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As we all know, kobolds are the race that's far too overpowered when used for any melee class (most notably monks, fighters, and rogues), and I believe I've found the source of the issue: kobolds are breaking several race creation rules. Without a doubt these egregious misappropriations of the race-creation ruleset should be rectified post-haste, for every kobold is simply too strong as it is. In fact, reading any more of this post is valuable time you could be using to agree with me along with the fact that kobolds are mind-bogglingly strong because of these cripplingly over-strong boosts in power level.
1) Kobolds make use of the Greater Weakness attribute allocation. And while it may appear kobolds are hampered by this, in reality they are breaking the rules by having a +2 bonus to dexterity. As proof, I'll quote the exerpt on Greater Weakness:
Greater Weakness (–3 RP)
Prerequisites: Pick either mental or physical ability scores.
Modifiers: Members of this race take a –4 penalty to one of those ability scores, a –2 penalty to another of those ability scores, and a +2 bonus to the other ability score.
As one can see, the rules of Greater Weakness requires the bonus to be a mental stat if the penalties are to physical stats. All kobolds have had far too much physical stats for balance purposes according to this rule clarification, thus why the race has been too strong.
2) Rather than placing the +2 racial bonus to perception outside of Crafty and naming it something strange like Keen Senses, kobolds received this boost as a ninja-buff. It is clearly proof that kobolds are snaking their way into overly high racial power levels through the inclusion of such a broad skill with so many uses, and any dev in their right mind would have made sure that if any buff were to be given to kobolds, it would be a bonus to Profession[dance]. I am not entirely sure how this perception boost made it in, but the primary suspect at this time is hoodoo.
Fortunately, this act did not alter the alternate racial feats which take away Crafty, so as long as a DM makes sure no kobold player keeps Crafty, they can rest easy that this imbalance in the kobold's favor will not affect their game.
3) The final issue I've found with kobolds is in their alternate racial trait known as Dragonmaw. It replaces a measly 2 RP-value trait, but the cost to get such effects puts it through the roof, and in-fact also breaks the rules for bite attacks on a race.
You see, Bite as a natural attack is supposed to start 2 size categories below the base race. It can be taken a second time to increase the bite to 1d3, but after this point it is disallowed from being taken again. This means Dragonmaw must grant Improved Natural Attack(bite) (2 RP cost) after the base (2 RP), but let us not forget it adds 1d6 of any element of damage onto an attack.
The only way to describe this boost would be a 1st level quickened spell with additional power boosts to allow it to be no action and take no save in conjunction with not being considered a spell, so it'd be like 10 RP just for the 1d6 elemental damage.
This totals out at 14 RP for this trait alone, but to be safe I'd consider it 15 because there's so much added by it. This is clearly too strong as it pushes kobolds into the Monstrous Races category, so no GM in their right mind should ever allow a kobold player to get this bite attack until it is properly balanced.
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You can now post your signatures in agreement that these things need to be looked into before kobolds can be considered even somewhat balanced, because clearly they just have too much in their favor as it is.
? Is this in response to another thread that I missed? That being said Kobolds are obviously a superior race, 2nd only to derro!
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Oh HELL no.
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I wish there was a way to favorite a post a million times, just so I could apply every single one to my own.
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Failing that, I've decided to just keep posting and favoriting so the favorites add up to a million.
Slowly...slowwwwwly...
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Casts "detect sarcasm".
There is no sarcasm whatsoever. Each point made is technically right purely RAW, which is the best and only kind of right. And we all know kobolds should never have something in their favor. In fact, I believe greater weakness shouldn't give any bonus, as I can't fathom what it would be like to have +2 to charisma, wisdom, or intelligence. It just makes kobold rogues, monks, or fighters even more powerful, and that is not what I want to have happen.
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You can fix it with a further -2 to all ability scores.
Perhaps we should just give an extra +2 to all other races to even things out?
Except for halflings...and elves ... Yes and elves.
We could give kobolds a level adjustment.
Perhaps we should just give an extra +2 to all other races to even things out?
Except for halflings...and elves ... Yes and elves.
And monks.
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There was a powerful pro-kobold lobbyist group that pressured our GMs to add a homebrew rule that gave even more power to those OP kobolds.
They had a -2 Str, +2 Dex instead of the normal modifiers. Yes. THAT much power.
Naturally, our game group fell apart over the controversy and agony this ruling caused.
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Nerfed a kobold once. It complained. "I didn't have my gun ready!" So I shot him again and told him. "Too bad. You should've gone to Toys'R'Us and gotten more ammo like I told you."
Why can't kobolds have nice things?! Keep quiet or the Dev nerf-bat hits the kobolds!
Do go claiming that the 'Kobold - Any other race'-discrepancy is a bad thing! This is how the game is supposed to be played.
Players are free to play other races, but those lower tier characters is just dragging us down.
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So are you talking about being a monster race, or a player race that is allowed through GM digression?
As enemies, they are a bit more challenging than a Mite or Goblin, but not overpowered. As a player character race, they are not so overpowered compared to some of the other off races, like Efrit, Tiefling, and so on.
I would say leave them as they are, they have already gone from yipping dogs like things to dragon worshipping reptilians.
its true dragons do worship Kobolds
its true dragons do worship Kobolds
Sure do. Those dragons know what's good for them!
Finally the rogue is fixed ... make them all kobolds. Don't forget about the kobold feat Tail Terror, that bite thing (Dragon Maw?) and two weapon fighting that's like 4 attacks with rogue 3 havig 2d6 sneak attack on each. Broken murderface right there!
If a rogue is not already a kobold kill them and reincarnate them until they are, it's for their own good. ;P
1) Kobolds make use of the Greater Weakness attribute allocation. And while it may appear kobolds are hampered by this, in reality they are breaking the rules by having a +2 bonus to dexterity. As proof, I'll quote the exerpt on Greater Weakness:
As one can see, the rules of Greater Weakness requires the bonus to be a mental stat if the penalties are to physical stats.Greater Weakness (–3 RP)
Prerequisites: Pick either mental or physical ability scores.
Modifiers: Members of this race take a –4 penalty to one of those ability scores, a –2 penalty to another of those ability scores, and a +2 bonus to the other ability score.
In excessive seriousness, I'm pretty sure the way this is phrased means "All three modifiers affect either physical or mental stats, so you're either +2 -2 -4 physical stats with no mods to mental, or vice-versa.
That's it. I'm sick of all this "Masterwork Goblin" b&@%$#*t that's going on in Pathfinder right now. Kobolds deserve much worse than that. Much, much worse than that.
I should know what I'm talking about. I myself commissioned a genuine Kobold in Andoran for a leftover sock (that's about 1 cp) and have been practicing with it for almost 2 years now. I can't even cut commoners with my Kobold.
Kobolds spend years working on a being useless and fold their scales up to a million times to produce some of the most useless monsters known to mankind.
Kobolds are thrice as weak as Goblins and thrice as soft and fleshy too. Anything that carries a weapon, a Kobold can't fight at all. I'm pretty sure a Kobold army would could easily be cut a knight wearing full plate with a single vertical slash.
Ever wonder why Kobold tribes never bothered conquering Golarion? That's right, they were too scared to fight the people with sharp objects and their magic. Even in World War II, American soldiers avoided targeting the Kobolds, because they were considered a waste of ammunition.
So what am I saying? Kobolds are simply the worst monsters that the bestiary has ever seen, and thus, require worse stats in Pathfinder. Here is the stat block I propose for Kobolds:
0-HD Creature CR 1/8
-4 Strength, -6 Constitution, -2 Int
Small size
Slow Speed (20 ft.)
Darkvision - 10 ft.
Natural Armor Bonus -1
Kobolds get +2 to Profession (Miner) and Profession (Dying)
Light Blindness
Kobolds begin play speaking only Draconic. Kobolds who have high Intelligence scores can choose any of the following bonus languages: None.
A Kobold who make a melee attack must roll a 1d2; A roll of 1 results in an automatic miss, and is considered a critical fumble.
A Kobold who attempts to cast a spell must make a DC 20 Concentration Check to maintain the spell.
Now that seems a lot more representative of the fighting prowess of Kobolds in real life, don't you think?
tl;dr = Kobolds need to do much less in Pathfinder, see my new stat block.
This forum has gone downhill lately ...
Kobolds are dragons! (that's what all kobolds say)
Dragons are gods! (at least for some kobold tribes)
Gods are unnerfable in Pathfinder (They don't have stats)
=> Kobolds are unnerfable. Point. (This is a pure IC reasoning, the player behind the computer doesn't agree with his kobold character)
If you think normal kobolds are strong you have never seen one of us primitive kobolds. Less cunning but much more mighty brawn. The stolen lands will tremble at my power.