CruelSummerLord
First Post
A lot of these strategies can be effective, but many of them rely on magical items and spells. But not every opponent, not even every BBEG, will have access to all the magical resources they might like. Sure, it might be nice to have a wand of lightning bolts or the ability to cast a wall of ice, but you can't always get what you want.
-Various types of slime and ooze can be gathered in jars and barrels to be thrown, and make lethal grenade-type weapons. Even lowly goblins and orcs can use these missiles effectively, when you consider that they don't necessarily need to score a direct hit-crystal ooze splattering everywhere can be murder on both the the PCs and their possessions alike.
-If your kobolds, goblins, or other small monsters aren't effective in melee, have them run messenger duty. Goblins and kobolds are fair enough miners, enough to riddle the strongholds of bigger monsters with secret doors and tunnels too small for most of the PCs, but that allow the goblins and kobolds to keep running around, delivering intelligence to the leaders, and rallying their commands to the troops in an ongoing fight. If the kobolds can't fight, big deal-they can be the errand-boys.
-In another thread, I suggested using manure as a way for goblins to defend their lair. Not only could the PCs be incapacitated or sickened by being splattered with the stuff, but chances are they might lose their cool and go charging into whatever other traps the monsters have set up.
Other types of substances can be used as well-retch plant globes can make them sick, sticky tar on the floor can trip the PCs up or otherwise hinder them, special types of powder that hinder the PCs by making them itch or sneeze, glue can be used to seal a door shut or make a PC stuck, leaving them a lot more vulnerable, water devices could be rigged above torches or watch-fires to douse them and create smokescreens, oil could be used to create an impromptu wall of fire as long as there's a firebreak of stone to keep the fire confined to where the monsters want it, acid can be used for pain. Judicious use of these types of devices as traps, especially as tripwire devices that could be obscured by rubbish on the floor or otherwise ignored by PCs as they charge into melee.
Some of this will probably require ajudication on your part as DM to determine what ill effects the PCs suffer, since they may not be covered in the rules-itching may give you the same effects as being fatigued, sneezing may mean you need Concentration checks to successfully cast spells-but the PCs can have saving throws or skill checks to detect or avoid these ill effects...although that might be difficult to do in the middle of a free-for-all melee.
-Most humanoid monsters are not known for sanitation, or for keeping their lairs clean. Junk thrown all over the place can be used to conceal hidden pits or tripwires that trigger traps-Spot checks can help, but PCs can't really take 20 in the middle of a fight, now can they?
-Your players may wonder why those goblins are dressed in the same kind of clothing beekeepers wear. Well, it turns out these goblins love honey...and they also use wasp nests as missiles! PCs wearing metal armor may not necessarily be bothered too much...but those wizards and rogues in the party are going to have a devil of a time dealing with angry, stinging wasps! Perhaps the goblin's clerics have spells to control the wasps. It'd be up to you to determine exactly what kind of effects the wasps' stings would have on the PCs, but they wouldn't be pleasant.
And, again, similar effects can be had with rot grubs, pernicons, and other nasty little critters. And their effects are clearly spelled out on the Monster Manuals...and they are NOT pleasant. Pull a lever on the wall, and about a hundred rot grubs suddenly come falling out of little ceiling compartments onto the PCs.
Now, I realize that I'm writing from the perspective of a guy whose main experience is with fluff. A lot of what I'm proposing would require logical DM fiat, since I don't think a lot of this would be covered in the rules. Would there be players who would protest at the seemingly arbitrary effects that the DM assigns to these things, even if you gave them the chance to mitigate the effects with saving throws?
I myself see no reason why a good and fair DM couldn't extrapolate based on the RAW, especially given that sooner or later he'd have to do it for the PCs if they try some ingenious tactic not provided for in the RAW. If the DM makes an occasional ruling in favor of the players when they try something off-the-wall that just might save the day, surely he can do it for the monsters?
My effort here is to provide some non-magical solutions in addition to some of the really smart ones offered below, such as the hobgoblins using their darkvision by blackening the windows to a temple, and constantly moving around to attack, while the PCs are confined to a small space because of their light sources, or the one where the PCs are trapped by a heavy grating, and can't brace themselves to lift it because they're floating in about 8 feet of water.
Magical solutions are all well and good, but not every villain will have a complete arsenal of magical defenses, especially if you're playing in a world where 11th-12th level means you stand out, and owning a +1 sword is a sign of tremendous prestige. These are solutions if you want to run a more Iron Heroes oriented game, for example.
-Various types of slime and ooze can be gathered in jars and barrels to be thrown, and make lethal grenade-type weapons. Even lowly goblins and orcs can use these missiles effectively, when you consider that they don't necessarily need to score a direct hit-crystal ooze splattering everywhere can be murder on both the the PCs and their possessions alike.
-If your kobolds, goblins, or other small monsters aren't effective in melee, have them run messenger duty. Goblins and kobolds are fair enough miners, enough to riddle the strongholds of bigger monsters with secret doors and tunnels too small for most of the PCs, but that allow the goblins and kobolds to keep running around, delivering intelligence to the leaders, and rallying their commands to the troops in an ongoing fight. If the kobolds can't fight, big deal-they can be the errand-boys.
-In another thread, I suggested using manure as a way for goblins to defend their lair. Not only could the PCs be incapacitated or sickened by being splattered with the stuff, but chances are they might lose their cool and go charging into whatever other traps the monsters have set up.
Other types of substances can be used as well-retch plant globes can make them sick, sticky tar on the floor can trip the PCs up or otherwise hinder them, special types of powder that hinder the PCs by making them itch or sneeze, glue can be used to seal a door shut or make a PC stuck, leaving them a lot more vulnerable, water devices could be rigged above torches or watch-fires to douse them and create smokescreens, oil could be used to create an impromptu wall of fire as long as there's a firebreak of stone to keep the fire confined to where the monsters want it, acid can be used for pain. Judicious use of these types of devices as traps, especially as tripwire devices that could be obscured by rubbish on the floor or otherwise ignored by PCs as they charge into melee.
Some of this will probably require ajudication on your part as DM to determine what ill effects the PCs suffer, since they may not be covered in the rules-itching may give you the same effects as being fatigued, sneezing may mean you need Concentration checks to successfully cast spells-but the PCs can have saving throws or skill checks to detect or avoid these ill effects...although that might be difficult to do in the middle of a free-for-all melee.
-Most humanoid monsters are not known for sanitation, or for keeping their lairs clean. Junk thrown all over the place can be used to conceal hidden pits or tripwires that trigger traps-Spot checks can help, but PCs can't really take 20 in the middle of a fight, now can they?
-Your players may wonder why those goblins are dressed in the same kind of clothing beekeepers wear. Well, it turns out these goblins love honey...and they also use wasp nests as missiles! PCs wearing metal armor may not necessarily be bothered too much...but those wizards and rogues in the party are going to have a devil of a time dealing with angry, stinging wasps! Perhaps the goblin's clerics have spells to control the wasps. It'd be up to you to determine exactly what kind of effects the wasps' stings would have on the PCs, but they wouldn't be pleasant.
And, again, similar effects can be had with rot grubs, pernicons, and other nasty little critters. And their effects are clearly spelled out on the Monster Manuals...and they are NOT pleasant. Pull a lever on the wall, and about a hundred rot grubs suddenly come falling out of little ceiling compartments onto the PCs.
Now, I realize that I'm writing from the perspective of a guy whose main experience is with fluff. A lot of what I'm proposing would require logical DM fiat, since I don't think a lot of this would be covered in the rules. Would there be players who would protest at the seemingly arbitrary effects that the DM assigns to these things, even if you gave them the chance to mitigate the effects with saving throws?
I myself see no reason why a good and fair DM couldn't extrapolate based on the RAW, especially given that sooner or later he'd have to do it for the PCs if they try some ingenious tactic not provided for in the RAW. If the DM makes an occasional ruling in favor of the players when they try something off-the-wall that just might save the day, surely he can do it for the monsters?
My effort here is to provide some non-magical solutions in addition to some of the really smart ones offered below, such as the hobgoblins using their darkvision by blackening the windows to a temple, and constantly moving around to attack, while the PCs are confined to a small space because of their light sources, or the one where the PCs are trapped by a heavy grating, and can't brace themselves to lift it because they're floating in about 8 feet of water.
Magical solutions are all well and good, but not every villain will have a complete arsenal of magical defenses, especially if you're playing in a world where 11th-12th level means you stand out, and owning a +1 sword is a sign of tremendous prestige. These are solutions if you want to run a more Iron Heroes oriented game, for example.
