Kobold

For more information on all races, see: Races

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 are often found serving as their minions.

Basic Information

Anatomy

A kobold is a reptilian humanoid 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. Kobolds like to wear red or orange garments, which are usually ragged.
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.

Genetics and Reproduction

Kobolds are extremely fecund egg-layers, having the highest birth rate among humanoids. A pregnant female lays 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 in just hours. The eggs are particularly sturdy, and the young inside can survive even if the egg broke 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.

Additional Information

Social Structure

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 diligently. Kobolds have specialized laborers, yet the majority of kobolds are miners. They possess darkvision and are particularly sensitive to bright light. Kobolds preferr 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, though rarely do they live this long on average. 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.
It was unknown how kobolds are of dragon heritage. While each kobold values its own life, the tribe comes first. They consider the success of their tribe to be their own success.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Kobold birth names are relatively short, usually consisting of two syllables, and are almost always faintly reminiscent of dragons’ names. Kobolds rarely have surnames; most instead use clan names or honorifics to identify themselves. Those kobolds who do use surnames are most often reinforcing a claim to a hereditary throne or attempting to adhere to regional or cultural influences. To further emulate their draconic brethren, kobolds change their names to longer and more complex forms as they reach important age milestones, perform spectacular acts, or attain notable achievements. Kobold adventurers often add more syllables to their names upon reaching significant points in their careers.

Male Names: Athraz, Dyrtrax, Fazij, Grytnok, Jekkajak, Kaidynn, Keegyn, Kirrok, Merlokrep, Nydryn, Nyktox, Ryzztyl, Torphrex, Varrann, Vreknog, Xahndyg.
Female Names: Ahmmra, Azzlyn, Enga, Grymwyr, Gynnezz, Kregnaan, Jynnjun, Lyrtrahk, Melrynn, Petrahk, Ryzzntyg, Skyxa, Tyrrell, Varshez, Vregma, Zarrnyl.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

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

Alternate Racial Traits

Replaces Scales

Dragon Affinity

Kobold sorcerers with the draconic bloodline or kobold bloodline treat their Charisma scores as 2 points higher for all sorcerer spells and class abilities. This racial trait replaces Scales.

Dragonmaw

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 piercing 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 Scales.

Dragon-Scaled

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 Scales.

Frightener

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 Scales.

Prehensile Tail

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 Scales.

Replaces Crafty

Beast Bond

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.

Echo Whistler

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.

Gliding Wings

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

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.

Secret Strider

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

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

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

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. Stealth and Survival are always class skills for you. This racial trait replaces Crafty.

Wyrmcrowned

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.

Replaces Light Sensitivity, Darkvision

Day Raider

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. This racial trait replaces Light Sensitivity and Darkvision.

Favored Class Options

Instead of receiving an additional skill rank or hit point whenever they gain a level in a favored class, kobolds have the option of choosing from a number of other bonuses, depending upon their favored class. The following options are available to all kobolds who have the listed favored class.

• Alchemist: Add +1/2 to the number of bombs per day the alchemist can create.
• Barbarian: While you are raging, your racial natural attacks deal +1/4 point of damage.
• 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).
• Inquisitor: Add 1/2 to Survival checks made to track creatures in total darkness.
• 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.
• Paladin: Add 1/4 to the deflection bonus granted by your smite evil ability.
• 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.
• Shifter: Add a +1/4 bonus on Stealth checks while in the shifter’s minor or major form.
• 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).
• Wizard: Add 1/2 to your familiar’s Will saves against enchantment effects, or increase the hit points of your bonded item by 1.

Racial Traits

+2 Dexterity, -4 Strength, –2 Constitution
Kobolds are fast but weak.

Reptilian
Kobolds are humanoids with the reptilian subtype.

Small
Kobolds are Small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty on combat maneuver checks and to their Combat Maneuver Defense, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.

Normal Speed
Kobolds have a base speed of 30 feet.

Darkvision
Kobolds can see in the dark up to 60 feet.

Crafty
Kobolds gain a +2 racial bonus on Craft (Traps), Perception, and Profession (Miner) checks. Craft (Traps) and Stealth are always class skills for a kobold.

Light Sensitivity
Kobolds are dazzled as long as they remain in an area of bright light.

Scales
Kobolds have a +1 natural armor bonus.

Languages
Kobolds begin play speaking Draconic. Kobolds with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following languages: Common, Dwarven, Gnome, and Undercommon.

Average Lifespan
35 years

Average Height
2 ft. 8 in. – 3 ft. 2 in.

Average Weight
30 – 60 lbs.