Settings Agnostic Kobolds

1. #1Kobold Magicselective

   Keys: Rune, Wind, Control, Thunder, Magic, Dragon, Ice, Earth, Transformation, Lightning, Fire, Acid, Poison

   Magic: Kobold magic relies on their distant descent from dragons, and is all but exclusively aimed towards mimicking those ancestors. At a pragmatic level, kobold magic involves the inscription of a draconic rune, and the tracing of it followed by an incantation, then a dragon-like gesture. Their magic can summon or manipulate common draconic elements (fire, ice, acid, lightning, poison, thunder, earth, wind, etc.), as well as briefly transform one’s body in a way that mimics dragons (such as sprouting wings, growing claws, hardening scales, elongating fangs, etc.). Alternatively, at its highest form, kobold magic revolves around the literal transformation into a dragon, or the awakening or attempts to control a dragon. All kobolds are familiar with at least some rudimentary magic, usually that which proves useful generally (such as making fire or sharpening their claws), and the highest echelons of their magic are restricted and controlled due to its innate dangers. Many a kobold has died shortly after transforming into a dragon due to not being physically prepared for it, and many kobolds have been eaten by the very same dragon they sought to awaken or control.

2. #2Statureselective

   Keys: Height, Tall, Stature

   Diminutive stature: Kobolds are anthropoid lizards that stand between 2 and 3 feet tall, and weigh between 20 and 30 pounds each, with the females being ever so slightly larger to accommodate egg laying.

3. #3Cave Dwellingselective

   Keys: Night, Drowning, Darkvision, Climb, Hold Breath, Vision, Claw, Cave, Cave-Dweller, Hide, Jumping, Scales, Dark, Nightvision

   Natural Cave-Dwellers: Given their small stature, Kobolds are naturally inclined to make dens and, in large groups, warrens underground, plying their small stature to their favor by using it to maneuver in small environments. To this end, Kobolds possess a natural ability to see in the dark at the cost of a lengthy transition period when going from above to below ground in the daylight. Their razor-sharp claws and compact bodies also lend them a natural ability to climb all but the most extreme surfaces, making them excellent spelunkers and mountaineers. Due to lengthy dwelling underground, they are also adept at holding their breaths for long periods of time, in dire circumstances even entering into a torpor-like state to avoid drowning, extending rescue windows by up to or exceeding a week. They possess a thick, piercing resistant hide covered in iridescent and durable scales to protect from minor bumps and scrapes, as well as from accidental injury from their own kind’s claws. They are also unusually good at jumping when necessary due to their light bodies relative to their musculature.

4. #4Cold-Bloodedselective

   Keys: Reptilian, Climate, Sluggish, Cold-Blooded, Cold Blooded, Reptile, Heat, Cold Blood, Hyper, Cold-Blood, Cold, Temperature

   Cold-Blooded: As Kobolds live beneath ground where the temperature remains regular, they don’t rely on their own bodies to generate warmth, but utilize the ambient temperature around them. This does mean, however, that when suddenly exposed to a drop in temperature, they become sluggish like many other reptilians, but also at the exchange of becoming all but manic and hyper when overheated. If they can balance this drop in energy due to cold climates, however, it can make them adept at surviving through winters or lengthy expeditions as it slows their metabolism down as well, adding to their ability to survive lengthy submersion in cold underground rivers. Like with many lizards that dwell in places with four seasons, a humorous occurrence some good Samaritans may experience is bringing a sluggish and seemingly sick kobold indoors to get it out of the cold, only to shortly have a panicked and manic kobold scrabbling to escape.

5. #5Colorationselective

   Keys: Color, Camouflage, Pigmentation, Red, Scale, Coloration, Green, Blue, Vibrant

   Vibrant Coloration: Kobolds come in a variety of vibrant colors, with red, green, and blue being the most common. However, their scale pigmentation can be influenced by heritage and environment, leading to rarer colors such as gold, purple, or even stark white. Their scales are iridescent, shifting hues subtly in different lighting, making them visually striking. Some kobolds use this natural coloration for social displays or camouflage in rocky or mineral-rich environments.

6. #6Rejuvenationselective

   Keys: Teeth, Claw, Scale, Shed, Tooth, Scales, Claws, Molt

   Rejuvenating Body: As kobolds regularly are set upon by other creatures or lose bits of themselves to cave-ins, their teeth, scales, and claws all grow relatively quickly. A kobold also molts like many other lizards, briefly entering into a hyper vulnerable state where they go from being all spines and hard scales to soft, silky smooth proto scales. When needing to modulate their temperature, or to engage in social displays, they can move their scales to widen the gaps between them to vent heat, or to cause them to ripple and shine in the light. Kobolds in groups may use this to distract or disorient their would-be predators, allowing other kobolds to escape or to attack unseen.

7. #7Combatselective

   Keys: Razor-Sharp, Teeth, Spines, Scale, Claw, Spine, Tooth, Scales, Claws

   In Combat: A kobold is a creature of sharp spines and hard scales and all wiggle, making them immensely difficult to grab and hold on to. If cornered in such a way, however, all the razor-sharp brand-new teeth and claws of the kobold become vicious and painful to their attackers. Many creatures can even die if they don’t eat a kobold carefully on account of their rigid back spines tearing into their intestines.

8. #8Prey Speciesselective

   Keys: Artisan, Trap, Intelligence, Tinkerer, Prey, Clever, Inquisitive, Intelligent, Trap-Maker, Curious, Mage

   Apex Prey: A kobold on its own is a vulnerable creature indeed, but as a tribe they are a force to be reckoned with. Both such states, when combined with their naturally small size, makes them predisposed towards intelligence. As naturally clever and inquisitive creatures, they are natural artisans, tinkerers, trap-makers, alchemists, and mages. Where applicable, they have a keen mind for engineering and science as well. When not otherwise engaged, they are naturally playful with those they trust, but exceedingly wary of anyone they do not.

9. #9Pack Mentalityselective

   Keys: fecund, breeding, Eggs, egg, eggs, Mentality, Egg, egg laying, Pack, mating, Jois de vivre, sex

   Pack Mentality: As a favorite snack or punching bag of the larger species, kobolds have had to learn to cooperate. They are extremely group-minded, even raising their tribe’s eggs together in one communal heap such that no one parent knows instinctively which egg is their own. As they regularly lose members of their community, they have an innate jois de vivre mindset, as well as a judgment-free mindset towards sex and procreation – even when merely recreational, as the bonding helps foster group connections. A kobold is willing and ready to die for its clan, but also just as willing to go to war over the killing of even a single member of their people. When moved to war, they act as a single unit, coordinating their efforts with breathtaking efficiency.

10. #10Languageselective

    Keys: YipYak, Vocalization, Trill, Bark, Yip, Language, Vocalize, Hiss

    Language and Vocalizations: Kobolds have an extensive linguistic system which relies on a combination of hisses, barks, trills, and whines, each of which serves different purposes. Unlike other species, they can use a hissed version of their language without loss of meaning due to the necessity of using it around unstable terrain which is sensitive to vibrations. For carrying over mountains and valleys, however, they can amplify their vocalizations by barking their language instead. Curiously, they can sound rather akin to a dog with a sore throat.

11. #11Hoardingselective

    Keys: Treasure, Shiny, Metal, Gold, Gemstone, Hoard, Jewelry

    Natural Hoarders: Kobolds are naturally inclined to hoard shiny things like gold and gemstones, though their underground lairs seldom afford them the ability to smelt such metals. They will gladly trade for rings, necklaces, torcs, or other jewelry with which to adorn themselves. Each kobold is also typically inclined to hoard something which is personally relevant to them. For example, a scholastic minded kobold may hoard books, while a militant one may hoard weapons. In times of crisis, these personal hoards are pooled to solve issues as a group.

12. #12Out of Combatselective

    Keys: Tinkerer, Dexterous, Clever, Tinkering, Tinker, Dexterity, Curious

    Out of Combat: Their natural inclination towards tinkering has rendered the Kobold unusually dexterous, and they are capable of even very gentle manipulation of things despite their long razor-sharp claws. They can even show affection to a creature without a thick skin like a human without injuring them.

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