Goalsystem Delves Design Log 9: Deadly Dragons

Part of the challenge of designing a dungeon skirmish game is making sure creatures possess the necessary level of toughness and threat to challenge a party--then developing a way to accurately measure it!  To this end, I wanted to make sure that an adult Dragon could whack a 1st level party.

So early Sunday morning we had a fresh, 1st level party of 4 adventurers take on an Elder Dragon. In 4 rounds, they were all dead, and the Dragon's horde remained untouched!

Here's the dragon profile:

Dragon (Elder)
These great, greedy wyrms of legend breathe death and shatter foes on the ends of their massive claws.
Monster 6D
Strength 8D
Defense 6D
Toughness 7D
Alignment: Evil
Size: Enormous  Move: 9” (14”)    HP: 20
Primary Attack & Damage: Bite & Claws 7D ATT/ 8D DAM
Attributes, Powers & Equipment
Armor +2D
Breath Weapon (Large Cone, 6D, Fire)
Deadly +2D
Dark Vision
Evasion +2D
Extra Attack
Hideous Strength +1D
Initiative +2
Flying
Large Target
Lone Threat Lvl. 2
Melee Attack (Claws, Bite) +1D ATT
Vigor +2
Cost: 132 pts.
Reward Level:  +5D 

The combination of Extra Attack and Lone Threat proved nasty!  I ended up making it add +1D to the creature's Reward Level, and I may add another +1D to make the total +6D.   It certainly bears further play-testing! 


But yeah, 1st level characters should not mess with dragons! 


Thanks for visiting!


--Scott