So, I’ve been wondering this ever since I first made the character, because frankly, I haven’t actually had the chance to play it.

Are Tabaxi Scouts overly strong?

Out of combat, my character has proficiency in 10 of the 18 skills - as well as expertise in 6 of them, due to the Scout’s expertise in Nature and Survival as well as the Rogue’s 4 expertises. As soon as I hit level 9, I get Reliable Talent, making almost every roll with one of those TEN proficiencies a minimum roll of 16+.

Again, I haven’t played it - and I haven’t really even played a ROGUE, so there’s a chance that that’s just what they do. But it seems strong, at least on paper. I could also see good ability score rolls being part of the answer. I dunno.

Not a single one of those skills will help you beat a Kraken.

Not a single one of those skills will keep you alive when suddenly surrounded by enemies all stabbing you.

Not a single one of those skills will help you survive a Beholder.

Not a single one of those skills will stop the ... I think you get the point.

No, it's not gamebreaking, not even remotely close to it.

But it can certainly be a boatload of fun, ultra high mobility at its best.  The skill bonuses are just icing on the cake of PURE SPEED!!!

I suppose that's fair enough, though on the other hand, every Scout trait after that level 3 expertises go toward combat. Speed, Ambush Master, Sudden Strike, etc. They aren't slacking in combat.

Though, you are correct in that they hold no particular edge.

Get the Mobile feat.  Awwwww yah!

Quote from Brian_Avery >>

I do not think it's game breaking

 
Yay we're in agreement! They asked "is it gamebreaking" and my answer was "no" and your answer was "no". It doesn't matter if it is close or not (which is decided by DM skills) or whether the skills are useful. The question was if it breaks the game and it doesn't.

Now, I can argue that it doesn't come close but to be honest that is an utterly worthless discussion as it very heavily relies on the game. There will be situations where skills will be great and situations where they offer nothing and we could go back and forth about them forever. That discussion isn't the focus: the focus is does it break the game, ie does it present something a DM cannot possibly handle without DM shenanigans and the answer is no.

Alright, yeah, phrasing it as gamebreaking was improper on my part, as I don’t even believe it’s gamebreaking, but it feels like one of the strongest Race/Subclass combinations out there for sure. 

And it does make me very excited to play this Rogue.

I actually opted for the Alert feat and the Observant feat. Those two put together by level 12 gave me a ridiculous +10 initiative (WITH advantage later) and a smooth 26 passive perception (expertise in perception + 5). I may pick up mobile as well...

Mobile scout has 50 base move at 9.  Plus you get free disengages for the poor schmoe you just stabbed the heck out of.  You can kite almost anything.

That being said, Alert is a strooooong contender for my level 12 ASI.  Right before you get the "The first person you shoot in combat gets butchered by your entire team" skill.  You definitely want to be be winning the initiative rolls then!  It's only for one turn... but still.  Everyone.  Has.  Advantage.  First.  Turn.   Your SA (hopefully you got a SA first round) hit.  Your paladin's nova hits.  Your Fighter's umpteen attacks all hit.  Your magic users hit with their ugly as heck spells.

Quote from Brian_Avery >>

Cyb3rM1nd there will also be times when damage means nothing, sarcasm and semantics aside... are you conceding every single point in your post except one?

You did not refute any of the skills mentioned being able to deal with a Kraken or Beholder?

That was the easiest win in a debate I have ever had. Thank-you.

 
Given how we were in agreement on the main topic/question I didn't realise we were debating.

No I don't concede a single thing: as I explained already, but shall rephrase for you, I cannot be bothered to argue about small details that will not contribute to the main point: the expertise in these skills is not gamebreaking. That was all I came here to say, I have said it, you agreed with it even the OP has since agreed - so I'm not entirely sure where the "debate" really is.

I see no point in entering into a debate about how close or not close to gamebreaking it is or discussing at length the relevance of these skills in some hypothetical limited scenarios I gave only a few seconds of thought into. They were not brought up to discuss, just to present the context of thought that while skills are useful being expert in them doesn't break the game. As I pointed out such discussions is only going to boil down to personal preference, ancedotal gameplay of personal games, different playstyles, and potentially infinite amount of hypothetical scenarios that can be conjured in "for" and "against" contexts. It's an irrelevant and futile discussion.

If my not willing to go into pointless argument means you win then, congrats on your victory? *shrug* I'd post the image of some really small kiddy "win" cup for you but that might be crossing the line into meme territory and The Powers That Be have strict rules on that. Sorry.

Quote from Brian_Avery >>

The only point it seemed your original post was making is that skills are useless in almost every scenario.

 
No. The point was the use of skills were not gamebreaking - skills can help you in all sorts of way, but to be gamebreaking they must grant some instant "I-Win-Everything" button and they simply don't. There will be situations where skills become very useful and the expertise really shines but there will also be situations where skills offer much less or nothing. Again, the multitudes of various situations and playstyles etc, come into play but ultimately if it was "game breaking" then there would not be these scenarios: you'd just always "win" every situation. My post was to present the idea there will be scenarios where super skills are not going to be as helpful and because those scenarios exist (and can be plentiful) they cannot be described as gamebreaking.

Quote from Brian_Avery >>

By not refuting what I wrote in my first post you have conceded that skills do matter in the game.

 
I never said otherwise. I gave a few very quickly haphazardly thought up examples where skills will be not as helpful or less useful to illustrate a point. Nowhere have I said that skills did not matter in a game. Can you please quote where I stated this? I have no concern about your inferences, mind, only what I have actually stated.

Quote from Brian_Avery >>

The more skills a player has can have a huge impact on the game.

 
Agreed. Never said otherwise.

Quote from Brian_Avery >>

Many of the online players who make OP characters are constantly making versions of what they call 'skill monkeys' which are characters with an abundance of (and in some cases all the) skills.

 
Yes, and? A powerful skill-based build is just a powerful skill-based build. It's nothing a DM cannot handle and still make challenges for so it's not gamebreaking. If anything the only real challenge it presents to a DM is ensuring everyone else gets to make attempts which can be a chore or exciting depending on the DM and still not gamebreaking.

Quote from Brian_Avery >>

You can post any memes and award all the kiddy trophies to whoever you wish.

 
If only it were so. (*eyes the mods*)

Quote from Brian_Avery >>

The fact that your first post was so utterly pointless

 
It's weird you say my post was pointless when you actually agreed with the point. My point was the expertise in skills, even with reliable talent, does not break the game and you agreed. Sorry, no "backsies". Ya can't agree to a point in my post then say I never made it. :P Points for trying, though. XD

Quote from Brian_Avery >>

because you were so completely wrong and off-base about skills

 
If I was so completely wrong in the idea that there can be situations skills are less useful and therefore having expertise + reliable talent is not gramebreaking then why did you agree with me? XD It's like you made something up in your head and convinced yourself you read it in my post and so you're arguing with me about something I never said.

Quote from Brian_Avery >>

is good enough for me and anyone else who reads this.

 
With respect you have no authority to dictate what is or is not good enough for anyone other than you.

Quote from Brian_Avery >>

I sincerely hope in the future that you learn to use skills more in your game and have a lot of fun with them.

 
I try to include skills where I can in my games, they're very useful (and I never stated otherwise). My first "storyline" game featured heavily on investigation as the party looked into a case of a missing child that had been abducted.

Woah Cyber I think he's dead...  killed by your well used argumentative skills.  If Brian does not realize how he overstepped at this point he never will.

Conclusion, skills are cool, lots of skills can be lots of fun.  Tons of skills does not break a game.  Tabaxi Scout looks like an entertaining build with lots of potential.

Quote from Brian_Avery >>

Since you still don't get the sarcasm and semantics point let's see if you get this one... you are now making a better argument for skills than I had the time to, so this turned out to be an even better victory than I originally thought it would be. Thank-you and please continue.

 
Aww, sure. You adorbs. *boops your nose*

Here's a better question.  Is a Tabaxi Scout annoying enough to ruin the game for everyone else in the party?

DISCUSS!

I think, as was mentioned earlier will give the DM some interesting work making sure that not every skill related scenario the scout overshadows everyone else in the group, but the skill monkey has been a tried and true archetype for DnD for as long as I have been playing so probably not.

I mean it would really depend upon the player using it but I think everything would work out fine.  Also I thinketh that Sir Avery is slightly salted. 

Will a Tabaxi Scout Rogue be a valuable member of the party in many situations. Ab-so-lutely. Is it a gamebreaking combo? No, and here's my take on why.

What does being a Tabaxi Scout get you that you might not get if you were a different race? 

Darkvision - lots of races have Darkvision

Feline Agility - a free Dash every other turn, but you have to stay still for a turn to reset it. Lets you reach an enemy faster, or run away from one faster with Cunning Action Disengage, but I wouldn't call that gamebreaking

Cat's Claws - You have a climbing speed of 20 feet. Useful sure, not gamebreaking. You can do 1d4+Str damage with unarmed strikes instead of 1+Str. Considering you're likely Dex-based and not Str-based, this is of limited use(taking a Monk level or two makes it more useful, but still...) 

Cat's Talent - Yes, this is quite useful for a Rogue, as they're skills nearly every Rogue wants, freeing up their other skill choices for other things. Then again, there are other races that get bonus skills(Half-Orc, Goliath, Elf, etc), and the Half-Elf can pick ANY two. 

The Rogue Scout itself is a darned good subclass, being a Tabaxi mixes well with it, but I definitely wouldn't call the combo broken in any way. 

So.

I just made a Tabaxi Scout with 3 levels in bard, have not gotten to play him yet but at level 11 six of the skills have a min of +10

The moment when Rouge level reaches 11 and all proficiency stat rolls are a 10 minimum. I am ready. 

I have a half elf Scout I am playing.  Like you said it is a ton of skills you have.  I think half-elf is actually the better choice for a skill monkey because of the extra point you get on point buy.  I dumped constitution to 10 so I started with a 12 strength, 12 Intelligence, 14 Wisdom and 14 Charisma

It makes you really effective out of combat, especially if you combine it with a highish Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma.  If you do that you will be better than any class at wilderness stuff.  Better than a Ranger unless he took Natural Explorer AND you are in his favored terrain.  Then you have 6 total expertises at 6th level.  I took Athletics, Investigation, Deception and stealth in addition to survival and Nature.

That said in combat a Scout is not one of the more powerful Rogues and Rogues are not one of the more powerful classes.  In terms of combat you are on the lower end of a lower tier class.  You get very little in terms of combat abilities from your subclass.  The skirmisher feature sounds great but it is not very useful.  As a matter of fact I am 8th level and I have never used it.  The problem is if an enemy ends his turn within 5 feet of you he usually has attacked you and since you have crap AC if he attacked you then usually you would have used uncanny dodge to reduce the damage and would not have your reaction to move.

That said I am having a lot of fun with my Scout but you really need to invest in the out-of-combat stuff and be creative in combat.  If you are in a party that is heavily combat-focused it is not going to turn out well I don't think.  If you are in a  party that balances the three pillars you will be the "life of the party" when not in combat.  Instead of attacking be on the lookout for other opportunities in combat.  Use your expertise in athletics to grapple a guy and pull him off the Fighter who is near death.  If you know you are going to be in a fight prepare the battlefield with traps oil etc and do this at night before you go to bed to get the wandering monsters that will come into play.    

If you are going scout I would also look at picking up some feats.  You are purposely not building a damage build so don't try to optimize sneak attack.  I went and took magic initiate with absorb elements, booming blade and minor illusion.  Gives me a bit more damage on a melee sneak attack, has a nice once a day to half damage on elemental damage that requires a con save or when I fail the dex save (taking half of half or one quarter damage with evasion).  Then I took actor and it works really well combined with minor illusion and my expertise in deception.

You need a DM that will play with you on this though.  If your party just wants to line up the monsters in a Congo line and kill them it will not be as fun as a scout.