I’m going on vacation next week, and will not be publishing. Dragon encounters will hopefully resume in two weeks time, on May 3. Thank you all for following this blog. (P.S. If you like the blog, and if you’d be willing to give me a shout online, I’d really apprieciate it.) The post Announcment appeared first on Dragon Encounters ..read more

minions/allies Combat rating 11   1 Young blue dragon (CR 9) 3-4 Quaggoths (CR 2) 1 Quaggoth thonot (CR 3)   Combat rating 13   1 Young blue dragon (CR 9) 1 Bulette (CR 5) 2 Umber hulks (CR 5)   Combat rating 16   1 Young blue dragon (CR 9) 1 Hill giant (CR 5) 2 Gorgons (CR 5) 4 Ogres (CR 2) 1 Oni (CR 6)   Combat rating 18   1 Young blue dragon (CR 9) 3 Air elementals (CR 5) 1 Galeb duhr (CR 9\6) 1 Dao (CR 11) How to Use – Combat Encounter (difficulty 10) The blue dragon is a strategist. It will take note of any weaknesses in its opponents, and fight acco ..read more

This is the first of a series of articles presenting encounters involving low-level PCs and an adult chromatic dragon. There will be one of these articles to go along with almost every chromatic dragon in the Monster Manual. In setting this encounter, an NPC has been taken prisoner by the adult black dragon, and the PCs have been charged to rescue them. Perhaps it’s a princess that the dragon has kidnapped, and the king offered a reward. It can also be a mage, or someone whose abilities and/or knowledge are desperately needed to help deal with a different threat, such as the main questline. (I ..read more

minions/allies Combat rating 3   1 Black dragon wyrmling (CR 2) 2-4 Needle blights (CR 1/4) 1 Vine blight (CR 1/2)   Combat rating 3   1 Black dragon wyrmling (CR 2) 1-2 Swarms of quippers (CR 1)   Combat rating 4   1 Black dragon wyrmling (CR 2) 2 Carrion crawlers (CR 2)   Combat rating 5   1 Black dragon wyrmling (CR 2) 3-4 Lizardfolk (CR 1/2) 1 Lizardfolk shaman (CR 2) 1 Specter [poltergeist] (CR 2) My first piece of advice regarding wyrmlings would be not to use them. Dragons are the most epic, the most awesome, of all fantasy monsters, and a dragon e ..read more

minions/allies Combat rating 23   1 Ancient black dragon (CR 21) 1-2 Oni (CR 7) 1 Death slaad (CR 10) 3-4 Shambling mounds (CR 5)   Combat rating 24   1 Ancient black dragon (CR 21) 4 Bone devils (CR 9) 1 Hydra (CR 8)   Combat rating 27   1 Ancient black dragon (CR 21) 2 Young red shadow dragons (CR 10) 3-4 Fomorians (CR 8) 1 Lich (CR 21)   Combat rating 28   1 Ancient black dragon (CR 21) 4 Goristros (CR 17) 3 Hezrous (CR 8)   The Monster Manual tells us that black dragons make their lairs on the ruins of empires. I’m going to utilize this to turn t ..read more

minions/allies Combat rating 17   1 Adult black dragon (CR 14) 1 Hydra (CR 8) 2 Lizard king/queens (CR 4)   Combat rating 19   1 Adult black dragon (CR 14) 2 Black puddings (CR 4) 3 Shambling mounds (CR 5) 2 Ogre zombies (CR 2) 1 Beholder zombie (CR 5)   Combat rating 22   1 Adult black dragon (CR 14) 2 Flesh golems (CR 5) 3 Green hags [coven] (CR 5) 1 Spirit naga (CR 8) 2 Oni (CR 7)   Combat rating 24   1 Adult black dragon (CR 14) 4 Herzou (CR 8) 2 Vrocks (CR 6) 2 Water elementals (CR 5) 1 Mummy lord (CR 15)   Combat encounter (difficulty 16) As pe ..read more

How to Use – Social Encounter minions/allies Combat rating 4   1 Doppelganger (CR 3) 3 Cockatrices (CR 1/2)   Combat rating 4   1 Doppelganger (CR 3) 2 Flying swords (CR 1/2) 1 Rug of smothering (CR 2)   Combat rating 6   2 Doppelgangers (CR 3) 2 Mimics (CR 2)   Combat rating 7   1 Doppelganger (CR 3) 1 Druid (CR 2) 2 Knights (CR 3) 1 Priest (CR 2) 1 Scout (CR 1/2) When building an encounter using a doppelganger, you will be better served by building a short encounter rather than an entire storyline. Build a long storyline, and you might end up with a dop ..read more

minions/allies Combat rating 4 1 Displacer beast (CR 3) 1-2 Vine blights (CR 1/2) 2-3 Shadows (CR 1/2) Combat rating 4 1 Displacer beast (CR 3) 1 Darkmantle (CR 1/2) 3-5 Kenku (CR 1/4) Combat rating 6 1 Displacer beast (CR 3) 3 Perytons (CR 2) Combat rating 7 2 Displacer beasts (CR 3) 1 Drow elite warrior (CR 5) How to Use – Combat Encounter 1 (difficulty 5) The basic combat encounter for the displacer beast is written out in the Monster Manual. Have the displacer beast attack and run, and when they follow it, they get attacked from behind in an ambush. If the ambush is made up entirely of ..read more

minions/allies Combat rating 10   1 Tyrannosaurus rex (CR 8) 4 griffins (CR 2)   Combat rating 11   1 Tyrannosaurus rex (CR 8) 1 Otyugh (CR 5) 1 Shambling mound (CR 5)   Combat rating 14   1 Tyrannosaurus rex (CR 8) 6 Elephants (CR 4)* 1-2 Giant constrictor snakes (CR 2)   * T rex induced stampede Combat rating 16   1 Tyrannosaurus rex (CR 8) 2 Displacer beasts (CR 3) 1 Grick alpha (CR 7) 3 Wyverns(CR 6) The tyrannosaurus rex is one of those rare monsters that will be exciting encounter just on the strength of their name, or reputation. With other monster ..read more

minions/allies Combat rating 7   1 Triceratops (CR 5) 2-3 Perytons (CR 2)   Combat rating 8   1 Triceratops (CR 5) 1 Otyugh (CR 5)   Combat rating 9   1 Triceratops (CR 5) 1 Giant constrictor snake (CR 2) 1 Giant crocodile (CR 5) 1 Swarm of poisonous snakes (CR 2)   Combat rating 11   2 Triceratopses (CR 5) 2-3 Ankhegs (CR 2) 2 Lizardfolk shamans (CR 2) 1 Lizard king/queen (CR 5) 1 Water weird (CR 3) How to Use – Combat Encounter 1: Shrubbery (difficulty 6) Have the players enter a clearing, ringed about by dead thorns, possibly as high as their waists, p ..read more