Homebrew Metallic Kobold Species Details

“When the Iron Council made their own little magic minions; spell slinging got a lot more complicated.”

— Volo

Born of metallic dragons as an answer to the chaos of unrestrained magic; metallic kobolds, or "Cobolds," or "Shinies" reflect the will of the Iron Council towards order in the arcane.  Often mistaken as cowardly, foolish, and weak,  these little draconic creatures actually have a strong social structure that stresses devotion to the cohort and to the council.  They are clever and cooperative in order to overcome their physical limitations.

Originally planned as architects and custodians of the great cities beginning to take shape; the Iron Council adjusted their plans after several catastrophic arcane attacks/accidents.  They saw the need for plentiful, easily replenished enforcers; and adapted these traits were a relatively small adjustment to a working prototype. As such, cobolds retain their diminutive nature and comfort underground.

IRON COUNCIL & THE LAWS OF MAGIC

As craftsmen and merchants began to capitalize on new techniques in the creation of magic items, or new spells; Gnomes organized a political web of immunity so they could create freely “in the interest of progress.”  cobolds resent any who get away with breaking the laws of magic.  They hold gnomes primarily responsible with loop holes allowing evil mages to run free.

The Seven Laws

• Thou shall not kill a mortal
• Thou shalt not breach the outer gates
• Thou shalt not swim against the currents of time
• Thou shalt not reach beyond the borders of life and death
• Thou shalt not enslave a mortal
• Thou shalt not transform others against their will
• Thou shalt not invade the mind of another

 

 

Occasionally seen as a prolific nuisance; those of other humanoid races have little good to say about cobolds, but they do admit that the little drakes do respectable tunnel work and have a back for complex cooperation. 

Some human communities confuse them for their chromatic cousins, and hire cobolds to dig their sewer tunnels, Though proud; If they are treated well and left alone to do the job, the cobolds work industriously and build a network of passages beneath the streets, connecting them to a nearby waterway and greatly improving the town’s sanitation. Cobolds agree to such humble acts of labor because it is still hardwired as pleasurable in them; and because it allows them so swiftly move through large cities to better engage magical threats.  If the cobolds like the area and aren’t mistreated by the humans, they might build a burro precinct and make a permanent home there, while continuing to expand the town’s sewers as the community grows. These so-called “city cobolds” live underground but might make occasional nighttime forays up to the surface. Roughly one quarter of the towns and cities in the world have cobolds communities living under them, many only surface in the event of an arcane emergency.

 

Able Scavengers

As self sufficient creations of the Iron Council; Metallic kobolds rarely given much additional support.  They are expected to perform the duties for which they were created on their own, and any who are unable to are seen as faulty and readily disposed of.  Without this support from their creators, and with little attention or care from other societies, they have grown adept at identifying broken, misplaced, discarded, or leftover crafted items from other creatures that can still be put to use. They prefer to scavenge objects that have clearly been lost or thrown away, which is easy to do without attracting attention. At the same time, they don’t automatically shy away from trying to grab items that are the property of other creatures, because such objects are more likely to be in good condition and thus more useful or valuable. Though this scavenging is seen at its most developed in the "shinies" craftsmanship.  Cobolds are clever creators and have been known to copy intricate and complex creations with limited and inferior resources.

 

Metallic kobolds are always on the lookout for magic that might help the Iron Council; or danger society.  Typical kobolds don’t know how to use a wand, a spellbook, or anything with more magical power than a potion, but they all believe that the authorities placed in each cohort will figure out how to use any such item they come across. When kobolds sense an opportunity to separate a magic item from its owner, they are often willing to take the chance of revealing themselves because the potential reward is worth the risk.

Dragon Servitors

Metallic Kobolds were created by the Iron Council from the blood of dragons — a view supported by their draconic appearance (though only so much as a dog is a wolf). Long have cobolds appeared in the wake of draconic presence.  Entire cohorts, with order and an understanding for their purpose have been noted to appear, out of thin air when metallic dragons move in to a new region or city.  Even those who are not members of the Iron Council.  In every cobold cohort, the legend of the creatures’ origin is passed down from elder to hatchling, giving each individual and every generation a reason to feel pride and self-respect.  The cobolds know that there is greatness within them and they are proud that they were chosen to be the blood-kin of dragons.

Cobolds willingly serve metallic dragons and some go as far as worshiping them as if they were demigods — mighty beings of divine descent. This isn’t a casual sort of worship or lip service; most cobolds are awed in the presence of a dragon, as if an actual avatar of a deity were in their presence. Cobolds fall all over themselves to obey orders from a dragon, even if they are dangerous orders. 

Arcane Magic Users

Unlike some other humanoids, cobolds don’t fear or shun arcane magic. They see magic as a natural good; like fire. Their only concern regarding magic is that it be used according to proper boundaries. They see their own magic as part of their connection to dragons, and are proud to be blessed with the ability to wield such power. Young cobold sorcerers and mages are often trained together under the tutelage of the most senior magic using cobold in the cohort, and the training has an almost religious significance. Most cobold sorcerers are of the draconic bloodline origin and specialize in either protection magic (which can also be used in self defense and law enforcement), augmentation (of materials or allies), or divination (to find raw materials and foresee threats to the cohort).

The main reason why cobolds depend on arcane magic rather than divine is that a single hit from a human’s weapon can kill one of them, so a cohort has little use for healing magic, and a sorcerer can meet most of the cohort's other magic-related needs. Cobold paladins are very rare; priests of the Council, when they reveal themselves, are easily recognized by purple garb decorated with an image of a seven pointed star.

Life and Outlook

Cobolds have a well ordered if seemingly primitive society in which they all take on specialized roles that protect and sustain the cohort. The strongest cobolds are trained to be hunters and warriors, the most clever are crafters and strategists, the toughest are miners and beast-wranglers, and so on. Even a stupid or physically weak cobold is given a role in the cohort, whether something as simple as picking mushrooms for food or watching over hatchlings, and they all understand that their actions contribute to the survival of the group. The cohort practices for the eventuality of defending the lair against intruders and constantly drill against magical attacks.

Cobolds feel a cool affinity or something like kinship for other members of their cohort, but they are seldom openly affectionate with each other. Two cobolds who’ve known each other for over a decade might consider each other friends or enemies, but the strength of this sentiment is much fainter than any comparable human emotion. Since most of their waking time is spent acting on behalf of the council (wether consciously or otherwise), adversarial cobolds rarely have opportunities to exchange insults, let alone come to blows over their differences.

Cobolds choose mates primarily for convenience. Their lack of emotional bonding means they have no concept of marriage or permanent family relationships. Their eggs are placed in a common hatchery with no effort to keep track of who each one’s mother is. This practice and the communal raising of the hatchlings mean that the cohort operates like a group of cousins rather than siblings.

Grow Fast, Die Early

Cobolds grow and mature much more swiftly than members of other humanoid races. At 6 years old a kobold is considered an adult. Most succumb to violence, accidents, or disease by age 20, but a kobold can live for up to 150 years — a longevity they attribute to being distantly related to dragons. A female can lay up to six eggs per year, and an egg matures for two to three months before it hatches.

Cobolds don’t engage in funeral ceremonies; a dead kobold’s body is burned or disposed of in some other convenient way. Cobolds believe that if they die in service to their cohort, Magic will immediately sends each of them back to life as the next egg laid in the hatchery. If a particularly important or respected member of a cohort dies, the hatchery is closely monitored. The next egg laid is immediately separated from the rest and carefully protected. Once it hatches, the resultant young cobold is groomed to fill a position of importance.

Food

Although their sharp teeth would suggest they are carnivores, the "shinies" are actually omnivores, and can eat just about anything, including meat, fruit, tree bark, bone, leather, and eggshells (a newly hatched cobold’s first meal is usually its own shell). A hungry cohort leaves nothing behind from a kill, eating everything that’s edible and using the rest to make tools or adornments.

Cobolds shed teeth as they wear out and grow new ones their entire lives. Many wear their own shed teeth as jewelry, with more teeth indicating an older — and wiser — Cobold. Some unscrupulous individuals wear teeth stolen or harvested from others in an attempt to make them seem older and more respectable.  This practice is seen as dishonest, and those who are caught pretending to have authority they have not earned are banished.

Most cobold cohorts avoid eating what they call “talking meat” — intelligent creatures — because such behavior prompts retaliation. Though this practice is less morally reprehensible than for other sentient races.  In such cases, cobolds that do eat humanoids don’t simply start consuming corpses or prisoners right after a battle; they’re more inclined to tie their victims to saplings and slowly roast them over a fire, or put them in a giant cook pot to make stew, so that the food that those bodies do supply is put to maximum caloric use. Fortunately for the prisoners, the cobolds’ almost comedic preparations sometimes give rescuers time to locate and free the captives before the cobolds settle down for the main course.

Hatred

Because the gnome guilds knack for obfuscating the will of the Iron Council, and for their perceived rampant misuse of magic; cobolds are bitterly hateful toward gnomes. Although they usually don’t seek out gnomes to do them violence, if hostile cobolds encounter a mixed group of gnomes and other humanoids, the cobolds instinctively attack the gnomes. This has caused more than one diplomatic headache for the Iron Council.  

A cobold’s cautious nature doesn’t mean it can’t get angry. The blood of dragons flows in its veins, and like a raging drake, a metallic kobold that is pushed too far or has its back against the wall can become a miniature storm of fangs and claws as it desperately tries to defend its life. Likewise, kinship to their own cohort can prompt cobolds to battle another cobold tribe for resources or territory. These conflicts, though rare, are referred to as "inter-departmental disputes," or "redrawing of juristdictive lines."  For example, two neighboring cohorts that want exclusive claim to a flock of mountain goats might skirmish with each other every few days. Eventually the leader of one warring tribe realizes it is losing due to attrition and moves its cohort to another area, ceding the contested territory to its more successful neighbors.

As demonstrated by their hatred of gnomes, cobolds have a persecution complex and more easily take offense than other races. They aren’t as forgiving as other races, and they enjoy nursing their hatred until they get a chance to wreak revenge on a creature or a race that has wronged them.

Environment

Cobolds aren't cold-blooded but they do prefer temperate and tropical climates. Cobold tribes in colder regions tend to be smaller in population and more aggressive in their hunting, since food is relatively scarce in such areas.

Because their eyes are sensitive to sunlight, cobolds prefer the security of a cave or other dark place to living in the open air, and can be found in any sort of terrain that can support tunneling. Surface dwelling kobolds often find ways to darken their vision with tinted glass or other devices to compensate for this. In a swamp or along a coastline where digging into the soft ground is problematic, cobolds entrench themselves in dense woods, hills, or large rock outcroppings, creating warrens above the water line.

Outside of cities (their intended place), metallic kobolds reside most commonly in hilly or mountainous terrain. Such locations usually have natural caves suitable for living space, plenty of room to dig, and ready sources of food. These cobolds more closely resemble their chromatic cousins and some cohorts have taken to interbreeding, making the distinction even harder.  Although lairing in these locations puts cobolds in competition with surface-dwelling humanoids, their ability to avoid detection often means their warrens go unnoticed by their larger rivals. 

Roleplaying a Kobold

A cobold acknowledges its weakness in the face of a hostile world. It knows it is puny, bigger creatures may exploit it, it will probably die at a young age, and its life will be full of toil. Although this outlook seems bleak, a cobold finds satisfaction in its work, the survival of its tribe, and the knowledge that it shares a heritage with the mightiest of dragons. A cobold isn’t naturally knowledgeable, but it isn’t as feral as an orc. Someone can fool a cobold with smooth words or a quick wit, but when the cobold figures out it has been tricked, it remembers the affront. If it gets an opportunity to do so, it will retaliate against that person somehow, even if in merely a petty way.

A cobold doesn’t like being cornered or alone. They work best in groups and will seek out allies nearby to improve its chances. A cobold without support from others will become nervous, its behavior alternating between meek silence and hysteria.

 

Kobold Names

Like their chromatic cousins, cobold names are derived from the Draconic tongue and usually relate to a characteristic of the owner, such as scale color, distinctive body parts, or typical behavior. For example, “Red Foot,” “White Claw,” and “Scurry” are Common translations of often-used names. A cobold might change its name when it becomes an adult, or add additional word-syllables after important events such as completing its first hunt, laying its first egg, or surviving its first battle. The Cobold Names table presents kobold names suitable for any campaign.

Cobold Names

d20	Name	d20	Name
1	Arix	11	Molo
2	Eks	12	Ohsoss
3	Ett	13	Rotom
4	Galax	14	Sagin
5	Garu	15	Sik
6	Hagnar	16	Sniv
7	Hox	17	Taklak
8	Irtos	18	Tes
9	Kashak	19	Urak
10	Meepo	20	Varn

Metallic Kobold Traits

Your kobold character has the following racial traits.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Strength score is reduced by 2.

Age

Metallic kobolds reach adulthood at age 6 and can live up to 150 years but rarely do so.

Alignment

Metallic kobolds are fundamentally cooperative, making them tend towards good, and their reliance on the strength of their group makes them trend toward law.

Size

Metallic Kobolds are between 2 and 3 feet tall and weigh between 25 and 55 pounds. 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.

Cooperative Distraction

As an action on your turn, you can distract nearby foes. Until the end of your next turn, your allies gain advantage on attack rolls against enemies within 10 feet of you that can see you. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Saving Face

Metallic Kobolds are naturally cooperative and work well in groups. 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.

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.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Draconic.