Is a Kobold Rune Knight just really strong?

[MightyK]

Kobolds have Pack Tactics, which means a really easy way to get advantage.
(like really easy, all you need is "at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of the creature target and the ally isn't incapacitated." and you can go crazy.
The downside is, they are small and thus can't really use GWM and or PAM.

Usually those two negate each other, so a greatweapon Kobold with an ally near it's target has neither dis- nor advantage. Which is ok, but not great.

Rune Knight fixes this. The 3rd lvl Giant's Might feature essentially becomes: You are now large and have almost always advantage because of pack tactics.

That's like reckless attacks without the downside of giving advantage. At lvl 7 they can also can get resistance and all the other good runes stuff.

Change the Kobolds +2 to STR, take GWM, +1/+1 STR/CON, +2 STR, and then... crusher...? (I don't like PAM because of the runes BA usage.)

(And you also have Grovel, Cower, and Beg, which might also be pretty great for an opening salvo.)

Thoughts?

[Unoriginal]

IMO, Rune Knight is an awesome subclass, no doubt about it, but it takes more than having an easy source of advantage and GWM to stand out among other Rune Knights in term of being "really strong".

[MightyK]

it takes more than having an easy source of advantage and GWM to stand out among other Rune Knights in term of being "really strong".

What more can you ask for than GWM and advantage if you want to deal Melee Damage?

[Dalinar]

Well, there's the Sunlight Sensitivity issue, for one.

[Master O'Laughs]

Well, there's the Sunlight Sensitivity issue, for one.

Though I guess you could take the blind fighting perk an close your eyes before attacking.

[Dalinar]

Though I guess you could take the blind fighting perk an close your eyes before attacking.

I don't think it's clear whether that's RAW or not, IIRC. Will have to reread Kobold, but I thought it was "when you are in sunlight" not "when you can see sunlight" or similar wording.

[MightyK]

Well, there's the Sunlight Sensitivity issue, for one.

Well, its Dungeons and Dragons, not Open Pastures and Dragons ;)

Ok, kidding, but most fights don't happen in sunlight, and anyway, they will cancel out, so at worst you just have no advantage for that fight, and can save the giant's might.

[MightyK]

I don't think it's clear whether that's RAW or not, IIRC. Will have to reread Kobold, but I thought it was "when you are in sunlight" not "when you can see sunlight" or similar wording.

It's 100% clear: "(...) is in direct sunlight." Closing your eyes doesn't help.

But as I said above, direct sunliht isn't the most common in D&D and even if it happens, it cancels with advantage, so at worst you have neither.