Player wanting to be a kobold

[Angcuru]

Kobold paladin with shortspear on dire weasel charges into combat...gotta love it!

That's a sigquote if ever I saw one.

 

[Teleri_mm]

Kobold Knights

Right after 3e came out my players ran in to a Kobold enclave that was protected by 3 Kobold Knights. I gave them all 4 or 5 levels of fighter and the ride feats mounted on war dogs... that was a cool battle. My PCs still talk about it today.

My favorite image from it was seeing 3 Kobolds in full plate (magic so it conformed to them) charging at the PCs with short spear lances. Add some archers, foot solders and an adapt or 2 and you have a full scale war.

Teleri_mm

 

[nytflyr]

I almost played a Kobold Barbarian... "Death from Below!"

I ended up playing a goblin ranger instead cause he fit the campaign world better

 

[Dr_Rictus]

Yeah, the only problem with the kobold as a PC in this discussion is that Paladin isn't the greatest class for them (because of the Strength penalty). But players choosing to take races that aren't min/maxed for their class is not something DM's are obliged to fix.

As far as that goes, though, you might suggest he take a look at the Divine Might and Extra Smiting feats from Defenders of the Faith, if you have it available. The more damage he can muster based on his Charisma (no penalty for kobolds there), the better off he'll be.

 

[Conaill]

Btw, Conail- stat mods come in increments of 2, so it's +2 dex, not +3.

I was pointing out that the average kobold gets a +3 to AC! +1 from being Small, +1 from natural armor, and another +1 to AC from having a +2 to Dex.

Makes up at least a *little* for the fact that he won't be able to carry too much armor...

 

[Sejs]

My bad, that comma placement got the better of me.

 

[DreamChaser]

Yeah, the only problem with the kobold as a PC in this discussion is that Paladin isn't the greatest class for them (because of the Strength penalty). But players choosing to take races that aren't min/maxed for their class is not something DM's are obliged to fix.

I as a rule attempt to reward them rather than "fix" them. Why bother playing if everyone is going to be a halfling rogue, elven archer or wizard, dwarven fighter, gnome illusionist (or bard in 3.5), human cleric or monk or paladin, or a half elf ranger, druid, or sorcerer? I get so tired of the min/maxed stereotyped iconics that when someone tells me that they want to play a half-orc sorcerer or wizard, I'm lible to cheer rather than scoff.

I know that in a module, most unusual characters like this are walking corpses but I don't run games that way.

DC

 

[Nifft]

Kobolds are a cool race. They get Draconic as a free language, 30' movement despite being small, Sorcerer as Favored Class (cool one-level multi for a Paladin), Darkvision 60' and +1 Natural Armor. That's really quite good IMHO.

The +2 Racial bonus on Search checks is pretty cool, too.

In conclusion, I think they're just fine as-is, even with the "daylight blindness" penalty and low Strength.

-- Nifft

 

[Dr_Rictus]

I as a rule attempt to reward them rather than "fix" them. Why bother playing if everyone is going to be a halfling rogue, elven archer or wizard, dwarven fighter, gnome illusionist (or bard in 3.5), human cleric or monk or paladin, or a half elf ranger, druid, or sorcerer?

Oh, I agree. It's just that to me, playing such a character is its own reward. As long as the player goes into it with his eyes open, that is. My own after-work game has a halfling barbarian as the party's main tank. Yeah, he doesn't dish out damage nearly the way that, say, a half-orc would, but the character gets along well enough and the player's having a ball.

 

[Azul]

Kobolds make excellent skirmishers and archers. They are faster than other small races, have natural armour, and darkvision.

A kobold paladin is a suboptimal mix though. It's really the fact that kobolds get -4 to Str rather than -2 like gnomes and halflings that hurts them. If you use a point-buy system, you could give the player a few extra points to compensate a bit. If you roll, maybe two extra points to add to ability scores (presumably strength). In other words, just bring the race up to par with halflings and gnomes, but no better.

In my former campaign, we had a kobold ranger in the group. He was an archery specialist with excellent strength (for a kobold). Using a composite short bow, the Hunter's Mercy spell (from Magic of Faerun) and with a few levels of deepwoods sniper, he was quite nasty.