```metadata
title: Kobolds
description: ''
tags:
  - ''
systems: []
renderer: legacy
theme: 5ePHB

```

## Kobolds
*Your Royal Highness,*

*Thank you veyr much for your consideration - I appreciate that I was one of your first thoughts when you needed information on kobolds, especially given my recent expedition to the Splintered Rock Clan, who I understand you are preparing to enter trade negotiations with. Unfurtunately, I cannot atted the summit personally, as I am to leave for a long-prepared expedition to the coral reefs tomorrow to study the tritons there.*

*I have enclosed a copy of my recent writings, based on spending a year with the kobolds, and I feel you will find its contents useful as you prepare for your negotiations. I feel that getting these kobolds on your side will be beneficial to the realm in the long run, and I'm glad you see the inherent wisdom in negotiation.*

*I wish you well on your negotiations. Remember, the kobolds will be slow to trust you, if at all, but having them on your side will prove invaluable.*

-A note left on top of a bookmarked and underlined copy of *Small But Fierce - An Anthropological Study of Kobolds* by Glitterleaf Tucker, gnome anthropologist.
_____
Most see kobolds as annoyances, mindless minions of some powerful dragon, hoping to wheedle their way into its good graces, and the few exceptions seen as little more than comic relief. While there is, admittedly, some truth to that assessment, it sells the intellect and loyalty of kobolds short, and shows nothing of their real value to the world.

I went to the mountains to seek out kobolds and found the Splintered Rock Clan, who were willing to let me learn about them after some long and tense negotiations (and even longer explanations of what an athropologist is, mostly consisting of me convincing them that "anthropologist" isn't just a longer word for "spy.") I was eventually able to gain the trust of them enough for them to assign me a kobold - Rhea Watches-The-Stars - as a sort of guide and minder.

### Small and Quick
I recall reading old stories about how kobolds were dog-like in appearance; having spent time among them, I can categorically say that this is wrong, and whoever was describing them in the first place may have mistaken them for gnolls. There is no hiding their draconic heritage, though they are more than just small dragonborn. Their forms are generally lighter and more built for athleticism and quick movement than brute strength or hardiness. I have seen kobolds squeeze into spaces that even I would have trouble fitting through, and their twitch reflexes are second to none, often reacting to danger without even being aware of it until afterwards.

There are also very rare kobolds that are born with wings, known as *urds*; this is the shortened version of the draconic word *urdshashk*, which translates to "sky-gift." My guide, Rhea, is one such urd, and was quite proud to show off her wings to me. One of her jobs for the clan was as a "security surveyor" - she would fly up to the height of your typical taller race and carefully observe the paths and defensive layouts from the height of their presumed intruders, seeing how obvious or well-hidden various measures were and offering suggestions on how to hide them better.

### Fierce and Clever
Industrious and ingenious, kobolds are skilled with their hands, and never more so when defending their homes. More than one adventuring party has gone into a kobold's lair hoping for easy pickings, only to be laid low by unseen traps, tunnels, and undetected murder holes, before being set upon by a horde of enraged and co-ordinated kobolds. This cleverness and ingenuity makes them talented engineers and problem-solvers, as well as scouts and ambushers. Even the youngest kobold is taught how to stay hidden and quiet even before they can talk, and they're trained in some form of craftsmanship as soon as they can pick the tools up.

Every kobold is expected to be able to look after every other kobold in the tribe or clan, and no kobold will willingly abandon anyone they consider kin; to do so would make them no better than the gods they shun. They train in ambush and formation drills, and can fight in close proximity without disadvantage - indeed, I suspect that kobolds fight *better* when packed together, knowing that their clan-mate has their back both figuratively and literally. For a society that's "widely known" for being comprised of evil sycophants, the kobolds here showed great care, protectiveness, and concern for those of their community.

The harshest punishment a kobold community has is exile and outlawry, reserved for kobolds that have committed crimes that threaten the very cohesiveness of the clan, though I'm given to understand that this can vary from clan to clan. Such criminals are branded on their face with a draconic glyph marking them as an outlaw and promptly cast out into the wilds to fend for themselves, to never return to any kobold community on pain of death. This is effectively a death sentence for the kobold in question. Rhea told me that she'd seen it performed once and that she hoped she never saw it again; given the way she sounded when she spoke of it, I decided to not press the issue.

### Abandoned by the Gods
One of the things I've noticed about kobold living spaces is their lack of religious iconography or any spaces set aside for worship - I've seen no temples or anything that would resemble a sacred space, and the only sign of a deity I've seen is a basic depiction of Tiamat scratched into a wall that's been repeatedly defaced and remade. I asked Rhea about it, and she explained that there were very few kobolds that actually believed in the gods.

The story she told me - and I'm given to believe that this is the most popular version of events - is that they once had their own god Kurtulmak. Kurtulmak wasn't the nicest of gods, but he did do his best to look after his people. One day, Tiamat decided that she wanted to have kobolds as servitors to her dragon children, and demanded Kurtulmak hand the kobolds over to her and concede all godly power. Naturally, Kurtulmak told her to get bent, whereupon Tiamat spent weeks tracking him down to kill him.

In that time, Kurtulmak had thrown up hundreds of traps and sneak attacks, all the while beseeching Bahamut for aid against his sworn enemy. Unfortunately for Kurtulmak, Tiamat eventually caught him and tore him apart, while Bahamut stood back and watched him die, doing nothing to help.
\page
As a result, the kobolds have no gods of their own, and hate both Tiamat and Bahamut for it - Tiamat for enslaving them, Bahamut for letting it happen. That's not to say that faith is forbidden among kobolds, just that it's something practiced in secret, usually as a beseechment for safety and protection for one reason or another. In the absence of gods, kobolds often turn to more powerful creatures to serve in exchange for protection. While this is most commonly dragons, since they demonstrably have the power to protect them and the advantage of familiarity, kobolds can be found in the company of any creature strong enough to keep them safe.

Kobolds without such a benefactor - such as the Splintered Rock Clan I studied - tend to form tight-knit and cautious tribes or clans, simultaneously distrustful and curious about the world around them. I am given to understand that these communities will often hide inside other communities, using them as a sort of "shell" to protect them - Rhea tells me of a neighbouring clan rumoured to have made their home in the very walls of a large castle, making their way around via tunnels and shafts dug around the foundations and in between the walls, the actual inhabitants none the wiser.

### Dragon Dreams
Towards the end of my stay, I was visited by Meela Always-Cold in the early hours of the morning, in tears and trembling as though she'd had a terrible nightmare. It was from her that I learned of a terrifying affliction that kobolds fear more than anything else, which I was able to gather further information on when I got back home. Meela was initially very reluctant to even speak of what had happened to her, but after some hot drinks and warmth she found the courage to tell me of the affliction that kobolds call "dragon dreams."

It seems that, as part of Tiamat claiming dominion over the kobolds, the goddess gave chromatic dragons the ability to mystically "summon" kobolds to them to act as slaves, to be bound to dragon's will for the rest of their lives. These summonings appear to be random in nature and afflict only kobolds - I've not seen or heard of them occurring in other reptilian or draconic species. They take the form of dreams that occur with increasing frequency and are always of a disturbing nature, usually themed around the dragon that has summoned them.

As far as kobolds know, these dreams are only relieved by death or by finding and serving the dragon that summoned them. There is also a fear that these dreams are contagious, to the point where even speaking of them to other kobolds will infect them with dreams as well. That was why Meela had come to me so late - she wanted to ensure that she could speak of her dreams without any other kobold hearing of them. She revealed that she'd been having the dreams for half her life - dreams of snow, ice-covered cliffs, white scales, and blue eyes that were filled with malice. She said that was why she was always cold, because she'd spent so long resisting the call of the dragon. It would certainly explain why she was so cold to the touch, even after staying by the fire wrapped up in blankets for close to two hours.

It was difficult for me to explain why I had to take Meela with me to the clan leaders without explaining the real reason, but I could not leave her behind in good conscience, not when I have many more resources available to me to help find a way of breaking this curse.
<br><br>
### Live in the earth, Die in the sky
One thing I found surprising is that, despite living underground almost all of their lives, kobold funerary practices don't involve burial. Rhea explained that burying a dead kobold would bring their soul closer to Tiamat, while cremating them would bring them closer to Bahamut, neither of which were seen as desirable. Funerary cannibalism was common among some clans, particularly those that served dragons, but other clans practiced what Rhea called "sky burial." It was forbidden for me to attend such an event, but Rhea was happy to explain it to me.

When a kobold dies, their body is brought to an elevated platform and left out, exposed for the birds to consume, with the skull broken open. The clans frequently lived in places with many birds to do this - the Splintered Rock clan had native eagles and other raptors to do the consuming, but Rhea told me of another tribe near the ocean cliffs that used seagulls. She'd heard rumours of another clan that kept funerary chickens for this purpose, but they hadn't been heard from in some time.

Once the body was picked clean down to bones, the kobolds would come back and retrieve the bones and integrate them into structures of the clan, that the kobold could remain with the clan and help them even in death. The general belief is that the soul stays with the bones, and hence with the clan, preventing Tiamat and Bahamut from claiming them.

### Striking Out
Every so often, the clan would recieve a letter from another kobold, which was a source of great excitement, often leading to a feast where the letter was read out to the clan. Rhea told me that the letter was from a kobold - Berk Trains-The-Eagles - who'd decided to strike out and explore the lands beyond the clan. He'd found an adventuring group and was working alongside them, keeping them alive in the wilderness. Most of the letter was devoted to his own excited descriptions of Liver-Eater, his pet eagle.

According to Rhea, kobolds will occasionally adventure out of curiosity, or at the behest of a clan that's curious about the outside world. She'd heard of one kobold being sentenced to becoming an explorer or adventurer - it was before she was born, so she was a bit hazy about the details. Sometimes, kobolds who have escpaed servitude under a dragon or whose clan had been destroyed would become explorers and aventurers, seeking out others for their own safety at first and often getting drawn into their own adventures.

The way Rhea spoke of adventuring, I got the distinct impression that she wanted to become one...
\page
### Kobold Names
Traditional kobold names are rarely more than two syllables long, usually something in draconic. Kobolds also have a chosen name, which is more of a descriptor than anything else. Despite it being called a "chosen" name, the name is rarely chosen by the kobold who uses it - it's usually gifted (or "gifted" in the case of less complementary names) by their clan.

**Draconic-style names:** Albrik, Deekin, Gerdir, Kalpo, Kol, Meepo, Morn, Rad, Rhea, Rhix, Snerrag

**Chosen names:** Believes-In-Gods-Because-He-Is-Stupid, Breaks-Kneecaps, Digs-In-Mazes, Eats-The-Rich, Farms-Mushrooms, Lurks-At-The-Murder-Hole, Sings-To-The-Hatchlings, Watches-The-Stars

### Kobold Traits
Kobolds share certain racial traits, thanks to their culture, heritage, and general lifestyle.

**Ability Score Increase:** Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Intelligence score increases by 1.

**Age:** Kobolds reach maturity around age 10 and can live up to 120 years, but rarely do so.

**Alignment:** Kobolds are reliant on the strength of their community and work well in teams, leaning them towards lawful alignments. Independent kobold communities will set their own rules, usually neutral or trending towards evil out of self-preservation; those beholden to an overseer will tend to match their ruler's alignment.

**Size:** Kobolds are between 2 and a half and 3 and a bit feet tall, and weigh between 25 and 35 pounds. Your size is Small.

**Speed:** Your base speed is 30 feet.

**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. You can't discern colour in darkness, only shades of grey.

**Crafty:** You are proficient with your choice of one set of artisan's tools or thieves' tools.

**Pack Tactics:** 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.

**Sneaky:** You are proficient in the Stealth skill.

**Sunlight Sensitivity:** You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.

**Twitchy:** When you are forced to make a Dexterity saving throw, you can use your reaction to give yourself advantage on the save. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

**Languages:** You can speak, read, and write Common and Draconic.

#### Urds
A rare subspecies of kobold, urds are kobolds born with wings allowing them to fly. Urds gain the following racial trait:

**Wings:** You have a set of dragon-like wings sprouting from your back. These wings give you a flying speed of 30 feet as long as you aren't wearing medium or heavy armour or carrying a heavy load.

### Dragon Dreams - Mechanics
Every time a kobold targeted by Dragon Dreams takes a long rest, they must make a DC 8 Charisma saving throw.

**Success:** The dreams don't manifest, and the kobold gains the benefits of a long rest. Add 1 to the save DC (cumulative, with no upper limit).

**Failure:** The dreams manifest, and the kobold doesn't gain the benefits of a long rest. If the save DC was higher than its base, reset it.

Add 1 to the base save DC every 1d4 months, until one of the ending conditions is reached. If an afflicted kobold dies and is resurrected by any means short of *True Resurrection*, saving throws against dragon dreams are made with disadvantage as long as they still have the resurrection penalty.

**Ending the Dreams:** There are limited ways of getting rid of dragon dreams permanently. The ones known so far are:

* The kobold dies permanently.
* The kobold dies, and is resurrected by a *True Resurrection* or *Wish* spell, or through Divine Intervention.
* The kobold tracks down the dragon and submits to their service.
* The dragon dies.

> ##### Dragon Dreams in play
> Dragon Dreams are frightening and traumatising things. They always feature the dragon that's trying to summon the kobold in some way - sometimes as oblique as only showing the colour of the dragon or their home environment, and the more severe ones will have the dragon manifesting directly into their dreams.
>
> The dreams always contain feelings of isolation, demands of surrendering the self to the service of the dragon, and no mercy towards the kobold. The kobolds can dream they're being attacked or slowly killed, but always die just before they wake up.
>
> The disturbing nature of the dreams, combined with the prevailing belief that these dreams are contagious (to the point that even talking about them is believed to transmit them from one kobold to another), means that kobolds suffering from dragon dreams are unlikely to seek any help for them.