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KOBOLD

ANCESTRY

UNCOMMON

SMALL

HUMANOID

KOBOLD

Hit Points 6

Size Small; Speed 25 feet

Ability Boosts Dexterity, Charisma, Free; Ability Flaw Constitution

Languages Common, Draconic

Additional languages equal to your Intelligence modifier (if it’s positive). Choose from Aklo, Dwarven, Gnomish, Infernal, Terran, Undercommon, and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent in your region).

Senses Darkvision

Draconic Exemplar You draw minor powers from your draconic exemplar. Choose a type of chromatic or metallic dragon to be your exemplar. This determines your scale color and appearance, and dragons sometimes look more favorably upon those kobolds who resemble them, at the GM’s discretion. Your exemplar may also determine details of other abilities you have, using the Draconic Exemplars table.

TABLE 1–1: DRACONIC EXEMPLARS
DragonBreath Weapon ShapeDamage TypeSaving Throw
BlackLineAcidReflex
BlueLineElectricityReflex
GreenConePoisonFortitude
RedConeFireReflex
WhiteConeColdReflex
BrassLineFireReflex
BronzeLineElectricityReflex
CopperLineAcidReflex
GoldConeFireReflex
SilverConeColdReflex

Every kobold knows that their slight frame belies true, mighty draconic power. They are ingenious crafters and devoted allies within their warrens, but those who trespass into their territory find them to be inspired skirmishers, especially when they have the backing of a draconic sorcerer or true dragon overlord. However, these reptilian opportunists prove happy to cooperate with other humanoids when it’s to their benefit, combining caution and cunning to make their fortunes in the wider world.

Kobolds are resourceful survivors whose snare-guarded warrens and opportunistic scavenging have cast them as villains to most other humanoids, with their draconic reverence lending them a reputation as mere minions and nuisances. Yet some kobolds have emerged from their secluded warrens seeking the relative safety of surface settlements, the lucrative prospects of the adventuring life, or validating awe from followers of their own.

If you want a character with oversized confidence, deadly cunning, and the ancient power of dragons flowing through their veins, you should play a kobold.

You Might...

  • Take pride in your draconic connections, whether you believe dragons are your ancestors or simply patrons.
  • Analyze your surroundings, always looking for ambushes, advantageous terrain, and escape routes.
  • Naturally observe, adopt, and respect group dynamics, whether as leader, subordinate, or equal.

Others Probably...

  • Assume that you are cowardly and won’t stick around in the face of danger.
  • Appreciate your ingenuity and resourcefulness, especially when it comes to building defenses.
  • Consider your claims of draconic power to be overblown, delusional, or endearing.

Physical Description

Kobolds are short (about 3 feet tall) reptilian humanoids with slender bodies and long tails. They often boast distant draconic ancestry, and every kobold displays one or more draconic features, such as stout horns, razor-sharp teeth, or—more rarely—vestigial wings or draconic breath. They mature quickly, reaching adulthood by about 12 years and living to about 60.

The color of a kobold’s scales can vary widely. Most often, they mimic the hues of chromatic or metallic dragons, with a mix of slightly darker or lighter scales that create a mottled appearance. The scales of newly hatched kobolds often reflect the community’s draconic exemplar (page 13), whether that’s the dragon they currently serve or the dragon type from which they’re descended.

Society

Kobolds have an ingrained cautiousness that keeps them alive. They’re secretive or subservient around powerful creatures to avoid becoming victims. This meekness fades once kobolds secure either a formidable patron (like a dragon) or a potent source of supernatural power (like an artifact or sorcerous leader). They often achieve an unshakable fervor and loyalty to their new cause or leader. However, kobolds are infamous for sensing a proverbial sinking ship, and once their source of power fails or seems doomed, their morale breaks swiftly.

Whether led by a dragon or not, kobolds almost always identify themselves with a type of dragon that serves as their spiritual exemplar. Their societies regularly adopt laws and cultural norms inspired by the exemplar’s personality.

Alignment and Religion

All but the most iconoclastic kobolds have a natural respect for hierarchies and rules, and so kobolds are rarely chaotic. Kobold adventurers tend to be lawful neutral or neutral, relying on their ancestral social strategies for survival.

Organized religion feels natural for most kobolds, especially when a deity assumes a commanding or tyrannical disposition. Many gravitate toward Abadar’s order or Shelyn’s artistic flair. More sinister communities uphold Asmodeus and other archdevils as common patrons. The dragon deities Apsu and Dahak are also common subjects of worship (for more about these two deities, see Pathfinder Lost Omens Gods and Magic page 130). Kobolds also often find themselves drawn to cults, particularly those with dragons or devils as figureheads.

Names

A young kobold’s given name is rarely more than a syllable or two. However, as they age, achieve status, and accomplish great deeds, kobolds add more syllables to their names, imitating a common draconic practice. Kobolds rarely have surnames except in an effort to better fit into a community, in which case they typically adopt the surname of an inspiring figure in that group.

Sample Names

Azrnak, Draahzin, Enga, Fazgyn, Fazij, Jekkajak, Kib, Kirrok, Mirkol, Tarka, Urkak, Varshez, Vroklan, Zekstikah, Zgaz

TABLE 1: KOBOLD HERITAGES
Exclusive Heritages Description
caveclimber koboldLOAG You live in a vertically-oriented home, and you’re a consummate climber.
cavern koboldAPG You hatched into a warren among narrow tunnels and countless kin.
dragonscaled koboldAPG Your scales are especially colorful, possessing some of the same resistance a dragon possesses.
spellscale koboldAPG A trace of draconic magic flows through your veins.
strongjaw koboldAPG Your bloodline is noted for their powerful jaws and sharp teeth.
tunnelflood koboldLOAG You grew up in a warren crisscrossed by underwater passages, whether natural or excavated.
venomtail koboldAPG A vestigial spur in your tail secretes one dose of deadly venom each day.
Versatile Heritages Description
AasimarAPG You descend from celestials or were touched by the celestial realms, gaining an air of awe and grace, as well as features distinctive to your celestial forebears.
AphoriteLOAG You were born with a connection to Axis, the Plane of Law.
ArdandeRE Your elemental heritage is reflected in the oils and fragrances of plants, in tree resin that fossilizes into amber, or in the gentle smell of a flower.
BeastkinLOAG The blood of a beast flows through your veins, granting you the ferocity and might of animals.
ChangelingAPG Your mother was a hag.
DhampirAPG You are the scion of a vampire, half living and half undead, gifted with uncanny charm and grace, a bloodless pallor, and elongated incisors.
DuskwalkerAPG Thanks to an ancient bargain, your soul has been reborn as a duskwalker, a planar scion with a connection to psychopomps and the Boneyard.
GanziLOAG Your blood is touched by primal chaos.
IfritLOAG You descend from fire elementals or bear the mark of the Inner Spheres, and your features illustrate the influence that elemental fire has over you.
OreadLOAG An earth elemental ancestor has influenced your bloodline, and your features highlight this elemental planar connection.
ReflectionDA You were created as a duplicate of another creature, intentionally or accidentally, though you might not know of your origins.
SuliLOAG You are descended from a janni or otherwise embody a dichotomy of opposing elemental planar forces.
SylphLOAG You are descended from air elementals or were born under the element’s influence.
TalosRE Your physical features reflect the influence a zuhra or other metal elemental has had over your bloodline.
TieflingAPG You descend from fiends or bear the mark of the fiendish realms, manifesting as some unusual feature that belies your heritage, such as horns or a tail.
UndineLOAG A water elemental ancestor influences your bloodline.
draconic scionBAD You possess the power of dragons, whether you descended from dragons, learned from dragons, were transformed by exposure to draconic energy, or reincarnated from a past life as a dragon.
TABLE 2: KOBOLD ANCESTRY FEATS
Level 1 Kobold Feats Prerequisites Benefits
CringeAPG — With pitiful posturing, you cause your foe to pull back a deadly attack.
Draconic SycophantLOAG — You have an affect that dragonkind find unusually pleasing—and when that fails, you know when to duck.
Dragon’s PresenceAPG — As a member of dragonkind, you project unflappable confidence (that collapses catastrophically against the deadliest foes).
Kobold BreathAPG — You channel your draconic exemplar’s power into a gout of energy that manifests as a 30-foot line or a 15-foot cone, dealing 1d4 damage.
Kobold LoreAPG — You attentively learned key kobold survival strategies and mythology from your elders.
Kobold Weapon FamiliarityLOAG — You’ve trained with weapons ideal for subterranean efficiency.
rLet’s Try That AgainSG-04 — You feel a sense of deja vu when you’ve made a mistake, almost as if you weren’t so careless in a past life and could certainly do better if given another chance.
rLike a RoachSG-04 — Living with the bare necessities isn’t terribly hard for someone who has defied death, and like a cockroach, you always know how to survive.
ScamperAPG — You instinctively know how to flee danger.
SlitherLOAG — You are an expert at moving through extremely tight spaces.
Snare SetterAPG trained in Crafting You are adept at the time-honored kobold art of trap making.
rWeight of ExperienceSG-04 — The experience you’ve accumulated over multiple lifetimes envelops you like a weighted blanket, providing comfort and bestowing confidence under pressure.
rWisdom From Another LifeSG-04 — You absorbed a wide variety of facts before you died, and your soul still remembers slivers of this precious knowledge.
Level 5 Kobold Feats Prerequisites Benefits
Ally’s ShelterAPG — In stressful circumstances, you find strength in your allies’ example.
rAnimal Soul SiblingsSG-04 — Your eyes have been opened to the spiritual essence suffusing the world.
rEmpathy IncarnateSG-04 — Reincarnation has given you a compassionate perspective and enabled you to relate to almost everyone you speak with, putting them at ease and quickly generating trust.
rFey InfluenceLOIL — You have been exposed to powerful fey magic.
GrovelAPG trained in Deception With obsequious words and begging gestures, you convince your foe you’re less of a threat.
rI’Ve Had Many JobsSG-04 — Finding and excelling at odd jobs is child’s play to one who has worked many occupations during many lives.
Kobold Weapon InnovatorLOAG Kobold Weapon Familiarity You’ve learned devious tactics with your kobold weapons.
rReincarnated RidiculerSG-04 — You’ve practiced the art of taunting an enemy, ensuring they know death will only make you stronger.
rSleep of the RebornSG-04 — Philosophers compare the cycle of life, death, and rebirth to sleeping, dreaming, and waking.
Snare GeniusAPG expert in Crafting, Snare Crafting Your expertise makes your snares more powerful, and you can place them quickly and efficiently.
WingletsLOAG — You’re among the few kobolds who grow a set of draconic wings later in life.
Level 9 Kobold Feats Prerequisites Benefits
Between the ScalesAPG — Underestimating you is a grave mistake, but it’s one others keep making.
Briar BattlerLOAG — You’ve learned to use roots, crevices, uneven ground, and dense underbrush to your advantage.
Close QuartersLOAG — You’ve trained to fight with allies in tunnel warrens, dense undergrowth, or similarly cramped terrain.
DracomancerAPG — Your inborn arcane power manifests as your exemplar’s most time-honored spells.
Dragonblood ParagonLOAG strongjaw kobold heritage, venomtail kobold heritage, Dracomancer, or Kobold Breath Your draconic anatomy becomes especially pronounced.
Dragon’s BreathAPG Kobold Breath You can put more effort into your Kobold Breath to channel greater draconic power, though it takes more out of you.
rDrain EmotionLOIL Fey Influence You touch an adjacent creature and attempt to draw out its excess emotion.
rFey AscensionLOIL Fey Influence The fey influence on your form and features grows even more powerful and notable.
rLingering EchoesSG-04 — Not everyone is reincarnated, and you feel a strong connection with the spiritual echoes of those who didn’t receive the same opportunity as you.
rPlant Soul SiblingsSG-04 Animal Soul Siblings You’re now able to connect with the spirits present in the greenery of the natural world.
rRapid RetrainingSG-04 — Some feel trapped by their choices and have a tough time reinventing themselves.
Snare CommandoLOAG expert in Deception or Intimidation, Snare Crafting Your snares are so befuddling that your victims rarely notice you slipping out of sight.
rYou Seem Somewhat FamiliarSG-04 — You fought hundreds of foes in your various past lives, and now and then, something about a new opponent tugs at your memory, almost as if you defeated their grandparent long ago.
Level 13 Kobold Feats Prerequisites Benefits
rCannibalize MagicLOIL Fey Influence The fey magic inside of you is a vital part of your body, and you can steal other sources of magic to replenish yours.
rClinging to LifeSG-04 — This life still holds much for you, and you aren’t ready to fall back into the River of Souls just yet.
rEldritch CalmLOIL Fey Influence Your fey heritage has altered your mindset to more resemble the uncanny perspective of the fey.
Elite DracomancerAPG Dracomancer Your magic rivals that of lesser dragons.
rGlamourLOIL Fey Influence You unlock a new level of fey power and can manipulate the perceptions of others using a font of First World magic.
Hatchling FlightLOAG Winglets You can fly a little! You Fly up to half your Speed.
rI Sense MalevolenceSG-04 — Your time in theRiver of Souls has given you deep insight into the machinations of those who refuse to move on.
Kobold Weapon ExpertiseLOAG Kobold Weapon Familiarity Whenever you gain a class feature that grants you expert or greater proficiency in a given weapon or weapons, you also gain that proficiency in the crossbow, greatpick, light pick, pick, and spear, as well as any kobold weapons in which you are trained.
rLinguistic RevivalSG-04 — You achieved fluency in different languages with each reincarnation, and your brain remembers much of the grammar, idioms, and obscenities that you spouted in old lives.
rPain Is TemporarySG-04 — Sangpotshi practitioners know that suffering is a fleeting sensation that ultimately strengthens the soul and prepares it for a new reincarnation.
rStone Soul SiblingsSG-04 Plant Soul Siblings Your connection with nature’s spirits has progressed to the point where you can even have casual conversation with pebbles and boulders.
rUnbreakable ResolveSG-04 — The experience of coming back after death has granted you a strong sense of resolve; devilish words, slick spells, and conniving trickery can’t easily catch you off guard.
Vicious SnaresLOAG expert in Crafting, Snare Crafting You’ve learned how to create traps that cause greater injuries.
Level 17 Kobold Feats Prerequisites Benefits
rBoneyard AcquaintanceSG-04 — Before your soul returned to the Material Plane, you interacted with a host of other souls on their way to the Boneyard.
rFey TranscendenceLOIL Fey Influence You become a powerful fey creature, gaining strengths tied to the First World but also some of the weakness against which all fey must contend.
rIndomitable SpiritSG-04 — Your soul has accumulated countless particles of quintessence over myriad deaths and rebirths, and for one moment, this raw material from the Great Beyond envelops you and your comrades.
rRelease the LightSG-04 — Many people report seeing a bright light before their death.
rSee You in HellSG-04 — You aren’t sure if you’ll be reincarnated again, so you might as well take this foe with you.
rThis Time, Bring the BodySG-04 — Death sends a soul into the River of Souls.
Wyrmling FlightLOAG Hatchling Flight Your draconic wings have grown large and strong enough for flight.