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The final challenge of the campaign is up to thePCs. Do they dig in, take command of Tallasht’ssurviving allies, and wait for Qumasthes to come tothem? Do they try to hunt him as they did Virrikai?Do they pretend to flee, luring Qumasthes and hisoffspring to chase them down?Assuming the PCs are victorious, none of the competingdragons remain except Tallasht’s hatchlings.The hatchlings, completing the circle that began atthe start of the campaign, ask the PCs to becometheir patrons, protecting them until they grow olderand teaching them the ways of the world. This,perhaps, is the final epic victory of an adventuringparty—not the slaying of dragons, but the shapingof the next generation, ensuring that blue wyrms inyears to come will truly prove friends, not foes, to all.DRAGON HOARDSFighting dragons is not for the faint of heart. It’s nastywork, and taking on a dragon in its lair might be thelast thing a would-be hero will ever do. With thepower a dragon has at its disposal, one might wonderwhy an adventurer would bother squaring off againstsuch a terror when fighting goblins and orcs are fareasier prey. The reason is simple: the dragon’s hoard.Dragon hoards are legendary in the DUNGEONS &DRAGONS game world with good reason. Of all thevaults player characters plunder, of all the monstersthey defeat, none of them grants the reward thatdefeating a dragon does. A dragon’s hoard is a thing ofbeauty: piles of fabulous coins, priceless jewelry, chestsheaped near to bursting with precious gemstones,weapons, armor, and long-lost magic items. A hoardexcites the senses, sparks the imagination, and providesa thrill equal to the vicious fight with the dragon.The treasure that makes up even the lowliest dragon’shoard is enough to keep a commoner comfortable forthe rest of his days, while the larger hoards of greatwyrms and ancient dragons could give a mortal coinenough to purchase a small kingdom. With all thattempation, it’s no wonder fools and heroes alike testtheir mettle against these creatures of legend.Dragon Hoardas TerrainA dragon’s hoard can be just what it seems—a pile ofgold and items that will keep the PCs well stockeduntil their next adventure. However, a dragon’s hoardcan be as much of a hazard as a deadly trap or asbeneficial as a healing font. A hoard might interferewith movement, slash at foes that stumble into it, ormake fighting atop of slippery gold coins a significanttactical error. These possibilities offer obstacles andprovide advantages to make the battle in the dragon’slair as memorable as facing the dragon itself.Adding fantastic terrain elements to a dragon’shoard does not affect the monetary value of thehoard, nor does it alter or modify any of the magicitems. Instead, the dragon’s hoard and its unusualeffects can be a result of the treasure’s composition.A stockpile of gold coins could interfere withmovement, while a highly polished shield might temporarilyblind a character standing nearby.Size and Space: For the purpose of placing fantastictreasure hoards, assume that a treasure hoardcovers 1 square for every 10,000 coins present. Additionalitems such as piles of weapons, armor, andlarge valuables can take up additional room. Dragonslike to look at beautiful, interesting, or intriguingthings from different perspectives, so arrange thehoard around the lair, placing the terrain as neededto make the combat engaging.Fantastic Terrain TypesCome up with one of your own design or select a fantasticfeature that works best with the treasures in thehoard from among those that follow. A hoard shouldhave no more than one fantastic terrain quality pertier (one for a heroic tier hoard, two for paragon, andthree for epic).Combustibles: Some treasures are flammable.These include paper, scrolls, furs, and preciouswoods—in addition to such items as furniture,wagons, and carriages. All of those can go up inflames. Whenever treasure in a square of this terraintype is in the area of a close or area attack power thathas the fire keyword, it automatically catches fire.Characters starting their turns in a space adjacent toflaming treasure take 5 fire damage at the heroic tier,10 fire damage at the paragon tier, or 20 fire damageat the epic tier. Combustible treasures are destroyedwhen they burn. In addition, the combustion createssmoke, lightly obscuring the area within 2 squaresof it. The fire and smoke persist until the end of theencounter, though a character can extinguish theflames in 1 square with a standard action to smotherthem.Dazzling Treasure: A mirror, shield, or othershiny surface reflects and intensifies light shinedupon it so that those nearby are temporarily blindedby its brightness. A character ending his or her movementin a square adjacent to dazzling treasure andwithin the area of a light source is blinded until thestart of his or her next turn.Distracting Prisoner: A dragon’s incrediblecharisma and the sheer terror it inspires can unravelthe minds of those it holds prisoner. Some just weepand gibber, but a few come to see the dragon as theirfriend, protector, and champion, in spite of the factthat the dragon will most likely eat them eventually.So deluded are these fools that they might try tohamper or distract their would-be rescuers.60CHAPTER 2 | DM’s Guide to Dragons