Greetings, fellow travellers.
My search function failed me so please help me out here.
We're playing in a homebrew campaign, books are CRB and APG only.
Our (current) nemesis is an adult black dragon (CR11) which harrasses us while we're travelling overland on foot/horse back trying to outrun an approaching army of giants.
Terrain is hills, steppe, woodlands; we're headed towards a big swamp (sic!). No towns, no magic shops in sight.
Group consists of:
dwarven cleric (lvl9, domains: strength, protection), human fighter (lvl9, bastard sword, AC34+) and my human druid (lvl8, caster, big cat ac).
So far the dragon has always attacked us at night and we were able to drive it away but couldn't kill it: bad rolls on our side, good rolls--particularly saves--on its side and due to the fact that we have to spend a lot of resources on casting daylight.
My question is: how do we shut down the dragon so it can't fly off or reduce its speed so we can follow it while flying ourselves?
Or is our best bet on finding a sufficiently large cave where we lure the dragon and seal the entrance?
Thanks.
Ruyan.
Air walk to allow fighter to melee...
Make large sized spears to throw (you are in woodlands, they are just sharpened sticks), then Righteous Might on the cleric and start throwing-large sized spears do 2D6+STR
Save Flamestrikes for when it starts running.
Does the fighter have ranged at all? Even a sling can do decent damage with a high STR.
Making one should be easy, they cost 0, so take 0 time (a flaw in the crafting rules, but handy).
As you said, you were able to drive it away, so all you have to do is finish it off...
During the fight, have one (or more) spears/arrows have light cast on it. That way you can see it without having to carry a torch... hammer it with ranged and Flamestrikes when it runs. Druid can use spell Bloody Claws, which will make the dragon bleed for 4 points per round.
Note: saving throw does not apply to dragon, it applies to recipient of spell. Also, duration does not apply to bleed effects, duration is for spell.
If the dragon stops to heal itself, you continue attacking, if it continues to fly, it continues to bleed.
The spell Geyser, as written, could knock the dragon to the ground...
Summon flying creatures to flank the dragon, but after a few rounds, not at first. He runs, they get AoO, and they can pursue.
Cast Call Lightning, decent damage, decent range.
Some fun cleric spells: Blindness/Deafness (failed save means a permanantly blind dragon); Summon Monster - Lantern Archons (perfect flight plus greater teleport so they can continue to harass the dragon as it flies away); Scrying (Figure out where his lair is and then summon Hound Archons to go kick his butt while he's nursing his wounds); Protection from Energy (keep that breath weapon from hurting you); Master's Escape (combine with summoning an Archon, have the Archon teleport to a city or whatever, then use Master's Escape to get your cleric to that city so you can buy whatever stuff you need); Constricting Coils (works like Hold Monster plus does a little damage)
Druid spells: Same Master's Escape trick. Sorry, Fighter, you just got left behind. Use Hide Campsite so that the dragon can't find you at night. Burrow to give your companions burrow speeds then shapechange into an earth elemental. Wander off and laugh because the dragon can't find you.
Fighter: I don't know, just shoot it with arrows. Like a lot.
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Your cleric should cast insect plage ASAP during the fight.
That will result in 3 wasp swarms, each of which do on average 7 automatic dmg per round, minus 5 for the dragon's DR, meaning 2 dmg per swarm for a total of 6 dmg (average) per round. The swarms fly at a speed of 40 ft. They are immune to weapon damage. The dwarf can conjure them at a distance of 760 feet.
I know most people will tell you to cast that at the end to "finish" the dragon, but do it immediately, as it lasts 9 min, and it might have the advantage of re-directing the dragon's breath weapon towards the swarms. The swarms are stationary as well, which means it's not really good when the dragon is fleeing, so lure the dragon into attacking you then drop that 10'x30' bar of wasps (3 swarms contiguous) on top of the dragon. This will result in him being annoyed by these swarms for a while, especially if he's trying to optimize his attacks only doing 5-foot steps.
Either way you win: the dragon will either break his full attack routine to move away, or breathe on the swarms and not you, or both!
If the druid can get a hold of a scroll of insect plague (or level up to 9!) then you got a 20'x30' mega swat of wasps!!!! :)
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Addendum: the druid can instead do multiple castings of swarm of fangs for the same damage, and that swarm can be moved to match the dragon's repositioning... as far as I can tell that's a swarm of fine or diminutive fangs, so it's immune to weapon damage...
Mad Monkeys is also a great choice, as the swarm is intelligent and obeys the caster's commands (no need to waste a move action re-positioning it), and if the dragon rolls a 1 on his distraction save, he's nauseated... however, the monkey swarm is made of tiny creature, so the dragon could dispatch it quickly with his natural weapons...
Addendum: the druid can instead do multiple castings of swarm of fangs for the same damage, and that swarm can be moved to match the dragon's repositioning...
Mad Monkeys is also a great choice, as the swarm is intelligent and obeys the caster's commands (no need to waste a move action re-positioning it), and if the dragon rolls a 1 on his distraction save, he's nauseated...
Brilliant. I am going to keep this in mind for all future dragon encounters...
I have an interesting idea, unfortunately since you have now way of shopping it may be dead in the water. Tangle foot bags. Now if you guys have say 6 of the things you should be set. If you don't have them, but someone has craft alchemy they can make them. Now the dc of a tanglefoot bag is 15 which is low, but it's not that low. If your fighter has quick draw this works very well, but I'll assume he doesn't.
Step 1 druid goes into the woods and finds 25gp worth of insense.
Step 2 cleric casts divination and asks when will the dragon attack next. Now you know when to prepare for. Great, you're already ahead of the game.
Step 3 Have the fighter and anyone else good with range hold at least 1 tangle foot bag. The fighter should hold 2, if normally he wield a shield well he will have to manage for a bit without it. First of all cast some strong buffs before the dragon comes. Blessing of fervor, barkskin on everyone. Sheild of faith on everyone. Stat boosting spells are still good at this level. Divination should give you are really precise time to work with, so you should be able to pull all that off.
Step 4 When the fight starts the fighter should wait till the dragon gets close then full round the dragon with both tanglefoot bags. Evryone else should ready to throw when it comes near. Thats if all goes well 4 reflex saves for a big old dragon, dragon's aren't known for their reflex saves being big and all. Hopefully it can't fly anymore.
Step 5 profit.
Seems to me the best thing to do is lure the dragon *towards* the army of giants.
Hilarity ensues.
Thanks for all the advice! Keep it coming!
The dragon has robbed us before and is working/forced to work for the BBEG (resurrected god--actually accidently done by our previous group...) which has a necromancer do the scrying and sending the dragon (or so we think).
Fortunately, we're not in the swamp yet!
mudball and constricting coils are out as we only use CRB and APG.
Bleed damage is a good one, insect plague, too!
We discussed the lantern archons but they (as all the other flyers) lack the ability to follow the dragon at 200ft/round (and it gets worse once it does double move or run). The teleport might help, though. We had a bralani azata up which was of some help.
And I couldn't cast my two prepared flame strikes due to low ini (dragon was out of reach).
Also, the darkness cast by the dragon caused us some problems and I could only counter it twice with daylight.
Thanks again (more advice is always appreciated)!
Ruyan.
Oh, more posts while I was typing. Thanks!
So basically, Saldiven sums up my thoughts pretty much. But we have a lenient GM regarding monster tactics and he gives us nice things to play with...
Basically we will start always looking for bigger caves to haul up for the night. If we can't find one, I'll cast hide campsite.
Let's hope for the best (dragon steak!).
Ruyan.
Your cleric should cast insect plage ASAP during the fight.
That will result in 3 wasp swarms, each of which do on average 7 automatic dmg per round, minus 5 for the dragon's DR, meaning 2 dmg per swarm for a total of 6 dmg (average) per round. The swarms fly at a speed of 40 ft. They are immune to weapon damage. The dwarf can conjure them at a distance of 760 feet...
This is pure genius!
Even better, these wasps are poisonous. Sure the save DC is only 13 but that dragon might fail it! 3 saves a turn, this might stacks the odds against that black dragon even more than you might think!
Thanks for all the advice! Keep it coming!
The dragon has robbed us before and is working/forced to work for the BBEG (resurrected god--actually accidently done by our previous group...) which has a necromancer do the scrying and sending the dragon (or so we think).
Fortunately, we're not in the swamp yet!mudball and constricting coils are out as we only use CRB and APG.
Bleed damage is a good one, insect plague, too!
We discussed the lantern archons but they (as all the other flyers) lack the ability to follow the dragon at 200ft/round (and it gets worse once it does double move or run). The teleport might help, though. We had a bralani azata up which was of some help.
And I couldn't cast my two prepared flame strikes due to low ini (dragon was out of reach).
Also, the darkness cast by the dragon caused us some problems and I could only counter it twice with daylight.
Thanks again (more advice is always appreciated)!
Ruyan.
Lantern Archons can use Greater Teleport at will. They can easily keep up with dragons. If you Scry the dragon after he leaves, you can find his lair then send Hound and/or Lantern Archons to kill him before he has a chance to recover.
Your cleric should cast insect plage ASAP during the fight.
That will result in 3 wasp swarms, each of which do on average 7 automatic dmg per round, minus 5 for the dragon's DR, meaning 2 dmg per swarm for a total of 6 dmg (average) per round. The swarms fly at a speed of 40 ft. They are immune to weapon damage. The dwarf can conjure them at a distance of 760 feet.
I know most people will tell you to cast that at the end to "finish" the dragon, but do it immediately, as it lasts 9 min, and it might have the advantage of re-directing the dragon's breath weapon towards the swarms. The swarms are stationary as well, which means it's not really good when the dragon is fleeing, so lure the dragon into attacking you then drop that 10'x30' bar of wasps (3 swarms contiguous) on top of the dragon. This will result in him being annoyed by these swarms for a while, especially if he's trying to optimize his attacks only doing 5-foot steps.
Either way you win: the dragon will either break his full attack routine to move away, or breathe on the swarms and not you, or both!
If the druid can get a hold of a scroll of insect plague (or level up to 9!) then you got a 20'x30' mega swat of wasps!!!! :)
Why would a dragon stick around to fight the swarm instead of backing off and blasting it with its breath weapon?
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Lantern Archons can use Greater Teleport at will. They can easily keep up with dragons. If you Scry the dragon after he leaves, you can find his lair then send Hound and/or Lantern Archons to kill him before he has a chance to recover.
"A summoned monster cannot summon or otherwise conjure another creature, nor can it use any teleportation or planar travel abilities."
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Your cleric should cast insect plage ASAP during the fight.
That will result in 3 wasp swarms, each of which do on average 7 automatic dmg per round, minus 5 for the dragon's DR, meaning 2 dmg per swarm for a total of 6 dmg (average) per round. The swarms fly at a speed of 40 ft. They are immune to weapon damage. The dwarf can conjure them at a distance of 760 feet...
This is pure genius!
Even better, these wasps are poisonous. Sure the save DC is only 13 but that dragon might fail it! 3 saves a turn, this might stacks the odds against that black dragon even more than you might think!
The dragon has Fort +14 so he can only fail this save on a 1. But yes, he rolls 3 times per round. That can be enough to annoy some GMs into moving the dragon away more than 5ft. :)
I don't know if slow has been mentioned yet, but that spell seriously reduces his damage output and his ability to get away.
Also black tentacles plus slow is nasty.
Lantern Archons can use Greater Teleport at will. They can easily keep up with dragons. If you Scry the dragon after he leaves, you can find his lair then send Hound and/or Lantern Archons to kill him before he has a chance to recover."A summoned monster cannot summon or otherwise conjure another creature, nor can it use any teleportation or planar travel abilities."
Darn it!
Where is the army of giants going? Is the army headed toward a village or city? If so, maybe you can hold up in an outlying barn and lure the dragon into an ambush. (I imagine the druid flying around, harassing the dragon with call lightning, inciting it to chase him into said building where the rest of the group waits).
Thanks, once again!
Yeah, I stumbled upon the teleport--summoned creatures part while poring over my books at home. Too bad.
Rogar Stonebow:
Thanks for your input, but as our wizard's player is away more often than not (or the GM seems to throw these kind of encounters at us whenever the wizard's player is away), these spells are not at our disposition (and I did not include him in the setup).
Myself:
Thanks for your input. Unfortunately, there's no magic shop around and the awakening--and thus severely enfeebled--god mentioned in my first post has brought most of the arcane magic users under his sway.
Unfortunately, the communal spells are in UC--we only use CRB and APG; but resist acid was up.
Marius Castille:
The army is still a bit behind--so far we've only fought their scouts. Far to the east are some towns which we have no further info about.
Bringing the fight to him and invading its lair seems the best we can hope for.
Scrying will be performed next session, hopefully revealing the needed information.
Ruyan.
Hm. I've toyed with that thought myself.
I could summon them in the dragon's squares. They would attach, drain Con and the dragon would have to waste actions to get rid of them. With 1d4+1 summoned each round his Con 21 should go down quickly.
What am I missing?
Ruyan.
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fighting a dragon in the open, you're doing it wrong
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Actually, there is a programmed image in the great library of Absolam called, How to train a dragon. I'm pretty sure the dragon used was a juvenile black dragon.
Yeah, the aura is a problem...
Would the DR of the dragon stop the stirges from attaching as they're not using magic form of attack?
Dragons have a fear aura, and stirges are magical beasts, not vermin... and they have poor will saves.
You'd need to bolster their saves or make them immune to fear first... if you can that will be one seriously unhappy dragon. Unless its got a cleric on its side, it's gonna take days for that con damage to go away.
Well, if the stirges are working as planned 0 Con is the end of the dragon...
Ruyan.