forgot to add. have the dragon's caster minion use stone wall to close the holes in the ceiling where the dead antimagic casters were dropped.
the layout for this should be like:
map keep not working in text. ill just add link to map pic
map link
'=' = open space
'w' = normal wall
'p' = prismatic wall
'c' = chained dead caster emitting 10ft of antimagic drooped to hang 15th foot high in a 25 foot high room.
'g' = 'g' size dragon ally 1 + 2. like the dragon each take 4X4 box
'd' = dragon (4X4) starting point(to prevent noticing via true sight etc,while being in blind sense range).
'#' = empty space can hold chained\dominated ranging victims,maybe a late snack still bleeding and should still have room to hold party
'F1' = idealy the area the party start from. also where the flyby start \ end position each round with 'F2'. the dragon can fly through his 'g' allies area and the prismatic area with no problem as long as he doesnt stop there. and has reach 20 to hit any space in the boxed area. if prismatic wall has no thickness then adjust acordingly
'F2' = other side of flyby attack area start\end
If the Dragon fights intelligently and you don't want your players to suceed (yet) you literally have all you need to make them miserable, no matter how good their characters are. Fight underwater, environmental hazards, dedicated minions for the dragon.
Let's just say things go this way: the PCs find out about the dragon underwater lair. Unfortunately for them he's got a bunch of spies working for him (either in the nearby settlement or among dominated animals/critters) and he knows they know. So he summons his servants and prepares a trap. The players descend into the waters counting on the surprise factor they don't have. They defeat the first bunch of minions easily enough, discover the whole lair stops summoning and proceed to fight their way through the lair spending some of their resources. Finally they reach the hoard... but the dragon isn't there! In fact he's hiding in a nearby hidden room and studing his opponents. When he's satisfied he knows enough he casts greater invisibility (and maybe mass invisibility on some of his top minions he kept in reserve) and enters the hoard chamber. From there he breaths against the looters (ehrm... the party) and proceeds to activate the artifact he uses to get himslef into an antimagic field, suddenly becoming visible. Then he attacks...
Executed this way the encounter could most probably turn into a TPK, unless you plan for a way to get the party out before they all get killed. Maybe they found a teleporting artifat between the gold coins? Maybe the party manages to find a way to deactivate what the Dragon used to get the anti magic field on? Maybe external influence saves the PCs? they discover the one who hired them was really another dragon in disguise who wished for them to get rid of the green dragon and now enters the fray to finish him (and them) off? What I mean is: it's all wella nd good to teach the PCs there are things out there that can defeat them, and attacking a big old dragon inside his lair isn't always the best of plans. It keeps them humble and respectful of the challanges the world poses. Yet they need a way out. Don't put them in a position where they cannot absolutely win. Let them run to fight another day and eventually suceed.
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Oh, the party expects no surprise.
And the dead mage spellcaster thing seems..a bit out there. Especially for the rapidly adding up price of scrolls of anti magic.
Getting down to the dragon's lair involved having to batter their way past a small army (consisting of marsh giants, trolls, a dominated adventuring party, giant squids, aboleths, and a veiled master) through elite trolls, a medusa sorcerer, a hag's coven, scrags, undead, another forbiddance spell, then they had to fight through a younger green dragon and a simulacrum of the green dragon in question. Basically, our Ancient Green Dragon made sure the party had to fight through damn near all of his minions and/or guests before reaching him.
As is, they're going to need to head down into the area, encounter the dragon, a veiled master who retreated there, and a few elementals and/or sea creatures.
I liked the kelp idea that someone gave on the previous page so I'm considering adding in a thicket of irritating seaweed for him to swim through and hide in.
Also, the dragon has his entire hoard chamber forbiddanced thanks to a friend of his who came by (with the intention of using the dragon as a weapon against the party.)
For the record though, the party's capabilities involve true seeing, and everyone has protection from evil up as a result of a nearly disastrous first encounter with the veiled master. Pro Evil shuts down pretty much all dominate shennigans, and ripping it off isn't worth the action economy cost when you've got six PCs breathing down your beautiful emerald colored neck.