How could Kobolds defend their lair? Part 3 of game session posted.

[Halivar]

1. Pitch black. No lights.
2. Lots of chasms with bridges; concealed archers attack from all directions, reflex save or fall.
3. Sorcerors, lots of sorcerors. Even just a bunch of level 1 sorcerors can deal enough magic-missiles to harass the players.
4. Alchemist's fire traps. Make very sure that scrolls n' spellbooks get torched if they don't protect them.
5. Wide chasm with no bridge (it's been cut by the kobolds). Make the players eat up thier magical ability to fly. Subsequently (after their means of flying wears off) lead a passage to the bottom of a sheer pit they must climb. While they're climbing, hordes of kobolds are spitting poison darts at them that take 1d4 Str or somesuch.
6. After you kill them, make it clear (in-game) that there was an easy back way in to get straight to the treasure room. Make them feel silly for not scouting out better.

 

[Agback]

G'day

I suggest that you have a look at this thread.

Regards,


Agback

 

[Carnifex]

Here's an idea from my Acrozatarim game. Admittedly my game has soem steam tech that is not standard for D&D games, but I figured that the inventive kobolds, good as they are with traps, are probably a dab hand with mechanical things and so giving them some crude steamworks wasn't outta line.

The kobolds have made themselves a very crude drilling machine, basically a big boring drill that chews through rock at a good speed, powered by an oil-burning steam engine, mounted in a metal, wheeled framework that is piloted and manned by a handful of kobold sorcerer-engineers. When under attack, they use it to completely remap their own lair; drilling new tunnels aroudn the place to confuse attackers and to give their warriors new places to attack from and flee too. So the party wander down a long tunnel, having cleared some rooms and thinking they've thus made a safe zone behind them, only for the drill to make a new tunnel for a surprise attack for kobold rogues from behind. The machine itself can be used as an actual weapon in dire need, ramming the massive drill into an unfortunate player

 

[silentspace]

A shooting gallery. Since kobolds are so short, you can have many floors of shooters. In a 20' wide by 20' high wall you could have 28 shooters (7 'floors' of 4 shooters each). Of course, they would all shoot from crossbow slots, giving 90% cover.

 

[cptg1481]

Here's My advice

A technique we learned in the “Q” course was called the “Collapsible Defense”. It is a technique we teach to guerilla forces or G’s to use against their better armed, staffed and equipped opponents in an insurgency.

The basic concept it to set up layers of long range ambush type engagements (usually during the day (due to technology limitations) covering any mined and trapped areas with special care since it makes the enemy bunch up as they figure out what to do. The engagement should last just long enough for your enemies to receive fire briefly perhaps loose some men to mines and traps, wounding a few soldiers at worst or even cost them some resources as they; set up and deploy their troops, prepare any counter attacks, use artillery etc. The engagement must be big enough to make them think that this is the big one and that they will need additional troops and assets to address the situation. The attackers have to commit assets and expend ammunition etc., to work their way through the kill zones. The goal is to that by the time they work their way through one zone but before they can regroup they hit the next, loosing a few troops maybe even a key leader or two before the ambushers or G’s withdraw to a position just behind the next group who will do the same thing in succession until the attackers are either too tired physically after a lot of constant maneuvering, run low on supplies and ammunition, take too many casualties or some other reason that they have to stop and regroup. If they do reach their final objective their forces and supplies will be reduced and the G’s either have time to more the objective to a different location or engage the attackers on more favorable terms. The best possible outcome is that the attacking force will have to stop and regroup in a hasty defensive position and the G’s can attack sometime in the night while the attackers are most vulnerable, because like I said above they are tired, wounded and low on ammo and supplies.

Now, however, since you are thinking this is cool if only I had guns mortars and artillery this would totally work. I have the D&D translation for ya. The same principles apply set up long range ambushes with the kobolds (say like 30) using well worked out kill zones with a concentrated heavy volume of ranged missile (crossbows, short bows or something with poison if you feel nasty) fire (if supported by a sorcerer with a wand say) and other area effect spells say, fire ball, or something for artillery on the party as well. It has to be enough of a problem to make them want to close the distance to limit their exposure to the heavy fire. Concentrate fire on say one or two characters to make them react against the force in some way. The half-orc should have to charge through the kill zone for a couple of rounds at least taking some good damage since reducing his HP before the final battle is key. The cleric should get the area spells as counter artillery is always the first priority of artillery. There should be plenty of traps in the area between the kobolds and the attackers and this will catch them every time because after the first one which they will mostly fall for they will have to either more slow and check for traps as they close the distance between them and the kobolds resulting longer times in the kill zone or run through the traps to get out of the kill zone resulting in more traps sprung and the same effect!!!! They take massive damage. Just remember to not give them time to rest between encounters. Make them follow the retreating kobolds by continuing to fire on them with stragglers until they commit to the next engagement. Once they are in the middle of the next kill zone they could retreat back a little but the force could counter attack right away limiting their down time. Then retreat etc. If they retreat from the whole complex the next time the engagements could be in different places but the pattern is always the same.

Engage force at max range……
Fire at them as they cross the kill zone filled with traps of all types……
Withdraw systematically as they close but never stop actually firing until you are sure they are pursuing your force (this is very key) of kobolds…..

Repeat until they have to retreat or rest for spell replenishment etc.

If they camp follow them there and harass them all night so they can’t get new spells, heal etc.

They should learn that a well organized (LE right) force of low level baddies supported by a few mid level spell casters are not to be trivialized…….



BUHAHAHAHA

 

[nimisgod]

30ft pit with a couple of Dire Weasels at the bottom (Fiendish template optional).

I was going to suggest water with sharks inside... and circlets of blasting on their heads.

Not just any sharks. Frickin' sharks.

 

[Bloodstone Press]

About 9 months ago, I accidentally killed a party of 10th-12 level characters with a band of kobolds.

The kobolds had planned for a major pitched battle with the PCs and had prepared themselves with many spells, potions and scrolls. The kobolds lived in a tough region dominated by half demons, and beholders and drow. They had to be tough themselves just to survive. I decided to make them tough by making them very organized and focused on magic. Their leader was a 9th level wizard (or sorcerer??) with item creation feats. His mid-level underlings were clerics and wizards and sorcerers with item creation feats too. There were also a few mid-level fighters and barbarians in there. They had a pet giant scorpion that they cast improved invisibility on (among several other spells). Their survival tactics involved using a great many potions, scrolls and spells (true strike, bull’s str, haste, etc) and a great deal of organization to overwhelm opponents with fire power.

The plan was for the kobolds to attack the PCs with everyting they have. 250 kobolds rain flaming arrows, poisoned arrows, and spells on the PCs for several rounds. Then, the giant invisible fiendish scorpion with two invisible kobold spell casters riding it attacks, then the mid-level kobold fighters and barbarains attack (boosted up with spells and potions and scrolls).

My favorite part of the attack was the kobold leader, who had the enervation spell, a major bonus to his initiative, and was flying at maximum range above the PCs while being under an improved invisibility spell (can you say “flat-footed touch attack”?)

What was supposed to happen: The kobolds attack with near overwhelming force. The characters survive and are either taken prisoner or simply drive the kobolds back. After this, the game moves to the kobold lair where they are less organized, and not able to bring such huge numbers to bear. The narrow passages and supposed “surprise” tactics of the characters will avoid another pitched battle and allow them to kill the kobolds in smaller groups.

What actually happened: The kobolds attacked with complete overwhelming force and only 1 PC escapes by turning into a mouse and hiding in the wall.

Oops!!

 

[aurin777]

Lots of sorcerors. Kobolds are dragonkin afterall. Make them eat a lot of evocation since they don't have a wizard, and use things such as web to hold them in place for the missile weapons to rain down. Also, kobolds may have captured a gargantuan dire weasal that is now trained to attack Nothing says kobold like dire weasals...
~~Brandon

 

[Bloodstone Press]

30ft pit with...

10 feet of cholera infested water, 9 foot spikes, and a school of piranha. Add infectious slime to the walls to hinder escape or rescue.

If magic is an option, add a silence spell, and an illusion that everything is ok in the bottom of the pit. If high level magic is an option, use hallucinatory terrain for this.

 

[The Lone Badger]

Do the kobolds have a powerful spellcaster? A volley of arrows of Spell Storing loaded with Fireballs and Hold Persons could do some serious damage. 8000gp gets you a bundle of 50 arrows, after all. Hand one out to each archer participating in the ambush.