He could just toss Bloodfeast into the field. Instant large being fight. AIUI, dragons get more powerful the older they get. This one looks fairly old, so I think it’d be more than a match for Bloodfeast. I wouldn’t be surprised if the dino doesn’t survive the battle.
Why is Calder threatening Belkar specifically?
Wait, never mind, “that halfling” is Serini, not Belkar.
And while I’m sure that, from a game standpoint, this would be a good fight, I’m not sure that a big fight against a new antagonist is really what the story needs right now. I’m also unsure about how Calder was able to charm-or-whatever Sunny while still stasised-- They don’t usually have a completely passive mind-whammy ability, and they shouldn’t have been able to communicate while in stasis (they can’t even tell how long they’ve been there).
Oh, for sure, a dragon would wreck a dinosaur by game rules. But this dinosaur is part of a party, and I could imagine him biting the dragon by the neck and grappling him while the party brings him down. Or it’s a heroic sacrifice.
Also, would a dragon in stasis actually age, in order to gain that power increase?
Good point. Red dragons lent to the Gith by Tiamat don’t age while serving the Gith on the Astral Plane, which means they don’t grow bigger and more powerful.
But the few decades since Serini built this place are likely small potatoes compared to the length of dragon age categories?
As far as Caldor’s age, I believe it’s at least an Old dragon. It seems to have used Suggestion on Sunny and the Abilities by Age table says they get Suggestion at that age.
If I interpret the table correctly, all Red Dragons have immunity to fire and vulnerability to cold. So Haley’s arrows are going to be especially effective. Unfortunately, Durkon used a Mass Resist Energy (acid) already. Does he have another for resistance to fire? I suspect not.
In 3.5 terms, assuming this dragon is an Adult it has around 33 strength, and if Bloodfeast the Allosaur uses the same stats as a Tyrannosaur he has 28 strength. This means the dragon would have an advantage in a grapple, but not an insurmountable one.
Just looking at it as drawn, I’m guessing it’s Old to Very Old+
That’s not “Dragon vs Dinosaur” fight, that’s a dragon snacking on an unfortunate allosaurus.
Well, at least he shouldn’t be much more powerful than he was when Serini managed to get him into the stasis field in the first place (however that was).
An Old dragon crosses over to Gargantuan, for Red dragons. He doesn’t seem as big as the Black dragon that Vaarsuvius fought, does he?
If it’s an Old or older dragon, yeah,
Who has the highest skill in Diplomacy? O-Chul?
Haley, when she’s taken a philtre potion of Glibness. OK, that’s not actually Diplomacy. It’s better.
I don’t know if this is a coincidence or not. I suspect not:
Found by someone on the GitP forum.
I was assuming it was derived from “caldera”, a part of a volcano. Which is also fitting, for a red dragon.
Notice the dragon in the drawing is missing their right horn, just like Calder.
Belkar should unleash his cute little pet then after the overall battle is joined and it is distracted by Roy or V or Serini herself, preferably from behind.
Temporal Stasis, in 3.5:
You place the subject into a state of suspended animation. For the creature, time ceases to flow and its condition becomes fixed. The creature does not grow older. Its body functions virtually cease, and no force or effect can harm it. This state persists until the magic is removed (such as by a successful dispel magic spell or a freedom spell).
I’m wondering what enabled Calder to be free enough to cast suggestion on Sunny. From the OOts Forum:
Double layer trap, one to stasis him and one to keep him put maybe? Or perhaps the stasis trap doesn’t actually stop them from thinking, and Calder is just a really talented caster with access to still and silent spells?
The walls in the room look damaged. Seems like Calder has been able to rage at their cage for a while now.
I feel like Calder is going to drive a pretty hardline bargaining position.
Prediction:
Next strip we learn that Roy has taken lessons from an expert in how to fight red dragons.
Ooh, good find.
Another possibility. Calder put into suspended animation. Upon reflection and many years later, Serini decides to open talks with the venerable red dragon. Partly this is due to her newfound sense of fairness towards monsters. But there’s also the risk that Calder could just decide to form an alliance with Team Evil or whoever stumbles upon him.
Talks fail. Temporal stasis requires success on a touch attack. Since there are no volunteers for such a task, Calder is instead magically imprisoned, fully conscious but not aware of how long ago he was first put into stasis. Calder is not a happy dragon, though perhaps he wouldn’t be averse to limited conversation between fiery exclamations. Sounds like a job for O-Chul.
Rich is a wild storyteller. Imagine introducing a likely prominent named character this late in the game.