Kobold Monster Card art by Devin Maupin

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Kobold Culture, Psychology, & Lore

by Griffin Fields

“The weight of coin, the glitter of pearl-stone, the hum of a rod of power–these are my legacy for the hoard. And once I am gone, they shall remain.”

-Panpan, Kobold Heister

Culture and Psychology

Kobolds are omnivorous, have small appetites, and appear to lack taste buds. Their language contains no words for ‘taste,’ ‘flavor,’ ‘delicious,’ or the like. Nearly any organic substance seems to satisfy their diminutive hunger—in urban contexts they have frequently been observed snacking on lemon rinds, coffee grounds, and rotted fish, in other words, garbage. Kobold hatchlings commonly subsist on nothing but their own egg’s shell until they are old enough to walk. These adaptations make survival for a Kobold relatively straightforward, at least at a rudimentary level. With a scrap of cast-off food and shelter from the cold, Kobolds are perfectly comfortable. These seemingly innocuous traits may be at the root of the more notable aspects of Kobold culture.

The energy Kobolds save not worrying about the basics of day-to-day survival allows them to dedicate themselves to greatness in other arenas. Inspired by the magnificence of Dragons, Kobolds venerate wealth and its accumulation. They spend an inordinate amount of time collecting trinkets and are liable to pick up anything made of metal, especially if it is shiny. Kobolds become entranced by the sight of jewelry—a fine ring or valuable gemstone can create an obsession in a Kobold. He may follow the owner for days, fawning over them until an opportunity for theft presents itself.

The Hoard

For all their time spent collecting, Kobold hoards are usually laughable. They are filled with worthless items: Bent spoons, rusted gears, cast off arms and armor, old pots, plug nickels, and tokens from the circus. Occasionally, a silver dish, gold coin, or even a small magic item finds its way into a Kobold hoard. These treasures are venerated by the tribe, mentioned constantly, and visited often.

Kobolds love to store their loot all together in one room to display its majesty. They pile their treasures at the room’s center, uncaged and lit by chandelier, if one is available. Particularly rich tribes display stolen art pieces, fine clothing, tapestries, and sculptures along the room’s edge. The greatest prizes in any Kobold hoard are magical artifacts, stored reverently in chests or display cases.

Some tribes have peculiar tastes and may collect bones, weapons, furniture, horseshoes, musical instruments, scale weights, or booze. They afford these items pride of place within their hoards.

Kobolds care little how they attain wealth. Theft is one preferred method, and one at which this small, nocturnal race excels. But commerce, craftsmanship, coercion, indentured servitude, murder, and loot raids are all accepted. This mindset leads Kobolds into frequent conflict with other races. They have earned a reputation as untrustworthy, cutthroat opportunists.

Life Cycle

Kobold mothers lay eggs in great numbers. Threats to the species via predation—from Trolls, for example, who slaughter and enslave Kobolds wherever they find them—is largely negated by their ability to reproduce. Kobolds routinely have as many as 15 siblings, and many have frustratingly similar names. Kor, Kir, Kur, Kar, Ker, Kora, Kire, Karo, Kuro, and Koru were the names collected from one small Kobold cave by a zealous Gnomish census taker.

Kobold kids are raised communally. They are taught to pilfer early, and kids who return to the den with new trinkets are rewarded with praise. Kobolds enter adolescence on the day they contribute something “hoard-worthy” to the clan’s trove. This first contribution must not be run-of-the-mill—a sack of iron nails will not do—the clan insists upon something shiny, a brass candlestick or pewter mug from the nearest tavern at a minimum. Kobolds gain status in the clan by contributing items of real worth to the hoard; those who contribute jewelry or magic items rise quickly to the ranks of leadership.

Kobolds can live up to 100 years, but rarely do. Their drive for material goods exposes them to danger on a daily basis and many Kobolds meet untimely ends while on the hunt for treasures. “Curious as a Kobold,” and “Careless as a Kobold,” are both commonly overheard phrases among the Allied Races.

Kobolds as Minions

It is relatively easy to press Kobolds into service with the promise of wealth. Many Kobolds are found serving as drudge workers for more powerful creatures, often for little reward.

On occasion, this arrangement backfires for the profiteers, sometimes with spectacular effects. Kobold workers with strong leadership have been known to walk off jobs at critical junctures, or to undo months of work in just a few hours. The Great Trestle Collapse of 1264 was the handiwork of Kobold road crews who carefully removed all the iron spikes from their bridgework just in time for the inaugural crossing—a procession led by the dearly departed Duke of Porlsbarn in his twelve-horse carriage.

Not all Kobold clans are entrepreneurial or far-seeing, but those who are will move on from poor business dealings without hesitation. The only true path to a Kobold’s loyalty is good pay (in gold, silver, brass, bronze, lead, or trinkets.)

Kobold Lairs

All Kobolds need a place to keep and defend their hoards. Individuals may use backpacks or lockboxes for this purpose, but tribes require lairs. These may be caves, ruins, or structures and tunnels of the Kobolds’ own devise; what matters is that the finished lair provides proximity to resources and security for the hoard.

To maximize the latter, most tribes fill their lairs with traps. The most commonly documented among these are spike pits, guano bombs, sleeping gas, and poisoned darts. They are triggered manually, by tripwires (Kobolds set their wires chest-high to a Dwarf and can easily walk under them themselves), and by pressure tiles requiring weight greater than a Kobold’s.

Besides deadly traps, Kobolds secret their hoards behind crudely fashioned concealed doors, and within labyrinthine tunnels. The greatest lairs have mazes of narrow tunnels known only to high-ranking Kobolds and the clan’s Trappers. Intruders can be observed through peepholes and traps activated from a safe distance. Tribes with such lairs often do not confront invaders directly unless they stumble upon the hoard. Instead, they watch and wait from behind tunnel walls as their traps do the bloody work.

Special Tactics

Famously small and frail, Kobolds are cautious when undertaking raids and often avoid combat until their enemies are disadvantaged. They favor night work due to their sunlight sensitivity and superior darkvision. They love to ambush sleeping enemies and extinguish their light sources to take the upper hand. They also enjoy attacking those who are wounded, trapped, exhausted, or lost.

If forced to open confrontation, Kobolds with strong leadership work as a unit to swarm their enemies one by one, focusing their efforts on a single foe and then quickly pilfering anything of value from the fallen. Once they’ve stuffed their pockets with treasure they scramble away shrieking to live another day. On the other hand, when their own hoards are threatened all Kobolds who can wield a short sword (and a fair number who are too small or feeble to) will swarm to slaughter the threat with no regard for their own safety.

Qualities

Paranoid. Kobolds assume that all other humanoids are after their wealth, and struggle to trust claims to the contrary. Checks to convince them of good intent are challenging.

Crafty. Kobolds are natural engineers, adept at making gadgets to solve very specific issues. Many carry small practical trinkets like rope, bells, chains, locks, keys, hooks, mirrors, or matches, for use in their problem-solving endeavors.

Deft. Stature aside, Kobolds run quickly and quietly. They can often slip away from their crimes without being spotted, but if caught they are skilled at escaping their bonds. Most Kobolds are proficient in Stealth, Sleight of Hand, and Acrobatics.

Covetous. Always on the lookout for profit, Kobolds hastily gather shiny things as they go about their lives. They can use their tails to pick up and pocket a single item on each of their turns as a free action.

Weaponry

Melee 1. Clubs and Daggers. Markedly frugal, most Kobolds prefer simple weapons that are easy to come by.

Melee 2. Shortswords and Spears. Kobolds who are prepared to fight often wear light or medium armors and brandish these superior weapons.

Ranged 1. Slings and Blowguns. As with melee weapons, these are favored for their simplicity.

Ranged 2. Shortbows and Javelins. Warrior and hunter Kobolds take the time to fashion these piercing projectiles.

Special Units

Winged Kobold. Some rare Kobolds bear a gift from their ancestors: Dragon wings which grant them a 30 foot fly speed. Although not particularly graceful flyers, Winged Kobolds are valued as couriers and thieves for the tribe, and enjoy dropping rocks on grounded enemies.

Magician. Some Kobolds learn the magical arts to pursue their ends, favoring Transmutation and Conjuration. They cast as 3rd level Sorcerers and always know the spells Mending and Mage Hand. Some branch into Abjuration to defend the lair, and others combine Illusion and Enchantment to aggrandize the hoard or produce vain trinkets—enchanting coins, powders, and marbles to glow or flash impressively, but uselessly.

Beastrider. Although Kobolds are often subjugated themselves, they are capable of winning the loyalty of certain animals. Some even specialize in this area, and the greatest can tame beasts bigger than themselves, which they use as mounts for travel and battle. Beastriders benefit from Pack Tactics thanks to their mounts. Beastriders have one of the following as their mount: Giant Crab, Giant Frog, Giant Wasp, Giant Weasel, Giant Spider, or Reef Shark.

Trapper. A lair’s Trappers prefer never to be seen. They hide away in dark crevices and secret tunnels while the fruit of their craft wreaks havoc on intruders. They always carry simple traps when outside the lair (tripwires, ball bearings, caltrops, hunting traps, etc.) and place them cunningly. They can reset triggered traps as an action, making the adventurer’s trek out of a Kobold lair as treacherous as the journey in.

Heister. The elite operatives of a tribe, Heisters are exceptionally driven and skilled Kobolds that command the acclaim of their kin. They have 15 AC, a +5 to hit bonus, and an extra 2d6 sneak attack damage applied when attacking an unaware target or when benefiting from Pack Tactics. They have Expertise in Stealth, Sleight of Hand, Athletics, and Acrobatics.

Mastermind. A tribe is, in many ways, like a business. To be successful means to dominate the competition, take what they want, and have the biggest hoard. The Mastermind is the Kobold who organizes his clan’s forays into the world. Exceptionally shrewd Kobolds live longer lives and come to lead their tribes as Masterminds, directing them toward prosperity. Their fellows follow them with an almost religious conviction, trusting that any path laid out by the Mastermind will prosper. Masterminds are the only Kobolds of the tribe permitted to use magical items kept within the hoard, and they are very familiar with the artifacts at their disposal.

Special Abilities

Critter Whistle. Some Kobold tribes train critters to do their bidding. Once per combat, such a group may whistle to call swarms from the following list to their side. Choose one for every 10 Kobolds: Swarm of Insects, Swarm of Bats, Swarm of Rats, or Swarm of Quippers.

For the Hoard! When motivated by an opportunity to gain treasure or by the threat of losing it, a group of five or more Kobolds may let out a great squeal. Such a group gains a +5 to their Initiative check for the combat and share a single Initiative value, acting as one to immediately seize the upper hand.

Sleeping Poison. Inspired by the breath of Brass Dragons, some Kobolds manufacture and bottle poisonous fumes that put their enemies to sleep. Once per combat, a single Kobold may spend an action to uncork the bottle and blow the gas in a 15 foot cone. Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 11 CON Save or fall unconscious for 1d4 rounds. This effect ends if the unconscious creature takes damage or someone within 5 feet uses an action to wake it.

Beetle Bombs. The Blister Beetle is a subterranean insect known to be strangely attracted to Kobold excrement. Kobold slingers have learned to keep these explosive critters in their pouches for dire situations, and use them as ammunition against non-scaled foes. Three times per combat, Kobold Slingers may launch a Blister Beetle with their slings, adding an extra 1d6 acid damage from the nasty burn caused by the beetle’s burst innards.

Movement

Run. Good. Kobolds run as fast as humans and navigate obstructions more nimbly.

Climb. Good. Kobolds’ claws and light weight makes climbing easy for them. Their tails help them grip brick or natural stone while they perform other actions with their hands, including attacks at a -3 penalty to hit.

Swim. Average. Being underwater can be preferable to direct sunlight, and provides a good place for an ambush. Still, Kobolds are clumsy in water and collide with one another constantly when swimming in large groups.

Burrow. Average. Kobolds often dig tunnels and their small stature makes the prospect easier. They are not native burrowers however, and you won’t see a Kobold burrowing into the ground in the middle of a fight.

Fly. Poor. Most Kobolds cannot fly, but Winged Kobolds do so no faster than they can run.

Grudges

Dwarves have not historically responded well to the intrusions and crimes of Kobolds, and due to their violent history both groups loathe one another.

Conversely, Kobolds consider Halflings to be non-threatening, and they ignore Halflings lacking obvious affluence. Beyond that, Kobolds fear arcane Mages but also associate them with wealth. Kobolds often show deference to magic users, especially when attempts to murder them have failed.

Kobolds show reverence for other creatures of Draconic origin, including Dragonborn, and most would revel in an opportunity to exhibit their hoards to one.

Kobolds