I want to have a bunch of kobolds (atleast 300) to attack this small town that was stolen from them by the current inhabitants. The defenders of the town would be a 2nd level rogue with a +2 composite longbow. A 2nd level rogue paldin with a longbow. Two second level fighters & finally a expert on explosives that throws grenade like objects. The town is surrounded by a 12 foot stone wall on three-sides and a mountain behind it. The kobold hoard is attacking mainly from the side with the drawbridge. The cities defenses include a moat, and an array of mines & pits surrounding the fields to inhibit the kobolds (the mines do 6d6 as well as the grenades). Also there are large torches placed around the wall to inhibit the kobolds night-vision. Half the hoard are armed with crossbows & slings while the other half have spears. There is also a small siege party to try to get through the walls/drawbridge. There are other people in this town but they payed the adventurers to save them and will only fight if the kobolds make it in. The townsmen are mainly commoners using swords and slings. So the main question is how many kobolds should i use to make this battle a challenge but not kill everyone outright.
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trouble with the kobold hoard
- Thread starter aerus2800
- Start date
Piratecat
Sesquipedalian
Welcome to the boards!
If the only defenders are the adventurers, the town is doomed. It might make more sense ot have the 1st lvl commoners helping out as well; they'll need to, if for no other reason than to fend off boarding ladders. Five PCs are going to have trouble fending off that many kobolds!
The tricky bit is that the answer really depends on how tactically clever the players are. Can you give us an idea as to how experienced and/or sneaky they are?
PS I know you meant "horde", but I have this wonderful image of the kobold treasure attacking the town.
If the only defenders are the adventurers, the town is doomed. It might make more sense ot have the 1st lvl commoners helping out as well; they'll need to, if for no other reason than to fend off boarding ladders. Five PCs are going to have trouble fending off that many kobolds!
The tricky bit is that the answer really depends on how tactically clever the players are. Can you give us an idea as to how experienced and/or sneaky they are?
PS I know you meant "horde", but I have this wonderful image of the kobold treasure attacking the town.
hmmm
well, if it's a farming community scythes and pitchforks should be somwhat common. i'd recomend that there would be a healer/healing potion brewer in the party, because if the 2nd level characters face the army, then the're already dead.
*edit-without healing-*
well, if it's a farming community scythes and pitchforks should be somwhat common. i'd recomend that there would be a healer/healing potion brewer in the party, because if the 2nd level characters face the army, then the're already dead.
*edit-without healing-*
Last edited:
JChung2003
First Post
Remember the Alamo!
Angcuru
First Post
ph34r said:Maybe you could have a sizable group of elves enter the town to help shortly before the kobolds attack!
HEY! Hold on now.....
We only do that when there's ORCS involved! And that's only if we have an alliance in place already! O.K. now, on to the advice. This town...does it have a stockpile of compost or manure? If so, you can spread that stuff in a line around the stone walls of the town so that when the kobolds approach, you have an archer shoot a flaming arrow down into it and FWOOSH! Kobold flambe!
Big hidden pits of pungee sticks come to mind.
It sounds like it's going to be very important to have a good map. If I was running the horde scenario I the grand total of kobolds would be unimportant. I'd only really be concerned about the number that would face the PC's. NPC monsters vs NPC townsfolk, I'd just let part of the conflict be story. I might roll some dice for the battles that occur close to the PC's position, but I'd fudge the dice rolls if the battle suddenly went real bad for one side or another....unless that was part of the story.
If the Kobolds attack at night, and why wouldn't they, then it will probably be hard for humans to get an accurate head count. The Kobolds are small, they all look the same, and it's gotta be a stressful situation for Commoners to be counting invaders. I'd probably describe the invaders as a swarm of diminutive reptilian humanoids. http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mm_gallery/KoboldLizardTrogUrd.jpg
As they approach the moat, there are so many of them that you can't see the ground below them. They bark and hiss so loud that you can't hear the person next to you speaking. There could be hundreds of them.
As the PC's enter combat with the kobolds, I would break them up into smaller, more managable units. Unless you are using some kind of mass combat system it is going to be a monumental task to keep track of 600 kobolds. If I was the DM with 600 kobolds, I'd want the PC's to feel like they were up against overwhelming odds and it was a massive number of enemies that, should they all enter the town, everything will be destroyed. 400 or 600 kobolds, the message is the same. As the battle ensues, I'd flucuate the total number of kobolds based on the success the PC's are having. If the dice betray them and they are taking heavy losses, I see no reason not to cut back on the number of opponents. Well, unless you are out to kill them, but that's another story.
Maybe some of this stuff I've written is only half-baked. The thread's subject title caught my attention. I ran a PC in a similar situation a few months back and I am curious as to how another group would deal with an army of kobolds attacking a town with PC's as defenders. Hopefully everything will work out and at the end of the session, everyone will be smiling and looking foward to playing again.
If the Kobolds attack at night, and why wouldn't they, then it will probably be hard for humans to get an accurate head count. The Kobolds are small, they all look the same, and it's gotta be a stressful situation for Commoners to be counting invaders. I'd probably describe the invaders as a swarm of diminutive reptilian humanoids. http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mm_gallery/KoboldLizardTrogUrd.jpg
As they approach the moat, there are so many of them that you can't see the ground below them. They bark and hiss so loud that you can't hear the person next to you speaking. There could be hundreds of them.
As the PC's enter combat with the kobolds, I would break them up into smaller, more managable units. Unless you are using some kind of mass combat system it is going to be a monumental task to keep track of 600 kobolds. If I was the DM with 600 kobolds, I'd want the PC's to feel like they were up against overwhelming odds and it was a massive number of enemies that, should they all enter the town, everything will be destroyed. 400 or 600 kobolds, the message is the same. As the battle ensues, I'd flucuate the total number of kobolds based on the success the PC's are having. If the dice betray them and they are taking heavy losses, I see no reason not to cut back on the number of opponents. Well, unless you are out to kill them, but that's another story.
Maybe some of this stuff I've written is only half-baked. The thread's subject title caught my attention. I ran a PC in a similar situation a few months back and I am curious as to how another group would deal with an army of kobolds attacking a town with PC's as defenders. Hopefully everything will work out and at the end of the session, everyone will be smiling and looking foward to playing again.
the Jester
Legend
With second-level pcs, and only a couple of them, I think you're looking at a high likelihood of a tpk. Even if all the kobolds are your 'average' specimens, with that many rolling to hit, they'll wear the defenders down pretty quickly.
I agree; the commoners need to pitch in.
I agree; the commoners need to pitch in.
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