Dragon War Zone

This is first of a new series called war zones. The idea is you can stage various invasions on your poor setting and use these tables to add new encounters and colour. Blame Chad for the idea he is often inspiration. I like feedback because it often gets me writing more.

So there will be more like this so you can every year have a horrible invasion lay waste to your campaign so you don't get to comfortable. These would probably make good little publications. Still unsure as to final format yet but this is a start. Will join my other unfinished series like Sewers, Hell, Xor, mutations etc. Future ones will include giants, sylvan, mercenaries, demons, humanoids and anything else I can think of as I go.

Basically each type introduces new encounters and spectacles of war as invasions take place. These are not necessarily the types of wars heroes can that can stop, but they might prevent some suffering or help some people. I guess you could run as a misery crawl like Patrick Stewart's dam busting disaster adventure or you could put in a  some key objectives for players to damage the invasion or even lead troops.

Encounters are types of threats roaming countryside while wonders are spectacular sights that could be avoided but could lead to fights. They include descriptions of what bad guys are up too and scenes of suffering in the war zone. Dragonmen could be treated as exotic beastmen, firenewts or dragonlance draconians whatever you please.

d10 Starting the Dragon War

1 Dragonspawn pits of Tiamat in hell have hatched a swarm of draconic monsters
2 Dragons have awakened their millennial slumbers and are in breeding frenzy
3 An evil god has awakened them all at once to purge humankind
4 A gateway to a draconic ruled world opens 

5 A draconic cult has prepared this for aeons, nursing eggs in secret places

6 Adventurers or a god offended Tiamat

7 Gods are angry at mortals for being too plentiful and noisy

8 Serpent men in last gasp chance using dragons to destroy humans

9 Lizard men found a great clutch of eggs from the dawn age and hatched them with rituals

10 A wizard tried to misuse the draconic world spirit and brought the about the apocalypse

d10 Dragon Military Objectives

1 Eat everything farm animals and humans
2 Burn Human Buildings and settlements
3 Gather loot for the alpha dragon hordes
4 Destroy shipping and merchant caravans
5 Route humans driving them to other lands
6 Gather magical treasure
7 Destroy wizard towers and libraries
8 Destroy human temples and establish a dragon cult
9 Turn land into a poison uninhabitable wasteland
10 Reduce human civilization to stone age

d10 Ending the Dragon War

1 Dragons run out of food and turn on each other
2 Demihuman armies arrive to harass dragons
3 Anti dragon artifact is discovered
4 Champions confront avatar of Tiamat sending her to hell
5 Good dragons come to aid humanity
6 Humanoids equally fearful of dragons aid humanity
7 Lords of hell offer to aid kingdom for a price

8 Dragon army move onto other kingdom once this one a ruin

9 Gods offer to aid humanity but take a price

10 Factions of the invaders turn on each other over internal fued

Cult Troops

Human cultists include reptile cultists, snake cultists and dragon cultists. Hiding in secret for generations they now walk openly helping the invaders, starting fires, preparing sacrifices, hatching monster eggs and worse. Cultists mostly are irregular rabble but some are especially well equipped and trained. Some are mutants with traits of the beings they worship. Some elites of the cult include magicians such as priests, alchemists, wizards and sorcerers. Alchemists might even have created dragons or dragonmen in apparatus before the invasion. Other magicians may have built drolems - mechanical dragon golems worshiped by cults unable to find a real dragon. Drolems are used in invasion as distractions and where dragons are short. Dragons show contempt for these cults but treat those with draconic mutations slightly better.

Cultist Rabble irregular light troops, robes and daggers, fanatic to cause in mob of 40
Cultist Mutants, disfigured with inhuman ability, swords and masks in mobs of 40
Cult Mercenaries heavily armed and armoured with dragon masks in groups of 20
Cult lesser magician d4 Lv d4 1=priest 2=wizard 3=sorcerer 4=alchemist + rabble
Cult Boss Magician 3d4 Lv d4 1=priest 2=wizard 3=sorcerer 4=alchemist + mercenaries
Drolem with group of mercenaries and rabble plus magician leaders

Reptilian Troops

Reptilians regard dragons as gods and ancestors. The have access to many monster types and move through and fight wetlands without penalty. Serpent men often act as advisors and wizards as they are too rate to field armies themselves. Some serpentmen are in fact the rulers. Vampire lizard kings prefer to fight by night and will produce zombies troops from fallen kin and enemies. They usually enter war later when lizards are more desperate. The vampires don't get along with serpent men so well. Dragons are wary of serpent men ambition but accept worship of lizard men. Dragons think lizard men and dinosaurs are backward and less evolved savages.

Muckdweller Scouts with slings or javelins or darts groups of 12-20
Savage Lizardmen with javelins and war clubs and shields groups of 40
High Lizard Men with spears and morningstars and shields groups of 40
Giant lizards with 2 riders (various specialist types) groups of four
Bonebreaker or babblers with handler each in groupps of four
Pteranodon Riders in groups of four
Giant Snapping Turtles or dinosaurs with 4 riders or handlers each
Chieftain leads band of 40 and king has 40 bodyguards and leads 100-400
Shamen are common magical leaders or Serpent Man Wizards with twelve guards each
Vampire Lizard King as normal king but with zombie lizard men troops
Some types specialize in aquatic with marine dinosaurs, crocs and snapping turtles

Troglodyte Troops

Trog Mercenaries are kin of lizard men who live underground They are effective skirmishers and dangerous close in melee enhanced by their stench. Dragons find them disgusting and they don't share camps with other troops, making their own camps down wind.
Troglodyte Sub chiefs command 40 trogs and chiefs command 200

Firenewt Troops
Firenewts are kin of lizard men but who live in volcanic regions but a cold variety could exist too living in glaciers instead with frost salamanders and spitting frost instead of fire. Dragons tend to treat them with more respect.
Firenewt warriors in groups of 40 with a sub chief or 200 with high chief
Firenewt Strider Rider Cavalry in groups of 4 or 12 or 20
Pteranodon Riders in groups of four
Salamander each with two firenewt handlers (BX ones not ADnD ones)

Kobold Troops
Kobolds worship dragons and are devious skirmishers and relentless irregular swarmers. They also are easily air dropped in by dragons and also able att siegecraft and construction. They use magic more than lizard men but dislike serpent men wizards who like to eat them.  Dragons are a bit disdainful of them and act like kobolds are beneath them. But they don't mind kobolds grooming them. Kobolds serving dragons are fanatics.

Kobold scouts with slings or javelins or darts in groups of 20
Kobold archers with shortbows in groups of 40
Kobold dog riders in groups of 40
Kobold warriors with machetes, spears and shields in groups of 400
Kobold comand units include sub-chieftains (100) chieftains (400) kings (1000)
Kobold magic units include shamen or wizards with 40 guards each

Draconic Troops

Dragonmen or draconians come in various varieties related to the chromatic evil dragon types. They are kin of dragons but treated like kin albeit like bratty children. They are technologically more advanced than most humanoids and live in a warrior aristocracy. They are less magical but their knights act as their prize troops. Dragonmen are elite, cruel and arrogant. Outside a dragon invasion they are rare mostly sleep for aeons. They are created by dragons who spawn them when faster humanoid elite troops needed. They worship and obey dragons but might think they know best and act independently.

Dragonmen Warriors in bands of 40 led by a chief
Wyvern Rider Dragonmen Knights in groups of four who focus on enemy elites

Encounter Types

d10 for first 24 hours opening of war
d20 for the d4 days after
d100 for ongoing war

d100 Dragon War Encounters

01 Very Young baby dragon waddling about angry and hungry

02 Giant lizard HD3+1 1in6 ridden by lizard men
03 Swarm of poison snakes poison HD1 2d4 dropped on roads
04 Constrictor snake HD2 drops from trees
05 Gang of overly brave kobold scouts 3d4 sure they are on unbeatable side
06 Crocodile HD3 in pond or stream or pond or moving between them
07 Fire Drake HD4 scouting and starting fires
08 Cultists serving dragons or snake men or lizard men 2d6
09 Muckdweller scouts HDd4 5d4 use slings to harass travellers
10 Pteranodon HD3+3 with d3 kobold observers
11 Kobold warband 5d4 out to grab loot
12 Very Young Baby dragons d4 hungry but wary of danger
13 Lizard Men HD2+1 War Band 3d4 looking for food for dragons
14 Dragon Men Skirmishers d4 challenge human heroes to single combat
15 Amphisbaena HD6 d3 rolling down road in hoop shape
16 Giant Constrictor snake HD6+1 d3 hanging from trees
17 Giant Poisonous Snake HD4+2 d6 blocking trails 
18 Giant Spiting Snake HD4+2 d3 blocking roads
19 Giant Gekko HD 3+1 d10 cling and camouflage often in trees or rocks
20 Draco Lizard 4+2 d8 glider membrane drop by surprise on prey from above
21 Horned Chameleon HD5 d8 hiding in terrain for ambush
22 Tuatara HD6 d4 ridden by lizard men raiding villages
23 Fire Snake HD2 d6 blocking roads and sneaking into forges and fireplaces
24 Young Dragon hungry but wont take undue risks 
25 Bone Snapper HD4 d3 often with d4 lizard men handlers
26 Fire Newts Infantry HD2+2 3d4
27 Firenewts HD2+2 riding striders HD2 
28 Ophidians HD 4 3d4 out looking for food for dinosaurs
29 Giant Poisonous Snakes HD4+2 d6
30 Huge Crocodile HD7 in water or moving in between
31 Troglodyte Scouts HD2 3d4 skirmishind and raiding
32 Salamander (fire or frost) attacking travellers and villagers
33 A angry wyvern HD7+7 looking for food
34 Hydra five headed with d4 lizard men guardians
35 Sub adult dragon scouting for army
36 Babbler HD6 d4 with a d4 lizard men handlers
37 Ice Lizard HD3+3 scouting but will attack travellers
38 Hydra six headed hungry and traveling roads to farms and villages
39 Were cobra HD5+2 shapeshifting spy
40 Wood Drake HD4 d4 patroling between woodlands
41 Cold Drake HD5 d4 from the mountains looking for victims
42 Elemental Drake HD6 d4 scouting for army
43 Boalisk HD5+1 d3 blocking roads
44 Young Adult Dragon scouting for army wary of threats
45 Man Drakes HD3 d6 in human form spying for draconic army
46 Wyverns HD7+7 d6 looking for humans to menace
47 Hydra seven headed roaming area eating everything
48 Adult Dragon confident and hungry
49 Pteranodon Squadron HD3+3 2d4 with lizard men riders
50 Basilisk HD6+1 blocking a road and polluting area with venom
51 Cockatrice HD5 blocking a road and polluting area with venom
52 Giant Snapping Turtle HD10 moving between water 1in6 with 4 lizard men on back 
53 Minotaur Lizard HD8 d8 1in6 riden by lizard men
54 Subterranean Lizard HD 5 d6 1in6 ridden by lizard men
55 Dimetrodon HD5 d6 hungrilly roaming from swamp
56 Giant Pteradactyl HD10 carrying dragon man knight or dozen kobolds57 Behir HD12 sneaking around looking for victims to torment
58 Hydra eight headed rampaging across countryside hungrily eating anything
59 Adult dragon ridden by serpent man wizard
60 Deinonychus HD 4+1 d6 pack of savage hunters
61 Medusa sent to kill as many humans as possible
62 Old Dragon confidant and hungry
63 Cultists fighting force collaborating with invasion, often mutated with reptile features
63 Spirit Naga with 2d4 lizard men guards
64 Hydra nine headed rampaging horror
65 Young Dragons D4 with dragonmen riders
66 Dracolisk HD7+3 blocking roads of traffic
67 Triceratops HD 16 with d4 lizard men riders
68 Stegasaurus HD18 with d4 lizard men riders
69 Megalasaurus HD12 with d4 lizard men troops
70 Gorgasaurus HD13 with d4 lizard men troops
71 Ceratasaurus HD8 with d4 lizard men troops
72 Sea Serpent HD 8-10 squirming between water ways
73 Fire Lizards HD10 d4 ridden by firenewts
74 Were lizard HD8+2 shapeshifting spy
75 Were snake constrictor HD7+3 shapeshifting spy
76 Wyvern ridden by d3 lizard men or a dragonman knight
77 Kobold army HDd4 100 + chief and guards and kobold wizard Lv4
78 Lizard King HD8 with 40 lizard men troopers
79 Lamia (snake) HD9 with 2d6 lizard men servants
80 Lamia Noble HD10+1 with 2d6 ophidian servant 
81 Werecobra assasins team of 6 looking for human leaders to eliminate
82 Serpantman wizard HD12 with 40 lizard men troops
83 Dragonmen HD2 x40 with hero leader HD6+6 
84 Lizard King Vampire HD12 and lizard men guards 40 by day they carry him in coffin 
85 Very old dragon with dragonman knight
86 Very old dragon with 20 dragonmen troops
87 Very Old dragon mated pair
88 Hydra eight headed with 20 firenewt troops
89 Hydra ten headed with frost breath (hydrax)
90 Hydra ten headed with fire breath (pyrohydra)
91 Tyrannosaurus Rex HD18 with 3d4 lizard men guardians
92 Hydra 12 headed regenerating firebreathing hydra
93 Ancient dragon with a hundred dragonmen searching for human forces
94 Pair of mated ancient ancient dragons leaders of dragon kind
95 Ancient Dragon ith dragonman knight hero
96 Great Elder Wyrm HD18 draconic elder unseen since the dawn age 
97 Drolem HD20 dragon golem made by dragon wizard cult to distract humans
98 Reptilian Gargantua 50HD god like fire breathing reptilian god lays waste to buildings
99 Tarrasque 300hp awoken by draconic cult rampaging across land
100 Tiamat Avatar 666hp often flies by razing area with breath weapons off to a battle

d100 Wonders of War 

01 Psuedo dragon comes to warn and advise humans of threat

02 Burning cattle in panicked stampede
03 Burnt fields or grass
04 Cloud of smoke seen in distance
05 Ash rains from sky
06 Foul odour of sulphur 
07 Winged creatures seen flying in distance
08 Kobold scouts attacking commoners
09 Kobold scouts setting fire to fields or farmhouse
10 Muckdwellers chasing farm animals or farmer
11 Burning fields or grasslands
12 Burning houses
13 Burned corpses of farmers or animals on road
14 Gassed corpses of farmers or animals on road
15 Fleeing farmers on foot hysterical
16 Fleeing farmers with waggons
17 Fleeing farmers with livestock
18 Orphan children covered in soot
19 Orphan crying with pathetic ragdoll
20 Wounded militia deserting and dumping equiptment
21 Fresh militia looking scared marching to front
22 Knights galloping to the front
23 Dead knight on panicked horse
24 Badly burned soldiers fleeing the front
25 Kobolds eating burned human corpses 
26 Giant lizards eating dead horses
27 Dragon landing in a field dropping off kobolds then flying away
28 Lizard men climbing out of a well
29 Dragon swoops on military waggons setting lot on blaze
30 Hundreds of charred soldier corpses with melted weapons and armour
31 Huge blazing forest fire
32 Burning village
33 Marching human army 
34 Area swarming with muck dwellers
35 Area swarming with kobolds
36 Army of kobolds marching
37 Army of lizardmen
38 Giant lizards crawling on road
39 Hear distant roaring and rampaging 
40 Dinosaurs destroying buildings
41 Pterodactyls flying overhead screeching
42 Wyverns flying overhead silently
43 Drakes flying overhead dropping fire on roofs and trees
44 Dragon setting fire to haystacks
45 Huge serpent swallowing person
46 Pteranodon flying overhead with lizard man throwing snakes from its back
47 Peasant trying to fight a giant snake to save family
48 Peasants beating a kobold with farm tools 
49 Soldiers with dragonman in waggon heading urgently away from front
50 Wyvern fighting a knight 
51 Wyvern menacing a fair maiden
52 Hydra fighting soldiers
53 People trying to cross river being attacked by crocodiles
54 Flood of water caused by dragons freezing river upstream
55 Wild animals of many species fleeing dragons hunger
56 Dragon in a field snacking on cows
57 Serpentman barking orders to lizard men to search area
58 Striders and firenewts chasing horse rider  
59 Salamanders cavorting in burning church 
60 Wizard fighting with dragon in distance
61 Fire rains from sky
62 Hundreds of dragons fly across the sky
63 Stampeding dinosaurs rampage across area
64 Dragonmen crucifying victims
65 Dragonmen herding human civilians to hungry dragons on snack break
66 Lizardmen herding bound prisoners deeper into draconic held lands
67 Wyverns busy mating while dragonmen riders get annoyed 
68 Troglodytes tormenting prisoners in cages with their stench
69 Human bandits skirmishing with lizardmen defending fleeing peasants
70 Wyverns dropping rocks on fortified building
71 Burning knight on horseback fleeing towards water
72 Serpantman and lizard king arguing in front of troops
73 Lizardmen pulling coffin from prehuman crypt with chanting shamen nearby
74 Kobolds feeding fire in burning buildings with incendiary fluid 
75 Human dragon cultists repairing a broken drolem
76 Human serpent cultists listening to stirring speech of a serpentman
77 Lizard cultists healing wounded giant reptile
78 Snake cultists in wagon throwing venemous snakes behind them
79 Broken stone statues of fleeing soldiers and peasants
80 Dinosaur fighting a giant crocodile over a frightened family in ruin
81 Paladin on horse heading to front asks for directions to battle
82 Priest leading villagers in prayer, ground shaking from something coming
83 Sobbing woman with huddling children crying over dead family members
84 Cultists exhorting villager prisoners to join them or be sacrificed to dragons hunger
85 Lamia leading trail of huge snakes and cultists towards houses
86 Cultists have prepared great wicker dragon full of prisoners ready to burn
87 Zombie humans being herded by reptile man shaman in service to his vampire king
88 Archers fighting a dragon, trying to hold morale
89 Wyvern fighting a hill giant
90 Crack opens in earth releasing foul odours
91 Couatl come to warn and help humans evacuate
92 Faerie Dragon come to help faerie and possibly humankind
93 Gargantuan lizard beast destroying a castle or bridge
94 Burning settlement being trampled by tarrasque
95 Earthquake shakes land
96 Volcanic eruption in distance spewing out dragons from hell
97 Huge plume of smoke and fire from distant city
98 Kobolds rendering dead villagers in cauldrons into fat intended to be used in siege
99 Catapults and ballistas on burning waggons surrounded by charred human soldiers
100 Tiamat leading dragons towards city in formation