Apex creatures

A handful of beasts are in a class of their own: the great dragons, the hydra, the demon lord, the giant worm, the earth titan, the mastosaurus, the werelephant and a few others. They are rare. Travel the wilds for a couple of hours and you may cross one; stand still and you will not.

• Bring an army. An apex creature has the strength of a whole company. Plan on ten fighters at the very least, and more if you want it dead quickly.
• Its blows hurt. A single hit takes most of an unarmoured fighter's health; its heaviest can kill one outright.
• It hits everyone in reach. A tail, a claw sweep or a gout of breath strikes every body it passes through, not just the nearest. Do not bunch up in front of it.
• Its slams shake the ground. When it brings its weight down, everyone close by is thrown off their feet.
• Dragons breathe. Fire, frost, acid or lightning pours from the jaws onto the ground ahead and burns everyone in it. Do not stand in front of a dragon's head; the ones under its chin face its teeth instead.
• It fights whoever hurts it most, not whoever touched it last. A strong front line can hold its attention while the rest work.
• It cannot be held. No stun, root, charm, fear or confusion takes hold of it, so save those for its kin. Slowing it, sapping it and hurting it all still work.
• It never breaks and runs. It fights to the death, or until everyone has left it alone.
• Everyone who fought it shares the kill. Every fighter who wounded it in its last two minutes earns the experience, with their group, not only the one who struck last.
• Its body is a hoard: several fine enchanted pieces, and a fair chance at the beast's own famous treasure. Whoever reaches the body first takes it, so agree on the split before the fight.
• Leave it be and it wanders on. Come back later and it may be gone.