Kobold + Half-dragon template

[whydirt]

If I wanted to create a character that was a Kobold with the Half-Dragon template, would you consider the overall race to still be EL +3 or would the Kobold's negative net stat modifiers lower the result down to a +2?

If I eliminated or reduced the damage of the breath weapon, how would that effect the EL? For example, what if I reduced the base damage dice down to d4, so it did 6d4? Alternatively, what if instead of a flat 6d8 damage, it dealt the characters HD/2 dice in damage and thus required the character to be at 2nd level to do any damage? What if the two options were combined, so that it did 1d4 per two levels with the option of increasing the die size through feats?

I figure even with the least powerful breath weapon option, the other bonuses from the Half-Dragon template still should give at least +1 or +2 EL.

How would you combine these elements to make an interesting, but balanced EL +1 race?

 

[Technik4]

Half-Dragon Template
Type: Dragon
HD: Irrelevant
Speed: Irrelevant
Armor Class: +4 Natural Armor
Attacks: Gains ability to make claw/bite attacks (1d3 x2. 1d4 bite)
Breath Weapon: 6d8 1/day
Special Qualities: Darkvision, Low-light Vision, Immunity to Sleep/Paralysis, 1 Elemental Immunity
Abilities: +8 Str, +2 Con, +2 Int, +2 Cha
Skills: Irrelevant

Kobold Racial Modifiers
-4 Str, +2 Dex, -2 Con
Small Size
Speed: 30 ft
Darkvision
Skills: +2 Craft (Trapmaking), Profession (Miner), and Search checks
Natural Armor +1
Light Sensitivity


Net abilities are +4 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Int, +2 Cha
Net Armor: +5 Natural Armor
Net Qualities: Lowlight Vision, Darkvision, Light-Sensitivity, Immunity to Sleep and Paralysis, 1 Elemental Immunity, Breath Weapon (6d8) 1/day, Type Changed to Dragon


Those are the most relevant things to this character. Personally, I don't think nerfing the breath weapon can lower the ECL. The ability modifiers, armor, and immunity are too good for ECL +2 (See Also: Drow). I do think, as a DM, that I would remove the Light-Sensitivity or the Low-light Vision, they really don't go well together (either you can see in the dark and light fine, as a dragon, or you can't see well in the light, like a kobold).

To make it ECL +2? Lower the Natural Armor (by +2), Lower the Str bonus (by +4), Remove the Int bonus, Take Away Lowlight Vision, Nerf the breath weapon to d4s instead of d8s, reduce the Elemental Immunity to Elemental Resistance 5. The template would look like this:

Type: Dragon
HD: Irrelevant
Speed: Irrelevant
Armor Class: +2 Natural Armor
Attacks: Gains ability to make claw/bite attacks (1d3 x2. 1d4 bite)
Breath Weapon: 6d4 1/day
Special Qualities: Darkvision, Immunity to Sleep/Paralysis, 1 Elemental Resistance: 5, Breath Weapon (6d4) 1/day
Abilities: +4 Str, +2 Con, +2 Cha
Skills: Irrelevant
ECL: +2

I'm not sure whether thats still worth 2 levels, but its 'closer' to a drow (or if you can imagine, an ECL +2 Genasi). Unfortunately, it makes your net abilities looks like:

Net abilities are +2 Dex, +2 Cha
Net Armor: +3 Natural Armor
Net Qualities: Darkvision, Light-Sensitivity, Immunity to Sleep and Paralysis, 1 Elemental Resistance: 5, Breath Weapon (6d4) 1/day, Type Changed to Dragon

Which I might rule as an ECL +1 race.

Technik

 

[Darklone]

The Kalamar Gnomes & Kobolds book has a feat for kobolds which allows you to take the half-dragon template for an ECL of +2 instead of +3.

 

[The_Universe]

It's definitely an ECL of +2, not +3 for Kobolds - I've used templated kobolds extensively in my campaign, and they're just not up to snuff (as monsters) if you apply the full CR of the template to them.

 

[Cheiromancer]

I would think that light sensitivity and low light vision go very well together; it is the increased sensitivity to light that makes it easier to see by moonlight or starlight.

 

[Technik4]

Low-light always implied (to me), given a light source, you can see farther than most people. That doesn't sound like light sensitivity (light hurts your eyes because you are used to the dark).

Unless your campaign punishes kobold half-dragons through roleplaying,

Net abilities are +4 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Int, +2 Cha
Net Armor: +5 Natural Armor
Net Qualities: Lowlight Vision, Darkvision, Light-Sensitivity, Immunity to Sleep and Paralysis, 1 Elemental Immunity, Breath Weapon (6d8) 1/day, Type Changed to Dragon

Seems too much for ECL +2.

Technik

 

[Aust Diamondew]

Low light vision and light sensitivity together make for a good nocturnal creature. Something that has trouble in full sun light but can see very well by moon light.

Any way I think ECL +2 seems fine. As for the comparison to drow IMO they are a weak ECL +2 creature and should probably be +1 but are a little too good.

 

[Drowbane]

If I wanted to create a character that was a Kobold with the Half-Dragon template, would you consider the overall race to still be EL +3 or would the Kobold's negative net stat modifiers lower the result down to a +2?

Assuming I was your DM, and I was allowing monster races and templates to be used, why would I reward you for choosing a suboptimal choice of Race and Template? A Kobold and a human are both LA 0, just as the 1/2 Dragon version of each is LA 3. It sounds more like your beef is that Kobolds are substandard as PC Races (something they weren't intended to be).

In Savage Species there is a table that shows the LA of 1/2 Dragons by color. And each entry seems to states that 1/2 Dragons are LA +2 or +3 if you choose a color (and thus a BW and Immunity) I don't know if that was intended, I kinda doubt it. But I've long since adopted it as a House Rule. Basicly there being 3 qualities of 1/2 Dragons. Lesser (lacking a color/BW/Immunity), normal (as template) and greater (template + paragon lvls).

Give your kobold 3 lvls of Paragon 1/2 Dragon.... ECL 6 for BW 3/day... not to mention add some of the BW Feats out of Draconomicon. You won't care anymore that your Str is -4 compared to the average 1/2 Dragon.

 

[the Jester]

I do not discount kobolds imc.

 

[Goolpsy]

The Kobold is a ECL 0 race, like human, dont alter it just because u put on a template...