# The Kobold Collection The following is a collection of homebrew intended for use in fleshing out kobolds in D&D fifth edition. Kobold lore is surprisingly dense, owing to their history as minions and distant relatives to the more popular dragons. ## Dragonwrought Kobolds The most evident proof for kobolds' lofty claim of direct descent from dragons is the rare occurrence of dragonwrought kobolds. With their eggs marked by the color of their dragon ancestor, such blessed kobolds are impossible to miss -- particularly once they grow draconic wings and hued scales. ### Natural Leaders In kobold society, which is innately well-ordered and reverent of dragons, it should come as little surprise that leadership comes naturally to dragonwrought kobolds. With long lifespans, impressive wings, and a direct connection to the kobolds' gods and masters, dragonwrought kobolds are subjects of envy and awe from their underlings. On some rare occasions, dragonwrought kobolds have even been elevated to positions of true divinity -- such as in the case of Kuraulyek, patron deity of urds, who ascended to godhood in the kobold pantheon. Kuraulyek betrayed the kobold species in favor of his urds, however, and his infamy is a reminder to dragonwrought kobolds to remember their origins. ### Sacred Blessings The appearance of a dragonwrought kobold egg is considered a blessing of the gods. In kobold society, which believes in reincarnation through service to one's superiors, a dragonwrought kobold is also often believed to be the new incarnation of some great hero in a past life. Since the average kobold tribe is rarely equipped to raise dragonwrought kobolds (and since they are usually a threat to existing leaders), such eggs are often delivered to sacred mines and temples, where the dragonwrought hatchlings can be trained to soar and lead. ### Sorcerous Heritage All kobolds have an innate sorcerous heritage, but dragonwrought kobolds' close connection to dragons makes theirs stronger than most. Dragonwrought kobolds live five to ten times as long as normal kobolds, and have powers more closely related to true dragons than many of their more lizardlike kin. ### Dragonwrought Kobold Traits As a dragonwrought kobold, you share some traits with your kobold brethren, but gain other unique skills. **Ability Score Improvement.** Your Charisma score increases by 2, your Dexterity score increases by 1, and your Strength score is reduced by 2. **Age.** Dragonwrought kobolds reach adulthood at age 6, but have natural lives far greater than regular kobolds. Those descended from chromatic dragons can live as many as 600 years, while those descended from metallic dragons might live for over over a thousand. **Alignment.** As with their kobold kin, dragonwrought kobolds are fundamentally selfish, making them evil. Their ordered society and natural expectations of leadership make them trend toward law. **Size.** Dragonwrought kobolds are slightly taller than normal kobolds, averaging at about three feet tall. Your size is Small. **Speed.** Your base walking 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 color in darkness, only shades of gray. **Dragon Wings.** You have dragon-like wings that you can use to slow your fall or allow you to glide. When you fall and aren't incapacitated or prone, you can subtract up to 100 feet from the fall when calculating falling damage, and you can move up to 2 feet horizontally for every 1 foot you descend. When you reach 5th level, your wings mature to fully support your weight, and you gain a flying speed of 30 feet. To use this speed, you can't be wearing medium or heavy armor. **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. **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. **True Dragon.** Your creature type is dragon, rather than humanoid. You have advantage on all Charisma checks you make to influence dragons or kobolds. > ##### Dragonwrought Kobold Variants > While flight is an important aspect to many dragonwrought kobolds, some are born without wings, or with wings that never fully develop to support their weight. If a racial flight speed is problematic in your game, or your kobold character is one who cannot fly, replace the **Dragon Wings** trait and/or its 5th-level progression with one of the traits below. > > **Born to Lead.** You have proficiency in the Intimidation and Persuasion skills. > > **Dragon's Courage.** You are immune to the frightened condition. > > **Innate Sorcery.** You know two cantrips of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells. > > **Saving Face.** If you miss with an attack roll or fail an ability check or a saving throw, you can gain a bonus to the roll equal to the number of allies you can see within 30 feet of you (maximum bonus of +5). Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest. \pagebreak ## Kobold Feats The following is a non-exhaustive list of kobold-exclusive feats intended to help introduce some of the flavor of past editions or Volo's Guide stat blocks into your kobold character. They are all available to either regular kobolds or dragonwrought kobolds. ### Combat Inventor *Prerequisite: kobold* You've mastered the art of quickly creating makeshift inventions that you can use to gain the "advantage" in battle. You gain proficiency with improvised weapons and can use your Dexterity modifier to determine your attack and damage bonuses with improvised weapons. Additionally, during a short rest, you can prepare an invention, choosing from the options below. If you already have one invention, it is replaced. You can use an invention as an action. - **Acid.** You create a flask of acid. You can splash the contents of this flask onto a creature within 5 feet of you or throw the vial up to 20 feet, shattering it on impact. In either case, make a ranged attack against a creature or object, treating the acid as an improvised weapon. On a hit, the target takes 2d6 acid damage. - **Alchemist's fire.** You create a flask of alchemist's fire. You can throw this flask up to 20 feet, shattering it on impact. Make a ranged attack against a creature or object, treating the alchemist's fire as an improvised weapon. On a hit, the target takes 1d4 fire damage at the start of each of its turns. A creature can end this damage by using its action to make a DC 10 Dexterity check to extinguish the flames. - **Basket of centipedes.** You fill a small basket with centipedes. You can throw this basket into a 5-foot-square space within 20 feet of you. A swarm of insects (centipedes) with 11 hit points emerges from the basket and rolls initiative. At the end of each of the swarm's turns, there is a 50 percent c hance that the swarm disperses. - **Green Slime pot.** You fill a clay pot with green slime. You can throw the pot as an improvised ranged weapon with range 5/20 ft. On a hit, the target is covered in a patch of green slime (see chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master's Guide). On a miss, a patch of green slime covers a randomly determined 5-foot-square section of wall or floor within 5 feet of the target. - **Rot Grub pot.** You fill a clay pot with rot grubs. You can throw this pot into a 5-foot-square space within 20 feet of you. A swarm of rot grubs emerges from the shattered pot and remains a hazard in that square. - **Scorpion on a stick.** You attach a scorpion to the end of a stick. You can attack with the stick, treating it as an improvised melee weapon. On a hit, the target takes 1 piercing damage, and must make a DC 9 Constitution saving throw, taking 1d8 poison damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. - **Skunk in a cage.** You capture a skunk. You can release the skunk into an unoccupied space within 5 feet of you. The skunk has a walking speed of 20 feet, AC 10, 1 hit point, and no effective attacks. It rolls initiative and, on its turn, uses its action to spray musk at a random creature within 5 feet of it. The target must make a DC 9 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target retches and can't take actions for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that doesn't need to breathe or is immune to poison automatically succeeds on the saving throw. Once the skunk has sprayed its musk, it can't do so again until it finishes a short or long rest. - **Wasp nest in a bag.** You fill a bag with a wasp nest. You can throw the bag into a 5-foot-squar espace within 20 feet of you. A swarm of insects (wasps) with 11 hit points emerges from the bag and rolls initiative. At the end of each of the swarm's turns, there's a 50 percent chance that the swarm disperses. ### Dragonshield *Prerequisite: kobold* You've been invested with power by a mighty chromatic dragon, and gain the following benefits: - Your Constitution modifier increases by 1, to a maximum of 20. - Choose a damage type and its associated dragon: acid (black), cold (white), fire (red), lightning (blue), or poison (green). You gain resistance to that damage type. - If you are frightened or paralyzed by an effect that allows a saving throw, you can repeat the save at the start of each of your turns to end the effect on you and all allies within 30 feet of you. Any creature that benefits from this trait (including yourself) has advantage on its next attack roll. ### Kobold Commander *Prerequisite: kobold, Intelligence or Charisma 13 or higher* As the leader of a group of kobolds, you've learned how to effectively growl orders from the back line instead of risking your hide in combat. As a bonus action on your turn, choose a friendly creature within 30 feet of you that you can see. Until the start of your next turn, you lose the benefits of your Pack Tactics trait, and your target gains the Pack Tactics trait if it can see and hear you. If your target already has the Pack Tactics trait, when it makes an attack with advantage from Pack Tactics, it can reroll one of the dice once. \pagebreak ### Kobold Recruiter *Prerequisite: kobold, Charisma 13 or higher* You are adept at seeking out hidden kobold warrens and recruiting warriors to fight for your cause. After you complete a long rest, you can call forth a kobold of CR 1/4 or less to serve as your loyal minion. If you already have one or more kobold minions from this feat, they depart from your service. Your kobold minion regards you as a trusted leader to be heeded and protected. Although it isn't under your control, it takes your requests or actions in the most favorable way it can. In combat, the kobold rolls its own initiative and fights as your ally. If you or your allies do anything harmful to the kobold, or if you ask it to perform a task contrary to its nature (such as helping a gnome or attacking a dragon), the kobold leaves your service. At 5th level, you can call forth two kobolds of CR 1/4 or less. At 11th level, you can call forth three kobolds of CR 1/4 or less or one kobold of CR 1 or less. At 16th level, you can call forth four kobolds of CR 1/4 or less or two kobolds of CR 1 or less. ### Mount Tamer *Prerequisite: kobold* In your tribe, you mastered the art of taming and training mounts for battle, most notably the great dire weasel. You learn the *find steed* spell and can cast it once per day. When you cast it, you choose from a different list of creatures: ambush drake, giant lizard, giant weasel, or wolf. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell. ### Scale Sorcerer *Prerequisite: kobold, Charisma 13 or higher* You've completed the necessary rituals to tap into some of the latent sorcerous power in your draconic blood, and gain the following benefits: - You learn one cantrip of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. - Choose one 1st-level spell from the sorcerer spell list. You learn it and can cast it once at its lowest level. Once you cast it, you must finish a short or long rest before you can cast it again. - Choose one sorcerer Metamagic option. You can use this Metamagic once on a spell when you cast it. Once you use this Metamagic option, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again. ### Sunlight Adapted *Prerequisite: kobold* You've spent more time on the surface than most kobolds, and your eyes are less bothered by the sun. You gain the following benefits: - Your Wisdom score increases by 1, to a maximum of 20. - You are no longer affected by your Sunlight Sensitivity trait.