I'll keep this brief. I wanna have my party fight an Ancient Dragon Turtle. Ya know, the one the size of an island. They're on the "island" and don't realize its a Dragon Turtle for a while. But eventually they have to fight it. No, they do not need to kill it. It's being mind controlled and if it is not stopped, it will collide with the mainland and kill a lot of people for the BBEG. They wouldn't want this, obviously. So they have to get it to, at least half HP.
Here's my issue: How.... do I do this? Most of the Ancient Dragon Turtle's attacks are physically attacks.... Bite, Claw, Tail, etc..... but they're... on it. Like on it's back. So how would it fight them? The only real idea I had was a modified Steam Breathe attack where the steam bursts out of the ground. But that's my only idea. I want it to be fun and a bit of a challenge. We're using primarily 2014 rules btw.
Help....
TLDR: Party will fight an ancient dragon turtle while on it's back. How do I make this interesting? How does the dragon turtle fight back?
Honestly, using a regular combat stat block for creatures the size of geological features doesn't work; you should generally design them as entirely impervious to simple attack, and instead treat the body of the monster as a dungeon of some sort. When first introduced it might just be a mysterious island that moves around or appears and disappears, and when you want the PCs to actually try to defeat it, they get swallowed whole and have to make their way through its interior (inhabited by other creatures that have been swallowed, as well as creatures and hazards that represent the dragon turtle's defenses) to something vital.
For the 2014 rules, the tail has a 10 feet push. I kind of assumed that was for this exact scenario. In other words, as a way to get annoying people off its back.
Can I recommend a blog post I wrote built (in large part) around being stuck on a dragon turtle's back. In my posts, the goal wasn't to take out half its HP, but I think you might get some ideas from what I did. See dragonencounters.com/dragon-turtle
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DM, writer, and blog master of https://dragonencounters.com/ a blog dedicated to providing unusual, worthwhile encounters for each monster, making each one unique.
Also, suggestions for which monsters might be found together (for people tired of dungeons full of one humanoid race, and perhaps a few beasts and undead.)
If this is the only option, I'll use it, but I'd prefer to not have the party get INSIDE it.
Plus even if I used the idea of them being inside it, I don't exactly have ideas for what would be done from that point. Like, where would they go? How would they damage it? Would I have to add a time limit until they get digested?
If this is the only option, I'll use it, but I'd prefer to not have the party get INSIDE it.
Well, if you want them to fight it normally without any special mechanics, I would just have the dragon turtle use its boiling aura legendary action and thrash around and throw them off (strength DC 24 to hold on).
What if you imagined the back as an environment of its own? Like instead of using the dragon turtle's regular attacks, you reimagine them for use in the new environment? So the steam breath stays (geysers, perhaps, if I'm understanding their workings correctly), and you could deal bludgeoning damage as it moves. Also think about how the regular attacks could impact the creatures on its back - Tail could work (obviously), and Claw could probably reach up (so the turtle's literally scratching its back). Maybe you could do something where it rolls or moves with the PCs on its back? This might make them think about the combat more seriously.
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I would just treat any space on the back on the Ancient Dragon Turtle to be adjacent and within reach of all it's actions and any not physically feasable could be reflavored as coming off it's back rocking and causing the attack for example.
If I were a dragon turtle and I had an infestation of pesky little things on my back, I would just dive. Not only will the characters be dumped in open water, it would be far worse. All the terrain around them - the trees, rocks, hills, etc - would all be churned up when it dives and all that stuff would become projectiles in the water. Go watch some youtube videos of tsunami coming ashore, like the one off Japan in 2011. It's not just the water that you have to contend with, it's everything that's being carried in, and by, the water. Plus... the characters wouldn't simply be left bobbing at the surface after the dragon turtle dives. When something that massive goes down, the water goes with it. Everyone on or near the dragon turtle would be sucked deep into the water with it, like a vertical rip current.
So the dragon turtle uses its movement and its action to dive. At the end of its turn it is now 80 feet below the surface. And the characters are all scattered somewhere between 40 to 80 feet deep as well. Suddenly, fighting the dragon turtle is no longer their primary objective. Breathing is!!! First they will take a bunch of bludgeoning damage from the terrain sinking with them. I would say 8d6 bludgeoning with a Dex-15 save for half. Then they'll have to get to the surface to breathe. That'll take them about two rounds. Then and only then can they try to get their bearings. They will spot the surging wave of water above the dragon turtle's location as it swims toward the shore, but it's already 160 feet ahead of them. Can they catch up? Do they have any ranged attacks that can be used while swimming?
And even if they do manage to hit it a couple times, it might just bang a uey and try to scoop them all up and swallow them, or hit them with that steam breath weapon before continuing on its merry way. Remember - they're not just fighting a creature. They're fighting terrain!
You should really consider the scale here. I'd say "fighting" is a poor description of how this would work out. A PC to a Turtle Dragon the size of an island is about the same size as a tarantula to a human being.
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I'll keep this brief. I wanna have my party fight an Ancient Dragon Turtle. Ya know, the one the size of an island. They're on the "island" and don't realize its a Dragon Turtle for a while. But eventually they have to fight it. No, they do not need to kill it. It's being mind controlled and if it is not stopped, it will collide with the mainland and kill a lot of people for the BBEG. They wouldn't want this, obviously. So they have to get it to, at least half HP.
Here's my issue: How.... do I do this? Most of the Ancient Dragon Turtle's attacks are physically attacks.... Bite, Claw, Tail, etc..... but they're... on it. Like on it's back. So how would it fight them? The only real idea I had was a modified Steam Breathe attack where the steam bursts out of the ground. But that's my only idea. I want it to be fun and a bit of a challenge. We're using primarily 2014 rules btw.
Help....
TLDR: Party will fight an ancient dragon turtle while on it's back. How do I make this interesting? How does the dragon turtle fight back?
Honestly, using a regular combat stat block for creatures the size of geological features doesn't work; you should generally design them as entirely impervious to simple attack, and instead treat the body of the monster as a dungeon of some sort. When first introduced it might just be a mysterious island that moves around or appears and disappears, and when you want the PCs to actually try to defeat it, they get swallowed whole and have to make their way through its interior (inhabited by other creatures that have been swallowed, as well as creatures and hazards that represent the dragon turtle's defenses) to something vital.
For the 2014 rules, the tail has a 10 feet push. I kind of assumed that was for this exact scenario. In other words, as a way to get annoying people off its back.
Can I recommend a blog post I wrote built (in large part) around being stuck on a dragon turtle's back. In my posts, the goal wasn't to take out half its HP, but I think you might get some ideas from what I did. See dragonencounters.com/dragon-turtle
DM, writer, and blog master of https://dragonencounters.com/ a blog dedicated to providing unusual, worthwhile encounters for each monster, making each one unique.
Also, suggestions for which monsters might be found together (for people tired of dungeons full of one humanoid race, and perhaps a few beasts and undead.)
If this is the only option, I'll use it, but I'd prefer to not have the party get INSIDE it.
Plus even if I used the idea of them being inside it, I don't exactly have ideas for what would be done from that point. Like, where would they go? How would they damage it? Would I have to add a time limit until they get digested?
Well, if you want them to fight it normally without any special mechanics, I would just have the dragon turtle use its boiling aura legendary action and thrash around and throw them off (strength DC 24 to hold on).
What if you imagined the back as an environment of its own? Like instead of using the dragon turtle's regular attacks, you reimagine them for use in the new environment? So the steam breath stays (geysers, perhaps, if I'm understanding their workings correctly), and you could deal bludgeoning damage as it moves. Also think about how the regular attacks could impact the creatures on its back - Tail could work (obviously), and Claw could probably reach up (so the turtle's literally scratching its back). Maybe you could do something where it rolls or moves with the PCs on its back? This might make them think about the combat more seriously.
Religious frisbee player, writer, goofball, and nerd. Some may say professional for the latter two.
Extended sig here. Send me a PM if you want to chat.
DM: Westeros - A Homebrew D&D Campaign, Liquid Swords - A Historical Wuxia Campaign
Player: Marcus Aquillus Arcade (Quil) - 1st Rogue - Pax Romana
I would just treat any space on the back on the Ancient Dragon Turtle to be adjacent and within reach of all it's actions and any not physically feasable could be reflavored as coming off it's back rocking and causing the attack for example.
If I were a dragon turtle and I had an infestation of pesky little things on my back, I would just dive. Not only will the characters be dumped in open water, it would be far worse. All the terrain around them - the trees, rocks, hills, etc - would all be churned up when it dives and all that stuff would become projectiles in the water. Go watch some youtube videos of tsunami coming ashore, like the one off Japan in 2011. It's not just the water that you have to contend with, it's everything that's being carried in, and by, the water. Plus... the characters wouldn't simply be left bobbing at the surface after the dragon turtle dives. When something that massive goes down, the water goes with it. Everyone on or near the dragon turtle would be sucked deep into the water with it, like a vertical rip current.
So the dragon turtle uses its movement and its action to dive. At the end of its turn it is now 80 feet below the surface. And the characters are all scattered somewhere between 40 to 80 feet deep as well. Suddenly, fighting the dragon turtle is no longer their primary objective. Breathing is!!! First they will take a bunch of bludgeoning damage from the terrain sinking with them. I would say 8d6 bludgeoning with a Dex-15 save for half. Then they'll have to get to the surface to breathe. That'll take them about two rounds. Then and only then can they try to get their bearings. They will spot the surging wave of water above the dragon turtle's location as it swims toward the shore, but it's already 160 feet ahead of them. Can they catch up? Do they have any ranged attacks that can be used while swimming?
And even if they do manage to hit it a couple times, it might just bang a uey and try to scoop them all up and swallow them, or hit them with that steam breath weapon before continuing on its merry way. Remember - they're not just fighting a creature. They're fighting terrain!
Anzio Faro. Protector Aasimar light cleric. Lvl 18.
Viktor Gavriil. White dragonborn grave cleric. Lvl 20.
Ikram Sahir ibn-Malik al-Sayyid Ra'ad. Brass dragonborn draconic sorcerer Lvl 9. Fire elemental devil.
Wrangler of cats.
this is incredibly helpful! thank you!!!
You should really consider the scale here. I'd say "fighting" is a poor description of how this would work out. A PC to a Turtle Dragon the size of an island is about the same size as a tarantula to a human being.