Kobold

Kobolds are aggressive, insular, yet industrious small humanoid creatures. They are noted for their skill at building traps and preparing ambushes, and mining. They are distantly related to dragons and urds.

Description

A kobold is a reptilian humanoid, standing about 2 feet tall, weighing about 40 pounds, with scaled skin and red or burnt orange eyes. These creatures often follow a dragon of some sort, and over the generations their scales will slowly change to match that of the nearest dragon. If they have no dragon to serve, their scales tend toward reddish brown and black. Their legs are sinewy and digitigrade. They have long, clawed fingers and a jaw like a crocodile. Small white or tan horns protrude from their head, and they have scaled, rat-like tails. They often smell of wet dog or stagnant water, though they are exceptionally clean creatures. Kobolds like to wear red or orange garments, though those following a dragon closely will often change for clothing of their dragon's color whenever possible. These clothes are usually ragged.

Sub-Races

• Dragonwrought Kobolds: Rare members of the kobold race with a stronger connection to their draconic ancestors.

Personality

Kobolds are resentful of their short stature and hate members of other races who poke fun at them for this. Most feel as though they ought to compensate for their small size in other ways, such as humor or aggression. They naturally tend to hate larger creatures, and although they will show respect and obedience if required, they always look for ways to display their resentment.
The ultimate goal of the kobold race is to conquer as much land as possible, typically offering up this land as a tribute to a dragon.
Where other races consider heroes to be those who enact great feats of strength or military prowess, kobold heroes are those who show great prowess in trap setting, torture, and ambush. The most favored among a tribe, even more than clerics of the kobold deities are sorcerers blessed with magic by draconic blood. These special spellcasters lead the tribes, using their magic to allow them to mine harder and for longer, ever seeking deeper treasures for their hoard.

Biology

Reproduction

A pregnant female will lay her egg within two weeks. About one in ten pregnancies lead to two eggs. An egg needs incubation for about two months, but the newly hatched kobold can walk within just a few hours. The eggs are particularly sturd, and the young inside can survive even if the egg breaks as much as fifteen days early. Kobold young mature quickly, having reached adulthood in just six years.
Some rare kobold children have wings, while still others are dragonwrought, and show signs of descent from a specific color of draconic ancestor, even if the tribe has followed a different type of dragon for generations long enough to tinge their scales that color. If this is the case, the kobolds will often seek to leave the dragon they have served and seek out a dragon of the same color as the newly hatched dragonwrought, believing the entire tribe to be descended from that sort of dragon. It is possible to identify a dragonwrought egg because the shell will be speckled with flecks of the dragon's color, which become more numerous throughout the incubation period. Due to this, some dragons will seek to destroy dragonwrought eggs of a color different than their own in order to keep their kobold servants. While winged kobolds are often disparaged by ordinary kobolds, ritual demands that dragonwrought eggs be taken to a sacred hatching place so that dragonwrought kobolds can be raised above ground in case they are able to fly and need to learn to use their wings.

Shedding

Like other reptiles, kobolds shed their skin periodically. A growing kobold might do this as frequently as weekly, but a developed one usually sheds once per season. Unlike snakes, kobolds do not shed their entire skin at once; they instead shed portions of it over a period of time, much like lizards do. The process is usually accelerated by rubbing. An herb known as bitterleaf is often applied after shedding to help the new scales acquire strength and shine.

Lycanthropy

At some point in time, kobolds learned to domesticate dire weasels to serve them as guards and hunters. This resulted in lycanthropic kobold dire wereweasels. Around one in ten thousand kobolds is a natural lycanthrope in this manner.

Combat

Kobolds use their cunning and sheer weight of numbers to defeat enemies. They prefer to lay traps or ambushes, and will only engage a foe directly after it was weakened. If their numbers are diminished such that they have less than a two-to-one advantage, the group will usually flee. Kobold traps include spike pits, tripwires, flaming oil, and poisonous vermin. They dislike halflings to such an extent that they will usually attack on sight, even in only one-to-one odds.
Kobolds will usually loot what treasure they can carry from their defeated enemies, who are usually kolled. Occasionally, kobolds will enslave their foes, who then might be sold on, unless they are halflings, which kobolsd will always kill, but never eat.

Society

Kobolds are respectful to authority figures, and will obey diligently, particularly when their ruler is of a lawful evil alignment or is a dragon, regardless of alignment.
Kobolds have natural tendencies toward sorcery. They can live up to 135 years and dragonwrought kobolds even longer. Kobolds are similar to dragons, but while dragons have warm blood, kobolds are cold-blooded. Due to this, they are susceptible to cold, especially if it is brought on quickly. THey enjoy swimming and will gather to bathe together, especially after shedding. Kobolds take a lot of care maintaining their claws and teeth, using smooth stones to polish claws and chewing roots to clean teeth.
While each kobold values its own life, the tribe comes first. They consider the success of their tribe to be their own success, and believe that a death incurred serving the tribe will see the individual reincarnated into the next batch of eggs in that tribe. Due to this, kobolds keep an eye out for any hatchlings who resemble the recently slain and groom them into a role similar to the fallen.

Homelands

Kobolds live in the dark, ideally underground or thick forest, in tribal societies. Their lairs are often overcrowded, although when one tribe becomes too numerous, it splits into numerous smaller ones. The overcrowding eliminates the concept of privac, so kobolds sleep in communal areas where nudity is not regarded as shameful or offensive, even to the opposite sex. Kobolds wear clothing for function or ritual, not to prevent nudity. The common overcroding often leads to conflict, and two kobolds will fight to settle their differences, though these fights are very rarely lethal. This leads to a lack of deep-rooted divisions of grievances in kobold society.

Culture

Kobold culture is tight-knit and closely bonded to each other as they each hold tightly to their draconic ancestry, however faint it may be. Due to this, there is little infighting amongst kobolds and what does exist is often solved relatively quickly.

Mating

Kobolds do not maintain monogamous relationships, and due to the importance they place on propogation, they choose mates by practical measures rather than love or other emotions. Mating is an impersonal act for kobolds.

Mining

Kobolds are talented miners. Kobolds often create their lairs by mining them from the rock. Mining is a meticulous planned and conducted process where nothing is left to chance. Divination magic is used to locate ore and mineral deposits. A high proportion of a kobold tribe are miners. Each family group is expected to cut its own room, the walls of which they will adorn with a pictorial history of the family.

Crafting

The greatest art for kobolds is trapmaking. The use of invention and cunning in traps is the mark of a good trapmaker. The other art form is the pictorial representation of the tribe's history, created on the walls of a specially created room in every lair. Kobolds enjoy making jewelry from the gems and precious metals they encounter while mining. They can be possessive about their personal jewelry collections, and much effort is put into crafting beautiful jewelry, unlikeo ther items, which are functional rather than aesthetically pleasing.

Fashion

Most kobolds are miners and so dress in sleeveless tunics and breeches; but kobolds enjoy dressing in more elegant clothing for festivals. These include clothes made from silk or leather, but tailored clothes are only common among leaders. Garments are often made to compliment the wearer's eyes, which involve the use of orange or red dyes. Other garments might be dyed to demonstrate the wearer's affinity to a particular kind of dragon. Kobolds require the dexterity in their feet too often to wear footwear, and the soles of their feet are hard enough to cope with most surfaces. Due to the amount of time kobolds spend mining, gemstones are readily available, and they use these to adorn their clothing, and to make jewelry.

Religion

The main deity of the kobolds is DEITY, the god of trickery and mining, who hates all living things besides their kin and dragons. A main part of their religion is to seek out magic items that they believe may help DEITY in his eternal conflict against Narvorarum. The other main god worshiped by the kobolds is DEITY2, the god of protection, stealth, war, and traps. A lesser-known kobold demigod is DEITY3. The remainder of the kobold pantheon is comprised of deified kobold heroes.
Kobolds are also known for serving dragons and praising them as gods. A kobold tribe will present a dragon with tributes and sacrifices and whatever they think it may like; they may even see it as a great honor to be devoured by the creature. If a kobold tribe is not accepted by a dragon, they might start working for it in secret. Once a tribe settles to serve a dragon, their entire existence is to serve their god in every way.

Diet

Kobolds are omnivorous, eating plants and animals, but will not refuse to eat intelligent creatures if the opportunity presents itself. They are able to eat just about anything when the situation becomes desperate, even tree bark or bone. Due to their cold-blooded nature, kobolds that spend time in a warm place will not need to eat for days.

Relationships

Kobolds hold a hatred for nearly all other humanoids races and enjoy killing and torturing them, in particular brownies, halflings, pixies, and sprites.
Kobolds are known to use dire weasels as mounts.

Notable Kobolds

• Verismol: A kobold hero and bounty hunter who was deified, leading kobolds down a purely lawful path under the neutral dragon deities, and calling for them to follow the word of the law.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Leather made from kobold skin is soft and flexible, and elves have been known to craft items from it. Kobold bones are sometimes used in the hilts of weapons.

Civilization and Culture

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Kobolds speak Yipyak, a version of the High Draconic language, with a yipping accent. Some can also speak Undercommon. While High Draconic had very basic runes, it did not have a truly elaborate writing system until the creation of Yipyak.

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Table of Contents

Game Statistics

Custom System

To Be Made

5th Edition

To Be Made

4th Edition

To Be Made

3.5th Edition

To Be Made

2nd Edition

Ability Score Adjustment. The initial ability scores are modified by a -1 penalty to Strength and Constitution.

Ability	Minimum	Maximum
Strength	3	16
Dexterity	4	18
Constitution	4	15
Intelligence	3	17
Wisdom	3	18
Charisma	3	14

Class	Maximum
Fighter	8
‎ ‎ ‎Paladin	—
‎ ‎ ‎Ranger	—
‎ ‎ ‎Barbarian	—
Mage	8
‎ ‎ ‎Specialist	—
‎ ‎ ‎Warlock	8
Cleric	9
‎ ‎ ‎Druid	—
‎ ‎ ‎Monk	—
‎ ‎ ‎Shaman	7
Thief	12
‎ ‎ ‎Assassin	12
‎ ‎ ‎Bard	—
Psionicist	—

Special Advantages. Kobolds can see in the dark, up to 60 feet with their infravision.
Unless kobold characters display special capabilities, intelligent and powerful opponents are likely to attack them last of all.
Special Disadvantages. Bright light hinders kobolds, making it difficult for them to see. When forced to fight in sunlit conditions or the equivalent, kobolds receive a -1 penalty to their attack rolls.
Role-Playing Suggestions. Kobolds strive to be taken seriously be the larger races. They hate jokes directed at their diminuitive size and strength, and seek to make up for their shortcomings through ferocity and tenacity. To other races, their language sounds like the yapping of small dogs, and few can take them seriously unless they are in large numbers.
Kobold PCs break the model of typical specimens of the race. There are those who reject the racial hatreds and savage practices of their fellows. Others discover the faith of a kinder god, and seek to learn and spread such faith to others. A few have no stomach for fighting and bloodshed, and these become rogues who go asventuring to escape the life they were born into.
Whatever the case, kobold PCs have a harder edge than other character types. They retain their dislike of short jokes, and they are often belligerent, wise-cracking, and pushy, as they must make up for their small size in whatever way they can. Even the most pleasant of the race are a little mean-spirited, especially when it comes to halflings.
Kobolds, especially kobold rogues, like to keep in practice with their skills of trickery, ambushing, and setting traps. Some few take to inventing, applying their cleverness and ingenuity to non-fatal mechanisms.
Languages. kobold, orcish, goblin, common
Monstrous Traits. Appearance, dog-like voices, bestial habits.
Superstitions. Fear of spellcasters, fear and hatred of larger races, hatred of halflings.
Weapon Proficiencies. Club (spiked), hand axe, javelin, shortsword, spear.
Nonweapon Proficiencies. Animal noise, animal training (giant weasel), animal training (wild boar), begging, close-quarter fighting, danger sense, fast-talking, gem cutting, hiding, looting, mining, set snares, wild fighting.

Pathfinder 2nd Edition

To Be Made

Lifespan

Usually up to 50 years, max 120 years

Average Height

2'-2'6"

Average Weight

35-45 pounds