I wonder if there are any cool advantages that might make the kobold a cool option to play. They just seem underwhelming and not that good of a pick. Do they have some niche?
I wonder if there are any cool advantages that might make the kobold a cool option to play. They just seem underwhelming and not that good of a pick. Do they have some niche?
A lot of people say play a Small Tiefling or Aasimar with the Adopted Trait and the Pass for Human trait, so that you have the appearance of a Kobold but without the crippling abilities and characteristics
Divine spellcasting dragon disciple... only possible as a Kobold...
Honestly though, I don’t think the “crippling disadvantages” of playing a Kobold are actually all that crippling...
-4 Str... ok so your not going to be a heavy hitter or carrying a whole lot... you can counter this by playing a caster, a ranged character, or a dex based melee combatant... -2 Con... ok, that’s a bit more of an issue but it’s not the end of the world, many races have -2 Con, odds are you won’t be the only one with less than 18 Con at level 1... sure a total of -6 to your stats may look horrible especially when paired with only a measly +2 to Dex...
I mean, yes... technically every other race is stronger than them... but they are far from unplayable or all that crippling... however, if you do play one, their Alternate Racial Traits are far more desirable than their base... literally any of the replacements for Crafty are an improvement unless you intend to be a crafter with profession(miner)... gliding wings is a really nice option giving you natural slow fall. Dragon maw can be a nice replacement for natural armor giving you a bite attack, Dragon Scales is a nice source of energy resistance... either of those two are highly recommended if your class choice gives natural armor... prehensile tail is also a great choice due to its utility... excellent if you get Natural AC, energy resistance, and a bite from your class (Dragon Disciple?)
Personally I intend to play a Kobold in an upcoming campaign... going to be a Draconic Bloodrager/Oracle and go into Dragon Disciple & Rage Prophet... it will be fun... going to be a tiny dragon...
They are delicious as wood fired shish kebabs.
They can make OK stealthy spellcasters. Look at their racial feats, and the spellcaster sneak alternate racial trait plays into that.
But yes, there's at least a couple of arguably better choices for any role you can think of, including that one.
They got most of the good stuff in Advanced Race Guide - probably after someone figured out that the kobold, as presented in Bestiary 1, was quite challenging to play.
You can get around the physical penalties by using a crossbow. Kobolds get access to the Kobold Sniper feat, which (in tandem with Expert Sniper) completely removes the Stealth penalty when sniping. The Stealth bonuses from Small and +2 Dex don't hurt either. Build considerations:
Level 1: Rapid Reload means you can move in addition to fire, so you won't miss Precise Shot that much. 1d6 damage from a light crossbow is good enough, and you get another 1d6 when the foe is still flat-footed. Hurt lonely foes, so the melee character can finish them off with a single attack.
Level 2: Kobold Sniper via combat trick allows you to dabble into sniping. Some foes are quite lousy at Perception (mindless undead are probably the worst), so a Stealth roll with -10 is worth a try. It's not like you would lose much from trying.
Level 3: Expert Sniper makes you a real sniper. As long as your trick works, it's superior to classic ranged combat: You target flat-footed AC and deal 3d6 damage, instead of the classic PBS + Rapid Shot, which ends up with -1 AB vs. normal AC and just 2d6+2 damage.
Afterwards I'd catch up on regular ranged feats, with 2 fighter levels. So the one-trick pony turns into a two-trick one. Or even three-trick, if you count melee with Dex to damage, thanks to rogue 3 - I'd consider that an emergency option, though. Master Sniper helps to keep sniping relevant, at least for a while.
I played a Kobold Cleric/Monk gestalt, took the Adopted trait for Helpful, and spent most of my time doing Aid Another... probably the most fun character I have ever played.
Interesting. Glad to see they have some nich even if it is a small one. I like the feats that help it become a dragon though I kind of wish there was a way for it to resemble good dragons.
Smoke Resistant has great synergy with the Smokestick Equipment Trick feat for swift action total concealment. Coupled with a reach or ranged weapon you can easily secure sneak attacks, although you probably want the Prehensile Tail alternate racial trait to not run out of hands.
Taking the Tail Terror feat allows you to use kobold Tail Attachments. The Long Lash attachment is noteworthy as it is a light weapon with the reach property, seemingly the only one to exist. Probably some shenanigans to be made. But even without weird feat interactions you can walk around with a reach weapon and keep both of your hands free.
Course there is Kobold Bard. They get an additional +1/2 level for FCB for the use of Fascinate. So a level 10 kobold bard would act like a level 15 for the use of fascinate.
Now this alone isn't much. But its were the Celebrity Bard archetype comes into play. Which now makes it so that that fascinate is harder to break. Nothing instant breaks it (I think), everything has to make the will save, and once they are under its effect that will save is rolled at a -4.
Thought this question was going to be asked from a GM's perspective.
Thought this question was going to be asked from a GM's perspective.
Nah! I already experienced first hand a true party kill thanks to those little buggers. I know that in numbers and with the magic of teamwork they are quite nasty stuff. I was mostly wondering what one kobold could be capable of.
I know that their stats aren't desirable for Fighters, but their race specific Fighter archetype could be fun if you have multiple Kobolds in the party... the Shoulder to Shoulder alternative racial feature suddenly makes so much sense... jostle-jostle-jostle... it's hilarious.
Partnered with some Kobold "Vexing Mousers", and you might have a viable front line... as far as pathetic Kobolds are concerned.
Most of the Kobold racial archetypes are quite splendid if you wanted to make a pure Kobold party...
Just one in a party? Find a way to be Helpful, like I did... it was a f!ck!ng blast.
Halflings only move at 20 feet, and do no have access to kobold ambusher, which not only allows you to move at full speed without penalty, but gives you the ability to run and stay stealthed.
But if you really want to go a sniper, why use a crossbow?
Kobold Gunslinger Archetype called Bushwhacker gives you the ability to snipe with rifles. Now you're targeting flatfooted touch ac.
Interesting. Glad to see they have some nich even if it is a small one. I like the feats that help it become a dragon though I kind of wish there was a way for it to resemble good dragons.
You mean such as playing one of the Rare scale types?
Rare Scale Colors
Though the majority of kobolds exhibit one of the five major chromatic colors, occasionally individuals emerge with alternate pigmentations, with the most common being purple, orange, and yellow. Those who possess the rarer colors described below are discriminated against by their homogeneous tribe-mates, but these colors do have unique benefits. In addition to the attested colorations listed below, translucent-scaled kobolds are rumored to exist, but these “ghost kobolds” haven’t been encountered in centuries.
Carnation Scales
Golden Scales <--
Purple Scales
Golden scales = resembling a 'good' dragon.
Interesting. Glad to see they have some nich even if it is a small one. I like the feats that help it become a dragon though I kind of wish there was a way for it to resemble good dragons.You mean such as playing one of the Rare scale types?
Rare Scale Colors
Though the majority of kobolds exhibit one of the five major chromatic colors, occasionally individuals emerge with alternate pigmentations, with the most common being purple, orange, and yellow. Those who possess the rarer colors described below are discriminated against by their homogeneous tribe-mates, but these colors do have unique benefits. In addition to the attested colorations listed below, translucent-scaled kobolds are rumored to exist, but these “ghost kobolds” haven’t been encountered in centuries.Carnation Scales
Golden Scales <--
Purple ScalesGolden scales = resembling a 'good' dragon.
I know but the draconic aspect feat (the first one to gain draconic abilities) changes your colour when picked.
Your scales take on the color and some of the resistances of one of the chromatic dragons. Choose one of the following chromatic dragon types: black (acid), blue (electricity), green (acid), red (fire), or white (cold). Your scales take on the color of that dragon, and you gain resistance 5 to the dragon color’s corresponding energy type.