The most ferocious of all the chromatic dragons, red dragons are terrifying enemies. Their lairs are unique places full of danger.

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Outside the Lair

A sudden eruption of steam blasts from the centre of a bubbling pool.
Prismatic pools reflect multi-coloured light onto the surrounding rocks.
Lobster-like creatures scurry away into the depths of the boiling pools dotting the surrounds when disturbed.
Bubbling pools spray boiling water at random that dissolve clothing and leave white itching sores.

What’s Going On?

A large rock steams abruptly then collapses in on itself, spilling lava onto the ground.
Sounds of hawking and spitting can be heard echoing from the lair’s depths as the dragon regurgitates a wagonload of treasure.
The dragon swoops down, crashing to the ground by the entrance to its lair; nearby steam vents dramatically erupt at that very moment as if in greeting.
Agitated by the heat of the dragon’s presence, a dormant fumarole begins to increasingly vent over a couple of hours before erupting.

Major Lair Features

Bubbles rise to the surface of a pool of crystal clear water. A bitter stench reveals the clear liquid to be powerful acid.
The ground crumbles to ash and powder when stepped on, revealing pits and sealed off vents below.
Blackened crystals protrude from the side of a large, fire blasted rock.
Thick ridges of rock line the walls of a lava tube, like tidemarks where a river of lava once flowed.

Minor Lair Features

Melted piles of stone fill chambers. Buried within them lie the bodies of previous would-be dragonslayers.
Windblown ash covers the floor; it fills the air with billowing clouds of choking ash when the wind sweeps through the lair.
Superheated sand and gravel have melted together into a jagged chunk of glass.
The walls of this chamber have become silky smooth due to the extreme heat.

Red Dragon’s Appearance

Bands of gold and silver decorate the massive horns of this crimson-scaled male.
Black stains like tiger stripes cover the sides of this raspy-tongued female dragon.
Missing most of its horns and bearing a patchwork of scars, this male dragon has seen much better days.
This female dragon’s lower lip has been maimed, leaving her dribbling whilst she talks.

Treasure

Gold and silver coins fill this gold-plated chamberpot covered with silver embossed animals gallivanting through a wooded landscape.
This ornate elven harp made of polished oak with silver and ivory inserts is missing one string.
Finely engraved hideous demonic faces decorate this black-bladed sword. The sword’s pommel is a fist-sized blood-red gem.
Once, this was a ridiculously heavy and ostentatious golden shield studded with precious stones. Now, it is a melted lump of metal worth a king’s ransom.

Trinkets & Trash

Barrels containing ripe corn have exploded in the heat sending popcorn all over the floor.
A red wool scarf hangs from a jagged spur of rock.
A cracked and gaudily painted wooden knight is trodden deep into the ash.
This pouch contains fine smoking tobacco.

Credit

This is a short system-neutral extract from Monstrous Lair #56: Red Dragon’s Lair by Steve Hood. Monstrous Lair #56: Red Dragon’s Lair is compatible with virtually any fantasy roleplaying game.

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