Kobolds
Seems one of the races I keep seeing people ask about. I don't/would never use them as a PC race. But it seems some folks like 'em. So here's giving them a shot...I am modeling them, mostly, from how I picture/use them in my own homebrew world of Orea.
Kobold Traits
Your kobold character looks to trickery and stealth to survive and make advances in the world of the big and powerful folk.
Abilities: +1 to Dex. +1 to Con.
Age: Kobolds mature rapidly, by human standards, achieving physical adulthood in only 3 years. The kobold life cycle is not actually known, adults rarely survive later in life than 20-30 years before meeting an untimely end. Stories of tribal "ancients"/elders of up to 50 years, however, have been reported.
Alignment: Generally speaking, kobolds are conniving and enjoy exercising cruelty on the few creatures over which they can exhibit power. They are often, almost on a genetic level, afflicted with an innate greed, particularly for precious metals and stones they value, to rival mad dwarves or avaricious dragons. Under a particularly intelligent or cunning leader, they can be very organized and capable of impressive feats of digging/mining - and trap creation. All in all, the stronger and more intelligent bully their way into positions of authority which they maintain through threat, superior power, and [naturally] outright bribe. As a society and individuals, most kobolds fall into a Neutral Evil mentality and philosophical outlook.
Size: Small. Kobolds rarely exceed 3.5 with a rarity (1 in 100) of "large" specimens topping out at 4 feet.
Speed: walking speed 25'.
Darkvision: 120'.
Sunlight Sensitivity: as the drow.
Stone Stealth: Kobolds can attempt to hide, even only pressed up against unworked stone surfaces or lightly obscured areas, in any subterranean environment. They gain advantage for all Stealth [Dex] rolls underground.
Kobold Nimbleness: as the Halfling Nimbleness ability.
Scurry: the Kobold is able to climb and grip vertical surfaces (with hands and, if unshod, feet) at their normal movement rate. You have advantage on all climb check (such as a smoothed or slippery surface)
Pack Tactics: Note that I do not have the MM so I do not know, exactly, what Pack Tactics are. But if it's anything like what it sounds, I see no reason it couldn't be used by PC kobolds with their fellow adventurers constituting their "pack" to gain whatever the advantages are. If that is, in fact, over-powered, then just ignore this.
Subraces: Their prodigious breeding and fast maturity rate have helped kobolds maintain their populations in a world that can easily crush them. By living on the scraps and in the shadows of other societies, different types of kobolds have advanced in a few different evolutionary directions. With your DM's approval, you may select one of these kobold types: Furscale, Skaven, Wyrmspawn.
Furscale a.k.a. Bluefur a.k.a. (derogatory) "Yappers"]
These scaled canine-looking kobolds have a mix of fur and reptilean scales covering their body with small vestigial horns or thin, rat-like tails. Their fur ranges a dusty-looking greyish blue to deep indigo-nearly black. Their scales, similarly range from bright to dark blue or blue-grey. They are the "default" kobold of the world. Unless overwise specified, all kobold pc's or npc's encountered are considered Furscale kobolds.
As a Furscale Kobold, you gain the following traits in addition to the common kobold traits listed above:
Abilities: Your Dex. or Con. increase by an additional +1.
Grenadier: You have advantage on thrown weapons [including such things as flasks of oil or breakable clay pots full of acid...or feces].
Kobold Clamor: If contained within a closed area of no more than 20' wide, you yip and yap, high-pitched whistles and barks, and gurgling growls that distract and irritate during your attack. Everyone within 10' radius have disadvantage on saves while you maintain this annoyance. You can maintain a Clamor for a maximum of level rounds per day, used at your discretion and split up as desired as long as the total rounds per day does not exceed your allowance.
Languages: Kobold, Common, Goblin, Gnome.
Ratling a.k.a. Ratfolk
These kobolds have a distinct rodent/rat-like appearance in the face and snout and very dexterous rat or raccoon-like hand-paws. Their body appears entirely mammalian, covered in a thick coat of pale to dark greys, browns, rust red or black. Their vestigial horns are barely more than bumps on their heads beneath the fur above their red beady eyes and they do retain a rat tail, thicker and longer than furscale kobolds. Rat Kobolds are more likely to be found in the sewers and undercities of metropolitan areas, as their furscale cousins are in mountains and mines, but anywhere underground or out of the light, or anywhere regular/animal rats dwell, will do. Other than their smaller size, they are easily mistakable for and often found in league with Wererats.
As a Ratling Kobold, you gain the following traits in addition to the common kobold traits listed above:
Abilities: Your Str. increases by 1.
Pestilence: Your bite inflicts a disease of DC8 + proficiency bonus. Which disease and subsequent effects are determined randomly by the DM.
Ratling Resistance: You are immune to disease. You have resistance to damage from poison and toxic substances.
Languages: Kobold, Common, Gnome, and can speak to rats, mice and burrowing rodents of all kinds.
Wyrmspawn a.k.a. Reptilean Kobolds
These kobolds seem to have eschewed all of their mammalian traits, appearing as small completely hairless reptilean creatures, covered in scales of a muted grey or browned tinted shades of the colors of evil dragonkind: rust red, grey-blue, dingy dusty grey, dull soot black, grey or brownish green. They have shortened reptilian tails and a dragon-like snout and ridged head with [slightly larger or differently shaped than Furscale] horns. They claim a direct lineage with some species of dragonkind, viewing other kobold-kin as devolved mongrels, far beneath the wyrmspawn's "noble" origins [the truth of the matter is precisely the reverse, with Wyrmspawn kobolds once being "normal" furscales engineered through selective breeding and magic by evil dragonkind as a servitor race in ages past]. Different tribes claim different draconic ancestry and lend themselves to the environments of that particular dragon type, if not in/coming from direct service to one of the great wyrms. At this point, most kobolds of all draconic breeding are intermingled tribes and will happily serve any type of evil dragonkind (e.g., you could have "red" wyrmspawn kobolds serving a blue dragon or vice versa).
As a Wyrmspawn Kobold, you gain the following traits in addition to the common kobold traits listed above:
Abilities: Your Int. increases by 1.
Wyrmspawn Resistance: You have resistance to damage from one of the following types of energy or substance, according to the type of dragon from which you choose your character to be spawned: fire, cold, lightning, acid, poison.
Breath Weapon: as the Dragonborn Breath Weapon ability [DC8 +Con.] with the following alterations: Range only extends to 5' in front of the kobold...it's more a "Belch" than a real Breath Weapon. Damage begins at only 1d4, increases to 2d4 at 6th level, 3d6 at 11th level and range increases to 10'. Damage type: fire, cold, lightning, glob of acid or poison gas, is again keyed to the type of dragon you choose for your PC's ancestry.
Languages: Kobold, Common, Gnome, Draconic.
Seems one of the races I keep seeing people ask about. I don't/would never use them as a PC race. But it seems some folks like 'em. So here's giving them a shot...I am modeling them, mostly, from how I picture/use them in my own homebrew world of Orea.
Kobold Traits
Your kobold character looks to trickery and stealth to survive and make advances in the world of the big and powerful folk.
Abilities: +1 to Dex. +1 to Con.
Age: Kobolds mature rapidly, by human standards, achieving physical adulthood in only 3 years. The kobold life cycle is not actually known, adults rarely survive later in life than 20-30 years before meeting an untimely end. Stories of tribal "ancients"/elders of up to 50 years, however, have been reported.
Alignment: Generally speaking, kobolds are conniving and enjoy exercising cruelty on the few creatures over which they can exhibit power. They are often, almost on a genetic level, afflicted with an innate greed, particularly for precious metals and stones they value, to rival mad dwarves or avaricious dragons. Under a particularly intelligent or cunning leader, they can be very organized and capable of impressive feats of digging/mining - and trap creation. All in all, the stronger and more intelligent bully their way into positions of authority which they maintain through threat, superior power, and [naturally] outright bribe. As a society and individuals, most kobolds fall into a Neutral Evil mentality and philosophical outlook.
Size: Small. Kobolds rarely exceed 3.5 with a rarity (1 in 100) of "large" specimens topping out at 4 feet.
Speed: walking speed 25'.
Darkvision: 120'.
Sunlight Sensitivity: as the drow.
Stone Stealth: Kobolds can attempt to hide, even only pressed up against unworked stone surfaces or lightly obscured areas, in any subterranean environment. They gain advantage for all Stealth [Dex] rolls underground.
Kobold Nimbleness: as the Halfling Nimbleness ability.
Scurry: the Kobold is able to climb and grip vertical surfaces (with hands and, if unshod, feet) at their normal movement rate. You have advantage on all climb check (such as a smoothed or slippery surface)
Pack Tactics: Note that I do not have the MM so I do not know, exactly, what Pack Tactics are. But if it's anything like what it sounds, I see no reason it couldn't be used by PC kobolds with their fellow adventurers constituting their "pack" to gain whatever the advantages are. If that is, in fact, over-powered, then just ignore this.
Subraces: Their prodigious breeding and fast maturity rate have helped kobolds maintain their populations in a world that can easily crush them. By living on the scraps and in the shadows of other societies, different types of kobolds have advanced in a few different evolutionary directions. With your DM's approval, you may select one of these kobold types: Furscale, Skaven, Wyrmspawn.
Furscale a.k.a. Bluefur a.k.a. (derogatory) "Yappers"]
These scaled canine-looking kobolds have a mix of fur and reptilean scales covering their body with small vestigial horns or thin, rat-like tails. Their fur ranges a dusty-looking greyish blue to deep indigo-nearly black. Their scales, similarly range from bright to dark blue or blue-grey. They are the "default" kobold of the world. Unless overwise specified, all kobold pc's or npc's encountered are considered Furscale kobolds.
As a Furscale Kobold, you gain the following traits in addition to the common kobold traits listed above:
Abilities: Your Dex. or Con. increase by an additional +1.
Grenadier: You have advantage on thrown weapons [including such things as flasks of oil or breakable clay pots full of acid...or feces].
Kobold Clamor: If contained within a closed area of no more than 20' wide, you yip and yap, high-pitched whistles and barks, and gurgling growls that distract and irritate during your attack. Everyone within 10' radius have disadvantage on saves while you maintain this annoyance. You can maintain a Clamor for a maximum of level rounds per day, used at your discretion and split up as desired as long as the total rounds per day does not exceed your allowance.
Languages: Kobold, Common, Goblin, Gnome.
Ratling a.k.a. Ratfolk
These kobolds have a distinct rodent/rat-like appearance in the face and snout and very dexterous rat or raccoon-like hand-paws. Their body appears entirely mammalian, covered in a thick coat of pale to dark greys, browns, rust red or black. Their vestigial horns are barely more than bumps on their heads beneath the fur above their red beady eyes and they do retain a rat tail, thicker and longer than furscale kobolds. Rat Kobolds are more likely to be found in the sewers and undercities of metropolitan areas, as their furscale cousins are in mountains and mines, but anywhere underground or out of the light, or anywhere regular/animal rats dwell, will do. Other than their smaller size, they are easily mistakable for and often found in league with Wererats.
As a Ratling Kobold, you gain the following traits in addition to the common kobold traits listed above:
Abilities: Your Str. increases by 1.
Pestilence: Your bite inflicts a disease of DC8 + proficiency bonus. Which disease and subsequent effects are determined randomly by the DM.
Ratling Resistance: You are immune to disease. You have resistance to damage from poison and toxic substances.
Languages: Kobold, Common, Gnome, and can speak to rats, mice and burrowing rodents of all kinds.
Wyrmspawn a.k.a. Reptilean Kobolds
These kobolds seem to have eschewed all of their mammalian traits, appearing as small completely hairless reptilean creatures, covered in scales of a muted grey or browned tinted shades of the colors of evil dragonkind: rust red, grey-blue, dingy dusty grey, dull soot black, grey or brownish green. They have shortened reptilian tails and a dragon-like snout and ridged head with [slightly larger or differently shaped than Furscale] horns. They claim a direct lineage with some species of dragonkind, viewing other kobold-kin as devolved mongrels, far beneath the wyrmspawn's "noble" origins [the truth of the matter is precisely the reverse, with Wyrmspawn kobolds once being "normal" furscales engineered through selective breeding and magic by evil dragonkind as a servitor race in ages past]. Different tribes claim different draconic ancestry and lend themselves to the environments of that particular dragon type, if not in/coming from direct service to one of the great wyrms. At this point, most kobolds of all draconic breeding are intermingled tribes and will happily serve any type of evil dragonkind (e.g., you could have "red" wyrmspawn kobolds serving a blue dragon or vice versa).
As a Wyrmspawn Kobold, you gain the following traits in addition to the common kobold traits listed above:
Abilities: Your Int. increases by 1.
Wyrmspawn Resistance: You have resistance to damage from one of the following types of energy or substance, according to the type of dragon from which you choose your character to be spawned: fire, cold, lightning, acid, poison.
Breath Weapon: as the Dragonborn Breath Weapon ability [DC8 +Con.] with the following alterations: Range only extends to 5' in front of the kobold...it's more a "Belch" than a real Breath Weapon. Damage begins at only 1d4, increases to 2d4 at 6th level, 3d6 at 11th level and range increases to 10'. Damage type: fire, cold, lightning, glob of acid or poison gas, is again keyed to the type of dragon you choose for your PC's ancestry.
Languages: Kobold, Common, Gnome, Draconic.
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