Moltres is one of the most feared and revered monsters in the Pokemon universe, and has been considered one of the strongest creatures in the game since it was originally introduced in Pokemon Red & Blue. If you're a Pokemon-savvy DM looking to spice up your D&D campaign with a modern iteration of Moltres in Dungeons and Dragons, here's a handy guide on how to bring the Legendary Bird to your game as a powerful boss encounter.
Moltres is the Legendary Pokemon that players are most likely to encounter on their journey through the Kanto region. Articuno and Zapdos are in optional locations that you can easily miss, while Moltres lives in Victory Road, which you need to travel through in order to reach the Elite Four. It's possible to ignore Moltres, but it makes a worthwhile ally for the struggle ahead.
Setting The Scene - The Gatekeeper
Moltres acts as a guardian of a significant location. The players must explore a massive underground labyrinth, which is guarded by powerful monsters and fiendish traps. Once the party reaches Moltres' nest, they will be shocked to discover a wide-open area that seemingly stretches as far as the eye can see. Moltres exists to guard the entrance to a secret place, and its lair was crafted specifically to catch opponents off guard.
Moltres is a creature of magic, which was designed in the shape of another fiery bird that is said to guard foreign lands. Invaders who seek to enter an underground area won't be prepared to deal with a massive, flaming bird that descends on them from above. After days of fighting in tight tunnels and inky darkness, the opponents will be caught off-guard by the agile ball of light that can attack them from any direction.
The silence of Moltres' chamber is deafening as the party enters. This silence is soon broken by the sound of crackling flame, then a horrific screech, as Moltres descends from the darkness in a flash of blinding light.
Moltres' Stats
Strategies & Tactics
Moltres opens up the battle with Burn Up, which will temporarily make it immune to Cold damage. The average D&D party will instantly try ice spells on a fiery enemy, so this will give them a nice surprise when Moltres shrugs it off. It will soon start raining fireballs on them with Flamethrower, especially if the party doesn't spread out as soon as possible. If forced into melee, it will concentrate its attacks on spellcasters in order to impose Pressure on them. It will flit away with Agility if melee-focused enemies start getting close. If it runs out of Flamethrower attacks, it will fly into the air and concentrate on using Legendary Strength to bring Heat Waves to the battle.