How in the world did the kobolds get out of the lair to capture the kids in the first place? Their lair has got a hostile monster in every room between their level and the exit.
How are the kobolds banging away on the stone in area 1 not a tasty meal for Glintaxe?
How in the world did the kobolds get out of the lair to capture the kids in the first place? Their lair has got a hostile monster in every room between their level and the exit.
How are the kobolds banging away on the stone in area 1 not a tasty meal for Glintaxe?
First off, understand that the kobolds are aware that they live in a dangerous area. Secondly, the Bloodscales and especially the Dark Talons are dangerous and stealthy in thier own right, enough so to sneak past, avoid, or in worst case be a dangerous encounter for any other hostiles in the lair. Thirdly, they believe Glintaxe to be a ghost and run on sight. Fourthly, obviously Glintaxe moves around, he is a gelatinous cube constantly scouring the hallways, he is not always blocking hallway 4. So if you look at the map areas 12, 16, and 17 are secured by the kobolds granting them free passage between the lower levels and upper levels. True, Glintaxe is the most problematic, and likely the forge spurned could be as well . . . but I am sure the kobolds are careful enough to wait those two out before using hallway 4 to reach the outside, which they have secured with the alliance of Graypelt.
As for the lower level, they pretty much own that. In other words, I do not entirely see your point. The kobolds have clearly defined and relatively secure checkpoints to and from their elevator and area 1. The only present danger is Glintaxe, a 'ghost' they can avoid.
How are the kobolds banging away on the stone in area 1 not a tasty meal for Glintaxe?
A quick glance at the SRD confirms the following, which I had thought to be true:
The Gelatinous Cube has a speed of 15 (i.e. slow)
It is an ooze which lacks intelligence, and therefore has no skills. Which is important because it lacks a Listen check, so no amount of banging is really going to alert it. It is a mindless ooze that travels along and woe be to those who get in its way.
this ppretty much sums up my thoughts on the matter. it actually never occured to me that the way could possibly be block short of a few cave-ins
How in the world did the kobolds get out of the lair to capture the kids in the first place? Their lair has got a hostile monster in every room between their level and the exit.
How are the kobolds banging away on the stone in area 1 not a tasty meal for Glintaxe?
There used to be A LOT more kobolds...The kobolds avoid Old Glinty like the plague, and they do be sneaksy they do them kobolds...but yeah, more in'likely DOZENS of kobolds have perished sneaking out of the monestary, and that's awesome in my book.
Yeah, those poor slaves working in area 1 don't have a very long life expectancy. Vregma will not be denied her glossy black obsi-mirror...regardless the cost, they must stay the course.
Does this mean if the blunderers, er.... heroes, never show up, the kobald problem sorta takes care of itself?
I know that's no comfort for the kidnapped kids ... but hey, it's like the first freeze that takes out all those summer pests.
Does this mean if the blunderers, er.... heroes, never show up, the kobald problem sorta takes care of itself?
I know that's no comfort for the kidnapped kids ... but hey, it's like the first freeze that takes out all those summer pests.
None too heroic, but it makes logical sense.
Still, I'd wonder what kind of response the "hero" who suggests such a tactic would receive, should he do so in public, much less in the company of any family of one of the kidnapped kiddies.
There used to be A LOT more kobolds...
Ahhh, that's an answer I like. I'll be adding descriptions of lots of dead kobolds to the rooms on the first level.
There used to be A LOT more kobolds...Ahhh, that's an answer I like. I'll be adding descriptions of lots of dead kobolds to the rooms on the first level.
i think there may be a problem with that, Cubey would sweep the floors clean right?
i think there may be a problem with that, Cubey would sweep the floors clean right?
Yeah, but Kobolds SPLAT. There'd still be signs of them high up on the walls and the ceiling. I don't remember if he can reach every room either.
Vregma will not be denied her glossy black obsi-mirror...regardless the cost, they must stay the course.
It is not about the obsidian mirror! They are there to liberate the dwarves crushed under the tyrannical boot heel of the Dark Smith as well as introducing democracy and stability to the upper level.
It is just like you liberal druid cults to claim some conspiracy theory involving obsidian. Why do you hate the kobold nation?
It's not just the Kobolds either, most of the creatures on the first level are not allied with each other and exist in very close proximity to each other.
If you draw this level on a battlemap and put the minis on the map and then have everyone/thing make Listen checks you will see what I mean. The grick in 2 should be able to hear the kobolds in 1 (and go and eat them).
The ghouls and kobolds in 15 and 17 are another example, they are only 20-30 feet from each other and ghouls like to eat kobolds.
It get worse when the PCs get involved and start fighting and otherwise making noise in these areas.
Glinty (the Gcube) doesn't really have enough space so that the kobolds can avoid it easily (there is only one passage from 12 to the outside).
Also what happens if Glinty wanders over to 6 (less than a minute travel time) and eats the corpse, journal and boots?
I know current dungeon design philosophy says make a small dungeon and don't have too many empty rooms but this dungeon needs them to provide a buffer zone for the creatures in it.
My feeling is that the map is just a little too cramped for the amount of encounters on it.
It's not just the Kobolds either, most of the creatures on the first level are not allied with each other and exist in very close proximity to each other.
If you draw this level on a battlemap and put the minis on the map and then have everyone/thing make Listen checks you will see what I mean. The grick in 2 should be able to hear the kobolds in 1 (and go and eat them).
I imagine the sound of the slag pool creates some noise, I probably should have noted so in the text. Also, I'm sure the grick enjoys lots of kobold meals on a regular basis since the Kobold King moved his people up from the depths. Keep in mind the place is crowded mostly because the arrival of the kobolds is recent...only a week or so ago I'd say.
The ghouls and kobolds in 15 and 17 are another example, they are only 20-30 feet from each other and ghouls like to eat kobolds.
They are eating a kobold in their description aren't they? Yum yum! Also, the lethality of the dungeon is definiately one of the reasons Kerrdremak wants to rebel. He's been assigned to stand watch above and he's terrified. He probably had twice as many kobolds with him before...poor little True Scales.
Glinty (the Gcube) doesn't really have enough space so that the kobolds can avoid it easily (there is only one passage from 12 to the outside).
Also what happens if Glinty wanders over to 6 (less than a minute travel time) and eats the corpse, journal and boots?
Glinty's a big problem for the kobolds its true...he's got plenty to eat where he is, no real need to wander. I also imagine GCs don't wander too much...unless they need sustenance.
I know current dungeon design philosophy says make a small dungeon and don't have too many empty rooms but this dungeon needs them to provide a buffer zone for the creatures in it.
My feeling is that the map is just a little too cramped for the amount of encounters on it.
Agreed. Part of the problem is you don't want to "waste" good page space by making maps huge. Something I do a lot in my home campaigns is extend corridors out much longer. You can't really do that on maps though without taking up tons of page space in the module. I say add some distance between areas if you think it makes things more believable or fun.
I ran it in my GH campaign and added a lot of dead kobolds and a few dead monsters, plus I cut way down on the monsters because my DM style is more exploring less slayin--also amped the kobolds up for a party of three 3rd level goons packing some serious heat.
Added to this is that aboveground there were also Goblin problems and the monastery grounds were strewn with the bodies of both Kobolds and Goblins who are in the midst of a territorial war. When they arrived they had to scare off the carrion crawlers and clear a few corpses to get through the entrance.
Honestly, when I actually use them, I never keep printed modules as they are written.