yeah.

[Nu]

Josha: Agreed on the Horrifying Roar, I'll probably end up changing it to a standard action that stuns instead.

Dyth: Perhaps I miscommunicated in my first post. I'm aware the Draconomicon introduced these dragons, but they are balanced like first generation monsters which were considered by many to not be up to the task of challenging appropriately leveled, geared, and optimized parties. The dragons designed here are more based on what I expect to come in the Monster Vault, based on the preview of the Young Black Dragon: less HP, lower defenses, more actions per round, and more damage per attack.

Many complain about solo fights being boring grind fests of wearing down the enemy's HP, and these monsters--unlike those presented in the Draconomicon--are intended to change that. I chose these three dragon types because I assume the Monster Vault will upgrade the "classic" chromatic dragons to the new standard, but not these three. I indeed took some liberties with their powers, but tried to keep them close to their original flavor.

One last note I should make is that I used the DMG1's method of ((1 + Level) x 8) + Constitution) to determine hit points, but multiplied this score by 3 rather than the recommended 4, in order to keep the fights shorter. If you want to restore their HP totals to their original value, divide the HP total by 3 then multiply it by 4.

[NineThePuma]

Then my complaint is null and void ^^

I don't play 4th ED (I don't play that much period, sadly... most of my D&D these days is just theoretical builds and messing around with stuff in 3.5) but taken like that they look pretty good. I'll have to read with more detail, being less than completely familiar with the mechanics, but it looks pretty cool.

[Yakk]

Have you done damage budget balancing on these monsters?

In a 6 round fight, how much damage would they deal if you discount "secondary target" damage by 50%. (estimate the number of targets from an area attack)

Assume the attacked target has an AC of 14+monster level, and other defences of 11+monster level.