Kobold Barbarian/Firestorm Berserker: Is it doable?

[Deadasadoor]

I've seen a few older threads about this floating around and I'm curious about it now. A concept that I like is a kobold that channels the power of his draconic ancestry when he rages, evolving into something like a half-dragon. I'm aware that the Bloodrager from PF does pretty much this, but my group is strictly 3.5.

First issue: Kobolds by themselves obviously make terrible barbarians, with every variant having either a STR or a CON penalty, and small size. The CON hit can be fixed with applying Dragonborn to an Earth Kobold, coming out with -2 STR, -2 DEX, and even CON. The size issue can also be fixed with stoneblessed(goliath) and mountain rage, but delays taking a level of barbarian until at least level 6.

The second issue: Firestorm Berserker(Dragon 314). The Pre-reqs suck, needing 8 BaB, toughness( comes as a bonus feat from Stoneblessed at least), Iron Will (can come from Otyugh Hole), and Great Fortitude. Another thing is rage 3/day, but Extra Rage solves that. Most of the cool stuff is front-loaded in the first 5 levels, including rage as an immediate action, fire immunity, cold resistance, stacking with other classes for rage, dealing fire damage on hit, and a crappy breath weapon. Overall the class isn't great, but does a few thematic things.

It would look something like 2 X/3 Stoneblessed/X Barbarian/Max 8 Firestorm Berserker/X Filler
Questions
- Can anything worthwhile actually be done with the concept?
- What can we do with the 2 levels before Stoneblessed?
- Is Firestorm Berserker worth it, or can it be replaced with something less terrible?
- What kind of route would this character do best with? Ubercharger or a tripper-type?

[oldkingkoal]

I am not entirely familiar with all that optimization stuff but I greatly respect it when someone has the creativity to try out a race/class combo that is strictly for the flavor and fun of it.
The only thing that I can suggest is this thing I read a while back but never actually tried. It has to do with the 'Slight Build' racial ability from the 'Races of the Dragon' web enhancement (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060420a).
The idea is that there are a number of feats that rely on the character being 2 size categories smaller than the opponent for these bonuses to take effect. So with slight build, a kobold would qualify as tiny, making these abilities useable against Medium sized opponents.
These feats are:

'Underfoot Combat' from 'Races of the Wild'
This allows you to enter squares occupied by an opponent. While doing so you are considered under soft cover (+4 AC)

'Confound the big folk' from 'Races of the Wild'
Requires 'Underfoot combat' as a prerequisite. It gives you 3 handy maneuvers that you can perform while occupying the same space as an opponent.

'Pebble Underfoot' from 'Dragon Compendium'
Gives you a +4 on opposed trip attempts and meshes well with one of the trip maneuvers from 'Confound the Big folk'.

'Giant Bane' from 'Complete Warrior'
This gives you 3 more maneuvers that you can perform, one of which actually involves climbing onto your opponent.

Like I said, I am not all that familiar with optimization so I don't actually know if this interpretation is rules legal. If not, then you can probably make a case to your DM to let it slide, considering you are after all trying to make a kobold a melee character. I have always wanted to try this feat combo but just never had the time to work out the logistics and make a build. It meshes well with one of the few useful abilities kobolds get and the flavor just screams kobold to me.

[Bad Wolf]

If you take the Greater Draconic Rite of Passage, you can gain a free level of sorcerer. Could be useful for Bull's Strength and other spells.

[oldkingkoal]

Ohhh Right, Draconic Rite of passage. Using that you could also gain access to the spell 'Mighty Wallop' from Races of the Dragon. It makes it so a bludgeoning weapon that you are wielding counts as 1 size category higher.

[Deadasadoor]

These are all interesting options. I knew about Slight Build and the better versions of kobolds that get natural attacks, but forgot about those feats. Giant Bane in particular would be interesting if a kobold can grow to large from Mountain Rage. Climb on someone and then turn large? Thats gotta hurt.

An alternate to Firestorm Berserker could be Totem Rager, as large size would help out for boosting natural attacks.

[Deadasadoor]

If you take the Greater Draconic Rite of Passage, you can gain a free level of sorcerer. Could be useful for Bull's Strength and other spells.

The greater rite of passage requires that you already have a level of sorcerer, but this build has enough unfilled levels to dip it to get a few buff spells. So long as we don't go farther then that, we don't even need more than 11 CHA. Battle sorcerer could even be taken to stay armored.

1 sorcerer/3 barbarian/3 stoneblessed/2 totemist/10 totem rager

- A few pre-combat buff spells
- 10th meldshaper level with 7 binds to choose from, and the dragonblood subtype to grab the snazzy dragon soulmelds for loads of powerful natural attacks
- Large when raging

What other types of shenanigans can we pull from this?

[oldkingkoal]

The only other thing I can think of at the moment is they can get a fighter racial substitution levels that gives you a +2 to STR and CON by level 4. But that's fighter so... yeah, not that helpful.

Oh, and the Dragon disciple PrC. That gives loads of stat boosts that can lessen those racial penalties.
'Rage mage' from from 'Complete Warrior' looks like its made for a sorcerer/Barbarian build.
Another option is the 'Abjurant Champion' PrC from 'Complete Mage'. This would mesh great if you took that Sorcerer dip. Full caster progression, full BaB... The cap stone is from that point on your caster level = your BaB... Yeah, wow... I gotta try that...

[ShurikVch]

- Is Firestorm Berserker worth it, or can it be replaced with something less terrible? Do you aware FB may be in Rage all the time via 6th level CF Inner Inferno?
(Con damage may be fixed by binding the Naberius)

[Zaq]

If your GM is okay with a minor houserule, you might look into the Frostrager, from Frostburn. It's easier to get into than this Firestorm Berserker class, and it wouldn't be hard to just invert its abilities and make it fire-based instead of ice-based. Just use the feat Blazing Berserker, from Sandstorm, instead of Frozen Berserker. The natural armor bonus and other similar benefits when you rage can be you sweating magma instead of sweating ice.

Or you can just play it straight, since it's not like all dragons are fire dragons, after all. White dragons are a thing.

[Deadasadoor]

If your GM is okay with a minor houserule, you might look into the Frostrager, from Frostburn. It's easier to get into than this Firestorm Berserker class, and it wouldn't be hard to just invert its abilities and make it fire-based instead of ice-based. Just use the feat Blazing Berserker, from Sandstorm, instead of Frozen Berserker. The natural armor bonus and other similar benefits when you rage can be you sweating magma instead of sweating ice.

Or you can just play it straight, since it's not like all dragons are fire dragons, after all. White dragons are a thing.

I had actually looked at Frostrager before I went with the totemist levels, but hadn't considered it after I made the change. Full BaB and more attacks fits quite well with totemist actually. Maybe Beast Strike could fit as well.