Re: The Dragon of Duncaster
Posted: Fri May 08, 2015 9:50 am
Uploaded a new version today: http://ironfalconrpg.com/download.cgi/D ... ter-r3.pdf
Longman, how do you wish to be credited in this adventure? That is, by what name?
I've incorporated some of your ideas in the version I just released. I expanded on the scroll library a bit and detailed the falling-ceiling trap. I've also switched from spiders to wasps (so they are a threat to fliers).
About the character levels:
Obviously this isn't a first level adventure; just as obviously, eighth level types are going to kick the butt of the dragon rather harshly, especially with a full table. So that puts the level range down to 2-7, nominally. Eight level 2 characters wouldn't stand much of a chance against an 8 hit die dragon, and four level 7 characters would probably stomp the dragon. So 3 to 6. If I go ahead and give the dragon an ally, level 3 types won't have much hope, but the level 6 party might still stand a chance.
Gah.
Let's say we're looking at levels 4 to 6. In the next release I'll put in the cleric. He's not so much an ally as an acquaintance, but he's willing to assist the dragon for money, and the dragon has already told him he'll pay for assistance if he's attacked. The cleric isn't really interested in the dragon otherwise; his thing is the temple. He has rites to carry out, and research into ancient mysteries to conduct, and undead monsters to animate.
Whoops. Forgot. Iron Falcon doesn't give Animate Dead to Clerics.
So.
I'm going to do what I said I wouldn't. I'm going with the magic altar thing, where the cleric animates a dead body lying on it by means of casting a Prayer spell. That makes the cleric at least 6th level; let's go with 7th instead, just for good measure. He'll have a personal guard of the toughest zombies in the dungeon (I'll roll up all their hit point totals, then assign the toughest ones to him).
Ah, and now the twist comes to me. The dragon has a wand of fear; instead of that, I'm going to give it a wand of polymorph. It wears it around its neck on a slender steel chain, and uses it to transform itself. It can assume a human form in this way, or turn into a smaller, faster flier (perhaps a pegasus) to escape. It would consider doing this only if reduced below half hit points with no remaining breath attacks for the day... better to flee than to be slain. Probably it would have weapons and armor prepared for a transformation to human form; I could substitute a melee weapon for the shortbow in its hoard to address this also.
What do you think?
Longman, how do you wish to be credited in this adventure? That is, by what name?
I've incorporated some of your ideas in the version I just released. I expanded on the scroll library a bit and detailed the falling-ceiling trap. I've also switched from spiders to wasps (so they are a threat to fliers).
About the character levels:
Obviously this isn't a first level adventure; just as obviously, eighth level types are going to kick the butt of the dragon rather harshly, especially with a full table. So that puts the level range down to 2-7, nominally. Eight level 2 characters wouldn't stand much of a chance against an 8 hit die dragon, and four level 7 characters would probably stomp the dragon. So 3 to 6. If I go ahead and give the dragon an ally, level 3 types won't have much hope, but the level 6 party might still stand a chance.
Gah.
Let's say we're looking at levels 4 to 6. In the next release I'll put in the cleric. He's not so much an ally as an acquaintance, but he's willing to assist the dragon for money, and the dragon has already told him he'll pay for assistance if he's attacked. The cleric isn't really interested in the dragon otherwise; his thing is the temple. He has rites to carry out, and research into ancient mysteries to conduct, and undead monsters to animate.
Whoops. Forgot. Iron Falcon doesn't give Animate Dead to Clerics.
So.
I'm going to do what I said I wouldn't. I'm going with the magic altar thing, where the cleric animates a dead body lying on it by means of casting a Prayer spell. That makes the cleric at least 6th level; let's go with 7th instead, just for good measure. He'll have a personal guard of the toughest zombies in the dungeon (I'll roll up all their hit point totals, then assign the toughest ones to him).
Ah, and now the twist comes to me. The dragon has a wand of fear; instead of that, I'm going to give it a wand of polymorph. It wears it around its neck on a slender steel chain, and uses it to transform itself. It can assume a human form in this way, or turn into a smaller, faster flier (perhaps a pegasus) to escape. It would consider doing this only if reduced below half hit points with no remaining breath attacks for the day... better to flee than to be slain. Probably it would have weapons and armor prepared for a transformation to human form; I could substitute a melee weapon for the shortbow in its hoard to address this also.
What do you think?