# Dragon Flight Campaign



## Greatman32 (Jun 20, 2011)

*Dragon Campaign Overview *
                  This campaign is my first true attempt at a completely homebrew 4E D&D campaign, following a fun but short attempt at a 3E game.  This journal is the record of the adventures of my group, mainly for the purpose of allowing me to keep a history of events and not forget things in-between sessions, but I decided some people for some reason, might want to read about my campaign thus I have decided to place the story here in story hour and put it into a more interesting structure then the simple notes I had originally intended. This story follows a group of four dragons, who hatch without a family or any knowledge of their origin, they must find purpose and knowledge of the world around them, and do with that knowledge what they will. I would put a large explanation about the world and its back-story and such here, but to be perfectly honest I haven’t come up with all of it yet and will only be expanding the world as the players explore it. This way while reading you will experience the world in the same way my players did, piece by piece. This is my first attempt at something like this so it might be terrible, you have been warned.

*Dragon Campaign Mechanics   *
                  “If you are here just for the story you can skip this part which consists of the technical aspects of the campaign.”

  When first prepping for this campaign I quickly realized that 4E D&D really didn’t have any official support for dragons as PCs . I toyed with the idea of using the monster dragons for the PCs, but I dropped it because it turned out to be very difficult to balance. I finally decided the best course of action would be for the PCs to pick classes as normal, but make a Dragon Race that would be appropriately powerful. Here are the various race features I settled on.

  Dragon race

  Stats: base+4 stats and +6 stats to two stats of your choice. And +1 to all stats every even level

  This would replace the normal points a character can allocates leaving a dragon at level 1 with 14 in all stats and then 20 in two of them.

  HP: double hit points for all dragons.

  +2 to AC for scales 

  Speed: Land 6, Fly 2  +1 fly for ever even level up to 12

  Powers: Dragon fear and Dragon Breath as a DragonBorn 

  Poly-morph: all dragons can assume the form of any medium humanoid while in this form they cannot perform any strenuous actions without breaking concentration and transforming back into dragons.

  Gift of tongues: all dragons can speak any language and understand any language.

  Other then these features a level 1 dragon would be essentially the same as a level 1 character. This worked for me because our group could still use character builder, something we have become very married to and are very unwilling to drop, with only some minor house ruling. I also like this system because it allows me to easily add extra bonuses via level ups if I feel they are needed or simply if I think of something “cool”. 

  This setup worked fairly well in our first session, and the dragons proved to be a bit more effective then equivalent first level PCs while still not being ridiculous considering they are still hatch-lings. Well, that was a long winded explanation if any of you have any questions regarding the mechanics of my homebrew feel free to ask, now to what actually happened. 

*Dragon Campaign Characters*
  With the nature of this campaign the characters don’t have names as of yet, during our first session the issue of what they were named never came up, so until the event in which they decided to name themselves I will for now reference them by their color. 

  Red Dragon Brawler Fighter Dragon Name -----
  Gold Dragon War Wizard Dragon Name -----
  Silver Dragon Cleric Dragon Name ------
  Bronze Dragon Invoker Dragon Name -------

*Dragon Campaign Story*

*Chapter I Hatching to Trouble*

                       Encased by a cocoon of warmth and safety four dragons slumber, without any thought or emotion in blissful oblivion, until a violent series of spasms break the tranquility causing the cocoon of safety to crack and break. This disturbing new revelation to the minds of the young dragons is quickly replaced by a magnificent mental explosion where the combined academic and mental prowess of centuries of dragons pours into their heads. This mental change briefly stuns the dragons as they come to terms with their existence. But such existential contemplations are discarded in favor of examining their environment. Looking around them the dragons see they are currently in a large stone room of what seems an old ruin, around them is placed a small amount of treasure in what appears to be an offering. 


                       While our dragons examine the room they are in, further out of the complex a battle is raging, between a group of kobolds and a human party of fifteen men, four of which being mercenaries, and not really interested in eliminating the kobolds, but in acquiring treasure abandon the fight and slip away searching for the kobolds treasure horde. This group of mercenaries consisting of a warlock, fighter, cleric, and wizard make their way to the treasure room where our dragons are located.  When they enter the Red dragon turns to the rest and says “It seems our first meal has arrived.” The dragons all tense, while the adventuring party is visibly shaken, they quickly realize that these dragons are young and beatable, the piles of treasure doing much to bolster their courage. The group charges the dragons with the fighter yelling “It shall be us that feast; I hear dragon is quite a delicacy.” The fight then is truly joined with much biting clawing and fire from the dragons. The ferocity of their attack eventually overwhelms the party, as first the fighter and then the cleric fall, both dead. The wizard attempts to feel but is quickly cut down, the warlock scowling at his dead companions in disgust and looking wistfully at the pile of treasure, quickly teleports out of the room. Ravenously hungry and exhausted the dragons decide to abandon the chase and instead roast and feast on the fallen adventurers. 


  As the dragons feast, the battle further out of the complex has reached its conclusion with many injured and dead yet victorious kobolds, their leader a wyrmpriest by the name of Karnack did not miss the group of four who had evaded the main fight, and quickly rushed to the treasure room, where he hoped the dragon eggs has not been damaged or defiled. When the kobolds arrived at the treasure room and beheld the four hatched dragons feasting they fell to their knees in worship, Karnack bravely approaches the dragons and proclaims “Oh mighty dragons it is most fortuitous that you have hatched now, we your most unworthy servants are desperately in need of your assistance.”  The silver dragon turns on the standing kobold and bursts a torrent of flame on him growling “On your knees servant.” Karnack badly burned and greatly humbled screeches and begs for mercy “please oh mighty dragon of legend take pity on your undeserving servant.” The silver dragons, heart of steel softens ever so slight and asks “What servant of ours do you need from us.” Karnack slowly stands and tentatively explains his clans’ situation. “We for many years have lived in this ruined underground hold guarding you four in hopes you would hatch and we would have dragons to lead us as the kobolds of old, for many generations we have guarded you and never have you hatched. The faith in dragons in our clan has waned in some, a group of our number has recently deserted under a new rebellious leader speaking of kobold independence, and the uselessness of our dragon religion, I attempted to explain to them that dragons our are masters and our lives have no purpose without them, but sadly their minds were corrupted and beyond my reach. So I implore you dragons if you would bring our fallen members back into the fold we would be able to serve you properly, which is not possible with the small number we have now.” 


The silver Dragon turns to the rest and says “Shall we help the weak little things” The red dragon responds “We shall need servants if we are to gain power and these pitiful creatures seem as good a start as any.” The red dragon turns to Karnack and asks “Where are we, are innate knowledge doesn’t seem to include and reference to where we are specifically.” Karnack explains, “You are currently in our home in the valley of hammer and anvil thus named for the two dwarven fortresses guarding the only two entrances into the large mountain encased valley. There are many other races that call this valley home goblin to name one, there also lies a large human settlement in the middle of the valley from whence these raiders came to cleanse us from “their” home. Outside of our valley is a large dessert where large orc tribes roam, beyond that I do not know for I have never left this valley.” Fine says the red dragon “I grow tired of this endless prattle let us go teach these rebellious kobolds that dragons are not to be trifled with.” The other three dragons grunt their concordance and leave for the last known location of the rebellious kobolds.


*Chapter II Rebellious Kobolds*

  As the dragons leave the kobold lair they poly-morph into human form, just in case they run into any people on their travel to the cave, where supposedly the rebellious kobolds had fled. When they near the cave they see from the woods a clearing near its entrance were a ragtag group of kobolds are standing, listening to a speech from a kobold at the cave entrance.  “For too long have we been cast under the shadow of dragons, these supposed beings of power who we must worship and revere, but I say we kobolds should stand for ourselves, and not throw our lives away for dragons who care not for us, instead we shall carve a new world were kobolds are free and live their own lives away from draconic influence. Come with me brothers as we found this new destiny for our race, for freedom!” The kobolds rapidly cheer and shout “for freedom” until the dragons madly dash from cover and roar magnificently, starling the kobolds into a defensive posture. The red Dragon then roars at the rebellious kobold leader. “Surrender fowl wretch and serve us or be burned.” The kobold leader visible shaken yells “Kill them my brothers and we shall be free from their bonds forever.” And hastily retreats into the cave. His allies frightened by the dragons and discouraged by their leaders retreat, none the less stand firm. At least until the dragons charge and completely decimate the kobolds trying if possible to knock them out, but unfortunately accidentally gutting a few. After only a minute of battle most of the force of kobolds is decimated and what remains has fled into the cave, the dragons after resting for a moment eagerly pursue.


Upon entering the cave they see a line of kobold warriors standing in front of their chieftain and on a raised area farther into the cave a line of kobolds whirling slings. The rebel kobold leader shouts “slingers glue them in place”, on command the slingers hurl pots of glue that mostly miss wildly, but one miraculously does manage to strike the red dragon sticking him in place. The dragons’ furiously charge the kobolds battering them away like flies, while sustaining heavy damage from above, the gold dragon fed up with the slingers gathers up his strength and launches an animated fireball that gleefully decimates the kobold slingers sending them running alight with flame. With his minions dispatched the kobold leader stands his ground and yells “Vile dragons come and taste my blade.” The red dragon finally free from his glue bonds charges and impales the impetuous kobold with one swift strike. As the kobold bleeds the red dragon sneers “That will teach you to disobey your betters.” The kobold leader gasps and falls to the ground dead. The other kobolds terrified fall to the floor and beg forgiveness.  The red dragon grabs the kobold leader in his massive claw and orders the kobolds to follow him outside the cave. The kobolds line up dejectedly and watch in horror as the red dragon fly's fifty feet in the air and rips the leaders body in half and throwing the desecrated remains to the ground roaring “That is what shall happen to those who defy us.” After his display the other dragons order the kobolds back to the lair to follow the orders of high wyrmpriest Karnack or else.

*Chapter III on the Town*

                  Returning to the kobold lair the three dragons see Karnack waiting for them, as they approach Karnack hails them saying “Oh my mighty lords you have achieved magnificent results, and we are now in a much better position to serve your needs are numbers now blustered to a hundred strong, but I shall need more time to prepare our forces to do anything useful to you, might I suggest visiting the vile human settlement forming inside connections could be useful to us,” The silver dragon turns to Karnack and says “That plan seems intelligent and reasonable and we will take your advice, if we are to go into town we will need some gold, fetch some for us and we will be on our way.” Karnack sends some kobolds who deliver a hundred gold coins to our dragons who then transform into humanoids, and travel to the human settlement. 


  When the dragons approach the front gate a guard stops them and asks in a bored dry monotone “what is your business in Praven.” The red dragon steps forward and says “let us past foolish man we are not to be kept out.” Quickly realizing the reds error the silver dragon steps forward pushing the red aside and attempts  to bluff the guard into complacency “Don’t worry about my friend here he is slightly out of sorts, we are simple travelers, only seeking shelter for the coming night.” The guard stares suspiciously at the red dragon, but grudgingly lets the dragons pass. Upon entering the town the dragons seek out an inn, finally arriving at the four dragon inn well known for its fiery whiskey. After they purchase a meal and a room they sit in a corner and discuss their next move. The silver begins the conversation pointing out “At some point we are going to need a way to exchange goods, gold while excellent and necessary will not feed our minions or equip them, we could attempt to establish a reputation with the local merchants but I fear that would arouse suspicion. A more subtle solution would be to win over the local criminals to our side and convince them to traffic goods for us with no questions.” The red dragon replies “That is all well and good but where will we find these bandits.” The bronze dragon adds “And even if we were to find them how will we convince them to aid us, furthermore I doubt we will be able to work out a favorable deal, and will lose a lot of gold in return for the privacy of our transactions.” 


The silver replies “Watch and learn” walking to the bar counter the silver sits down and waves to the bartender who gruffly asks “what can I get you” the silver looks to each side and quietly says “ I wish to unload myself of certain undesirable items, and want to find a unofficial organization with whom to do this with.” The bartender looks around and whispers “I may know of such an organization but my memory is always so hazy when I lack gold.” The silver dragon scowls and slides ten gold pieces onto the bar table, the bartender greedily pick up the gold and says “The people you be looking for are located in an supposedly abandoned warehouse in the southern end of town it shouldn’t be hard to find it used to hold fish and the smell is quite atrocious.” The silver dragon bids the barkeep a good day returning to his brethren. “So” said the red dragon “find out anything useful.” “Why yes” responded the silver “I know were the bandits are, we should leave soon and meet them before nightfall.” Noiselessly the dragons rise and depart for the bandit hideout. 


  The dragons approach the warehouse noting its decrepit appearance and notable rotting stench. In disgust the gold dragon asks “Are you sure this is the place.” The silver repulsed says “It matches the description perfectly let us enter.” Upon entering the decrepit warehouse the dragons see nothing out of the ordinary just rows and old shelves and long forgotten barrels. Traveling deeper into the warehouse the dragons suddenly become aware that they are surrounded, men stand all around them brandishing weapons, a half elf emerges from the throng and approaches the four dragons smoothly asking “What business might you have with us my dear friends, it better be good or else your lives may be tragically short. The silver responds “We wish to do business with you we may have need of goods exchanged for other goods without the knowledge of the local officials. The half elf replies “Why my good sir if that is what you are after you have come to the right place, but why should I help you.” The red says “Forget this” and reforms into a dragon greatly surprising the bandits who back away suddenly, all except the half elf who simply strokes his chin and say “Interesting we may be able to do business after all, I would not see any harm in having dragons as my friends rather than my enemy.” “Before I help you however I will need you four to do something for me, my brother was recently captured by the guard and is scheduled tomorrow to be executed. He is supposed to be executed in the town square but my spies have also informed me of a second execution taking place outside the city walls at the same time. I have no way of being sure which execution will be my brothers and don’t have the resources to ambush both, if you would have my help, ambush the execution outside the city leave none alive and free the captive. Do this and we should have no problems working together.” The silver stares angrily at the presumptuous bandit and says “One who is so weak and frail asks much from us, but I admire your courage to bargain with a dragon, we shall do as you ask, but you better hold up your end of the deal.” The dragons bare their teeth and stare menacingly at the bandits before poly-morphing and heading back to the inn to rest and prepare.

  This is where our first session ended let me know what you think, and if you guys want to see more of it.


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