Kobolds as a playable race: Why and how.

arakk00

Kobolds. More than just dungeon fodder- they're a staple of D&D lore. Draconic servants, endearing tribal creatures, adventurers, even diabolical masterminds in their own right. (See Tucker's Kobolds.) At this point in Neverwinter, they have more than enough technical justification to be added as a player race- many of their assets could be developed from what is already in the game, with the skeletons of the Dragonborn, Tiefling, and Halfling races making excellent references for every part of their anatomy- and with a basic, static model already in the game, simply waiting to be expounded upon to allow customization. Armor would not change drastically from a downscaled version of what is stuck on Tieflings- in fact, with very little done to it kobolds would look better in any armor set than Dragonborn do in some of the non-plate armors the game offers.

Now, for the mechanics of the race. These can be hard to balance; kobolds only really excel in Dexterity, with some displaying high Intelligence or Charisma scores in a given campaign to make them effective at holding player classes, like Sorceror. There's our first racial:
+2 to one of: Dexterity, Intelligence, or Charisma.

Next, there's Pack Tactics. This is a core mechanic of kobolds in many systems- essentially, the more allies the kobold has (some systems specify the allies must be kobolds, some don't) the greater their advantage in combat. To represent this, I would offer up:
Pack Tactics: "+0.75% Combat Advantage damage for each nearby ally (including your companion, but not other players' companions)."
This would offer kobolds considerable power in group content, with the relative rarity of CA damage, but not prove overwhelming in solo play. For context, at that rate a kobold is getting a 3.75% flat damage boost in a 5-man party, a 7.5% boost in a demogorgon 10-man party, and an 18.75% boost in a 25-player Tiamat or similarly massive event. The number can change, but the point stands- kobolds don't have high base stats, but they do have strength in large groups.

Lastly, because Pack Tactics is such a huge boon in large groups but less so in small ones, a small boon to personal survivability:
Skittish: +5% stamina gain, +5% movement speed.
Stamina gain can be quite potent when alone, but in larger groups becomes less relevant- there tend to be boss mechanics AND tanks that don't tax your stamina bar as harshly. Same for movement speed- it's practically only helpful for getting around, and sometimes slipping just out of range of the red stuff.

All in all, kobolds are a well-defined race in the lore that are firmly documented to have a varied society and a variety of motives, in addition to at least some potential to become adventurers of notable power. They've also been a staple in many tabletop power builds over the years- giving the race a nod, making a marketing fuss over their release, and pricing them reasonably (e.g. 500 zen for the race, 2000 race reroll pack)/allowing them to be unlocked through endgame content as well as bought could draw back some lost players and attract the interest of devoted tabletop players all over again- and I'm fairly certain from what I've seen, the new design direction would keep them.

kreatyve

I like this. I'm very happy that you did the research when posting this too. I'm not sure that I would want to play a kobold, personally, but I know a lot of people that would.

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majorcharvenak

*sighs* Kobolds...Kobolds...*Shakes head* Trying to wrap my head around thought of the little varmits running around Neverwinter and about the surrounding area, seeking their fortunes and fighting for justice and honor. Nope...just can't see it as anything other than a potental Drizz't/Liriel/Legolas/Grishnak-clone not unlike the multitude of clones we already have in game. I mean, you can take this same rationale and apply it to goblins, hobgoblins, gnolls, bugbears and the multitude of humanoid races (Not Human, near Human, or demi-human but humaniod) with more stat entries within the various Monster Manuals than they do in the Player's Handbook. And before you say it, Yes, I know they have playable stats referenced in other source books within the Dungeons and Dragons game. Still doesn't make it a good idea for a playable race when there are other potential candidate races that are canonically listed as playable races within the main D&D game.

hypervoreian

https://altergamer.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/kobols.jpg

"There are things to be done!!"

Kobolds will make a fine addition and enlarge the overall DnD lore of the game.

I mean,last race we got was Dragonborn ,a one mostly unknown to most.

While Kobolds?They are everywhere.

I am tired to see halflings and dwarves and lizzards around in PE.

Kobolds for the win!! \o/

thefabricant

We need a fish as the next playable race, it seems thematic to the current status quo.

arakk00

majorcharvenak said:

*sighs* Kobolds...Kobolds...*Shakes head* Trying to wrap my head around thought of the little varmits running around Neverwinter and about the surrounding area, seeking their fortunes and fighting for justice and honor. Nope...just can't see it as anything other than a potental Drizz't/Liriel/Legolas/Grishnak-clone not unlike the multitude of clones we already have in game. I mean, you can take this same rationale and apply it to goblins, hobgoblins, gnolls, bugbears and the multitude of humanoid races (Not Human, near Human, or demi-human but humaniod) with more stat entries within the various Monster Manuals than they do in the Player's Handbook. And before you say it, Yes, I know they have playable stats referenced in other source books within the Dungeons and Dragons game. Still doesn't make it a good idea for a playable race when there are other potential candidate races that are canonically listed as playable races within the main D&D game.

Major, they don't just have playable stats- they're a staple of tabletop D&D games for many, either as mobs, npcs, or PC races! Neverwinter doesn't quite give kobolds justice- there's a wide variety of kobolds according to current D&D lore, including metallic kobolds, dragonforged kobolds, and winged kobolds- and dragonforged kobolds especially are known for being 'above and beyond' the average little pack critter, characters in their own right. As an occasional DM, many of my campaigns have included kobold PCs or NPCs- yes, like Drow (or Tieflings, or Half Orcs, or dragonborn) they're rare enough to warrant a second glance and occasionally heckling from the guards, but at the same time they aren't as rare and reclusive as say, lizardfolk.

pitshade

"We need a fish as the next playable race, it seems thematic to the current status quo"

Kuo-toa are a race of humanoid fish that live in the underdark and are often allies of Drow. However the body model is rater pear shaped and might be a larger undertaking than other options.

majorcharvenak

arakk00 said:

majorcharvenak said:

*sighs* Kobolds...Kobolds...*Shakes head* Trying to wrap my head around thought of the little varmits running around Neverwinter and about the surrounding area, seeking their fortunes and fighting for justice and honor. Nope...just can't see it as anything other than a potental Drizz't/Liriel/Legolas/Grishnak-clone not unlike the multitude of clones we already have in game. I mean, you can take this same rationale and apply it to goblins, hobgoblins, gnolls, bugbears and the multitude of humanoid races (Not Human, near Human, or demi-human but humaniod) with more stat entries within the various Monster Manuals than they do in the Player's Handbook. And before you say it, Yes, I know they have playable stats referenced in other source books within the Dungeons and Dragons game. Still doesn't make it a good idea for a playable race when there are other potential candidate races that are canonically listed as playable races within the main D&D game.

Major, they don't just have playable stats- they're a staple of tabletop D&D games for many, either as mobs, npcs, or PC races! Neverwinter doesn't quite give kobolds justice- there's a wide variety of kobolds according to current D&D lore, including metallic kobolds, dragonforged kobolds, and winged kobolds- and dragonforged kobolds especially are known for being 'above and beyond' the average little pack critter, characters in their own right. As an occasional DM, many of my campaigns have included kobold PCs or NPCs- yes, like Drow (or Tieflings, or Half Orcs, or dragonborn) they're rare enough to warrant a second glance and occasionally heckling from the guards, but at the same time they aren't as rare and reclusive as say, lizardfolk.

Well Arakk, I would probably argue with you about their inclusion as PC races in tabletop, but that would probably date my age so I won't go there. Plus, you're right. DMs can allow whomever they want to allow as playable races within their campaigns and it wouldn't/shouldn't surprise me if Cryptic were to include them in the game, if there was the demand for them (and if WoTC didn't object). I'm just stuck thinking of them as nothing but massive amounts of battle fodder for better organized armies. Anyways, I'll support the campaign for Kobolds within Neverwinter if you support my campaign for including some of the more exotic races of elves like the Avariel or even better...the Fey'ri. >:) What do you say?

arakk00

majorcharvenak said:

Well Arakk, I would probably argue with you about their inclusion as PC races in tabletop, but that would probably date my age so I won't go there. Plus, you're right. DMs can allow whomever they want to allow as playable races within their campaigns and it wouldn't/shouldn't surprise me if Cryptic were to include them in the game, if there was the demand for them (and if WoTC didn't object). I'm just stuck thinking of them as nothing but massive amounts of battle fodder for better organized armies. Anyways, I'll support the campaign for Kobolds within Neverwinter if you support my campaign for including some of the more exotic races of elves like the Avariel or even better...the Fey'ri. >:) What do you say?

I'd love to see either of those in the game, but as winged races they'd either be mangled or be way too expensive to add to the game, sadly. :c There just aren't any core assets for wing behavior with the player animations!

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arabatur

Why hasn't this thread been merged here, where it should be? @kreatyve

arakk00

@arabatur I'd assume because it's not a reply requesting a specific race, but a full-fledged feedback thread on the viability of adding a specific race. Plus, look at the replies- it's much more of a discussion than the poll thread.

ghoulz66

Why can't we have Duergar as well? There's no technical issue for not having them playable. A Duergar mercenary is just as common as a dragonborn adventurer, well, MORE common probably.

Easy to add additional races might churn a little profit from race rerolls. So the company gets what it wants in the end.

That's the problem with the management of this game. They don't theory craft things that people might want.

btairborne

NO THANKS

armadeonx

I love the idea

Small, annoying, hard to hit and I'm pretty sure they'd be fun to play