Goblin Trapper

[PanosIs]

So, for an upcoming adventure, I need to populate a possibly friendly or possibly hostile goblin tribe. The class-level population is around 30 goblins, led by an illusionist sorcerer and a barbarian who sit at around 6 HD. I have most of the stuff figured out, but there is one concept that is proving quite difficult:

I want to make roughly 5 to 10 of the goblins some sort of trappers, either using traps or nets to hinder their adversaries and open them up for their more murderous companions, but I'm quite stumped on how to make this work. They would have something in the line of 3 to 5HD to work with (The lower the better). How would you go about building this concept?

[Kol Korran]

Goblin experts, rangers or rogues, with craft (trap) as a skill, and a skill focus in it? Or are you asking about the specific traps? Or setup/ ambushes?

What is the specific problem you are having?

[PanosIs]

Goblin experts, rangers or rogues, with craft (trap) as a skill, and a skill focus in it? Or are you asking about the specific traps? Or setup/ ambushes?

What is the specific problem you are having?

The specific problem I am having is that I would like the trappers to keep the feel in combat - having some abilities that debilitate the player characters. I'm currently using a net which is pretty nice for a touch attack and is on theme, but I'd like one or two additional actions that have the same feel.

[AnimeTheCat]

So, for an upcoming adventure, I need to populate a possibly friendly or possibly hostile goblin tribe. The class-level population is around 30 goblins, led by an illusionist sorcerer and a barbarian who sit at around 6 HD. I have most of the stuff figured out, but there is one concept that is proving quite difficult:

I want to make roughly 5 to 10 of the goblins some sort of trappers, either using traps or nets to hinder their adversaries and open them up for their more murderous companions, but I'm quite stumped on how to make this work. They would have something in the line of 3 to 5HD to work with (The lower the better). How would you go about building this concept?

If this is for 3.5, I suggest Rogues that Trade their Sneak Attack for Fighter Bonus Feats (That's either in Unearthed Arcana or PHBII, can't remember). Have some take Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Net and have some take Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Spiked Chain. Then build each of them out as different harassment fighters. Perhaps the Spiked Chain fighters take Combat Expertise at level 1 and improved Trip at level 3, then Combat Reflexes for bonus 1 and EWP at level 2. For the net guys, perhaps give them EWP at 1, Mounted Combat for bonus 1, Mounted Archery at bonus 2, and then kind of whatever you want at level 3 (perhaps weapon focus: net to make sure that net attack hits?). Now, I'm not saying that it will absolutely work, but it stands to reason that after netting the enemy, the net goblin can tie the net off to their (stronger) mount to let the mount make those strength checks to limit movement. That would probably take a full-round action (as per the use rope skill rules) on the next turn, but that should reasonably work. so, the plan would be for these goblins to work in tandem first entangle the enemy then the chain goblin comes along and puts them on the ground, thus making the target less of a threat in general.

That all discusses them as combatants, but because they're rogues they have pretty great skill points too, allowing you to max out Craft: Trap or Profession: Trapmaker. With 4-6 of these guys, you could have some pretty high level traps all over the place around a compound or cave complex. Anything from debilitating traps (nets, grease, etc) or damaging traps (claw traps, pitfalls, deadfalls, etc). Even with a 10 or 12 Int, the Craft: Trap would be a +6 or +7, definitely enough to make reasonable progress on competent traps. You could even take that extra feat from the Net goblins and give them Skill Focus (Craft: Trap) raising that to +9 or +10.

You can reasonably do this with Experts, if you want lower stat (non-elite vs elite arrays) or lower CR monsters. The most important parts are the weapons they use (Exotic Weapon Proficiency at level 1) so then you could make both of the types of goblins take Skill Focus and their EWP feat and just leave it at that, all with 3 HD.

[Telonius]

This would require a houserule handwave, but how about just using the Combat Trapsmith prestige class (from Complete Scoundrel) as a five-level base class?

[Fouredged Sword]

In combat? Take a look at alchemical items. Tangle foot bags, alchemical fire, and a number of other things are quite useful to throw on a low level threat to make it more of a threat. Give then rogue class levels in the 3-5 range, giving them 2-3 sneak attack die that applies to their alchemical item touch attacks when they throw from hiding.

[AnimeTheCat]

In combat? Take a look at alchemical items. Tangle foot bags, alchemical fire, and a number of other things are quite useful to throw on a low level threat to make it more of a threat. Give then rogue class levels in the 3-5 range, giving them 2-3 sneak attack die that applies to their alchemical item touch attacks when they throw from hiding.

To piggyback on this, you could have them instead take beguiler levels, give them Craft (alchemy), Craft (Trapmaking), and make them like the behind-the-scenes defenders of the place making magical and alchemical traps. Play it out as the warriors constantly leading the party in to more and more traps.

[SirNibbles]

This thread may be of interest: https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?607178-Looking-for-rules-for-guerilla-traps