Ok, maybe not, but it could be quite effective. Pack tactics is an enormous, easy-to-get boost to the force cannon/cantrip combo. Sunlight sensitivity sucks, but is not that bad considering you can fall back on the flame or healing turret and AOE blast spells in daylight encounters. And a wicked smaht kobold raised by gnomes or something sounds like a fun character concept.
With Tasha's optional rules, any race can be the best artillerist.
How? Pack Tactics is a racial feature, not a feat. Neither Custom Lineage nor Custom Origin allow you can take any particular race features that you want.
Also, Sunlight Sensitivity cancels out Pack Tactics any time you're outside during the day, so depending on the adventure you might be at best breaking even. At worst, there are plenty of times when you risk finding yourself attacking with disadvantage or being unable to gain advantage when a different race would not have that limitation.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Kobolds are the best everything. In my mind, they fit the whole inventive genius thing perfectly. They’re smart, clever, and tricky. Also, I just love Kobolds.
Kobolds are the best everything. In my mind, they fit the whole inventive genius thing perfectly. They’re smart, clever, and tricky. Also, I just love Kobolds.
Also, Sunlight Sensitivity cancels out Pack Tactics any time you're outside during the day, so depending on the adventure you might be at best breaking even. At worst, there are plenty of times when you risk finding yourself attacking with disadvantage or being unable to gain advantage when a different race would not have that limitation.
The backup plan is to use AOE spells, flame turret, and something like toll the dead. An artillerist can be really well equipped to deal with this.
Advantage also works better the more attacks one makes and artillerist maxes out at 3 attacks at lv 15 barring haste/SSI fun.
Overall I would say kobolds make decent artillerist. Score of 8/10. Cower and beg is the real strong feature IMO.
The easy way to get advantage for a ranged character is to use rogue for cunning action hide. That doesn't work on an artillerist because the turret use competes for the bonus action. I'd be curious to know of other ways for ranged characters to gain advantage consistently. Here's a quick list, but I probably have not thought of everything.
There's faerie fire, which can be resisted and eats an action and a concentration slot
Multiclassing into Samurai, which is a big dip for a very limited resource
Using a familiar with the help action, but it only works for one shot and can be tricky to set up with initiative order.
Darkness/Devil's site, which takes a three-level dip and still eats concentration.
I don't think any of these are superior to pack tactics in a typical fight. They all have a significant cost in terms of action economy, levelling dilution, or resources, or more than one of these.
The tradeoff with pack tactics is that you need reliable front line characters to set it up. That is easily achieved in most games. Sunlight sensitivity is annoying, but not the end of the world as I have pointed out above.
Also, Sunlight Sensitivity cancels out Pack Tactics any time you're outside during the day, so depending on the adventure you might be at best breaking even. At worst, there are plenty of times when you risk finding yourself attacking with disadvantage or being unable to gain advantage when a different race would not have that limitation.
The backup plan is to use AOE spells, flame turret, and something like toll the dead. An artillerist can be really well equipped to deal with this.
Sure, but at that point a kobold is no better than any other race.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Also, Sunlight Sensitivity cancels out Pack Tactics any time you're outside during the day, so depending on the adventure you might be at best breaking even. At worst, there are plenty of times when you risk finding yourself attacking with disadvantage or being unable to gain advantage when a different race would not have that limitation.
The backup plan is to use AOE spells, flame turret, and something like toll the dead. An artillerist can be really well equipped to deal with this.
Sure, but at that point a kobold is no better than any other race.
Of course.
But, you know, most of the time. . .
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Kobold?!
Ok, maybe not, but it could be quite effective. Pack tactics is an enormous, easy-to-get boost to the force cannon/cantrip combo. Sunlight sensitivity sucks, but is not that bad considering you can fall back on the flame or healing turret and AOE blast spells in daylight encounters. And a wicked smaht kobold raised by gnomes or something sounds like a fun character concept.
This assumes Tasha's custom origins.
With Tasha's optional rules, any race can be the best artillerist.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
I just started playing a kobold artillerist in one of Adohand's many RP threads. He's definitely fun.
I have a weird sense of humor.
I also make maps.(That's a link)
Because they get advantage extremely easily in a way that benefits ranged classes. It's a fairly simple idea.
How? Pack Tactics is a racial feature, not a feat. Neither Custom Lineage nor Custom Origin allow you can take any particular race features that you want.
Also, Sunlight Sensitivity cancels out Pack Tactics any time you're outside during the day, so depending on the adventure you might be at best breaking even. At worst, there are plenty of times when you risk finding yourself attacking with disadvantage or being unable to gain advantage when a different race would not have that limitation.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Kobolds are the best everything. In my mind, they fit the whole inventive genius thing perfectly. They’re smart, clever, and tricky. Also, I just love Kobolds.
Kobolds are awesome.
I have a weird sense of humor.
I also make maps.(That's a link)
The backup plan is to use AOE spells, flame turret, and something like toll the dead. An artillerist can be really well equipped to deal with this.
The easy way to get advantage for a ranged character is to use rogue for cunning action hide. That doesn't work on an artillerist because the turret use competes for the bonus action. I'd be curious to know of other ways for ranged characters to gain advantage consistently. Here's a quick list, but I probably have not thought of everything.
I don't think any of these are superior to pack tactics in a typical fight. They all have a significant cost in terms of action economy, levelling dilution, or resources, or more than one of these.
The tradeoff with pack tactics is that you need reliable front line characters to set it up. That is easily achieved in most games. Sunlight sensitivity is annoying, but not the end of the world as I have pointed out above.
Sure, but at that point a kobold is no better than any other race.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Of course.
But, you know, most of the time. . .