Breath Weapons for Kobolds

[mc.jesus]

I've searched the forums and found a few threads asking if there are feats to get a Kobold a breath weapon. The general consensus is "No, unless they're a sorcerer" or "No, but look at these cool classes!"

Unfortunately neither of those answers are satisfactory. The character concept I have is a Silver Dragonwrought Kobold Detective/Vigilante (maybe or maybe not the PrC). This will be a NPC in a campaign I'm running. So while I could just say I'm the DM so he has a breath weapon, I'd rather justify it with rules and have those rules open to my players.

If I were to design my own feat for this it would look something like this:

Dragon's Breath Weapon
Prerequisites: Dragonblood subtype, Con 16

Benefits: Once per day you may use the breath weapon of your draconic forebears. The breath weapon is a line or cone appropriate to your size based on the table, Dragon Breath Weapons, on page 69 of the Monster Manual. The breath weapon deals the same damage a a Wyrmling of your forbear's type and increases by this amount every 3rd level. If the breath weapon of your draconic forbears does not deal damage your breath weapon instead has the same effect as that breath weapon for 1d6 rounds plus 1 round every 3rd level. Any creature in the area can make a reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Con modifier) for half damage, or make a fortitude save to negate effects other than damage. This is a supernatural ability.

Special: If your draconic forbears possess multiple breath weapons you may select this feat multiple times. Each time allows you to access effects of a different breath weapon. The effects do not stack, you must declare which breath weapon you are using prior to rolling any dice. Selecting this feat multiple times does not increase the amount of times per day you may use a breath weapon. If you use a breath weapon granted by this feat possessing one effect, you may not use any other breath weapons granted by this feat until the next day.

If there is a feat or template or something other than a class I've overlooked, which could work instead, I'd appreciate your bringing it to my attention.

Tips on improving my homebrewed feat are also welcome.

 

[Samloyal23]

Not a bad feat, but I miss the furry, barking kobolds of old...

 

[emoplato]

I've searched the forums and found a few threads asking if there are feats to get a Kobold a breath weapon. The general consensus is "No, unless they're a sorcerer" or "No, but look at these cool classes!"

Unfortunately neither of those answers are satisfactory. The character concept I have is a Silver Dragonwrought Kobold Detective/Vigilante (maybe or maybe not the PrC). This will be a NPC in a campaign I'm running. So while I could just say I'm the DM so he has a breath weapon, I'd rather justify it with rules and have those rules open to my players.

If I were to design my own feat for this it would look something like this:



If there is a feat or template or something other than a class I've overlooked, which could work instead, I'd appreciate your bringing it to my attention.

Tips on improving my homebrewed feat are also welcome.

On the expensive end there is of course Half-dragon, but on the cheap and very accommodating end there is the Dragonborn of Bahamut(Heart aspect), no LA. It is also a better breath weapon using d8's and can be used as often as a dragon's.

 

[mc.jesus]

The only issue I take with the Dragonborn option is it counteracts the benefits of venerable age, which I see as fairly important to his competence as a detective.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Races of the Dragon p.43 has the Draconic Rite of Passage ritual. I'm not sure if this is considered a feat or not, it appears not to be. Grants a Kobold a single use level 1 spell per day.
Now, Look at the Draconic Breath feat on p.102. (Requires Draconic Heritage, which I think you're overqualified by being Dragonwrought, and Sorcerer level 1, The Dragonblood subtype you had as a Kobold would allow you to qualify, so losing that to become a Dragon type also likely means you're overqualified. And you cast a spell-like ability, so I'd rule good enough as a DM.) Convert a spell slot into a breath weapon. Since you've got a level one spell-like ability that is scales your level as the caster level, convert that. You can now have a breath weapon once per day and can now qualify for all the breath weapon feats. Since it's a level 1 spell, you'll only deal 2d6 damage.

Savage Species p31 has the feat Bonus Breath (requires Extend spell or Extend spell-like ability feat so 2 feats to make use of) that grants an additional use of a breath weapon per day, needing to wait an hour between breaths. Not very practical, but there you go.

I don't have the book, but This Says the Dragonlance Campaign Setting has Draconian Breath Weapon and Imporoved Draconian Breath weapon feats. Without having the book I couldn't tell you the requirements or details, but it looks promising.
EDIT: This Link has more info.
EDIT #2: This Link has prereqs, seems less promising. Not quite sure what constitutes "Draconian", if it's a race that a Dragonwrought Kobold isn't, then you either need to make a DM call handwave saying it's close enough, or no dice.

...I know you weren't interested in class dips, but I must say the simplest option is a single level dip in Dragonfire Adept PrC will grant anyone a breath weapon that is usable every round.

 

[mc.jesus]

Apparently Draconians are a set of races in the Dragonlance setting. And while I would normally rule it close enough, the feat details specify the type of damage based on which draconian race the character is.

The details of the feat are actually very similar to the one I homebrewed.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Apparently Draconians are a set of races in the Dragonlance setting. And while I would normally rule it close enough, the feat details specify the type of damage based on which draconian race the character is.

The details of the feat are actually very similar to the one I homebrewed.

I'm unfamilar with the Draconians (Although I vaguely recall fighting some back in my 2nd edition days) but what I was reading earlier, they seem to be based off ot the color types of evil Dragons.

Your Kobold is Silver. How about ruling it close enough to a White Draconian?

 

[mc.jesus]

I was about to do ust that, when somebody over at Giantitp pointed out Draconic Grafts to me. Which while not exactly what I was after, with the available breath feats, it's more than effective at 6d8 damage. The details on grafts fit the campaign setting quite well too.