Warlocks, Kobolds, Dragons and the shaft.

[Prak]

Is it just me or does(did) wizards seem to have a past time of giving warlocks and kobolds the shaft? A kobold, with Races of Dragon-fucking, can be a dragon, even being able to fly. But all he gets is the dragon type(in place of humanoid) and a flight speed of 30'(av.) after taking three feats and being 12th level. Why?

Warlocks, even after those handful of paragraphs in Complete Mage about alternate sources for their powers(which included fucking celestials... no pun intended...), apparently aren't allowed to get their power from dragons, the very creatures that are also cited as having the possible new category of magic called "innate". Dragon Magic gives us the Dragonfire Adept, which is a whole new class for what should really have just been a varient Warlock. The handful of new invocations for the warlock are almost all flavoured towards dragon-slaying, while the DfA gets mostly warlock invocations, with some new ones only for them. Why the fuck can warlocks not come from pacts or interspecies breeding with dragons, but these new dragon-worshipping pricks called Dragonfire Adepts, which for all intents and purposes function exactly fucking like warlocks, can just say "oh, yeah, I like dragons, cuz they're pretty and magical, and they're the lesser races' massa, so I can breath fire."

Does anyone else care? Am I ranting at people who merely understand, but couldn't give a flying rat's ass?

[RandomCasualty]

I honestly don't really care about kobolds. They're little monsters that are supposed to be killed by the dozens. Most DMs who like kobolds use them solely to humiliate PCs (look you guys got pwned by kobolds!!1! lawl) .

As as warlocks. I'm kind of indifferent too. I like warlocks, but the fact that there's no flavor of warlock for every kind of power really doesn't bother me.

[JonSetanta]

Kobolds should have stayed as dumb hordling monsters with advancements of "1-3 HD" rather than "as by character level"

[CatharzGodfoot]

1201660890[/unixtime]]Is it just me or does(did) wizards seem to have a past time of giving warlocks and kobolds the shaft? A kobold, with Races of Dragon-fucking, can be a dragon, even being able to fly. But all he gets is the dragon type(in place of humanoid) and a flight speed of 30'(av.) after taking three feats and being 12th level. Why?

Because the dragon type feat is crazy powerful. Start out at max age. Even if you don't get the +3 to all mental attributes, which you might (you're immortal), you're a great wyrm dragon and can take epic feats.

[Koumei]

Yeah, that feat is pretty cool. If you have to be a Kobold, take that feat.

Anyway, I knew one girl who was obsessed with kobolds. I think it was one of those "game experience" things. Her character just ended up finding and guarding a group of kobolds, and ever since then it became an obsession.

I assume that's how it happened for most kobold-obsessed people.

As for Warlocks, meh, they suck and I'm willing to live with that.

[Voss]

Rat ass, with a side order of 'what the fuck you talking about, Willis?'
Kobolds are for killing. And comedy. And any combination of the two.
Walocks... eh. Interesting flavor idea, crappy implementation.
But, really. Dragons and people stealing and bargaining for real power? Fuck the lizards. They do get some useful invocations in that book. And complete mage gives them the gestalt PrCs. As long as you pick up the deceive item ability, you get pretty much all the good warlock abilities.

Not to bring it around to 4e again, or rather, as a break in the WotC 'habit' (though the warlock hasn't really been around long enough for it to truly be a habit) the 4e Warlock looks like it will be one of top-tier classes. The Striker classes (warlocks, rogues and rangers) have the lion's share of the damage dealing ability, and the warlock will have some Control shit on the side. One power they've mentioned involves literally sending the target to hell for a round. Blips out, takes a shitload of damage, and blips back in. At little over the top in flavor, but you can't really beat loads of damage and taking the enemy out of the fight.

Its the old 'killing things faster is the way to win' formula. Plus it sounds like they're getting some of the binder's concept as well. Only real drawback at this point is that it will draw the emo kids. The blast won't suck as much, since pretty much everybody will have a crappy 'at will' effect.

Oh, and 4e flavors of warlock: infernal, feral, vestige and star.
(As of last mention. It may or may not be changing). Translation, by the way-
evil outsiders, fey, binder vestiges?, Cthullu?

[CatharzGodfoot]

So will I

[Koumei]

Yeah, that was uncalled for, really. I'll delete it.

[Lago_AM3P]

Any rule that screws over those retarded chewtoys is a winner rule in my book.

Wizards should post a sourcebook that's nothing but a chronicle about how hardcore their race sucks at everything. Even the goblins make fun of them. All that's in the book are MI that help you kill kobolds in gory ways and suggestions on how you torture them.

[Koumei]

I recall some source somewhere having a bunch of feats for kobolds to take. Probably a Dragon magazine.

All of them revolve around having a messy death at the hands of the PCs.

Actually a hilarious bunch of kobold feats would be ones that basically mean "You die, but it's slightly harder to kill the rest."

Visceral Splatter
You contain more blood than normal, under a high pressure.
Requirements: Kobold, Gnome or Goblin
Benefit: When killed, you burst open in a spray of blood, even if it makes no sense to do so. All Medium creatures within 5' of you are blinded for one round as the blood sprays in their eyes (it merely falls on top of the Small creatures). Also, your square counts as having a Grease spell cast on it for one hour.

Stringy Muscles
Your meat is particularly stringy. It's hard to pull weapons free.
Requirements: Kobold, Gnome or Goblin
Benefit: When killed, the weapon that killed you remains stuck in your body, even if it is a bashing weapon. It takes one full round action to pull free from your corpse.

[JonSetanta]

Would the blood spray Grease effect stack in the same area, requiring 20+ saves or checks each round... or just refresh the same single effect?

[SunTzuWarmaster]

The Dead One Threw a Rock
You are suprisingly tricksy.
Requirements: Kobold, Gnome or Goblin
Benefit: You may feign death as a free action. While feigning death, you gain fast healing 5 up to half of your max hp. The DC to spot a feign death is 15+bluff opposed by a spot check.

Trooper
You can keep trudging... for a bit
Requirements: Kobold, Gnome or Goblin
Benefit: You may continue to fight between 0 and -20 hit points for two rounds as if you were subject to a Slow effect. Either after these two rounds pass or you reach -20 hit points, you die.

Pile the Masses
Your body and those of your friends are hard to walk on.
Requirements: Kobold, Gnome or Goblin
Benefit: When slain, the square you are standing on is considered difficult terrain. Additionally, any Kobold, Goblin, or Gnome killed in a nearby square to this square is considered to have this feat at time of death. Yes, this explodes exponentially.

Clog their Rivers with our Dead
Your bodies and those of your friends can amount to a lot if given time.
Requirements: Kobold, Gnome or Goblin, Pile the Masses
Benefit: When slain, the square you are standing on is considered impassable (as a wall with 20 hit points). Additionally, any Kobold, Goblin, or Gnome killed in a nearby square to this square is considered to have this feat at time of death. Yes, this explodes exponentially.

Cruel Harvest
You are useful even in death.
Requirements: Kobold, Gnome or Goblin
Benefit: Upon death, each of your four limbs may be considered a medium sized club that may be picked up as a move action.

God, this is too much fun.

edit: changing the naming around a bit, added flavor lines.

[Fwib]

We've got explosives!
Requirements: Kobold, Gnome or Goblin; 1+ ranks in craft:trapmaking
Benefit: When killed, your supplies of smokepowder and shrapnel all explode at once, dealing d6 fire and d6 piercing in a 10' radius (reflex DC10+1/d6 halves the damage). The conflagration spreads to nearby trapmakers, too. For every creature with this feat within range, add 10' to the radius and stack the damage. Yes, this explodes exponentially.

[Koumei]

Sigma: It wouldn't stack.

All: What... have I done?

Clot
Your blood is just too thick by far.
Requirements: Kobold, Gnome or Goblin
Benefit: When slain by a weapon, your blood sticks to it in a mess, granting a -1 penalty to damage with it. This stacks with multiple critters, but cannot reduce the damage to less than 1. Cleaning the weapon takes a full ten minutes of hard work.

Fine Red Mist
You are surprisingly explosive when killed.
Requirements: Kobold, Goblin or Gnome
Benefit: When slain, you explode into a fine red mist of blood. This creates a 10' radius Obscuring Mist that hangs around for three rounds, or until dispersed. Additionally, the one who killed you must make a Fortitude Save (DC 10 + 1/2 your HD + your Con modifier before dying) or be Sickened for one round.

Arcane Meltdown
Your innate magic explodes when you die.
Requirements: Kobold, Goblin or Gnome, Spell-like abilities with uses per day
Benefit: When slain, your body unleashes the arcane energy of all of your un-cast spell-like abilities. This causes all within 5' of you to take 1d4 damage per stored spell. If the ability is usable at will, it only erupts once, whereas X/day abilities erupt X times assuming they have not been used.

This really is fun. There needs to be a book of these. Maybe even make a prestige class for them (allows them to overcome the inability to take class levels), granting these feats and Perform (Die in a horrifying manner) as a class skill. Yes, it earns money. For your killer.

I'm going to have to subject some players to this.

[Bigode]

Hilarious note: IIRC, Fanboy Magic (well, or Complete Arcane II) gave the warlock an invocation actually able to kill a balor (summon stealing) ...

[JonSetanta]

FUcKiN saaaaaaaaaaaaved

[Cynic]

1201707722[/unixtime]]


This really is fun. There needs to be a book of these. Maybe even make a prestige class for them (allows them to overcome the inability to take class levels), granting these feats and Perform (Die in a horrifying manner) as a class skill. Yes, it earns money. For your killer.

I'm going to have to subject some players to this.

I'll do you one better than a prestige class -- leadership

You send your minions out to explode violently

[SunTzuWarmaster]

Disgusting Habits
You are unnaturally disgusting
Requirements: Kobold, Gnome and Goblin
Benefit: Upon death, the stink of your death is noxious to all due to foul eating, breeding, and personal grooming habits. All within a 5' radius must make a Fortitude save with a DC equal to 10+(number of weeks since last bath) or be sickened. This does not affect those with a similar feat.

Exotic Weapon Master
You are well traveled enough to possess a unique fighting style
Requirements: Kobold, Gnome and Goblin
Benefit: You are proficient with an exotic weapon and automatically win initiative among all of your kind. You are required to showcase your fighting style in a way that is both amusing and non-threatening. This grants all of your kind a +1 bonus to attack and damage until you are slain in combat.

Useful in Death
Just because you're dead doesn't mean you're not good for anything
Requirements: Kobold, Gnome and Goblin
Benefit: After death, your body may be used in one of the following manners, conferring the following bonuses as appropriate:
- Held above the masses in testament to your sacrifice (all creatures of the same race receive +1 to hit and damage)
- Worn as a helmet, have your head piked (all creatures of similar type are shaken without saves)

Fat Lootz
You are surprisingly well to do
Requirements: Kobold, Gnome and Goblin
Benefit: Your treasure type is increased by one category. All wealth is in copper or a similarly awkward measurement. Examples include a copper throne, a finely crafted steel shrine, an elegant carpet too large to fit in a Handy Haversack, a block of lead, a large barrel of mammal fat, ceramic disks that are not accepted widely (except by others of your kind), etc.

Leader of Peons
You lead small men with short lives
Requirements: non-Kobold, non-Gnome and non-Goblin, character level 6
Benefit: You may control one squad of 4 Kobolds, Gnomes, or Goblins per hit die. It takes 2 weeks to summon your tiny army subsequent to their inevitable defeat.
In the event that they actual win a battle, they rebel and you lose your army until another can be summoned. In each squad, at least one must have one of the above feats. Additionally, you receive the following 'commanders':
- 1 level 3 wizard or level 3 trapsmith per 4 squads (16 guys + 1 leader)

[Koumei]

...this is why we are the best gaming forum.

[JonSetanta]

Ah. And I thought it was because this place was one of the best alternatives to WOTC's We Rip You Off If You Post On Our Forum policy?

[SunTzuWarmaster]

Actually, I would be overjoyed if these were published and wouldn't mind them ripped at all.

1 - Someone values my work, that's nice
2 - did you really expect to SELL these?
3 - hell yea! Kill kobolds!

[Koumei]

I bet people on the boards would STILL say "Way too overpowered."

That being said, 8 Kobolds make a CR 2, and if they all take the "We've got explosives!" feat, they will kill a level 2 party (16d6 damage, Ref half DC 26). But that's an edge case.

[SunTzuWarmaster]

I was under the understanding that only a commander could take that. Besides, you gain the power of "sacraficial army". It's good, but at the end of the day everyone explodes. I tried to limit the mage-bombs and bomb-makers to a 1-in-5 ratio.

Target Practice
You usually get peppered with arrows, but that's okay.
Requirements: Kobold, Gnome and Goblin
Benefit: You gain DR 5/melee. If there is a Kobold, Goblin, or Gnome in a straight path behind you, the attack is resolved as if the other goblin had been target and hte arrow passes through your clothing/cloak/arm fat/head with no effect. The attack is made at -2 to attack and -5 to damage.

[the_taken]

Change the requirement to include Orcs, and I'll be very happy.

[Cynic]

1201889482[/unixtime]]Change the requirement to include Orcs, and I'll be very happy.

Orcs are just the normal grunts. I think they're fine.

We just need to hand it to the little guy!

Gnomes/Kobolds/Goblins/kenders should be the ones affected.