Lost Company Press
Kobolds are small, reptilian creatures with a cunning intelligence and a penchant for traps and group tactics. They have a knack for mining and are often found in subterranean lairs. They are adept at laying ambushes, with gleaming yellow eyes that reel victims into false security. Their scaly skin comes in earthen tones that help them blend into their rocky environments. Kobolds lay cunning traps and use guerrilla tactics. They will often feign retreat to lure adventurers deeper into their traps and prepared ambush points.
Motive: Protection of lair, acquisition of treasure
Environment: Underground warrens, ancient ruins, and forsaken mines (Underground)
Health: 3
Damage: 1 point
Armor: 1
Movement: Short
Modifications: Stealth as level 4; Setting and disarming traps as level 4; Initiative as level 3 due to their alertness
Combat: Kobolds are not strong, but they are clever and work well in groups. They prefer to avoid direct confrontation. When they must fight, they do so by setting traps and attacking with hordes of their kin, often throwing nets to entangle their prey before moving in for the kill. A kobold's quick attack with a short blade deals 3 points of damage.
Trap Mastery: Once per combat, a kobold can trigger a hidden trap that targets up to two characters within an immediate distance, dealing 4 points of damage or causing immobilization for one round.
Pack Tactics: When a kobold attacks a target that one of its allies is adjacent to, it deals an extra 1 point of damage and reduces the difficulty of its attack by one step.
Interactions: Cowardly when alone but bold in groups, kobolds are open to negotiation if it means keeping their numbers intact. However, they typically seek to mislead and cheat others.
Uses: A peaceful village sits atop an unknown network of kobold-inhabited tunnels, and the kobolds believe the surface dwellers are infringing on their territory.
Loot: Kobolds often hoard stolen jewels, coins, and occasionally magic items in their lairs.
GM Intrusion: A kobold that the characters ignored or deemed unimportant reveals itself as the tribe's trap master, triggering a series of calamitous traps they have hitherto avoided.