Ask the Old Guy: Slaying a Dragon.

One of my YouTube subscribers asked: How would a party of five or six adventurers take on a dragon?

We were talking about Dragonbane at the time. Entire books have been written on this subject over the years, which is ironic given we’re talking about an entirely fictional topic. I don’t think there’s a one-size-fits-all approach to this question. I’ll try to give some of my top suggestions.

Straight out of the books, here’s the opposition.

• Ferocity 3 – This means dragons get three full turns per round. They’re fast, brutal, and unrelenting.
• Size: Huge, HP: 84, Armor: 6 – This beast doesn’t go down easy.
• Flight – Their wings let them dominate from the skies.

And then there’s their attack arsenal:

1. Dragon Roar – Forces fear rolls with a bane. Yeah, it might make your party drop their weapons in terror.
2. Claws, Tail, Bite – Devastating physical attacks, each dishing out up to 4D10 damage.
3. Dragon Wind – A wing flap sends adventurers flying.
4. Fire Breath – A cone of scorching flame that ignores armor. If you’re caught in it, good luck.

These attacks are randomized using a D6, so GMs can keep the party guessing with every roll.

Of course, that’s the canonical Dragonbane dragon. If I were serious about the encounter far enough ahead of time, I’d rewrite the attack table to include more aerial tactics and extend it to a d8, d10, or maybe even a d12 roll. Now the players are going to really be guessing.

Ideally a dragon would also have a bunch of extra resistances not listed in the stat block, too. I like my dragons to be more like the ones in World of Warcraft or Dungeons & Dragons. It’s just what I’m used to as a Game Master.

Party tactics that might help:

• Don’t fight a dragon in Dragonbane unless you absolutely must go after it. As I mentioned earlier this week, dragons don’t live for centuries by getting into lots of battles, especially with a bunch of upstart adventuring types.
  
  If you’re going to encounter a dragon, you might try talking to it first. Dragons are highly intelligent, love magic, have loads of treasure which they likely won’t share, eat meat by the ton, and don’t take kindly to people wandering into their lair. However, out in the open or in situations where the party hasn’t slain all of the dragon’s minions and cohorts, negotiations are still possible.
   
• If you absolutely, positively have to fight the dragon, understand it is not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach. Fighting dragons often leads to the dreaded TPK, especially in Dragonbane where Hit Points are generally lower and magic is not as plentiful as it would be in other games. Hopefully the group has had some experience, gained some Heroic Abilities, and maybe has a few magic items. If they don’t, maybe they should run for it?
  
  Doing the deed requires a strong party made up of the following elements:
  • A heavily armored melee combatant. We’re talking about someone with Plate Mail, Great Helm, Shield, and probably an axe or longsword.
  • One, if not two archers. Optimally with Heavy Crossbows, otherwise crossbows or Long Bows have the best chance of punching the dragon’s armor rating.
  • Having a Thief to get in a sneak attack ahead of the fight (assuming such circumstances exist for this to happen) would whittle down some of those pesky HP early.
  • Healer! I always include a healer or some character with access to loads of healing abilities. Then protect that character at all costs.
  • Casters. Preferably ones with the ability to buff, protect, shield, or otherwise prevent harm to the group. Blasty spells are cool and all, but mages are typically pretty squishy and require lots of protection from the dragon.
    
    
• First thing’s first, the party is going to have to force the dragon to the ground. Otherwise melee combatants are pretty much stuck. The party might consider making heavy use of cover if available. Using improvised weapons and calling the dragon out with a taunt might distract them and get them to land for a turn or two if the group is lucky.
  
  One way or another, a dragon in the air is a dangerous situation for the group. That’s why I recommend one or two solidly armed ranged attackers. Yes, they’re going to get the dragon’s attention when they open up, so they will need protection from the mage and/or healer. Once the beast goes to ground, the group has a chance at defeating it.
  
  Flying characters might seem like a good idea, but that’s like taking on a Great White Shark in its own territory. The dragon is likely to go directly after a flying character first and it probably won’t end well for said flying character. The dragon was born with wings and has spent far more time in the air than likely any of the characters.
  
  
• Much like any fight in Dragonbane, don’t forget to occasionally hold initiative until after the dragon has used at least two or all three of its turns. Evade and Parry are your friends in many cases. Keep count either with a d6 or on paper how many times the dragon has gone in the round. If it’s out of actions, that’s the time to pounce!
  
  
• Keep the heavily armored character between the dragon and the rest of the group as much as possible. Yes, this is a bit video game-y, but that armor can soak up a lot of hits that the squishier members of the party can’t take very well. The armored character needs to attempt to keep the dragon focused on him at all times.
  
  
• If the dragon is on the ground, do as much as possible to prevent it from escaping. If it gets back in the air, it could fly away only to return when the group is not expecting it. We are dealing with a creature that typically has an intellect far above any character. At some point it will try to preserve its own life.
  
  
• Listen for the dragon to attempt to negotiate. Not every GM is going to have the dragon fight to the death. You don’t live hundreds of years by fighting tooth and nail over most things. I think a lot of dragons will try to call a halt to hostilities if they think they might lose.
  
  Treasure can be reaccumulated. Minions and mercenaries can be recruited again. Lairs can be rebuilt and relocated. A dragon is not going to give up its life unless cornered and desperate. It might try to negotiate. As a player, I’m just saying, “Don’t rule out negotiations.”
  
  
• If it’s out of actions on the ground, surround and pound. A dragon that can’t fly, evade, parry, negotiate, or run away is probably dead. If a dragon has to fight to the bitter end, it’s going to give 100% before it does. Ferocity 3 can only go so far against numbers of characters. That’s why having a live healer is so important. If the healer goes down, you can probably imagine what will happen to the rest of the group.
  
  
• When in doubt, run away! It’s better to live to fight another day and as I said before, dragons can be the horrible fiery death of the party. I suggest splitting off in as many directions as possible as the dragon can only chase/eat so many characters at a time. Having a rendezvous point established for after the battle, one several kilometers from wherever the fight takes place would be preferable.

That’s what I’ve got for now. Good luck if you decide to take on a dragon. Again I highly recommend exhausting all other approaches before the combat begins. While adventurers are made of tasty meat, dragons are very intelligent and have centuries of wisdom on their side in Dragonbane. Attackers beware.

Dragon Week is a community shared creation effort among YouTubers and old bald white dudes from the Midwest flyover states. It was originally created by Ginny Di and Pointy Hat. Last year was Kraken Week. Not really my jam, but… This year is Dragon Week! Woot! Anyone can participate. Guidelines for getting involved here.

Thank you for being here with me today. I appreciate you. Keep it real, but please strive for positivity, too. Please embrace the things that bring you the most joy in your life.

Disclaimer: Statements expressed in this article are strictly my opinion. If you disagree or have a different opinion, that’s okay. I’m not an expert on everything. I’m not always right. I’m just writing from my experience as I know it. Your mileage may vary.