Where are the templates?

[Archade]

Well, here's something that might fire your imagination - http://crpp0001.uqtr.ca/w4/campagne/Downloads/Downloads_WotC/Elite Opponents Kobolds.htm

 

[Andre]

Thanks. And yes, I have added class levels, but it seems wrong to me to throw my party up against level 7 kobolds. I pushed them to level 3 and I'm thinking of giving them a template to further boost power. I am forming an entire army of goblinoids, orc kin and similar. The party will of course run into small groups of them for the most part, but I really want sort of an old school dungeon crawl feel.

Try these free templates:

Iron-Kin (3.0)
http://www.silverthornegames.com./Free Template 2 - Iron-kin.pdf

Quickened (3.0)
http://www.silverthornegames.com./Free Template 1 - Quickened.pdf

Aberrant (3.5)
http://www.silverthornegames.com./Aberrant Template (BoTDE).zip

Also, if you get either Book of Templates (the 3.0 version) or Book of Templates Deluxe (3.5 version), use Ebon Servitor - it's a great template for relatively weak creatures that will have the party tanks avoiding melee like the plague. Both pdf's are available at RPGNow and DriveThru RPG (the original 3.0 version is a steal at $1.50). BoTD is also available in print from Goodman Games.

 

[Magesmiley]

I think that one problem you're going to run into quickly is that a template which is considerably disproportionate to the CR of the original creature is that the CR doesn't scale right. For example, a feral half-dragon half-fiendish goblin weighs in around CR 5 or so. I'm not sure its really that much of a challenge due to their low hp - One area spell (even a 1st level spell) and they're essentialy all toast.

I'd suggest using gnolls or better yet bugbears as the base creature and try to limit the CR increase from templates to no more than 2-3. I'm a bit of a fan of the feral template from Savage Species myself. Savage Species incidentally has a number of interesting templates in it (such as insectile or even gelatinous).