D&D 5E New Errata & Advice For D&D Issued

WotC has issued an update to the 'Sage Advice' compilation, including new errata documents and amendments to racial attributes.

Compendium: October 2020 | Sage Advice | Dungeons & Dragons

This Sage Advice Compendium includes updates to Curse of Strahd, Ghosts of Saltmarsh, Storm King’s Thunder, Tomb of Annihilation, and Volo’s Guide to Monsters.

dnd.wizards.com

"The PDF contains answers to a collection of new questions. To find the latest answers, search for “[New]” in the PDF.

The compendium includes links to new errata documents for Curse of Strahd, Ghosts of Saltmarsh, Storm King’s Thunder, Tomb of Annihilation, and Volo’s Guide to Monsters."

Racial attributes have been altered (thanks to @dave2008 for pointing that out).

 

[Paul3]

You know....rules as written....every basic kobold in the world has STR 7 (-2) unless you decide to change the stats in the monster manual. You don't have to penalize the 4 or 5 kobold PCs that might come along in a 20 years campaign with a -2 STR penalty to set a kobolds are small and weak feel.

Taking a -2 does not necessarily put them at 7. If you have them at 13 and take the -2 penalty, that 11 is still well above average for a kobold. Modifiers don't prevent extremes, they just pull them a little closer to what is typical.

 

[JiffyPopTart]

Taking a -2 does not necessarily put them at 7. If you have them at 13 and take the -2 penalty, that 11 is still well above average for a kobold. Modifiers don't prevent extremes, they just pull them a little closer to what is typical.

1. Open Monster Manual.
2. Turn to the entry for kobold.
3 . See that they are listed as STR 7.
4. Reread my post with better context.

As I said....STR 20 Player Character kobold have nothing to do with the world's average kobolds. Eliminating or keeping a -2 STR penalty does not affect the MM description and stat writeup.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

1. Open Monster Manual.
2. Turn to the entry for kobold.
3 . See that they are listed as STR 7.
4. Reread my post with better context.

As I said....STR 20 Player Character kobold have nothing to do with the world's average kobolds. Eliminating or keeping a -2 STR penalty does not affect the MM description and stat writeup.

But that makes the ones in the MM even worse than the ones in the PHB. Standard, normal stats are 10 and 11, the scores that give neither a plus or a minus. Say a PC kobold has a standard of 10 or 11, then -2 makes their Str an 8 or 9. So a PC kobold is stronger than a MM kobold to start with. That makes the generic MM kobold either a -3 or -4 to Str, depending on whether you choose 10 or 11 as the base.

 

[JiffyPopTart]

But that makes the ones in the MM even worse than the ones in the PHB. Standard, normal stats are 10 and 11, the scores that give neither a plus or a minus. Say a PC kobold has a standard of 10 or 11, then -2 makes their Str an 8 or 9. So a PC kobold is stronger than a MM kobold to start with. That makes the generic MM kobold either a -3 or -4 to Str, depending on whether you choose 10 or 11 as the base.

Why would you use the MM entry to create a PC kobold? That's not how it works.

Yes, the MM kobold is going to be weaker than a PC...who is arguing they aren't? That's exactly the point I'm making.

A MM kobold has a STR7. It doesn't change (unless the GM wants it to). A PC kobold can have a STR from 1 to 20 depending on how the player builds them through their career.

Whether or not the rules say PC kobolds start with a -2 STR doesn't affect the other 99% of the worlds kobolds average STR, which is still 7 unless the GM changes it.

I've said this three times now, it's not a hard concept.

 

[Remathilis]

But that makes the ones in the MM even worse than the ones in the PHB. Standard, normal stats are 10 and 11, the scores that give neither a plus or a minus. Say a PC kobold has a standard of 10 or 11, then -2 makes their Str an 8 or 9. So a PC kobold is stronger than a MM kobold to start with. That makes the generic MM kobold either a -3 or -4 to Str, depending on whether you choose 10 or 11 as the base.

Now take that in reverse...

Aaracroka have a 14 dex in the mm. That means PCs should have a +4 dex, +1 Wis mod.
Centaurs have 18 str, 14 dex and 14 Con. PCs should have +8/+4/+4.
Duergar have 14 str and Con. PCs should have +4 str on top of dwarf bonuses.
Kenku have 16 dex; PCs should get +6 dex.
Lizardfolk have a 15 str, PCs should get +4 str.
Minotaurs have 18 str and 16 Con and Wis, pcs should get +8/+6/+6...

Otherwise, you'll have inferior PCs compared to the Monster Manual...