So I'm going to be portraying a red dragon in upcoming sessions of the 5e game I'm running...

So I'm going to be portraying a red dragon in upcoming sessions of the 5e game I'm running. Having never run a dragon before, I'm looking for some advice. The party has entered the region he considers his territory, and while they have the attention of some of his servants they have never directly confronted him in a way that would draw his attention.

What are some cool ways to tease the party with a dragon. It's my BBEG so I don't want to just up and start a fight (they'd lose anyway). How can I build him up and create some tension/fear?

I'm thinking I should treat him like the monster in a movie like Jaws or Alien and start by showing indirect evidence of his presence. Any ideas how I can do stuff like that? Experience running dragons in general?

This might actually help you. It would be funny to see a dragon like this

I'll check it out, though I've been playing the tone fairly serious so far.

well, reds are evil, make him like a mob boss. have him torture and kill locals that have borrowed from him (Think an entrepeneur dragon worrying about the longterm value of his hoard) and fail to pay him back. have him collect protection money from local lords and businesses.

use reports of exceptionally violent mob killings and forest fires as indirect evidence

I should specify we're in a mostly wild region, so there aren't too many local settlements. Though I think this same idea could be applied to the local horde of Orcs just fine.

You could have the party come across a caravan on the road, or at a tavern, which is transporting a tithe of treasure from a nearby town to the dragon. This would make the PCs aware of the dragons presence and make it obvious that the dragon is quite significant in the area. If the PCs want to learn more about the dragon they could ask questions to the people in the caravan, who probably at least a thing or two.

*who probably know at least a thing or two

yeah, have a short little quest where the players go attack the Orcs and find evidence of a dragon

Do you guys think it could be good to have an "out of the blue" moment where it just flies in low overhead bound for another destination? They're traveling through forests so they would only catch a glimpse of it, but they'd certainly hear/feel its' presence as it soars by.

Not a bad idea.

I like these, particularly forest fires. Very easy to do in our region.

Yeah I'll probably do that.

outside his minion's compound, have a line of stakes with the heads of those who failed to make payments and their failures on plaques beneath. this is a reminder to all who beseech him that he is:
>THE DEADLIEST LOAN OFFICER

Having it fly overhead could work, but I think it would work better once they've already found some evidence pointing towards the presence of a dragon. That way it's more of a confirmation of their suspicions/fears, as opposed to showing your hand right off the bat.

It might be a nice touch though if the dragon's lair is fairly close to a certain town. Close enough that from the center of town you can make out the billowing smoke wafting up from its home. This would help to keep the dragon feeling like a looming threat. Obviously if you want to save the dragon for a big reveal then the players shouldn't come to this town until they're already well aware of the dragon.

Gotcha. So save that until they have suspicions. I just thought it could be cool to have a "holy shit" moment, and also as a way to demonstrate that it has other business it cares about more than them.

Any idea what it would do when first made aware of them? On the one hand, I could see a territorial red swooping in and telling them to fuck off or just starting a fight. But on the other that's what minions are for.

Bamp

>The party has entered the region he considers his territory, and while they have the attention of some of his servants they have never directly confronted him in a way that would draw his attention.
>his territory
Mob boss.

maye a big ol roar? dragon eggs? fight off a few babies?

Read pre-waifu shit Dragon Quest.

what, like, three threads?

If you want to make it intelligent and stuff, and not just another evil critter to kill, and you go the route of the mob boss like that other user suggested, then the initial encounter should be non-hostile depending on how your PCs have interacted with its minions and territories.

Hell, have it offer them employment in its services if they're competent, or even make a quest-giver.

Make "it" a quest-giver.

red dragon should go from 0 to 100 in a fucking second

like, the players talking to him and one of them insults him even in the slightest? breathing fire and roaring and shit

players fuck with his shit in any way? he's going to be hunting them down.

for me, red dragons = rage. All dragons represent some form of emotion or some concept, like a green dragon would represent cunning, a black dragon represents brutality/just pure evil (though all color dragons are evil)

but reds are clearly greed in D&D you dingdong

What challenge rating does it have? Is an adult,mature dragon, or a young one trying to carve his own territory to tyranize?

About , instead of a cave or some kind of lair close enough to the city,consider this; the town is the only important settlement in many miles around, it lays in a crossroads and holds some importance apart from the obvious (maybe there's a shrine in); the dragon inhabits at the peak of a mountain close by. The sense of threat is still there, but that way seems even more dangerous; to attack the dragon's lair they would have to climb the mountain,which is a danger on its own. Maybe the dragon's henchmen have an encampment at the mountaint's foot,from whence they raid the surroundings.