D&D General Tucker's Kobolds: worth using in 5e?

[Jolly Ruby]

I'm running a dungeon loosely based on Icespire Hold (map below), but the book version is quite empty. Almost every room is just a description without any encounter or anything to interact with.

Spoiler: Icespire Hold

So I was thinking: what if I use Tucker's Kobolds? The famous killer kobolds from that old Dungeon Magazine article that used traps and subterfuge to strike fear into the hearts of adventurers that would kill them with a single attack.

Has anyone tried it in 5e? What interesting traps and tricks would you use? What are the best locations to place traps on that map?

 

[Charlaquin]

Might I suggest looking into Mystic Arts’ recent(ish) video on hobgoblins? Obviously hobgoblins should play differently than kobolds, but Daði’s basic premise of using modular design to make a wide variety of CRs for creatures of a single type could be very useful in creating a Tucker’s kobolds situation, and his hobgoblin designs might be good inspiration for the kinds of synergies you might want to build into your kobolds.

 

[bedir than]

Using the inventions from the Kobold Inventor gives you some nice koboldy traps. They're only deadly at first level, but the flavor is right.
Toss in some basic Artificer Infusions the Kobold Tinkerer and the multi-step traps from Tasha's and you have a fun adventure

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[jmartkdr2]

The argument against Tucker's Kolbolds is "if your players don't like traps, they're not going to like manned traps."

The original idea is very old-school in its attitude. It's about punishing the pcs for being too heroic and not cautious enough. Is that your goal? Then go for it. Is that completely out of context compared to the rest of the campaign? Then it's not going to come across as clever so much as "the ref wants us to lose."

If you do want to use them, let the pc's see a lookout kolbold before they go in, so they understand the challenge: prepared, clever enemies who know you're coming.

 

[kigmatzomat]

I've always used the idea that goblins and kobolds rely on a mix of numbers and a level of cunning. Unless there are exceptional individuals (special variants, class levels, etc) I try to keep the complexity low. Surprisingly, some fairly simple traps with a bit of layering become highly dangerous.

I.e. the falling twig trap. Its an area filled with twigs and some kind of trap door. Might just be a a tarp or hide over a hole above a passwageway that slopes deeper into the warren. A rope is cut and the area is filled with twigs to the ceiling. Damage is minimal, like d4. But it is "rock to mud" level difficulty to escape because of volume, snagging and interlocking.

But hey, full concealment and full cover.

Then a couple flasks of crude oil are tossed at the front of the pile, followed by torches. Now the party risks burning to death. Since the passage slopes down, so the smoke is rising, filling the party's escape route. To escape forward is to advance into the flames, going back risks suffocation. Unless a character was right near the edge, they can't see out, so most teleporting gets iffy. They can't cast most spells as they can't see open areas and many spells behave poorly when the area is occupied.

This is a bog-simple defense and it can drive even a tier3 party insane.

Let's go simpler: a swinging log trap that is set at about 4ft, so it misses small creatures but hit medium+ ones.

Even simpler: the passages are only 3ft x 3ft. Welcome to crawling one at a time. Can you crawl faster than a kobold can run? I'm guessing no.

Add some caltrops or more of that crude oil, so they are slippery and flammable.

 

[Clint_L]

The argument against Tucker's Kolbolds is "if your players don't like traps, they're not going to like manned traps."

The original idea is very old-school in its attitude. It's about punishing the pcs for being too heroic and not cautious enough.

See, I think it's about "punishing" the players, in a fun way, for playing their characters like they're dumb. It's not heroic to go charging into an unknown, potentially dangerous situation without exercising a little due caution, it's stupid. After the first trap or two, if they wanna keep blundering around like the Wet Bandits in Home Alone, it's on them. And I would definitely flavour the traps to be hilariously slapstick.