Kobold Small-unit tactics

[Imagicka]

Right. As regular humans. I'm not opposed to them being organized, just that DMs love to go overboard by making the weak monsters super dangerous (normally by giving them way more equipment than is warranted), like the only thing kobold society does is prepare for a band of 4 humanoids (one fighter, one wizard...) to enter their territory.

Well, look at it logically. They aren't waiting and preparing for a band of humanoids to invade their their territory... especially if they are the caretakers to a black dragon... but let's forget the dragon for a moment...

They have to prepare or the encrouchment on their territory by other monsters... goblins, hobgoblins, orcs, bugbears...and those occational adventuring party... shall I continue? Other kobolds... owlbears, other monsters... the french... oh... wait... that was the Việt Cộng.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

When I create kobold lairs, I have one extremely dangerous path that's tall enough for medium sized-beings. Forget mere traps, I treat this path like a castle gatehouse, with murder holes and the like. This is the way they bring prisoners or the few medium-sized beings they must deal with.

Behind very secure (and often concealed) doors are the real tunnels, which are small-sized.

Not only is this a reasonable security measure, it's a lot less work to dig small tunnels than to dig medium or large ones (and most dungeons, for whatever reason, are sized for large beings).

 

[Dykstrav]

It's been my thinking that kobolds (and goblins) are much sneakier than they're generally given credit for, tactically or otherwise. C'mon, if you have 1 measly hit die, no cool special attacks and the other general kobold traits, would you really try to stand toe-to-toe with anyone? They don't have the physical might to do anything but use good tactics if they want to survive.

I've TPK'ed four parties with kobolds because the characters were stupid enough to charge into the kobold lair head-on. They were genuinely surprised to learn that the kobolds had set a bunch of traps, used crossbows from behind cover, and tied their movement options up trying to break through doors or climb over berms and ditches. These aren't brilliant tactics, they're elementary tactics. Even if you have overwhelming superiority in quality or numbers, it's a poor fighter that doesn't try to fight on his terms. It's not a soldier's (or a DM's job) to fight fair...

 

[lukelightning]

It's been my thinking that kobolds (and goblins) are much sneakier than they're generally given credit for, tactically or otherwise.

Whaddaya mean? Super sneaky kobolds and goblins are incredibly common and found more often than not. Everyone has encountered them.

 

[Bohemian Ear-Spork]

The bit that I didn't make clear is an important one. The kobolds are patrolling a city filled with (mostly human, some humanoid) civilians. Most of whom are none too happy about their presence, let alone that of their draconic master.

Setting up a lot of traps is therefore not an option -- there are people walking these streets on a daily basis, going about their business. Killing or maiming them willy-nilly isn't going to be doing the kobolds much good, and is in fact likely to make their job more difficult.

Instead, we have many of these patrols, constantly sweeping through the city. You'll see one every few blocks, keeping a watchful eye on things. And probably a few in the air as well, as some of the dragon's spawn have functional wings.

Now, the dragon's lair, and the approach to it, is another story entirely. That part of the city has been flooded, and is under several feet of water. If you don't what paths to follow, you're likely to lose a limb. Or a life.

 

[Imagicka]

The bit that I didn't make clear is an important one. The kobolds are patrolling a city filled with (mostly human, some humanoid) civilians. Most of whom are none too happy about their presence, let alone that of their draconic master.

Well, if your living in a city, and soon enough a black dragon and his minions take up residence. What's to keep you living there? I'm sure at the beginning some people resisted. But even if your a coward, what's to keep you from slipping out in the middle of the night with your family and high-tailing it down the road? Now, I can see monsters wanting to live in such a place. But why humanoids?

Setting up a lot of traps is therefore not an option -- there are people walking these streets on a daily basis, going about their business. Killing or maiming them willy-nilly isn't going to be doing the kobolds much good, and is in fact likely to make their job more difficult.

Well, trapping the roads might not be an option, but trapping abandoned buildings... alleyways... and regions of the city that the residences know better not to enter into... that's another matter.

Instead, we have many of these patrols, constantly sweeping through the city. You'll see one every few blocks, keeping a watchful eye on things. And probably a few in the air as well, as some of the dragon's spawn have functional wings.

Now, I can understand an occupied city that is controlled by these monstrous forces. Kobolds being the underlings. Hmm... ideas... ideas...

 

[Dykstrav]

Whaddaya mean? Super sneaky kobolds and goblins are incredibly common and found more often than not. Everyone has encountered them.

What I mean are the players who think, "oh, they just have one hit die, we can just run up and smush them into bloody paste." One of the two most common player-perception problems in my experience: 1) the players assume that the best idea in a fight is to run up and hit things until they die. 2) They should run up and hit everything they meet until it dies.

 

[Lidgar]

Kobold Equipment & Tactics

After running a few kobold adventures in 3.5, one thing that has certainly hit home is the kobolds outstanding AC when properly equiped. Assuming these guys are well equipped by their masters, I would split up archers and foot personnel. Archers would have a light crossbow, studded leather, and a short sword. Foot have a trident (which they can throw), dagger, heavy shield, and scale mail. Foot can form a shield wall in front of the archers - that way the archers also have cover. In my experience, a wall of 10-15 kobolds of mixed archer/foot regiments can be quite deadly for 4th level characters, as they do not have access yet to the "big bang" (i.e. fireball-type) spells yet, and the AC of the foot is likely near 20.

 

[NilesB]

D&D. Typical sort of setting, lacking the "high magic" feel of Eberron.

One of the "big three" D&D settings lacks social clubs that require you to be able to cast 9th level spells before you can be a member, and it's called the high magic one?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I would suggest the urban kobolds would turn small alleyways into their way stations on each block. If the humans rebel, they'll want a bolthole they can get into that will be hard for the humans to enter. Those would be crazy trapped, etc., as per kobold standard, although the entire works would likely be portable and brought in on wagons or something.