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So, I'm trying to kobolds in my game a little more than hapless goobs, and I thought that it might be cool to give them a little more of a warrior culture, similar to the Maori. Following this line of thought, I thought that maybe they should have a tradition similar to the Haka.
Basically, before a battle they chant, stomp about, and use their display feathers (my kobolds have some feathers like their troodon ancestors) in unison in an attempt to scare off or frighten their foes so that they don't actually have to engage in combat.
Does anyone know if their are rules (number of syllables in a line, grammar, typical subject matter) for writing a Haka? I'd like to have something to throw at the PCs if they understand draconic.
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Considering a Fireball only has a 20-Foot Spread the traditional Maori Orientation would only result in around 5 or 6 getting hit by it.
And I actually like this concepts.
As of yet: There are no formal rules for writing a Haka. Though Dazzling Display might be a nice feat for the Kobolds to have.
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The Haka was typically performed with the warriors around 10 Feet apart.
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Yeah, kobolds as Maori is very different, but I can dig it. And being related to dinosaurs is hella cool. Have you considered dinosaur mounts? Or a refluffed axe beak into a moa bird for mounts?
Y'know, it's a good thing I decided to look up "All Blacks" before posting an angry rebuttal ;)
I am referring to the fact that most Battle Haka were done in combat Formations. I also am stating the fact that the Maori rarely fought in a Block Formation. Heck, I have only found 5 recounts that could even be close to a tight formation and that was when the Maori Warriors were ambushed while huddling for various reasons or were assuming a defensive posture. Now remember 10 Feat is only around 3-4 Metres.
This is not a precise measure for all Haka hence my use of the Words: typically, warriors, and around.
Y'know, it's a good thing I decided to look up "All Blacks" before posting an angry rebuttal ;)
Don't disrespect the Haka or Tana Umaga will come at you with a handbag.... ;-)
Kia Ora bro from the West Island. :b
And on a less snarky note Kia Ora to my mate in the west!
If we let you have Robby back can you lend us Richie McCaw we will even throw in Quade to do with as you wish.
I never said it was a Formation. You show me a group of Maori Warriors ready for Combat doing the Haka in such a tight formation and I will show you a group of Maori Warriors that wouldn't survive should they not finish before their foe or fought a foe not willing to wait.
Xuttah look up Titokowaru's War and a Gunfighters Pa.
If you're really into the Maori culture, I'd suggest looking at Razor Coast when it comes out. Steeped with Maori culture (and pirates) and thanks to a suggestion from yours truly, it has the moa bird in it ;)
Ok... I am citing the fact that Maori Fought using Hit-&-Run Skirmishing. The War Cry usage of the Haka was mainly luring opponents out into combat from fortifications, but they performed it while being ready for combat.
Try skirmishing in a Block Formation or how the All Blacks are normally Arranged while performing it. You would end up becoming even more of an easier target. But use the typical loose formations they have been confirmed using and then it makes an effective Tactic.
You appear, perform, disappear, then repeat.
Oh nice! I hadn't realised that you'd suggested the moa during the project, I was pretty stoked when I saw that turn up in the stretch goals for Razor Coast. I can't say that I realised Razor Coast had Maori culture in it though. Glad to hear it, makes me look forward to the book even more. :)
Bummer why didnt I see this...
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Thanks for the input folks. I got the inspiration from that kobold shaman illo from Kingmaker and an extreme reluctance to make the little bastards just another CR 1/4 critter (the Classic Monsters Revisited was a good start, but didn't go far enough IMO).
My train of thought went something like this...I was noticing that kobolds bear a strong resemblance to the smaller, more social theropod dinosaurs, and it would be cool to give them display feathers as a throwback to that ancestry. That had me thinking about how they'd use them. Social creatures with display feathers...groups getting together to ward off intruders...some sort of war dance...haka!
They also worship Droskar's crag as a god (actually, it's Daralathyxl, but they're one and the same in their mind) and have albino cave raptors as mounts instead of slurks...
I like the idea of using poi...maybe the redscale elite female warriors use their flying talons in a similar manner.
Maybe make a Feat or such to allow them to use Perform(Dance) to Demoralize foes.
Contributor; Publisher, Kobold Press; RPG Superstar Judge
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I love this thread.
There's a skeleton of one of the axe birds in the local Burke Museum of natural history, and it's sort of huge and terrifying (those claws!). I'm guessing the moa work well for this sort of thing as well.
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That's a Biiiig bird!
I'm also going to make them experts in making obsidian weapons (they live under a volcano, so it's abundant stuff). Thanks to stone shape and centuries of practice, their spears and axes make the clovis point look like dull lumps of rock. Manfeller will be a masterpiece of green obsidian with an inner glow (it's going to be flaming instead of human bane). Slingers will use chips of obsidian as ammo, so they have a chance of doing piercing or slashing damage as a shard of volcanic glass goes whizzing at the PCs.
Nope, Tana will come at you with a spear.Y'know, it's a good thing I decided to look up "All Blacks" before posting an angry rebuttal ;)Don't disrespect the Haka or Tana Umaga will come at you with a handbag.... ;-)
Kia Ora bro from the West Island. :b
It didnt look intentional to me..... There were multiple people going in different directions.. There was a lift though.
Maybe if you guys didn't lay over the ball all the time there wouldn't have been any problem. ;-)
One another note Wales was robbed in the RWC they deserved to be in the final against the All Blacks.
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Nope, Tana will come at you with a spear.Y'know, it's a good thing I decided to look up "All Blacks" before posting an angry rebuttal ;)Don't disrespect the Haka or Tana Umaga will come at you with a handbag.... ;-)
Kia Ora bro from the West Island. :b
It didnt look intentional to me..... There were multiple people going in different directions.. There was a lift though.
Maybe if you guys didn't lay over the ball all the time there wouldn't have been any problem. ;-)
One another note Wales was robbed in the RWC they deserved to be in the final against the All Blacks.
Nah, I was gutted at the time but looking back I think we lost to the French for three reasons:
Warburton's daft tackle.Priestland playing with an injury.
Adam Jones playing with an injury and breaking down.
We had no fit fly-halves (Stephen Jones came on, even though he was also nursing an injury) and our tight-head cover was non-existent.
Warburton was just the final straw.
Add in that play was already away from the breakdown when they did it (so they had no need to clear anyone out of the ruck) and it looks like an attempt to put the frightners on the opposition captain (who, great player that he is, has been known to lose his cool and play badly because of it. As he did against Wales in 2005) which went too far.
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I don't want to nitpick, but could you please move the sportsball discussion to a different thread. I'm trying to talk about serious stuff like the dance routines of imaginary dinosaur decendant evil subterranean humanoids. :)
Nope, Tana will come at you with a spear.Y'know, it's a good thing I decided to look up "All Blacks" before posting an angry rebuttal ;)Don't disrespect the Haka or Tana Umaga will come at you with a handbag.... ;-)
Kia Ora bro from the West Island. :b
It didnt look intentional to me..... There were multiple people going in different directions.. There was a lift though.
Maybe if you guys didn't lay over the ball all the time there wouldn't have been any problem. ;-)
One another note Wales was robbed in the RWC they deserved to be in the final against the All Blacks.
Nah, I was gutted at the time but looking back I think we lost to the French for three reasons:
Warburton's daft tackle.
Priestland playing with an injury.
Adam Jones playing with an injury and breaking down.We had no fit fly-halves (Stephen Jones came on, even though he was also nursing an injury) and our tight-head cover was non-existent.
Warburton was just the final straw.
** spoiler omitted **
B-but if you separated said humanoids into two teams and had them oppose each other in pursuit of a large egg that must never be thrown forwards except from the sides in a "game" with arcane and eldritch rules involving limited degrees of weaponless combat this thread would be four times as interesting...
Srsly though, I love the troodonkobolds, their feathers and their Intimidatory ritual wardances. And the gentle international rugby patriotic ribbing. Threads these days... so interdisciplinary. Go Waziristan!!! RWC finalists in 2134!!!
I think socialy the kobolds are fine, the classic monsters revisited book gives lots of ways to AMP up kobold encounters. They tame bulettes, they set wicked traps, it's nearly impossible to follow them through their cities... I just created a kobold machinesmith. Its a perfect fit with the kobold knack for mathmatics and fine detail work. Like a kobold trapmaster on crack.