Kobolds

"Kobolds aren't anything to be afraid of, unless they're dug in. They're more of a pest than a real threat, sneaking around, stealing food scraps out of the trash and laundry. But if you see a large number of them then there's something awful making them march. A kobold army means a dragon is in the area."
~Archmage Dulacar, of the Brass Tower

Basic Information

Anatomy

Kobold is a reptilian humanoid standing between 2' and 2'6" (60cm – 75cm) tall, weighing 35 to 45 pounds (16 – 20kg), with scaled skin between reddish brown and black in color and burnt orange to red eyes. 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 rat-like tails. They often smell of wet dog and stagnant water.

Genetics and Reproduction

Kobolds are extremely fecund egg-layers, having among the highest birth rate among humanoids, rivaled only by the ophidians . A pregnant female lays her egg within two weeks. About one in ten pregnancies leads to two eggs. An egg needs incubation for about two months, but the newly hatched kobold can walk in just hours. The eggs are particularly sturdy, and the young inside can survive even if the egg breaks as much as fifteen days early. Kobold young mature quickly, reaching young adulthood in six years. They often lay eggs in a common nest, with specialized foster parents watching over the eggs and wyrmlings.
Additionally, dragons naturally create kobolds. A dragon in hibernation inside of an established lair will find a small tribe of the little scalykind digging, mining, and worshiping. While asleep, these kobolds were formed from the walls of the lair, warped into existence by the dragon's powerful magical presence. Even during normal sleep, one or two kobolds may be produced in this way, and unfertilized dragon eggs will produce a clutch of around a dozen kobolds as well. These kobolds are more likely to show elemental or draconic traits such as wings or breath weapons.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Kobolds are omnivorous, eating plants and animals, but would 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 doesn't need to eat for days.

Biological Cycle

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. Bitterleaf is often applied after shedding to help the new scales acquire strength and shine.

Additional Information

Domestication

Kobolds are easily enslaved by other Scalykind races. They are oppressed, exploited and expendable.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Kobolds can be found anywhere that dragons can be found.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Kobolds have good eyesight and hearing, and can see in total darkness. Unlike most Scalykind, they have a passive sense of smell, and a good sense of hearing.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Kobold names are generally one seemingly random and meaningless syllable. Sometimes, particularly self-important kobolds will give themselves a name more resembling a dragon.

Courtship Ideals

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

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Kobolds speak Yipyak, a version of the Draconic language, with a yipping accent. Some can also speak Common.

Common Dress Code

Most kobolds are miners and so dress in sleeveless tunics and breeches; but kobolds enjoy dressing in more elegant clothing for festivities. 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 involves 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

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Kobolds often create their lairs by mining them from the rock. Mining is a meticulously 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 adorn with a pictorial history of the family.
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 privacy, 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, but not to prevent nudity. The common overcrowding often leads to conflict, and two kobolds fight to settle their differences, although these fights are not usually lethal. This leads to a lack of deep-rooted divisions or grievances in kobold society.
They are respectful of authority figures and obey them diligently, particularly when their ruler is strong and involved.
Kobolds have specialized laborers, yet the majority of kobolds are miners. They possess darkvision and are particularly sensitive to bright light. Kobolds prefer exile to execution, and in some disputes, kobolds split tribes in order to spread their kind over a larger region. Kobolds have natural tendencies towards sorcery. They can live up to 135 years, and dragonwrought 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 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.
Kobolds' pride (and value) comes from their patron dragon if they have one, then the tribe, then their family, then themselves. They are traditionally willing to sacrifice anything of lesser importance for the greater.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

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, unlike other items, which are functional rather than aesthetically pleasing.

History

While clans and families maintain private histories, the servile kobolds are not allowed to keep a sweeping history of their race. Any attempt by a kobold to piece together a larger contextual history tends to result in outright slaughter by dragons.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Scalykind

Your Kobold character has the following Racial Traits.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Strength score is reduced by 2.
Age. Kobolds reach Adulthood at age 6 and can live up to 120 years but rarely do so.
Alignment. Kobolds are fundamentally selfish, making them evil, but their reliance on the Strength of their group makes them trend toward law.
Size. Kobolds are between 2 and 3 feet tall and weigh between 25 and 35 pounds. Your size is Small.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in Darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in Darkness, only Shades of Gray.
Grovel, Cower, and Beg. As an action on Your Turn, you can cower pathetically to distract nearby foes. Until the end of your next turn, your allies gain advantage on Attack rolls against enemies within 10 feet of you that can see you. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a short or Long Rest.
Pack Tactics. You have advantage on an Attack roll against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't Incapacitated.
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.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Draconic.

Options

Elemental Nature: You gain a breath weapon. Choose one elemental damage type. You have resistance to that element and have a breath weapon that deals that damage type. The breath weapon is a 15 ft. cone that deals 1d4+Con damage on a failed Dexterity save or half as much on a successful one. The DC is 10+Con. You regain the use of this ability after you finish a short or long rest. The damage increases by 1d4 at 5th level, and then again at 11th and 17th level. This ability replaces Grovel, Cower, and Beg.
Wings: You gain two wings and a fly speed of 30 ft. This ability replaces Pack Tactics.