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Oct 13, 2011 -- 5:16AM, Uthrac wrote:

Oct 13, 2011 -- 12:16AM, Zathris wrote:

it's just something that is provably an error (like the +142 to hit the Ogre Merc has in DRAG 2-4)

The "more damage when dragon is bloodied" is not a typo, it comes straight from the compendium.

In D&D dragons should be scary (personal opinion), and not just "another monster to defeat." The series provides (at least) 5 ways for a group to mitigate the threat of the dragon:

"CALI3-series Show

1. potions of fire resistance are purchasable for all PCs who succeeded at CALI3-1
2. a free potion of fire resistance is available as a choice at the start of the adventure for all PCs who completed CALI3-1
3. the encounter objective can be successfully completed without attacking (much less bloodying) the dragon
4. the PCs are informed that they will be facing a dragon if they choose this path, and are given an alternative encounter 
5. if the PCs fail this encounter, they are provided another path to successfully complete the adventure

 
Yes, the encounter is intended as a challenging combat, but "kill all the monsters" is not the goal of the encounter. For most groups, bloodying the dragon is not the best tactic for success. 

And I'm saying the Compendium/Monster Vault contain a typo.  A pretty obvious one at that if you spend some time on the monster builder, or just compare it to every other dragon in the game including the Elder Red Dragon from the same book (did it just forget how to breathe hotter when bloodied?).
According to the July 2010 update to the DMG, a Level 7 (the base level of the dragon) should do 2d6+4 which averages at 11.  It's limited use, so it gets +25% to +50% ontop of that, and since dragons are special I'll assume they get the +50% (even though recharge 5+6 is usually given the +25%).  This gets us 16.5 average damage.  Looking at the dragon, it does 20 average damage which is another 25% above the highest value it should have.  And then when bloodied it increases by another 50% (more specifically, 82% higher damage than what it should be capable of doing).

"Mitigated" or not, it's breath is just too powerful for it's level, mathematically speaking.  In terms of being scary ... 5 Ogres, a Tiefling, and it's Dragon 'pet' is scary.

I'm basing my numbers off page 7 of the July 2010 DMG update for Setting Damage on page 184

Damage by Level chart pegs Level 7 at 2d6+4 for a 2+ target attack, that's 11.
Solo's gain no bonus to damage by any rule, their bonus comes from +5 to saving throws, 2 APs, 4x the HP, Multiple Turns, Multi-attacks, Non-Standard Attacks, Bloodied Recharges, Encounter Powers, Formerly Increased Defenses (which should be DME'd down, just as we're supposed to DME up their Damage to MM3), and recently Action Denial Removal.

L3 White is actually an expected of 16 due to +25% brute, so 122%.
L4 Black is 14, 119% (I count the vulnerability as the Lurker bonus damage, just as Brutes get more HP, Soldiers get higher AC, Artillery have better accuracy and a ranged attack, Skirmishers get move+attack, and Controllers get forced movement and movement denial)
L5 Green is 16 so 122% just like white
L6 Blue is also 16 so 134%
L7 Red is 16.5 so 122%-182%

You are correct that they appear to be adding ~25% to Solo damage, if  this is intended for Solo's then they should include that in the DMG  Update pdf (It has been edited multiple times since it's first release,  so it's not written in stone like the RC seems to be).  That still  doesn't explain the +10 Bloodied damage.  Every Elder Dragon has the  same features that every Young Dragon has, and also has an additional ranged attack, except the Red.  For completist's sake, all the Monster Vault Dragons gain a benefit while bloodied in addition to the free Breath.

White: Crit on 17-20 (which, yeah, that's scary)
Black: Damages adjacent enemies when hit
Green: Ongoing damage aura
Blue: Raw damage aura
Red: Bonus damage with Bite, Young also gets +10 to Breath damage.

Young Red is the only exception to an otherwise very consistant and by-the-books ... book.  Maybe it's the Elder that's missing it's +10 damage (+20 most likely, with scaling); I just seriously doubt it given that's practically Surge Value for non-Con classes (I'd buy it if it was +5) and is guaranteed to go off thanks to the Bloodied Breath.

The damage lists published is limited compared to what the designers use in house. Using it as a guideline on existing MM3+ designed monsters is bound to lead to some odd situations.

Anyway, it might be a typo in the book, but in the end we cannot correct mistakes in the books. That is something for the official errata. I ran that encounter a couple of times, including at AL 6 and while challenging, it did not cause a TPK and the one death had more to do with the lack of a defender than the dragon in itself.

Finally played CALI 3-2 this past weekend. Chronologically it was right after I played CALI 3-1, but fortunately we had a better DM. And also 3-2 is a better adventure.

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Oct 20, 2011 -- 8:56AM, Uthrac wrote:

The different approach (attempt) here was to provide an RP opportunity at the end of the adventure, so the DM can easily pace it - zip through quickly if out of time, or RP to the extent that the table is interested.

I don't object to role-playing at the beginning, middle, or end of an adventure.

(Although I do think that anything that occurs after the "obviously last combat" is going to be ignored by most players who are anxious for their treasure and story awards.)

What I objected to in CALI 3-2 is that
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