Since when? My groups slayer nearly died both when fighting the rats AND when fighting the first group of kobolds(within the cave)! the cleric had to prop him up several times!
NEARLY died. When surround by opponents on every square at first level you shouldn't NEARLY die, you should die.
So? The slayer is a trained killing machine, I don't see the problem with him taking out 1 kobold a round - even at first level.
The problem is that this doesn't represent training. The fighter's +2 on weapon damage represents training. This represents that no matter what the fighter is able to get damage in... for some reason. It is the "for some reason" I take objection to. It is the fact that EVERY TIME, no matter what, doesn't matter if they are drunk off their ass or poisoned or anything, as long as they have STR 16 they will KO a kobold WHEN THEY MISS.
Kobolds are weak individually, they are not weak on their home turf (traps etc.) and when they outnumber the party significantly - and this is as it should be!
But as you just pointed out in the post up until here. They AREN'T dangerous in numbers. They aren't dangerous to that fighter because even on a miss he is killing them dead. As pointed out earlier he may as well not bother rolling and could point at the kobold and just tell the DM that it dies - because he does 3 on a miss, no matter what.
If this is the problem as you see it, then it seems there is no problem. Even pathetic mooks are very dangerous in numbers.
BUT THEY AREN'T. The part of the post you quoted shows that the fighter is surrounded by 8 kobolds. That represents one in every square. If the fighter is getting out of that situation by MISSING attack rolls then something IS wrong with the game. Keep in mind they are doing this at first level, not at 15th. They are JUST starting their heroic journey and already they have the same ability superman does when he tosses 8 guys off of him when they dogpile. The kobolds simply aren't threatening in numbers. They aren't even as strong as 4e minions because you had to at least hit minions.
Entirely ignore the fact that I hate the concept of minions.
Yes, this is an important point. What works against kobolds will not necessarily work against other monsters. But then why should it?
BUT IT DOES. This is slightly tangenty as it deals more with the slayer's ability than kobolds, but it does work on higher level or more HP creatures too. They still take 3. Every round, no matter what, on a miss. Explain that to me? It isn't skill, grit, determination, luck or anything I understand to be related to HP. It is something completely unique that says that this guy is so kickass that he can hurt EVERYONE regardless of skill as long as they are within his reach, even if he misses. I don't get that.
I don't know where all this Reaper hatred comes from....the mechanic is just a lower powered version of the 4E Executioner (Assasin) ability.
If you are at 3 HP or less the Slayer is going to kill you...hit or miss.
First of all you are right. It is going to kill you hit or miss. Second of all, it is going to damage even those people or creatures that don't start with just 2 HP it is going to hurt EVERYONE. Third, the problem arises that the kobolds never have a chance. They only have 2 HP. Unless the DM decides to assign them 4 HP to start they are going to die, regardless if the fighter hits their AC.
<snip some part about bad star wars film>
Describe a miss as a Fighter going in a doing a Mike Tyson to the Ogre's Ear...the player is going to like the Theme.
Right, and that the fighter is going to bite the ear off the ogre ever round (on a miss) until it is dead..... how many ears does the ogre have?
Minions in 4e never take damage from missed attacks. I don't have a problem with capable PCs one-shotting a typical kobold as long as they hit. The problem is that slayers and magic missiles can kill them no matter what.
Right.
