From: booth@mdd.comm.mot.com (Greg Booth)
Subject: Re: To Kill a Black Dragon
Keywords: Dragon
Organization: Motorola - Mobile Data Division; Richmond, BC
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 23:16:15 GMT

In <1992Nov13.164232.22304@mailer.cc.fsu.edu> kdelgado@loligo.cc.fsu.edu (Kevin Delgado) writes:

>In article <GSPIEGEL.57.0@bsa1.kent.edu> GSPIEGEL@bsa1.kent.edu (Greg Spiegelberg) writes:
>>A virgin, female cleric who just so happens to be engaged (kinda) to someone 
>>in my party has been supposedly kidnapped by a very large black dragon.
>>(BTW, we're in Forgotten Realms)
>>
>>Anyways, half of us want to press on, the other half is suicidal and wants 
>>to get the cleric back.  SO!  How should we go about killing/subduing this 
>>black dragon?
>>
>>Background Group Info:
>>   Group Contains- 1 Swashbuckler of Tempus (level 5 human)
>>		   1 Pirate (level 5 human)
>>		   1 Priest of Tempus (level 5 half-elf) <--- That's me!
>>		   1 Wild Mage (level 4 human)
>>		   1 Gypsy Thief (halfling)
>>
>>Honsetly, we haven't a clue how to fight this thing and we've tried 
>>recruting help.  Basically, I'm just trying to find a way to save my 
>>character.
>>
>>Suggestions???

>Um, assuming this campaign is set in second edition, I suggest you run like
>hell....just to make sure the thing doesn't come back for the _rest_ of the
>party. Second edition dragons are (assuming they are played reasonably well)
>just a bitch to fight. Your party is very low level and has no business even
>thinking of taking on a dragon. One breath...you die. Your second option,

..is to prepare, you need invisibility, silence, bless spells,
lots and lots of long range spells and missile weapons.
Use distractions to keep it busy trying to find you.
If you engage it in melee, SPREAD OUT, so it can't get multiple
party members in single acid blasts. While it is dealing with
one party member (for a round or two) the others hit it with
whatever they can. Drop boulders/trees on it. 
Its a big target, and you have numbers and agility on your
side.

The party I am DMing got ambushed by a young adult black dragon, 
it took 4 party members out in 4 rounds, then the (now alone) cleric dropped it.
The cleric managed to jump off a log onto the dragons neck, and
after ineffectually hammering on it with his mace, used cause
light wounds to finish it off. The MU in the party used "agonazzer's scorcher"
to pour fire into the side of the dragon while it dealt with
the fighters. The fighters have to get real close, like under it,
and hammer at the soft underbelly.

It is possible for a party of the levels you described to fight
a black dragon. The dragon is probably not that old (kidnapping 
virgins is a young dragons trick), or it is old and it wants
a reward.

If the virginal cleric is already dead, then pray for her, drink
a toast to her, and run don't walk as far from the dragon as
you can.


You could try buying her back, though black dragons aren't known
for keeping to their end of the deal.


-- 
Greg Booth BSc                    |     /_____________________________
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