Quote from: TrevelyanDragonlances appear in the D&D setting of the same name. While I've not seen any game setting material, I can give you some information about the weapons based on the novels.

Dragonlances are long, wood shafted weapons with silver tips. In the books those tips are crafted from some sort of magical silvery material with the aid of a mythical hammer and a blacksmith with divine authority to craft them. Once the raw materials are available (blacksmith, silvery material, magic hammer) the lance tips can be churned out pretty quickly.

The weapons apparently require some sort of special training to use, but the books are not clear on the nature of this training (it may require knowledge of dragon anatomy so you know where to hit, or it may simply be training in weilding a large polearm).

The lances are always epicted as having barbed heads, and that combined with the wooden shaft suggests that the tip is intended to stick in the target and break off. When used mounted, the lances are attached to the saddle in such a way as to be easy to remove, again suggesting that they are a "fire and forget" weapon.

If you want to extract the setting specific background, I'd stick with the "rare conditions to create but easy to make under those conditions" approach. The idea is that mortals really need to mob a dragon to take it down, and everyone involved should have one of these weapons.

If you want to make them more durable then have the whole thing made out of metal, but keep the whole "barbed" bit. Perhaps require some sort of strength check to pull the lance out and re use it (injuring the dragon on the way).

Cool. I didn't realize you were talking about Dragonlance dragonlances, but rather dragon lances.

That's all cool info, though. Thanks for the extensive background.

An unbreakable magic rope to keep the dragon from flying off. The rope has to be made from a virgin's hair, and the king offers his daughter's tresses for its manufacture. Except that when the PCs do use it, the rope snaps...

Some sort of bait to get the dragon in a specific location.  Multiple magical harpoons with some sort of unbreakable tether.  A team of pack animals to start gathering the slack off those harpoons in a fishing reel type of mechanic to get the dragon to the ground.  Ranged weapons to further weaken the dragon and then an axe to finish the deed.

Quote from: PseudoephedrineAn unbreakable magic rope to keep the dragon from flying off. The rope has to be made from a virgin's hair, and the king offers his daughter's tresses for its manufacture. Except that when the PCs do use it, the rope snaps...

OK, that pretty much rocks (especially in conjunction with Gunslinger's harpoon idea). The magic rope snapping wouldn't be automatic, though. I'd probably give it some sort of material strength rating as per the BW rules, or kludge a Power rating for it so that the dragon and rope could do a Power vs. Power test.

The only problem is this: what the hell do you attach the other end to?!? :haw:

edit: I guess Gunslinger already answered that question with his team of pack animals! I wonder if the players will glom onto that same solution.

Quote from: TimThe only problem is this: what the hell do you attach the other end to?!? :haw:

Why, to an Immovable Rod, of course.

Wait.  Wrong game. :deflated:

!i!

Quote from: TimI'm putting together a short Burning Wheel scenario that revolves around the classic situation of a maiden captured by a ferocious dragon.

Character sheets and slightly more detailed discussion of the scenario can be found here: http://www.nwarpg.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1326

I need help with ideas for some cool magic items suitable for helping the party defeat a Burning Wheel dragon.

Here are some qualities of BW dragons:
-Invulnerable to normal weapons.
-Cause great fear in their opponents.
-Breathe fire that is pretty much instant death for a normally equipped character (bypasses normal armor and such).
-Incredibly persuasive.
-Have poisonous blood.

The characters essentially have no chance of defeating a BW dragon in their present state. They're going to need to go on side quests and assemble some tools to help them overcome this Smaug-like dragon.

I'm looking for general concepts (hopefully flavorful ones...+3 sword ain't gonna cut it), here, that are tailored for the characters (a knight, a sorcerer, a huntsman/master of hounds, and an elf warrior). The general mood I'm going for is dark fairy tale. Magic items with consequences are quite welcome. Anyone want to take a stab at an idea or two?

Thanks!

Tim

P.S. Just to be totally clear, I don't need stats...just concepts. I mean, if you come up with stats, that's cool, but it's not required.

Is the fight going to happen in its lair?  If not, one of the coolest things I saw in Dragonlance were knights at a castle using sharpened grappling hooks attached to the castle walls.  They threw them at dragons doing a flyby, tangling them up and doing major damage.  Tore up half the castle, but grounded the dragons for an easy kill.

If the dragon is in his lair, find a way to collapse the cave/castle/dungeon on his head.  

Obtain some dragonsbane poison.

I once came up with an idea to polymorph a bunch of giant barbed caltrops into platinum coins and other treasure.  We had the local king give them to the dragon as tribute, thinking it would lay down on them (like dragons always do, right?) and then we could dispel the polymorph right before we attacked.  The GM had the dragon sense the magic on the coins and kill the king and his retinue.  So much for innovation.  

Speaking of polymorph (or its BW equivalent), have the toughest PC polymorph into a dragon and challenge it to a duel.  Of course, this comes after a quest to learn dragon dueling etiquette and lore.  And of course, the other PCs dogpile the dragon once they get in position.  

If all else fails, hire mercs by promising a share of the treasure.  They don't have to be human--an army of orcs, ogres, trolls, giants, etc. can all make useful (temporary) allies.  After you rescue the princess, they'll be too weak to put up much of a fight if you decide to get rid of them as well.

Pete