By Alan McCoy from Dungeons & Dragons: Fundamentals
How to build challenging encounters against an Ancient Red Dragon
Note: This has been prepared utilizing only the 5E Core Rules. The Ancient Red Dragon can be found in the Monster Manual page 97. I will be suggesting some non-raw modifications to this creature at the end of this essay.
Dragons are Winged Reptiles of Ancient linage and Fearsome Power. They are known for their predatory cunning and greed. They are almost universally feared. Dragons are magical creatures whose innate power fuels their dreaded breath weapons and other preternatural abilities.
Red Dragons are the most covetous of the true dragons, tirelessly seeking to increase their treasure hordes. These dragons know the exact contents of their horde, every single coin and item.
Red Dragons are arrogant and vain and will often dominate a tribe of humanoids as slaves or servants. While these creatures provide both a ready supply of servitors and minions, their real purpose is to fawn on the dragon and express devotion. The dragon is often an object of worship to these humanoids. While they might become a convenient meal should the dragon ever become hungry, these humanoids take pride in their association with the dragon. For their part, dragons consider their humanoids as little more than useful animals.
While Red Dragons prefer mountainous terrain as their lair, with areas of volcanic action preferred most of all, they will accept any area that provides them with the ability to perch high above and survey their territory. A lair almost always has multiple entrances and exits and will provide excellent security for the horde. If a red dragon lairs in a volcano, their names will often become synonymous, the people having long forgotten the original name of the mountain, it has been replaced by the real terror of the mountain.
Red Dragons spend as much time outside their lair as in it, they consider their mountain perch to be their throne from which they rule. Desiring to remain informed of the world however, the dragon will maintain a network of informants, messengers and spies. They are especially interested in news about other dragons, with whom they compete for status. The presence of people, to include a band of adventurers entering their territory will not escape their notice, though it may not be overly concerning either.
The area which a red dragon has chosen for its domain is called a demesne. The size of the demesne varies depending on the type, personality and age of the dragon, but always includes a miles wide area surrounding the lair. Some dragons claim no more than a five-mile radius as their demesne, others a hundred miles or more. Within the demesne, especially near their lair the dragon’s mere presence will affect the land: small earthquakes will be common, water sources will be warm and tainted by sulfur. In extreme cases, rocky fissures will become portals to the elemental plane of fire, allowing creatures of that plane to enter the world.
Inside the lair, the effect a dragon has on its surroundings is amplified with the reek of sulfur and ash an almost overpowering stench, these gasses can build up creating zones of poisonous air that will choke anyone not protected against such things. Earthquakes and magma spouts are also common.
Red Dragons are Chaotic Evil in Alignment.
Step 1) Let’s Review what we know about Red Dragons.
First things first: Every Dragon is unique. The following details what is known of the Ancient Red Dragon Scoria Descabezado.
Scoria is amazingly strong (Str-30) and amazingly tough (Con-29), her ego is nearly as powerful (Chr-23). She is exceptionally intelligent and possesses high average wisdom. Her dexterity is limited by her massive size (Gargantuan).
Scoria can choose to walk (40-feet/round), Climb (40-feet/round), or Fly (80-feet/round)
Scoria is very aware of her surroundings (Perception +12) and often likes to swim in her horde or the lava pool inside her lair (Stealth +6)
Like all red dragons, Scoria is completely impervious to fire.
Scoria’s senses include blindsight (60 feet), Darkvision (120 feet)
Scoria can speak the Common Tongue and Draconic.
Scoria has Legendary Resistance and can choose to succeed on a saving throw if she fails (3 times/day).
Scoria has Legendary Actions and can choose to make an additional wing attack, tail attack or to find a hidden foe (perception check) as a free action. (Pick One, 1/round).
Scoria’s mere presence causes real fear (Frightened Condition). This Dragon fear can paralyze even the most powerful of heroes. Lesser creatures such as henchmen, hirelings and mounts are sure to flee in panic.
Scoria can choose to breath fire, a massive cone shaped blast capable of melting any metal and turning flesh to ash.
Scoria’s claws are the size of great swords, her massive teeth the are razor points the size of a man’s arm, and her serpentine tail can strike a creature at distance.
Scoria can back wing, knocking over any creatures that she believes are too close to her.
Scoria’s Lair is the mountainous volcano known as Descabezado. She has dominated both the Fire Eye Tribe of Orcs and the Red Wing Tribe of Kobolds. The Fire Eye Tribe serves as the outer guard, watching the outskirts of her demesne, roughly a twenty-mile radius from her lair. The Red Wing Kobolds are the servitors of her lair and have at her command, laced the area with traps.
A portal to the Elemental Plane of Fire has opened on the southeastern slope of Descabezado, two Efreeti and a half dozen fire elementals dwell there, as they prepare for a slaving raid. Scoria has allowed them to stay provided that provide her with a share of the spoils from their raid.
Scoria has a network of spies operating in the free city of Corinth, roughly 90 miles away, and the only likely jumping off place for any potential intrusion into her demesne. The ruler of Corinth has been privately informed by one of Scoria’s spies that any intrusion into her demesne will result in the destruction of Corinth. As a result, agents of Corinth have been instructed to report any activity that might threaten Scoria. This information will likely be reported to an agent of Scoria. Scoria has other spies operating in many of the cities of the land, though Corinth is the only one that has been directly threatened.
Step 2) Determine the probable Strategy
Let’s assume that a group of Adventurers has decided to penetrate Scoria’s Lair and attempt to end her Draconic Tyranny.
Scoria will be informed of the group’s presence long before they enter her demesne, her Orcs will be instructed to harass. It is possible that groups of Kobolds will be sent out to sabotage the groups gear and supplies.
Scoria isn’t particularly concerned with the approach of the Adventurers, she merely wants to test them, determine their strength and their determination. Scoria is acting much like a cat, playing with her prey and giving them cause to fear.
Scoria might decide to do a flyby, just to instill panic by letting the adventurers know that she is aware of their presence and what they are up against.
Step 3) Determine Tactics
If the Adventurers have made it past her outer servants, and the traps of her inner servants, Scoria will now take them more seriously. Her Frightful Presence ability is always active, though once successfully saved against the target will be immune for the next 24 hours.
Scoria will cause a cloud of volcanic gas to form along the entryway being used by most of the party with the hopes of poisoning and incapacitating some or all of them. This will be immediately followed by her breath weapon. She will use her Legendary action to “Detect” any hidden foes.
Scoria will cause a tremor that shakes the lair, knocking her enemies from their feet. If her breath weapon has recharged, she will utilize it again. She will use her Legendary action “Wing Attack” to knock foes off their feet as well.
Scoria will raise a magma geyser to isolate a portion of the party from the rest. She will consider lashing out with her tail against any foe that looks particularly formidable.
Scoria will call upon her Kobold Minions to grab and restrain her foes (HELP ACTION), she will unleash her breath weapon if it has recharged. She will attack any with her tail, bite and claw attack, on a single target. She will create a pocket of volcanic gas in the area to prevent the actions of any other opponent.
Scoria will cause magma to erupt at the party’s location, slamming any target trying to escape back into the magma. Scoria will let lose with her fiery breath yet again if recharged.
And So On…
Step 4) DM Tips and Observations
The Dragon is one of the most iconic creatures in the game. The game is even called Dungeons and Dragons, if that doesn’t tell you that Dragons are supposed to be special, then I guess nothing will. If you read and appreciate these articles, you may show your appreciation by pledging to never ever run any Dragon younger than ADULT in your games, at least unless accompanied by one or more adults, who are tending their young and hatchlings.
My changes:
Characters should never become immune to the Dragon’s Frightful Presence ability. I am willing to concede that once a character has made a successful saving throw against it, they have advantage against the ability, however if they fail a save, they save returns to normal on subsequent rounds.
Dragon breath weapon recharge on a 5-6 should be a cumulative roll. Meaning that if the roll to recharge is 3 one round and 2 the next (3+2=5) the ability is recharged.
Finally, I would increase the range of the senses by a factor of 10 (blindsight 600’, Darkvision 1200’), and double all her movement numbers (walk/climb 80’ per round, fly 160’ per round.