Continuing from the last thread about a growing kobold operated mercenary company in a fantasy setting.
Lots of flintlock rifles, alchemists and steampunk technology to make up for their physical weakness, replacing loyalty to something like a dragon with a sense of Esprit de Corps that they become all but immune to fear while in larger groups with the moral officers (bards) shouting inspiring war songs.
Ultimate goal is building a new kobold civilization, motivated by long simmering frustration at being treated like scaly rodents by most any humanoid races.
Old thread here: http://archive.4plebs.org/tg/thread/44425614/#q44425614
They need some kind of major conflict to drive things. Not just a martial conflict but some kind of dispute or tension, some nation that doesn't like them or something.
Also a proper name.
draconiaci pugnantium "ignem et mortem viderunt omnes i"
or you could call them wurm eaters with the latin quote afterwords
Assuming that most kobolds have always been independent or underlings of someone, and I can think of a few major conflicts they will have to face.
First, the nation they are dealing with does not have problems with them as they seem to be mostly law-abiding and after all they are JUST kobolds, when they win it's because of luck and when they lose it's just because they are kobolds. ( And even after their real strengh is noticed, they will be given impossible or ridicule missions only for the sake of keeping them down).
Second, the nation they are dealing with does have problem with them, they are treat as second-class citizens at best and enemies of the state at worst. And even if they come to gain some respect and trust, they will always be an slip away from losing it....
Third, who are going to be the underlings once the kobolds join under a flag? Many BBEG's wouldn't be happy about such an organization and would do their best to destroy or take control of them before they turn into something that cannot be stopped.
Fourth, look at those well organized kobolds, soon they will grow to be a menace to the human realms and no one else sees it, it would take a group of heroes to root them out...
>>44453872
well, Hobgoblins, Orcs, and skellies are far more common henchmen. and, often better at X. hell, Kobolds are literally a bargain basement version of the above, by comparison.
also, they best develop tactics for killing other types of henchmen, if they are to have a fair shake...
might they try and find an ally?
One of the internal conflicts that might arise is the conservatives and the radicals, the conservative kobolds that might say that while they new form freedom is good they should still look for the "right" dragon, while dragons have come to take them back those had proved lacking, either in fortitude, being killed by them or not charismatic enough to warrant following, I imagine some saying they have tapped some of the dragons power however they believe that just like they were raised in power so too a dragon might have arisen in power, power so great deemed worthy of following.
The radicals as expected believe they have come beyond being lackeys to a dragon or greater master other than themselves, they too have tapped part of the dragon's power but have been changed by it, elevated by it into something greater, the tribe comes first more than before
In the end the different ideologies should have friction between them as it is a way for these kobolds to understand the world they are in and they face and will face, either as adopting of an ideal greater than them or adopting an ideology that takes their own destiny in their own hands a concept that to kobolds I imagine must be terrifyingly knew since they co inhabit a world they are among the smallest and historically among the weakest
Also what deities do these guys follow? They don't sound like they follow the standard anymore.
I will never understand /tg/'s obsession with kobolds
>pathfinder's kobold style feats focus around performing combat maneuvers on unaware targets
kobold CQC confirmed?
From the last thread, their origins were that a dragon got fed up with his minions not winning pitched battles, gathered experts from the world over and designed a new order of battle and fighting mentality for them. He died in some later battle but the army lived on without him and now operated for its own benefit, and has actually fought off other dragons who have tried to move in and take over.
So I don't know if its been mentioned before, since I missed most of the last thread, but Teamwork Feats are one of the best things that has ever happened to Kobolds in Pathfinder.
For the Musketbolds especially there are two feats that can be had at very low levels(likely picked up by level 2 depending on build).
>Covering Fire
Ranged Aid Another against an opponent. Adds a +2 AC against any attack made by that opponent against a chosen ally till next turn. Good for covering retreats.
>Volley Fire
Max of +4 to Ranged Attacks if other allies within 15 feet have fired since your last turn. Huge boost seriously helps those low level mook-bolds.
There are plenty of others out there too but those two were the ones i'd be playing with most.
The swarm fighter archetype can work for spearmen or any of the melee fighters since their feats can be handy
>>44457471
damn, are these on the online resource index?
>>44457888
d20pfsrd my friend.
Also...if you're willing to splash 3.5 material in PF games...giving Kobold sneak teams a wand of Create Trap makes for a great way to lay a 'mine field' very quickly. And then of course there are the PF Ranger traps.
I ran a Kobold Vietcong-ish game a couple years back before PF came out. I regret not going with Halflings so that I could keep my players guessing who was just a farmer and who was planning on planting a mining charge under the bridge once they were gone. The Kobolds were sneakier though so I went with them.
Didn't end up mattering anyway since one of my players was just as sneaky, better at spotting trouble, and much faster/tougher than the Kobolds they were facing. I'll need to refine the idea and try again with a different group at some point.
>>44452933
this card pretty much sums up how i see the kobolds' obsession with dragons
>>44458169
after travelling to the tunnels around 'nam a few days past, i could see why people like to style them as Viet Cong.small, digs holes, expandable and are hell with trapmaking
>>44459318
If I recall, they actually have become pretty paranoid about dragons, thinking they're all coming to take over their organization and turn them back into disposable mooks.
>>44460371
depends on the setting i guess. if we're talking D&D here, they're are quite passionate of them to go as far as serving them as far as i know. but that is back around 3.5e or earlier. dunno about their relations now if it's changed
>>44460525
That's kobolds in general, but these specific kobolds refuse to let dragons lead them. They've replaced devotion to dragons with an equally fervent devotion to their organization and an Esprit de Corps which makes them very prideful and loyal, to the point where they can shrug off the psychological effects of dragons trying to intimidate them.
There's no real anger there, but a dragon flying in and expecting a few roars and bellowed orders to cow them into serving him like any other kobold tribe will be met with angry glares and serried guns rather than kowtowing lizards.
>>tfw Kobolds can't do CQC effectively because of pathfinder mechanics
>>44460743
they need more than just firepower in that case. Dragon scales are hard to puncture even for guns unless they're all equipped with .50 BMGs.
I guess they need a few spellcasters in their disposal should a dragon felt a need for disposable minions than hiring mercs. Maybe some reserve units train to prepare for them for such an attack. It's hard to imagine they would be very successful at growing any farther unless their base is very well armed and safe from them while capable of taking them down with more than just sheer numbers
then again, the same could be said with others but people pick on kobolds far too often than say, orcs
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/agile-maneuvers-combat
Would probably be a necessity for any Kobold who wishes to remember the basics of CQC
Gunslinger seems like a nice class but is probably inferior to the Ranger in every way
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/featured-races/arg-kobold
Some of these alternate racial traits seem very cool.
Bump it
These guys need a primary antagonist to overcome, something a little more complicated than shooting a bunch of increasingly large guns at it until it goes away.
Maybe a rival pmc?
>>44467100
Their polar opposite perhaps?
Front line heavy Orcs with support of druidic tribal magics compared to the kobolds ranged and subversive attacks with a by-the-numbers arcane magic tradition?
That could work it's a pretty cool idea
>>44468259
Yeah this works. For the kobolds magic is just another science, in fact they don't even distinguish between them. You say the words, make the gestures, throw the physical component in the right place and the spell happens he same way every time.
The most abnormal it gets are the bards (commissars) who incorporate magic into martial chants and war songs, and the sorcerers who happen naturally and they'd be stupid not to make use of.
The orcs should be the other way with tribal mystics and divine spellcasters rather than institutionalized wizards, who make up their own spells and methods so each is unique.
Would be nice if they could be antagonists or opponents without just being relegated to being the bad guy to be fought, they're a rival group with their own goals and methods and they just don't get along.
I rather like the idea of this Kobold merc force being hired to protect some backwater that the government can't bother to spare regular forces for but is important enough that they want to keep it. Where they end up fighting against either an insurgency where they beat the baddies at their own game or where they have to deal with an unknown horde out of the wilderness.
Either way read up on VC/NVA tactics at some point to get a better idea of it all. Read "The Tunnels of Cu Chi" if you want a good idea of just how amazing their tunnel systems were.
>>44468486
Feels really appropriate they would be skulking around in tunnels and warrens as their base of operations. The building in town they were given to stay in is just a front, they dug a tunnel system underneath the basement and put up ambush tunnels all over the place.
One thing I don't get is how the Kobolds would fund their operations, and why would anyone trust Kobolds to be a reliable fighting force when their race is naturally cowardly?
Having a good record is good, but they would need to begin by making a positive name for themselves.
>>44469074
They were originally created by a dragon, who bought their initial equipment. After he died he probably left a sizable war chest behind.
And you're right, they probably get stuck with crap work, but they are getting a reputation for getting things done and eventually people take note, and there are plenty of other races besides the main humanoids who wouldn't look down on them as much.
Who's to say their original dragon overlord wasn't a metallic dragon of some sort? Depending upon how "good" said dragon was the 'bolds may start out with a better rep than expected.
And I can just see their master being struck a mortal blow by another dragon, the enemy approaching to make the final killing blow, when the dragons honor guard jumps out to ward the enemy off. They put up a courageous fight, losing scores of their own and sticking around longer than they should have and long past when their kind is expected to flee, but finally managing to drive the enemy off.
Their crippled and dying master, so moved by their devotion, imparts upon their leaders his dying wish that they serve no other as they did him and blah blah blah....giving them that esprit and drive to move on and do great things.
>>44469616
The serried guns fired, magical discharges left the air smelling of ozone and the enemy was pushed back for the moment, their great commander lying rent and torn on the battlefield, the immense dragon's armor and scales torn open by a savage attack.
Next to him stood his general, his first officer, his trusted ally, the kobold in a neat grey uniform with his rank upon his shoulder. "No, no Commander, there is still time, the healers..."
"Will not be here in time." The great dragon sighed, tired eyes looking upon his most trusted of servants. "You are the Commander now. You must lead now, as I have before."
The kobold's eyes were wide, trembling. "We fought for you, sir, always for you. Without you, what purpose will we have? We cannot live without you."
The old wyrm smiled, though his expression was pained. "Commander, I have one final order for you, my friend."
"Y-Yes sir?"
The dragon reached out one claw, lifting the kobold's shaking chin with a gentle touch. "Never bow, Commander. No matter what happens, no matter what fate may come, never... ever... bow...." The claw slowly rested on the ground, and moved no more.
The First Commander is still around, one of the oldest kobold still alive, far beyond the ability to lead anymore but respected for his deep wisdom and vision and still acts as an adviser to the current leadership, and helping to be a direct link to the past and their traditions as they constantly expand and evolve.
>>44469843
I foresee there being two distinct forces developing out of this merc company.
>Line Troops
The public face of the unit. The guards and 'daylight hours' troops that use the musket/socket bayonet combo and use the Volley Fire and Wall of Flesh teamwork feats. Where the larger 'bolds are basically forced to work.
>Ranger Teams
The dark side of the force. Close knit teams of Rangers, Rogues, and Wizards/Sorcs that do the dirty night work. The patrol and trap teams that use the Stealth Synergy and Bonded Mind chain teamwork feats.
Supplementing these are the Commisars, Healers, and Alchemists in the support companies. I imagine Alchemists being in high demand not only for bombs but for healing and alchemical item creation as well.
>>44470221
We should come up with their basic squad composition.
They'd need a couple ranged combatants, rangers and bushwackers, at least one arcane spellcaster, one commissar, alchemist most likely. There's a class from the Dragonmech books called Coglayer that's basically a steampunk combat engineer and I've had great fun with them before.
>>44470221
And I don't see the Ranger teams using guns. Keeping things quiet with crossbows and such is much better. Of course explosives and fire options are carried for use as a last resort. And at least one wand of Create Trap per team.
How big and diverse these teams are is up to GMs to decide. Personally I see them being no more than a dozen strong at their most bulked out.
Awesome just pure awesome
>>44470221
When you say line troops, are they more effective than small teams working together or a platoon using more modern infantry tactics? If they were supported by a sorc/wizard then they could be similar to light infantry with armoured support.
Alchemists would definitely be crucial in any Kobold PMC. It sucks that Pathfinder does not allow for the creation of IEDs or long-range delivery of alchemist's bombs, however. Houserule?
>>44470370
Before we do that we have to lay down some even more basic things.
1) What level do we assume the basic grunts are at? How about the ranger and support teams?
>I see grunts at no more than level 3 with rangers and support troops being no higher than level 6.
2) How much kit do they carry? How much are we willing to spend on each troopers kit?
>This i'm unsure of currently but I can't see spending more than 100g on kit over whatever their weapons cost.
>>44470457
Repeating crossbows as standard? At low levels, their damage is still better than a light crossbow if you get iterative attacks.
I think some creative licensing will have to be afforded with regards to how much they spend on kit. The cost of weapons in pathfinder can get a bit silly, and if there is an expert blacksmith in the Kobold clan it may even be possible for them to obtain their weapons for significantly cheaper than elsewhere.
>>44470440
By Line Troops I mean something more similar to a platoon of riflemen with heavy fire support. I'd mix in things from the Napoleonic era as well as more modern ideas. If these are going to be the public face of the mercs they'll need to look good and fight good which to me means deciplined volley fire and at least moderately bright/flashy uniforms. Something that even humanoid officers would look at and go "hmm not bad."
And there are several options out there for long range bomb delivery and, if i recall correctly, even some IED options.
>>44470457
Holy crap
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/weapons/weapon-descriptions/crank-crossbow-heavy
>>When used with a barbed bolt, the winch provides a +2 bonus on grapple combat maneuver checks to pull the target toward you.
>>Kobolds tasked with capture of large enemy work together by using barbed bolts to pin down the enemy and immobilize them from a distance
Maybe their main rivals should be gnolls, not orcs?
>>44470605
I'll be back for more later. Gotta run.
And I should probably namefag a bit.
>>44470612
Brutal.
Ok i'm back.
Lets start with the basic Kobold shall we? Assuming we're using primarily PF with a dash of 3/3.5 material i'll start out by suggesting the use of an official online DnD supplement that gives the Kobold a little more 'ompf'. I'm having trouble finding it atm but it basically boils down to giving Kobolds a pair of claw attacks/bite attack and the reverse of the Strong Build trait that allows them to count as tiny if it would benefit them. This was the basis for my Viet'bolds and is probably a good idea for any Kobolds to have in this Merc Company.
>>44472816
That sounds solid, they're fierce little bastards.
>>44472816
The basics for a Rifle'bold, or at least what I envision as a Rifle'bold, only requires two levels. Using the Swarm Fighter Kobold archetype (because its useful and fits) nets you useful Mobility, a little help vs Fear, and a Teamwork feat. This allows you to take Point Blank Shot at first level and Volley Fire at second. In a squad sized group this would give Kobolds a +7 Attack (before Dex bonus, equipment quality, or magic is factored in) at 30 feet with a musket. Not bad considering the level and the fact that those attacks are touch attacks.
>>44472816
>>reverse of the Strong Build trait that allows them to count as tiny if it would benefit them
That shit sounds hilarious. Would it apply to stuff like stealth checks?
Also, would it change how CMB was calculated given that, IIRC, tiny creatures can apply their dex bonus to CMB?
>>44473129
A musket and bayonet + Parade Armor for a relatively cheap but dashing look gives us a solid 'Line' trooper for the 'face' of the company. Guard details, parades, and general image while still being good at combat. Perhaps an additional cloth cover for the armor and a camo cape for sneaking and for when standing shoulder to shoulder and looking like a mini wall of meat and metal isn't the smartest idea.
The following is how I figure a typical platoon would be laid out.
>Fire-team
Four Musket troopers + Blunderbuss trooper
>Squad
2-3 Fire-teams + Squad leader(Alchemist?) + Arcanist(Sorc/Wiz)
>Platoon
2-3 Squads + Commissar + Healer
>Company
3-4 Platoons + Leadership and Support
>>44473489
It applied whenever being smaller would help...so yes it helped with hiding. But since being smaller wouldn't help with CMD it didn't count. I think it was called Narrow Build or something similar.
>>44473650
Found the text:
>>The physical stature of kobolds lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category smaller. Whenever a kobold is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as Hide), the kobold is treated as one size smaller if doing so is advantageous to the character. A kobold is also considered to be one size smaller when "squeezing" through a restrictive space. A kobold can use weapons designed for a creature one size smaller without penalty. However, the space and reach of a kobold remain those of a creature of their actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject's size category.
The issue of the CMB is complex since being of a small size applies a penalty, however:
>>Creatures that are size Tiny or smaller use their Dexterity modifier in place of their Strength modifier to determine their CMB.
So it is arguable that, if Dex is high enough, being counted as tiny would actually be better. However since it seems rather inconsistent, I would agree with you that it would be best to have it not affect CMB at all.
Web Enhancements: Races of the Dragon Part 2, Kobolds: Playing to their Strengths.
I need to get to sleep now, hopefully the thread will be up in the morning. Good night, Kobolds Sans Frontieres
For the line heavies would it make sense to equip some with a pavais? Basically walking heavy cover, a line of holds pushing/carrying the heavy shields forward while the others moved up behind them and shot over the lip of the shield as they advanced?
>>44474321
I believe front line assault heavies had some kind of steampunk battle exoskeleton that sounded to me like steam powered Fallout power armor.
>>44469843
>music for the scene, start it 1/4 of the way through, fade to legions of marching/fighting kobolds...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRLdhFVzqt4
I'm having fun going over this all again after a couple years. And with all the new stuff thats been added since then...well...
The Marksman Psionic class is perfect for a Ranger squad Designated Marksman or Sniper. Especially since its one of the few classes that has access to the Foxhole Psionic power. This handy little 1st level power allows you to create up to four small 5ft foxholes or combine them into one large one. With three Augments available its quite a handy tool for teams to have.
I'm currently torn between the Snare Setter Rogue and the Trapper Ranger as the primary trapper of each Ranger party. Take a look at them and tell me what you think. The Rogue has a pair of great Talents (Cunning Trigger and Quick Trapsmith) and the Ranger has a ton of other abilities that make them great team players outside their trapping abilities. Right now i'm leaning towards the Ranger due to its better combat abilities.
And after digging out my old 3.5 Heroes of Battle book i've rediscovered the Ready Shot feat that would go well with the Volley Fire teamwork feat that i've given the Line Troopers.
>>44476336
Hmm, well rangers have those bows which are critical for sneaky combat without giving your position away. The gunslinger 'bolds could only maintain stealth up until the ambush, or by changing positions in pitched battle.
Rogues more commonly have to get in close which could be a problem with this group's fighting style.
Well rogues can work for infiltration and sabotage jobs that the group can undertake.
>>44476048
You really can't go wrong with 2SFH...though I figured To Glory, Sons of War or United We Stand - Divided We Fall would work better.
I've always loved picturing a hunting party chasing down fleeing prey while listening to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rorLrqW5oG0 Both versions are great and is by far my favorite piece by 2SFH.
Was the look of the kobolds decided? aside from merc looking was this fantasy merc or common modern merc outfits
>>44477466
There was a lot of talk about that in the previous thread and I think that should probably be left to each GM/Player since tastes vary so widely.
I, for instance, like the idea of a Napoleonic look with color and Parade Armor that can, if necessary, be covered up or switched out for darker colors or camo. Of course on a Kobold i'm not sure how we'd get that to work well.
For the Ranger sneak teams the obvious dark clothing/camo look is necessary.
>>44477466
>>44477751
OP's original idea was something like trying to recreate modern pouches and armor using fantasy materials, lots of pouches, carry rigs, backpacks, old gas masks with the canisters on the belt, that kinda thing.
>>44477931
I'm having a harder time picturing these guys as medieval fantasy mercs in the traditional sense. No one is going to hire these guys to fill out ranks or bully locals. They won't look good(or intimidating) patrolling the streets if they don't conform to certain standards. Its hard enough as is since they're kobolds.
The image OP wants works better for an independent faction trying to carve out a nation for themselves or something similar...not as mercs...at least not in a fantasy setting.
Working as sell swords once their nation is set up and their tactics have been proven for the world to see is fine to an extent but I'm just having a harder time seeing it the way OP wants.
Forging a mixed force with a public face that mimics current trends and looks while also having a spec ops group doing the real work behind the scenes is far more likely to work in my opinion. Of course opinions my vary and you might be able to sell me on another method if its explained better.
Digging deeper into my older files has reminded me of another option for the grunt Kobolds...one that aligns a bit more correctly with what OP is trying for. The Mystic Ranger from Dragon Magazine 336 is a distance fighting Ranger that emphasizes spellwork over most anything else. It is a full caster but only has spells going up to level 5. With the multitude of spell options put out for Rangers from 3.0 to PF there are plenty of excellent spells that are suddenly available for Rangers as low as second level. The best of these require Bows to be used instead of guns though but personally I don't see a problem with this since as a more shadowy force they'll want to be able to strike from hiding and stay at ranges muskets can't give them in the first place.
went around Cu Chi a few days ago while visiting there. i could post a few traps for an idea of how they're done; just so you guys could make them deadlier
>>44480836
it'a bit hard to see as we were in a rush there so, i have a few bits
>>44480849
>>44480861
the guy behind was holding a door trap, which is actually two pieces chained together so i will cause damage even if anyone tried to stop it either from the top or bottom. works like a flail in that sense and a good way to insta-kill intruders
>>44461236
Fun fact; musket calibers often exceeded .50.
Sure, a musket doesn't achieve the muzzle velocity of modern weaponry and the rounds are much more primitive but even to a dragon it would probably suck ass to get hit by something like a solid steel/iron ball or a steel/iron core minié ball.
>>44481135
perhaps. so long as they can take potshots at it in close range, they have a chance. more so with rifled muskets for longer range though, they have to take care not get fried by the dragon first
>>44481135
Fun fact: they were actually soft lead. Not iron or steel. They would flatten out on impact with even relatively soft humans. It's why there were so many amputations. The bones in arms and legs would just shatter into little shards unlike today's faster bullets that typically give cleaner breaks if they hit bone.
>>44482461
But I never said anything about the material of old musket balls. I just speculated that getting hit by a steel or iron musket ball would suck even for a dragon.
>>44480888
>>44480861
>>44480849
>>44480836
Good shit man. Thanks for sharing. The tunnels are one of the few reasons I want to visit.
Tunnels are a knock against muskets, rifles, and bows sadly. Smaller crossbows and pistols are far more maneuverable due to their lack of length. Of course how much tunnels figure in this merc company is up for debate.
>>44482541
All depends on how tough you say Dragon scales are. Musket balls aren't actually all that fast. Even if they were iron or steel it might not matter.
>>44457115
A little bit hard to cqc something 4 times your size and can crush your ribcage with a swift kick.
>>44466706
>>44467100
>>44468409
Honestly, should be gnomes.
>>44482719
a -1 size penalty is nothing compared to a +3 or +4 dex bonus on trip attempts. Another +2 with improved trip
>>44482620
Their biggest problem would probably be their shape rather than their velocity. A sphere is garbage at focusing the energy on a single point.
>>44482793
Oh sure, but in the game a human can grapple down a colossal sized creature with his bare hands.
How the fuck do you even trip a giant with your bare hands?
>>44482595
could be viable for the donderbuses' length instead of muskets. miniaturized donderbuses if they will.
but yeah, depends on how the tunnels are constructed. The tunnels in Cu Chi were way smaller before i visited so the trick is to make it particularly inaccessible for people larger than a kobold. Then the only viable weapons there would be pistols or in melee
>>44482903
Well, a Hill Giant is only large sized and has a CMD of 24. Denied its dex bonus (from stealth) and given a +4 due to the same, an 18 dex kobold with improved trip and a BaB equal to the giant's will be able to trip it on a 10 or better.
>>44482817
If these guys have conical bullets everything else in the setting is fucked.
>>44482927
to add in a few things about tunnel structures there, they could disguise air vents as termite mounds so they're capable of working, smithing and cooking while inside without arousing too much suspicion from the surface. they smear salted fish and what not on them so the hounds cannot pick up the scent as they try their hardest to avoid it
tunnels are built as winding, braching paths so it's easier to reroute and rebuild tunnels in case of cave-ins due to explosions and such
So, what happens when they go up against another race who have been doing the same guerilla tactics far much longer?
Like the halflings, ratfolk( going by pathfinder) the quicklings, sprigans... elves.
How'd guerilla on guerilla tactics work out?
>>44484028
All comes down to who the better sneak is and who has better tactics. Ability to deliver firepower is also important.
>>44484080
Well the better sneaks would be those that has been doing it longest and firepower is easy to get if you can at least kill one or two of your enemy, then it's all about reverse engineering.
Also america had better firepower, still "retreated tactically"
>>44485157
>>44485174
>>44485220
>>44485237
>>44485260
>>44485278
kobump
>>44485174
This kobold is dangerously smug.
Something must be going on here.
bujmp
This but Kobold
>>44491205
where as this is more along the lines of what OP wants.
>>44491245
>>44491245
>>44491274
-Yeah this looks about right.
>>44491363
Maybe i'll just need to model a competing Gnomish Merc Company based on >>44491274 just to give these Kobolds someone to fight.
>>44482903
>>44482945
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/weapons/weapon-descriptions/crank-crossbow-heavy
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/weapons/weapon-descriptions/ammunition/arrow-barbed
Kobolds can grapple from a distance with barbed crossbow bolts, and gain a bonus with a crank crossbow.
Imagine a squad of Kobolds wanting to bring a prisoner in.
Brutal, but effective.
>>44491721
>Winch gets enchanted with a Mage Hand of it's own, or some similar spell
>Kobolds flying around all over the place like it's Attack on Titan
>>44491563
Gnomes would be incredibly foreward with weaponry, if the kobolds got lever actions the gnomes got repeaters and automatics. which really would suck for the kobolds, can't do hit and runs if your enemy guns you down faster than you can hit them and run away.
They are THE engineering race after all.
>>44491205
>>44491245
wasn't it this one?
>>44469074
Malevolent covert organization working for a crown somewhere funding kobold insurgents to stir up regional instability to weaken an area prior to an invasion. It of course backfires and after the war ends you're stuck dealing with kobold Viet Cong for the next 10 or 20 years while their new aim is to spread further and further promoting their new unified kobold ideology/identity and engaging in internal kobold political wars leading pseudo-warring kingdoms to fund opposing sides of the kobold war and engaging in little lizard rat proxy wars.
>>44495322
Does guerilla tactics really work in a medieval setting?
Travel being slow, supply trains larger and the fact that you cannot just walk around fortresses.
Really, ww1 really did change things up, people seem to forget how drastically different things became. I mean look at that massive bunker complex the french built, had it been built just a few years earlier they would've been impenetrable as a country. But no, germans just walked around it. Cause they could. The tactic of taking potshots and running wouldn't be often and enough to actually cause damage to whatever enemy they are against.
Another problem is that vietcong tactics relied heavily on being indistinguishable from the locals and that they could always just run and hide in an american controlled village. Kobolds would stick out like a sour thumb cause there sure ain't no neutral kobold villages and who the hell is gonna tell the world about slaughtering a village? It's not like information traveled fast like in the 1960's.
Then there's the problem with spells such as scrying, summoning burrowing creatures and elementals, necromancy especially would cause huge problems for them since undead don't exactly feel the pain from bullets and will just shamble on.
Really could use some negatives and problems this organization has to avoid the classic overpowered /tg/ marry sue organization, also to make them more interesting in general.
>>44495530
>you cannot just walk around fortresses.
But you can tunnel beneath them and kobolds excel at that. Guerrilla tactics have historically been used in medieval ages as well, mostly defensively though. But given as though we're dealing with a race of tiny little tunnelers who have access to magical traps and I suppose unlimited ranged weaponry, I can see even the best equipped of footsoldiers having trouble with a hit and run style of kobold ambush.
>get word via carrier pigeon that an outskirt settlement was raided for supplies and the population mostly slaughtered in the night by a band of 40 or 50 marauding kobolds
>send a small battalion to reclaim the town
>upon entering they find it mostly abandoned and buildings rigged with primitive and nasty kobold traps
>the initial chaos of poisoned spiked pits, magical explosions then leads to kobolds popping up from the tunnels and trenches they've built beneath the settlement and flintlocks shot and shrapnel and crossbow bolts decimate the soldiers while the kobolds then retreat to their designated fallback point using the tunnels much too small for humans to give chase
I certainly wouldn't want to be one of the men sent to investigate a well armed kobold militia that's for sure.
>>44495709
I guess their biggest downfall would be resource scarcity and the fact that if they do one attack they need to skedadle the fuck out of there before the foot soldiers start lighting fires by their openings and shooting anything that comes up. Or sending a large amount of rats and chickens into the holes to set off every trap.
Their tactics would heavily rely on being fast and decisive to take down the enemy quickly or else they would loose on the account of numbers, morale and lack of steady supply trains.
It's like alligator wrestling, sure the bite is strong and the tail can kill a grown man in a single swipe, but clamp down the jaw and stay on top and take a careful look around you and you are set to go
Maybe it's unoriginal of me, but I can't help thinking that these kobolds would work great if there was a Sergeant/similar ranked guy who the nation they're working for has tasked with keeping the kobolds under the country's control; in practice, however, he mostly just acts as the relay between the kobold PMC and the country when giving a new assignment.
This could be the type of sarge who respects them for being able to get shit done, and doesn't even try to enforce his "authority" over them, essentially acting as the only reasonable guy in the country's chain of command when it comes to their unit.
In short, the country "says" he's in charge of them while they're under contract, but in reality he's more of a liaison.
Or you could go the other route and make him a total dick/spoiled brat, but I think these kobolds are going to have enough problems as it is.
yeah, the higher the magic, the less the kobolds rock out.
however, better a company of professional kobolds than dredges conscripted.
--Flintlocks do great in tunnels: they are long, but thin, and a flintlock to the face once you round the corner cures lots of ails.
--gurellia warfare in the medeival ages was a thing. look at the bulgars, and look at the mongols
>>44496037
Supplies and the like really depend on how they got to be this organized in the first place. If they're being well funded by a powerful enough force then they'd have pretty solid supply lines; how well defended are they is a considerable question though. I can't imagine even the best outfitted kobolds being able to fight a medium sized group of organized humanoids using conventional means. Pitched battles would obviously favor non-kobolds heavily and even a regular ambush type skirmish even in a forest/heavily obscured area would end badly for kobolds if they didn't have proper preparation time. Magical deployment for the non-kobolds isn't even being considered. Once wizards or the like got involved it would be game over for our little friends.
And you have a good point, one or two good ambushes and any survivors of the encounter will report back and tactics will be deployed to counter their ambush strategy. I suppose they could rely entirely on scorched earth but that still depends on village garrisons and patrols and how they can move about in a sizable enough quantity to continuously keep up enough infrastructure damage to actually dent the opposing forces.
Their entire strategy pretty much rests on making the outskirts of civilization uninhabitable and luring the opposition into their prepared domain.
>>44495530
honestly? with or without tunnels, guerilla tactics appear even since ancient times since people knew how to ambush for hunts. same principles with guerilla tactics. cover always is essential to initiate this tactic in the first place.
thing is about guerilla tactics is that you can't really use it in the battlefield and it's best used definsively or travelling in places where the environment greatly helps in your advance towards the enemy. for invasions, unless they have set up some defences where they expected a breach underground, it's pretty simple for kobolds to infiltrate fortresses through burrowing assuming they have the appropriate plans to find a weakspot to get into it.
Urban areas are excellent for ambushing even especially if it's virtually abandoned or places where it forces the enemy to search for them. so, cover by being indistinguishable from the locals isnt much of an issue since soldiers would attack them out of paranoia anyway.
supplies and logistics aren't much of an issue since they are continuously hoarded and transported underground away from enemy lines. few pockets of stockpiles are possible to be built underground as well as a two-way tunnels that leads directly to cities or bases that are connected to the network. The thing is about how mongols usually succeed in invasions and wars are usually they have the upper hand in their logistical systems that allowed them to move fast and get supplies fast
>>44496180
Still the problem of transportation and movement being slow.
And if they got supply trains then their positions would be easily found. Cause it's not like they can run into the nearest town and "buy groceries" like irl guerrillas did. Any time farmer mcjoe see's a kobold he's gonna go "Yeah those guys have been ruining my country, call the guard and cut them off." Though it could also mean if they have something to ride and a good mountain close they can use the advantage of how slow moving units about was in the medieval ages. Like how raider tribes and bandits did.
Honestly these guys shouldn't be the meat and potatoes of any hiree, they should be having the "Ain't no loss in being second best" working with other races. as commando units and extras with races that got powerful and incredibly organized armies, such an hobgoblins or dwarves. Like a scaly hol horse.
>>44496179
Flintlocks in tunnels also means you yourself cannot respond quickly enough if the enemy is close. since the tunnels are supposedly small we are probably not gonna have people crawling around down there.
Then there's the problem of firing an firearm in a very tight and small tunnel, they'd be deaf sooner than they'd be found from above.
>>44496180
One way to deal with this would be to have their 'villages' spread out and hidden; as in, a few decoy huts over in the clearing, with the real homes scattered around in the woods, or just built underground.
You don't scorch the earth, you spread your stuff out enough so that even if they get one or two or six of your growing areas, you're able to take the loss because the other twelve are still hidden.
Also, setting up traps might not cause as much damage when the enemy's expecting them, but it certainly slows them down, both when they're advancing slowly to find the traps, and when they pause to disarm it before moving on. That time delay can be enough to move any stockpiles in danger away to somewhere else, especially if they're spread out in several small stockpiles rather than one big one.
>>44496359
>buying groceries
They'd take a page from General Sherman's book and strip the natives bare. Though in this case, it would be less a matter of strong-arming at gunpoint and more stealing every scrap of food/whatever they need that the natives have.
>>44496409
Well at least they get their asses kicked as soon as magic gets into the scene, so I guess they aren't total "Muh speshul race".
>>44496179
shots are very effective in tunnels but considering muskets are unwieldy due to its length and has terrible loading speed which would be disastrous in tunnels, it's preferable to equip them with light/repeating crossbows instead. the loading speed and rate of fire outstrips the musket despite its poor range and stopping power in this case
>>44496499
>implying "muh speshul race"
Kobolds get shit on by everybody else in straight-up combat, man. Being crazy good at espionage/guerrilla tactics to make up for that doesn't make them unbeatable, it makes them viable.
>>44496359
>Honestly these guys shouldn't be the meat and potatoes of any hiree, they should be having the "Ain't no loss in being second best" working with other races. as commando units and extras with races that got powerful and incredibly organized armies, such an hobgoblins or dwarves. Like a scaly hol horse.
This. They'd make excellent disposable saboteurs. Trojan horse kobolds inside a merchant's wagon. It rolls into town and 5 or 10 kobolds burst out and take out as many bystanders as they can. They're just the morale destroyers and not the frontline boys.
>>44496580
Alright them, enlighten me on the countertactics.
How do these guys have their faults and loses? How would their enemies fight them? Let's flesh them out a bit more than going about how good they are.
Cause saying they are weak in up front combat doesn't mean jack if they can just ignore upfront combat altogether.
>>44496791
flush them out and force them into combat, turn their advantages against them, etc. although the solution is simple, it's not necessarily easy.
Magic usually answers that since stuff like detection spells allows you to tell you where they are hiding. you could draw them out by destroying cover or, if they're using tunnels and found, smoking them, poisoning them, drowning them or setting their tunnels ablaze could help with that. or, like >>44496037, sending out decoys to clear out traps around there. Playing fire with fire as people say. gotta think like a kobold to beat one
>>44496955
Magic ruins everything.
>>44496980
wizard don't care
>>44496791
The main issue I can think of right off the bat: digging tunnels and placing traps requires set-up time; if someone stumbled across them as they were getting prepped, they'd have to pull back or risk being forced into open combat, which they would likely lose.
More importantly, Espionage tactics do not win wars. They are a means to support a larger campaign, either political or military. If the larger campaign falls apart or fails, then all that work they did was for nothing.
>>44497039
By "do not win wars," I mean that they do not, in and of themselves, lead to a conventional victory. The are a means of support; the bombing campaigns of WWII did not win the war, nor could they on their own, but they paved the way to victory by slowing down production, destroying defensive locations, and generally hampering efforts to counter the ground offensive.
