The Red Sand Canyon

• 1 × Young Blue Dragon (CR 9, 5,000 XP)
• 3 × Blue Dragon Wyrmling (CR 3, 700 XP each)

XP

7,100 of a 9,200 XP moderate budget

Party

4 characters of level 10

A circle of tents stands empty, their flaps snapping, cookfires cold. Camel bells jingle somewhere beyond the dunes, then stop.

Setup. Three blue dragon wyrmlings led by a young blue dragon are circling overhead, drawn by the smell of the party's rations.

Terrain

• Soft sand: the dunes are Difficult Terrain.
• Oasis pool: the water is shallow and Difficult Terrain, but a creature drinking from it regains 1d4 Hit Points once per day.

Tactics. Dragons fight from range and land only to finish off a single, isolated target.

Twist. The creatures fight only until the moon (or sun) clears the horizon, then stop.

Adjust on the fly

• Easier: Remove one blue dragon wyrmling (−700 XP).
• Harder: Add one more blue dragon wyrmling (7,800 XP total, moderate for this party).

Treasure. 2,500 gp in mixed coins and two gemstones worth 250 gp each; Potion of Water Breathing; A deck of cards missing all the kings.