The campaign I will be running has a Young Green Dragon players encounter at level 3. I'm running the campaign with only 2 players (Paladin, Warlock). Fairly new tot he game but even I know that's way too high of a creature for them to take on. Narrated a way to nullify it's breathe attack, but what level should the players be before they encounter it? We've been running one shots before heading into this dungeon because I know with two players it'll be a lot for them to take on. They're currently level 2 will be level 3 instead of 1 when they enter the dungeon and would then be level 5 by the time they reach the dragon. Will that be enough? Or should I continue to let them level and just increase the amount of low level creatures they encounter at the start of the dungeon?
Other campaigns have similar issues of making the players fight dragons that are way too high CR for them. The suggestions to run that usually are
A) Aim to make it a social or skill encounter. They can make deal with the dragon, try to trick it or sneak past it.
B) Have the dragon flee after it takes a set amount of damage. They are intelligent creatures and won't fight if it is more trouble than it is worth. If the dragon is a coward and the players are low level and there aren't high stakes, 10-20 HP per party level might be enough to give them a challenge. Otherwise, have the dragon flee once it is at half health unless it is pretty obvious it is going to win.
C) Add terrain features that would help in a fight. Facing a dragon in open ground where they can fly is an enturely different beast that fighting it in the ground in a cave. You could also have the players find helpful items like explosives beforehand.
D) Add a narrative reason (like a fight with another monster) for the dragon to be already wounded.
A Yound Green Dragon being CR 8 means encounter difficulty strictly going by XP value for 2 PC goes by;
Party level 01-10 = Deadly
Party level 11-12 = Hard
Party level 12-15 = Medium
Party level 16-20 = Easy
But the real difficulty can be significantly greater than expected depending on what the characters have in terms of feats, features, magic items, healing, henchmen and level of tactic. If they encounter it too soon in face to face combat, the're a very high risk of TPK. If the encounter instead try to scare or intimidate, some skirmish is possible but there would need to be a reason for the dragon to not want to kill them, even if it's just to play with them, or influence them to do something the dragon want or need etc..
Thanks everyone! It’s encountered at the end of a dungeon and forms out of some magical blocks, ceiling is only 20 feet high so the dragon won’t really be able to get out of range. I think I’ll reskin it as a Wyvern using its poison damage and just narrate it as being a breathe attack. I think it should be okay as the Paladin has an AC of 20 and poison resistance. It’s the Rick and Morty dungeon, and based off recommendations I had seen from others running it I wrote in that the dragon swallows Rick (npc) in the second round making the breath attack bull, and Rick is attacking from inside the dragon. If they are creative they can have help by the meeseeks (weird Rick and Morty genies). The campaign says they won’t fight but doesn’t mean they can’t shield you from the dragons attacks and meeseeks are invulnerable (only cease to exist once they’ve completed your request). I think I will really emphasize to the players that they *will not* fight for you doesn’t mean they can’t be used in battle and that wording is everything.
If it's Rick and Morty I think you should go for a bit of absurdity.
So something like a weed dragon that makes you high but also turns people into plant zombies. Aka a green dragon wyrmling whose breath also does the euphoria effect of the Faerie Dragon (Older) and if it kills some one they become a weed zombie that try to smoke you. That's probably still too low cr for level 5 so throw in 3 regular zombie and a zombie plague spreader make them sit in a circle as a that's 70 show reference or something . Alternatively just use regular zombies and buff the dragon to a cr 5 by taking stats from the create a monster table in the dmg.
The campaign I will be running has a Young Green Dragon players encounter at level 3. I'm running the campaign with only 2 players (Paladin, Warlock). Fairly new tot he game but even I know that's way too high of a creature for them to take on. Narrated a way to nullify it's breathe attack, but what level should the players be before they encounter it? We've been running one shots before heading into this dungeon because I know with two players it'll be a lot for them to take on. They're currently level 2 will be level 3 instead of 1 when they enter the dungeon and would then be level 5 by the time they reach the dragon. Will that be enough? Or should I continue to let them level and just increase the amount of low level creatures they encounter at the start of the dungeon?
A Young Green Dragon is a CR 8 which means it is a relatively suitable challenge for 4 level 8 PCs.
I would recommend using a Wyrmling if it’s only 2 players and you want to use a dragon.
Other campaigns have similar issues of making the players fight dragons that are way too high CR for them. The suggestions to run that usually are
A) Aim to make it a social or skill encounter. They can make deal with the dragon, try to trick it or sneak past it.
B) Have the dragon flee after it takes a set amount of damage. They are intelligent creatures and won't fight if it is more trouble than it is worth. If the dragon is a coward and the players are low level and there aren't high stakes, 10-20 HP per party level might be enough to give them a challenge. Otherwise, have the dragon flee once it is at half health unless it is pretty obvious it is going to win.
C) Add terrain features that would help in a fight. Facing a dragon in open ground where they can fly is an enturely different beast that fighting it in the ground in a cave. You could also have the players find helpful items like explosives beforehand.
D) Add a narrative reason (like a fight with another monster) for the dragon to be already wounded.
A Yound Green Dragon being CR 8 means encounter difficulty strictly going by XP value for 2 PC goes by;
Party level 01-10 = Deadly
Party level 11-12 = Hard
Party level 12-15 = Medium
Party level 16-20 = Easy
But the real difficulty can be significantly greater than expected depending on what the characters have in terms of feats, features, magic items, healing, henchmen and level of tactic. If they encounter it too soon in face to face combat, the're a very high risk of TPK. If the encounter instead try to scare or intimidate, some skirmish is possible but there would need to be a reason for the dragon to not want to kill them, even if it's just to play with them, or influence them to do something the dragon want or need etc..
Thanks everyone! It’s encountered at the end of a dungeon and forms out of some magical blocks, ceiling is only 20 feet high so the dragon won’t really be able to get out of range. I think I’ll reskin it as a Wyvern using its poison damage and just narrate it as being a breathe attack. I think it should be okay as the Paladin has an AC of 20 and poison resistance. It’s the Rick and Morty dungeon, and based off recommendations I had seen from others running it I wrote in that the dragon swallows Rick (npc) in the second round making the breath attack bull, and Rick is attacking from inside the dragon. If they are creative they can have help by the meeseeks (weird Rick and Morty genies). The campaign says they won’t fight but doesn’t mean they can’t shield you from the dragons attacks and meeseeks are invulnerable (only cease to exist once they’ve completed your request). I think I will really emphasize to the players that they *will not* fight for you doesn’t mean they can’t be used in battle and that wording is everything.
If it's Rick and Morty I think you should go for a bit of absurdity.
So something like a weed dragon that makes you high but also turns people into plant zombies. Aka a green dragon wyrmling whose breath also does the euphoria effect of the Faerie Dragon (Older) and if it kills some one they become a weed zombie that try to smoke you. That's probably still too low cr for level 5 so throw in 3 regular zombie and a zombie plague spreader make them sit in a circle as a that's 70 show reference or something . Alternatively just use regular zombies and buff the dragon to a cr 5 by taking stats from the create a monster table in the dmg.
Oooh, that is a great idea! I Will absolutely take a look at that!
Thank you, for the idea! I did end up commissioning the green ganja dragon with a CR between 4-5!