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Dragon Delves releases on July 8th, and with it comes ten dragon-focused adventures designed for D&D 5.5e, making now the perfect time to master the art of the dragon encounter. The pinnacle of D&D adversaries, dragons are not only known for their raw power, but for their tactical combat maneuvers, mastery of the elements, and last but certainly not least, complex and individual personalities. Ever since their appearances in the earliest editions of the Monster Manual, dragons have been the GM’s go-to choice for building out dynamic encounters that demand the full spectrum of roleplaying and storytelling that makes tabletop gaming memorable. Few encounters in Dungeons & Dragons match the exhilarating challenge of confronting a dragon; whether locked in battle with a miscellaneous or lesser dragon or with Tiamat and Bahamut themselves, surviving a run-in with a dragon is no small feat.

Before running Dragon Delves with your party, let's take a moment to study the art of crafting dynamic combat scenarios so you can elevate your D&D sessions to soaring new heights.

 

Understanding Dragon Psychology and Motivation

Understanding dragon psychology and motivation is essential for crafting memorable encounters in D&D. Beyond being powerful adversaries, dragons are intelligent beings with distinct personalities and desires, and within those unique identities, you’ll find various individual and sometimes conflicting motivations and desires. 

Dragons operate from a position of inherent superiority. Something hard to argue with when reflecting on their stature in religious organizations and cults across Faerûn. Revered, worshipped, and idolized, dragons have wielded immense power for centuries, concretizing them as otherworldly creatures beyond compare. Still, this doesn’t mean every dragon is hostile to the smaller beings of the Forgotten Realms. Dragons view other creatures much like adults view children. Some are protective, and even fond of the humanoid species that make up the material plane, but almost none would consider them equal in stature or prominence.

Thinking Like a Dragon

Running a dragon encounter requires a thorough understanding of how dragons think. While that may sound easy enough, the catch with dragons is their advanced intelligence born from centuries of existence and their interplanar origins and experiences. Ultimately, the way dragons think is somewhat alien. While they can grasp more humanistic concepts on an intellectual level, their eon-spanning perspectives and accumulated experiences make it hard for them to understand and relate to the emotional and social aspects of Faerûn’s societies. Still, some dragons are naturally more altruistic and compassionate, so while they may be somewhat detached from the minor problems of smallfolk, this quality varies from dragon to dragon. 

Dragon Motivations

• Territorial Dominance: Dragons are deeply territorial. They’re often motivated by the need to protect their domain, which can include anything from majestic mountains to vast icy tundras.
• Wealth and Power: Driven by their love of their possessions, dragons are obsessed with amassing vast quantities of treasure. It’s important to note that individual dragons have different definitions of “treasure”. While some may hoard gold and silver, others may hoard information, land, or magical items.
• Legacy and Influence: Some dragons are motivated by the desire to leave a legacy or influence the world around them. These dragons are likely to establish dominance over rival dragons or avenge their tarnished reputation after a humiliating defeat.

Psychological Traits

• Intelligence: Dragons possess vast knowledge and are capable of complex strategy, contributing to fierce dragon fights and clever manipulation of action economy.
• Pride: There are few creatures more prideful than dragons. Whether defending their name or the legacy of their families and clans, dragons will launch full-scale assaults on their enemies simply because they feel slighted. Combine this with a divine sense of claim to power, and dragons are often more conniving, political, and manipulative than even the more cunning humanoids of Faerûn.

Individual Dragon Personalities

Each dragon type brings distinct personality traits shaped by their elemental nature and alignment. Chromatic dragons (black, blue, green, red, white) tend toward evil alignments and display independence, fierce territoriality, and intimidating presence. Metallic dragons (brass, bronze, copper, gold, silver) lean toward good alignments, showing more helpful and intelligent behavior, though they still maintain that fundamental draconic superiority.

Copper dragons are natural pranksters and riddlers who appreciate humor but can become covetous and are not afraid to break truces or alliances. Gold dragons often take on protective roles, viewing themselves as benevolent shepherds guiding lesser races, while red dragons embody fiery wrath, insatiable greed, and immense pride, viewing any challenge to their dominance as a personal affront. Lastly, white dragons are largely considered to be the least intelligent of the bunch, which they make up for with sheer ferocity and brutality both on the battlefield and off. 

GM TIP: When running encounters with these majestic creatures, be sure to keep these personality types in mind. Whether in combat or conversation, dragons are very individual creatures who are likely to see beyond the conflict of the current moment in favor of their larger goals and motivations. While it may feel right for every encounter to end with the party taking a dragon down, it isn’t always realistic. These personality types lend to a variety of non-combat resolutions, as dragons are just as likely to get bored or distracted away from an encounter as they are to commit to it fully. This is also a handy tip to remember when your party is struggling with or overwhelmed by a dragon. 

Mastering Dragon Combat Mechanics

Mastering dragon combat mechanics in Dungeons & Dragons requires an understanding of their most frequently used moves. Legendary Actions, Lair Actions, and Breath Weapons. Let's pick these apart and see how they affect your encounters:

Legendary Actions

Dragons possess Legendary Actions that they can use at the end of another creature’s turn. These typically include extra attacks, movements, or alternate abilities, dramatically influencing the action economy during combat. 

GM TIP: Use these whenever you like, but dropping them in sparingly and when the players least expect it can be a great tool to ramp up the stakes and demonstrate exactly how outmatched the players are.

Lair Actions

When battling in their lairs, dragons like the copper dragon or red dragon can employ unique Lair Actions. These actions happen on initiative count 20 and can include anything from causing the ground to crack open, revealing bubbling pits of acid, or summoning obscuring mist. Dragons are profoundly connected to their environments and are well-versed in using it to gain the upper hand.

Breath Weapon Strategy

The dragon’s breath weapon is arguably their primary offensive tool. Effective deployment can turn the tide of battle, making it essential to keep foes clustered to maximize area coverage and damage. It’s important to keep in mind that different dragon types come with different breath weapons. For example, a black dragon might spew acid, whereas a blue dragon might breathe lightning.

GM TIP: A dragon that has defended its hoard for decades knows that most humanoids can't fly, that spellcasters typically wear light armor, and that healers represent priority targets. Think of dragons as just as intelligent as your players, if not smarter (sorry players).

Environmental Combat Design

Environmental hazards play a critical role during dragon encounters. Terrain elements such as avalanches or high cliffs provide both challenges and opportunities. Utilizing these effectively can turn the tide of a battle, offering cover or height advantage.

When designing a combat encounter featuring dragons, consider rolling up a table of atmospheric conditions:

Terrain Feature	Impact on Combat
Lava-covered rocks	Inflicts damage, limits movement
Foggy skies	Reduces visibility, complicates targeting
Strong winds	Alters trajectory, affects flight
Stone Bridge	Provides a tactical choke point

GM TIP: Dragons fight in three dimensions. Where other adversaries are limited to either charging towards the party or running away, dragons can and will take to the sky at a moment's notice. Whether you’re trying to tip the scales in your party's favor or trying to gain the edge for your dragons, consider their advanced maneuverability when in the air.

Preparing for Dragon Delves

Dragon Delves releases July 8th and promises to offer a host of dynamic encounters that will challenge the conventions of previous dragon adventures since the early days of AD&D. Including 10 new adventures ranging from low to high stakes (like an entire adventure centered around a bakery in the charming town of Hubbleton), Dragon Delves is sure to offer some refreshing takes on the traditions of the typical dragon encounter, meaning there’s no better time to familiarize yourself with the intricacies of D&D’s most majestic creatures. 

Ready to put the “dragon” in Dungeons and Dragons to the test? Dragon Delves hits the marketplace on July 8th with full VTT integration, and if you place your order before July 7th, enjoy Winter’s Breath, a bonus one-shot adventure scaled to levels 4, 8, and 14.