Kobold PC

[carrdrivesyou]

So I've been itching to play a kobold character, just because of the pure flavor they bring to the table. The downside is that I cannot for the life of me figure out what they would excel at. Their racial abilities don't seem particularly useful for anything other than a rogue. And I'm tired of playing stealth characters.

So here is the challenge Playgrounders! Hit me with your best Kobold build! Let me see what you got!

[NecroDancer]

What about a Draconic Sorcerer? It works flavor wise and you could set you stats up like this (with racial adjustment) 6, 16, 14, 10, 12, 14.

[Spacehamster]

So I've been itching to play a kobold character, just because of the pure flavor they bring to the table. The downside is that I cannot for the life of me figure out what they would excel at. Their racial abilities don't seem particularly useful for anything other than a rogue. And I'm tired of playing stealth characters.

So here is the challenge Playgrounders! Hit me with your best Kobold build! Let me see what you got!

Moon Druid ——>ignore light sensitivity, have advantage all the time ——> profit

6/16/14/12/15/8 take Observant at 4 to even out WIS, pump WIS and perhaps take mobile.

[nickl_2000]

Revised Ranger Beast Master with a Wolf Companion that you ride. You and the wolf will always have advantage on attacks (or at least not have disadvantage in the sunlight).

[Sigreid]

They can tear things up as a dex fighter. They're well suited to monk.

[BLC1975]

Look on Youtube for the ecology videos from AJ Pickett. His stuff is brilliant. Will give you a good idea of how Kobolds behave and what motivates them. Kobold link below...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T7kD1FglGc

[MagneticKitty]

Moon Druid ——>ignore light sensitivity, have advantage all the time ——> profit

6/16/14/12/15/8 take Observant at 4 to even out WIS, pump WIS and perhaps take mobile.

Sunlight sensitivity is not due to eye anatomy. It's like a curse. Per sage advise if you're turning into a creature with eyes it keeps it's sunlight sensitivity

https://www.sageadvice.eu/2017/01/20/would-a-wildshaped-druid-still-suffer-from-sunlight-sensitivity/

In other news they ruled you can use dragonborn breathweapon in any wildshape with a mouth range and area are the same. Fire breathing wolves, anyone? Or stealth mouse poison breath assassin

[MagneticKitty]

Here's my kobold build I'm playing right now: revised ranger beastmaster with a wolf companion.
Take mounted combatant at level 4. You both have pack tactics and you ride your wolf.
Stat priority : dex> con> Wis> everything else > str
Mix in rogue, dex fighter or cleric later after level 8 or 11 of ranger
Take your pack tactics source with you. Give your buddy pack tactics. Take hits for him, Shred enemies. With dual weilding you can have 4 attacks at level 5 all at advantage or half at advantage if in sunlight.

[Dualswinger]

Despite the strength penalty, their abilities actually support a Paladin "Crit fishing" build due to their synergy with mounts and pack tactics. The classic Sorcadin is a good choice

[RickAsWritten]

Warlock 3/Sorcerer X

Have your flying, invisible Imp familiar carry you around all the time. Be the dragon you were born to be.

[apepi]

Champion Dex Fighter. Increase your crit rate by 9.25%.

Though what I am doing is playing as my Kobold is a Horizon Walker. It is a very Interesting play style, so much action economy.

[DrowPiratRobrts]

I love the idea of a Dex-based Kobold Barbarian. I've always been attracted to juxtaposed PCs though. You can go strength if you want to as well, I just suggest dex because it's so uncommon for Barbs.

Advantages of Dex Barb Kobold:

*It's a really unique concept
*Roleplaying a Barb with the "Grovel, Cower, and Beg" feat would be amazing
As an action on your turn, you can cower pathetically to distract nearby foes. Until the end of your next turn, your allies gain advantage on attack rolls against enemies within 10 feet of you that can see you. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
*You get adv. on Dex saves when you rage
*Pack Tactics synergizes great with Brutal Critical
*Totem of the Wolf works super well with pack tactics (advantage for everyone!!!)
*Totem of the Eagle is the other great option
*Dump strength if you want to commit to the bit (you're still proficient in saves)
*With Dex and Con being your best abilities, you could easily get to 20 unarmored AC (and even grab a shield)
*You can still use a versatile weapon as Strength if you need that extra damage in a fight.
*Suddenly your barb can justify carrying a shortbow for those first couple of rounds when you're running towards your opponent across a field or the great hall in the castle

Cons:
*You sacrifice the +2 damage (up to +4 later) most of the time
*People might laugh at you

[Foxhound438]

dex fighters, monks, rogues, and rangers are probably the best. All are primarily dexterity based, so you can start with 17 dex and either 15 wis for monk/ranger or whatever you want for fighter/rogue (con would be good, but so would int if you wanted to go eldritch knight or arcane trickster), and at level 4 split your ASI so your primary and secondary stats are 18 and 16 (and of course 14 in con for monk or ranger, which is on par with almost any other race). From there you're pretty much on curve for stat progression, getting a 20 by level 8 if you opt not to take feats before, and having the ability to have 2 20's and a feat by level 19.

Some other options in the same spirit: Valor/sword bard can be primary dex early, as can bladesinger (not sure how you would get an elf to teach you that tradition), so you can start with similar stats to the monk: 17 dex, 15 in your casting stat, then split ASI to even both at 4, and then eventually max both. There's nothing explicitly bad about dexterity based paladins either, provided you don't want to multiclass, so that's another option.

[Xihirli]

I love the idea of a Dex-based Kobold Barbarian. I've always been attracted to juxtaposed PCs though. You can go strength if you want to as well, I just suggest dex because it's so uncommon for Barbs.

Advantages of Dex Barb Kobold:

*It's a really unique concept
*Roleplaying a Barb with the "Grovel, Cower, and Beg" feat would be amazing
As an action on your turn, you can cower pathetically to distract nearby foes. Until the end of your next turn, your allies gain advantage on attack rolls against enemies within 10 feet of you that can see you. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
*You get adv. on Dex saves when you rage
*Pack Tactics synergizes great with Brutal Critical
*Totem of the Wolf works super well with pack tactics (advantage for everyone!!!)
*Totem of the Eagle is the other great option
*Dump strength if you want to commit to the bit (you're still proficient in saves)
*With Dex and Con being your best abilities, you could easily get to 20 unarmored AC (and even grab a shield)
*You can still use a versatile weapon as Strength if you need that extra damage in a fight.
*Suddenly your barb can justify carrying a shortbow for those first couple of rounds when you're running towards your opponent across a field or the great hall in the castle

Cons:
*You sacrifice the +2 damage (up to +4 later) most of the time
*People might laugh at you

*Can't Reckless Attack

[Petrocorus]

The Dex boon is good for a lot of builds.
The Cower feature doesn't care about your class.

And Pack Tactics! Pack Tactics is very good for a Rogue, of course, but it's good for any builds that is going to make attack rolls.
Kobold is the only race AFAIK with a stat penalty and the only race AFAIK with normal Darkvision and sunlight sensitivity, and i believe this is to balance Pack Tactics.

You can basically try any DPR build with a kobold, including casters, and performing well with it.

[Spacehamster]

Sunlight sensitivity is not due to eye anatomy. It's like a curse. Per sage advise if you're turning into a creature with eyes it keeps it's sunlight sensitivity

https://www.sageadvice.eu/2017/01/20/would-a-wildshaped-druid-still-suffer-from-sunlight-sensitivity/

In other news they ruled you can use dragonborn breathweapon in any wildshape with a mouth range and area are the same. Fire breathing wolves, anyone? Or stealth mouse poison breath assassin

Well by RAW it removes it, never listen to sage advice when it ruins fun like in this case. :)

[DrowPiratRobrts]

*Can't Reckless Attack

Yes you can if you're using a versatile weapon as I said. That's still not a con though. You'll get advantage more often by using Pack Tactics and the enemy won't get advantage on you. The racial ability basically improves and replaces the class ability.

EDIT: Actually, the more I try to poke holes in this build, the more robust it seems. It might not be perfectly optimized, but since when is that the point of D&D? I'd rather play a Goliath Strength-based rogue or a Dragonborn wizard personally.

I think this build has eclipsed even the Halfling/Gnome Barb for me. I want to play it all of the sudden!

[Diebo]

Lots of people are saying dex-based fighter.

I agree, but make it specifically a ranged fighter. If you really want to lay on the damage, a crossbow expert (battlemaster).

You can start with 17 Dex. Pick up crossbow expert at 4, sharpshooter at 6, maybe Squat Nimbleness at 8 (for +1 dex, speed, proficiency in acrobatics or athletics). Pick up archery style for the +2 to hit.

The real advantage of Pack Tactics is it works with ranged attacks. You just need an ally within 5' of the opponent (you don't have to be within 5'). It is hard to get consistent advantage on ranged attacks (especially more than one attack). Pack tactics is awesome!

With advantage, you can afford to sharpshoot for -5 to hit, +10 damage on most attacks. At level 6, you can action surge for 5 attacks, all with net +0 hit with advantage (+2 archery style, +3 dex, -5 sharpshooter). As an archer, you can almost always find some opponent next to an ally. With sharpshooter, you just need to be within 120'.

[Sigreid]

This thread has me kind of wanting to see a kobold barbarian with the full hammer of thunderbolts kit. The Thunder Lizard!

[DrowPiratRobrts]

Lots of people are saying dex-based fighter.

I agree, but make it specifically a ranged fighter. If you really want to lay on the damage, a crossbow expert (battlemaster).

You can start with 17 Dex. Pick up crossbow expert at 4, sharpshooter at 6, maybe Squat Nimbleness at 8 (for +1 dex, speed, proficiency in acrobatics or athletics). Pick up archery style for the +2 to hit.

The real advantage of Pack Tactics is it works with ranged attacks. You just need an ally within 5' of the opponent (you don't have to be within 5'). It is hard to get consistent advantage on ranged attacks (especially more than one attack). Pack tactics is awesome!

With advantage, you can afford to sharpshoot for -5 to hit, +10 damage on most attacks. At level 6, you can action surge for 5 attacks, all with net +0 hit with advantage (+2 archery style, +3 dex, -5 sharpshooter). As an archer, you can almost always find some opponent next to an ally. With sharpshooter, you just need to be within 120'.

I'd just like to say that you could do this as well if you went with a Dex-Barb. xD I just want this concept so bad!

[DrowPiratRobrts]

This thread has me kind of wanting to see a kobold barbarian with the full hammer of thunderbolts kit. The Thunder Lizard!

YUS!!!!!! I love it!

[TheSmogMonster]

I myself have always favored Kobolds in the monk/sorc/Cleric paths. They make interesting stories I think.

[Sigreid]

I myself have always favored Kobolds in the monk/sorc/Cleric paths. They make interesting stories I think.

I did a kobold paladin once, trying to redeem his race.

Of course I also did an elf paladin (in Palladium) who was bent on reviving the ancient elven empire and giving dwarves the legal status of house pets...

[Maelynn]

I love the idea of a Dex-based Kobold Barbarian.

I can so envision this. If you've ever seen a scene from the Muppets, where one of the puppets runs off screaming while wildly flailing its arms... that's what I'm picturing now. A Kobold Barbarian, trying to look fearsome with bloody smears down the scales of its cheek, flailing its arms like a windmill while shrieking like a maniac, with its eyes bulging so hard they're at risk of popping out. And that right there, that's coming straight at you with a axe... woo boy.

[DrowPiratRobrts]

I can so envision this. If you've ever seen a scene from the Muppets, where one of the puppets runs off screaming while wildly flailing its arms... that's what I'm picturing now. A Kobold Barbarian, trying to look fearsome with bloody smears down the scales of its cheek, flailing its arms like a windmill while shrieking like a maniac, with its eyes bulging so hard they're at risk of popping out. And that right there, that's coming straight at you with a axe... woo boy.

And then it starts whimpering and begging for you to spare it. As soon as you look at it and hesitate, you feel the sharp pain of a rapier in your back. The Kobold gives a wry smile, wipes the tears from his eyes and begins carefully picking you apart with well placed slices from his axe and rapier.

[DrowPiratRobrts]

Just made a guide for the Barbarian build if you're interested.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/15wOj-ca3T7q36rYkqiF9NLHn7rp-TCiqk0ewIzzFL84/edit?usp=sharing