[D&D 3.5] Kobold Campaign needs help.

[Vulkan]

This is my first time coming up with a campaign and DMing. But what might I ask would be your ideas for this?

Plus what do you think is a good class for Kobolds? Aside from rogue

[JaronK]

Well, Sorcerer obviously. Read Races of the Dragon, it's got everything you need to know about the little psychos.

Since it's your first time DMing, I strongly recommend that you just ban the Dragonwrought feat. If anyone says the words "Pun Pun" hit them in the face with a rulebook.

And remember, Kobolds are better than everyone else because they're dragons. Except dragons of course. Dragons are awesome, and better than Kobolds. Once you understand this, all Kobold mentality is clear.

JaronK

[HCL]

All of them

[Lycan 01]

Mechanically, I dunno, since I play 4e.

Fluff wise, though, I could see Kobolds being... Paladins/Clerics fighting in the name of Tiamet or whatever dragon their clan follows, Warlocks/Wizards/Sorcerers who've been trained as Wyrmpriests by their clan, Rangers trained in making traps against adventurers and stalking animals to sacrifice to their patron dragon, Bards who serve as the wise-man and lore-keeper for their clan and tell stores about their patron dragon to entertain the hatchlings and keep the dragon happy, Fighters who serve as Dragonshields and muscle for the clan, and of course, Rogues.

That's just the classes I know from the 4e PHBs... I know 3.5e has a bazillion classes to pick from, so I'm sure somebody has more ideas than me.

[chiasaur11]

Well, Sorcerer obviously. Read Races of the Dragon, it's got everything you need to know about the little psychos.

Since it's your first time DMing, I strongly recommend that you just ban the Dragonwrought feat. If anyone says the words "Pun Pun" hit them in the face with a rulebook.

And remember, Kobolds are better than everyone else because they're dragons. Except dragons of course. Dragons are awesome, and better than Kobolds. Once you understand this, all Kobold mentality is clear.

JaronK

Sounds about right.

Bards are another solid recommendation. There's precedent, even.

[Vulkan]

How is 4th ed compared to 3.5? My friend taught me 3.5 and Ive never really looked into 4th

[JaronK]

Oh fourth? That's totally different. It's like checkers to 3.5's chess. It's not the same game at all.

JaronK

[Lycan 01]

How is 4th ed compared to 3.5? My friend taught me 3.5 and Ive never really looked into 4th

From my experience...

Its like beginner-friendly DnD. Its very simple and straight-forward. There aren't as many classes and races, and multi-classing is almost non-existant since you just take a feat to get one or two features from another class, and nothing more. So character and roleplaying options are sorta limited. Skills and other things are dumbed down. For example, instead of Swim and Climb, there is just Athletics now. But, combat is streamlined and enhanced, health and health recovery are improved, powers and abilities are divided into At-Will, Encounter, and Daily uses, and battles very fun.

So yeah, 4e is beginner-friendly straight-forward combat-oriented DnD.

Somebody once said that 3.5e is a good character simulator, and 4e is a good combat simulator, or something along those lines.

[Vulkan]

I'm sure given enough time 4th will be filled with as many templates as 3.5.

[FlamingKobold]

If you're running a kobold campaign, the main thing you need to do is let your players have fun with it. The point of kobolds is that they're a lot weaker than everyone else (Until RoD came out, of course) so just let them be kobolds. I've run several kobolds only campaigns, and it's quite fun, and lends itself to many comical moments. Kobolds can excel in any class, really. Even as a frontline fighter, as long as they have a Jack B. Quick-esque build (or anything that prioritizes dex) they'll be okay. I don't recommend banning dragonwrought, just tell your players to not be lame. Or explicitly say: No white dragonspawn, no epic feats, and no loredrake, if you really need to.

[Lycan 01]

I'm happy with it for the time being. I would have liked more classes and character developement options like 3.5e had, but I do love the combat system in 4e, and all my players prefer simple mechanics and hack 'n slash gameplay. So its all good in the end, I sppose.


Although, I'm interested in the idea of a Kobold campaign now. I've got the PC stats for Kobolds in 4e, so it wouldn't be difficult to make a party of the little lizard buggers.

Pray tell, what is the plot of your campaign?

[Dexam]

Some of the best fun I've had as a DM using kobolds against my PC's was a troop of Kobold Cavalry... they were mounted on Rust Monsters.

[Ecalsneerg]

Since it's your first time DMing, I strongly recommend that you just ban the Dragonwrought feat. If anyone says the words "Pun Pun" hit them in the face with a rulebook.

Actually, Dragonwrought itself isn't overpowered. It's when all your level 1 PCs are mysteriously venerable, declaring themselves True Dragons and taking epic feats and Loredrake it all gets weird.

[Vulkan]

I'm happy with it for the time being. I would have liked more classes and character developement options like 3.5e had, but I do love the combat system in 4e, and all my players prefer simple mechanics and hack 'n slash gameplay. So its all good in the end, I sppose.


Although, I'm interested in the idea of a Kobold campaign now. I've got the PC stats for Kobolds in 4e, so it wouldn't be difficult to make a party of the little lizard buggers.

Pray tell, what is the plot of your campaign?

*Ahem*

"Many generations ago your great ancestors lived in peace and ignorance. Never did the idea of an apocalyptic day come to mind until one day from the darkness came four demonic beings claded in steel. Each one was different from the last and each one had the capabilities to destroy many of our people in only a few moments. Many of our kin gave their lives to give our people enough time to escape the slaughter. After days of searching they found a small island with a large plateau off the cost that had a path to it during the low tides once settled there years later our people discovered some thing great. Underneath the surface was an ancient system of tunnels which lead to inside of the plateau of the island to a large empty area without a ceiling. This gave more security to our clan and would eventually be found out to have many precious minerals and ore even deeper into the mountain (which later on we would trade with cities far away.) It is many generations later and you and your teams our assigned the sacred duty of protecting the entrance and our people."

<_< That sounds really corny and not very koboldish doesn't it?

[Lycan 01]

Makes sense to me. Their original home was attacked by adventurers, and then they had to go find a new place to live. I like the set-up actually.

My only concern is that if the party is supposed to be several different classes, why would they all be assigned to guard duty? It seems more like they'd be sent off to explore, or go on one of those trading missions to a nearby village or something. Just a suggestion...

[Vulkan]

I was going to have that happen eventually but sadly I only have to DM for 2 people and so I decided to give each player 2 little soilder kobolds to go with them. Also a little whistle to call for backup and have them able to lay traps or some thing.

That and I was thinking about having the head elder be a half dragon to make him more worshipful but that is a side note.

[Lycan 01]

Oooooh... That makes more sense.

[Vaynor]

Kobold sorcerers specializing in evocation type spells are crazy fun to play.

[Vulkan]

Now question is.. Should I roll up the teamates for my players or should they?

[Soranar]

you have a lot of options

lookup class substitution levels for kobolds

the ones for fighter are pretty good (+2 str, +2 con)

tome of battles makes kobold decent with the shadow blade feat (add dex to melee damage)

anyone that doesn't rely on str too much can be a decent character (cleric, druid, sorcerer, wizard, bard)

don't forget that small armors weight half as much, really helps for encumbrance rules

you have 3 natural attacks to start with and you can add a 4th at first level with dragon tail, with multiattack/improved multiattack that makes one dangerous monk