Help the bad guys

[Mythmere1]

Northrundicandus, stay out, please.











I'm trying to get the entire D&D community to help with this. It's 1e, but 3e players obviously will be able to help out as well. On the third level of a dungeon I rolled up a pathetic monster for one room. 12 kobolds.

As an intellectual challenge, I want to make this encounter not the easiest but the hardest of the entire level.

Here's the plan so far. The kobolds have a room with a raised dais that has two big "steps." At the top is the front half of a hollow statue - the indentation is large enough for a kobold to stand inside.

4 kobolds are on the first step with spears. 8 kobolds are on the second tier with bows and flasks of oil (4 with bows, 2 with flasks, 2 with torches).

The front line parries only (that's a -4 benefit to AC in my system), and are up high (+1 to hit, -1 to be hit). I think I'll also provide the tiers with a solid railing (cover - another bonus to AC). If the party doesn't think (this is the test), they'll storm the dais.

The front line of kobolds is just buying time. The second rank will throw oil and torches, plus bow fire. Now, there's also two locking pits next to the dais - one at the front, one at one side. The kobold in the statue controls the pit openings and closings. I hope to isolate a couple of PCs or men at arms in a locked pit.


Can anyone give me additional suggestions? One of the biggest hurdles is the sleep spell I assume the wizard is carrying...

 

[Korgoth]

Question: are there 12 Kobolds plus 1 in the statue, or if not which one is in the statue?

Sleep spell: could the room be under a permanent Silence? That way the Magic-User would at least have to be outside the room to cast it. Or perhaps the statue emits an alarm when its operator is disabled, which would wake the slept kobolds up?

Alternatively, the kobolds could be disguised as Zombie Kobolds. That means the MU won't cast Sleep (if he buys the ruse) but the Cleric may waste his time trying to turn them.

 

[Mythmere1]

Question: are there 12 Kobolds plus 1 in the statue, or if not which one is in the statue?

Sleep spell: could the room be under a permanent Silence? That way the Magic-User would at least have to be outside the room to cast it. Or perhaps the statue emits an alarm when its operator is disabled, which would wake the slept kobolds up?

Alternatively, the kobolds could be disguised as Zombie Kobolds. That means the MU won't cast Sleep (if he buys the ruse) but the Cleric may waste his time trying to turn them.

12 total. Silence is a great idea.

 

[T. Foster]

What's the reason going to be for the permanent silence effect? If I were a player in this game and the DM stuck an arbitrary silence effect on a group of kobolds solely in order to keep me from being able to sleep them, I'd be annoyed...

 

[Mythmere1]

What's the reason going to be for the permanent silence effect? If I were a player in this game and the DM stuck an arbitrary silence effect on a group of kobolds solely in order to keep me from being able to sleep them, I'd be annoyed...

Not on the kobolds - on the door area.

 

[Korgoth]

What's the reason going to be for the permanent silence effect? If I were a player in this game and the DM stuck an arbitrary silence effect on a group of kobolds solely in order to keep me from being able to sleep them, I'd be annoyed...

They're monastic kobolds who took a vow of Silence but were too stupid to be able to carry it out without magical help?

The Mad Wizard (tm) of the dungeon got tired of their incessant cackling?

They're extremely devious and purchased the Silence effect for the room with their treasure?

The room was already Silenced but the Kobolds moved in so that bigger monsters wouldn't hear them and come to eat them?

There are tons of explanations. But the DM isn't obligated to "play fair" in the dungeon. That's why there are all the traps, misdirections, etc. Now, if every room was designed to prevent a Sleep Bomb, your annoyance would be righteous.

 

[T. Foster]

OK, I like the idea of the silence effect being pre-existing (for whatever reason, hopefully at least vaguely defined) and the kobolds having deliberately chosen to lair in this area for that very reason

 

[diaglo]

any area effect spell will be a spoiler.
color spray.
burning hands.
sleep.

flasks of their own


what the kobolds really need to do is use their natural abilities.

why give them torches? they can see in the dark. make it flasks of acid. or green slime.

also make sure the kobolds have reach weapons in the front ranks or spears set for charge or something that will keep the pcs at bay

in 1edADnD fighters get a number of automatic attacks against things with less than 1 hd equal to their lvl.

 

[Mythmere1]

what the kobolds really need to do is use their natural abilities.

why give them torches? they can see in the dark. make it flasks of acid. or green slime.

Great idea. Avoids the necessity of throwing a torch, which frees up another kobold. Thanks!

also make sure the kobolds have reach weapons in the front ranks or spears set for charge or something that will keep the pcs at bay

Did that - spears.

in 1edADnD fighters get a number of automatic attacks against things with less than 1 hd equal to their lvl.

Yes, this is 1e, so that's a factor. But since I'm using a house rule from somewhere that gives you a bonus of 4 to your AC when you're parrying, which will help.

Here is how this is shaking out so far, based on advice here and elsewhere:

1) The dais is a hollow 2-step ziggurat. There is a trapdoor into it at the top, and a door leading out from inside (allowing a run-and-surround manuever). In other words, the inside is a bunker. At the top of the ziggurat there is the hollow statue with the kobold controlling the opening and closing of the pits. There is also one archer, behind part of the statue (a crossed leg or something) that gives him 50% cover.

2) The entry to the room is a magically silenced area. The kobolds immediately recognized the benefits of this, and built accordingly. About 200 sq feet are silenced (2 squares).

3) Inside the bunker's second level, there is a small catwalk giving access to portholes. These are bigger than arrow slits, allowing acid flasks to be thrown. There are 5 kobolds here - 3 have flasks, 2 have bows. There are also 2 arrowslits with straw-stuffed helmets propped in front of them (fake kobolds to draw fire)

4) On the ground floor of the bunker there are arrow slits that can be closed off with wooden shutters. The shutters can be broken in one round. There are 5 kobolds here. All will fire bows in their first round, then 2 will run to flank around the party. The 2 who don't run will reinforce the archers and move up to the top level of the dais in their second round. This should get them there in time to defend the trapdoor into the dais. There are also 2 fake kobolds in arrow slits here.

5) There are two locking pit traps at the edge of the dais controlled from the statue. These should catch at least a few of the attackers and take them out of the action. There's a hole in the top of the pit trap that can be used to kill people inside if the kobolds win (or they might sell the catch to ogres for food).

I think that's a pretty tough encounter to make with 12 kobolds, myself. Any other suggestions?

 

[Korgoth]

Looks rockin'.

I guess if you wanted to make it even tougher, the kobolds could trap/mine the door somehow.

Thief: "I don't recognize the script on this object."
Magic-User: "Out of way, oaf! Ah, it's written in Kobold."
Fighter: "What does it say?"
Magic-User: "Hmm. This side toward enem..."
BOOM!

That or maybe have a trap/misdirection sprung behind the party when they open the door that tends to herd them into the room/kill zone.