[3.5] Kobolds' Draconic Rite of Passage

[DataPacRat]

In 'Races of the Dragon', by going through a relatively minor ritual, a kobold PC can gain the ability to cast a 1st-level sorcerer spell once a day... the big question being, of course, which spell should you choose?


For my own cleric-based skillmonkey-in-progress, my first instinct was to take Hoard Gullet from Dragon Magic, as a sort of flavorful bag of holding (eg, the classic "How many knives have you /got/?"), until I noticed that particular spell only lets you empty the extra-dimensional pocket all at once, not one item at a time. Now, I've started leaning towards Unseen Servant, as a remote-control for traps... but I'm open to suggestions.

[Zadus]

I did draconic right of passage once.
Mage Armor was nice. Not having to worry about armor was awesome. Shield would also be handy. +4 to ac with a two handed weapon never hurt anybody, except the other guys.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

I'd probably get Benign Transposition, it's one of the most useful 1st level spells in the game.

There's also the Greater Draconic Rite of Passage (http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060420a), along with a feat that lets you use that spell 3/day instead of 1/day. May be worth taking a look at.

[Arbitrarity]

Give all the commoner kobolds Power Word Pain.
:smallamused::smallamused:

[Dragon Elite]

I might go with shield. Grease? And the feat is a no-brainer.

[sadi]

Depends on if you take the level 3 feat that makes it 3/day. Silent Image is good if you have a creative imagination. Color spray or grease if you're expecting combat.

[UserClone]

Yeah, I made the mistake of letting one of my players take power word, pain for that feat once...oops.

[Kizara]

Depends on if you take the level 3 feat that makes it 3/day. Silent Image is good if you have a creative imagination. Color spray or grease if you're expecting combat.

Color spray losses its effectiveness fairly quickly.

Grease is a great choice though.

Expeditious retreat, true strike, endure elements, disguise self, feather fall and identify are all decent options too, and thats just core.

[Necromas]

There are a lot of level one swift action spells that would be nice for various play styles.

Swift expeditious retreat, sniper's shot, distract assailant, instant search, instant locksmith, etc....

[Gerbah]

Give all the commoner kobolds Power Word Pain.
:smallamused::smallamused:

Wait, wouldn't they all have like, 1 HP max after that? The ritual permanently reduces max HP by 3 or so doesn't it? Well, even if it didn't, I can bet that civilization would be wiped out in an hour. "Hey, you bumped into me!" "No, you ran into me!" "POWER WORD PAIN!".

Next group of level 1 adventurers just wanders into a camp of dead Kobolds with no real explanation. Man, that could make a good mystery for a campaign, until the group found that would killed them was something so silly.

[Pika...]

I did it with a Kobolds Ate My Baby styled kobold/dogbold once. He chose Magic Missal, but they shot forth from his eye sockets.



However, I imagine Grease would be killer for a kobold rogue.

[only1doug]

I picked identify when i had a kobold sorcerer.

[Foryn Gilnith]

Two options:
1) Something from the spell compendium, like Benign Transposition
2) Something with an expensive component, like Identify.

[Myrmex]

I've always been a fan of Nerveskitter. It gives you +5 to initiative.

[Emy]

Wait, wouldn't they all have like, 1 HP max after that? The ritual permanently reduces max HP by 3 or so doesn't it? Well, even if it didn't, I can bet that civilization would be wiped out in an hour. "Hey, you bumped into me!" "No, you ran into me!" "POWER WORD PAIN!".

Next group of level 1 adventurers just wanders into a camp of dead Kobolds with no real explanation. Man, that could make a good mystery for a campaign, until the group found that would killed them was something so silly.

It reduces their hp by 1.

The real problem is that level 1 commoner kobolds wouldn't be able to afford the 100gp gem for the ritual.

[Myrmex]

It reduces their hp by 1.

The real problem is that level 1 commoner kobolds wouldn't be able to afford the 100gp gem for the ritual.

Aren't kobolds supposed to be extraordinarily wealthy?

[Adumbration]

Aren't kobolds supposed to be extraordinarily wealthy?

And miners. Obtaining valuable gems isn't as farfetched as you think when you're actually the one digging them up.

[DragoonWraith]

I'm actually having the same question with my Kobold Puppet Master (http://wiki.faxcelestis.net/index.php?title=Puppet_Master#Puppet_Master_Spell_ List) (linked to the spell list). He's a summoner/minion master type, so the spell list is all buffs along with the summon monster line, plus a few compulsions for flavor. He's taking Expeditious Retreat for his Advanced Learning, so that's not an option either.

Grease, Ray of Enfeeblement, Disguise Self, and Charm Person were among the top choices I came across. Well, unless you wanna do Nerveskitter or Lesser Shivering Touch, but those are quite powerful. I'd be interested in input, too.

[daggaz]

Grease isnt so bad if you are a sneak attacker, but I still dont think its that hot. As for spells like shield and mage armor.. Meh. Its only once per day and its at CL 1, so seems like a huge waste for something you could easily UMD a wand for. And for cheap.

I would go for for something that is expensive and useful, like Identify, or a spell that is just a real life saver. Benign Transposition was mentioned, probably for the nasty offensives you can pull with it, but it is equally as good at getting your butt out of a bad spot.

I could see charm person being pretty useful as well, especially if you are the party face..

[Myrmex]

Grease isnt so bad if you are a sneak attacker, but I still dont think its that hot.

If your DM plays balance checks right out of the book, then anything in full plate without ranks in balance and not flying is pretty much boned, but it still only has a CL of 1.

What most people seem to forget about Grease is that it lasts rounds/CL, which means one round of Grease is nice at level one, but not particularly spectacular.

[Tiki Snakes]

I'm going from rusty memory, but I thought personally that the draconic rite of passage gave it you as one of those spell-like abilities, with your CL being your class-level? Not sure.
It does mean, if I'm right, additionally that empowered spell-like ability is available.

[Pika...]

If your DM plays balance checks right out of the book, then anything in full plate without ranks in balance and not flying is pretty much boned, but it still only has a CL of 1.

What most people seem to forget about Grease is that it lasts rounds/CL, which means one round of Grease is nice at level one, but not particularly spectacular.

Um, the spell granted by the Draconic Rite of Passage functions as though your ECL = your Caster Level.

[Myrmex]

Um, the spell granted by the Draconic Rite of Passage functions as though your ECL = your Caster Level.

Oh. I thought it was CL = 1, and didn't scale, and daggaz' post also assumed the same, which made me think that CL didn't scale.

[Kallisti]

I picked identify when i had a kobold sorcerer.

This. You have to pay the material component cost during the ritual in addition to the ritual cost, but it's a spell like ability, so no material component. Then, for 200 gp, you get free identify for life.

[UserClone]

Actually, it would be worth the feat to get that 3/day, too. Especially since it allows you access to the rite that gives you a free sorcerer level of spellcasting.

[Bayar]

I took Fist of Stone for my Kobold Barbarian/Totemist.

[UserClone]

I took Fist of Stone for my Kobold Barbarian/Totemist.

Neat. I like the mental image!

What about Mighty Wallop? Too weak?

[Pika...]

Actually, it would be worth the feat to get that 3/day, too. Especially since it allows you access to the rite that gives you a free sorcerer level of spellcasting.

What?!

Which rite?

[DragoonWraith]

Greater Draconic Rite of Passage. Perhaps one of the most... bizarre things Wizards has ever written. A free level for... being your favored class, taking a Feat, and paying 1,100 gp? Oh, yeah, you have to be a Kobold, but Dex is nice enough on Sorcerers, being Small is a good thing and Slight Build is even better, and it's not like they care about the -4 to Str.

Then again, it's not really cheesy - insofar as this was definitely RAI. And being a level ahead in Sorcerer just catches you up with Wizard - and you still have the limited spell list. So you're still not as good as a Wizard. But it really is strange to have a mechanic that gives you a free level.

[Tiki Snakes]

Greater Draconic Rite of Passage. Perhaps one of the most... bizarre things Wizards has ever written. A free level for... being your favored class, taking a Feat, and paying 1,100 gp? Oh, yeah, you have to be a Kobold, but Dex is nice enough on Sorcerers, being Small is a good thing and Slight Build is even better, and it's not like they care about the -4 to Str.

Then again, it's not really cheesy - insofar as this was definitely RAI. And being a level ahead in Sorcerer just catches you up with Wizard - and you still have the limited spell list. So you're still not as good as a Wizard. But it really is strange to have a mechanic that gives you a free level.

-4 to str AND -2 to con, to be fair. Kobolds are often mentioned as balancing out as basically LA -1, so it does make sense, I guess. Not to mention, you've probably just lost a total of 4 hp via the rites.

[DragoonWraith]

-4 to str AND -2 to con, to be fair. Kobolds are often mentioned as balancing out as basically LA -1, so it does make sense, I guess. Not to mention, you've probably just lost a total of 4 hp via the rites.
Heh, I just made a Kobold and I already forgot about the -2 Con. And yeah, losing the 4 HP kinda sucks.

They should probably get at least a Cha +2... makes sense with the Sorcery.

[Draz74]

What?!

Which rite?

It's from a Web Enhancement (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060420a). Scroll down to near the bottom.

[UserClone]

Not only that, but all it does is let the Sorcerer "catch up" to the prepared casters in terms of when they gain new spell levels.

[Pika...]

Greater Draconic Rite of Passage. Perhaps one of the most... bizarre things Wizards has ever written. A free level for... being your favored class, taking a Feat, and paying 1,100 gp? Oh, yeah, you have to be a Kobold, but Dex is nice enough on Sorcerers, being Small is a good thing and Slight Build is even better, and it's not like they care about the -4 to Str.

Then again, it's not really cheesy - insofar as this was definitely RAI. And being a level ahead in Sorcerer just catches you up with Wizard - and you still have the limited spell list. So you're still not as good as a Wizard. But it really is strange to have a mechanic that gives you a free level.

Well, I have a recurring kobold psion character. How would that work?

Would I still get the one level of sorcerer?

[Milskidasith]

You need to have a level of sorcerer to take the rite.

[Ernir]

I am playing a Kobold Sorcerer in a game in which we get max HP. Greater Draconic Rite of Passage is fuuuuun.

He picked Charm Person as his SLA. Would have picked Identify had I figured out the ignoring GP cost part, but as is, having an entirely component-less Charm Person has saved our asses once.

Ernir: I cast Charm Person on the Hobgoblin leader.
DM: His bodyguards, seeing you cast a spell on their leader, reach for their swords and start moving towards you!
Ernir: Towards me? Why?
DM: Because you were the one who waved your hands and mumbled magic words right in front of them.
Ernir: No, I wasn't. :smallbiggrin:
DM: ...