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Ignatius
2010-02-19, 07:52 PM
Just a quick question... I am DMing my first campaign with some players that have been playing for years and I have run into a few problems with my lack of knowledge of the D&D world...

I have a party of four who learned of the death of an ancient black dragon and have headed off to his lair to loot the treasure.

I have planned to have a hallway between the main part of a dungeon and the dragons lair that is filled with stone columns holding the ceiling up...

Each column contains a Kobold Dragonshield that will be revealed if a PC becomes adjacent to its column. The PC's will have a time limit to get through the hallway before all Kobold's will be alerted and come out of their columns to attack en masse to defend the honor of their dead dragon...

So now to the actual question... one of the party is a Dragonborn Paladin (He chose Acid damage, same as the Black Dragon).

How would the Kobolds react to a Dragonborn if he was attacking them? Would they be likely to attack back because he is attacking them, or would they respect his dragon heritage and leave him alone?

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

Sahaar
2010-02-19, 07:55 PM
I think it depends on the Kobold. If they're honorable, good-hearted little guys, they'd leve their dragonic cousing alone. If, however, their twisted, evil, etc, they'd attack/use their numbers against him and try to kill the interloper.

Does that help?

Kish
2010-02-19, 08:09 PM
Kobolds aren't a hive-mind, any more than humans are. If you're the DM, what do you think would make it more interesting? The kobolds object to humanoids robbing a dead black dragon. How do they feel about a part-dragon creature doing it? (Or do they think he's showing up to claim his inheritance?)

Tiki Snakes
2010-02-19, 08:14 PM
There's also another side to the question;

Kobolds are reptilian, like many partially dragon characters.
Dragonborn look draconic, but are mostly mammal.

There's a real possibility that the fact that there is a 'false dragon' there could enrage them further, depending on how they view the situation. Not definate, but it's every bit as possible as reverence.

pingcode20
2010-02-19, 08:16 PM
The dragonborn in the party would probably be enough to have the kobolds ask the party why they're trespassing on their dragon's tomb, assuming they both retain their heritage.

If the party prove themselves to be looters, they attack as usual. Otherwise, they have the opportunity to fast-talk their way past them.

EDIT: Quick check indicates Dragonborn are the direct creations of Io - that pegs them as somewhere above half-dragons and below full dragons on the kobold 'love list'.

The kobolds might even try to get the dragonborn to see that it's wrong to loot the dragon's tomb.

Ignatius
2010-02-19, 08:51 PM
Hey, thanks for all of the advice...

You have given many great ideas and suggestions, and I guess it will come down to what happens on the night...

Last week they came up a trap door into a pitch black room and were immediately attacked... they fought back hard and ended up killing a young black dragon (and losing a lot of blood themselves)...

It was only after they had killed it and discovered what it was that they realised their Dragonborn party member probably could have talked to it and prevented all the bloodletting...

I will let you all know how the party manages to screw up all my plans and come up with some other obscure way to avoid the problem and end up somewhere else!

Mando Knight
2010-02-19, 09:28 PM
Kobolds are roughly somewhere between the Dragonborn equivalent of rodents and halflings. :smalltongue:

Dimers
2010-02-20, 01:20 AM
I think in terms of leaders, not groups. A trusted leader can easily sway her populace when they're confronted with something dangerous or new or hard to understand. It's reasonable to decide what the reaction of one particular kobold elder will be, and have that one influence the others when the PCs show up.

FoE
2010-02-20, 01:23 AM
Kobolds bear no love for dragonborn because they favour Bahamut. So unless he walks into the dungeon proclaiming his adulation for the Queen of Evil Dragons, he's worm food.

In any case, is it clear that he's an adventurer and travelling with other adventurers? Then he must be slain, as he and his filthy warmblood companions are attempting to steal the Master's treasures!