As straight out critters, '
standard' dragons are easy to beat by a well armed party of Shadowrunners. They just don't have enough armour to soak big weapons (even though it's hardened armour, it's just not enough).
The most effective way I've found to get dragons to challenge the group are to use magical powers to Buff the critter up, rather than rely on them as just another Spellflinger.
The ways to make dragons really scary are to just layer on magical protections and Initiate powers that can all have been cast well in advance (so a dragon
never has it's defenses '
down':
- Metamagic: Shielding
- Metamagic: Centering (Gesture)
- Metamagic: Absorption
- Metamagic: Quickening
- Metamagic: Anchoring
- Quickened Improved Reflexes spell (4-5 Initiative Passes
)
- Anchored Physical Barrier spells (with variable triggers that can range from an automatic trigger to a deliberate Keyword)... Shield's up!
- Anchored/Quickened Armour spells
- Magical Focus: Counterspelling
So, between massive attributes (Body and Willpower) plus Counterspelling, Shielding and Counterspelling focus, they'll be
VERY difficult to attack magically.
With the layered physical barrier and physical armour spells, they can withstand some pretty big hits (but NOT indefinately!)
Also, dragons have great summoning abilities (which can be attended to ahead of time) and can summon pretty much
ANY type of spirit, but
NEVER blood spirits...), so there's never any reason for a dragon to be caught on it's own. And if you want to be REALLY nasty, you can give a dragon:
- Metamagic: Invoking
- Metamagic: Channelling
at which point the dragon becomes an
Uber-dragon with attributes you wounldn't believe via a Great Form spirit merging with the critter.
This also greatly increases the Hardened Armour (by replacing it with 2x Spirit Magic, instead of the 8/8 a dragon normally has). You need APDS ammo and some very accurate hits to break through
And for general hints:
-
Use EDGE! Dragons have it, and they're good at it. Do not forget to use it....
-
Kill one thing quickly: Dragons are hunters, and intelligent. They will make the best decision and follow it through...especially focusing on any Mages/Heavy weapons...whatever is the biggest threat to them should expect to get all their attention focues, and be torn to shreads accordingly.
-
Change their breath weapon: Everybody expects dragons to breathe fire, and willd efend accordingly. Options exist to give them a different elemental effect (my favourite is
Blast from Street Magic, but the cheesiest option is
Sound (which ignores all armour)
-
Dragons can have regeneration, which means they're more likely blitzkrieg attack,take a few hits, leave for a minute or two, then return fully healed to attack from a different angle. Dragons are clever and cunning, and may enjoy playing with their food
-
Don't continue a losing situation/strategy: If the troll with a polearm weapon focus is actually doing damage, retreat to an aerial position so they can't d that anymore...
- Be SCARY! If the dragon manages to geek the mage, spend an action biting down on the body and tossing it contemptuously through a wall while roaring vicotriously. If dragon is a little wounded, pick up an injured/dead runner and carry it away as a snack
-
Dragon fights should be memorable. They should be prime runners and then some. Unfortunately, if meeting a dragon in a combat situation, the easiest way to be memorable is to have your ass handed to you, or at the very BEST, a Pyhrric victory where most of your team were slaughtered in the process....
