Warforged Scouts vs. Half-orcs, Kobolds, Goblins

[cupkeyk]

I was b*tching to a friend how Half-Orc sucks as a race, whose only saving grace is the Half-orc Paragon.

He then pointed out that the saddest LA +0 Creature would be the Warforged Scout with a net ability modifier of -4 (-2 STR, +2 DEX, -2 WIS, -2 CHA) making it worse than a kobold because none of a Kobolds penalties are mental. For this they get the Living Construct type and Small size, both have penalties as well as benefits.

Why would anyone be a Warforged Scout?

[Viscount Einstrauss]

Because they make good "scouts" and rogues. Seriously. It's in the name itself.

[Who]

But not as good as kobolds

[cupkeyk]

-2 to wis translates to -1 to spot and listen aside from sense motive. -2 to cha means that they can't Gather Info very well either. -2 STR and 20 speed means they get a -7 total to jump checks vis a vis a halfling who gets -5 or goblins who get -1.

I don't see how they make good scouts at all.

[Viscount Einstrauss]

A Warforged Scout could take up Mithral Plating and Mithral Fluidity twice, max out his dex, and then by level 6 have 22 AC with two extra dex mod points to go and no armor check penalties. He also has two 1d8 adamantine slam attacks that are counted as light weapons, insanely better then anything a normal rogue would be using (especially if he takes up TWF), and god forbid he takes one of the several feats that can actually make those fists more dangerous.

A warforged scout rogue could dominate a kobold rogue. He loses nothing that makes a rogue a good rogue, but picks up several things that can make him a good combatant too.

EDIT: As for scout, that might limit them if they just leave all those stats at 10 before the modifiers, yes, but he'll be getting 8+ skillpoints per level. I fail to see how in-class skills could ever be a potential problem for a scout/rogue. Also, he picks up that +10 base land speed in scout pretty quickly, and there's plenty of different stat-enhancing equipment pieces he'll be picking up to offset the differences as well, and a -1 to spot/listen/gather information/bluff is practically nothing to the build.

[cupkeyk]

AC 22 at level 6? Is that a joke? Kobold Rogue with 20 DEX, Improved Natural Armour and a Mithral Chain Shirt and a Darkwood Buckler has no Armor Check Penalties and two more feats to spend at 22 AC.

A Kobold Rogue would totally pwn a Warforged Scout.

[Viscount Einstrauss]

And how would he be affording that mithral chain shirt and darkwood buckler by level 6?

Plus, the warforged scout still has both of his hands free. If he took a shield, he could likewise boost his defense to, again, higher then the kobold. Plus, 25% of the time the warforged scout gets hit by a sneak attack or critical it's outright negated, his attacks are better, and he can't be disarmed ever. And if he takes up the Reforged prestige class later, he can cover most of his weaknesses (like the wisdom problem and the natural healing) and potentially become a far more valuable charisma/wisdom check character then a kobold could ever be.

[OzymandiasVolt]

Warforged Scouts are terrible scouts. They have a wisdom penalty and low speed. Maybe they were USED as scouts due to their small size, but that doesn't mean they're that great at it.

[EvilElitest]

There not awful, their decent. Their just scouts who have a different set of advantages.
From,
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[Viscount Einstrauss]

Besides, regardless of which you pick for scout, they all ultimately pale in comparisson to the almighty humans. Feat plus lots of shiny skill points that only improve with levels and no drawbacks? Nothing tops that.