There are a lot of gameplay problems with the classic "Take 20 on every 5' tile before moving forward" approach to dungeon design. There's no interplay and the only one having any "fun" (if that) is the rogue. But I've been brewing up my own take on a Tucker's Kobolds type encounter and having some static traps to drain the player's resources before they're ambushed is a very important and obvious strategy. I'm just not sure how to include traps and have them be an interesting and enjoyable addition for the players.
An idea I've had is to basically use some of them to test and reward players for being careful and paying attention. For example, a simple tripwire tied at ankle height between two columns is hardly a threat when you're creeping around a room. But once combat starts if a player moves at full speed across it they'll get hit with a Reflex/Acrobatics check.
Also post traps and feel undeservedly clever when you post 'traps'.
Leave them with no time to scour the floor inch by inch. Something is chasing them, and it's taking its time about it, believing the traps down the path will kill them all easy like.
You need to tone down the power of the traps, making them less an instant "And you die" and more to slowly wither them down. This way, even a missed trap or three won't stop the party, but it will batter them up a bit.
Angel Taylor
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Robert Anderson
That sounds a lot like what I'm looking for. The only wrinkle is that my basic plan was to just let the players walk into the kobolds' den unopposed, poke around for a while, discover some Plot, then get penned in by the kobolds and forced to fight defensively on their turf. I could totally leave a couple enemies hidden around the place to ambush the players and harry them around the place. Keep the exploration a bit exciting too.
Jackson Turner
A sound plan. Have them follow a nicely human sized entrance, decked out with obvious kobold decorations, all strangely empty.
In reality, the actual entrance to the den is through a hidden path in a crawl space JUST large enough for a kobold to squeeze through.
The main path leads to a dead end and a kill zone, and the return trap has had all the traps activated. Bring the whole force of the kobold's defense brought up for this one area, forcing players to retreat while being harried by murder holes hidden behind decorations.
Wyatt Gonzalez
My favourite dungeon traps I ever ran were explosive runes. On everything.
Crooked painting. Stovetop. Attached to the trigger of a manual tripwire.
Most were save-or-suck not explosions, to be fair. I played up my glee at the players triggering traps every few steps and made the dungeon boss REALLY smug about it.
Daniel Collins
I love kobolds for many reasons, but the combination of 'small size,' 'underdog status' and 'viciously cruel engineering' makes for excellent allies and/or enemies in any campaign.
I'm already planning a kobold dungeon for my all-revenant-party campaign. Mostly so I have to design traps that can disable nigh-immortal undead with class levels.
Chase Jenkins
I'm honestly surprised this thread hasn't been doused in ladybois by now. Keep rolling those dice OP you're on a streak.
Kayden Garcia
I mean I like ladybois but this trap stuff is cool.
