Black Dragon Problems [Archive] - Wizards Community

Black Dragon Problems [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
GreyStar
04-24-07, 02:13 PM I have a wyrmling black dragon at the end of a first level dungeon. If the dragon can escape, I'd like her to come back as a recurring villian, though she's not necessary to the campaign. Here's my problem: Is there any way to increase her aging while the PCs get stronger. If it only takes a year to get to L6 I don't want to throw a CR4 young black dragon at them, with some zombies to close the gap.

I'm a relatively new DM with a group of new players, so excuse my ignorance.
Murrdox
04-24-07, 02:28 PM Well, here's the fun thing. You're the DM! You can do anything you WANT!

There are a lot of things I can think of that you could do in order to age the dragon to be a more difficult foe when the PCs face her again.

1) A Wish spell - the dragon has a very powerful wizard that she allies herself with. The wizard uses a "Wish" to age the dragon. Perhaps the wyrmling's MOTHER is in league with the wizard, and calls in a favor to age her child so that it can take revenge on the PCs.

2) The dragon finds a magical artifact that causes aging. She uses this to great effect on herself. Then for fun, she uses it on an entire village of humans, to age them into old men and women so that she can add all the treasure of the town to her treasure horde. As a baby dragon, she'd want to get started on that horde right away. This might be a great way to re-introduce her to the PCs. The PCs might get a quest to find out what is aging the town.

3) Demonic intervention. A demon or devil uses magic to age the dragon. The dragon is still very young and inexperienced. The Demon ages the dragon to manipulate it into attacking the PCs in order to thwart them from interfering with one of its evil plans.

I could think of others... but there's some ideas. Be as creative as you want with this one.
calvinNhobbes
04-24-07, 02:39 PM Or you could give the wyrmling class levels!
Black dragon necromancer, give it the elite array for ability scores, etc.
Or some fighter levels for some extra combat feats.
tos_shai_hulud
04-24-07, 02:40 PM The party goes on a low-level planar adventure. Different planes have different rates of time flow. They happen to get lost in the planes for a couple of days and return to find the world they knew has aged fifty years.
Finarin Panjoro
04-24-07, 05:08 PM Or the dragon is really much older and has been cursed/transformed into its wyrmling form. It might even try to trick the PCs into removing the curse for it, then spare their lives as gratitude, before going on a killing spree. Could make a great villain.
runestar
04-24-07, 11:41 PM There is nothing stopping you from simply throwing a suitably aged black dragon to challenge your PCs. Only problem would be rationalizing the entire process.

Some sort of weird magical experiment or time warp might be the easiest to justify. The dragon enters another world, and while hundreds of years has elapsed for it, the PCs age only a few years in their world. Finally, the dragon finds a way of escaping that world and returning home. Or perhaps it managed to absorb the essence of some powerful entity and this caused it to accelerate its growth process. Anything can fly...:)
tahjn
04-26-07, 04:25 PM Personally I'm a fan of just using the Wish spell. But as others have noted, you are the DM and as such you can do whatever you want.

Also if the dragon worships a particular deity(Tiamat for instance) its possible that you could justify the aging as divine intervention.
Tarus
04-26-07, 04:32 PM Nah, throw in a plot device. Let the PC's know either for the dragon or after that it was studying ways to magical enhance its age. You don't have to explain exact details but it could be something as simple as a magical potion.

Regardless, treat it as though the dragon was researching a spell and let the players know that it was doing so.
wrecan
04-26-07, 05:21 PM Or the dragon is really much older and has been cursed/transformed into its wyrmling form. It might even try to trick the PCs into removing the curse for it, then spare their lives as gratitude, before going on a killing spree. Could make a great villain.

I think this is the best suggestion so far. Especially if the party learns (either before, during, or immediately after the dragon encounter) about the dragon's condition. That makes a great recurring villain and the party also has a metaphorical clock ticking in their heads. They should know that once the dragon is restored to full age, he plans to do something suitably heinous.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
GreyStar 04-24-07, 02:13 PM	I have a wyrmling black dragon at the end of a first level dungeon. If the dragon can escape, I'd like her to come back as a recurring villian, though she's not necessary to the campaign. Here's my problem: Is there any way to increase her aging while the PCs get stronger. If it only takes a year to get to L6 I don't want to throw a CR4 young black dragon at them, with some zombies to close the gap. I'm a relatively new DM with a group of new players, so excuse my ignorance.
Murrdox 04-24-07, 02:28 PM	Well, here's the fun thing. You're the DM! You can do anything you WANT! There are a lot of things I can think of that you could do in order to age the dragon to be a more difficult foe when the PCs face her again. 1) A Wish spell - the dragon has a very powerful wizard that she allies herself with. The wizard uses a "Wish" to age the dragon. Perhaps the wyrmling's MOTHER is in league with the wizard, and calls in a favor to age her child so that it can take revenge on the PCs. 2) The dragon finds a magical artifact that causes aging. She uses this to great effect on herself. Then for fun, she uses it on an entire village of humans, to age them into old men and women so that she can add all the treasure of the town to her treasure horde. As a baby dragon, she'd want to get started on that horde right away. This might be a great way to re-introduce her to the PCs. The PCs might get a quest to find out what is aging the town. 3) Demonic intervention. A demon or devil uses magic to age the dragon. The dragon is still very young and inexperienced. The Demon ages the dragon to manipulate it into attacking the PCs in order to thwart them from interfering with one of its evil plans. I could think of others... but there's some ideas. Be as creative as you want with this one.
calvinNhobbes 04-24-07, 02:39 PM	Or you could give the wyrmling class levels! Black dragon necromancer, give it the elite array for ability scores, etc. Or some fighter levels for some extra combat feats.
tos_shai_hulud 04-24-07, 02:40 PM	The party goes on a low-level planar adventure. Different planes have different rates of time flow. They happen to get lost in the planes for a couple of days and return to find the world they knew has aged fifty years.
Finarin Panjoro 04-24-07, 05:08 PM	Or the dragon is really much older and has been cursed/transformed into its wyrmling form. It might even try to trick the PCs into removing the curse for it, then spare their lives as gratitude, before going on a killing spree. Could make a great villain.
runestar 04-24-07, 11:41 PM	There is nothing stopping you from simply throwing a suitably aged black dragon to challenge your PCs. Only problem would be rationalizing the entire process. Some sort of weird magical experiment or time warp might be the easiest to justify. The dragon enters another world, and while hundreds of years has elapsed for it, the PCs age only a few years in their world. Finally, the dragon finds a way of escaping that world and returning home. Or perhaps it managed to absorb the essence of some powerful entity and this caused it to accelerate its growth process. Anything can fly...:)
tahjn 04-26-07, 04:25 PM	Personally I'm a fan of just using the Wish spell. But as others have noted, you are the DM and as such you can do whatever you want. Also if the dragon worships a particular deity(Tiamat for instance) its possible that you could justify the aging as divine intervention.
Tarus 04-26-07, 04:32 PM	Nah, throw in a plot device. Let the PC's know either for the dragon or after that it was studying ways to magical enhance its age. You don't have to explain exact details but it could be something as simple as a magical potion. Regardless, treat it as though the dragon was researching a spell and let the players know that it was doing so.
wrecan 04-26-07, 05:21 PM	Or the dragon is really much older and has been cursed/transformed into its wyrmling form. It might even try to trick the PCs into removing the curse for it, then spare their lives as gratitude, before going on a killing spree. Could make a great villain. I think this is the best suggestion so far. Especially if the party learns (either before, during, or immediately after the dragon encounter) about the dragon's condition. That makes a great recurring villain and the party also has a metaphorical clock ticking in their heads. They should know that once the dragon is restored to full age, he plans to do something suitably heinous.