And What To Do With Kobolds

So, my one player prodded me to include half-orcs in my campaign, and I did so, finding a good social niche for them. He then went on to prod me on kobolds (since he likes playing them for some reason). I'm not big on mini-dragon kobolds, but I did find a good place for them to exist ... feedback, anyone?

KOBOLDS
The kobolds, whose name in Khoteshali translates to "slave of magic", are unusual in the world because of their origins; they are not a natural race, but a crafted form of life.

Many centuries ago, the rising civilization of Khotesh had a plague that all but wiped out their slave caste. With the great need for slaves, the nobles of Khotesh appealed to the Temple of Apollyon for reprieve from the ravages of their dread lord. Given pressure from the state, the church researched spells to create the kobold, crafting their bodies from the remains of desert lizards and their souls from criminals who are sacrificed to Apollyon. As the divine magic came from the Horseman of Pestilence, these creatures are pitiful and wretched, often covered with sores and cursed with a short lifespan. The first of the kobolds were little more than bestial creatures, but over the march of years, they have gained cunning and intelligence, to avoid punishment and curry favor with their human masters.

Kobolds cannot breed, and are constructed magically. They live in underground warrens below the cities of Khotesh, and are left to fend for themselves until the need for a slave arises, at which point they are bound by a ritual to a master, and a bound kobold can be unmade with a single word from their owner. Kobolds resent their masters, but live in fear of the unmaking. Kobolds are driven mercilessly to build the great architecture of Khotesh, and hundreds of kobolds work to death or fall from great heights to their doom in the construction of the Black Towers.

It is said that in the underground warrens, there is a kobold of a great age, having lived nearly 60 years. This aged kobold claims to know the secret of freedom and wards against unmaking, and he is revered as a divine servant sent to Khotesh by Apollyon to free the kobolds from their slavery, and his name of Kurtulmak is whispered in warrens everywhere.

In the warrens, kobolds live in communal harmony, like a nest of rats. Unless fed by their masters (who often forget), they live as scavengers, feeding on scraps and corpses and defenseless desert creatures. As kobolds live a great deal of their lives in the darkness, they find sunlight repellent, and abhor it, but fear the lash of their masters more.

Kobold Characters

Kobold player characters are almost always descended from feral kobolds that have escaped their Khoteshi masters. Use the standard Kobold entry in the Monster Manual or Pathfinder Chronicles with the following additions:

· Creatures of Apollyon: Kobolds are naturally resistant to diseases, gaining a +4 racial bonus to Fortitude saves to resist such.

ANIMATE PLAGUE SERVANT
Necromancy (Evil)
Level: Clr 3, Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Targets: One corpse touched
Duration: Indefinite (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This spell turns the body of a humanoid corpse formerly of evil alignment into a large egg that will hatch into a fully mature kobold within 1d4 days.

Note that these kobolds as created are humanoids, but are also indefinite magical effects, and radiate faint necromancy magic, and can be dispelled (a targeted Dispel Magic DC to dispel a kobold is 15 + the kobold’s HD + the kobold’s Cha modifier) or hedged out by appropriate magical wards. Kobolds are asexual creatures, and cannot reproduce.

This kobold is not necessarily loyal to you, but at a command word, the spell will end, and the kobold will cease to exist, which is a powerful incentive for cooperation.

Clerics of 11th level or higher can add the Daemonic or Draconic template to all kobolds created.

Material Components: The corpse of an evil humanoid, scales of a lizard scattered over the corpse, and a piece of jade placed in the corpse's mouth worth 25 gp.


BLESSING OF APOLLYON
Conjuration (creation)
Level: Clr 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Targets: Kobold touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: No

Upon touching a kobold, it transforms the creature from being sustained by a magical effect that can be dispelled into a truly existing humanoid. As well, the Blessing confers upon the target creature a +2 inherent bonus to Charisma as the gaze of Apollyon is upon it.

Material Components: Specially prepared incense worth 500 gp per HD of the kobold to be transformed.
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