I'm looking for some fun ideas for a kobold build. I'm not really looking to min-max, just something that would be enjoyable to play either in combat or roleplay. My first idea was an alchemist artificer but that's probably just because I like being a little chaos boy and tend to lean towards artificers a lot. Bonus points for builds that have stupid gimmicks

Playing as a kobold doesn't of itself lean into anything in particular... but Kobold Barbarian seems the most illogical choice given "grovel, cower and beg" as an option. 

Go Sorcerer and pick Wild Magic.  Every time he/she casts a spell, it scares the bejabbers out of them and when the Wild Magic kicks in, they get borderline hysterical with fear.  Be a load of fun to RP, for sure and if you apply stats right, functional as well.  Not optimal, as you said you were fine with, but with careful number placement, could be tons of fun and sill functional in the party.

• Kobold Blood Hunter
• This Kobold Blood Hunter has a terrible phobia of blood. Any time he invokes his Crimson Rite he makes a Charisma saving throw or swoons.
• Proficieny in History, Investigation and Insight.
• Blood Curse of the Anxious (how fitting)
• Wields a Shortbow and a Greatsword. Only ever uses the Greatsword if he has pack tactics, to offset the disadvantage given by him being too small to use it effectively.
• Order of the Lycan - were-kobold!

Blood hunter scared of blood would be pretty funny. Would probably try it but nobody I play with uses blood hunter (or really any critical role stuff) since they don't play with it much and it would take some balancing + time to get used to lol. As for sorcerer, wild magic sounds like a lotta fun with either an anxious kobold or one that has no fear of death and just hurls as much fire as possible

I like the idea of a Kobold Artificer... I think an alchemist sounds fun for the sort of random chaos of it all. It would be fun to pull from the Kobold Inventor in the bestiary for inspiration, since they seem to have a similar sort of chaotic feel.

On top of that, I think a spellcaster class is safer for a Kobold... with their sunlight sensitivity they can't reliably attack at all times, so having some save-based damaging spells let's you keep fighting even in the sun, but you can still grab some Attack-Roll based spells to take advantage of Pack Tactics. 

Quote from TransmorpherDDS >>

I like the idea of a Kobold Artificer... I think an alchemist sounds fun for the sort of random chaos of it all. It would be fun to pull from the Kobold Inventor in the bestiary for inspiration, since they seem to have a similar sort of chaotic feel.

On top of that, I think a spellcaster class is safer for a Kobold... with their sunlight sensitivity they can't reliably attack at all times, so having some save-based damaging spells let's you keep fighting even in the sun, but you can still grab some Attack-Roll based spells to take advantage of Pack Tactics. 

 I love alchemists so much. I'm playing a changeling alchemist rn so if I do go with the alchemist kobold I'll probably just play a couple characters in between lmao

If your DM rules that Dim light is not sunlight, a Twilight Cleric can be an effective way to mitigate sunlight sensitivity. The fact that they’re melee-range clerics synergies well with pack tactics too!

or, a Battlesmith, Beastmaster, cavalier, or other mounted combatant is another option. Youll be making straight attack rolls against every enemy since you’ll always be benefiting from pack tactics from your mount… but will never be able to have advantage in sunlight which is a bummer. Small characters make great mounted combatants though, because your medium dog or whatever is unlikely to ever be kicked out of the dungeon as inappropriate , unlike a humans horse, so the combat tricks you build for will always be available (and again, are actually MORE effective indoors away from the sun!)

I could see a Kobold  3 Rune Knight / X Beast Barbarian being a LOT of fun...

I am playing a kobold rogue, and pack tactics + sneak attack makes for a nasty combination.

He is also the party's cook, which has led to much hilarity (at least hilarious to me and the DM).  Most of it centered around the party, one night realizing that he was cooking up a human assassin the party had killed, and the paladin starting to lecture the rogue on why cannibalism is bad, and my rogue answering...  "But I don't understand...  you've all been eating my stews and steaks for weeks...  what do you think I've been serving you?  Meat is meat, right?"

Quote from Sanvael >>

Playing as a kobold doesn't of itself lean into anything in particular... but Kobold Barbarian seems the most illogical choice given "grovel, cower and beg" as an option. 

I absolutely hate that Grovel, Cower and Beg ability, but if you want to double down on it, go kobold Circle of the Moon druid -- you can grovel to give your party advantage as your action, then immediately Wild Shape into something that makes other people cower and beg as a bonus action...

I like the idea of being a Kobold Beast Master Ranger who uses their companion as a mount. Get those pack tactics built in and increase your speed. 

There are also potentially flying mount options, like the vulture and dimetrodon 

And maybe a multiclass into rogue for some sneak attack dice would be good too, since your mount is always going to be a little squishy but replaceable anyways

Full cleric, calls himself shaman or spirit doctor, worships the sun. Must appease the red god every morning or he will become angry with you and plunge the world into a frozen wasteland. Preach at sunset, “rest now mighty fire lord, your work is done, your subjects are warm, the harvest has been nourished and the hide has been tanned. Rest and gather your strength for tomorrow at dawn we begin again.”

I made a Kobold Artificer - Battlesmith that roleplays as a self-proclaimed Knight-In-Shining-Armor. Uses his Steel Defender (which looks like a steel pony) as a mount, heavy armor w/shield and uses a Kobold-sized "Lance" (Its a rapier). Ser Bold the Boisterous. 

Rune knight with a big 2 hander. While in normal form, you'd have disadvantage on attacks, but once you use giant growth, you become large and no longer have disadvantage.

I have an Artificer who is Goblin-sized but I can totally see Kobold for this.

Think about any memorable small character in a film and that's an idea.

Think of any really big character in a film...now make them small. Comedy for days!

I can see having a Kobold in the party and having a Gnome that likes to claim that there is finally someone shorted in the party.

I like the idea of a kobold warlock who made a pact with a dragon. Might take some figuring out what subclass to use but could be fun.

I would love to see a Kobold battlesmith artificer who uses their Steel Defender as a mount.

I have an idea for a seafaring kobold bladesinger whose blade song is more like a cross between a haka and a frilled lizard's threat display

A kobold rogue who yells "sneak attack" while using sneak attack to gain advantage to let him use sneak attack.