I’m running a homebrew of Monster Hunter as a first time DM, with sort-of first time players. They treat it like a Disneyland ride where they “go here do X” and so I set them up for the first major boss fight with Teostra (cr13) against their group (lv4) with the inte t that they do 1/4 to 1/2 it’s health to drive it away. (I know they can’t kill it).

Except rather than fight it they offered to make it a cooked meal, since it can speak draconian and I want them to actually try to roleplay I let it unfold. Except now I have no idea how to proceed. I want this to pan out because it’s the first time they’ve all truly put their heads together and had to figure out how to proceed to actually strategize in the way I see so many players just naturally do in podcasts, but in the spirit of MonHun, the Elder dragons are nearly ageless and you cant…just like reason with them.

I also have no way to set a scene other than pure improvisation for this “city saving cookout” they have to plan. Help?

  • BougieBirdie
    3·
    1 year ago

    I think your players have an awesome idea, and it would be a good idea to lean into it. However, you took the time to prepare the encounter, and as the DM you’re playing the game too and you all deserve to have fun together.

    Now we’re talking about cooking a meal fit for a force of nature. You’re not going to be satisfied with a simple sandwich or a grilled steak. No, you’re a dragon, your palate deserves to be graced with meals that surpass those given to kings of men.

    Here’s a couple ways I could see that playing out

    • Teostra wants some exotic meal made with ingredients that are rare / magical / dangerous to procure
    • A dragon eats its kills, and has a taste for monsters. The wilder and stronger the better
    • The dragon is presented with a meal but is unaccustomed to the seasonings. Maybe it has an allergy, or it’s too spicy, and this enrages it. Then you still get to have your fight with Teostra while the party tries to calm this fit

    In another comment you said that the dragon was motivated to destroy the village because it’s in the way and it wants to see something new out of curiosity. Even if the party gives it a fantastic meal, these things are ephemeral and I think Teostra will have wanderlust again at some point. So I also wouldn’t think that cooking a meal would be a one-and-done situation, and maybe they’ll have to continually parley with the dragon. That in itself might be amusing enough for a dragon not to destroy all humans, but hey, it’s a dragon so maybe not