What did you do with your playable Goblin race?

[ToddBS]

Going strictly by the MM description, Goblin Tactics is an at-will power. Is that too powerful for a PC? Should I make it an encounter power for a PC Goblin race?

And the Kobold's Shifty power looks like it would be just a steaming pile of abuse if allowed in its MM form for a PC.

 

[circadianwolf]

There's a discussion of making goblins more PC-palatable here. There's a version that changes the power to an encounter (mine, actually), as well as one that just adds a few traits. In general, Goblin Tactics isn't too powerful of an ability, especially if you use the MM write-up and thus don't include any other traits.

Kobolds, on the other hand, definitely need some editing. Shifty is amazing at will. It seems a bit weak to just make it an encounter, though. Maybe

Shifty Kobold Racial Power
Encounter
Move Action o Personal
Effect: Shift up to your speed.

I've also seen this suggestion, which keeps the essence of the power but makes it far less abusable:

Shifty Kobold Racial Power
At-Will
Move Action o Personal
Effect: Shift 2 squares.

I'd throw them a few bones besides the trap defense trait, too.

 

[ToddBS]

Thanks for the link. After reading it, I realized I had read it a few days ago. Somehow my mind is growing feebler by the day.

I like your treatment of Goblins and may adopt something similar in the campaign world I'm working on. The Kobold action is a good compromise as well.

 

[ourchair]

I think it's fine as an at-will. Kobolds are shifty buggers, and the power doesn't eliminate the threat posed by controller-type abilities and ranged attacks.

 

[eriktheguy]

I haven't altered the powers for kobolds or goblins. Neither races have posed balance issues in my campaign. Their powers are utility types rather than the sort a power gamer could take advantage of anyways.

 

[ToddBS]

I can see an at-will minor action that allows a shift being abused. Especially combined with powers that allow a shift before or after your attack. It presents a very tempting skirmisher class though - move in, hit with some power that grants a shift, then shift again... very little would ever touch you.

I definitely like the ideas on Goblins presented in the other thread referenced. I will likely be implementing those. The jury is still out for me on Kobolds being PC races in my campaign. Goblins and Kobolds have a similar flavor to them and I'm not sure I need both.

edit: changed "charge in" to "move in" for clarity's sake.

 

[Rachel]

The jury is still out for me on Kobolds being PC races in my campaign. Goblins and Kobolds have a similar flavor to them and I'm not sure I need both.

Entirely opinion here, but that's an easy call. Goblins over kobolds.

 

[Turtlejay]

Kobolds over Goblins.

IMC my DM altered Shifty to a 1/encounter ability that I use, and that ability lasts until the end of my next turn. So basically, it is 1/enounter, but it lasts for two rounds. Even without that nerf, being an Assassin means shifting<teleporting, but if someone wanted to bring in say, a Kobold Rogue, Shifty would surely need nerfing.

Jay

 

[weem]

I played a Goblin (Rogue) from level 1-6 at which point he switched to Assassin (we did some solo game stuff to make the change in the story) and I played him 6-7 as such... then I died.

The @will shifting on a miss was fine in my eyes (and I DM most of the time). I don't think it's too powerful at all. When I had the opportunity to shift, often times I didn't as I didn't want to change the position I was already in... so it came up, but not often.

Maybe that's because I was a rogue, and on my turns I was getting myself right where I wanted to be... so maybe it's different for another class (one who would want to be continually getting out of melee range) - but I don't know.