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the humanity
2010-02-11, 11:49 AM
in a campaign I am running, I am using kobolds as a race of builders, instead of being a magic run society, they are a construct/trap building society with a technological edge and a slightly Formian view on invasion, coupled with a need for wood.
traits:
-the best inventors run society, not the best sorcerers
-a cruel hatred of elves for their protection of many useful resources
-tunneling and poisoning the water are almost impossible (the water adjusts itself to the drinker and the ground is at most 100 feet thick)
-the sky is filled with numerous celestial creatures and paladin lead airships, making aerial defense a constant need
-bladelings and lich/undead are allies.
-lawful evil

that's what I have so far. anyone have any suggestions for how to better these things? classes to look at (ex combat trapsmith) or ideas on how to make the race more believable?

Dyllan
2010-02-11, 11:56 AM
If memory serves, there was a 3.0 Forgotten Realms specific PrC... something about Lantan... required being a gnome or human from Lantan, and specialized in creating mechanical items that emulated spells. I had a flamethrower that worked like burning hands, but with damage like fireball, a mechanical horse, and some kind of mechanical boots that let me run faster... then the DM forced me to retire the character for storyline purposes he had in motion before he allowed me to introduce the character (honestly, horrible DM'ing, imho).

But, the class could be refluffed and would likely work well for your kobolds.

Tiki Snakes
2010-02-11, 11:58 AM
Are you explicitely severing the Dragon connections?

Because I see some ways to work it in to what you have.

They are a builder race because in the dawn times, dragons ruled (or etc), and Kobolds did whatever was needed of them, even down to designing and building the grand mega-cities that the Dragon-Kings would rule.

If they are an above-ground, non tunneling society, then the manner of traps and the way kobolds defend their place would be different, I think. More hit-and-run guerilla warefare than they normally would be. Focus on manouverable classes. The goal would be to harry any offensive forces and cause them to be driven or lured into trapped areas.
(Rogues, scouts, rangers, monks and barbarians? No idea.)

the humanity
2010-02-11, 12:19 PM
scouts would be a good move I think.

that could be a good idea with the Dragon Kings, maybe their ruler could be a preserved dragon brain attached to a construct designed for him by kobolds.

I want a bit of power to them, I think adding more vehicles could be useful.

I'm googling that Lantan thing, it could serve vastly useful.

Vizzerdrix
2010-02-11, 06:00 PM
Magic of Faerun is where you will find the Lantan Artificer.

the humanity
2010-02-11, 06:30 PM
anyone know good ways to tie in these guys performing mass genocide on the elves and fey? I think that would be an effective way to get my tree hippie loving PCs involved.

Greenish
2010-02-11, 06:31 PM
anyone know good ways to tie in these guys performing mass genocide on the elves and fey?Lebensraum.

[Edit]: Are you looking for motivation or means? I assumed the former, but others seem to read it as the latter, and English isn't my first language.

PersonMan
2010-02-11, 06:35 PM
For mass genocide, if they're doing the whole technology thing, you could say they found some ooze that produces toxic gas, bred it for a few decades and then released them from gliders sent off of mountains, cliffs or whatever.

Ravens_cry
2010-02-11, 06:38 PM
Magic of Faerun is where you will find the Lantan Artificer.
Definitely going to have a look at that for a mentally unbalanced natural philosopher.

Touchy
2010-02-11, 06:40 PM
anyone know good ways to tie in these guys performing mass genocide on the elves and fey? I think that would be an effective way to get my tree hippie loving PCs involved.

Machine dragons, they breathe lightning(And probably don't exist, so you would have to homebrew that).

Alternatively they breathe fire, and are threatening to create massive amounts of forest fires unless they get the wood they need. Because if they can't have it nobody can.

Kobold-Bard
2010-02-11, 06:51 PM
anyone know good ways to tie in these guys performing mass genocide on the elves and fey? I think that would be an effective way to get my tree hippie loving PCs involved.

Pun-Pun is a Kobold legend. A radical sect believe it's a true story, and so plan to prove their supremacy over the other races. Landslide ensues leading to Tucker's Kobolds style attacks, ending in genocide.

Perhaps.

Edit: I mayhave misunderstood you. If so, apologies.

Vizzerdrix
2010-02-12, 05:29 AM
Effigy master can make mecha dragons. :smallsmile:

Tiki Snakes
2010-02-12, 10:37 AM
Kobolds do not observe the geneva convention, and are fanatically dedicated to their own societies. If they want to genocide some elves, they don't mount up an uber-weapon, they do it the hard way. With dedication and maddening casualties (but an order of magnitude less than would make sense on a quick inspection, because they are crafty beyond their means).

Perhaps they invented Koboldian Napalm? it's not like the Kobold civilian societies support for the war would be rocked by pictures of 'poor little elves' covered in burning goo.

Scorched earth policy guerilla warefare followed by the meticulous planting of replacement, managed timber-farm forest? Worth remembering, they can survive on very little in the way of actual food, because they can pretty much digest anything that they can get down their throat, according to Races of the Dragon, so they've no real reason to be delicate about their total-war, and are practically unhampered by large-scale-morale (They may flee from a battle, but the army itself would see no problem with this and continue the war merrily. it's just kobold tactic) and actual supplies are practically a luxury.

the humanity
2010-02-12, 12:43 PM
Tiki Snakes, I like your style.

that said, I'm sure a few dragon based construct units could be useful. maybe a wingless dragon shaped unit with a driver and a ranged unit on the back of it. maybe a fire shooter of some kind, effectively meaning anyone who smashes the gas tank 'vorpals' the whole thing in a small explosion.