Kobolds too weak at Level Adjustment +0?

[Darklone]

Well, but the -4 to strength is

Wanna know why kobolds have sorcerers and not wizards as favored class? They couldn't carry the spellbook.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I think LA +0 is fine for them. The only siginificant penalty I can see is the -4 Strength.

Small characters can deal with encumberance by not carrying too much stuff. I just hope magic staves resize for them, and I wonder how they can use a magic mirror.

A Strength penalty doesn't mean that much to a character that doesn't wear armor or engage in melee combat.

Small is an incredible bonus for a spellcaster, especially without the speed penalty. I'm playing a gnome wizard right now and... being Small ownzorr

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

IMC the kobolds have been hatching throwbacks to their dragon-y days (draconic template from Draconomicon). Currently these are the movers and shakers in the kobold world, but within a few generations ALL kobolds will be draconic. That puts them at Str -2, Dex, Con, and Cha +2, with dinky claws and some other stuff. Better than +0, but not as good as +1, IMO. As to your question, if I was to play a Kobold PC, I'd probably just play them as-is, and be a sorceror.

 

[Li Shenron]

A Strength penalty doesn't mean that much to a character that doesn't wear armor or engage in melee combat.

Yes, and hence my opinion that ECL in general is a very sensitive subject.

 

[DrSpunj]

Well, but the -4 to strength is

Wanna know why kobolds have sorcerers and not wizards as favored class? They couldn't carry the spellbook.

Hehe, funny!

Seriously, the -4 to Strength is a very significant penalty. Not as much to a Sorcerer, but is still going to play a part in any campaign that keeps track of encumbrance.

Still, +10' base speed and Darkvision are very excellent benefits, IMO. I think they easily balance out the -4 Strength penalty.

What I'm left with, then, is all those extra Racial abilities that Elves get, and I think I'd be okay balancing things out by adding a +2 Charisma modifier as others have suggested. I like the synergy that brings to the Draconic bloodline and the Favored Class.

Is it now too strong for a Sorcerer? I don't think so, not any stronger than a Halfling Rogue or a Half-Orc Barbarian.

Thanks.

DrSpunj

 

[Nail]

Part of the problem is perceptions, really. If you'd like kobolds to be a true ECL +0 race...well, that's not what they were built to do.

(Anymore than Elves and Dwarves are ECL +0 races.....)

 

[Deset Gled]

Take out the -2 Constitution, and everything should be just fine. I played a Kobold cleric in 3.0 (before there was a -2 con), and I can safely say that they are not underpowered.

 

[Voadam]

So would you alter these if a player wanted to play a Kobold PC? If so, how?

Thanks.

DrSpunj

Nope. I'd make standard Kobolds an option but probably not change them. they make pretty good sorcerers, OK rogues, but very poor warriors, which seems right for the race.

 

[The Souljourner]

They're not *supposed* to be as good as the core races. You can't make every humanoid race into something perfectly balanced against all others. And as people have said - they're probably slightly better than elves as spellcasters, which is pretty good.

-The Souljourner

 

[Darklone]

Sadly the 3rd edition made dwarves better wizards than elves.