Building a kobold Rog/Sorc/Dragon Disciple

[Alikat]

Hi guys,

I’m bringing my fave kobold character into a new campaign and was hoping I could get some input on her build.

I want to make sure everything I’m doing is within the rules. I also want to make sure I’m doing the most effective things possible while staying within the roleplay/character design I have for her because I know 3.5 dragon disciple isn’t exactly the most OP class.

The end build will be 9 Rogue/1 sorc/10 Dragon Disciple

Campaign starting at lvl 5

Order for levels taken:
Rogue
Rogue
Rogue
Rogue
Sorcerer
Dragon Disciple
Dragon Disciple
Dragon Disciple
Dragon Disciple
Dragon Disciple
Dragon Disciple
Dragon Disciple
Dragon Disciple
Dragon Disciple
Dragon Disciple
Dragon Disciple
Rogue
Rogue
Rogue
Rogue
Rogue

Feat Order:
Dragon Tail
Draconic Resevoir
Craven
Multiattack
Improved Multiattack
Dragon Breath
Rapidstrike

Will start the campaign already having the draconic rite of passage, will do the greater rite at lvl 6. Chosen spell is Chill Touch.

Skills are as listed on the character sheet, DD lvls will be spot, search, listen, knowledge arcana, and diplomacy. She is not a lockpicker/trap disarmer, those skills felt too tinkery for her, but she should be able to see them all coming.

This is her character sheet so far:

http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=811410

Character history: She comes from a clan that worshiped a very old black dragon. Said dragon loved making her pet kobolds dress up in uniforms and march around like little soldiers. Giving them a much more martial tradition than the average kobold culture. One day said very old black dragon keels over dead, being beyond ancient and more than a little senile by that point.

Vethi’s clan sent out it’s champions to quest for a way to restore their goddess, leading her into a life of adventuring. At the end of our groups previous campaign she finally got her hands on an uber-powerful artifact imbued with god magic that should have been able to resurrect a dead great wyrm.

While on her way home she got hit with the random encounter to end all random encounters and took an unplanned trip to the outer planes. One deal with a chaotic evil demon later she’s been tossed back to the mortal plane, but with the artifact’s power having been used on her in a mean trick, sending her on the path to become a half dragon.

If for whatever reason you’re interested, here's the full thing and yes, I ripped off bits from both Krynn and Eberron :p
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cfhQHLpFxkIVf1kke0x_J9xOmCl1ARw3HmQogbqUEWE/edit?usp=sharing

So my first concern: dragon tail, dragon breath, and rapidstrike and their prereqs.

I’m pretty sure all kobolds are dragon blooded, so takes care of dragon tail.

For dragon breath, it’s the 6HD preq that bothers me, since she doesn’t have racial HD. But I did find literature some where that said a characters HD is equaled their class lvl + racial HD, so in theory just being over lvl 6 should qualify for that part of it?

It’s the rapidstrike feat I have the most issue with, specifically the creature type requirements. It’s an extremely narrow list, but dragon is on the list, and I wouldn’t take the feat til after I’m a half dragon.. does that count or any recommendations on something else to take at lvl 18?

My next concern is how natural weapons work with touch attacks and sneak attacks.

If I were to use chill touch before combat, then open with a sneak attacked full combat action, would it look like this:

Claw: 1d3+2+2d6+1d6+1 str dmg
Claw: 1d3+2+2d6+1d6+1 str dmg
Bite: 1d3+1+2d6+1d6+1 str dmg
Tail whip: 1d4+1+2d6+1d6+1 str dmg

Format: weapon + str bonus + sneak attack + chill touch + chill touch str dmg

That’s a lvl 5 combat round using the stats from my character sheet. This is made on the assumption natural weapons apply touch attacks, and that natural weapons apply sneak attacks, when applicable. Neither of which I’m 100% on.

While that’s awesome at lvl 5, at lvl 20 it would only scale up too:

Claw: 1d3+8+5d6+1d6+1 str+20 craven
Claw: 1d3+8+5d6+1d6+1 str+20 craven
Bite: 1d3+4+5d6+1d6+1 str+20 craven
Tail whip: 1d4+4+5d6+1d6+1 str+20 craven
Rapidstrike claw: 1d3+4+5d6+1d6+1 str+20 craven

Format: weapon + str bonus + sneak attack + chill touch + chill touch str dmg + craven dmg

Not including any bonuses from gear she may get. Is that kosher or am I making a mistake in how those mechanics work?

Her only other big combat ability would be the 8d6 acid breath weapon every 1d4 rounds starting at lvl 15. And then the lesser once a day breath weapon before that.

I’m making her an str based rogue to take advantage of the dd/half dragon bonuses, so will be 26 str not including equipment at lvl 16.

Our group has never had anyone play a trapskills character so that won’t be something new for us, but if playing a rogue without lockpick/disable device is just too dumb, what skills should I drop to pick them up?

Thanks for your help!
~Kobold Enthusiast

[Urpriest]

So my first concern: dragon tail, dragon breath, and rapidstrike and their prereqs.

I’m pretty sure all kobolds are dragon blooded, so takes care of dragon tail.

Yup. If you need a rules reference, page 4 of Races of the Dragon.


For dragon breath, it’s the 6HD preq that bothers me, since she doesn’t have racial HD. But I did find literature some where that said a characters HD is equaled their class lvl + racial HD, so in theory just being over lvl 6 should qualify for that part of it?

Class levels are a type of Hit Dice, yes.



It’s the rapidstrike feat I have the most issue with, specifically the creature type requirements. It’s an extremely narrow list, but dragon is on the list, and I wouldn’t take the feat til after I’m a half dragon.. does that count or any recommendations on something else to take at lvl 18?

Half-Dragon gives you the Dragon type, so yes, this counts.


My next concern is how natural weapons work with touch attacks and sneak attacks.

If I were to use chill touch before combat, then open with a sneak attacked full combat action, would it look like this:

Claw: 1d3+2+2d6+1d6+1 str dmg
Claw: 1d3+2+2d6+1d6+1 str dmg
Bite: 1d3+1+2d6+1d6+1 str dmg
Tail whip: 1d4+1+2d6+1d6+1 str dmg

Format: weapon + str bonus + sneak attack + chill touch + chill touch str dmg

That’s a lvl 5 combat round using the stats from my character sheet. This is made on the assumption natural weapons apply touch attacks, and that natural weapons apply sneak attacks, when applicable. Neither of which I’m 100% on.

This probably works. The one weird thing about Chill Touch is that it's Instantaneous, which some people think means that you have to make all of the touch attacks in the round you cast it. But most DMs interpret it as letting you make the touch attacks in later rounds, in which case this setup would work fine.

For the record, there's are similar tactics available to Druids with Produce Flame, with similar technical rules issues.


While that’s awesome at lvl 5, at lvl 20 it would only scale up too:

Claw: 1d3+8+5d6+1d6+1 str+20 craven
Claw: 1d3+8+5d6+1d6+1 str+20 craven
Bite: 1d3+4+5d6+1d6+1 str+20 craven
Tail whip: 1d4+4+5d6+1d6+1 str+20 craven
Rapidstrike claw: 1d3+4+5d6+1d6+1 str+20 craven

Format: weapon + str bonus + sneak attack + chill touch + chill touch str dmg + craven dmg

Not including any bonuses from gear she may get. Is that kosher or am I making a mistake in how those mechanics work?

Her only other big combat ability would be the 8d6 acid breath weapon every 1d4 rounds starting at lvl 15. And then the lesser once a day breath weapon before that.

I’m making her an str based rogue to take advantage of the dd/half dragon bonuses, so will be 26 str not including equipment at lvl 16.

Looks fine. Your damage will be higher due to Str buffs and things like a Necklace of Natural Attacks, but yeah, that's the basic setup.


Our group has never had anyone play a trapskills character so that won’t be something new for us, but if playing a rogue without lockpick/disable device is just too dumb, what skills should I drop to pick them up?

Thanks for your help!
~Kobold Enthusiast

I'd say that if you aren't going for Disable Device, you can probably drop Search as well.

[Alikat]

Thank you for the input! :smallsmile:
I don't like my DM to know what I'm bringing to the table anymore before I have a chance to use it against him! :smalltongue:
Is nice to have this place as a resource so I don't have to ask him and give away what I'm building.

[Urpriest]

Thank you for the input! :smallsmile:
I don't like my DM to know what I'm bringing to the table anymore before I have a chance to use it against him! :smalltongue:
Is nice to have this place as a resource so I don't have to ask him and give away what I'm building.

...I'm assuming that you're being silly, but just in case, always show your DM what you're building before you bring it to the table. The DM is there to help you have fun, not to be your opponent.

[Alikat]

Only half joking! It's not so much a mechanics issue as mechanics combined with story issue. Last game the DM forgot I had a ring of mind shielding when the paladin did a detect evil on me and blurted out I was evil. It's hard to disassociate that kind of player versus character knowledge for some people and lead to a confrontation that shouldn't have happened a few sessions later. He had to deus ex machina out of it with a doppleganger sidestory.
There were a couple mistakes like that - I'm just keeping some bits of player knowledge to myself this time to avoid any more accidents.