In our game the big boss is a kobold Cavalier he rides a blue dragon. Our party is a flail and shield fighter and 2 wizards we are all level 7.
I know that the kobold is higher level that us. I don't know by how much.
I always hear about how a properly prepared wizard can take on anything and we have 2 of them. Any ideas how to prepare?
If I do a bunch of fog spells won't that mean that I can't see him ether?
ninja: yes it has flight, He's the DM and this is a boss so he can be a little lose with the rules.
Make him dismount. No, seriously, just do that. Once you make the horse irrelevant, he's just a shadow of the Fighter.
Make him dismount. No, seriously, just do that. Once you make the horse irrelevant, he's just a shadow of the Fighter.
nice idea. How?
Make him dismount. No, seriously, just do that. Once you make the horse irrelevant, he's just a shadow of the Fighter.nice idea. How?
Narrow quarters are a good way to render the horse moot. Rough and overgrown terrain that disrupts horsies is good too. Get the party into a small courtyard, perhaps a ruin of some sort.
Just think of ways to disrupt his ability to charge.
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Attack the boss at range from cover, inside some space too small for his mount to fit.
Stone shape can be used to narrow a cavern entrance for this purpose. If you can get him to dismount, you've gone a long way towards beating him.
His mount will probably be more susceptible to mind-affecting spells than him... *I think*.
If you can hit them with a couple castings of confusion, chances are good that they'll end up attacking each other. I can see that hitting them mid-air and ending in much hilarity for all involved :D
His mount will probably be more susceptible to mind-affecting spells than him... *I think*.
not with the mount being a dragon, the dragon is probably going to be harder then the rider in this case
Ya, the fact that he is riding a dragon seems to be the root of the problem. I liked the Grease idea however.
Mancatchers, lasso or nets. Get the little pest off his mount, then isolate him with the best grappler you got. Two or three rounds should be enough for the rest of the party to polish off the dragon or near enough.
Summon flying monster to attack the wizard. His AC is probably pretty low.
Have your fighter pull his bow out, and ready actions to disrupt any spells the wizard cast. He should be making concentration checks anyway if he is riding a mount IIRC.
Actually, the fog idea is a good one, because even though it hampers your sight just as much, you reap benefits that are worth it:
- mounted charge attacks (probably the cavalier's most dangerous mode of attack) are not an option in fog, since you need line of sight to charge something.
- the dragon won't be able to aim its breath weapon very well, since the blue dragon's breath is a line, not a cone.
- the dragon won't be able to attack from reach, so your fighter won't suffer AoOs in trying to close with (or withdraw from) it.
To make sure the fog doesn't screw you just as badly, make sure the wizards prepare spells that don't require line of sight to use.
Also keep in mind the traditional weak points of dragons: touch AC and Reflex saves. It just so happens that those aren't likely to be great defenses for the cavalier either. Your wizards should try to target those as much as possible, but keep in mind that the rider may be able to negate hits on the dragon's touch AC with the Mounted Combat feat. Also note that the dragon is likely to have spell resistance, and possibly blindsense.
General advice about dragons:
- they have a truly disgusting full attack (usually 5 attacks or more), that will almost certainly drop either wizard in a round if they're subjected to it, and may be able to drop the fighter in 2 rounds (the miss chance from fog will help with this, too).
- never, ever, get in the air with a dragon. They are much, much faster than any typical form of player flight, and will have a huge advantage in the sky.
- the difficulty of any given encounter with a dragon usually depends a lot on how skillful the DM is at using all it's abilities. Often overlooked due to it's great physical power are the fact that they can cast spells, often have feats like Vital Strike, and are very smart, which means they will use their spells and other abilities to prepare both themselves (with buffs and so on) and the battlefield (such as by removing cover) if they have an opportunity to do so, and they think whatever they are fighting actually poses a threat.
Or course, it would be best if you come up with a way for this kind of thing to be in-game character knowledge, as opposed to just metagaming it. Maybe your characters have a chance to go to a great library and do some research?
The dragon has blindsense which does let him know which square you are in, and that is all he needs for a breath attack.
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Well, I looked into the dragon stats a bit. I'm guessing now that the blue dragon is a very young dragon. That's because it's a cr 7, and the next size up would probably boost the combined cr out of the parties range. The blue dragon has +7 to will saves, and the cavalier will be giving the dragon an extra +2 or +3 to will saves.
So assume the dragon has a bonus of +10 to will saves.
Confusion is a 4th level spell, so the dc is 10+4+casting stat, which should be +6 or so by now for the wizards. DC 20 to save.
This gives the dragon a 50% chance of resisting. Which means if both casters fire it off, you've got a pretty good chance of it working
Energy Resistance (Electricity) on the party.
If your wizards have blast spells, they should work at a range and deal a significant amount of damage to both mount and rider.
Two 7d6 fireballs are nothing to sneeze at. If they save, they get around 50 damage. If they don't, you're looking at 100 damage.
Well, I looked into the dragon stats a bit. I'm guessing now that the blue dragon is a very young dragon. That's because it's a cr 7, and the next size up would probably boost the combined cr out of the parties range. The blue dragon has +7 to will saves, and the cavalier will be giving the dragon an extra +2 or +3 to will saves.
So assume the dragon has a bonus of +10 to will saves.
Confusion is a 4th level spell, so the dc is 10+4+casting stat, which should be +6 or so by now for the wizards. DC 20 to save.
This gives the dragon a 50% chance of resisting. Which means if both casters fire it off, you've got a pretty good chance of it working
maybe I should mention that one wizard is prescient (divination) with neco and enchant banded schools and the other is a evocations with banded schools illusion and divation. It is a good idea, but it would have to be done with one confusion.
Also I think we will be fighting him in the middle of a wide open desert. (I hope my DM does not come here)
What I plan is use 1.)locate creation (blue dragon) find him.
2.)when he blimps on my radar we both shot fire balls at them
3.)when he gets close enough one of us uses confusion them
4.)if both confused sit back and buff up
5.)if one confused do targeted spells on the other
6.)if nether are confused more fireballs
Energy Resistance (Electricity) on the party.
If your wizards have blast spells, they should work at a range and deal a significant amount of damage to both mount and rider.
Two 7d6 fireballs are nothing to sneeze at. If they save, they get around 50 damage. If they don't, you're looking at 100 damage.
forgive me if I am wrong, but 2 7d6 fire balls would come out to 49 damage is they don't make their saves. If we assume 3.5 damage per dice which seems to be the average. I'm going to have to rethink my attack plan.
Wraithstrike: We are fighting a cavalier not a wizard. Do cavaliers have low AC?
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Do cavaliers have low AC?
Not in the slightest. They can wear Fullplate easily. Shield+Fullplate and a Kobold equals about 23 AC strait off the bat, no feats or magic items or anything.
The only thing I can think of to help you is to break his reach, If he has a lance. What kind of weapon does the Fighter wield? Which of the three are you?
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Burning Disarm. By a wand and use it till he runs out of weapons. Once he's disarmed you only have to worry about the dragon, cause in all likely hood he's not going to get off the dragon to fetch his weapons. If he does, roast him and toast him. The dragon is another issue entirely First yoo'll need Communal Resist energy. I opt for this over everyone carrying potions of resistance because your only absorbing one action here.
The next big ticket spell here is going depend on a lotta luck, as it's uncertain if you gotta deal with SR, and even then there is a fort save, but ray of exhaustion will very effectively nullify the dragon. -6 str & dex and reduce his movement by half and you've severly limited his fighting capability. It's also something he's going to likely be unable to recover from in the fight. The strategy you imploy from here will depend on whether th creature has SR. If it doesn't load the fighter up with flame arrow, haste and heroism and resume your normal blasting. Keep spread out. Do not let it engage you in melee. You've no primary healer, so letting the dragon nail you for 5 attacks in a round will result in causualties.
If the dragon does have SR, your strategy is going to be different. Your'e goint to cast vanish or invisibility (I'd opt for vanish in this fight as you will have 5 round before you'll need another and your likely to do something to lose it during the fight) and focus on summoning Lantern Archons. On the first turn they arrive have them use Aid on themselves and perhaps your group then have them swarm and blast it slowly to pieces. Lantern archons can fly, so remeber to think 3 dimensionally when fighting the dragon. Further more this gives the dragon other targets besides your party to work over. Lastly, purchase wands of acid arrow. This is a spell that bypasses SR and is not commonly resisted. This can be your source of continued damage against the dragon as you slowly whittle him down to nothing. Please also note that the buffs recommended for your fighter above still need to be applied with this scenario as well. Finally, make sure that either through spell or purchase your fighter has a magic bow.
The fighter uses a flail. I'm the prescient wizard. I got a look him with arcane sight. He has a +2 lance, a ring of feather fall, a belt of +2 strength and +1 armor can't remember what kind.
Edit:he has better gear that we do.
Ray of fatigue or greater(the dragon mount). Prevents charge until removed. Simple and removes the mounted charger as well as the flyby charger problem. Enervation, ray of enfeeblement, also useful.
Any ideas about what the fighter can do? Until now I have mostly been buffing him, but I don't know what he can do against a flying enemy. He don't even have a bow (shame on him). I can give him fly, but the dragon will be faster and I expect flyby attack.
Have the fighter use a Ready action if the dragon starts using Fly-By attacks in order to grapple with the Cavalier. Also, if he can get his hands on a bracing weapon such as a halberd, spear, longspear, dwarven urgrosh, or trident, he can stand near the squishies and set against a charge, providing a powerful counter-incentive to any possible lance attacks. Sundering the cavalier's weapon would also be great if the fighter has the Improved Sunder feat (unless he was planning on taking the weapon as part of the victory spoils).
A cavalier who has issued a challenge takes a -2 penalty to his AC against attacks made by anyone other than his chosen foe. So whichever one of you he challenges, the others will find it a bit easier to hit him.
If you have any way to research his order (and I would hazard a guess to say that he is Order of the Dragon, though nothing in the order really has anything to do with dragons), and can find a way to force him to violate his edicts, he loses the powers of his order's challenge ability for 24 hours. Violation of edict is subject to DM interpretation, so it may not be possible in this circumstance.
Regardless, if he is order of the dragon, he is forced to be loyal to his allies, work towards the group's aims, protect his allies from harm, and defend his allies' honor when called into doubt. I can see many ways to manipulate someone who follows such a strict code.
Granted, the bonus granted by an order's challenge ability is minor. But a dedicated cavalier will waste actions trying to save that +2-+3 (based on level) bonus.
His Tactician ability can pretty much be used for an entire fight - He will be able to use it twice per day for 6 or 7 rounds a shot. However, he must use a Standard action to initiate it, which is more time he isn't doing damage to the party.
If he displays a banner, it is probably granting him a bonus against fear effects and charge attacks. The charge bonus is minimal but if you plan on using more than one fear effect it may be worth it to destroy the banner.
Cavaliers have poor Reflex and Will saves. That is all.
As far as the dragon is concerned:
Blue dragons breathe in a line. Try to avoid having more than two party members in any particular line.
Both the dragon and the cavalier will have poor touch AC (the dragon in particular). In fact, the dragon will likely have lower AC overall than the cavalier.
Beware its Desert Thirst ability, if your party uses a lot of potions. It can render them completely useless in one failed Will save.
It may try to trick you with sound imitation or ghost sound in some way, but I doubt it.
It probably won't be old enough to project a fear aura, but it may try to use Dazzling Display to demoralize you, followed up with attacks against flat-footed AC due to its Shatter Defenses feat.
Each time a winged flying creature is attacked, it must make a DC 10 Fly check to avoid losing 10 feet of altitude. Not likely to happen, but if the dragon flies low to attack and rolls poorly on the Fly check, it could crash to the ground. This wouldn't provoke an attack of opportunity on its own, but would provide the means to get at the thing.
If you can somehow summon up a hurricane, the dragon would need to make DC 20 Fly checks (moderately difficult for it) to move; if you could pull a tornado out of your pocket you would force DC 25 Fly checks on it to avoid being knocked around and taking small amounts of damage from the wind, as well as the movement check.
If all else fails - try offering the dragon treasure?
Thank you all for the advise this has been most helpful.
Thank you all for the advise this has been most helpful.
Preparation:
Wizards:Each takes one Ray of Ehxuastion (the one who hasn't banned the school maybe 2
Take Scorching Rays with you
Take Fog with you
Take resist energy and protection from energy (communal)
Fighter: Be sure to have something to enlarge him and a reach weapon with brace
The Dragon can't really harass you due to your pteoction and resistance.
If he flies up all the time Fireball and Composite Longbow him.
If he changes tactic or maybe you can do that from the beginning:
Both wizards ready their ray of exhaustion on the dragon the fighter braces for a charge.
As soon as he comes in both wizards will hit him (his touch AC is really low) and even if he makes both saves he is now exhausted and cannot full attack nor charge nor run.
Either now the Fighter pokes him around alot with his reach and the scorching ray will also deal alot of damage on him.
The Fog is more a backup spell if something goes wrong you can cast it and retreat without AoOs...