So im playing a 12th level barbarian, and we just found out the final BBEG is a dragon.
Ive just gained a level, and may even gain another before facing the dragon, and I'd like to spend the levels putting everything towards my effectiveness at slaying it, or more accurately surviving it. What would you recommend in terms of dipping classes (plus archetypes) and feats to make it so my character is still standing at the end of the campaign?
(PS - The dragon is likely to not be aligned to any particular element, so dont just suggest elemental resistance.
Also, the GM will likely be fudging the dragon's health to make it so the fight comes very close, so I'd prefer defensive options if possible.)
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You want to survive? First of all, gather some intel. What kind of dragon is? How many minions does he have? How big is he? (Bigger dragon are spellcasters, so it is a very important question). Where are you going to fight him? Can you go shopping before the fight? What is your party composition?
Questions, questions...
Ah good, a dragonhunter has appeared, to answer your questions in order: He's either a hybrid dragon of every kind (wouldnt be surprised if he was a hydra-like dragon or something, we wont see him until he erupts from the ground) or he's like no other dragon, he has no minions that we know of, but I wouldnt be suprised if there was fodder he summoned of some kind (no real way of knowing that yet though), he is going to be very very very big, 100% chance of spellcasting, 100% chance of true seeing, probably fighting in great open plains or in some large ruins, shopping unlikely, two barbarians and a rogue (walk into a bar). Oh, there's also a multiclassed Wizard/ranger/monk that ocassionally joins us when we play, but he's about as effective as you'd expect that combination to be and the chance of him turning up is slim.
My current build is mostly intimidation based, but the big boss will be immune - we're pretty much working with a blank slate with just weapon focus, combat reflexes and power attack, (I dont know what exactly the other player's builds are, I know the rogue has eldritch heritage and a familiar though...) so what advice can people give to help my character use these 1 or 2 levels to prepare for the dragon?
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If the GM is planning to fudge things anyway, it doesn't matter what you do. Take two levels in commoner, the Spell Specialization feat, and buy a masterwork clothes pin or two.
It will still be a close fight, by design.
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If the GM is planning to fudge things anyway, it doesn't matter what you do. Take two levels in commoner, the Spell Specialization feat, and buy a masterwork clothes pin or two.
It will still be a close fight, by design.
It'll be a close fight in that he will expect at least one of us to die / be close to death, i'd like my character to be one of the ones that survives, I mostly need to outlast my allies without painting a target on my forehead. (The gm picks on people attempting to be careful, we'll never forget the wizard that used invisibility in a previous fight, he will be missed. The player still fumes about the trolls having been enchanted by a warlock to have true seeing - The trolls apparently took exception to his "cowardice" and well, i'm sure you can imagine the result of four trolls charging an unprepared wizard.)
If you want to bet on minions, take Antagonize, and keep them off the other characters. How did the dragon become immune to fear? It's not innate, so you may be able to UMD a dispel scroll, and then use your normal MO.
The dragon will be naturally immune to fear because the GM says so, because he doesnt like my character being good at something *grumble grumble*.
So yeah, best ways to survive against a super-dragon without looking like you're being cowardly?
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First of all: try to not fight him in open plains. Your party lacks a dedicated archer or a spellcaster. The dragon will just fly over the place and nuke you with his breath weapon and his spells without coming close to you. Even though you have Fly potions, Winged Boots or the like, you won't be able to match his fly speed. If you fight in some ruins try to take cover and force him to land. You are not prepared to fight him in the air.
Once he decides to land pay attention to him. If he is smart (and big means old and old means smart), he will do one of this things:
1)If he is big enough, he will try to land ON you and crush you. Bad thing. You will be in a grapple without possibilities of break it. You big weapon will be useless (you can't wield it in a grapple). If the party is clustered and he crushes you all... well, it's a TPK.
2) He will land not very far away of you and make good use of his superior reach. If you try to approach him, he will make an attack of opportunity and grapple you. Bad thing. Try to not be the first one to approach to make him waste his AoO on your companions. It's dirty, but it works! Just be the second one and it won't be cowardice.
One more thing: I cannot stress the importance of Evasion while fighting dragons. If you can, get a Ring of Evasion ASAP. If not, a dip of two levels in Rogue (or better yet, Unchained Rogue!) will do.
Flying dragon? HA! Laugh at him while you evade all he can throw at you. If he cannot hit you (nor the rogue) he will have to ground. Once he does it, try to stick to the rogue and let your other friends be the "flanking buddies". I usually recommend not to stay together to avoid AoE's, but with Evasion the Rogue and you want to bait him into AoE's.
And pick a backup light weapon. You can use these in a grapple. Switch to it if needed.
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My advice is to tell your Gm he is an ass for constantly invalidating player choices.
The story of the invisible wizard sounds like a very adversarial Gm and not one I would play with
That's some pretty awesome advice there Valinor, I shall certainly be following it during the encounter, and i'll look into ways to pick up evasion as I agree that could make all the difference with all the breath attacks he'll likely be throwing around. Silly that I didnt think of it sooner to be honest. In fact, having that and sticking close by a team-mate that doesnt would be a good way of outlasting at least one "ally" ;)
Anyone know a way of getting evasion with a 1 level dip/prestige class/feat? (best I can think of off the top of my head is a 2 level dip, and that only works in light armor -I need it to work in medium or heavy)
I suppose I could dip eldritch guardian and pick up tandem evasion, that would work, right?
Too late to edit the previous post, but I just remembered sharing combat feats is at 2nd level, still, a valet familiar wouldnt need to wait until 2nd level, so the question still stands.
I hope you can survive! Please, share with us the outcome of the combat. And good luck!!!
I hope you can survive! Please, share with us the outcome of the combat. And good luck!!!
Its some time off because we dont play that regularly, so dont wait for it and if I dont necro this thread its because we never got that far :)
Thanks for the help!
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We did it! (about two weeks ago @ level 15)
Turns out it was (kind-of) a hydra-dragon (called it) that smashed his way out from under a city (creating wonderful instant ruins - called it), but it was hunched and bi-pedal with a head for each dragon color and four arms. Something I didnt expect was that it would be wielding a trident as its main weapon.
Long story short*, my character played bait trying to intimidate him and got smacked around a little while the rogue rallied the cities wizards to topple a building on to him - the other barbarian was having some trouble navigating the terrain after some wonderful climb checks. After the building fell the dragon then got pissed and nuked the wizards, rogue's behind was lightly singed. Using the newly flattened area we fought the giant dragon, who kept burrowing underground and shooting divine lightning breath at us. Other barbarian struggled a bit but did some huge amounts of damage before being zapped. (the gm asked how much health they had and definitely fudged it so they wouldnt be 1-hit so soon into the fight.) Some time later my barbarian ended up getting impaled on the trident after he got stunned by some kind of aura that the dragon's blood created. Thankfully before the dragon could slam my barbarian into the ground and finish me off the rogue stabbed him up the ...er... and finished him off very ingloriously. Meaning we all technically survived!?
Anyway, the rogue's deeds were cemented into history and they ascended to godhood at the moment of slaying the dragon, with the two barbarians growing to enormous size and becoming immortal heralds of the new rogue-god, one donning gleaming armor of the dead dragon-god and becoming an invincible warrior - and my barbarian taking up the trident and possibly gaining control of some kind of dragon-demon hybrid horde trapped under the earth. (Which the hydra dragon god was trying to unleash / use to control the world).
So, overall, rogue became a god of anything he chose to be, the other barbarian got to become a battle incarnate avatar and my barbarian got a trident and an evil invincible army. The other guy with the derp character didn't show up since I first posted, so we're told his character oversaw the evacuation of the city and became a lord or something for his troubles and efforts rebuilding the city. So ended the BBEG and the campaign.
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Wow! Thanks for sharing! I am glad you all managed to survive and had such an epic ending.
Congratulations!!