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moonfly7
2019-05-05, 11:01 AM
This is my homebrew class made for a game I'm playing in, its called the kobold inventor class, but it could feasibly be adapted to fit any race. Me and my DM want help and opinions about this, thanks for any help.

Kobold Inventor


A kobold sits atop a half orcs back in a wicker basket filled with strange contraptions, while his companions by time, he finishes the clockwork weapon that will defeat their long time foe, and shouts out to his comrades. A kobold is chased out of the dens for constantly taking notes and tinkering, he escapes with a large bag filled with his work, under his breath he whispers the proper combination of ingredients over and over in a calming tune as he sloshes bottles together, as the others catch up to him, he smashes his bottles down, and escapes while the forest blazes. While there are many kobolds who aspire to be inventors, only certain kobold outliers achieve the true aspirations of the inventor. They often take strange materials to try and create the most helpful and perplexing tools. They are often difficult for party members to understand, but when befriended, they become staunch allies, and ingenious inventors.
Class features
As a Kobold inventor, you gain the following class features.
Hit dice: 1d8 per Kobold inventor level
Hit Points at 1st level: 8+your constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per kobold inventor level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armour: light armour, any armour made by the inventor
Weapons: simple weapon, any weapon made by the inventor
Tools: tinkers tools, alchemist tools, smiths tools, thieves tools, and two more tools of your choice
Saving throws: Dexterity, Intelligence
Skills: choose three from investigation, insight, perception, arcana, animal handling, nature, survival, or stealth.
Equipment
You start with this equipment including the equipment granted by your background:
Light crossbow, 40 bolts or b any simple weapon
Two light hammers or B, two simple weapons
Leather armour
Or 5d4 starting gold, you can convert this into material that can be used to craft inventions before the game. 10 pounds of junk, or materials you harvest costs 1 gp. Whether or not you start with wealth, you also start with 2 tool kits of your choice.
Features

Traditional inventions
Kobold inventors have been passing down recipes for inventions for years, but you have taken several of these and made them much more effective. At level one, a kobold inventor knows how to build 3 inventions from this list, this increases to four at seventh level, and 5 at tenth level. Some inventions have saving throws made against your inventor DC, to calculate that, add eight plus your int modifier plus your prof bonus (8+int+prof). If an invention requires an attack roll, you may use either your strength or dex for it, and add your proficiency bonus to it.



One man’s trash, is one kobolds equipment
At level 1 you have gained experience in acting quickly, on gut instinct to invent. As a bonus action on your turn, you can search for items around you, as an action you can turn the random junk around you into useful equipment, depending on what's around you, you may be able to make different things, you always seem to find something of use. When you use this feature, you roll on the gut invention table, which gives you the materials you find to work with. You may combine these materials with any items you have in your pack, as well as generic items that are on the ground like leaves, dirt, rocks, or small twigs, to name a few.
dirty plate, grubby towel, spoon, two rolls on the trinkets table
1-2
A butter knife, a bag of 250 ball bearings, ten feet of hempen rope, three rolls on the trinkets table
3-4
Fork, broken arrow head, 5 feet of piano wire, half full sack of potatoes four rolls on the trinkets table
5-6
Pot of glue, skinning knife, 5 mismatched lead weights, moldy loaf of bread five rolls on the trinkets table
7-8
Torn leather armour, empty bottle, block and tackle, cake of grease, one roll on the trinkets table
9-10
Bag of chalk dust, half full bottle of alcohol, smashed pottery, flask of vinegar, two rolls on the trinkets table.
11-12
Empty scroll (10 feet when unrolled), flint and steel, rusty iron chains, spoiled butter, two rolls on the trinkets table
13-14
Half of a chain shirt, crucifix, gallon of spoiled milk, viscous olive oil, two rolls on the trinkets table
15-16
One human sized glove, half a tent, bone comb, block of soap, one roll on the trinkets table
17-18
Club, hock of ham, tooth picks, candle, donkeys jaw bone, ten feet silken rope, bongos, sulphurous rock.
19-20



Inventor points
As you grow as an inventor, you have begun to develop an instinct for inventions, and have found shortcuts to building them.
At 2nd level you have a number of inventor points as shown in the class progression table. There are a number of things you can do with inventor points, though their main use is to aid you in inventing. Each traditional invention has a inventor point cost, as a bonus action on your turn, you may spend a number of points equal to the cost to create the item. You can regain inventor points during a short or long rest so long as you spend thirty minutes studying your inventors notebook. Additionally, any time a creature scores a critical hit with a weapon you made, you regain a number of inventor points equal to the damage dealt, not exceeding your maximum shown in the table above. You may still craft inventions normally without spending invention points.
You can also use inventor points to augment the one man’s trash is another kobolds equipment feature. To do so, you may spend a number of inventor points when you use your bonus action to search your environment. You roll on the table as normal, and then add a certain number of items of your choice depending on how many points you spend. If you spend 1 inventor point, you gain a number of mundane items worth one gp or less, for two inventor points the total increases to two gp, for three inventor points three gp, and so on and so forth to a maximum of twenty gp.
Additionally, inventor points can be used to speed up inventions made using the complex inventions feature below, the use of points in this way is described below.
Complex inventions
By second level, you have begun to think longer and harder about the things you make, checking the failures and successes of the past, you have begun to create reusable items that appear useful even to non-kobolds! To hold these new catalogs of inventions, you cobble together a large, brick like notebook out of whatever paper you can get, every kobold inventors notebook is different, if the notebook is destroyed, you can make another out of scrap paper and stiff material for a cover during a short rest. Now, whenever you have downtime, and you have access to your notebook and some sort of writing utensil (pen, stick, claw, tooth pick), you can draft a design for an invention. Your invention can only be made out of materials you, as a kobold, have experience with. This includes raw metal ore, wood gathered by you, trash, discarded items, and anything you collect from a beast or device you take apart.
It is up to the DM’s discretion how long an invention takes to complete, but located below is a helpful chart based on complexity which should help.
The chart is based on 5 rankings of complexity: simple, mechanical, complex, highly complex, and sophisticated. The simple rank is for things like weapons, simple or martial, or any invention with one or no moving parts (though that is flexible). Mechanical is for things with simple gear mechanisms, pull cord and tripwire activation, or something similar. Complex handles things like clocks, or other complex systems, such as a timer on dynamite, or an automatic crossbow. Highly complex handles small, intricate work carried out on a massive scale, like a device designed to temporarily operate itself, or a more potent reaction from an explosive or reagent. Sophisticated is for inventions bordering on the fantastical, medieval style tanks powered by clockwork and made of junk, or robotic armour that increases the inventors strength and agility, sophisticated equipment is generally worked on throughout the campaign, and even when it is finished, it is improved upon and upgraded repeatedly as the need arises. Remember these categories are suggestions, some highly complicated gear mechanisms might take only a few hours, while finishing one highly specific weapon could take weeks, in the end, it’s all circumstantial.
When augmenting this feature with inventor points, you may subtract 1d4 hours from the crafting time set by the DM for every 2 inventor points spent.
Complexity
Crafting time
Simple
1-2 hours
Mechanical
5-8 hours
Complex
1-2 days
Highly complex
3-4 days
Sophisticated
6 week-one month

Inventor paths
At 3rd level, you choose a path of invention to follow: Kobold Mage Mimicker, Kobold Weapon Smith, Kobold arsonist, and Kobold Trapper. All detailed at the end of the class description. Your archetype choice grants you features at 3rd level and then again at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.




Improvised mastery
At 5th level you have mastered the art of improvised fighting, you gain proficiency with improvised weapons, the damage for these weapons equals 1d4+your strength/dex modifier (your choice), additionally, if your improvised weapon is similar to an actual weapon, you can use those stats instead. As a bonus action on your turn, you may spend a number of inventor points, up to 2, to add an extra d4 to the damage of your weapon for every inventor point spent. This maximum increases to 4 at ninth level, and 6 at thirteenth level. Any weapons you’ve made are considered improvised for this feature.

Inventors knowledge
At fourteenth level, kobold inventors know good inventions when they see them, and can recreate them easily, provided they have the tools on hand. When attempting to recreate a device, contraption, invention, or idea that is non-magical, you have advantage on the crafting check. And if the item falls under your specialty, you add double proficiency to your proficiency bonus.
Multicultural Inventions
At 15th level, you have seen many of the traditional inventions of other races and cultures, and you have reverse engineered your own, kobold versions of the devices. You gain a number of multicultural inventions equal to your intelligence modifier, chosen from the list at the end of the class description, or from different races inventions from the campaigns world. Some of these inventions are quite complex, and take longer than normal to produce, if there isn’t a crafting time listed, it has the same crafting time as your traditional inventions.

Battle Crafting Mastery
As Kobold Inventors journey throughout the land to study and learn, they begin to become adepts at crafting under pressure. At 18th level, rolling on the search table is a free action that can be done once per turn, and crafting is a bonus action.

Elite inventor
At level 20, your creations are beyond the scope of what any non-magical item can normally achieve, as a bonus action on your turn, you may spend as many inventor points as you wish to do one of two things: choose one of the weapons (any device that deals damage) you have invented, it deals an extra D6 of damage on its next attack corresponding to the amount of points you spend (1 point=1 die, 2 points=2 die etc). Choose one of the armors (anything a single creature can wear) you have created, next time the creature wearing it takes damage, subtract a d10 of damage for every inventor point you spend.










Subclasses
Kobold arsonist
Fire is a fascinating thing for all kobolds, and the use of fire in combat is a thrill few can resist. Even fewer, however, can claim to be an arsonist, a kobold inventor who has taken their pyromania to other levels, as they strive for that perfect explosion, that one, strong flame that makes their lives complete.
Burn baby burn!
Upon taking this class at level 3 you have become a master of explosives, and can make the alchemist's fire traditional invention without it counting against the total number you can make.
Flame familiarity
Also at level three, all inventions you craft cannot be burned or set on fire.

Explosive insurance
At sixth level, you have a built in failsafe in all of your equipment, you can use a bonus action to activate the secret switch, which takes a DC 18 investigation check to discover. Whether the explosion is on a timer or is instantaneous is up to you. Anything caught in the blast must make a dexterity saving throw against your inventor DC. On a failed save, the creature takes 3d6 fire damage, on a successful one, it takes half damage.
BOOM!
at eleventh, you have advantage on crafting inventions that deal fire damage, and traditional and cultural inventions take half as much time as normal to craft if they deal fire damage.

Fire lord!
At fourteenth level, Your weapons ignore resistance to fire damage, immunity to fire damage becomes resistance against your weapons, and you gain resistance to fire damage.












Kobold Mage Mimicker
All kobold inventors strive for something, it’s what leads them down the path to invention, most kobolds become inventors to create from their own minds things that can change the world, new things that they can claim as their own. But some kobolds see invention as a path to attain magic, a thing that they have not been born with, but crave with a fiery passion, having not found a way to connect with the weave, Kobold mage Mage Mimickers seek to recreate magic via the honored and ancient Kobold art of invention.
Magically knowledgeable
Upon taking this subclass as level 3, you gain proficiency in the arcana skill, and may cast the identify spell as a ritual, performed as an “analysis” of a magic item, and not a spell, you may use this feature in this way once, needing a long rest to do so again.
Magical Tinkerer
Also at level three, you have become adept at taking apart magic items to use in your inventions, and may use a magic item of common rarity as an ingredient in your inventions. At level 6 you may use uncommon items, and at level 11 you may use rare magic items.

Magical weapons
At level 6 any weapons you craft are considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance.
Magical armour
At level 11 any armour you craft subtract points of damage equal to your intelligence modifier from physical attacks

Magical break through
At level 17 you have finally, through dutiful work and research, figured out how to replicate spells via your inventions. These effects are not spells in themselves, and so are not affected by a anti magic field or similar effects. You can create facsimiles of a number of spells equal to your intelligence modifier, plus half your proficiency modifier, rounded down (int+prof/2). Additionally, you can create inventions that mimic other spells if you have a spell scroll, and can spend a week per spell level studying it, this time is half a week for cantrips.
The number of spells your inventions can copy at 17th level have to be cantrips and 1st level spells, though you can copy scrolls of higher levels as mentioned above. The types of spells you can copy are wizard spells that have a casting time of one action or faster, if its a concentration spell that can be cast in one action but can be held for longer, then it is cast in only one action.
Creating these devices is time consuming and difficult, a device that recreates a cantrip takes one long rest. A device that recreates a 1st level spell takes a whole day of tinkering, a 2nd level spell takes a two days, a 3rd level spell takes three days to craft, a 4th level spell takes four days, a 5th level spell takes a five days You may not spend tinkering points to speed a device that mimics a spell. These devices are one use, so use them sparingly.



Kobold weapon smith
While all kobold inventors have a hand in weapon craft, kobold weapon smiths see it as art in its purest form. Weapons made by kobold weapon smiths are light, and perfectly balanced, and feel alive in the hands of even the most novice fighter. Master warriors who know of this sect of the inventors use only the strangely beautiful and junky weapons of the kobold weapon smiths, knowing that they will dull any blade, and cut through any flesh.
The Kobold’s first weapon
The Kobold weapon smiths pass down a tale that the mighty Kobold god, Kurtulmak, gifted the kobolds with a weapon he crafted with his own two clawed hands, the scorpion on a stick. Every Kobold weaponsmith honors this gift by learning to craft it by heart. Upon taking this subclass at third level, you can make the scorpion on a stick traditional weapon, this doesn’t count against the number of traditional weapons you can craft.
Weapons Are Life
Also at third level, you have advantage on checks made to craft or improve weapons. Additionally, any weapon you craft can have one minor feature of your choice for no extra cost, such as can hold poison, thrown, reach, or a similar bonus that adds a small benefit without being magical.
Light, strong, functional
At sixth level, you have mastered the art of smithing, all weapons you craft have either the light or finesse property, your choice, even if the weapon would normally be heavy.
Critical weapons
At eleventh level any weapons you craft now deal a critical hit on a 19-20. If a feature already improves a critical, then this critical becomes 18-20, if a feature further improves critical, hits with this weapon will be 17-20
Peerless tools, keen edged weapons
At fourteenth level, the weapons you craft have a +1 bonus to hit and to damage rolls, they are not enchanted, and are not treated as magical for overcoming resistance.


Traditional inventions
(you may craft up to one of these inventions every day, so long as you set aside 1 hour of work. You May not craft a traditional invention during a rest in which you are working on another invention, as your mind is cluttered with thoughts of the new instead of the traditional.)
1. Acid: you craft a flask of acid, as an action, you can hurl it as a ranged attack. range 5/20 ft 1d6 acid damage. This damage increases by a D6 at certain levels, at level 3 (2d6) and again at level 6 (3d6) (2 inventor points)

2. Alchemist's Fire: you craft a flask of alchemist’s fire, as an action, you can hurl it as a ranged attack. range 5/20 ft 1d6 fire damage at the start of each of the target's turns. A creature can end this damage by using its action to make a dexterity check against the inventors save dc. This damage increases by a D6 at certain levels, at level 4 (2d6) and again at level 8 (3d6) (2 points)

3. Basket of Centipedes. You craft a small basket filled with centipedes, as an action you can throw it into a 5-foot-square space within 20 feet of you. A swarm of insects (centipedes) with full health emerges from the basket and rolls initiative. The swarm stays for a number of rounds equal to the inventors intelligence modifier. At level 3, you add your proficiency bonus to the number of rounds (2 inventor points)

4. Green Slime Pot: you can craft a clay jar with a green dungeon slime inside, as an action you can throw it, range 5/20 ft.one target. Hit: The target is covered in a patch of green slime (see chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master's Guide). Miss: A patch of green slime covers a randomly determined 5-foot-square section of wall or floor within 5 feet of the target. (2 inventor points)

5. Rot Grub Pot: you craft a pot filled with rot grubs, as an action you can throw it as an action swarm of rot grubs (see appendix A) emerges from the shattered pot and remains a hazard in five foot square up to 20 feet away. At level 4 this range increases to thirty. (2 inventor points)

6. Scorpion on a Stick: you tie a scorpion to a stick, it has a reach of 5 ft, on a hit it does 1 piercing damage, and the target must make a Constitution saving throw against your inventor DC, taking 2d8 poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. When you roll to attack, if you roll a five or below, the scorpion is killed, and the device becomes a normal 5 foot pole with a dead scorpion tied to it. At level 4, you can make one attack with the scorpion after it dies, after that, the normal rules apply. (1 inventor point)

7. Skunk in a Cage. You catch a skunk and keep it in a cage, you can release the skunk into an unoccupied space within 5 feet of you. The skunk has a walking speed of 20 feet, AC 10, 1 hit point, and no effective attacks. It rolls initiative and, on its turn, uses its action to spray musk at a random creature within 5 feet of it (not you) . The target must make a Constitution saving throw against your inventor DC. On a failed save, the target retches and can't take actions for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that doesn't need to breathe or is immune to poison automatically succeeds on the saving throw. Once the skunk has sprayed its musk, it can't do so again until it finishes a short or long rest. At level 4, the skunk can attack with its musk twice before a short or long rest (1 inventor point)

8. Wasp Nest in a Bag. You craft a bag with a wasps nest in it, as an action, you can throw it into a 5-foot-square space within 20 feet of it. A swarm of insects (wasps) with full hit points emerges from the bag and rolls initiative. It stays for a number of rounds equal to your intelligence modifier. At level 3, you can add your proficiency bonus to the number of rounds.
(1 inventor point)
Multicultural inventions
Drow smoke orb: you craft a drow weapon known as a smoke orb, you can throw it at a five foot square within 30 feet of you as an action, where it lands, it releases a cloud of smoke that takes up 30 cubic feet, this smoke can only be seen through by you, it disappears after a number of rounds equal to your intelligence modifier, or if a wind stronger than 10 MPH blows it away. (4 inventor points)
Clockwork drone: made originally as a toy for gnomish children, you have turned your enemies plaything into a useful weapon, a clockwork drone has a simple crossbow, and a knife, it can take make one attack a round. Its A.C is eleven, and it has ten hitpoints. It has a movement speed of 25 feet, and its wind up charge lasts for a number of rounds equal to your intelligence modifier. When activated, it’s only action is to move within range of a hostile creature, and attack it, it takes an action to wind up and release, afterwards, your turns progress as normal. Directly after your turn, you may choose whether the clockwork drone uses its crossbow or its knife, if is in not in range to use the weapon of your choice, you may move it as close to range as possible, its movement must be towards a hostile. This device takes 4 long rests to make. (15 inventor points)
Dwarvish exploding hammer: a light hammer which deals the same amount of damage as normal, but on a hit, it explodes, dealing 2d6 fire damage to the creature it hits. On a miss, the hammer hits a random target, and explodes, setting all non worn or carried flammable objects ablaze in a ten foot square. This takes 2 long rests to make (3 inventor points)
Goblin spring knife: a knife with a spring in its hilt, if you use a bonus action to press a button, it shoots its blade out, dealing an extra d6 piercing damage plus normal dagger damage. The dagger has a range of 10/30 feet. (2 inventor points)
Elvish boot knife: a knife that is hidden in a boot, it releases via a hidden catch chosen by you. It take a DC 20 perception or investigation check to find it. This knife deals the same damage as a dagger +DEX or STR. (4 inventor points)
Dragonborn firebellows: you build a dragonborn weapon gifted to creatures without breath weapons. As an action, you can make a 15 foot cone of fire shoot from its mouth, that deals 3d6 points of fire damage, it takes an action to refill the fire bellows with oil for another attack. (3 inventor points)
Tiefling flame shield: you craft a vengeful shield of tiefling origin, if a creature hits this shield, a blast of flame engulfs it, dealing 1d6 fire damage to the creature hitting the shield. This item takes two long rests to craft. (10 inventor points)
Triton ice grenade: you craft a device used by the triton to freeze opponents in their tracks. As an action, you throw the device, it covers an area 10 cubic feet with ice, this becomes difficult terrain. If a creature is within this area, its feet are covered in ice, if it is prone, its body is. It must succeed on a dc 13 strength check to break out of the ice, or it cannot move or take an action on its turn, they may repeat this check at the beginning of each turn. (5 inventor points)

Breccia
2019-05-06, 12:43 PM
Okay: first of all, this is a really creative idea and I'd like to see it developed further.

Some of the ideas you've come up with should be pretty easy to balance. For example, making and throwing acid could be paired up with a cantrip for easy attack/damage scaling. And I like the idea of someone being proficient with anything they've personally made.

The problem is going to be balance, and to be fair, it's not your fault. Crafters in RPGs have a long history of questionable game balance, similar to healers in that respect:

A) If a combat character can also be a crafter with no loss of combat power, everyone would do it all the time.
B) If a combat character can also be a crafter in exchange for a loss of combat power, everyone wants to know one, but not be one themselves.
(with limited exceptions)

If my 11th level character knew an 11th level kobold inventor with 20 Int, I would do whatever I had to for the purpose of getting that sweet -5 to damage armor, enchant the crap out of that armor, and 100% pure profit. I wouldn't even care if the inventor was an NPC or PC, I'd probably stop returning their calls -- I'm set for life.

I'm also really concerned about the kobold only thing. What you're describing is a cleric.

So here's my proposal:

1) Please keep working on this idea. I think it has potential. The class has a lot of customization options and would allow for some pretty interesting builds.

2) I recommend shifting a lot of the bonuses given into two categories:
a) bonuses everyone can use, and
b) bonuses only the inventor can use.

Case in point: in my previous campaign, there was one invention per country that stood out. One was "Ablative Armor" which could be added to heavy armor only. Ablative Armor was a separate special pool of 10 hit points. Anyone trained in their use, when taking any damage from any source (eh...almost any), could move some/all of the damage to the Ablative Armor. Since the plates were made of ceramic, the AA itself was resistant to fire, cold, electricity and acid, so you could meta your way around the numbers ("I move 5 fire to the Ablative Armor, it takes 2 damage"). It was a pain to repair, requiring you basically to return to town and pay to have it fixed.

Everyone has access to it, and everyone has access to the feat that lets you train for its use. The benefit is overall not super strong, but a handy way out of a bad situation.

Now imagine if an inventor, who could make the stuff himself, could change the rules because of how well he knows the stuff. Something along the lines of "Your Ablative Armor has 20 hit points instead of 10, and is also resistant to bludgeoning/slashing/piercing damage". This allows the inventor to basically "eat" 40 physical damage.

Is there a market for -5 damage from all attacks armor? Yes. Hell yes.
Should everyone get it "for free"? No.

Since you're clearly world-building, set up a few new weapon/armor categories which with training (Feat, class, background, your world your call) give a small benefit, and with this class give a much greater one. For example, you could make a special armor category ("sturdy") that these trained PCs could use as a variant of the Heavy Armor Master (maybe something like -1 for light, -2 for medium, -3 for heavy) that costs an extra 500 gold per armor category. Meanwhile, the inventor gets "Your worn sturdy armor reduces damage by your Int modifier or the normal amount, whichever is better". Normal barbed crossbow bolts might be "Target makes a Con save DC 10 or they take an extra 2 damage". The inventor might get "Target makes a Con save DC = inventor save or they take an extra level-based-d6 damage". The inventor might get "when you throw a vial of acid, it does bonus damage" while everyone else gets the baseline PHB damage.

The goal isn't to upgrade the party's Fighter -- at least, no more than other characters in the campaign. The goal is to upgrade the party's Inventor to the point where bringing him is an asset.

3) Put level limits on things.

Similar to above, the inventions can be made to mimic spells, but spells have levels. If one of my campaign's players said "My 1st level character throws a jar of green slime every round" I would immediately say "No, he doesn't."

Now, this is going to be a lot of work. You'll need to make enough inventions, at enough levels, so that there's always something worth taking. An inventor who can do nothing but throw acid vials is crippled. A mix of offense and defense, physical and energy, and some augmenting/debilitating effects will be needed.

Related: if I had a character that could create a vial of acid every (fill in the time limit here) for free, I would say "I take a month off and make a cauldron of the stuff, giving 20 to each character and pouring the rest on the Assassin's Guild". You're going to need to have some kind of restriction for consumables, especially shared ones. Crafted consumables might have a time limit, or cost money (you can quickly put acid dust in a vial and add water, but the acid dust costs money) or (this is really artificial) you can only have X times your level around at any time. Basically, don't let the party's wizard throw burning hands in a bag for a week, then throw the bag.

4) You're also going to have to up that crafting time. I don't care what skills you have, that inventor without magic isn't making a sword in an hour. He's making a steel club with a hilt. That thing ain't sharp and it ain't tempered. Also, consider adding cost. The way I run campaigns, a player with crafting doesn't get the item for free, or even at much of a cost reduction. Instead, they are enforcing that the item is always available. Not every town has potions of frost giant strength, but if your party has a spellcasting alchemist, that's not a problem. Your current rules would allow an inventor to make -5 to damage armor as a bonus action and basically equip a town's militia to be bulletproof during a lunch break. I don't think that's what you meant to do.

5) Also, open up the races. Yes, kobolds are crafty little guys, I love them as a race, and I can 100% see them doing this. Problem is, I can also see dwarves doing this. And elves (with bows and herbal potions). And this one crazy NPC I made for the aforementioned campaign who happened to be human. I personally don't approve of a single-race-only class. Perhaps consider making this open to all races, and also, add a new kobold Feat and/or cleric option that adds/copies some benefits, similar to how there's a Feat that lets someone go Battlemaster Lite.

I know it looks like I'm beating your idea down. Please don't misinterpret what I'm going for here. This idea has merit and I want it to succeed. Part of making it succeed includes making it balanced and working in the game environment.

moonfly7
2019-05-07, 09:53 AM
thank you for the advice, but I actually need clarification:

the part directly after point 2 is good, stuff for everyone and just you. but the rest of the point just sounded like you were talking about a cool item idea, can you tell me in a simple explanation what exactly you were trying to say?
as for point three, maybe i didn't right it, or maybe you missed it I'd have to check, but you make the kobold inventor traditional inventions during long rests. you can make two one point inventions in a long rest, or one any higher number invention. I don't think I wrote that but that's more or less how my DM runs it. you can't throw a green slime every round, you'd have to stock up, and quite frankly, the green slime could murder you as well as your enemy or friends.

now onto the magic stuff, I don't want an artificer. this is the inventor, he casts no magic, his acid is a flask of acid from the PHB, lower in damage at first, but 1d6 higher at later levels. he makes 1 or 2 every rest if he has it. he makes it from his scavenged materials, I think the DM should decide how much he needs or how much the scavenged stuff should equal in gold. The alchemists fire and acid is scaled to be a really nerfed version of the artificers stuff from back when he had a satchel full of chemicals. you can buy this stuff ins tore pretty easy so I don't think its a big deal.

Also, you seem to be confused. The Kobold Inventor cannot make magic things, its not a magical class. It creates things using logic and science it really isn't quite sure about. No potions will be brewed by the inventor, no super strong flaming death lightning sword is up his alley unless he soaks it in oil, lights it, and turns it into a lightning rod.

I actually said in the class the crafting time was a rough suggestion, but that's for complex inventions. For traditional inventions I used the Kobold inventor monster, it makes its stuff once a day, my DM and I thought this thing was cool, its almost a class, I said. the DM thought it should be one, so I made it one. we wanted to keep the free odd little attack things. because hey, they're not that powerful. once it was made I thought maybe it was a bit much. so I added the crafting time thing for short and long rests. It worked like a charm. My Kobold Inventor has so far done nothing in combat of any significance, his inventions have done their job of stopping him from getting killed long enough for the fighters to take the strange but effective weapons he made them, and kill the stuff that hes hitting with a scorpion. having those inventions ready to go is what stopped him from dying the three times he's dropped to 0 hit points. SO I really am greatful for the suggestions, and I'll implement them, but I'm afraid that in testing, the traditional inventions readiness is actually barely noticeable as you don't fight that much as an inventor, as you would die.
As for why its just for kobolds, you can let other classes use it if you want, but we built it off of the kobold inventor monster that crafts with junk and stupid stuff. You can't purchase this classes supplies, he has to find them. I honestly don't think it fits with other races, maybe goblins though. anyways that's just the restriction we put in for our game, we liked the idea and that's that, feel free to play a dwarf kobold inventor if you want, any race restrictions or descriptions in the class are really just flavor.
thank you for your advice and I'd love more of it as I upgrade the class and fix errors.
(P.S How is it a cleric? I don't think I mentioned deriving power from gods, I only mentioned the kobold god because I thought him giving the kobolds a scorpion tied to a stick was funny, sorry if a specialized class has to be a cleric in your mind)
- thanks for the comment! Moonfly7

moonfly7
2019-05-07, 10:03 AM
Also for those of you wandering about materials, of course complex inventions require them. And yes, they are worth a certain amount of gold, which yes, the kobold can spend to purchase the junk and raw materials he may need. however keep in mind most Kobold Inventors prefer to find the matierals themselves, which should be done during adventures after slaying an enemy. Be sure to loot all the dead bodies and then take they're unused bodily materials as well. A Kobold inventor doesn't normally craft an idea and then find the materials, but rather find the materials, and craft an idea from those.

for example, my group acquired a wagon, I took the wagon, fortified it with iron bands, cut a whole in its floor to hitch oxen inside of it to protect them, created murder whole just large enough for us to stab and shoot out of, and mounted a ballista on top.

take what your given and conform inventions to that, that's my advice

moonfly7
2019-05-07, 03:16 PM
Also, to answer a question about crafting times for swords:
I don't expect the kobold inventor to actually forge the sword necessarily, they're inventors, they create new things. If you need an overnight sword, you should go to a smith, the kobold inventor is busy designing a device that sets his sword that he purchased on fire. Also, forging a sword with a proper temper, especially in the ages DND is generally set in, and especially considering that the inventor isn't a master smith who makes every piece a master piece, there are definitely short cuts that get the job done in 1-3 hours. heck a really good blade smith can make a perfectly tempered and waited sword or knife in an hour or 2. but that's master smiths.

Breccia
2019-05-08, 12:09 PM
the rest of the point just sounded like you were talking about a cool item idea

I was. That's the point.

A word that has clerics and wizards has scrolls. A world that has inventors has inventions. If inventors can make upgraded weapons, armor, and tools, it stands to reason they're out there on the market for a realistic price. It's possible they're the ones making all those "vial of acid" a PC can just pick up at any city for a few gold.

So inventors have to end up in one of three categories:
A) Inventors make things they, and only they, can use. Since inventions aren't magic, this will be a tough sell.
B) Inventors make things that are good, but they get an extra benefit from. This is my proposed solution.
C) Inventors make things that everyone gets an equal bonus for. This means there's no point in being an Inventor, when you could be a Fighter or Rogue and buy Inventor items. Again, if I knew an Inventor could make me a set of leather armor of -5 to weapon damage, I would find them, get such a suit, and then likely never speak to them again, because I'm set for life. Sure, the party's Inventor could make themselves such a suit, but if we both have the suit and I do way more damage than he does, why bring him along? Q is not a field agent. Except Octopussy.

I'm pushing for Option B. If Inventors are really that good, then other people should want their stuff because it's that good. A handful of bandages is good, a potion of healing is better. However, to make it worth having the Inventor in the party at all, they should have stronger benefits from the items in question, or else it's just Option C.

You could make Option A, which would be a standard campaign without any added bonuses. Honestly, this is the safer move. It'd just feel disappointing when
"Hey! I got one of those cool K'Puthak Crossbows! I heard he once fired three shots in six seconds, piercing steel plate from 50 yards!"
"Cool! So, the crossbow made by the master crossbow smith in all the lands must have some neat benefits, right?"
"Nope, still 1d8. But the brand name is nifty!"
happens.

Think of it this way: if a campaign had a wizard school in every city and wizard in every town, I would find it odd if I tried to buy an identify spell cast or spell scroll, but could not. If I was in a campaign with a temple in every city and cleric in every town, I would find it odd if I tried to buy a cure wounds spell cast, spell scroll, or potion of healing, but could not. And, if I was in a campaign with an invention school in every city and inventor in every town, I would find it odd if I tried to buy an invention with some nifty ability I could use, but could not. Yes, the DM could say "that's why the PHB has vial of acid, smokesticks, and crossbows" and I would have to accept that, but I'd be disappointed anyhow, because those are baseline, and Inventors are special.

Think of me as saying "Look, this campaign has Klingons. I want to buy a batleth."

moonfly7
2019-05-08, 03:48 PM
The whole problem your suggesting hinges in Kobold Inventors being a common thing. They were never meant to be. The Kobold inventor class is meant to be highly uncommon. Your lucky to meet or find one or two low level ones in your lifetime, let alone a level 11 one. So your not going to run into an inventors guild ever. The Kobold who become inventors are often driven out of their homes out of jealousy, and often times are secretive and guarding of their wares. Selling them is generally never something they would do, after all, they've worked on them for a long time, no way theyd give them up.
Also, Kobold inventor inventions aren't something anyone can really use. Kobold Inventors are proficient in them but no one else is unless they're given instruction in the inventions use by the inventor themselves. This can take a very long time, as their inventions are often highly difficult to use because they have small nitpicky eccentricies that must be allowed for.
And since the Kobold inventor is often to busy making more inventions, your not gonna get that training very easily.

moonfly7
2019-05-08, 04:21 PM
Q is not a field agent. Except Octopussy.

I very much appreciate the comparison to Q actually. You seem to think it's a bad thing but that's what I'm shooting for. They make the gadgets, they teach you to use them, they improve the gadgets, and they cry when you break them. But what I think you may have missed is that they're also equal parts mcguyver, capable of building helpful oneshot tools on the fly, doing what they can with what they have to bother the enemy and take them down. Mcguyver is a field agent, he makes things from random junk to complete his missions, but never fights his enemies head on, he had other people to do that for him, he's just the amazingly resourceful wild card.

Breccia
2019-05-08, 04:42 PM
If even standard weapons and armor require special proficiency after the Inventor has modified it, this takes care of many of the problems I had. Not all of them, but the vast majority.

Keep at it, but add some more nondamaging items. Inventors should be tricky punks. Kobolds, more so. As hinted before, feel free to just rip off a spell. A jar filled with hallucination spores? Why not?

moonfly7
2019-05-08, 06:30 PM
The inventions in the traditional invention section are taken from the Kobold inventor the monster in volos guide. As for none combat stuff, especially the hallucinogenic fumes, I'll put some into the cultural inventions. But lots of the class hinges on what the players choose to make.
For instance: in my game my Kobold has a set of large glass grenades that are just Prince ruperts drops. Its a glass blower technique that causes the glass to explode when the tail is even touched. I use them as portable caltrops to slow oppenents and deal minor damage. They're a complex invention as described by the complex invention section. This didn't have any point, I'm just proud of the glass grenades. They're quite useful.