If a character of a race such as a Kobold were to live most of its life aboveground, would it have lessened Sunlight Sensitivity or even fully negate it?
From a realistic point of view sentient creatures of a race that spend all their time undeground don't exist so what happens when one spends most of their life above ground is anybody's guess.
From a RAW point of view no, a kobold has sunsight sensitivity no ifs buts or maybes.
From a rule of cool point of view, you need to maintain balance, races that have sunlight sensitivity have other features that are more powerful than other races and sunlight sensitivity balances that. Kobolds have pack tactics, if the table don't use the optional flanking rule this is incredibly poweful (I don't like flanking because it makes advantage on attacks too easy to get making other features/spells that do the same much less useful (guiding bolt, pack tactics, features that can result in making the opponent prone like trip attack.....). It is something for the player and DM to discuss a suitable balance, you might for example say that such a kobold has no darkvision.
You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.
It's ambiguous whether the "rely on sight" bit only relates to Perception checks or to attack rolls as well. If it's the eyesight bit that is the problem perhaps some form of blindsight could be sought so as to allow the kobold to simply close their eyes as needed.
As direct sunlight is the problem, I'd expect that surface-dwelling/visiting kobolds might value druids who had weather prediction abilities.
Take the Blind Fighting fighter style. 10ft blindsight should solve all your melee weapon issues, though you'd still have issues during the day with further off sight based tasks and ranged attacks.
If a character of a race such as a Kobold were to live most of its life aboveground, would it have lessened Sunlight Sensitivity or even fully negate it?
"If a character of a race such as a Kobold were to live most of its life aboveground" it could have any package of effects, positive and negative, that you homebrew and negotiate with your DM. It could be fun but, as far as many DMs may be concerned, it should at least be balanced.
Honestly, as a DM, I just take sunlight sensitivity away. It's just a terrible hinderance that essentially make those races borderline unplayable for most campaigns.
And to add salt to injure, Deep Gnomes, that are, also, underdark dwellers don't suffer from this. I feel like is just an unecessary mechanical gate that stops players from playing those races.
I can think of at least one character that this has happened with and it took a lifetime. An abnormally long lifetime. It also affected their innate darkvision so as to be not as sensitive. That being said...
A Kobold wouldn't have a long enough lifespan to allow its physiology to slowly alter itself over time to naturally arrive at the point you are suggesting. That doesn't prevent the Kobold Artificer from creating a magical device that protects their eyes from sunlight. But it might take time that this short lived race doesn't have.
Bottom line: You're the DM. Find a solution to make it work and still balance within your game.
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“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad
Your world, your rules. Kobolds could live above-ground and have mediocre darkvision as a hangover from when they used to live underground.
I started out using sunlight sensitivity for a Drow player, but now I've conceded that it doesn't add to the game. Instead, I may impose a round of disadvantage if characters with sunlight sensitivity move from dark to light, in the same way as when you draw the curtains after a night of drinking to find that it's midday, and a disgustingly beautiful day with absolutely no concern about how that might make your skull feel as your eyeballs retract into it to escape the pain. But always being at a disadvantage if you're outside is too presumptious of the game you want to play - if you're always in a dungeon, it does nothing. If you're always outside, it sucks. In both cases, the counter effect (darkvision vs sensitivity) doesn't actually come into play. And if there's a single human in your party, then there'll need to be torches anyway, so darkvision becomes moot!
If someone wanted to play a surface-raised kobold, I'd have them play a reskinned goblin or halfling or something. Sunlight Sensitivity is a key balancing feature of the race, and you could argue a kobold raised away from its people wouldn't have Pack Tactics either.
This is the same as people who try to reason that their elf studied linguistics for 700 years so they should be able to start with 10 languages. You get what you get mechanically, you can't use backstory to justify getting more stuff or to ignore the inconvenient features of your race.
If a character of a race such as a Kobold were to live most of its life aboveground, would it have lessened Sunlight Sensitivity or even fully negate it?
No. No. NO. BEEP RANT. I really hated when a player wants the benefits of a race but not the defects. Reskin an upstairs race so it looks like a kobold.
It's fair to say that sunlight sensitivity and darkvision go hand in hand for basically every race - if they have above-average darkvision (because, as we all know, darkvision is the average) then they have sunlight sensitivity. Sunlight sensitivity isn't there to balance pack tactics, it's to balance superior darkvision.
Stepping aside from the idea that the game is competitive or that all characters have to be perfectly equal (although most roll for stats), what effect would it have to remove sunlight sensitivity from the kobold and drop their darkvision to the same level as every other race? Would it make them a tank in combat? An unstoppable spellcaster? An impossibly good thief?
None of those - it will make them not be crippled outside of a dungeon. How often has superior darkvision really become useful? vs how often do players do things outdoors during the day? The cons of sunlight sensitivity vastly outweigh the pros of superior darkvision. I can't see it making any race "broken" by exchanging half their darkvision for the ability to function outside!
Honestly, as a DM, I just take sunlight sensitivity away. It's just a terrible hinderance that essentially make those races borderline unplayable for most campaigns.
And to add salt to injure, Deep Gnomes, that are, also, underdark dwellers don't suffer from this. I feel like is just an unecessary mechanical gate that stops players from playing those races.
So someone chooses one of the great race options of non-human characters. If you remove anything from the debuffs from that race, would you also remove anything from the buffs?
It's fair to say that sunlight sensitivity and darkvision go hand in hand for basically every race - if they have above-average darkvision (because, as we all know, darkvision is the average) then they have sunlight sensitivity. Sunlight sensitivity isn't there to balance pack tactics, it's to balance superior darkvision.
Stepping aside from the idea that the game is competitive or that all characters have to be perfectly equal (although most roll for stats), what effect would it have to remove sunlight sensitivity from the kobold and drop their darkvision to the same level as every other race? Would it make them a tank in combat? An unstoppable spellcaster? An impossibly good thief?
None of those - it will make them not be crippled outside of a dungeon. How often has superior darkvision really become useful? vs how often do players do things outdoors during the day? The cons of sunlight sensitivity vastly outweigh the pros of superior darkvision. I can't see it making any race "broken" by exchanging half their darkvision for the ability to function outside!
But kobalds have 60ft of darkvision, admittedly more than the like of humans and tortles but no more than any elf or dwarf.
Honestly, as a DM, I just take sunlight sensitivity away. It's just a terrible hinderance that essentially make those races borderline unplayable for most campaigns.
And to add salt to injure, Deep Gnomes, that are, also, underdark dwellers don't suffer from this. I feel like is just an unecessary mechanical gate that stops players from playing those races.
So someone chooses one of the great race options of non-human characters. If you remove anything from the debuffs from that race, would you also remove anything from the buffs?
Not at all. Dark Elfs are still not the strongest elves without Sunlight sensitivity. Shadar-Kai and Eladrin are arguably stronger. Besides, the main draw for the race would be the spellcasting, which every single Tiefling has a better or, at least, on par version of. (Maybe if you have really big dark dungeons that the superior darkvision is in effect a lot, you can say they are strong, but, for me, that's a niche - but the Twilight Cleric exists anyway and it can be from any race).
And Kobolds...honestly, Pack Tactics is the only draw to the race, but if you compare with Yuan-Ti, Variant Human, Custom Origin, Hill Dwarves, Gnomes, Half-Elves... really, I don't feel as though is worth the debuff on the race... (Kobolds have only normal darkvision, on top of that)
Take the Blind Fighting fighter style. 10ft blindsight should solve all your melee weapon issues, though you'd still have issues during the day with further off sight based tasks and ranged attacks.
This is exactly what I did with my drow paladin. I actually like the sunlight sensitivity from an RP and skill check perspective, but taking Blind Fighting allowed me not to be a major liability in combat. My DM and I rationalized it as, "there's plenty of invisible or burrowing monsters in the Underdark. Pally got good at relying on other senses to survive."
Sunlight sensitivity isn't there to balance pack tactics, it's to balance superior darkvision.
The cons of sunlight sensitivity vastly outweigh the pros of superior darkvision.
I was going to point out the flaw in your logic, but... you did it for me? If SS is a much bigger con than SD, it is not the balancing mechanic for SD. And I gotta point out - kobolds don't get SD anyway.
In general, 5e balance is done holistically rather than "you get one bad thing for this good thing," but if you wanted to mess with kobold the "pro" that is about as impactful as SS's "con" is Pack Tactics.
If a character of a race such as a Kobold were to live most of its life aboveground, would it have lessened Sunlight Sensitivity or even fully negate it?
"I told you don't touch that darn thing"
- Dell Conagher
All races get every traits as written but a DM could always modify or remove any as he /she see fit.
From a realistic point of view sentient creatures of a race that spend all their time undeground don't exist so what happens when one spends most of their life above ground is anybody's guess.
From a RAW point of view no, a kobold has sunsight sensitivity no ifs buts or maybes.
From a rule of cool point of view, you need to maintain balance, races that have sunlight sensitivity have other features that are more powerful than other races and sunlight sensitivity balances that. Kobolds have pack tactics, if the table don't use the optional flanking rule this is incredibly poweful (I don't like flanking because it makes advantage on attacks too easy to get making other features/spells that do the same much less useful (guiding bolt, pack tactics, features that can result in making the opponent prone like trip attack.....). It is something for the player and DM to discuss a suitable balance, you might for example say that such a kobold has no darkvision.
Just have them invent sunglasses.
Sunlight Sensitivity
You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.
It's ambiguous whether the "rely on sight" bit only relates to Perception checks or to attack rolls as well. If it's the eyesight bit that is the problem perhaps some form of blindsight could be sought so as to allow the kobold to simply close their eyes as needed.
As direct sunlight is the problem, I'd expect that surface-dwelling/visiting kobolds might value druids who had weather prediction abilities.
Take the Blind Fighting fighter style. 10ft blindsight should solve all your melee weapon issues, though you'd still have issues during the day with further off sight based tasks and ranged attacks.
I got quotes!
"If a character of a race such as a Kobold were to live most of its life aboveground" it could have any package of effects, positive and negative, that you homebrew and negotiate with your DM. It could be fun but, as far as many DMs may be concerned, it should at least be balanced.
Honestly, as a DM, I just take sunlight sensitivity away. It's just a terrible hinderance that essentially make those races borderline unplayable for most campaigns.
And to add salt to injure, Deep Gnomes, that are, also, underdark dwellers don't suffer from this. I feel like is just an unecessary mechanical gate that stops players from playing those races.
I can think of at least one character that this has happened with and it took a lifetime. An abnormally long lifetime. It also affected their innate darkvision so as to be not as sensitive. That being said...
A Kobold wouldn't have a long enough lifespan to allow its physiology to slowly alter itself over time to naturally arrive at the point you are suggesting. That doesn't prevent the Kobold Artificer from creating a magical device that protects their eyes from sunlight. But it might take time that this short lived race doesn't have.
Bottom line: You're the DM. Find a solution to make it work and still balance within your game.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad
Your world, your rules. Kobolds could live above-ground and have mediocre darkvision as a hangover from when they used to live underground.
I started out using sunlight sensitivity for a Drow player, but now I've conceded that it doesn't add to the game. Instead, I may impose a round of disadvantage if characters with sunlight sensitivity move from dark to light, in the same way as when you draw the curtains after a night of drinking to find that it's midday, and a disgustingly beautiful day with absolutely no concern about how that might make your skull feel as your eyeballs retract into it to escape the pain. But always being at a disadvantage if you're outside is too presumptious of the game you want to play - if you're always in a dungeon, it does nothing. If you're always outside, it sucks. In both cases, the counter effect (darkvision vs sensitivity) doesn't actually come into play. And if there's a single human in your party, then there'll need to be torches anyway, so darkvision becomes moot!
Make your Artificer work with any other class with 174 Multiclassing Feats for your Artificer Multiclass Character!
DM's Guild Releases on This Thread - latest release; the Harvest Sprite, a playable Jack-o-Lantern Race!
Or check them all out on DMs Guild!
DrivethruRPG Releases on This Thread - latest release: The College of Fisticuffs Bard!
I also dabble in art on here (my art thread)
If someone wanted to play a surface-raised kobold, I'd have them play a reskinned goblin or halfling or something. Sunlight Sensitivity is a key balancing feature of the race, and you could argue a kobold raised away from its people wouldn't have Pack Tactics either.
This is the same as people who try to reason that their elf studied linguistics for 700 years so they should be able to start with 10 languages. You get what you get mechanically, you can't use backstory to justify getting more stuff or to ignore the inconvenient features of your race.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
No. No. NO. BEEP RANT. I really hated when a player wants the benefits of a race but not the defects. Reskin an upstairs race so it looks like a kobold.
No Gaming is Better than Bad Gaming.
Ok for clarification of new partial decisions on this:
- The kobold was technically born underground but essentially raised and lives aboveground
- If Sunlight Sensitivity is lessened Darkvision will be too (for both logical and balancing purposes)
"I told you don't touch that darn thing"
- Dell Conagher
It's fair to say that sunlight sensitivity and darkvision go hand in hand for basically every race - if they have above-average darkvision (because, as we all know, darkvision is the average) then they have sunlight sensitivity. Sunlight sensitivity isn't there to balance pack tactics, it's to balance superior darkvision.
Stepping aside from the idea that the game is competitive or that all characters have to be perfectly equal (although most roll for stats), what effect would it have to remove sunlight sensitivity from the kobold and drop their darkvision to the same level as every other race? Would it make them a tank in combat? An unstoppable spellcaster? An impossibly good thief?
None of those - it will make them not be crippled outside of a dungeon. How often has superior darkvision really become useful? vs how often do players do things outdoors during the day? The cons of sunlight sensitivity vastly outweigh the pros of superior darkvision. I can't see it making any race "broken" by exchanging half their darkvision for the ability to function outside!
Make your Artificer work with any other class with 174 Multiclassing Feats for your Artificer Multiclass Character!
DM's Guild Releases on This Thread - latest release; the Harvest Sprite, a playable Jack-o-Lantern Race!
Or check them all out on DMs Guild!
DrivethruRPG Releases on This Thread - latest release: The College of Fisticuffs Bard!
I also dabble in art on here (my art thread)
So someone chooses one of the great race options of non-human characters. If you remove anything from the debuffs from that race, would you also remove anything from the buffs?
But kobalds have 60ft of darkvision, admittedly more than the like of humans and tortles but no more than any elf or dwarf.
Not at all. Dark Elfs are still not the strongest elves without Sunlight sensitivity. Shadar-Kai and Eladrin are arguably stronger. Besides, the main draw for the race would be the spellcasting, which every single Tiefling has a better or, at least, on par version of. (Maybe if you have really big dark dungeons that the superior darkvision is in effect a lot, you can say they are strong, but, for me, that's a niche - but the Twilight Cleric exists anyway and it can be from any race).
And Kobolds...honestly, Pack Tactics is the only draw to the race, but if you compare with Yuan-Ti, Variant Human, Custom Origin, Hill Dwarves, Gnomes, Half-Elves... really, I don't feel as though is worth the debuff on the race... (Kobolds have only normal darkvision, on top of that)
This is exactly what I did with my drow paladin. I actually like the sunlight sensitivity from an RP and skill check perspective, but taking Blind Fighting allowed me not to be a major liability in combat. My DM and I rationalized it as, "there's plenty of invisible or burrowing monsters in the Underdark. Pally got good at relying on other senses to survive."
I was going to point out the flaw in your logic, but... you did it for me? If SS is a much bigger con than SD, it is not the balancing mechanic for SD. And I gotta point out - kobolds don't get SD anyway.
In general, 5e balance is done holistically rather than "you get one bad thing for this good thing," but if you wanted to mess with kobold the "pro" that is about as impactful as SS's "con" is Pack Tactics.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
As others have said, if they were raised above ground then they probably weren't in a Kobold community which would grant Pack Tactics either.
And they wouldn't have been raised in a community with Kobolds speaking Draconic either.