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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Neonchameleon" data-source="post: 9100066" data-attributes="member: 87792">Honestly? Yes. First you're comparing eight years of 5e with launch 4e; every single one of the kobold variants you list comes from the 4e Monster Manual while you're using the MMotM versions of 5e.Second, let's look at the base kobold.[ATTACH=full]292779[/ATTACH]The key problem with this guy is that it's not interactive. It has exactly the same melee and range to hit and damage expressions so there's no point trying to rush it down and get it in melee (or to kite it). It has 5hp meaning that it's got just enough that you need to track without it being useful to do so (unlike the 4e kobold minion). Pack tactics is evocative but not something you can really engage with, unlike the slippery nature. In short it's like the 4e minion but slightly worse in a whole lot of ways.Then we're coming to your favourite, and my pet hate that frankly reads like a first draft.[ATTACH=full]292780[/ATTACH]How do I hate thee? Let me count the ways:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">"The kobold can use each one no more than once per day" - That's eight separate things to track.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">It's incomplete, referring very vaguely to multiple books books:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Swarm of Insects: MM p 338 (page number not listed and it's the beasts appendix)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Green Slime - listed as DMG Chapter 5 - DMG p105 and several pages in</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Swarm of Rot Grubs (listed as being in Appendix A in Volo's (which is fortunately two sides) and, worse yet, "in this book" in MMotM - filed irritatingly under S for Swarm).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Skunk-in-a-cage. Actually doesn't refer to a different book.</li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">It's unbalanced<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A CR 1/4 monster shouldn't have a save-or-lose-actions effect (Skunk-in-a-cage)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A CR 1/4 monster shouldn't be summoning CR 1/2 monsters (centipede swarm, rot grub swarm, wasp swarm)</li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Scorpion on a stick. That's just an annoyingly slow method of doing about as much damage as the dagger</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Alchemist's Fire takes until turn 3 before it is worse than the dagger.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">This isn't a "Kobold inventor". At least five and arguably six of the eight options (depending how you count the green slime) are beast handling.</li> </ul>I'm not saying that the Kobold Inventor isn't cool and evocative (it absolutely is). I'm saying that in terms of practicality it's a disaster and needs a second pass. I am, however, saying that it has serious both playability and balance issues that didn't happen in 4e. If it were split into "Alchemy-supplied kobold" (a slinger with fire, acid, and a green slime that doesn't reference another book) and "Kobold beast-tweaker" and the beast tweaker was much better written it might reach 4e standards, but it isn't there.</blockquote>

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