This thread is a collection of different kobold NPCs, like MaverickWeirdo’s Goblin-a-Day thread. But to make things interesting I’m going to try to weave a few adventure ideas and stories into it, like Blackdirge’s NPCs The first batch is the story of the Black Claw Clan.
Here goes…
Once the clan was small. Once it was without a strong leader at all.
Years ago, the Black Claws lived in a series of caverns in the side of a small mountain called the Black Claw by those who had seen it. The Black Claw was the central feature in a forested area on the edge of human kingdom. Long ago, it was peaked by a Temple to Skarmoxxus, the Dragon-God of Storms. But the temple was destroyed by fanatic followers of Pelor, the god of the sun, after a particularly cruel female blue and her followers from the temple laid waste to the city of Kesus. But the Black Claws know nothing of history.
Leaderless, the clan was nothing more than an unorganized band, foraging for what they could, killing anything they could find for food, sometimes even each other. Long ago the clan had been more than three hundred strong, but now was but a few dozen. Until one day the youthful kobold Kel made a startling discovery.
Kel, Kobold Rogue
Small Humanoid (Reptilian)
Hit Dice: 1d6-1 (2 hp).
Initiative: +2 (Dex).
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 16 (+1 size, +2 dex, +1 natural, +2 leather) .
Base Attack/Grapple: +0.
Attack: Dagger +1 (1d4), Light Crossbow +2 (1d8)
Face/Reach: 5 x 5/5.
Special Attacks: Sneak Attack +1d6.
Special Qualities: Light Sensitivity, Darkvision 60 ft.
Saves: Fort -1, Ref +4, Will +0.
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 14, Con 9, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10.
Skills: Hide +10 (4), Move Silently +6 (4), Climb +4 (4), Listen +4 (4), Search +4 (4), Spot +4 (4), Decipher Script +4 (4), Disable +4 (4)
Feats: Partial Weapon Finesse (Dagger)
Background:
Kel is Tenth. Of all ten children of the clan who have not yet earned their second syllable, who have yet to partake in the stofaw fi vaeros, the ritual of fire, he is the youngest. As is befitting of such a position, he is tasked with the lowest jobs of the tribe: cleaning up the refuse of the caves. He keeps the other younglings, called ni-vaeros, or unfired, happy by catching the rats that eat from the piles of waste he cleans. Once he was Eleventh, subservient to the then-Tenth, Min. But Min had an “accident” while hunting for deer, and now Kel is Tenth.
One day, Kel was cleaning an unused niche in one of the deepest and most unused of the caves when he made a startling discovery. Something caught his eye. Behind a pile of old rotting ale barrels, probably stashed there by a long dead brigand, he found a strange wall covered in draconic runes, some sort of puzzle. It was a stone wall, and each stone had a rune etched into it. Looking closer, Kel noticed that each stone had a set of groves in it, and if pushed would retreat into the wall. Also, each stone had a hole in it carefully concealed by the rune on it. Probably trapped, he though. The key to the puzzle, he though, must lie in the runes, not the stone traps they were on.
He stared at the runes intently, scanning carefully along each line of stones. There was vaeros, fire; over there was mormot, death; down at the bottom ourix, lightning. Ahh, there was the pattern. The runes were all words related to the six colors of the true dragons: red, black, blue, green, yellow, and white. But which color to choose? Looking down at his deep crimson skin, Kel decided that red was as good as any other choice. He pressed the rune for fire. Nothing happened. He pressed the one for strength. Nothing. Vanity. Nothing. Finally he pressed sulfur. All the stones of the wall receded, and the entire thing creaked as it moved sideways on hidden rails.
The room beyond was a huge affair, a roof forty feet up, supported by great columns covered in ancient runes. And in the center, lit by an eerie blue light, was a raised dais. In the center was a single dragon egg cradled by an iron quarter-cage above glowing blue coals. It was about half again as tall as Kel, and radiated an intense heat, and the air around the dais crackled with strange bursts of power.
Kel, like all kobolds, loved heat, and was unafraid as he approached the egg. He was entranced by its glitttering facets, the way it took in the light and refracted it into a thousand shades of blue. He stepped up onto the dais, reached out with his clawed hand, and touched the egg. It was warm to the touch. Kel drew even closer. He put his ear up to the egg, listening for sounds of life.
CRACK!
Kel ran.
Behind the Curtain:
Kel has better ability scores than most kobolds, which I rolled for using 4d6 drop lowest, six times, arrange as desired.
Reasoning: Because he has a PC class, he is better than the average kobold. So it makes sense for him to have better ability scores too, although I kept his HP the same to reflect the fact that although he is more powerful than the normal kobold, he is still an NPC.
The feat Partial Weapon Finesse is as Weapon finesse, but requires a Dex score of 13+ instead of a BAB bonus, but grants only half of the Dex bonus it normally would. Upon gaining the required BAB for Weapon Finesse, PWF can be substituted for the real thing at no cost. So at second level Kel would have a total of +1 BAB, and would gain full Weapon Finesse.
Reasoning: It makes no sense that a high dex rogue cant use even a bit of that dex bonus until second level. This isn’t the best solution, but it works.
Kobold Characteristics: Inquisitive
Kel may not be the smartest kobold, but he wants to be. He loves puzzles, although he’s not very good at them. Eventually, he will probably become a decent trapmaker, or at least be able to understand how they work. Sometimes this inquisitiveness gets him in trouble, but it is usually worth it.
Here goes…
Once the clan was small. Once it was without a strong leader at all.
Years ago, the Black Claws lived in a series of caverns in the side of a small mountain called the Black Claw by those who had seen it. The Black Claw was the central feature in a forested area on the edge of human kingdom. Long ago, it was peaked by a Temple to Skarmoxxus, the Dragon-God of Storms. But the temple was destroyed by fanatic followers of Pelor, the god of the sun, after a particularly cruel female blue and her followers from the temple laid waste to the city of Kesus. But the Black Claws know nothing of history.
Leaderless, the clan was nothing more than an unorganized band, foraging for what they could, killing anything they could find for food, sometimes even each other. Long ago the clan had been more than three hundred strong, but now was but a few dozen. Until one day the youthful kobold Kel made a startling discovery.
Kel, Kobold Rogue
Small Humanoid (Reptilian)
Hit Dice: 1d6-1 (2 hp).
Initiative: +2 (Dex).
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 16 (+1 size, +2 dex, +1 natural, +2 leather) .
Base Attack/Grapple: +0.
Attack: Dagger +1 (1d4), Light Crossbow +2 (1d8)
Face/Reach: 5 x 5/5.
Special Attacks: Sneak Attack +1d6.
Special Qualities: Light Sensitivity, Darkvision 60 ft.
Saves: Fort -1, Ref +4, Will +0.
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 14, Con 9, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10.
Skills: Hide +10 (4), Move Silently +6 (4), Climb +4 (4), Listen +4 (4), Search +4 (4), Spot +4 (4), Decipher Script +4 (4), Disable +4 (4)
Feats: Partial Weapon Finesse (Dagger)
Background:
Kel is Tenth. Of all ten children of the clan who have not yet earned their second syllable, who have yet to partake in the stofaw fi vaeros, the ritual of fire, he is the youngest. As is befitting of such a position, he is tasked with the lowest jobs of the tribe: cleaning up the refuse of the caves. He keeps the other younglings, called ni-vaeros, or unfired, happy by catching the rats that eat from the piles of waste he cleans. Once he was Eleventh, subservient to the then-Tenth, Min. But Min had an “accident” while hunting for deer, and now Kel is Tenth.
One day, Kel was cleaning an unused niche in one of the deepest and most unused of the caves when he made a startling discovery. Something caught his eye. Behind a pile of old rotting ale barrels, probably stashed there by a long dead brigand, he found a strange wall covered in draconic runes, some sort of puzzle. It was a stone wall, and each stone had a rune etched into it. Looking closer, Kel noticed that each stone had a set of groves in it, and if pushed would retreat into the wall. Also, each stone had a hole in it carefully concealed by the rune on it. Probably trapped, he though. The key to the puzzle, he though, must lie in the runes, not the stone traps they were on.
He stared at the runes intently, scanning carefully along each line of stones. There was vaeros, fire; over there was mormot, death; down at the bottom ourix, lightning. Ahh, there was the pattern. The runes were all words related to the six colors of the true dragons: red, black, blue, green, yellow, and white. But which color to choose? Looking down at his deep crimson skin, Kel decided that red was as good as any other choice. He pressed the rune for fire. Nothing happened. He pressed the one for strength. Nothing. Vanity. Nothing. Finally he pressed sulfur. All the stones of the wall receded, and the entire thing creaked as it moved sideways on hidden rails.
The room beyond was a huge affair, a roof forty feet up, supported by great columns covered in ancient runes. And in the center, lit by an eerie blue light, was a raised dais. In the center was a single dragon egg cradled by an iron quarter-cage above glowing blue coals. It was about half again as tall as Kel, and radiated an intense heat, and the air around the dais crackled with strange bursts of power.
Kel, like all kobolds, loved heat, and was unafraid as he approached the egg. He was entranced by its glitttering facets, the way it took in the light and refracted it into a thousand shades of blue. He stepped up onto the dais, reached out with his clawed hand, and touched the egg. It was warm to the touch. Kel drew even closer. He put his ear up to the egg, listening for sounds of life.
CRACK!
Kel ran.
Behind the Curtain:
Kel has better ability scores than most kobolds, which I rolled for using 4d6 drop lowest, six times, arrange as desired.
Reasoning: Because he has a PC class, he is better than the average kobold. So it makes sense for him to have better ability scores too, although I kept his HP the same to reflect the fact that although he is more powerful than the normal kobold, he is still an NPC.
The feat Partial Weapon Finesse is as Weapon finesse, but requires a Dex score of 13+ instead of a BAB bonus, but grants only half of the Dex bonus it normally would. Upon gaining the required BAB for Weapon Finesse, PWF can be substituted for the real thing at no cost. So at second level Kel would have a total of +1 BAB, and would gain full Weapon Finesse.
Reasoning: It makes no sense that a high dex rogue cant use even a bit of that dex bonus until second level. This isn’t the best solution, but it works.
Kobold Characteristics: Inquisitive
Kel may not be the smartest kobold, but he wants to be. He loves puzzles, although he’s not very good at them. Eventually, he will probably become a decent trapmaker, or at least be able to understand how they work. Sometimes this inquisitiveness gets him in trouble, but it is usually worth it.
