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Post by jonas on Mar 14, 2013 8:06:48 GMT -8
I just now between two sessions. In the last one, my players managed to kill a young green dragon (level 5 solo) in the middle of a city. It was a tough and hardbought victory, and they really deserved their victory thanks to some clever tactics, great roleplaying and fortunate rolls.
The recently informed me that they want to bring the corpse to the town's smith to make dragonscale armors.
First I wanted to tell them that they were silly. Dragonscale armors are way to expensive and good for players of their level (they are around level 4 - 5 and the cheapest dragonscale armor, according to the character builder, and the cheapest dragonscale armor cost a million gold pieces).
But then I thought to my self... what would the hosts of Happy Jacks do (except to tell the cute players to remove their pants)? How could I 'yes and' it in some fun way?
Suggestions? I have some ideas floating around (like just take drakescale armor, that is much cheaper, and reskin it). If real dragonscale armor had been somewhat in the player's reach (and not cost one million gold), I could have given them their great armor but warned them that the dragon's parents would come for revenge. ("I see you wear the skin of my son. First, you are going to undress and give all your possesions to me. Then you will sire a son I ten years time and give it to me so I can make an armor out of it."
But like I said, suggestions?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2013 8:14:11 GMT -8
I would allow them to take it. But there would be consequences. The parents coming for them is great. I would also caution them that a dragon is heavy and it would require some ingenuity to get the scale to the armor smith. And then I'd take whatever the base scale amor is and charge them 1/3 the cost for labor. So you've said yes but you've also put some hurdles in the way that adds some complications. Or maybe they can only get enough sale for all but one person to have the fancy armor. And bravo for playing 4e! Far too few of us on these boards
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Post by Forresst on Mar 14, 2013 8:25:17 GMT -8
Maybe the local smith isn't good enough at armor to really make use of dragonscale, but he's a KICKIN' weaponsmith, and he can make some cool weapon with the bones? Maybe, getting the dragon to the town, nobody will touch it. Maybe a dead dragon is poisonous? Maybe the real value in a dragon is the blood, the scale is relatively worthless once the dragon dies but if you keep the blood and temper items in it it becomes super +3 whatever or whatever? There's a few ways to yes and the dragon without having to accept the armour.
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Post by stork on Mar 14, 2013 9:01:57 GMT -8
If the dragon was young, perhaps the mail made out of it has less AC than say an ancient dragons scales. Also, perhaps the type of drake affects the AC as well. It would make sense that one of the metallic dragons skin have a higher AC than one of the non metallic.
Also, if they don't skin it fast, the corrosive nature of dragon blood, coupled with it rotting in the square might damage the skin as well. I know it happens in the wild when hunting deer and such. If you don't skin it fast, it ruins the hide.
Also, they may ruin parts of it because they are not expert dragon skinners, and are in a hurry
If this were my game I would use a combination all of these elements. In the end, they will have dragon scale mail, but it will be of a lower quality, more befitting their levels.
BTW I like the parents coming after them,. They are wearing the childs skin after all, so they spend months or years tracking the party. Would make a great confrontation when they hit their teens.
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Post by fray on Mar 14, 2013 20:19:25 GMT -8
They get their armor but they don't know that something went wrong during the process. How about after they get their armor that is gives them nightmares/dreams about the dragon's memories or thoughts of other dragons (either ancestor or current family members). Or maybe they can now see through the eyes of the closest dragon of that type but when they do they can't see out their own eyes. (because the dragon is now seeing out the PC's eyes.) This effect triggers at weird times, like a 10% when under stress or something. Also the 'glitch'/power of the armor even works when they take it off. You need something more powerful to take it away but it will come back if they put it on again.
Also since the armor is coming from a living magical creature that it's powers grow with the character. (Like start with a lowish AC and it increases as they gain levels.) Or maybe it even starts to change the character somehow. Like tints their skin green or gives them dragon eyes. (These are cosmetic changes only, no powers/abilities, however it would effect social stuff.
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Post by greatwyrm on Mar 14, 2013 20:48:14 GMT -8
I think the first thing that worries me is that they want "dragonscale armors" - plural. A young green is Large. So really, the body (not wings, tail, legs) is about the size of a good sized cow or maybe a buffalo. Big, but not immense. Also, the "tough and hardbought victory" probably left significant portions of the hide in rather poor condition.
How about they can have one heavy or two light sets of armor and they're basically +1 armor(s). The dragon hide would count as half the cost of whatever it would be to make the armor themselves by ritual. Maybe a +1 bonus to poison saves, but don't go crazy.
It seems a little weak, but 1) it's a young dragon and 2) they're 4th-5th level. The math in 4e doesn't leave a lot of room for deviation. If you make it too cool at this level, you won't be able to scratch them for at least a few levels. I wish it didn't work that way, but small bonuses can be a big deal.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2013 6:49:03 GMT -8
Well if you they get that buffed armor you just start throwing far more powerful monsters at them to compensate. When I was still running a 4e campaign I usually pitted them against monsters about four levels higher then them in general. I was playing Dark Sun though and wanted to make sure they got the feel of how harsh a world it was.
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Post by jonas on Mar 27, 2013 1:37:35 GMT -8
Thanks for the tips, everyone! I gave my players' the option to strengthen some of their equipment, giving +1 to AC (or damage, if they choose a weapon)=, instead of staring blindly at what the compendium said what dragonscale armor was supposed to be. But I let the blacksmith warn the players that dragons hated when you used their fallen kin to make armor, dropping sublte hints of dangers down the road.
The blacksmith was also first reluctant to make the armors, saying that he was afraid for dragon reprisals. The players convinced him that they woudn't tell anyone that it was he who done it... and looked at each other and began to discuss if they should blackmail him after he was done, threatening to tell everyone!
Ah, players. Can't game with them, can't game without them. :-)
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D.T. Pints
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Post by D.T. Pints on Mar 28, 2013 13:53:21 GMT -8
Yep...I'd make that a great opportunity for a campaign hook. Society of blacksmiths stand by their own and don't take kindly to blackmail. Meanwhile the threat of a dragon retaliation builds and looms. Consequences...consequences...even if their unintended. That's why they call it "Yes and"! Yes you can make armor out of the dragon hide AND shit will happen because you chose to do so...
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Post by greatwyrm on Mar 28, 2013 20:14:44 GMT -8
Yes you can make armor out of the dragon hide AND shit will happen because you chose to do so... I certainly hope that tribe of kobolds that swore fealty to the dragon never investigate or look for revenge. That would be most unfortunate.
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