I need kobold traps.

[Timeboxer]

So if you are one of my players: Out.

Anyway, here's the scenario. So I'm running Keep on the Shadowfell, and my players managed to clean out most of the kobolds at the kobold lair, but stopped short of being able to kill Irontooth and a few of his kobold henchmen since three-fourths of the party were in single-digit hit points. They ran away (I constructed a skill challenge for this) and managed to avoid being tracked by Irontooth, but I suspect they're going to actually go back to the lair to try to take on the rest of them.

Now, Irontooth isn't stupid enough to actually stick around with most of his kobold troops dead -- seems to me that he'd set up shop elsewhere, and order his remaining minions to construct some interesting traps for our heroes should they return.

So as a result, I'm looking for interesting kobold trap ideas that could be good in this context. Here's the terrain (if you have access to D&D Miniatures maps it's Forest Cliff Lair, or pages 26-29 in KotS):

Approaching the lair is a wooded area that opens up into a river. There's a sacred circle near the river infused with arcane and divine energy, which the party had been using to get +1 to attack rolls when standing inside it. Up the river is a waterfall, behind which lies the actual kobold lair itself -- a small stone cave complex, lit with torchlight, with several large walls demarcating rooms, and no doors.

Any devious ideas?

 

[fba827]

Part of it depends on how much time they have to construct the traps (which depends on how quickly the PCs lick their wounds and come back) and what sort and level of resources (man power/magic) this Irontooth guy has ...

But, having said that, I'm making the assumption that he won't have _that_ much time (so no fields full of pit traps and the like) and mostly man power (as opposed to magic) ...

On the path to the lair, for some reason, when you said wooded area, I immediately thought of some sort of swing trap -- either a blade swinging down from the trees as they cross through the path or just a large log (or set of logs) to bash them as they walk through. -- those would be quick and easy to set up with little man power and limited time.


I also like pit traps and tanglefoot bag traps. However, if irontooth isn't going to still be there, then slowing down the party does nothing for him (not like he is going to be trying to escape since he is already gone) so that leaves traps that will injure with the hopes that enough will kill the PCs.

BUT, if you did go the "slow down" the PCs route (pits, bear traps, etc) then maybe irontooth left some nasty creature tied up near by that is let loose on the slowed/immobilized PC/PCs.

As for in the lair itself, any possibility of some sort of gate/wall dropping after they enter, effectivly closing them in? If so, having a creature in there or have the place start flooding...

I know some of this is a little weak but just some random ideas that may spark a better idea.

 

[DrunkonDuty]

Ohhhhhhhhhh. I thought you needed something to catch kobolds. Like a large mousetrap. Do kobolds eat cheese?

And I have obviously spent far too much time on these boards to day. I think I shall go away and let people get on in peace without the peanut gallery.

 

[pogminky]

Heavy things falling.
Pointy things springing or shooting.
Man-traps, nets, falling logs, crossbows, incendiary devices, pit traps, nasty animals and vermin, caltrops in the dark, oil and fire, blinding powder in the eyes.......

 

[mac1504]

Kobold Slingers

My group has only played through the first couple of encounters in KotSF, but they really fear the slingers with their gluepots and firepots after the kobold ambushes. Perhaps Irontooth could employ these in bouncing betty types of mines, or crudely built trip wire slings that throw several pots at once.

I also like the vermin handler from the online supplement WOTC put out a week or so ago. Perhaps pits filled with scorpions, or stinging ants?

P.S. I would love to hear about your skill challenge that you set up to allow the party to escape the kobold lair.

 

[RabidBob]

Four words:

Cave in

Rabid bear

PCs enter lair, entrance caves in, rabid bear released from cage by same mechanism that cause the cave in. 'Course you also need some decent way of them getting out of the lair after the bear has killed them.

Nb. Add some half eaten kobold corpses to the bear cage for fun; Irontooth used his own kobolds to lure the bear into the cage ... heheh.

... and you didn't even know bears could type.

 

[med stud]

If he is good at digging, he could order his kobold minions to capture a ton of rats, dig a hole, cover the hole and put the rats in there. The rats will be stressed out and hungry so when someone falls into the hole he/she has a ratswarm to deal with while being stuck in a hole. I think it's an appropriate trap for a goblin lord.

Simpler traps are those they used in Vietnam, a board that is partially sawed off with spikes through it. The board was put over a small hole and covered with plants. When someone steps on it, it snaps and the ends close on the leg. That trap won't threaten the PCs, though.

 

[demiurge1138]

Big swinging things are good, especially if they're set up near the cliff edge, so as to shove the trapspringer over the edge. Likewise, small pits full of stinging vermin. Also, if they like to stand in the arcane circle and Irontooth knows this, he should rig crossbow traps with tripwires leading through the circle to pick off anyone who tries to go there for the plusses. This assumes that he leaves someone behind to fight; it could either be a few of his remaining minions on a suicide mission, or some wild beast that he lured into the area with food.

 

[ExploderWizard]

The types of traps best used would depend on if the kobolds are leaving the area completely or using the traps to gain advantage in an ambush situation.

If the kobolds are getting out of the area, then simple damage dealing traps that don't take long to make are in order. If they are leaving then then wouldn't spend a lot of time on an abandoned lair.

If the kobolds are digging in for an ultimate ambush then more devious capturing, disabling traps would be appropriate. In this case the kobolds are fighting for thier home and would spend as much time and effort on protecting it as they could. Snares, pits with closing lids, and things of that sort would be used. Anything that could separate/disable intuders would be helpful.

 

[Rechan]

Here's what I would do.

The lair is under the water fall, right? Rig it to cave in and flood.

Irontooth has very few remaining minions, and he can't continue his operations with only a hand full of survivors. Better to wipe the slate clean and head back to the Keep.

The kobolds have a "Self destruct" trap that they constructed long before the adventurers showed up. A failsafe in case they get invaded by something big and nasty like ogres or whatever. Pull the switch, the place caves in, the river starts pouring in from above.

Imagine the ground starting to flood while kobolds stand on floating tables and on ledges, sniping the PCs. Irontooth is lurking in the water, waiting for someone to climb onto a kobold table. As soon as they do, he swims up and flanks them with the kobold.

An escape tunnel that can reach the surface should suffice.