Building a Kobold death trap [Archive] - Wizards Community

Building a Kobold death trap [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
someonelse812
02-29-08, 02:54 PM I don't really know much about the mechanics of trap making and dungeon fortification. In my campaign there are some kobolds have been put to the task of fortifying a dungeon.

So, say you have a dozen basic kobolds lead by a kobold with 2 levels of rogue and 2 levels of sorcerer, send them into an average sized dungeon and give them two weeks to fortify it and make traps, assuming they have the necessary resources, what is the best you think they could do?

What I mean is, do they have time to make a pit trap? if so how big and how many other traps could they make in the same amount of time. What is the highest CR trap they could make? Would they make one monster trap or lots of smaller traps?

I’m trying to create a sort of Tomb of Horrors, Kobold style, but unlike the old tomb, they have limited time and resources so I want it to be realistic and balanced. I want to create a kobold death trap for a 4th level adventuring party.
Raumz
02-29-08, 03:06 PM Well assuming they have access to a decent amount of resources they can probably make a few shallow pit trap 20-30ft deep or so. Some basic trip line type trap, guillotine stuff most likely. I dont think they have time for pressure plates and the like.
Since the leader has a couple levels of sorcerer you might get a magical trap or two.
Maybe some crude arrow trap where a cross bow is rigged to go off when a door opens. Maybe some alchemist's fire set to fall when a door opens...
I don't think they can do much in the way of inlaid traps, like pressure plates, blades or darts hidden in the walls.
But my dungeons are more encounter based and less trap based. So more creative trap-makers will be more helpful.
aikimiller
02-29-08, 03:50 PM beyond the standard traps, what you need can be found here

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060127a

also, for inspiration, do a google search for "tucker's kobolds"

I'm a big fan on combining traps that result in things more dangerous than the sum of their parts. Like pit traps where the pit is filled with a scorpion swarm. I've also seen some fairly hilarious things done with gelatinous cubes and either pit traps or stunning traps. There are always the classic rope based snares that don't do any damage but will slow the players down (preferably while being fired at by 20 or so kobolds with crossbows), bear traps, and my personal favorite homebrew was some stretched out razorwire bent back so that when triggered, it flies foward and entangles the character in it. Illusion based things are also fun- grease covered by a permanent silent illusion, an existing tunnel enterance made to look like a wall is a great way to set up ambushes.
themocaw
02-29-08, 06:00 PM Keep in mind that in real life, the number one defensive trap used in the real world was the corridor of death: a reinforced stone hallway that the attacker needs to charge through in order to get where they are going with positions for the defender to overlook them from reinforced positions, with things like arrow slits and big vats of boiling oil. Spike traps don't exist to hurt the attacker, but to slow them down so that the archers can pick them off. Early traps in the dungeon would exist to alert the attackers that enemies are coming and slow their approach. Later traps would exist to slow them down so that the archers can turn them into pincushions.

Also, remember to provide a route that the kobolds can use to get in past their deathtraps. . . which will act as an escape route for when the tired and half-dead PCs finally burst into the last room.
someonelse812
03-01-08, 10:35 PM thanks for the ideas everyone. I think I have a pretty good idea what to do.

Do you know where I could find stats for boiling oil? I made a trap where the door itself is not trapped, but in the room beyond there is an impromtu fire pit with a vat of boiling oil. when the rogue finds no trap on the door he will open it and the vat of boiling oil will dump out on everyone in the hall. this is on an incline too.
heres what I have for boiling oil; Reflex DC16 for half of 3d6 fire damage, the oil continues to deal 1d6 burning damage each round for one minute or until it is wiped off with a full round action
does anyone have better rules for boiling oil?
aikimiller
03-02-08, 12:09 PM I would just treat boiling oil as alchemist fire in extremely large quantities.
Heros_Backpack
03-02-08, 05:54 PM Is this any help?

Oil
A pint of oil burns for 6 hours in a lantern. You can use a flask of oil as a splash weapon. Use the rules for alchemist’s fire, except that it takes a full round action to prepare a flask with a fuse. Once it is thrown, there is a 50% chance of the flask igniting successfully.

You can pour a pint of oil on the ground to cover an area 5 feet square, provided that the surface is smooth. If lit, the oil burns for 2 rounds and deals 1d3 points of fire damage to each creature in the area.

You might also like to look at the booby traps in the DMG2.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
someonelse812 02-29-08, 02:54 PM	I don't really know much about the mechanics of trap making and dungeon fortification. In my campaign there are some kobolds have been put to the task of fortifying a dungeon. So, say you have a dozen basic kobolds lead by a kobold with 2 levels of rogue and 2 levels of sorcerer, send them into an average sized dungeon and give them two weeks to fortify it and make traps, assuming they have the necessary resources, what is the best you think they could do? What I mean is, do they have time to make a pit trap? if so how big and how many other traps could they make in the same amount of time. What is the highest CR trap they could make? Would they make one monster trap or lots of smaller traps? I’m trying to create a sort of Tomb of Horrors, Kobold style, but unlike the old tomb, they have limited time and resources so I want it to be realistic and balanced. I want to create a kobold death trap for a 4th level adventuring party.
Raumz 02-29-08, 03:06 PM	Well assuming they have access to a decent amount of resources they can probably make a few shallow pit trap 20-30ft deep or so. Some basic trip line type trap, guillotine stuff most likely. I dont think they have time for pressure plates and the like. Since the leader has a couple levels of sorcerer you might get a magical trap or two. Maybe some crude arrow trap where a cross bow is rigged to go off when a door opens. Maybe some alchemist's fire set to fall when a door opens... I don't think they can do much in the way of inlaid traps, like pressure plates, blades or darts hidden in the walls. But my dungeons are more encounter based and less trap based. So more creative trap-makers will be more helpful.
aikimiller 02-29-08, 03:50 PM	beyond the standard traps, what you need can be found here http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060127a also, for inspiration, do a google search for "tucker's kobolds" I'm a big fan on combining traps that result in things more dangerous than the sum of their parts. Like pit traps where the pit is filled with a scorpion swarm. I've also seen some fairly hilarious things done with gelatinous cubes and either pit traps or stunning traps. There are always the classic rope based snares that don't do any damage but will slow the players down (preferably while being fired at by 20 or so kobolds with crossbows), bear traps, and my personal favorite homebrew was some stretched out razorwire bent back so that when triggered, it flies foward and entangles the character in it. Illusion based things are also fun- grease covered by a permanent silent illusion, an existing tunnel enterance made to look like a wall is a great way to set up ambushes.
themocaw 02-29-08, 06:00 PM	Keep in mind that in real life, the number one defensive trap used in the real world was the corridor of death: a reinforced stone hallway that the attacker needs to charge through in order to get where they are going with positions for the defender to overlook them from reinforced positions, with things like arrow slits and big vats of boiling oil. Spike traps don't exist to hurt the attacker, but to slow them down so that the archers can pick them off. Early traps in the dungeon would exist to alert the attackers that enemies are coming and slow their approach. Later traps would exist to slow them down so that the archers can turn them into pincushions. Also, remember to provide a route that the kobolds can use to get in past their deathtraps. . . which will act as an escape route for when the tired and half-dead PCs finally burst into the last room.
someonelse812 03-01-08, 10:35 PM	thanks for the ideas everyone. I think I have a pretty good idea what to do. Do you know where I could find stats for boiling oil? I made a trap where the door itself is not trapped, but in the room beyond there is an impromtu fire pit with a vat of boiling oil. when the rogue finds no trap on the door he will open it and the vat of boiling oil will dump out on everyone in the hall. this is on an incline too. heres what I have for boiling oil; Reflex DC16 for half of 3d6 fire damage, the oil continues to deal 1d6 burning damage each round for one minute or until it is wiped off with a full round action does anyone have better rules for boiling oil?
aikimiller 03-02-08, 12:09 PM	I would just treat boiling oil as alchemist fire in extremely large quantities.
Heros_Backpack 03-02-08, 05:54 PM	Is this any help? Oil A pint of oil burns for 6 hours in a lantern. You can use a flask of oil as a splash weapon. Use the rules for alchemist’s fire, except that it takes a full round action to prepare a flask with a fuse. Once it is thrown, there is a 50% chance of the flask igniting successfully. You can pour a pint of oil on the ground to cover an area 5 feet square, provided that the surface is smooth. If lit, the oil burns for 2 rounds and deals 1d3 points of fire damage to each creature in the area. You might also like to look at the booby traps in the DMG2.