Ksheep
2012-09-26, 03:13 PM
I have recently sent my party on a fairly simple quest: clear out an old abandoned mine which is currently overrun with monsters. It seemed like a fairly straightforward thing, and they happily accepted. However, it turned out to be anything BUT easy, for you see, the monsters in question were kobolds… devious, cunning kobolds. Yes, they are in effect facing Tucker's Kobolds.
So far, they have killed off 3 of the kobolds, while they have encountered around 20 of the 30-some-odd I had planned, and the party is just about fed up with them and their traps. While they do have a rogue in the party (a kobold that defected), he isn't doing much trap searching because most of the traps are appearing during combat, and the kobolds are engaging in hit-and-run tactics, focusing on running whenever they get hit. Granted, most hits will take them down, but they seem quite tricky targets, despite being about 5 levels lower than the party.
As it stands, the party is more or less fed up, but they are less than half-way through and nowhere near completing their quest. What can I do to make it easier for them without completely throwing the tactics that have already been set up out the window? I would like to keep the tactics, as it wouldn't make sense for the kobolds to change from a very successful set of tactics to simply running up and hitting them with sticks. Also, should I nerf it, or just keep it as is (or even add more devious tricks on top)?
If you'd like to know, the kobolds are kobold paragon 3, fighter (2 or 3), with shot on the run, and not much else. Due to their slight build, they are able to run into cracks in the wall that feed into smaller tunnels that parallel the main tunnels, and they use these to ambush as well as for quick retreats.
The party consists of a rogue, fighter, healing cleric, summoner cleric, sorcerer, and duskblade of ~10th level.
So far, they have killed off 3 of the kobolds, while they have encountered around 20 of the 30-some-odd I had planned, and the party is just about fed up with them and their traps. While they do have a rogue in the party (a kobold that defected), he isn't doing much trap searching because most of the traps are appearing during combat, and the kobolds are engaging in hit-and-run tactics, focusing on running whenever they get hit. Granted, most hits will take them down, but they seem quite tricky targets, despite being about 5 levels lower than the party.
As it stands, the party is more or less fed up, but they are less than half-way through and nowhere near completing their quest. What can I do to make it easier for them without completely throwing the tactics that have already been set up out the window? I would like to keep the tactics, as it wouldn't make sense for the kobolds to change from a very successful set of tactics to simply running up and hitting them with sticks. Also, should I nerf it, or just keep it as is (or even add more devious tricks on top)?
If you'd like to know, the kobolds are kobold paragon 3, fighter (2 or 3), with shot on the run, and not much else. Due to their slight build, they are able to run into cracks in the wall that feed into smaller tunnels that parallel the main tunnels, and they use these to ambush as well as for quick retreats.
The party consists of a rogue, fighter, healing cleric, summoner cleric, sorcerer, and duskblade of ~10th level.