Kobolds! Nasty, sneaky, shifty (especially in 4e) little beasts! This assortment of kobolds is just perfect for mines — they can create pits and traps as they fight, changing the battlefield with each round!

Kobold Miner Level 1 Minion
Small natural humanoid XP 25
Initiative +5 Senses Perception +1; darkvision
HP 1;
AC 15; Fortitude 13, Reflex 13, Will 14
Speed 6
Pick (standard; at-will) * Weapon
+5 vs. AC; 4 damage.

Tunneling (standard, at-will) * Weapon
If the Kobold miner is underground, one square adjacent to the Kobold Miner becomes Difficult Terrain.

Shifty
A Kobold can Shift 1 square as a minor action.

Fear Of The Lash
Kobold Miners are immune to Fear effects so long as a non-minion kobold has LOS to them. If there are no non-minion kobolds in LOS, the Kobold Miner must save every round or flee.

Alignment Evil Languages Common, Draconic
Skills Athletics +4, Dungeoneering +4
Str 8 (-1) Dex 16 (+3) Wis 12 (+1)
Con 12 (+1) Int 9 (-1) Cha 10 (+0)

Kobold Miners are responsible for digging, tunneling, and working the mines. They are basically cowardly, but fear being punished by their overseers more than they fear even death. They also know the mines and tunnels in which they live very well, and can bring down a shower of stones which creates uneven footing, slowing foes so that their allies can pick them off.

Kobold Overseer Level 2 Skirmisher
Small natural humanoid XP 125
Initiative +4 Senses Perception +2; darkvision
HP 36; Bloodied 18
AC 16; Fortitude 14, Reflex 13, Will 14
Speed 6
M Whip (standard; at-will * Weapon
Reach 1, +7 vs. AC; 1d10+3 damage.

R Lash Pull (standard, recharge 5,6) * Weapon
Ranged 2, +7 vs AC, 1d6+3, and the target is pulled 1 square

Necessary Sacrifice (Encounter, Immediate Interrupt)
Trigger: An attack hits the Kobold Overseer
Effect: The attack instead hits an adjacent kobold minion.

Shifty
A Kobold can Shift 1 square as a minor action.

Alignment Evil Languages Common, Draconic
Skills Dungeoneering +7, Intimidate +7
Str 16 (+3/+4) Dex 12 (+1/+2) Wis 12 (+2/+3)
Con 14 (+2/+3) Int 10 (+0/+1) Cha 10 (+0/+1)

Kobold Overseers are large (for a kobold), scarred, and heavily muscled specimens who take great delete in bullying those smaller and weaker than themselves. This is typical for a kobold, but they’re especially good at it. They greatly enjoy pounding on anyone who is already injured, believing it is best to kick ’em while they’re down. They wield an exceptionally long whip, studded with sharp metal spikes. They usually whip and move back, forcing opponents to suffer an OA in order to close again.

Kobold Mine Boss Level 3 Controller (Leader)
Small natural humanoid XP 150
Initiative +2 Senses Perception +2; darkvision
HP 44; Bloodied 22
AC 17; Fortitude 15, Reflex 16, Will 15
Speed 6
M Short Sword (standard; at-will * Weapon
+8 vs. AC; 1d6+4 damage.

R Crossbow (standard; at-will) * Weapon
Ranged 10/20, +8 vs AC, 1d8

Sudden Drop (standard, recharge 4,5,6)
The Kobold Mine Boss targets any minion within 10 squares to which he has LOS. The minion targets a single adjacent enemy. A pit which occupies the same squares as the target forms beneath it. The pit makes a basic attack of +6 against Reflex. If it hits, the target falls into the pit, takes 1d10 damage and is prone. If it misses, the target shifts to the nearest unoccupied space. Either way, the minion is killed.

Shower Of Stones (Standard, recharge 5,6)
Close Burst 3 within 10; Attack +8 vs. Reflex, 2d6. Special — the Mine Boss must select a kobold minion as the center of the burst, the minion is attacked as well.

Get Him! Him! (free; encounter)
The Kobold Mine Boss targets any enemy within LOS. For the remainder of the encounter, all kobold allies of the Mine Boss get +2 to attack that target, and -1 to attack any other target so long as it is still alive.

Shifty
A Kobold can Shift 1 square as a minor action.

Alignment Evil Languages Common, Draconic
Skills Dungeoneering +7, Intimidate +8
Str 14 (+2/+3) Dex 16 (+3/+4) Wis 12 (+2/+3)
Con 12 (+1/+2) Int 12 (+1/+2) Cha 14 (+2/+3)

Mine bosses are what happens when a miner gets lucky and survives a few years in the mines. They know the tunnels and caves inside and out, and can take advantage of every weak point. They can direct a miner to open up a boarded-over pit, or cause a partial collapse of a roof. That this often kills the miner as well is not of great concern; they’re competition for his job.

Typical Encounter: 1 mine Boss, 1 overseer, 1 slinger, 8 miners

Tactics: Kobold miners aren’t considered warriors, and are almost never seen outside the mines — indeed, their abilities only work in such locales and are basically meaningless anywhere else. However, attacks on the mines are common — from goblin, orc, or human invaders, and so, a mining team knows how to defend itself. The boss will hang back to direct the fight, sending minions after whoever he judges to be the most dangerous opponent while also having some plummet foes into a bit or bury enemies beneath falls of rock. The Overseer will use his shiftiness and reach to harry an enemy while staying out of range, and will use lash pull to yank foes into any pits created by the mine boss’s Sudden Drop power. Both the slinger and the mine boss will use ranged attacks to wear down foes when their special abilities are not available.