Kobold (revised)
Kobolds are often dismissed as cowardly, foolish, and weak, but these little reptilian creatures are clever with their hands, and viciously work together in order to overcome their physical limitations. Kobold are short in stature, the tallest of them barely reaching 3 feet, and weighing no more than 35 pounds. Because of their small size, kobold often have to adopt unorthodox means of achieving victory. This usually leads to traps, which kobold are well known for crafting and using during battle.
Unlike the true dragons they worship, kobolds don't have set colours that reflect certain personality traits. Whole tribes usually are the same one or two colours, and the colour of a kobold has no bearing on its abilities or skill set. The resemblance of kobolds to dragons isn't limited to physical features. Kobolds display many of the traits that true dragons display, and are often either proud, or vain (or both). While kobolds prefer to run away from a fight, they know that there is greatness within them and are proud that they were chosen to be the blood-kin of dragons.
Despite this, a typical kobold acknowledges its weakness in the face of a hostile world. However, a kobold finds satisfaction in its work, the survival of its tribe, and the knowledge that it shares a heritage with mighty dragons.
Kobolds are renowned for their worship of dragons, in which case they cast aside any pride they have and willingly and proudly serve such mighty creatures without a thought of treason. If the Dragon expresses cruelty, they will tolerate it or simply go away instead of seeking revenge. They even display actual acts of courage while within their service. Strangely, they have the same sentiment towards dragonborn and half dragons, whom they consider to be dragons. This often leads to the annoyance of dragonborn, many of whom hold resentment towards dragons for past slavery. However, their obsessive loyalty and devotion, and their skill at handling the sewage of draconic communities, causes the other draconic races to tolerate their presence. And those that are able to put their pride aside acknowledge that more than one draconic community has been saved by using the Kobolds overwhelming numbers and unorthodox way of fighting.
Kobolds are naturally skilled at tunneling. Similar to dwarves, they have a near-instinctive sense of what sections of stone or earth are strong or weak, are bearing a load or are safe to excavate, or are likely to contain minerals or offer access to water. This ability enables them to fashion secure homes in places where other creatures wouldn't feel safe.
Kobolds take advantage of their size by creating small-diameter tunnels that they can easily pass through, but that require larger creatures to hunch or even crawl to make progress. Due to their small size, many kobold often feel that there's safety in numbers, and rarely strike out on their own unless it's a mission of great importance or they are serving or proving themselves to a dragon.
A kobold can be fooled with smooth words or a quick wit, but when the kobold figures out it has been tricked, it remembers the affront. And when possible will retaliate against that person somehow, even if merely in a petty way.
Though they are far less grudgeful against draconic races, feeling that they act so because they must prove their worth.
Kobold Names
Kobold names are derived from the Draconic tongue and usually relate to a characteristic of the owner, such as scale colour, distinctive body parts, or typical behavior. For example, "Red Foot, "White Claw" and "Scurry" are Common translations of often-used names. A kobold might change its name when it it becomes an adult, or add additional word-syllables after important events such as completing its first hunt, laying its first egg, or surviving its first battle. Because kobolds can change sex to suit a tribe's needs, they don't differintiate between male or female names.
Kobold Names: Arix, Eks, Ett, Galax, Garu, Hagnar, Hox, Irtos, Kashak, Meepo, Molo, Ohsoss, Rotom, Sagin, Sik, Sniv, Taklak, Tes, Urak, Varn.
Kobold Traits
As a kobold, you gain the following traits.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.
Age. Kobolds reach adulthood at age 6 and can live up to 120 years, but rarely do so. Those that live within or near draconic communities tend to live longer.
Alignment. Kobolds their reliance on the strength of their group makes them tend toward law. Those living within or near draconic communities are often Neutral.
Size. Kobold 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.
Burrower. You have a burrowing speed of 15 feet through non-rocky soil. This speed is increased to 20 feet if you have a pickaxe or shovel.
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, but only shades of gray.
Center of Attention. As an action on your turn you can distract nearby foes. This can be done by cowering pathetically, shrieking furiously, boasting arrogantly, or through different means. 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.
Skilled Trapper. You are proficient in thieves tools, and whenever you make an ability check to create traps (found on page 84 of Xanathar's Guide to Everything), you can add double your proficiency bonus to the check, rather than your normal proficiency bonus.
Fleeting Courage. When you succeed on a saving throw, your next attack roll or saving throw you make before the end of your next turn has advantage.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Draconic.
Playing as a Dragonwrought Kobold
You may choose to play as a regular dragonwrought kobold, born with wings from a special egg and cherished among your tribe.
If you choose this variation, you gain the Urd Feat at 1st level, but you lose the following racial traits: Burrower, Center of Attention. and Skilled Trapper.
Racial Feats
Kobold Inventor
Prerequisite: Kobold, the Skilled Trapper racial trait
You are resourceful and clever for a Kobold, although quite excentric as well. You gain the following benefits:
- Your Intelligence score increases by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- Your created traps (found on page 84 of Xanathar's Guide to Everything) deal double the standard damage, and you may create one within 1 minute once between rests.
- You carry six of your inventions with you, and you may use each of the options below as an action once. Their DC is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence mofidier. You may increase all damage caused by your inventions by 1d6 at 8th level, 12th level, 16th level and 20th level. You may also add your proficiency bonus to the attack rolls of your insect swarms. You may choose to panic and use one of the options below as a bonus action, however you must roll a d6 dice to determine which invention you use. You may only use one invention each turn. If you roll a used invention, then nothing happens. After finishing a long rest, and spending 10 minutes to forage and prepare, you may regain all expended uses of your inventions.
1- Acid. You hurl a flask of volatile acid to a location within 20 feet. Those within 10 feet of that location must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d6 acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
2- Volatile Fire. You hurl a flask of fire to a target within 20 feet, who must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save you deal 1d6 fire damage at the start of each of the target's turns. A creature can end this damage by using its action to make a Dexterity check to extinguish the flames.
3- Basket of Centipedes. You throw a small basket into a 5-foot-square space within 20 feet of you. A swarm of insects (centipedes) emerges from the basket and rolls initiative. At the end of each of the swarm's turns, there's a 50 percent chance that the swarm disperses.
4- Wasp Nest in a bag. This has the same rules as your Basket of Centipedes, but with Wasps.
5- Scorpion on a Stick. You attempt to attack an enemy within 5 feet with a scorpion tied to the end of a 5-foot-long pole. The target automatically suffers 1 piercing damage and it must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 3d6 poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. On a failed save it is also Poisoned until the end of your next turn.
6- Skunk in a Cage. You release a skunk into an unoccupied 5-foot-square space within 20 feet of you, which immediately sprays its musk at a random creature within 5 feet of it. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target retches and can't take actions for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. A creature that doesn't need to breathe or is immune to poison automatically succeeds on the saving throw.
Pack Tactics
Prerequisite: Kobold
You excel at teamwork, fighting side by side against all odds.
- Your Charisma score increases by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- 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. You may only benefit from this trait once on each of your turns.
- Whenever you would gain the benefit of your Fleeting Courage racial trait, you may use your reaction to grant this boon to an ally who can see you instead.
Pickaxe Mastery
Prerequisite: Kobold, the Burrower racial trait
Your time spent wielding a pickaxe allows you to wield it with devastating efficiency. You gain the following benefits:
- You can use a pickaxe as a melee weapon with the finesse and versatile properties, which deals 1d6 piercing damage (1d8 when held in two hands). You are proficient with pickaxes used this way, and you gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls you make with the weapon.
- Whenever you attack with a pickaxe, you can swing wildly, causing your attack to have disadvantage. If you hit, you deal additional damage equal to double your proficiency bonus.
- Whenever you have disadvantage on an attack roll you make with a pickaxe, the target still takes piercing damage equal to your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice) if the attack misses but the higher of the two d20 rolls would have hit.
Nimble Kobold
Prerequisite: Kobold
You are exceptionally nimble, even for a Kobold, and you have perfected techniques that allow you to take advantage of openings in an enemies defenses made by an allies attack.
- You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than you.
- You can take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on each of your turns.
- When an ally makes an attack against a creature within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to make one weapon attack against that creature.
Urd
Prerequisite: Kobold
Dragonwrought kobolds have a stronger connection to their draconic ancestors, and are considered a blessing among their kind. Those kobolds who become dragonwrought later on in their live are called Urds.
- You gain the Wings and Hardened Scales racial traits from the dragonborn.
- Magical effects can't force you to sleep.
- You have advantage on saving throws against being paralyzed.