Monster Melee - Goblins vs. Kobolds
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- Опубліковано 19 вер 2024
- Goblins and Kobolds are two of the most classic monsters that low-level parties encounter in D&D. Now they face off against each other while exploring an overgrown labyrinth.
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My original plan was for there to be 1 or maybe 2 more kobolds than goblins, but I evened them out at the last minute. Maybe I should have stuck with the kobolds having slightly greater numbers. Then again, the dice were highly favoring the goblins (their rolls were quite good, unlike the kobolds who kept rolling 4-7).
Not sure how long it takes you to simulate these battles - would it be possible to do best two out of three for some of them? It would give more of an "average" and mitigate the effects of one group rolling particularly well or badly in just one battle.
Cool videos, keep it up!
@BitTheShed It depends, this one was the longest and most complex yet in terms of production. 9 hours straight of work. I am planning on doing some rematches for sure.
@esperthebard Then I take it back, I don't think whatever little bit of interest it would add is worth that much work so I don't want to ask you to do that.
The rolls almost single handedly decided this fight. Almost nothing could have changed the outcome with those rolls.
I dont think think these battles are meant to be a precise simulation of who is stronger. Its just one random outcome with amazing roleplay. No need for best of 3s imo
if you want a "captrue the flag" style rematch in the futrue, maybe make it over some kind of treasure that both of them are fighting over?
Snickers bar of ancient kind.
The thing I'm trying to figure out is why would they go for the flag/treasure instead of just killing their opponents?
Maybe if it were something special, like a kobold lair and fresh kobold reinforcements appear every few rounds, so there's no hope killing them all?
@@esperthebard What if it took place in a gladiatorial arena that utilized some high-level magic to revive fallen combatants? Upon death, a kobold/goblin spends two turns resurrecting at a spawn point away from their flag. That way, slaying enemies only buys time for your team to seize the objective.
Give 'em names, and watch rivalries and grudges sour across both teams.
@@esperthebard Inspiration from Oblivion, the Goblin Totem and the Goblin wars. While the goblins were out hunting or during a raid, a kobold wandered into their lair and stole a cool stick with a goblin head on it and some of their treasure that they had sitting around, but only took what it could carry, leaving behind a few scales as evidence. Goblins come back, their precious totem is missing and some other less important shinies, they notice the scales, the shaman knows them as kobold scales, they all go huntin for their totem.
@@esperthebard Why would the go for the treasure? They were ordered to.
A Kobold Chieftain got word from his scouts that the goblin horde is on its way to a treasure that would make them stronger, on the orders of, "get the magical weapon, at all costs." The Kobold Chieftain makes the same order, and the two factions arrive in the treasure room at the same time.
I knew this day would come >:)
Now, here is apossible next challange
Orcs VS Gnolls
I've been requesting this one since the Ettin vs Guard video
drow vs dueregar
maybe a raid. Like town hamlet militia vs orcs or giants or something attacking a villiage. Like the guard vs etin
@@John-fc5icI would love to see the return of Elmar and friends to face a new - greater - challenge. Maybe with younger guards and some of the veteran soldiers as commanders
All great suggestions!
@@Laezelmybeloved Why do I get the feeling that theses episodes might spiral into their own story lines, WWE style.
19:00 I mean honestly thematically it makes sense for the encounter to take place inside a kobold nest. The Goblins are more likely to do a raid while Kobolds are more known for defending their lairs with the occasional thieving of livestock and other immediately needed things at night.
I'd argue for the rematch there be more goblins, maybe led by a hobgoblin with a bugbear carrying a makeshift battering ram, all storming the well trapped kobold lair, that would be SO ENTERTAINING to see lol
The goblins definitely had the advantage here between the more open environment and plenty of ranged damage.
As for suggestions, I still wanna see either some blood war action, possibly an Erinyes leading a squad of either Spinagons or Barbazu vs a Nelfeshnee leading a squad of Bulezau or Dretches, or a battle royale between the familiar variants of Imp, Quasit, Psudodragon, Sprite, and Gazer.
Strong empowered Kobold that don't need no book.
Go kobolds go, show those filthy goblins how it will go!
You no take candle
This is one of the best ideas and series you have done.
Thanks man! You know, it's great to actually PLAY D&D in videos instead of always just analyzing and discussing things.
I had a feeling that nimble escape would have given the goblins the edge, though I think there was a lot of luck on their side in the match too. Better luck next time, kobolds.
I considered giving the kobolds one more to their group than the goblins. That probably would have been a good idea. But yeah, their luck was bad this fight, and the goblins' luck was quite good.
This concept is genius! This looks like the start of something special
I agree this is a new form on quick dnd play, I’m all I !
Imagining the goblin leader a Hobgoblin fighter and the kobold leader a Dragonborn sorceress in the distance negotiating terms while drinking wine and eating rare aged cheese 😂
6:35 ayo what did those Kobolds say?
Based Kobolds.
AXAXAXAXAXA WHAT
Ur gonna get him demonetized 😭
/s
Cancelled
I dunno, but the Goblins nearly soiled themselves.
I love the group fights. More room for group tactics and fun character interactions
I'd love to see a squad of hobgoblins vs a gang of orcs. I think it would be extra fun because the Hobs are big on military formations while the orcs are swarmers
Yeah, I am on board! Maybe hobgobs have to hold three points and the side that controls two points at the end of a set number of rounds wins?
@@bluebird3281 Warhammer D&D Style incomming :D
The monster melee series just hits my spot. Inspired me to do little wargames with NPC and monster statblocks to pass time and change the pace a bit midcampaign.
My players have so far been loving the little side game of guardsmen protecting the village of Smallburg from monsters and bandits. They started to get attached to the guards and the little adventure hub we use for the main game.
The kobolds favor close range combat to get advantage on their attacks, while goblins favor longer range for advantage. In a big open environment such as this, the goblins had the edge, with enough space to reliably ping the kobolds with advantage. In a tighter corridor with meandering pathways, kobolds may have been able to take this one.
As for suggestions, I really enjoyed the Balor VS Pit Fiend match and would love to see more sides of the ongoing Blood War. Perhaps a frontal assault of a small squad of Bearded Devils against an enormous horde of pitiful Dretches?
his little voices for the goblins and kobolds are amusing am i only one who wants this to be animated
One idea for a capture the flag scenario is an artifact that needs to be extracted from a temple or lost cave. Both parties arrive at the place at the same time. The first to claim and leave successfully with the object wins. It is not necessary to kill the enemy, but it is a good strategy to gain the action economy game and cull the numbers of the opposing team.
Could be a good chance to use deployable traps or even just a game of athletics and mobility traits with the terrain falling apart and both teams needing to jump with their poor strenght stat
whoever waits at entrance wins simple as that
That's a good idea!
@@4Moth2Mellow0 that’s a strategy. Not fun, but a viable strategy as well.
Spoilers for the winners:
Upon returning to their lair, Gakabraz sat upon the makeshift throne as his fellow goblins sang a hearty song in victory. “Goblins smash! Goblins slash! Goblins bash!” They tore and chopped apart the kobolds, preparing they’re vanquished foes’ body parts for meals. But Gakabraz notices the body of Snezdi about to be thrown into the mix.
“Stop!” He shouted as he shot up, imposing his presence. The goblins freeze and look up at him. “Leave the female’s body intact. Perhaps the shamans can find use for her in their spells or rituals.” His fellows look at each other and start nodding in agreement. “Yeah… rituals!” They began chanting “rituals, rituals, rituals!” Over and over as they dragged the deceased sorceress off to their shamans.
Gakabraz sits back down and chuckles to himself. The tribe is slowly but surely growing. Maybe soon, he shall be king of the labyrinth.
I've seen requests for orcs vs gnolls. Excellent idea. I would also like to see lizard folk versus sahuagin. Also maybe an ambush monster like a roper versus a duergar or drow hunting party. Some combination of modrons versus slaadi would be excellent as well! Lots of good matchups left to run.
Bullywugs vs lizardfolk
The two could be fighting for the same swamp, and each have a beast or two on their side
These Monster Melee videos are really fun to watch. It's inspired me to do something similar just for fun. I'm a fairly new DM and I've been using it as a way to learn how to run various creatures better and think how they might think and use what tactics they might use.
I'm glad you're enjoying the videos so much. Really cool to know they've got your gears turning!
YES! I like these lower powered monster melees as opposed to giant sacks of hit points with legendary resistances.
Gnolls vs Lizardfolk next! Battle of the horrific cannibal warriors, one group from the plains, and the other from the swamps!
Alternatively, Elder Brain vs Sibriex!
I’m a simple man. I see a monster melee, I click.
yeop, great content , really enjoy the what if fights
Can confirm the Monstrous Heros book is epic!!
I'd love a green hag vs a mob of commoners like the trop of the witch was found by a mob of peasants
I’d love to see a duel between spellcasters or maybe a Paladin and a blackguard. Just some low-level action and magic duel. And when magic is over, the fists do the talking
Just recently discovered this series, and i gotta say, it's been tons of fun watching it! Can't wait to see how this series grows and changes!
Welcome!
I feel like the Kobolds could have done better. Don't get me wrong, their very low health and AC is a very high hurdle to overcome, but given that they had pack tactics and that their sorcerer managed to get a high initiative and cast sleep, I think they had a good incentive to try to close the distance to gang up on the goblins rather than to stay at range and let the goblins just use their action to wake up their comrades. Mechanically, Goblins would want to keep their distance and Kobolds would want to have at least one of them next to them.
Agreed. There is a small argument to be made that Kobolds are cowardly, but they should have taken advantage of that Sleep.
@@Samaru163Definitely cowardly, but I think having half the goblins asleep and the rest out of sight is all the encouragement they'd need to rush forward.
I'm going to try different tactics when I do rematches ;)
@@Samaru163 Cowardly is how Goliath Half Ogres see them. I prefer to think of it as, having read their stat sheet and understanding they don't get a second chance.
I'm not sure sleep was even the right maneuver. Scorching ray would have been a better option. Give the Kobolds a quick numbers advantage.
Kobolds rolls were really bad however it probably wouldn't have mattered.
this is great! loving this series a lot
Hey you did that guys suggestion! Love to see it! Also I’m obsessed with these monster melees haha!
Bro, your vids are badass. Plz keep it up we support you !!
Man, I didn't know I needed to see this!
I feel like the kolbolds would've been the ones holed up and hiding given their cowardice while the overly ambitious goblins would trying to advance on them
I'm glad this has given an extra push for the channel. This is such a unique idea, and I've always wanted to see some of the monsters fight each other.
"Heavenly shades of night are falling, it's twilight time..."
Both parties Goblins and Kobolds arrive at the same time in a temple where a magic item is they come in from other sides of the building and have to make a race to the item sitting on an alter while not getting killed. Capture the flag for you Sir :) That was a lot of fun sir! great work!
I like this one this series is solid, and having these small “armies” fight each other is really dope.
I remember your adventure series and BADLY miss them, they were what made me subscribe to your content because what you did was mostly entirely unique. I HOPE they come back soon someday.
Definitely my favorite series lately. I look forward to the next video after finishing one
This right here is the true meat and potatoes of D&D rivalries.
Thank you for doing this match!🙏
I absolutely love these lower tier fights! Where 1 hit can kill and a crit means for sure death. I also love how you play the monsters. 10/10 and I will watch every episode you put out!
Keep them coming! this certainly has great chances of expanding more viewers
Hey that was my suggestion !! glad you enjoyed it
That sleep spell is VERY strong vs the goblins...
could lay them all on the ground to be auto-hit auto-crit.
Sleep is hands down one of the most OP control spells (if not outright THE most)... at first couple levels. When typical enemy HP is still in single digits, you can completely incapacitate entire encounters, with no saving throw too. Then you just approach and coup-de-grace crit them all.
Alas, it's also a spell that falls off more quickly than any other spell in its efficiency.
With the cap HP pool of 40 and average of 20 (+16 max/8 average per level upcast), only high rolls will take down entire level appropriate CR 2 encounters (a few orcs, a gang of bandits, an ogre). Otherwise, you've just wasted a spell slot that will be negated next turn by any foe who's still awake or ouright ignored by a tanky creature.
Sleep does retain some RP utility, if you use it against NPCs (would work great against any commoners, guards and nobles, with these 3 types comprising roughly 90% of average town NPCs), but in combat it's rendered completely useless by level 4. Sure, you could technically prepare it just in case you take a boss monster down to single digits and want to deny its turn as it would even work against dragons - no save means even Legendary Resistance won't help. However, what are the odds of that extremely specific circumstance occuring just in a way for the spell to be useful?
As such, even though I can't deny its initial efficiency, I rarely take it as a player. And as a DM I do warn my caster players of all the many drawbacks of picking this spell.
I love the VOICES and ALL THE EXTRAS!!! You remind me of me when I held a complete party in the THRALL of a WORLD CLASS DUNGEON MASTER!!! witch (lol) was EVERYTIME I MANIPULATED THE UNIVERSE!!!!
Monster melee is awesome!! I would love to see a treant in the line up!! Especially After it drinks it's special Treant brew!!
Keep them coming!!! Thank you for Monstrous Heros
Thank you too!
This is good original dnd content! I would like to see Orcs vs them pointy ear fellows
I’m always looking forward to these contests.
Really good submission into your series. Very nice acting, characterization and strategy. Very thoughtful.
At first I was admittedly somewhat displeased with these videos in lieu of opening to a classic lore or monster ranking, but they've quickly grown on me, I've watched and enjoyed every one of them, and even learned a few little tricks for DMing, as I'm yet to do it myself despite aspirations lacking practical experience.
GG, love the channel and the passion for D&D in general, keep up the good work, my mans 😎👌✨
Love this kind of content!!!!!! More! More!!!! More!!!!!!
Vampire vs Werewolf?!
He used Ratbag as the goblin leader, love it.
Nice! also a battle between a couple of celestials and demos/fiends could be cool as well
I love this series. It's quite fun. I would love to see Red Great Wyrm v. Gold Great Wyrm.
Hell yeah! I have been a goblin fan since probably about 2000, and I really only realized the potential of kobolds when learning about booby traps in Basic Training in 2015.
Luck or no, I don't think the kobolds ever had much chance against the goblins' stealth and range advantage.
Really enjoying this series! If it's taking off, it would be really cool to have a guest come in to run one side of the fight.
My original plan was for there to be 1 or maybe 2 more kobolds than goblins. I probably should have stuck with that.
For next duels let's get some monstrous heroes : Vampire versus Revenant !
Hey Esper, I’m loving this series, please keep up the monster melee! I purchased your new book and I’m absolutely loving it.
I’m playing a Silver Dragon using the book’s Dragon class in one campaign and an Ogre Warlord boss for one I’m running.
I was using a homebrew Dragon class and it didn’t quite feel right, but I feel like I’m playing a proper dragon now. Great work!
Maybe it would be fun to have two (or more) high level custom Monstrous Heroes characters face off against each other in Monster Melee?
Great concept! ❤
I want to share an idea that I had. Maybe you could make a gauntlet match in the future.
Here's how it could work:
You choose ten (or any number you want) random D&D monsters/creatures. Then you randomly pick two of them who will fight against each other until there is a winner.
Then the next randomly picked combatant enters the arena to fight the winner of the first fight. This continues until there is only one monster left. That is the winner and the last man standing! The randomly picked monsters could also lead to hilarious matchups like Guardsmen vs. Lich or Kobolds vs. Elder Red Dragon.
I'm aware that this would be a very long video and would require quite a bit of work. I just wanted to share my idea 😎
nice battle! im in love this series i think you had a great idea with this, there's just so many monsters and npc's that possibilities are endless, also the randomness of rolling dice makes the fights unpredictable
The biggest thing in favor of the Goblins in my opinion is the Short bow against 5 hp vs the Sling against 7. A goblin who hits with a short bow has a respectable chance to kill a kobold in one hit, while a Kobold can never kill a Goblin in less than two, with 3 being a possibility if rolls go bad. The sorcerer is arguably a better "leveled character" than the rogue, but i don't think it's enough better to counter the time to kill difference between the regular troops, as demonstrated by the near perfect sleep at the beginning of the fight not resulting in a decisive advantage for the kobolds.
I am a BIG fan of this series premise
Ooof. I started out rooting for the Goblins, since I am always rooting for the underdog. But this was not played as a fair fight at all, so I ended up with a very bad tasting, sour and hollow victory. This needs a rematch BADLY:
- The Goblins had a lot of good rolls.
- The Kobolds had a lot of bad rolls.
- The Goblins were defensive and using the terrain to their advantage.
- The Kobolds were brave and offensive for some reason and not tactical at all.
- The Goblins were able to attack Kobolds that would have been in total cover and sometimes ignored AC bonus from cover.
The Thousand Year War scenario.... a giant(s) & dragon(s) are accidentally encountering one another in the fog of war..... fight! Who wins?
You have to keep it up ! This is the serie i like the most ! : ))
Very ambitious suggestion a warband of goblins or other race vs each other, like a horde of orcs attack a village which has yan ti init depedning on the result the warband attacks further and the yaun ti also escalate for somthing of a narrative follow through.
OMG THIS WAS MY SUGGESTION!!!!! Thank you 🙏
Just clicked on the video. My prediction is a goblin win.
The rematch should be two matches. The goblins sneaking into a kobold lair, and vice versa.
Really enjoyed this one. Love the bow sounds!
WOOO! I remember leaving a comment asking for character levels! Yay! 🥳
I can't wait to see the rematch! There's no way those kobolds will roll that poorly again
I'm loving these battles keep them coming your other content is good but I think you are on to something here
I am voting for the Kobods in this match. They're more disciplined, and that magic is really gonna kick some serious ass.
I really like this format and am looking forward to more!
Make the Kobold's leader a Dragold next time. It is a rare variant of Kobold from Goodman Games "The Complete Guide to Dragonkin". I know 3e content isn't 100% compatiable but I do like the idea of a Kobold with draconic throwback genetics leading the charge.
Two of my favorite monsters, I even have a whole campaign where my players play as goblins
One side steals the other side's totem or something. that way they can be tricky trying to get away instead of kill each other, which neither goblins nor kobolds are specifically good at.
GNOMES & HALFLINGS WOULD DESTROY BOTH GOBLINS & KOBOLDS WITH EASE!
Why are you yelling?
Been watching this series, alot of fun! How about a Duergar vs Drow fight? Might be cool....
I'd love to see a knockout tournament style bracket per CR! Lets see who really tops the monster tier lists...
For CR 1/4 it could be Bullywugs, Drow, Goblins, Grung , Kenku, Kuo-toa, Pixies and Skeletons.
Or CR 5 could be Air elementals, Barbed Devils, Hill Giants, Night Hags, Red Slaad, Trolls, Werebears and Wraiths.
A great addition to this format is if you bring in guest-stars, who represent one side or the other, and you properly war-game this would be interesting. 10 Kobalts versus 10 goblins with both having 2 third level Player characters. One representing a ranged or support class, and the other a melee focus. This could bring in more energy as one character would be more dedicated to getting close and causing damage.
Ah yes the most dramatic combat since Goliath vs David
Technically David had good chances going into the fight.
An experienced slinger can accelerate a stone up to 80km/h. The story tells us that Goliath got hit at the temple, which means that the pebble probably did do quite some damage.
Even if the whole dying part is exaggerated Goliath should be knocked out, possibly with a concussion.
@@Mortarion-xt9wp the decapitation would have killed Goliath if he wasn't dead from the sling
@@drakoslayd Ah right. I always forget that he was decapitated.
Still that tale is not about overcoming adversity but about bravery and cunning. After all Goliath was mentioned to be virtually undefeatable in melee combat
@@Mortarion-xt9wpDavid then cut off Goliaths head with his own sword after he fell on his face from the sling stone.
I think it would be fun to see an MM between Bhaal, Bane, and Myrkul
Surely, you'll have to do a rematch series once the 2025 Monster Manual comes out, right? If the monsters in the 2024 Player's Handbook are any indication, we're in for some swell revisions.
Subbed just for this series. Have you considered a tournament at some point? Like take every 10th level monster or even just 16 of them. Have 8 1v1, then winners fight till an ultimate 10th level creature emerges
I think the map favored goblins alot.
I would love to see this happening in a more claustrophobic, less open space.
animated armor vs flying sword could be cool
Man, i'm loving this vs. Why i dont see more of it in yt?
You really found something good with this series
Edit: I thought sleep might give the kobolds the edge but the dices wasn't with them today lol
Loving your series. Always wanted a pure combat arena based vs of all the cretures in DnD. Always wanted to see how the crazy statues affect creatures would fair against a more strength based creature.
Would love to see more scenarios such as a group of goblin having to steel catle from comminers and if the goblins steel the target they win. Or manybe a scenario were in if the leader of the party is killed that side loses ie protect the king.
This tribe of goblins has stumbled on a kobold clan and kicked off a war, a tiny kindergarten sized war
I'm definitely down for more monster melee. You've got like thumbs up
The strength of Kobolds come in there traps. It would have be really cool if like the goblins were invading the Kobold den and had to deal with traps and guerilla warfare.
Love the content though! This is a dun series!
The Kobolds pack tactics = let us Go for ourselves and don‘t use Cover.. oh My 🙈
@esperthebard: Two parties face one another. In one corner, the standard - Wizard, Cleric, Fighter, and Rogue; in the other, a similar party - Sorcerer, Bard, Druid, and Barbarian