So I had an idea in my head in an upcoming adventure for a Kolbold trap smith. However I was curios if I should make the, an NPC or a monster? And for the future how can I know weather or not to make an NPC or monster if I want a monstrous character like my Kolbold trap smith NPC
There isn't a significant difference between monster or NPC, I'm not sure I understand your question.
People often say monster as a shofthand way of saying an creature that is hostile towards the party, while NPC usually means a creature that is neutral. But these could also have other meanings as well. NPC could also mean a creature (humanoid or other) that has class levels of some sort.
So can you restate your question? Because the question "should my Kobold be a monster or an NPC?" Just makes me answer "yes".
Fair enough, my question does not make any sense. Let me try and restate it as best as I can. When creating the Kolbold should I use create it using slandered NPR creation rules or create a whole new Kolbold using the the monster creation rules found in the bestiary? I hope I clarified a little bit more.
Fair enough, my question does not make any sense. Let me try and restate it as best as I can. When creating the Kolbold should I use create it using slandered NPR creation rules or create a whole new Kolbold using the the monster creation rules found in the bestiary? I hope I clarified a little bit more.
I'm not sure I'm completely clear...but I think I get the gist.
Kobolds don't have racial hit dice, so you would give it class levels as if you were making a PC. However, the method by which you generate his ability stats and how much wealth you give him can affect his CR value. I don't know those values off hand, but hopefully someone else can chime in. Also, at the end of the day if your the GM you can do whatever you want. You're in control.
Edit: You could use the monster creation rules if you really wanted to, but that probably wont get what you're after. Builda Kobold as if you were building a PC and you'll end up where you want to be (most likely).
Set the race as Kobold, make it an expert. This lets you give it ranks in a wide variety of things.
Use NPC gold for its non-heroic levels.
Kobolds are treated as -3 when determining class levels, so a level 4 kobold expert is a CR 1 encounter.
The basic array for a skill NPC that is a kobold is
(06)10-4
(14)12+2
(09)11-2
(14)13+1(levels)
(08)8
(09)9
His gold is
1,650-gp. The breakdown being
650-gp for weapons
800-gp for protection
100-gp for limited use
200-gp for gear.
this is 100 gold over so that you can cut corners here and there to get ir around 1,650-gp.
Experts are at 3/4 bab, so he would have +3 BAB, but -2 str, while +2 to dex.
If he has to fight he would do it with a ranged weapon, and then promptly run away when the PCs came after him. If cornered he'd probably just surrender while looking for any opportunity to get away from them while also offering to find traps for them.
"Please don't kill me" after trying to kill the party isn't very appetizing, but "Please don't kill me, I can find traps for you" usually is.
As an expert he would have 28 skill ranks, with a max of 4 ranks in one skill--I assume Craft: Trap, Disable Device, Perception, Knowledge: Dungeoneering, Knowledge: Engineering, Stealth, and Survival.
His goal is not to kill the PCs, but instead to stay the hell away from them. PCs are scary.