A classic fantasy adventure with a twist — a cunning kobold warlord has united the scattered tribes and threatens to overrun the frontier. Explore ancient forges, navigate crystal caverns, and stop an army before it marches.
Story Arcs
The Frontier Under Siege
Kobold raids on the frontier town of Ironholt grow bolder and more organized. The adventurers must defend the town, investigate the source of the kobolds' newfound power, and discover the ancient forge they seek.
Into the Warren
The adventurers descend into the kobold warlord's domain — a vast underground warren built around a rediscovered dwarven forge. They must navigate traps, fight through the kobold army, and stop the warlord's plan to activate the forge's ancient weapons.
Session Outlines
These outlines are for planning reference only. Actual sessions are not created by the template.
Welcome to Ironholt
Introduce the frontier town, Mayor Aldara, and the kobold problem. A raid happens during the first night. The party defends the town and captures or interrogates a kobold scout.
The Mechanist's Warning
Grizelda the mechanist arrives with news: the kobolds have found an ancient dwarven forge. She needs an escort to investigate. The party encounters traps and scouts on the road.
The Ancient Forge
The party reaches the forge entrance. Ancient dwarven mechanisms still function, creating hazards and puzzles. Animated constructs guard the deeper chambers.
The Crystal Caverns
Below the forge lie crystal-studded natural caverns that the kobolds have turned into their main warren. Navigating the tunnels requires stealth and clever tactics against overwhelming numbers.
The Warlord's Gambit
Confront Warlord Skrix in the forge's heart. He has activated an ancient construct as his war machine. Multi-stage battle: defeat the construct, then face Skrix and his elite guard.
NPCs
Mayor Aldara Voss
Human · Town Mayor
Pragmatic and tough frontier leader who built Ironholt from a mining camp into a real town. She carries a worn sword from her adventuring days and is not afraid to use it. Offers fair bounties for kobold threats eliminated.
Grizelda Cogspark
Gnome · Traveling Mechanist
Eccentric tinker and scholar of ancient dwarven engineering. She recognized the forge markings on a captured kobold weapon and rushed to Ironholt. Talks fast, thinks faster, and is terrified of combat but invaluable for solving mechanical puzzles.
Warlord Skrix
Kobold · Kobold Warlord
A brilliant and ruthless kobold tactician who united the scattered tribes through cunning rather than strength. He discovered the ancient forge and plans to use its constructs to build a kobold empire. Fights with calculated precision and always has an escape plan.
Oracle Tessavyn
Tiefling · Mysterious Oracle
A blind seer who lives in a cave outside Ironholt. She speaks in riddles and fragmentary visions. She foresaw the forge's awakening years ago and has been waiting for heroes to arrive. Her prophecies are always true but never straightforward.
Sergeant Brask
Half-Orc · Town Guard Captain
Loyal head of Ironholt's small militia. Gruff exterior hides genuine concern for townspeople. Has fought kobolds for years and knows their tactics well, but has never seen them this organized.
Locations
Ironholt
A rugged frontier mining town surrounded by a timber palisade. Iron-rich hills rise to the north, and the buildings are practical stone-and-timber construction. The town smithy works day and night to keep the militia armed.
The Ancient Forge
A vast dwarven forge complex carved into the mountainside centuries ago. Enormous bellows still draw breath, and rivers of cooling water flow through carved channels. Runes of making glow faintly on every surface.
The Kobold Warren
A labyrinth of narrow tunnels and trapped passages spreading beneath the forge. Every corridor is sized for kobolds, forcing larger creatures to crouch. Crude murals on the walls depict Warlord Skrix's vision of a kobold nation.
The Crystal Caverns
Natural caverns studded with enormous crystals that hum with residual magical energy. The crystals refract light in disorienting patterns, and the largest ones pulse like slow heartbeats. The kobolds revere these caves as sacred.
Quests
Defend Ironholt
Mayor Aldara needs the kobold raids stopped before the town is overrun. Eliminate scouting parties, reinforce the palisade, and figure out where the kobolds are coming from before a full-scale assault begins.
Explore the Ancient Forge
Grizelda believes the ancient dwarven forge holds both the key to the kobolds' power and priceless mechanical knowledge. Escort her inside, solve the forge's puzzles, and secure it before the kobolds can weaponize its creations.
Stop the Kobold Army
Warlord Skrix is massing an army in the crystal caverns, preparing to march on the entire frontier. Infiltrate the warren, shatter the alliance between kobold tribes, and defeat Skrix before his war machine is fully operational.
Encounters
Kobold Raid on Ironholt
A coordinated kobold raiding party strikes the town at night, using fire pots and diversionary tactics. Their surprising discipline hints at a cunning leader behind the attacks.
Forge Guardians
Ancient dwarven constructs spring to life as intruders enter the forge. Suits of armor march in formation, their movements jerky but relentless, following defense protocols set centuries ago.
The Warlord's War Machine
Warlord Skrix has activated a massive dwarven construct lizard as his personal war machine. It breathes superheated forge-gas and its iron-plated hide turns most weapons aside.
Factions
The Ironholt Militia
Lawful Good
The town's volunteer defense force, a mix of miners, smiths, and former soldiers. Underequipped but determined. Sergeant Brask drills them daily and they know the surrounding terrain intimately.
The United Kobold Tribes
Lawful Evil
Five kobold tribes united under Warlord Skrix's banner through a combination of tactical brilliance and ruthless examples. Individually weak, their coordinated numbers and trap-making ingenuity make them a genuine threat.
Use This Template
Create a new campaign pre-populated with all the arcs, NPCs, locations, quests, encounters, and factions from this template.