| Xelah |
Right, so my group is playing the kingmaker campaign. My character is a black kobold that overthrew chief sootscale in the first book. We've been treating the kobolds as a vassal state. They've grown and developed their territory thanks to the peace agreement with the humans.
As we approach the start of the mass combat, I brushed up on the rules and discovered that kobolds, while generally weak and not a threat to parties, they have qualities that make them surprisingly good at mass combat.
Racial -1 penalty to CR as long as they have npc class levels.
This sounds like a drawback, but it isn't. It shifts the numbers in such a way that more kobolds can take the field in an encouter for the same XP value. In mass combat, it means you can give them an extra class level (compared to a human army of the same size).
What good does this do? The humans raise an army of 200 level 2 warriors (ACR 2, 11hp, OM +2 DV 12). The kobolds raise an army of 200 level 3 warriors (also (ACR 2, 11hp, OM +2 DV 12). The kobolds have an extra feat to play with because they are level 3. Pay the feat tax at level 1 and get Draconic Aspect. At level 3, Take either Draconic Breath (Better for Black kobolds than Draconic Magic at level 3) or Draconic Magic (Can be better with any other color depending on your preferences). Draconic Breath adds a breath weapon, which allows the army to attack during ranged attack phases and deal an extra 1d4 damage during both ranged and melee phases. Draconic Magic adds +2 to both OM and DV and allows armies to attack during the ranged phase (except black kobolds, their racial spells are both touch range).
So instead of two equal strength armies, you've got
Human Warriors 11hp, OM +2, DV 12
vs either
Kobold Breath Warriors 11hp, OM +2 DV 12 +1d4 damage
(Can make ranged attacks)
or
Kobold Magic Warriors 11hp, OM +4 DV 14
(Can make ranged attacks, if not black)
Kobolds statistically win this. Even daytime engagements where the kobolds are at a -1 penalty to fighting, nevermind attacking at night where the humans have a larger penalty. Kobolds pay the same price, but have a better army.
That said, I've been looking around for other feats that could boost an army, but haven't had much luck. Most seem to require a specific race to function (like fetid breath for ogres, or enhanced gnome magic for gnomes), a one exception I've found has been Accursed, as it grants SR, it gives +6 DV vs spellcasting armies.
There are a crap ton of feats and I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for mass combat. Preferably more generic feats that would work with any army.