Help my Kobolds spank my players

[Celebrim]

And see for me those numbers just don't jive (not saying you are wrong, just a difference of opinion.) I'm suggesting a string of said loops and muderholes, constant drubbing by hit and fade (using surprise or initiative) should be enough to grind them down using them not as choke points but access points - and if the party is in kobold country, I would find it hard to believe there would be a safe place to hole up for the night unless the party is carrying some sort of magical shelter. Scattered bow attacks on the camp at say 45 minute intervals (on an irregular clock) should keep the party awake just long enough to slowly drain their supplies. The kobolds superior numbers mean their units get sleep while the party is harried into defeat. But that's just a tactical perspective. (Though I agree that 4e really skews this with it's party favored rest rules).

Your assumptions are assuming peer or near peer level foes, and would be perfectly valid in the real world. They just don't apply here if we assume that the PC's are high level, and the kobolds are well, kobolds. Remember, Rambo was a 6th level fighter.

You suggest 'hit and fade'. Exactly what good does that do in context? The kobolds generally get one shoted by attacks; the PC's don't. The kobolds can't split fire and move; the PC archer probably can. The kobolds may set ambushes, but the PC's with advantages in superior alertness compared to the kobolds stealth (made even worse in 4e because PC's level up all skills as they level), are unlikely to be surprised as a party, and even less likely to lose initiative as a party. All the 'hit and face' is doing is letting the party concentrate its force while picking off the kobolds one at a time. 'Tucker's Kobolds' work because Tucker was awarding the kobolds surprise essentially by fiat. If we take away their fiat super stealth, then the advantage goes back to the PC's.

Let's just do the simpliest case of a kobold archer hiding behind an arrow loop waiting to ambush a PC party, take a single shot, and run. His expected damage with this tactic is about 1/8th of a hitpoint, and that's if it works! However, to succeed as you note he needs as a prerequisite to either achieve surprise, or win initiative and survive a round, or lose initiative and survive two rounds. All these cases are unlikely against a competent group of players with say 6 6th level characters (to say nothing of the 6-8 12th level characters plus their hechmen and retainers in the original Tucker's Kobold scenario). First, he must hope that the whole party rolls lower than about a ~22 on a spot check, and that he is alerted to their presence (and they aren't scouting ahead with say an invisible dwarf rogue). Then, he must hope that the whole party rolls lower than his ~11 initiative. If he fails on either count, he'll probably die. In exchange for his weak missile attack, he's facing 6:1 odds where the PC party has either things like Wands of Magic Missile (near autokills) or +9 to +12 to hit bonuses on a missile attack that probably only fails to kill him out right if the PC rolls a 1 for damage. Using this tactic of a single sniper, the whole tribe of 400 kobolds will probably die without seriously inconviencing the party (expected damage is probably ~75 hitpoints, spread across the party, and reduced by magical healing). Run the math. I might be off by a little, but not enough to matter.

You say that the arrow loop is an access point, not a choke point, but its hard to be one without the other. A door is an access point, but its also a choke point where you can force a larger force to come at you one at a time. A window is an access point, but its also a choke point in the sense that it offers a limited field of vision. An arrow loop is even more so, especially when we are talking about a typical dungeon environment of small rooms and narrow tunnels. An arrow loop in the side of a 100' long 10' wide corridor, probably only covers 20% of the corridor at best, and while an arrow loop at the end of the corridor covers the whole thing, it would be hard to put more than 2-4 such access points in the 10'x10' wall while stil having any kind of nod to realism. So, while these tactics would give an advantage to a peer level foe perhaps, for kobolds all you are doing is ensuring that they are outgunned and outnumbered.

Think about the typical shooter video game. If you think about it, all that favorable terrain does for the computer is ensure you can take out your virtual enemies peice meal. If you had to face every foe in Half-Life 2 or Call of Duty 3 in the same large room without cover, then the red force would probably do much better than the do in the carefully crafted single player games.

if the party is in kobold country, I would find it hard to believe there would be a safe place to hole up for the night unless the party is carrying some sort of magical shelter.

Only if you allow the kobolds to have perfect intelligence about PC movements, and perfect command and control. But a quick look at the kobold stat sheet shows nothing that suggests that they should have these advantages. Where do you see the Track feat on the kobold stat sheet? Would you allow the PC's to perfectly track kobold movements without the skills to do so? Why allow the kobolds to do so? I mean, I suppose you could give the kobolds a few 1st level hunters/rangers, but now the PC's simply have to eliminate the few 'officers' to leave the kobolds helpless and you are putting the officers essentially on the front lines. It's a relatively easy matter for the PC's to evade kobolds and protect themselves from harassment because the PC's just have so many more resources and are so much more skilled than the kobolds. The PC's probably have higher skill at setting and disabling traps than the kobolds do. They can fade away and hide more easily than the kobolds can, and trap the approaches to their temporary camps as easily or more easily than the kobolds. Do you see Trap Finding on the kobold stat sheet? The PC's can out ambush the kobolds scouts and sentries. And that's before we get into the problem of the PC's employing magic, like 'pass without trace' or 'rope trick' (much less high level magic).

You see, part of your problem here is you are just making a fiat assumption: "In Kobold Country, the PC's can't hide because well it's Kobold Country." or "In Kobold Country, the kobolds achieve ambush because well, it's Kobold Country". If you actually follow the rules and dice for these things, it works out differently. 'Tucker's Kobolds' could exploit the ambuigities in the 1e rules, but even when I encountered the concept back then I realized Tucker wasn't playing fair.

 

[Thunderfoot]

Your assumptions are assuming peer or near peer level foes, and would be perfectly valid in the real world. They just don't apply here if we assume that the PC's are high level, and the kobolds are well, kobolds. Remember, Rambo was a 6th level fighter.

LOLZ - that is one of the best things I've heard all year. Thanks, I needed that.

You suggest 'hit and fade'. Exactly what good does that do in context? The kobolds generally get one shoted by attacks; the PC's don't. The kobolds can't split fire and move; the PC archer probably can. The kobolds may set ambushes, but the PC's with advantages in superior alertness compared to the kobolds stealth (made even worse in 4e because PC's level up all skills as they level), are unlikely to be surprised as a party, and even less likely to lose initiative as a party. All the 'hit and face' is doing is letting the party concentrate its force while picking off the kobolds one at a time. 'Tucker's Kobolds' work because Tucker was awarding the kobolds surprise essentially by fiat. If we take away their fiat super stealth, then the advantage goes back to the PC's.

Another reason I don't like 4e, but I'll let that drop. Hit and fade is usually done from a position of relative safety when you are talking about ground troops (mounted are a whole different beast) 10 or 15 arrow shots is nothing to sneeze at if the archers pop up fire (and then take the one round of obligatory return fire assuming there is no surprise. Move to the next position, do this 10 or so times and the damage starts to add up.

Let's just do the simpliest case of a kobold archer hiding behind an arrow loop waiting to ambush a PC party, take a single shot, and run. His expected damage with this tactic is about 1/8th of a hitpoint, and that's if it works! However, to succeed as you note he needs as a prerequisite to either achieve surprise, or win initiative and survive a round, or lose initiative and survive two rounds. All these cases are unlikely against a competent group of players with say 6 6th level characters (to say nothing of the 6-8 12th level characters plus their hechmen and retainers in the original Tucker's Kobold scenario). First, he must hope that the whole party rolls lower than about a ~22 on a spot check, and that he is alerted to their presence (and they aren't scouting ahead with say an invisible dwarf rogue). Then, he must hope that the whole party rolls lower than his ~11 initiative. If he fails on either count, he'll probably die. In exchange for his weak missile attack, he's facing 6:1 odds where the PC party has either things like Wands of Magic Missile (near autokills) or +9 to +12 to hit bonuses on a missile attack that probably only fails to kill him out right if the PC rolls a 1 for damage. Using this tactic of a single sniper, the whole tribe of 400 kobolds will probably die without seriously inconviencing the party (expected damage is probably ~75 hitpoints, spread across the party, and reduced by magical healing). Run the math. I might be off by a little, but not enough to matter.

This - this is what I like about you. Your math is actually spot on. (assuming variables not constants) You are however, also assuming a 10' tall corridor, could the party attack with such accuracy in a 5' tall corridor? Gnomes and halfings yes, dwarves, maybe, elves and humans, no. And the point is why would a kobold build a 10' tall corridor?

You say that the arrow loop is an access point, not a choke point, but its hard to be one without the other. A door is an access point, but its also a choke point where you can force a larger force to come at you one at a time. A window is an access point, but its also a choke point in the sense that it offers a limited field of vision. An arrow loop is even more so, especially when we are talking about a typical dungeon environment of small rooms and narrow tunnels. An arrow loop in the side of a 100' long 10' wide corridor, probably only covers 20% of the corridor at best, and while an arrow loop at the end of the corridor covers the whole thing, it would be hard to put more than 2-4 such access points in the 10'x10' wall while stil having any kind of nod to realism. So, while these tactics would give an advantage to a peer level foe perhaps, for kobolds all you are doing is ensuring that they are outgunned and outnumbered.

I'll concede that arrow loops on their own are a poor target acquisition device, but put a set of murder holes running the length of a hallway with a catwalk down the center in addition to the loops and you have an issue, you can hit one or the other, not both with conventional weapons and even Magic Missile has to have a direct line to the target, something you may be able to establish on the loops, but not the holes (assuming they are designed correctly.) Going back to corridor size, why would the kobolds need a 10' wide corridor? So, the party is impeded with movement and combat ability and now they are being attacked by an opponent that has a height, speed and combat advantage.

Think about the typical shooter video game. If you think about it, all that favorable terrain does for the computer is ensure you can take out your virtual enemies peice meal. If you had to face every foe in Half-Life 2 or Call of Duty 3 in the same large room without cover, then the red force would probably do much better than the do in the carefully crafted single player games.

I don't play 1st person shooters, even the best designed ones poorly represent cover/concealment and camouflage.

Only if you allow the kobolds to have perfect intelligence about PC movements, and perfect command and control. But a quick look at the kobold stat sheet shows nothing that suggests that they should have these advantages. Where do you see the Track feat on the kobold stat sheet? Would you allow the PC's to perfectly track kobold movements with the skills to do so? Why allow the kobolds to do so? I mean, I suppose you could give the kobolds a few 1st level hunters/rangers, but now the PC's simply have to elimenate the few 'officers' to leave the kobolds helpless and you are putting the officers essentially on the front lines. It's a relatively easy matter for the PC's to evade kobolds, and protect themselves from harassment because the PC's just have so many more resources and are so much more skilled than the kobolds. The PC's probably have higher skill at setting and disabling traps than the kobolds do. They can fade away and hide more easily than the kobolds can, and trap the approaches to their temporary camps as easily or more easily than the kobolds. Do you see Trap Finding on the kobold stat sheet? The PC's can out ambush the kobolds scouts and sentries. And that's before we get into the problem of the PC's employing magic, like 'pass without trace' or 'rope trick' (much less high level magic).

You see, part of your problem here is you are just making a fiat assumption: "In Kobold Country, the PC's can't hide because well it's Kobold Country." or "In Kobold Country, the kobolds achieve ambush because well, it's Kobold Country". If you actually follow the rules and dice for these things, it works out differently. 'Tucker's Kobolds' could exploit the ambuigities in the 1e rules, but even when I encountered the concept back then I realized Tucker wasn't playing fair.

I'll concede part of this argument. I'm assuming that the party is in lair with this statement (not outdoors). If they were still outdoors, then yes, the party can find and secure a base of operations if they are allowed (via skills/dice, etc) to do so. In lair, the kobolds should have access to every part of the lair. This is based on my assumption of kobold lairs. They are not straight line affairs (not conducive to trapping), they are not built for medium-sized humanoids, and the kobolds know the layout because they live there. You know the layout of your house and probably the area around it, just because it's yours, there is no special skill needed for this, just half a brain. If nothing else you plan escape routes based on emergencies (fire, flood, etc.) So, why wouldn't a halfway intelligent creature like a kobold do the same? If you know the party has entered through the "front door" and cleared the area of three rooms, why don't you send your raiders out the back and flank them? They know the layout of the rooms (and all those hidden attack points.) The party is going to need more than a campfire and a sentry to keep from being hounded all night. No fiat, just sound tactical thinking. The kobolds would still have to successfully ambush, but even an unsuccessful attack should be disruptive. A few hand grenades (pots of Greek fire) thrown into the camp can really ruin a good nights sleep.

 

[Filcher]

Sounds like a design challenge to me. Take a couple weeks and post your killer kobold dungeons!

 

[Viking Bastard]

[MENTION=4937]Celebrim[/MENTION] - Y'know, after thinking about this, I think that with what I'm planning, you'd probably see it as cheating. But my thoughts on "merely kobolds" has really nothing to do with the stats in the MM or 3e's CR mechanics. I don't even use the MM (or, rather, MV) for anything other than inspiration (and mining for powers) and only use a SlyFlourish-styled table for all enemy stats, which I simply judge by context on a case-by-case basis. There are no differences between a 2nd level goblin and a 2nd level kobold in stats, but purely in terms of roleplaying and flavor.

When judging enemy strength, I think about two things: Whether it's fun, and whether it make sense in context. If the answer to either of those is "no", then it's back to the bottom of the idea stack. I of course misjudge these things sometimes, but

Other than the usual "Challenge the players", "Have fun" and "Sadistic glee" my goals are:

• Introduce them to the classic D&D trope/cliche of the clever, masters of traps, sadistic kobolds. "Tucker's Kobolds", if you will.
• Challenge my players expectations. They've encountered kobolds, which they promptly wiped the floor with. Knowing them, they'll probably underestimate 'em and I'll get my sadist on as they learn their folly. If they surprise me, that's even more awesome--I love it when they do.

I may be missing the point. You may be missing the point. I don't care. I didn't even know "Tucker's Kobolds" existed before this thread, other than the now-classic portrayal of kobolds that it apparently spawned. The way kobolds have always been portrayed to me.

I just want to play with that classic trope and I want my players to enjoy it too.

 

[Celebrim]

Hit and fade is usually done from a position of relative safety when you are talking about ground troops (mounted are a whole different beast) 10 or 15 arrow shots is nothing to sneeze at if the archers pop up fire (and then take the one round of obligatory return fire assuming there is no surprise. Move to the next position, do this 10 or so times and the damage starts to add up.

I can't really address this fully because the 3e math on spot/hide are broken when the hiding occurs at range (it's linear growth in difficulty rather than the logrithmic it should be to simulate real space), and as far as I know neither 4e nor Pathfinder has fixed the problem. Exploiting the spot/hide rules as a DM is something you can choose to do, but if you do you have to accept that the PC's do a far better job at it than most NPC's and will out exploit kobolds quite easily. Ignoring however the broken math on range, the turn based nature of D&D combat, the binary nature of feats, and the ablative nature of hit point, renders this an ineffective tactic for low level foes in D&D. For mid-level foes, yeah, you can do this very effectively, but with 1st level commoner and warrior kobolds this is too sophisticated of a tactic to work.

I'll concede that arrow loops on their own are a poor target acquisition device, but put a set of murder holes running the length of a hallway with a catwalk down the center in addition to the loops and you have an issue, you can hit one or the other, not both with conventional weapons and even Magic Missile has to have a direct line to the target, something you may be able to establish on the loops, but not the holes (assuming they are designed correctly.) Going back to corridor size, why would the kobolds need a 10' wide corridor? So, the party is impeded with movement and combat ability and now they are being attacked by an opponent that has a height, speed and combat advantage.

First, you'll note my default corridor I described above was 5' wide, 20' high, and equipped with essentially murder holes, so I agree that this moves in the right direction. However, assuming that the kobolds are equipped with conventional weapons as well, then a murder hole is just a arrow loop in the ceiling and differs only by flavor.

Let's examine though the optimal terrain design for the 'attack from improved cover' tactic, just to help get a handle on what I'm talking about. If we really want to pull this off, we use a large corridor rather than a small one to maximize the number of attacks that the kobolds can focus on the party in a single round. So instead of a small confined corridor that reduces the ability of the kobolds (or the PC's) to concentrate fire, we instead have say a 35' wide corridor with a 30' high ceiling an is 100' long. With the exception of the door at either end of the corridor, every 5'x5' section lining the corridor has an arrow loop in it. The floor of the corridor consists of a single 1' wide catwalk down the middle of the corridor, which is flanked on either side by drop to a moat containing something unpleasant (spiked pit, ice cold deep water, acid, boiling mud, swarms of snakes, whatever). This is the best case that the kobolds can manage with direct attacks. Why?

Because all the kobolds have improved cover (+8 to AC) which negates most of a midlevel PC parties ranged attack advantage, and from the catwalk each PC without 5 ranks in balance is flat footed. (Any narrower of a catwalk would be unrealistic on the grounds that kobolds couldn't make use of it themselves on a daily basis, and otherwise the players would go around just as the kobolds themselves would.) Once the party has advanced into the room, the kobolds from this position can attack with the 66 kobold archers stationed in front and back of the party, the 6 kobolds firing down on the party from directly above them, and the roughly 120 kobold archers than can see the party from positions along the walls. This lets the DM throw about 172 d20's on the first round of combat, ensuring on average 8-9 hits. More if you are generous with murder hole lines of fire.

This is a far far better situation for the kobolds than 'duck and cover' and 'hit and run' tactics. It is actually a murderous death trap if the party blunders into this room without a plan and you can seal the exits.

There are a couple problems here. The first is that it takes between half and all the tribe to man all the combat stations in this room, so assuming that the tribe can bring in all of its sentries, scouts, and gaurds from every other area, it now has left much or all of the rest of its defenses unnamed. If the PC's retreat or fail to enter the room, the whole system of defense is now in disarray and must be put back. If the PC's get to this room by surprise, it will probably be initially lightly defended. And the PC's are unlikely to just walk into such an obvious trap anyway, and will be able to prepare defenses against such a straight forward problem. The second is that since the kobolds are now massed, they are also now more vulnerable to PC's magical counter measures. It's essentially like having your whole battalion in parade formation in a combat zone - one well placed 155mm artillery shell is going to ruin everyone's day. If the PC's have a means of hurting kobolds, now is the time to use it (as just one example, wall of fire adjacent to one wall facing outward will fry 25-30kobolds even with improved evasion from the cover).

Remember, the kobolds advantage is in numbers. If you want to use the kobolds in a direct attack, you must maximize that advantage. However, I'm not at all convinced that direct exchanges of fire of this sort are the best approach.

 

[Thunderfoot]

I can't really address this fully because the 3e math on spot/hide <SNIP>

Agreed.

First, you'll note my default corridor I described above was 5' wide, 20' high, and equipped with essentially murder holes, so I agree that this moves in the right direction. However, assuming that the kobolds are equipped with conventional weapons as well, then a murder hole is just a arrow loop in the ceiling and differs only by flavor.

I can see your approach here, but a murder hole constructed correctly should be a 6" by 6" square with a depth of 4 or more feet so rocks, oil, etc become a very dangerous "landing zone" and return fire is a lot harder to pull off. Otherwise, yep just a really big arrow loop that actually is more dangerous to the defenders than the arrow loop.

Let's examine though the optimal terrain design for the 'attack from improved cover' tactic, <SNIP>
Remember, the kobolds advantage is in numbers. If you want to use the kobolds in a direct attack, you must maximize that advantage. However, I'm not at all convinced that direct exchanges of fire of this sort are the best approach.

I would think the small corridor would be a better use - a long corridor with a single file group of targets (I mean adventurers), who can't bring their weapons to bear effectively and are being constantly assailed by kobolds. But, I have to admit, I haven't ran the numbers. (I may actually stat this out and run it a couple hundred times to see.)

I agree direct fire is just a mass suicide pact with armor. (Why do I suddenly have a vision of maille clad lemmings?)

 

[Living Legend]

I recall playing an adventure back in the day (probly dragon mountain) where we got ambushed by several kobolds who beat us up pretty bad. They had gauntlets of ogre power so their strength was like 22. We finally killed them and went to take their stuff... but the gauntlets were sized for small creatures, and made of porcelain. We resized a pair, and they broke shortly thereafter.

 

[Celebrim]

I would think the small corridor would be a better use - a long corridor with a single file group of targets (I mean adventurers), who can't bring their weapons to bear effectively and are being constantly assailed by kobolds. But, I have to admit, I haven't ran the numbers.

The suggested setup gives you nearly 30 to 1 odds against a party of 6. If you have the corridor be small, you'll be doing good to manage more than 2 to 1.

 

[Celebrim]

Suggested Traps

Mechanics vary by edition, but should be easily adaptable to whatever is standard for that edition.

For example, a reflex save DC 20, corresponds to saving versus wands in D&D, save versus petrification/polymorph in AD&D, and roughly an attack versus reflex at +10 in 4e.

Traps

Camuflaged, 5'x10', 20' deep spiked pit: automatic trigger, manual reset, single target, reflex save DC 20, 20' falling damage, plus 1d4 +8 attacks on AC doing 1d6+4 (x3 critical) + disease damage. disease: Fortitude save or acquire the disease tetanus.

Kobolds use this trap liberally as a defensive measure in little used tunnels. They also place them strategically ahead of strongpoints, hoping to catch those that recklessly charge foward, as well as to either side of firing lanes, hoping to catch those that dodge for cover. The traps are simply a thin mat of sticks and woven grass covered with a thin layer of natural clay. Spears are embedded upright in the bottom of the pit. Climbing out is DC 22, with a real possibility of falling back into the pit.

Defenses

Many of the traps are less traps than manually triggered defenses. They have attributes equivalent to traps, except that they have the trigger type 'manual' and require one or more living kobolds present to set them off. Manual traps are preferred because they are more durable (they trigger mechanism requires a less fine balance), much cheaper (the trigger mechancism is simple so the cost of the trap is often only 5-10% of an automatic trap), and less dangerous (they can be used in high traffic areas).

Typical defense are equivalent to the traps described by the SRD:

Swinging Log Trap CR 2; mechanical; manual trigger; manual reset; Atk +5 melee (4d6, log); multiple targets (all targets in two adjacent 5-ft. squares); Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 20. Market Price: 500 gp.

Portcullis Trap: CR 1; mechanical; manual trigger; manual reset; Atk +10 melee (3d6); Spot DC 20; Disable Device DC 20. Note: Damage applies only to those underneath the portcullis. Portcullis blocks passageway.

Stones from Ceiling; CR 2; mechanical; manual trigger; repair reset; Atk +12 melee (2d6, stones); multiple targets (all targets in two adjacent 5-ft. squares); Spot DC 20; Disable Device DC 20.

Large Net Trap; CR 2; mechanical; manual trigger; manual reset; Atk +5 melee (see note); Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 25. Note: Characters in 10-ft. square are grappled by net (Str 18) if they fail a DC 14 Reflex save.

Stone Blocks from Ceiling; CR 3; mechanical; manual trigger; repair reset; Atk +10 melee (4d6, stone blocks); multiple targets (all targets in four adjacent 5-ft. squares); Search DC 25; Disable Device DC 20

While the individual defenses are weak much as the kobolds themselves, kobolds rely on defense in depth to protect themselves. Kobolds will use defenses in combination with each other to be able to harass opponents over a large area. For example, a sloping passage which approaches thier living areas may be watched through murder holes concealed in the ceiling. A party may be initially harrased by blindly dropped stones until they reach a midpoint in the passage, at which time manual porticullis traps will be activated to seal off some of the exits to the passage. Warm pig fat or oil will then be dropped through the murder holes to make the passage slippery, and a manual rolling spiked mantlet trap or several rolling boulder traps will be activated. Those invaders quick enough to reach sidepassages that allow them to escape the rolling boulders will find that the passages that weren't sealed off have camuflaged pit traps overlooked by murder holes in their entrances. Those that don't will find that the spiked mantlets sweeps them violently down the passage to a small chamber with a single entrance, now blocked by the mantlet and that kobolds can now attack them through more murder holes. Those that manage to pentrate to the top of the passage may find that the passage is completed blocked 100' ahead by a barbican that is firing a light mangonel down the narrow passage that has no cover. The exit from the passage may be through access in the roof (controlled by the kobolds) and defended by kettles of boiling water that can be poured through murder holes, and a pit trap ahead of the barbican should someone charge the mangonell team to disable it. Progress through the gate house is blocked by chokepoints which can be sealed off. If this is passed, the party finds that actually entering the village requires traversing narrow suspension bridges dangling above a lake, and the kobolds will fire on them through inverted towers that are suspended from the ceiling and as a last resort cut bridges from their tie points above while the PC's are still on them. And so forth.

 

[Loonook]

Mechanics vary by edition, but should be easily adaptable to whatever is standard for that edition.

For example, a reflex save corresponds to saving versus wands in D&D, save versus petrification/polymorph in AD&D, and roughly an attack versus reflex at +10 in 4e.

Traps

Camuflaged, 5'x10', 20' deep spiked pit: automatic trigger, manual reset, single target, reflex save, 20' falling damage, plus 1d4 +8 attacks on AC doing 1d6+4 (x3 critical) + disease damage. disease: Fortitude save or acquire the disease tetanus.

Kobolds use this trap liberally as a defensive measure in little used tunnels. They also place them strategically ahead strongpoints, hoping to catch those that recklessly charge foward, as well as to either side of firing lanes, hoping to catch those that dodge for cover. The traps are simply a thin mat of sticks and woven grass covered with a thin layer of natural clay. Spears are embedded upright in the bottom of the pit. Climbing out is DC 22, with a real possibility of falling back into the pit.

Defenses

Many of the traps are less traps than manually triggered defenses. They have attributes equivalent to traps, except that they have the trigger type 'manual' and require one more living kobolds present to set them off. Manual traps are preferred because they are more durable (they trigger mechanism requires a less fine balance), much cheaper (the trigger mechancism is simple so the cost of the trap is often only 5-10% of an automatic trap), and less dangerous (they can be used in high traffic areas).

Typical defense are equivalent to the traps described by the SRD:

Swinging Log Trap CR 2; mechanical; manual trigger; manual reset; Atk +5 melee (4d6, log); multiple targets (all targets in two adjacent 5-ft. squares); Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 20. Market Price: 500 gp.

Portcullis Trap: CR 1; mechanical; manual trigger; manual reset; Atk +10 melee (3d6); Spot DC 20; Disable Device DC 20. Note: Damage applies only to those underneath the portcullis. Portcullis blocks passageway.

Stones from Ceiling; CR 2; mechanical; manual trigger; repair reset; Atk +12 melee (2d6, stones); multiple targets (all targets in two adjacent 5-ft. squares); Spot DC 20; Disable Device DC 20.

Large Net Trap; CR 2; mechanical; manual trigger; manual reset; Atk +5 melee (see note); Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 25. Note: Characters in 10-ft. square are grappled by net (Str 18) if they fail a DC 14 Reflex save.

Stone Blocks from Ceiling; CR 3; mechanical; manual trigger; repair reset; Atk +10 melee (4d6, stone blocks); multiple targets (all targets in four adjacent 5-ft. squares); Search DC 25; Disable Device DC 20

You are really making me want to build this, find where you are in Columbus, and run something just to see what you would do in this sort of situation... Because I need a group to play in anyways .

In a completely non-magic situation the traps you have ID'd have a lot of promises. You also have an entirely manual-triggered series of traps... You know that most any of those traps could be triggered through pressure points, trickery, etc?

Also, the wonderful things Kobolds get? Level -3 CR for NPC classses gives you the ability to have some pretty skilled warriors at your disposal, Adepts who can cast Lightning Bolt and Raise Dead, and make for some interesting things... And you get to have your fill of Warriors. Handful of encounters with the correct balancing or even incorrect balances would be hilarious to run.

Now you're making me want to build the Cradle of Drakes, the capital of Kobold culture, with all of its trappings. And a giant series of traps, tricks, mystic passages, twists, drops... And an entrance to a plane that provides the culture with its own little place in the sun.

Slainte,

-Loonook.