D&D 5E Making a Kobold Barbarian!

[Shareazu Huss]

Hey there folks!

I'm currently trying to see if i can make something decent out of this character concept: a melee-focused kobold warrior.

I know it's probably not the finest choice for it, since kobolds get a strength penalty and only a +2 at dex, but they do have a nice advantage: Pack tactics. this basically make them almost always attack on advantage, as long as there's another ally close to the target.

So, i've been trying to figure out which melee class would be most viable, useful (to the group) and funnier to play with. The group consists of a paladin, a fighter, and 2 mages (plus my character). Our group is currently using ONLY the vanilla books, so please no fancy-smancy stuff! ... the GM was already kind enough to allow a kobold!

I've considered either a rogue, a fighter, or a barbarian... and i think the barbarian, specifically the wolf-totem barbarian, is the most useful one for the rest of the group, since it'd give allies that are close to me advantage in their attacks. Also, being a barbarian would make up for the lack of AC in the character, due to the nice HP and resistances while raging... however, it wouldn't be able to receive major aspects of the class, such as the bonus damage, since i wouldn't be using STR to make my attacks.

The character i've build is something like this:

Wolf-Totem Barbarian LVL 5

10 STR, 18 DEX, 14 CON, 10 INT, 14 WIS, 8 CHA

2+1 attacks (2x (rapier+dex bonus) + 1 Scimitar (offhand: 1d6) --> 20,5 avarage damage per turn

Hit: +7 bonus
AC: 17 (half-plate (15) + 2 DEX)

So i was thinking... in your guys' opinion, would it be better to drop the bonus attack and use a shield (increasing my AC to 19), or to stick with dual wielding, which would slightly increase the damage output? Or should i consider another class entirely?

 

[jaelis]

Are you set on barbarian? It seems like fighter would work better. Go battle master and pick up party-friendly manuevers like Commander's Strike, Distracting Strike, Goading Attack, Rally or Trip Attack. It seems to me that not using Str is too much to give up just for the wolf totem benefits.

For that matter, go ranger and pick up a wolf companion

 

[Shareazu Huss]

Well, i thought barbarian for a number of reasons: the totem benefits, the damage reduction, and, perhaps more importantly, i thought the concept of a raging kobold lashing onto the enemy to be kind of amusing!


But i get it, perhaps fighter would be more appropriate, due to the maneuvers... or should it take the other possibility, and take the champion path instead, making advantage of my constant advantage attacks, which would make it considerably easier to score a critical strike?

So many possibilities! I'll later try to sketch a fighter, to see how it would go... thank you for your input!

 

[MechaTarrasque]

Kobold, What is Best in Life?

I have long thought that they needed a weasel totem (which I will redub the rabid squirrel totem) that was particularly beneficial for small races.

If your DM was willing to be a little unconventional, you could ask if the kobold could wear a vest with green slime in the pockets that would splash out if you grappled something. A bear totem barbarian would probably come out pretty well on that exchange, unless he tried to grapple an ooze.

 

[jgsugden]

You're doing the right thing: Come up with a character concept, make it fun, then build it under the rules. Don't worry about the optimality.

If you find the character to be underpowered, give the DM a hint that Gauntlets of Ogre Power would be a nice thing to find...

 

[jgsugden]

Double post... advice so good it was worth posting twice.

 

[jaelis]

perhaps more importantly, i thought the concept of a raging kobold lashing onto the enemy to be kind of amusing!

This is a very good reason. I think people get a little too caught up with character optimization... if you are truly looking for char opt, then I don't think barbarian is the way to go. If you want to play a memorable character, then go for it! And base your other decisions on rule of cool; you've already decided that's what this character is about. Sword'n'board vs TWF is a minor issue in comparison, either works fine.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

The heck with optimal, that sounds way more fun and interesting. As a DM, I’d much rather see a player with a unique character than a min-maxed one.

As for dual-wielding vs using a shield, I say start with the shield and then eventually move to dual wielding. At the lower levels, having a higher AC comes in particularly handy. Especially for the often low-AC barbarian class.

I know it's probably not the finest choice for it, since kobolds get a strength penalty and only a +2 at dex, but they do have a nice advantage: Pack tactics. this basically make them almost always attack on advantage, as long as there's another ally close to the target.

 

[BookBarbarian]

Did you grab the Dual Wielding feat at level for to use a Rapier at the same time as a Scimitar?

Overall the concept is fine. You'll lose out on bonus damage from rage which is not a big deal, and as long as you are next to a buddy you won't miss reckless attack so I say go to town with the Kobold Barbarian.

 

[Herosmith14]

Just so people know, I also find the raging kobold thing amusing, and I do like having fun themed characters, that said, I am a bit of a min maxer.

I agree with Jaelis that fighter would probably be a better class to go for, especially considering you get the first Wolf totem ability(I'll admit in a more limited form) naturally in the form of Grovel(still don't like the flavor text for that).

As for Champion or Battlemaster, it depends on where you want to focus your theme. If you want to use pack tactics to benefit yourself, then Champion I'd definitely the way to go. If you want to spread the advantage out to the whole party, then I would make a Battle master with the previously mentioned party-friendly maneuvers.

If you wanted you could make rogue, which would put some redundancy on sneak attack.


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