Dragons are a case where reading all the words
and taking into account what they say is more important than usual. Some of the more important words:
Dragons are also intelligent – the older, the smarter. They use canny tactics
The GM decides exactly what this means, but with IQ and Tactics both at 12-16 out of the box, these tactics shouldn't be amateurish. Knights and holy warriors intended to lead small armies of NPCs have Tactics at 11-12, so dragons will usually outmaneuver them. See the description of the Tactics skill on p. 91 of
Adventurers – and note that with Per 14-18, Night Vision 9, and Peripheral Vision, a dragon
will normally have "time to prepare" and thus enjoy a starting advantage in battle. The most likely starting advantages are
Air Superiority (
Monsters, p. 27) and/or
Like a Boss (
Monsters, p. 7) . . . but a dragon
in its lair may also exploit
Home-Ground Advantage (
Monsters, pp. 6-7) and/or
Castle Doctrine (
Monsters, p. 7).
The wisest can cast spells.
This is likewise up to the GM, but there's no reason why a dragon bent on exploiting a tactical advantage wouldn't use magic to those ends. When the door gets kicked in, the delvers might find themselves crossing a Glue area and mostly being unable to move, or to dodge or fight well, while the dragon flies safely out of reach and torches them. A medium dragon – with FP 15, ER 35, and probably its most valuable treasure as a huge power item – could fill a cave big enough for it to fly around in (say, 21 hexes across, same as its air Move, meaning an 11-hex-radius area of effect) for 33 energy minus one for high skill, which even leaves energy for other things.
these creatures vary widely, and the GM should customize each one. In addition to the fixed and suggested traits below, a particular dragon could have any advantage – most famously Alternate Form (Human), Danger Sense, Discriminatory Smell, Extra Heads (with Extra Attacks and different breath weapons), and See Invisible
Note the words "each one" rather than "tougher specimens" or "those intended as bosses." The stats blocks are bare bones to which capabilities are supposed to be added. A dragon with Danger Sense, Discriminatory Smell, and/or See Invisible will just about always have time for tactical preparations, both mundane and magical. The GM might consult
Out of Your Element (
Monsters, p. 16) and
Heavy Metal (
Monsters, p. 33) for further ideas. And "any advantage" includes stuff like Song of Terror (
Adventurers, p. 18) for roaring dragons, Dragon Skin and Uninterrupted Flurry (
Adventurers, p. 31) for your Chinese-themed ones who control their
qi, and Improved Magic Resistance (
Adventurers, p. 41) for casters.
A dragon is often less dangerous in a dungeon, where it cannot fly high and murder the delvers with impunity.
This is crucial. Really,
no dragon should fight on the ground! Dragons are flying creatures, and like all flying creatures – bats, bees, birds, etc. – they lair in places they can reach
and easily leave by flying. They're too intelligent to be shut up in a room with low ceilings and no exits big enough for a dragon. If knights are waltzing up and whacking them on the head, then presumably those knights have spells or potions of flight . . . in which case the delvers were prepared and deserve to reap the rewards of their foresight.
And for the medium dragon under discussion:
Dragon may have Magery 1-4, up to Energy Reserve 35 (Magical), and wizardly spells!
With IQ 14, this translates into even one point in a spell giving level 13-16. But there's no reason to limit casters to one point . . . they typically have four points in Diplomacy and Tactics, after all. Sensible minima for favorite spells are 15-18, with those likely to be deployed in combat easily reaching 20+ and scoring a casting-time reduction. And as noted above, such a dragon will use its priciest treasure as a power item; if the heroes stand to go home with a $10,000 crown, they'll have to deal with a dragon who has an extra 25 FP to burn.
—
I strongly counsel thinking about all this before simply ratcheting up ST, HP, DR, and combat skills. Which said, if a spellcasting dragon is allowed to spend a virtual 150 points on Magery 4 and Energy Reserve 35, there's no reason
not to give another dragon the equivalent of +25 HP, +10 DR, and Striking ST 10 if you really want, so your medium dragon hits with ST 45 and has DR 16, HP 60. This is in the spirit of "any advantage." Likewise, if the caster has points in spells, this "tank" dragon might spend the same number of points on Brawling and Innate Attack at insane levels . . . possibly saving a few for Enhanced Dodge, which is still part of "any advantage."