Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="pawsplay" data-source="post: 5024461" data-attributes="member: 15538">Really? I cannot come up with a satisfying explanation for a renegade kobold adventurer being darkblind. I can wrap my head around the "genetic mutant" concept, but that's a pretty limited range of archetypes. It's way outside, "I would like to play a kobold." A kobold with some kind of visual disability is a much more specific image that does not go well with a number of archetypes. For instance, if you want to play the last survivor of a slaughtered band of kobolds, a champion of his people, that just doesn't work. It seems doubtful that a kobold clan defender would have such a disability."Kobolds are overpowered." Still trying to wrap my head around that one. I don't think that's the case, really. I have a suspicion that some of the design team just felt it was a pain to have some of the party have darkvision and some not, so decided that in YOUR game, it just wouldn't be permitted.What, a 1st level "Uncommoner?" Even a pixie sorcerer would have 4 hp, assuming an average Con, which is probably unlikely. Actually, pixies are probably not the best example, since with flight and invisibility, they can often get away with low hit points. I've never seen a PC monster go wrong if you abide by two basic guidelines:- If you want to play a frontline combatant, no more than 1/4 of your ECL should be LA. Period. Even, and perhaps especially, if you are a vampire.- If you want to play something for roleplaying purposes, you should still not go beyond 1/2 your ECL as LA or your numbers will be too small. Classic example being the pixie 1st level rogue, who while quite dangerous and capable, can be instantly destroyed by a caster level 3 magic missile. In any case, we are not debating between Savage Species type monsters and normal races. We are discussing various creatures roughly equivalent to a human, like a kobold, minotaur, or warforged. The problem 4e presents in this case is not balance, but homogenity. In 4e, everyone gets the same number of dailies, uses roughly the same numbers to hit and do roughly the same damage, within some variation for role. Thus, darkvision is not readily available as a special ability, item, spell, etc. Thus, kobolds have something most characters just don't have. My reaction is basically, "And? That's kind of the point of having diverse PCs." Sure, the kobold will trump in some situations while being disadvantaged in others (due to opportunity costs). Sometimes the game is sort of rock-paper-scissors. 4e actively resists that dynamic, even though it crops up anyway. In balance terms, darkvision is not substantially different than "teleport, one per scene." Both allow one character to easily deal with certain problems other characters don't handle nearly as well.</blockquote>

Verification