I had an idea of trying to maximize kobold combat effectiveness with two intentions: 1) to highlight the deadliness of pack tactics with proper positioning and 2) to surprise players that weak kobolds, when coordinated, could become a far more harrowing threat.
Let's pick apart the steps involved in my reasoning. First, the idea is that kobolds use the tunnels of caves and dungeons to their advantage. In an effort to create the idea of a phalanx, I tried thinking of (at least) two rows of kobolds: shields in the front, and lances in the back. Let's talk about those in turn.
First, the kobolds in front have shields: with leather armor, that's 15 AC which is decent. But the strategy would be the front rank uses the Dodge action, which if I understand advantage/disadvantage abstractly, results in an effective 19 AC more or less. Second, the kobolds behind yield lances, which are 10 ft reach weapons (allowing them to strike enemies in front of the shield-bearers) but now, importantly, they attack with advantage as a result of pack tactics. Unfortunately, their attack bonus is still +3, so I expect a more-or-less +7 effective bonus, which with a lance (flavored as a long spear) should be about 8 average damage a strike.
The challenge that occurred to me is originally the kobolds in back should benefit from at least half-cover from the front-rank kobolds. So with leather armor, say they're 13 AC, now 15 from cover. However, it appears RAW this cover applies to their target anyway. This adds +2 AC to whatever the kobolds are trying to skewer, thus somewhat negating the pack tactics.
In all, does anyone have thoughts or inputs on maximizing the effect of a Kobold Phalanx? The one possibility, which sorta ruins the flavor, is to have the rank behind be bow-kobolds. They would receive the same benefit as the front rank, with +8 to hit (assuming a +2 Dex vs. +1 Str and Pack Tactics advantage) and 5 average damage a strike. Theoretically, a "full" kobold phalanx could theoretically be first row shields, second row pikemen, back row archers. But I'm frustrated that the +2 cover of the front row of kobolds actually also hinders the back ranks...
Anyway let me know if you guys have any ideas on how to tweak the concept. Thanks!
Just use a lot of shields. Have hidden archers. I once heard of an idea where someone had 500 javelin wielding kobolds. If you have all shield people, just have them dodge. Have the archers in the back, on top of something tall. But don't let the players see the Bow kobolds. Have them grouped up, so the you can say "Ok, you guys are pelted by arrows" when they ask where they are coming from, just say behind the shield kobolds. Therefore, they have to fight through 20 shield Kobolds, only to see there are Bow Kobolds... 100 ft away. That should put the KO in kobold.
1. If the purpose is to show how Kobolds have decked out their caverns and tunnels and are strategic, why would the kobolds come at the PCs in a way that is such a high risk for the kobolds? Why not fire arrows through murder holes, or use burrows and traps to isolate players and then swarm the isolated player(s) and knock them down? A Kobold phalanx would be most effective in a wide open area and with the willing and knowing sacrifice of several 'bolds in front.
2. Cover assumes the kobolds in back arent elevated to where the kobolds in front would be in the way. The Kobolds with pikes in rows further back could be standing on a slightly elevated area, and make their attack then duck down to be partially covered by the kobold phalanx. Or possibly the area isnt elevated, but they are standing on top of another kobold who is crouched down.
3. The biggest threat to this is non-targeted attacks. If a wizard drops a Fireball on the Phalanx, it doesnt matter how much AC the kobolds have- they are going down. A decent number of different creatures that could be in the Underdark would have an ability that would require a save, rather than an attack roll. Because of this I think the idea of a bunch of Kobolds using a phalanx would be a weird one. It would make more sense to me for Kobolds to burst through the floor, walls, and ceiling, have a surprise round of several attacks utilizing pack tactics, and then either swarm the party or disappear into the dirt.
Straying into giving Kobolds class levels and advanced equipment, the sky is the limit on giving the "kobolds" save-for-half damage spells that can't fail to damage intruders, overlapping illusions on full-armored front liners with sentinel, etc etc... but then we aren't really talking about kobolds any more, we're talking about weirdly elite murder lizards. MM kobolds really only have one thing going for them, and that's the fact that the dungeon is their home turf that they've had time to prepare.
If was a Master Kobold Tactitian with time to prepare, knowing full well that everything my tribe will be fighting will be bigger, stronger, and more skilled than my warriors, and that there's only so many bodies in the Tribe... I would focus on ways of attacking that can't fail! And that means avoiding combat (even through murder holes), and instead setting up situations where I can drop the adventurers into a pit for unavoidable falling damage, or crushing them under a save-for-half-damage falling ceiling, or locking them in a room that's filling up with water for die-after-x-rounds drowning. Maximizing kobold combat effectiveness means avoiding combat at all costs, and cowering behind a labrynth of traps and mazelike corridors so diabolical that the invaders give up long before they even set eyes on a kobold at all.
That being said... back in 3.5, I did do a cool theorycraft duel with someone where we each had a 1000 xp and 1000 gp budget to pit a squad of kobolds vs a squad of goblins... and my shield-longspear-sling-cleric ringed kobold phalanx wiped the floor with the other guy's ill-conceived rabble of goblin barbarians :p
Straying into giving Kobolds class levels and advanced equipment, the sky is the limit on giving the "kobolds" save-for-half damage spells that can't fail to damage intruders, overlapping illusions on full-armored front liners with sentinel, etc etc... but then we aren't really talking about kobolds any more, we're talking about weirdly elite murder lizards. MM kobolds really only have one thing going for them, and that's the fact that the dungeon is their home turf that they've had time to prepare.
If was a Master Kobold Tactitian with time to prepare, knowing full well that everything my tribe will be fighting will be bigger, stronger, and more skilled than my warriors, and that there's only so many bodies in the Tribe... I would focus on ways of attacking that can't fail! And that means avoiding combat (even through murder holes), and instead setting up situations where I can drop the adventurers into a pit for unavoidable falling damage, or crushing them under a save-for-half-damage falling ceiling, or locking them in a room that's filling up with water for die-after-x-rounds drowning. Maximizing kobold combat effectiveness means avoiding combat at all costs, and cowering behind a labrynth of traps and mazelike corridors so diabolical that the invaders give up long before they even set eyes on a kobold at all.
That being said... back in 3.5, I did do a cool theorycraft duel with someone where we each had a 1000 xp and 1000 gp budget to pit a squad of kobolds vs a squad of goblins... and my shield-longspear-sling-cleric ringed kobold phalanx wiped the floor with the other guy's ill-conceived rabble of goblin barbarians :p
I would still think Kobolds would on occasion swarm an intruder, but it would still definitely be on their turf and with the intent to avoid letting kobold after kobold die for nothing, when forcing that creature through a gauntlet or murder holes could do the trick.
Use tower shields, have the front rank generate 3/4 cover.
Have a Kobold illusionist generate shields across the top like a Roman Turtle formation and generate cover. The caster will be needed for Counterspell anyways to stop the inevitable Fireball called out above.
Encircle the players where possible as getting distance and throwing spells or long range shots will be their easy out
Phalanxes were destroyed by being outflanked so defend the sides and rear
Why is the phalanx in place? Many of the other comments touched on the preferred tactics of the kobold and they are known for being cowardly. If the phalanx is there because someone is coercing them to be there, is it possible for that entity to give a bonus to hit? Perhaps an additional way to provide other defenses? The phalanx would make some sense in tunnels as a road block, blocking the tunnel wall to wall. If the supports of the wall look sketchy (perhaps because of an illusion), that might dissuade a fireball attack. There could be a slope behind that gives the back row the ability to see. Of course, the phalanx could be a stalling tactic to position the intruders somewhere they would get hit by an aoe spell, a torrent of dammed up water, a trap door underneath, or some other tactic that would require timing and/or precision spacing to pull off.
These tactics would all be dependent on who is in charge of the kobolds. An external source may be more willing to spend their lives. Kobold will want to protect the tribe and lean on this tactic as a stall or coordinating effort, in essence turning the phalanx attacks and pack tactics into a help action with some incidental damage.
I guess I could see value in a kobold "phalanx" that actually is just used as a wall for herding enemies into traps. 3+ ranks of kobolds holding tower shields (errr… regular shields, tower shields don't exist I forgot!) plugging a tunnel while taking Dodge actions essentially is impassible for a lot of PCs, holding them in place while... poison cloud? acid puddle? fire traps? does it work in the killbox that they've been ambushed in.
In the front use Kobold Dragonshields from VGM, slightly better than average kobold w/ shield. In addition, some Kobold Invenotrs could wreak havoc with some scorpion sticks form the back, supplemented by kobold lancers.
Alternatively, you could turn Kobolds into a swarm. I've done this before to make low level enemies any sort of threat to higher level players (without having to control 200 different enemies. If you wanted to make it a phalanx, buff it's AC. As for Fireball... avoiding that takes a bit more creativity, like Counterspell or an anti magic field
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Hey there guys,
I had an idea of trying to maximize kobold combat effectiveness with two intentions: 1) to highlight the deadliness of pack tactics with proper positioning and 2) to surprise players that weak kobolds, when coordinated, could become a far more harrowing threat.
Let's pick apart the steps involved in my reasoning. First, the idea is that kobolds use the tunnels of caves and dungeons to their advantage. In an effort to create the idea of a phalanx, I tried thinking of (at least) two rows of kobolds: shields in the front, and lances in the back. Let's talk about those in turn.
First, the kobolds in front have shields: with leather armor, that's 15 AC which is decent. But the strategy would be the front rank uses the Dodge action, which if I understand advantage/disadvantage abstractly, results in an effective 19 AC more or less. Second, the kobolds behind yield lances, which are 10 ft reach weapons (allowing them to strike enemies in front of the shield-bearers) but now, importantly, they attack with advantage as a result of pack tactics. Unfortunately, their attack bonus is still +3, so I expect a more-or-less +7 effective bonus, which with a lance (flavored as a long spear) should be about 8 average damage a strike.
The challenge that occurred to me is originally the kobolds in back should benefit from at least half-cover from the front-rank kobolds. So with leather armor, say they're 13 AC, now 15 from cover. However, it appears RAW this cover applies to their target anyway. This adds +2 AC to whatever the kobolds are trying to skewer, thus somewhat negating the pack tactics.
In all, does anyone have thoughts or inputs on maximizing the effect of a Kobold Phalanx? The one possibility, which sorta ruins the flavor, is to have the rank behind be bow-kobolds. They would receive the same benefit as the front rank, with +8 to hit (assuming a +2 Dex vs. +1 Str and Pack Tactics advantage) and 5 average damage a strike. Theoretically, a "full" kobold phalanx could theoretically be first row shields, second row pikemen, back row archers. But I'm frustrated that the +2 cover of the front row of kobolds actually also hinders the back ranks...
Anyway let me know if you guys have any ideas on how to tweak the concept. Thanks!
Toremar, Paladin 6 / Dez, Gnome Wizard 5 / Perios, Elf Wizard 10 / Skadr, Dwarf Pugilist 7
Just use a lot of shields. Have hidden archers. I once heard of an idea where someone had 500 javelin wielding kobolds. If you have all shield people, just have them dodge. Have the archers in the back, on top of something tall. But don't let the players see the Bow kobolds. Have them grouped up, so the you can say "Ok, you guys are pelted by arrows" when they ask where they are coming from, just say behind the shield kobolds. Therefore, they have to fight through 20 shield Kobolds, only to see there are Bow Kobolds... 100 ft away. That should put the KO in kobold.
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Couple general thoughts:
1. If the purpose is to show how Kobolds have decked out their caverns and tunnels and are strategic, why would the kobolds come at the PCs in a way that is such a high risk for the kobolds? Why not fire arrows through murder holes, or use burrows and traps to isolate players and then swarm the isolated player(s) and knock them down? A Kobold phalanx would be most effective in a wide open area and with the willing and knowing sacrifice of several 'bolds in front.
2. Cover assumes the kobolds in back arent elevated to where the kobolds in front would be in the way. The Kobolds with pikes in rows further back could be standing on a slightly elevated area, and make their attack then duck down to be partially covered by the kobold phalanx. Or possibly the area isnt elevated, but they are standing on top of another kobold who is crouched down.
3. The biggest threat to this is non-targeted attacks. If a wizard drops a Fireball on the Phalanx, it doesnt matter how much AC the kobolds have- they are going down. A decent number of different creatures that could be in the Underdark would have an ability that would require a save, rather than an attack roll. Because of this I think the idea of a bunch of Kobolds using a phalanx would be a weird one. It would make more sense to me for Kobolds to burst through the floor, walls, and ceiling, have a surprise round of several attacks utilizing pack tactics, and then either swarm the party or disappear into the dirt.
Straying into giving Kobolds class levels and advanced equipment, the sky is the limit on giving the "kobolds" save-for-half damage spells that can't fail to damage intruders, overlapping illusions on full-armored front liners with sentinel, etc etc... but then we aren't really talking about kobolds any more, we're talking about weirdly elite murder lizards. MM kobolds really only have one thing going for them, and that's the fact that the dungeon is their home turf that they've had time to prepare.
If was a Master Kobold Tactitian with time to prepare, knowing full well that everything my tribe will be fighting will be bigger, stronger, and more skilled than my warriors, and that there's only so many bodies in the Tribe... I would focus on ways of attacking that can't fail! And that means avoiding combat (even through murder holes), and instead setting up situations where I can drop the adventurers into a pit for unavoidable falling damage, or crushing them under a save-for-half-damage falling ceiling, or locking them in a room that's filling up with water for die-after-x-rounds drowning. Maximizing kobold combat effectiveness means avoiding combat at all costs, and cowering behind a labrynth of traps and mazelike corridors so diabolical that the invaders give up long before they even set eyes on a kobold at all.
That being said... back in 3.5, I did do a cool theorycraft duel with someone where we each had a 1000 xp and 1000 gp budget to pit a squad of kobolds vs a squad of goblins... and my shield-longspear-sling-cleric ringed kobold phalanx wiped the floor with the other guy's ill-conceived rabble of goblin barbarians :p
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I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
I would still think Kobolds would on occasion swarm an intruder, but it would still definitely be on their turf and with the intent to avoid letting kobold after kobold die for nothing, when forcing that creature through a gauntlet or murder holes could do the trick.
That challenge sounds interesting, I like it.
My thoughts:
Why is the phalanx in place? Many of the other comments touched on the preferred tactics of the kobold and they are known for being cowardly. If the phalanx is there because someone is coercing them to be there, is it possible for that entity to give a bonus to hit? Perhaps an additional way to provide other defenses? The phalanx would make some sense in tunnels as a road block, blocking the tunnel wall to wall. If the supports of the wall look sketchy (perhaps because of an illusion), that might dissuade a fireball attack. There could be a slope behind that gives the back row the ability to see. Of course, the phalanx could be a stalling tactic to position the intruders somewhere they would get hit by an aoe spell, a torrent of dammed up water, a trap door underneath, or some other tactic that would require timing and/or precision spacing to pull off.
These tactics would all be dependent on who is in charge of the kobolds. An external source may be more willing to spend their lives. Kobold will want to protect the tribe and lean on this tactic as a stall or coordinating effort, in essence turning the phalanx attacks and pack tactics into a help action with some incidental damage.
I would argue that a phalanx is a crappy tactic to adopt in a world where your opponent can just cast Fireball.
Truth, unless there were something that would prevent you from casting that spell.
I guess I could see value in a kobold "phalanx" that actually is just used as a wall for herding enemies into traps. 3+ ranks of kobolds holding tower shields (errr… regular shields, tower shields don't exist I forgot!) plugging a tunnel while taking Dodge actions essentially is impassible for a lot of PCs, holding them in place while... poison cloud? acid puddle? fire traps? does it work in the killbox that they've been ambushed in.
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I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
Oof, poison cloud is a pretty brutal idea
In the front use Kobold Dragonshields from VGM, slightly better than average kobold w/ shield. In addition, some Kobold Invenotrs could wreak havoc with some scorpion sticks form the back, supplemented by kobold lancers.
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Alternatively, you could turn Kobolds into a swarm. I've done this before to make low level enemies any sort of threat to higher level players (without having to control 200 different enemies. If you wanted to make it a phalanx, buff it's AC. As for Fireball... avoiding that takes a bit more creativity, like Counterspell or an anti magic field