Cursed Dragon

"Not even these stray wyrms are free from the pestilence of this accursed place. I've seen that putrid breath drive Pawns mad and reduce Arisen to foul puddles, armor and all...never thought I'd miss the flame." Barroch's Notes

Description
Cursed Dragons come from origins unknown and bear a striking visual similarity to the Ur-Dragon, however there are a few notable differences. Cursed Dragons are smaller and less brutal than the Ur-Dragon. Cursed Dragons do not have multiple hearts; instead, they have a single purple crystal in their chest.

Cursed Dragons are undead dragonkin, brought back to life by foul magick. Instead of breathing fire, they breath a vile and foul gas, which rots any time-sensitive items in the Arisen's inventory. The Cursed Dragon uses a combination of Ur-Dragon-like abilities and like the Ur-Dragon has eleven bars of health.

Also, like the Ur-Dragon, the Cursed Dragon can indeed be slain by a Pawn if one strikes the final blow to its heart.

Dragonforging


Slaying Cursed Dragons offers the amongst highest odds to Dragonforge equipment, and greater than any other of the minor dragonkin.

Offensive

 * The heart crystal on the chest is its weak spot, though blows and arrows to the head can stagger it.
 * All melee vocations: Simply climb it and attack - for climbing tips see Climbing.
 * Weak to Fire, and highly susceptible to Burning.
 * Weak to Holy.
 * Vulnerable to Torpor. Use an upgraded Rusted weapon if possible. -the higher the enhancement of the Rusted weapon, the greater chance it will inflict Torpor with each strike. A Torpor-inflicted Dragon is much easier to climb, attack and shoot at when it is moving in slow motion.
 * Cursed Dragons are resilient to, but may be inflicted with Lowered Defense, Lowered Magick, Lowered Magick Defense, and Lowered Strength.


 * Ice based attacks may partially inflict Frozen but the dragon cannot be shattered.


 * Poison may be readily inflicted.


 * Attacking the heart at close quarters makes it difficult for the Dragon to retaliate. The Cursed Dragon's only effective attack at this point is trying to grab its attacker or performing a spin attack or biting which can be blocked or dodged.


 * Immune to Drenched, Tarring, Blindness, Curse, Petrification and Sleep

Defensive

 * The Cursed Dragon's breath can inflict multiple debilitations simultaneously, including Cursed, Poison, and Torpor. Arisen and Pawns may become debilitated even while climbing onto the Dragon's chest during its breath attack.


 * The safest place for a melee vocation to be when faced with a Cursed Dragon is either grabbing onto its chest or standing directly underneath its heart.
 * Even ranged vocations may find it easier to simply climb the Cursed Dragon and slash at the heart from close range rather than shooting it from a distance.
 * Spellcasting from a distance is best accomplished from the Dragon's flanks, out of reach of its sweeping backhands.


 * A Cursed Dragon's attack patterns can be more easily learnt in "slow motion" by observing a torpored dragon. Torpor will last approximately 25 seconds before it must be re-inflicted.


 * Determine "safe" areas of the battlefield to escape from the breath attack. For example, in the Duskmoon Tower the Arisen can run behind the large tree, behind rock formations, around corners, or into any opened treasure chest chambers.
 * Alternately, grabbing onto the Cursed Dragon's chest is a generally safe position from the breath attack. Take the opportunity to reposition while the dragon is rearing up.


 * The most dangerous place to stand is directly in front of the Dragon, as its Bite is its single most powerful attack. The Cursed Dragon has a long, craning neck and a far reaching forward lunge, so avoid frontal assaults.
 * Running towards, and not away from the Dragon's underbelly when it begins its biting lunges may be a more effective way to avoid being chomped.


 * After being knocked down and reeling, with its health is past the halfway point, the dragon will initiate its massive breath attack. Once the Dragon has fully reared up onto its hind legs, there appears to be no technique capable of interrupting the breath attack. The breath attack will predictably be followed by its Possession roar. This attack has significant stagger.


 * The Cursed Dragon in The Fallen City can cast High Lassitude to slow the party down, either prepare in advance with resistant outfits, or suitable potions, or inflict Silence to prevent the spell being cast.


 * Mage pawns can hold the Cursed Dragon in place with High Grapnel, temporarily nullifying the physical attacks upon which it relies.

Pawn specific

 * Unlike other Dragonkin, excluding the Ur-Dragon, pawns can land the final killing blow on a Cursed Dragon.


 * Unlike other Dragonkin, the Dragon Roar can inflict Possession, forcing pawns to attack the Arisen. Prepare suitably.
 * Pawns with low Possession resistance who climb the Cursed Dragon's back can also become Possessed but they typically remain helpless on the Cursed Dragon's back until either restored to sanity, forfeited, or the fight ends.
 * Take care with high level pawns who could can potentially annihilate the entire party if they become possessed.

Pawn Bestiary Knowledge
For full information, refer to the Pawn Bestiary Knowledge page or the according section on the Drake page.

Enemy Specific :
 * Weak to Holy
 * Weak to Fire
 * Let the poison breath attack hit you making time-sensitive items rot instantly. (This may have to happen several times). Pawn's comment, "Augh...our meat and vegetables rot" or "His putrid breath spoils our belongings" is not an indication that they learned this already.
 * Let the Dark Bishop in the Forsaken Cathedral revive his pet Cursed Dragon after it dies. (May need to be witnessed a few times)
 * Let the Dark Bishop possess its pet Cursed Dragon. (May also need to be witnessed a few times)
 * Avoid head-on rushes
 * Perfect Block a lunge/bite attack
 * Witness the Cursed Dragon in The Fallen City cast spells like Lassitude (Torpor).

In addition to witnessing these techniques, it is necessary for Pawns to participate in killing over 15 Cursed Dragons with their own Arisen or while travelling with others.

It is though that Cursed Dragon accompanying the Dark Bishop and the Cursed Dragon appearing in the Fallen City each generate unique knowledge flags that the standard Cursed Dragon spawning as a necrophagous beast does not.

'Farming' Cursed Dragons
The best places to farm the Cursed Dragon are at The Pilgrim's Gauntlet (Pre-Daimon only), at the Duskmoon Tower, or in Midnight Helix by using Rancid Bait Meat. Lay it down, leave the area, and re-enter if the Cursed Dragon does not spawn immediately.

Cursed Dragons spawn in the area as long as the Rancid Bait Meat persists. This means that killing the Cursed Dragon and re-entering the area will immediately spawn another Cursed Dragon. This can be done multiple times as long as the Rancid Bait Meat persists.


 * In the Midnight Helix, a Cursed Dragon can spawn in mid-battle while the Arisen is engaging other enemies whether or not a Rancid Meat Bait is used. In other words, a Cursed Dragon can spawn alongside the chained up Gorecyclops (Condemned) (Pre-Daimon) and alongside the Frostwyrm (Post-Daimon). However, if the already freed Gorecyclops (Condemned) appears in Post-Daimon then Death will spawn instead of the Cursed Dragon.


 * In the Duskmoon Tower (Pre-Daimon), a Cursed Dragon will spawn immediately when using Rancid Bait Meat.
 * In the Duskmoon Tower (Post-Daimon), killing the Dire Dragon is required when not using Rancid Bait Meat. If one does not place a Bait Meat, the Cursed Dragon will spawn only after the corpse of the Dire Dragon has decomposed.
 * If one places the Meat with the Dire Dragon still alive, a Cursed Dragon will spawn alongside the other Dragon.


 * In the Tower of Treasons Repaid (Post-Daimon), a Cursed Dragon is likely to appear when Banshees are present and can be farmed using the method described above.