Kobold

Basic Information

Anatomy

Kobolds are bipedal humanoid reptiles that stand roughly 3 feet tall and weigh around 40 pounds. Kobolds are physically weaker than other humanoid races but make up for it in their agility.
It has been noted that there are several physical similarities between kobolds and dragons, such as basic skull shape, tooth structure, horn composition, ear frills, and scale coloration. In some cases, there have even been kobolds with wings and breath weapons, which further emphasize these parallels. This has led to the question of whether kobolds are a less evolved version of dragons, or a more advanced subspecies that may outlast their larger relatives.
A kobold's horns, teeth, and scales continually grow, and scales are shed regularly. A full set of 52 teeth is lost and replaced every 3 to 5 years. Horns grow much slower, taking upwards of ten years to gain noticeable length and shape.

Genetics and Reproduction

Kobolds are fertile throughout their entire adult lives. Females typically produce one egg per month and can carry up to six unfertilized eggs within their bodies. After mating, the female kobold can retain viable material for upwards of six years with which to fertilize her eggs through that time.
Kobold eggs have stiff, leathery shells; the toughness of the shells allows the eggs to be moved or exposed to harsh conditions for short periods while still remaining viable.

Growth Rate & Stages

Kobolds are capable of reproducing throughout their entire adult lives. Female kobolds typically lay one egg every 20-25 days, although under ideal conditions, they can lay a clutch of up to six eggs at a time. What's more, a female kobold's body can retain viable genetic material from a single mating with a mate for up to six years, continuously producing fertilized eggs during that time.
Kobold eggs are incubated for a period of two to three months before they hatch. Once they hatch, the hatchlings, which are fully formed and about six to eight inches tall, use their eggtooth or budding horns to break out. They are able to fend for themselves from the moment they hatch and will immediately consume the remains of their eggs and anything else nearby. However, cannibalism among hatchlings is not uncommon and is discouraged by adult kobolds.
Kobold hatchlings grow rapidly, doubling in size each year until they reach their third year when they are considered juveniles. It takes another seven years for them to reach adulthood. It is difficult to distinguish between male and female kobolds, even after they reach adulthood. The average life expectancy of a kobold is around 30 years, although some may live up to 140 years if they are especially hardy and cautious.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Kobolds are an omnivorous species, able to consume a wide variety of food thanks to their powerful jaws, sharp teeth, and robust digestive system. They have a slow but efficient metabolism, which means they require relatively little food and water. This, combined with their remarkable work ethic, allows them to survive underground for extended periods without being distracted by hunger or thirst.

Behaviour

Kobolds are a highly organized and resourceful race of creatures with a strong survival instinct. They are hyperaware of their surroundings and have a communal mindset that puts the welfare and safety of the tribe above all else. Although they may sacrifice individuals for the greater good of the tribe, they are not mindlessly selfless. Kobold tribes function like well-oiled machines due to the cooperation required by their communal society, but strong friendships are slow to form due to their high mortality rate.
Kobolds have a proclivity for mining and trapmaking, which may be an inborn compulsion or a behavior wrought from generations of training. Their small stature and physical weakness instill in them a desire to prove themselves better than everyone else, leading to merciless cruelty toward other creatures, especially those who are larger or more powerful. Kobolds also possess a sense of entitlement and the belief that they are far better than other races, due to their draconic heritage. They see themselves as almost dragons, and bask in the glory of being at the top. Kobolds believe in their connection with dragons, whether as a child race, distant cousins, or forerunners to dragons.
Kobolds take great pride in their connection to dragons and frequently highlight their physical resemblance to these majestic creatures. The most noticeable similarity is their reptilian scales, which come in five different colors. As with dragons, the color of a kobold's scales often indicates innate abilities, tendencies, and personality traits. Scale coloration also plays a crucial role in relationships within and between kobold tribes.

Additional Information

Average Intelligence

A kobold's intelligence is roughly on par with that of other humanoid races. However, they can often be seen as unintelligent or backward if they were raised in a tribe isolated from other races. Usually, such tribes are behind in both social and technological advances.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Kobolds have highly sensitive eyes that allow them to see perfectly in pitch darkness. To protect their eyes from debris and other irritants, they have a nictitating membrane, a thick, transparent eyelid. However, this membrane does not prevent discomfort caused by bright lights. When a kobold closes the membrane, it causes a subtle shift in eye color, which may signal when it is about to attack or anticipates a dangerous situation.
Kobolds possess an exceptional sense of direction and spatial awareness, which becomes evident when navigating through their intricate lairs. Their direction sense extends beyond not getting easily turned around, and they are able to navigate complex labyrinths without careful planning or surveying. However, following a kobold through their snarl of tunnels can leave outsiders hopelessly lost.
While it may seem like kobolds have no sense of smell when riding on a slurk, they actually possess a remarkable sense of smell that allows them to detect and appreciate a vast range of scents. This heightened olfactory ability is comparable to how someone might savor and distinguish various flavors. Furthermore, kobolds are able to consume almost anything, making it challenging to find something that will trigger their highly repressed gag reflexes.

Civilization and Culture

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Kobolds are known for their cooperative and diligent nature, which is evident in all aspects of their culture, including the organization of their lairs and social hierarchy. Kobold lairs can be found in various locations throughout Dessend, as they prefer dark and confined spaces that limit the movement of larger creatures. This often leads to underground locations being favored over above-ground ones. In most cases, the scale coloration of kobolds in a tribe matches that of the dragon that is dominant in the region; for example, white-scaled kobolds in cold regions and blue-scaled kobolds in deserts.
The snarl, a complex maze of tunnels and traps, surrounds the kobold lair and is its most distinctive feature. Deep within the snarl, the main lair consists of a combination of natural and constructed caverns that serve as both communal living quarters and workspaces for the entire tribe.
Kobold tribes are typically organized as communistic societies where members work together to contribute and share resources, workspaces, and living quarters. Personal possessions are limited to small, portable items as ownership is not emphasized. However, while cooperative and industrious, kobold society is also harshly draconian. Weak or incompetent members, referred to as "softscales," are regularly culled to benefit the tribe. They are tasked with testing traps, mining in dangerous areas, and joining patrols where they are often placed in risky positions. This may explain why many perceive kobolds as foolish or cowardly.
While all members contribute equally, certain roles are afforded more respect, power, and privileges because they are critical to the tribe's security. The hierarchy is loosely based on the importance of roles, with sorcerers, trapmakers, warriors, nestwatchers, priests, miners, crafters, animal handlers, and farmers being the order of descending importance.
Kobolds respect and worship dragons of all kinds, including any form of dragonkin. Many kobold tribes can be found in the service of true dragons and sometimes even lesser dragons. There often is no higher calling to a kobold than to serve dragons.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

If two kobold tribes find themselves in conflict, they may engage in combat, but they generally try to avoid lethal blows. While accidental killings are met with penance and regret, intentional killing of a fellow kobold is considered a serious offense that could result in punishment such as exile or enslavement.
Most kobold tribes are led by a chief, typically the oldest member of the tribe, who establishes tribal laws that may vary widely from one chief to the next. Chiefs can hold power until their death, either due to old age or underhanded actions. While most chiefs are powerful sorcerers or priests, some tribes are led by skilled warriors or other notable kobolds. Leadership positions are not guaranteed by age alone, and any kobold with exceptional skills or traits may rise to become a chief.
The chief is advised by a small council of important kobolds, such as elders, military leaders, trapmasters, nestwatchers, and master crafters. If the tribe is allied with a dragon, the dragon's herald is the head of the council and is usually appointed as chief as well.
The most fortunate and powerful kobold tribes are those who have formed an alliance with a dragon. In these remarkable circumstances, the tribe's lair is usually connected to the dragon's lair, either through a single passage or with complete integration. Kobolds in such alliances are completely subservient to the dragon, and they focus all their efforts on pleasing their draconic ally.

Common Taboos

The act of destroying anything related to dragons is considered the highest form of blasphemy for kobolds. If the perpetrator is not dragonkin, swift execution is the prescribed punishment. In the case of dragonkin offenders, imprisonment or enslavement may be imposed instead.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Isolationist kobold tribes are often distrustful of outsiders and consider themselves superior to other races. They may avoid contact with other races altogether or engage in hostile behavior towards them. However, not all kobold tribes are isolationist or xenophobic. Some tribes that live among other races may be more open-minded and seek peaceful relations. These tribes may recognize their limitations and the benefits of alliances with other races.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Dragon

Origin/Ancestry

Dragonkin

Lifespan

50 years

Average Height

70 cm to 95 cm, head to foot.

Average Weight

9 kg to 15 kg

Average Length

115 cm to 150 cm, head to tail.

Related Myths

• The Descendants of Dragons

Kobolds

Kobold Racial Traits

Kobolds are humanoids with the reptilian subtype. Kobolds have the following racial traits:
Abilities: +2 Dexterity, –4 Strength, –2 Constitution: Kobolds are fast but weak.
Small Size: Kobolds are Small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty on their combat maneuver checks and to Combat Maneuver Defense, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
Normal Speed: Kobolds have a base speed of 30 feet.
Darkvision 60 ft. (Ex): Kobolds can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Armor (Ex): Kobolds have a +1 natural armor bonus.
Fleet-footed (Ex): Kobolds gain a +2 racial bonus to initiative and gain Run as bonus feat.
Crafty (Ex): Kobolds gain a +2 racial bonus on Craft (trapmaking), Perception, and Profession (miner) checks. Craft (trapmaking) and Stealth are always class skills for a kobold; they gain an additional +2 racial bonus on these skills instead if they are made class skills by the kobold’s class.
Kneecapper (Ex): Kobolds are used to being the little guys and have learned the best ways to take down those larger than them. Kobolds receive a +4 racial bonus to trip maneuvers and critical confirmation rolls against opponents larger than themselves.
Light Sensitivity (Ex): Kobolds are dazzled in areas of bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.
Languages: Kobolds begin play speaking only Draconic. Kobolds with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Common, Dwarven, Gnome, and Undercommon.

Kobold Colors

Being descended from dragons, kobold scales have many color variations. While optional, when making a kobold you may pick and gain one of the following scale color racial traits.
Black Scales (Ex): Widely dispersed in forests, swamps, and underground, the black-scaled kobolds are better swimmers than their brethren and gain a +4 racial bonus on Swim checks and can always take 10 while swimming.
Blue Scales (Ex): The blue variant of kobolds appears most often within tribes dominated by other scale colors. They are said to be among the best diabolists and schemers, and gain a +1 bonus to the save DC of traps they craft and a +1 inherent bonus to their Wisdom. Many are powerful clerics of Asmodeus.
Carnation Scales (Ex): Though your light pink scales made you the subject of ridicule by your tribe, you can adapt to more environments than they can. You gain a +1 bonus on Survival checks, and Survival is always a class skill for you. You also gain a +1 inherent bonus to Intelligence. Most kobolds with carnation scales also have the day raider alternate racial trait.
Golden Scales (Ex): Your distinctive golden scales strongly reflect the light, making others favor you. You gain a +2 bonus on Bluff checks and Diplomacy checks. Once per day, a golden scaled kobold can roll twice when making a Bluff or Diplomacy check and take the better roll.
Green Scales (Ex): These are the standard forest kobolds, well camouflaged in leafy undergrowth. They gain an additional +4 racial bonus on Stealth checks.
Purple Scales (Ex): Your outlandish purple scales made you an outcast from your tribe and forced you to survive in isolation at the edges of kobold society. While wandering alone through the Darklands, you learned to face your fears and connect with the earth. You also made contact with several other underground races and expanded your linguistic repertoire. You gain a +2 racial bonus on all saving throws against fear effects and are treated as 1 level higher when casting spells with the earth descriptor or using powers of the Earth domain, bloodline powers of the earth elemental bloodline, and revelations of the oracle’s stone mystery. In addition to speaking Draconic, you begin play with the ability to speak one of the following: Aklo, Dwarven, Goblin, or Undercommon.
Red Scales (Ex): These kobolds are pyromaniacs and make extensive use of fire, especially the alchemical and magical kinds. These kobolds gain a +1 bonus to the DC of any spell they cast with the fire subtype and a +2 bonus on saves made against fear and illusion effects. Most are a bit more arrogant than average kobolds.
White Scales (Ex): Like the blues, white-scaled kobolds are a little less frequent than other types. They are often powerful sorcerers, gaining a +1 bonus to the DC of any spell they cast with the cold subtype and a +1 inherent bonus to their Charisma.

Alternate Racial Traits

Beast Bond (Ex): Some kobolds have a talent for training animals and beasts to help them both on and off the battlefield. Kobolds with this racial trait gain a +2 racial bonus on Handle Animal and Ride checks. Handle Animal and Ride are always class skills for them. This racial trait replaces crafty.
Day Raider (Ex): You’re one of the few kobolds born with a greater tolerance for sunlight. You don’t have light sensitivity, and you have low-light vision instead of darkvision.
Dragonmaw (Ex): Your draconic heritage makes you smile—not just because it makes you happy, but also because your powerful jaws and teeth are proof of your kinship to a chromatic dragon. You gain a bite attack that deals 1d4 points of damage. Once per day, you can deal 1d6 points of additional energy damage with your bite attack. The damage type depends on your scale color: acid damage for black or green, electricity for blue, fire for red, or cold for white. If you have a different scale color, you still gain the bite attack, but can’t do the additional energy damage. This racial trait replaces the armor racial trait.
Dragon-Scaled (Ex): Some kobolds are hatched with scales of such vivid color that their connection to a particular sort of chromatic dragon seems undeniable. Whether this coloration is just a quirk of a stray egg or a trait shared by all the members of a tribe, these kobolds gain a resistance that makes them especially suited to work alongside dragons matching the color of the kobold’s scales. Black-scaled and green-scaled kobolds with this racial trait gain acid resistance 5. Blue-scaled kobolds with this racial trait gain electricity resistance 5. Red-scaled kobolds with this racial trait gain fire resistance 5. White-scaled kobolds with this racial trait gain cold resistance 5. This racial trait replaces the armor racial trait.
Echo Whistler (Ex): By observing the noises in underground tunnels, you learned to uncannily mimic any voice or sound you heard. Three times per day, you can attempt to trick someone in this way by making a Bluff check against the listener’s Sense Motive check. You get a +2 circumstance bonus on this check if you’re in tunnels or other structures where your voice can echo. This racial trait replaces crafty.
Frightener (Ex): Like the great dragons, you can strike fear in the hearts of your foes with your majestic presence. Few enemies suspect that you make yourself look more dangerous with simple tricks you learned back when you were newly hatched. You gain a +1 racial bonus to the DC of saving throws against spells you cast with the fear descriptor. This racial trait replaces the armor racial trait.
Gliding Wings (Ex): Some kobolds are born with wings that, while too weak for actual flying, do allow them to fall at a very slow and safe pace. A kobold with wings can use them to glide. It can make a DC 15 Fly check to fall safely from any height without taking falling damage, as if using feather fall. When falling safely, it may make an additional DC 15 Fly check to glide, moving 5 feet laterally for every 20 feet it falls. This racial trait replaces crafty.
Jester (Ex): Some kobolds swallow their pride and survive by groveling, placating, and amusing the powerful. Kobolds with this racial trait gain a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy and Perform checks. Diplomacy and Perform are always class skills for them. This racial trait replaces crafty.
Prehensile Tail (Ex): Your tail is especially flexible and strong, so you’ve learned to use it for both movement and simple tricks. You gain a +2 racial bonus on Acrobatics and Climb checks, and you can use your tail to draw a hidden weapon as a move action instead of as a standard action. This racial trait replaces the armor racial trait.
Secret Strider (Ex): You have the ability to traverse the wilderness without a trace. Twice per day, you can move through natural surroundings without leaving a trail for 1 minute, increasing the DC of any attempts to track you by 10. This racial trait replaces crafty.
Shoulder to Shoulder (Ex): Having lived and worked in close quarters with your tribe-mates, you’ve learned how to maneuver within their personal space without disturbing them. You can occupy the same space as one other Small ally without penalty. If you share a space with another kobold who has this trait, you each gain a +1 circumstance bonus to AC, as you help jostle one another out of the way of incoming attacks. You also gain a +1 racial bonus on aid another rolls. This racial trait replaces crafty.
Spellcaster Sneak (Su): Traversing the tunnels near big, nasty, hungry creatures, you learned to keep quiet—and to keep your spells quiet too. You gain a +2 racial bonus on Stealth checks, and once per day you can gain the benefit of the Silent Spell feat on a spell you cast. This racial trait replaces crafty.
Wild Forest Kobold (Ex): You’re one of the barbaric kobolds dwelling in the forests of the surface world. Your culture shuns artifice, but teaches how to endure and hunt. You gain a +2 racial bonus on Perception and Survival checks. This racial trait replaces crafty. Stealth and Survival are always class skills for you.
Wyrmcrowned (Ex): Your horns have grown to the extent that they appear similar to those of a dragon who shares your scale color, lending a draconic power or menace to your dealings with others. Choose either Diplomacy or Intimidate. You gain a +2 racial bonus on checks with that skill, and it is always a class skill for you. This racial trait replaces crafty.

Racial Subtypes

You can combine various alternate racial traits to create kobold subraces or variant races, such as the following.
Draconic: Kobolds with stronger ties to dragons have the wyrmcrowned and either the dragonmaw or dragon-scaled racial traits.
Forest-dwellers: Kobolds living deep in forests, rather than far below the earth, have the day raider, green scales, and wild forest kobold racial traits.
Mutant Kobold: Kobold mutants have physiology that differs in many ways from the typical kobold. Such kobolds have the gliding wings, prehensile tail, and purple scales racial traits. Occasionally they may have the carnation scales or golden scales traits instead.

Favored Class Options

The following options are available to all kobolds who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the favored class reward.
Alchemist: Add +1/2 to the number of bombs per day the alchemist can create.
Bard: Treat the bard’s level as +1/2 level higher for the purpose of determining the effect of the fascinate bardic performance.
Cavalier: Add 5 feet (up to 15 feet maximum) to the cavalier’s mount’s speed when it uses the charge or withdraw action.
Cleric: Add +1 to channel energy damage dealt to creatures denied their Dexterity bonus to AC (whether or not the creature has a Dexterity bonus to AC).
Druid: Add +1/2 to the druid’s wild empathy bonus.
Fighter: Add +1/2 to damage rolls the fighter makes with weapon attacks against an opponent he is flanking or an opponent that is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC.
Gunslinger: Add +1/4 to the dodge bonus to AC granted by the nimble class feature (maximum +4).
Magus: Add a +1/2 bonus on concentration checks made to cast defensively.
Monk: Add +1/3 to the monk’s AC bonus class ability.
Oracle: Add +1/4 to the armor or natural armor bonus granted by oracle spells she casts on herself.
Ranger: Add +1/4 to the number of opponents the ranger may select when using hunter’s bond to grant a bonus to allies. All selected creatures must be of the same type.
Rogue: Add +1/2 to the rogue’s trap sense bonus to AC.
Sorcerer: Choose acid, cold, electricity, or fire damage. Add +1/2 point of the chosen energy damage to spells that deal the chosen energy damage cast by the sorcerer.
Summoner: Add +1/4 to the summoner’s shield ally bonus (maximum +2).
Witch: Add +5 feet to the distance at which her familiar grants the Alertness feat (maximum +20 feet).