Pathfinder Player Companion: Kobolds of Golarion 9781601255129

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KOBOLD RACIAL TRAITS +2 Dexterity, - 4 Strength, -2 Constitution:

Ko b o l d s a re fast but wea k. Ko bo l ds a re h u m a n o i d s with the re pt i l i a n su btype. Small: Ko bo l ds a re S m a l l cre at ures and g a i n a +1 size bonus to t h e i r AC, a +1 size bonus o n attack ro l l s, a -1 pena lty o n t h e i r co m bat m a n e uver checks a n d to their Co mbat M a n e uver Defe n se, a n d a +4 size b o n u s o n Stealth checks. Normal Speed: Ko bo l ds have a base speed of 3 0 feet. Darkvision: Ko b o l d s c a n see i n the dark up to 6 0 feet. Armor: Ko bo l ds have a +1 natural a r m o r b o n u s . Crafty: Ko bo l ds g a i n a + 2 ra c i a l b o n u s o n C r a f t (tra ps), Perce ption, a n d P rofession (m i n e r) c h e c k s . C r a f t (tra ps) a n d Stea lth a re a lways class s k i l l s for a ko b o l d . Weakness: L i g h t sensitivity. Ko b o l d s a re d a z z l e d i n a reas of b r i g h t s u n l i g ht o r w i t h i n the ra d i u s of a daylight spe l l . Languages: Ko bo l ds beg i n p l a y spea k i n g o n l y Draco n i c . Ko bolds w i t h h i g h I nte l l ig e nce scores can choose fro m the fo l l o w i n g : Co m m o n, Dwa rve n, G n o m e, and U n d e rco m m o n . Reptilian:

KOBOLD NAMES Because k ob o ld s i d entify so passionate ly wit h d ragons, t h ey strive to reinforce t heir connection t h roug h names t h at reflect t heir d raconic heritage. Kob old b irt h names are re l ative ly s hort, usua lly consisting oftwo syll abl es, and are a l most a lways faint ly reminiscent of d ragons ' names. To furt her emu l ate t h eir d raconic b ret h ren, k ob o ld s c h ange t heir names to l onger an d more comp l ex forms as t hey reac h important age mi l estones, perform spectacu l ar acts, or attain notabl e ac h ievements. Kob o ld a dventurers often a dd more syll abl es to t heir names upon reac hing significant points in t heir careers-every 5 l eve l s or so. Kob old s rare ly h ave surnames; most instead use cl an names or honorifics to i d entify t hemse lves. T hose kob old s who do use surnames are most often reinforcing a c l aim to a here d itary t h rone or attempting to adhere to regiona l or cu ltura l influences. MALE NAMES

FEMALE NAMES

A h m m ra Azzlyn Enga G rymwyr Gynnezz Kre g n a a n jyn nj u n Lyrtra h k

Melrynn Petra h k Ryzzntyg S kyxa Tyrre l l Va rshez Vre g m a Za rrnyl

Ath raz Dyrtrax Fazij G rytnok J e kkaj a k Kaidy nn Keegyn Ki rrok

Merlokre p Nyd ryn Nyktox Ryzztyl To r p h rex Va rra n n Vreknog Xa h ndyg

Authors• Tork Shaw, Mat Smith, and Jerome Virnich Cover Artist• Dan Scott Cartography• Rob Lazzaretti

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Interior Artists• Jorge Fares, Taylor Fischer, Francesco Graziani, Miroslav Petrov, Maichol Quinto, Bryan Sola, Xia Taptara, and Radoslav Topalov Creative Director• James Jacobs

FoR YouR CHARACTER

2

KosoLDs O N GoLARtO N

4

L1 FE AS A KOBOLD

6

CULTURE

8

Editor-in-Chief• F. Wesley Schneider Senior Editor• James L. Sutter Development Lead• Logan Bonner Development Team• Logan Bonner, John Compton, Adam Daigle, Rob McCreary, Mark Moreland, and Patrick Renie Editorial Team• Judy Bauer, Christopher Carey, and Ryan Macklin Lead Designer• Jason Bulmahn Design Team• Stephen Radney-MacFarland and

TRIBES

10

WoRSHlP

12

PLAYER CHARACTERS

Sean K Reynolds Senior Art Director• Sarah E. Robinson Art Director• Andrew Vallas Graphic Designer• Sonja Morris Production Specialist• Crystal Frasier

S NARL O F TH E EMBERMAW CLAN CoLORATl O N TRAPS

20

ARCH ETYPES

22

Publisher• Erik Mona Paizo CEO• Lisa Stevens Chief Operations Officer• Jeffrey Alvarez Director of Sales• Pierce Watters Sales Associate• Cosmo Eisele Marketing Director• Jenny Bendel Finance Manager• Christopher Self Staff Accountant• Kunji Sedo Chief Technical Officer• Vic Wertz Senior Software Developer• Gary Teter Campaign Coordinator• Mike Brock Project Manager• Jessica Price Licensing Coordinator• Michael Kenway Customer Service Team• Erik Keith, Justin Riddler, and Sara Marie Teter Warehouse Team• Will Chase, Heather Payne, Jeff Strand, and Kevin Underwood

FEATS SPELLS EOU1PMENT MAGl C lTEMS

32

N EXT MO NTH! KosoLD RAc1AL TRAITS AND NAMES

1 NSlDE FRONT COVER

RANDOM KoBOLD CHARACTER1ST1CS

1 NSlDE BACK COVER

Website Team• Ross Byers, Liz Courts, Lissa Guillet, and Chris Lambertz

REFERENCE This Pathfinder Player Companion refers to several other Pathfinder Roleplaying Game products and uses the following abbreviations. These books are not required to make use of this Player Companion. Readers interested in references to Pathfinder RPG hardcovers can find the complete rules from these books available for free at

paizo.com/prd.

Advanced Player's Guide

APG

Ultimate Equipment

Advanced Race Guide

ARG

Ultimate Magic

UE UM

UC

Ultimate Combat

This product is compliant with the Open Game License(OGL) and is suitable for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game or the 3.5 edition of the world's oldest fantasy roleplaying game.

•

F!�L�S!2•

Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version t.Oa, Section i(e), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, storylines, locations, characters, artwork, and trade dress. (Elements that have previously been designated as Open Game Content or are in the public domain are not included in this declaration.)

�t for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this Paizo i o ae i he i i n i � ����;�� �f l��:;;:r� oth�r th a���� �:��i��:�;�a��J�� r;;ie � � am�P�:n�:: ����=��;;:�� �ed\���;f; �� ��{h �u�

Open Content: Exc

written permission.

Paizo Publishing, LLC 7120 185th Ave NE, Ste 120 Redmond, WA 98052-0577

PathfinderPfayerCom anion: Kob olds ofGolarion@2013, Paizo Publishing, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Paizo, Paizo Publishing, a . nd h i s g d l

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Pathfinder Flip-Mat, Pathfinder Map Pack, Pathfinder Module, Pathfinder Pawns, Pathfinder Player Companion, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Pathfinder Tales, and Rise of the Runelords are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC.

FOCUS CHARACTERS

FOR EVERY CHARACTER

T h is Pl ayer Companion h ig hl ig hts options specific to c h aracters of t h e fo ll owing c l asses an d races, in a dd ition to e l ements t h at can app ly to ot h er c h aracters.

Certain game elements transcend the particulars ofa character 's race or cl ass. T he following elements work equally well for any character in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, regardless of focus, type, or background.

KoBOLDS Most options in t his b ook are usefu l to many types of c h aracters, b ut k ob old s d o get some c hoices t h at are usefu l on ly to t hem. T he options in t h is b ook t h at app ly only to k ob o ld s are l iste d at t he end of t his page.

5PELLCAST ERS T he new spe ll s on pages 26-27 work for many different c l asses, inc lu d ing t he ever-popu l ar kob old sorcerers.

C h aracters exp loring dungeons can use the new magic items ( pages 30-31) and a l c h emica l items ( page 29) to c l ear tunne l s, create fa l se wa ll s, stun und erground creatures, and muc h more.

RoGU ES T he snare setter arc hetype ( page 23) is tai l or-ma d e for rogues who want to create and set traps. 2

TRAPS

hEMS AND EQUIPMENT

FlGHTERS

0 Are we allowed to play kobolds kobolds in this campaign?

Bard s who want to spread the glorious word ab out t he powerfu l dragons can choose the dragon herald archetype ( pages 22-23).

For b att l ing in c lose tunne l s using t heir superior numb ers, kob old fighters develope d the swarm fighter arc hetype ( page 23).

Pathfinder Player Companion: Kobolds of Golarion.

T he regional traits inclu d e d in t his b ook ( page 9) cover many regions where kob old s l ive, wit h mu ltiple options for characters who hai l from d ifferent parts of t he Darkl and s b eneat h t he surface ofGol arion.

BARDS

CLERICS

questions can help you get the most out of

or characters who once lived with

T h e k ob old styl e feats ( page 25) give sma ll c h aracters a way to b ring b igger creatures d own to t h e ground. T he Sma ll But Dea dly and Wa ll of F l es h feats en h ance t heir comb at ab i l ities.

You can ta k e t h e k ob o ld fait h race trait to gain acces s to specia l subd omains: Amb us h, Ra d iation, and Trap ( page 13).

Asking your GM the following

REGI ONAL TRAITS

New ranger traps ( pages 20-21) let you get more out of the Learn Ranger Trap and Improve d Learn Ranger Trap feats ( page 24), which you can take even ifyou're not a ranger. Decoy triggers ( page 28) can make your traps more devious, and trappe d items can ma ke for a d ea dly surprise-and come in b ot h mund ane ( pages 28-29) and magical ( page 31) varieties.

SMALL CHARACTERS

n QUESTIONS TO V ASKYOURGM

TRIBES Not only can kob old s use t he sample trib es ( pages 10-11 ) as t heir b irt h trib es, b ut veteran a dventurers mig ht d escrib e previous d ea l ings t h ey h ave h a d wit h t h ese groups, whet h er antagonistic or friendly, as e lements of t heir b ac k stories.

€} Will we be going on adventures that take us into dungeons or into natural subterranean tunnels?

€) Since

kobolds are normally

lawful evil, what alignments make the most sense given the type of campaign we'll be playing?

KOBOLD OPTlONS T houg h t he ru l es items in t h is b ook are kob o ld t h eme d, not a ll of t hem require you to b e a k ob o ld to c hoose t hem. T he kob old -specific options are l iste d b e l ow for easy reference if you 're p l aying a k ob old c h aracter. KOBOLD OPTION

Alternate racial traits Blootstrike toil magic item Dragon heart ro le Irradiating toil magic item Kobold Co nfidence feat Kobold Flood style feat Kobold G ro u n d l i n g style feat Kobold Style style feat Merciless Magic feat Merciless Precision feat Mixed Sca les feat Redeemed Kobold feat Sca le co lor race tra its Sca led Disciple feat

DID YOU KNOW? Ko bolds co me from German myth, where they we re orig i n a l l y m i ners. I n Classic Monsters Revisited, Ko bold Press masterm i n d Wo lfg a n g Ba u r wa nted to rei nforce this-so he gave them b u l ette d i g g i n g machi nesi

PAGE

7 30 14 30 24 25 25 25 24 24 24 25 1 8-1 9 25

RULES lNDEX In a dd ition to new a lternate racia l traits ( page 7), arc h etypes ( page 22), equipment ( page 28), favore d c l ass options ( page i5), feats ( page 24), ranger traps ( page 20), ro les ( page i4), spe ll s ( page 26), and subd omains ( page i3), t he fo ll owing traits and magic items appear in t h is Pl ayer Companion. REGIONAL TRAIT

Bri a r bandit (fo rest) G ravelwa l ker (Darklands) G rit goggles (Darklands) I ron l u ngs (Darklands) La i r snake (dragon's l a i r) S nowstride (Darklands) Strea m nomad (Darklands) Suck in yo u r g u t (Darklands) Tra p savvy (Darklands RACE TRAIT

Alchemical breath (green-scaled kobolds) Bog sca m p (black-sca led kobolds) Carnation sca les Co ld fo rtitude (white-sca led ko bolds) Draconic echo (blue-scaled ko bolds) Elaborate trapper (blue-sca led ko bolds) Fi rebug (red-scaled kobolds) Fi re-tongued (red-scaled kobolds) Frost spitter (white-sca led kobolds) Golden sca les Heat fo rtitude (red-scaled kobolds) I cy meme ntos (white-sca led kobolds) Kobold fa ith Kobold herba l ist (gree n-scaled kobolds) Lightning blessed (blue -sca led kobolds) L i qu i d-tongued (blue -sca led kobolds) Ooze defense (black-sca led ko bolds) Purple sca les S kater's bala nce (white-sca led ko bolds) S l ithering stride (green-sca led kobolds) Smoke resistant (red-scaled kobolds) Sneaky swi mmer (black-sca led kobolds) MAGIC ITEM Bloatstrike tail Displacing stone Dragon herald vestments Dwindling bullet Hezzilreen's spellbook Imploding stone Irradiating tail Levitating land mine Paralyzing snare Scarecrow lure Trapped beverage Trapped puzzle box Trapped sword

PAGE

9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 PAGE

19 18 19 19 18 18 19 19 19 19 19 19 13 19 18 18 18 19 19 19 19 18 PAGE

30 30 30 30 26 30 30 31 31 31 31 31 31

Kob old s are perhaps the most underestimate d race on Golarion. It 's hardly surprising, considering the numb er of adventurers ' tales that paint a picture of cowardly weaklings who flee from any conflict. T hese unimpressive encounters, however, are nothing more than a smokescreen to prevent adventurers from threatening the trib e or learning the deadly trut h: that though diminutive, kob old s are as vicious and vengeful as t he dragons to which they claim kins hip. As meticu lous as t hey are malicious, kob old s are highly organize d, sophisticate d, industrious, and inventive. T heir natural talent for mining and gift for trapmaking are known and envie d throughout t he Darkland s and b eyond. Wise explorers learn to id entify t he hallmark s of kob old tunnel s and find safer alternative routes around t hem. Kob old s ' abi lity not just to survive t he unfathomable dangers ofthe Darklan ds but to thrive there speak s most loudly oftheir tenacity, resilience, and resourcefulness. Kob old s are, in fact, a race of creatures to b e respecte d-even feare d. And those who d are underestimate them do so at their peril.

KOBOLD PS YCHOLOGY As individual s, kob old s are as unique as the memb ers of any other race. But taken as a whole, kob old s share a very consistent and complex psyche. Survival Instinct: Kob old s are h ar dwire d to survive. A ll too conscious of their relative frailty, kob old s are cautious, hyperaware oftheir surroundings, and sometimes paranoid. 4

Almost all activities they engage in are directly or indirectly relate d to the survival ofthemselves and their trib e. Tribe Before Self-Usually: Wit h t h eir ingraine d communal mind -set, kob old s put t he we l fare and safety of t he trib e ab ove all e l se. T h at ' s not to say t hey 're mindless ly se lfless or suici d a l, however-why d ie for t he trib e if someone e l se can d o it? When pus h comes to s hove ( and it d oes), a kob old won't t hink twice ab out sacrificing anot her to escape d anger. To ot her kob old s, t his b e h avior d emonstrates quick t hinking and creative problem solving. And t he trib e nee d s more of t h at. Inter-Kobold Relations: Kob old trib es function l i ke we ll-oi le d machines b ecause of t he cooperation require d by t heir communal society. However, b ecause of their high mortality rate, strong friend s hips are s low to form. For simi l ar reasons, kob old s don't mate for life, t hough some pairings may l ast for mont h s, even years. Once a ferti le egg is l aid, it ' s taken to t he hatchery to b e protecte d and care d for. T he parents have no attachment to their eggs or t he hatchlings they may pro duce, and all memb ers of the trib e b ear some responsibi lity to look after and train t he young. ' Obsessive with Picks and Tricks: Whet her it s an l h h b b in orn compu sion or e avior wroug t from generations of training, kob old s have a proclivity for mining and trapmaking. T he reasons for t his seems clear: the former is a bypro duct oftheir nee d to create controlle d environments, and the latter helps protect those spaces.

Kob old s ' stature and physical h ll k wea ness insti in t em a sociopathic desire to prove themselves b etter than everyone el se. T his is the source of kob old s ' merciless cruelty, and why they e:ajoy killing, maiming, and torturing other creatures-especially those who are larger or more powerful. Draconic Kinship: For kob old s, t heir connection wit h dragons is irrefutable. Whether they're a chi ld race, disparate siblings, distant cousins, or perhaps even forerunners to dragons, kob old s are certain of their place alongside the powerful dragons-and that 's a confidence b ooster. Draconic Superiority: Kob old s al so possess a sense of entitlement and the b eliefthat they are far b etter than other, clumsier races. T his is due to t heir draconic heritage-who doesn't b elieve that dragons are the pinnacle of all b eings? And as kob old s are almost dragons, they too bas k in the glory ofb eing at the top-biding their time, waiting for the Age of Dragons to give way to the Age ofKob old s. Small Reptile Complex:

FlVE FACTS ABOUT KOBOLOS T he fo ll owing represent k ey information ab out kob old s.

FACT

1:

"KoBOLDS ARE DRAGONS"

Just as k any kob old-s he ' ll te ll you, confident ly listing off a numb er of simi larities, such as b asic s kull s hape, toot h structure, horn composition, ear fri ll s, and scale coloration. And, when one considers t he uncommon but not entire ly rare instances of kob old s wit h wings and even breat h weapons, t he paralle l s are even more unmistak able. T hese simi larities raise t he question as to whether kob old s are a lesser, undeve lope d version of t heir dragon kin-or if, in fact, t hey 're a more advance d ( alb eit less impressive) sub species, destine d to out live their l arger cousins.

FACT 2: "KoBOLDS CAN TURN ANYTHI NG I NTO A TRAP" Give a kob old a little time with a handful of o dd s and end s, and he ' ll turn it into a contraption that can hamper, incapacitate, maim, or kill. T he kob old s ' diab olical ob session and s kill with trapmaking is unparalle le d. Outsiders who want to improve their s kill s with traps seek out abandone d kob old traps to study, or pay kob old tutors. Some governments-and even thieves ' gui ld s-are rumore d to contract kob old s to design and build incre dibly complex traps for vaults and other highly sensitive areas. T he intricate construction and unconventional approaches kob old trapmakers take when creating their masterwork traps make them not just difficult to spot or disarm, but astonis hingly difficult to replicate.

FACT 3: "KoBOLDS AREN'T EASILY REPULSED OR NAUSEATED" Get wit hin 20 paces of a kob old mounte d on a s lurk, and you' ll b e convince d t h at kob old s h ave no sense of sme ll. In fact, t hey have a remark able sense of sme ll t hat a llows t hem to appreciate t he nuances of a staggering range of scents-muc h as someone might savor even t he most

intense fl avors. Between t his range and t heir abi lity to consume nearly anyt hing, it ' s extreme ly d ifficu lt to find somet hing t h at wi ll ch allenge a kob old' s incre d ibly represse d gag re flexes.

FACT 4: "KosoLDS NEVER G ET losT" Foll ow a kob o ld moving t hroug h t he snarl of her l air, and you' ll quic kly rea l ize two t hings: first, kob o ld s h ave an uncanny sense of d irection; and second, you 're hope l ess ly l ost. Kob old s ' d irection sense goes far b eyond not getting turne d around easi ly-it a l so provi d es t hem wit h exceptiona l spatia l awareness. T his, once again, is easi ly d emonstrate d by a tour t hroug h a k ob o ld snarl­ t he fact t h at t h ey tunne l suc h comp l ex l ab yrint h s wit hout carefu l p l anning or surveying is mind - b ogg l ing.

FACT 5: "KoBOLDS TASTE TERRIBLE" T h is is b est ta k en on fait h. Wit h t h e s h eer numb er of creatures t h at l ive in t h e Darkl an d s t h at are more t h an capabl e of p lunging past any d efenses k ob o ld s can muster, t h ere must b e a reason k ob o ld s aren' t a regu l ar part of s omet h ing ' s d iet. T h at reason is b io l ogica l : k ob o ld sca l es, mus c l es, an d d igestive organs contain sub stances t h at are d istastefu l, repe ll ent, or poisonous to most l arge pre d ators.

LIFE AS A KOBOLD Crowd e d into t heir narrow tunne l s, kob old s learn imme d iate ly t h at t heir l ives b e l ong to t he trib e, and t h at t hey b ot h reap rewar d s from t he trib e and h ave a duty to maintain it. Between t h eir proximity to one anot her an d t heir pragmatic l ifestyles, k ob o ld s k now t heir own l ife cyc les and physiol ogy quite we ll. T h e few stand outs in kob old society tend to b e ind ivi dua l s who h ave greater gifts from t heir d raconic bloo d. A yout h wh o h atc h es wit h t h e "jaw of a d ragon" or " t he wyrmfear " imme d iate ly b ecomes a prize d memb er of t he trib e.

KOBOLD ECOLOGY Kob o ld s are fascinating repti l ian creatures t h at seem to b e b ui lt perfect ly for t heir und erground l ifestyl e.

llFE CYCLE Hard -s he lle d kob old eggs-and the embryos wit hin t hem-are remarkably sturdy, able to endure b eing move d or expose d to re lative ly hars h conditions or treatment for s hort perio d s of time whi le sti ll remaining viable. After a 45- to 65- day incub ation perio d, a kob old hatchling break s out of its s he ll using its two most prominent cranial horn bud s. Measuring from 6-8 inches tall, a newly hatche d kob old is fully forme d and imme diate ly able to fend for itself. It typically spend s the first hour ofits life consuming t he remnants of its s hell or anyt hing e l se near its birt h pl ace t hat seems appetizing. Some voracious hatchlings have b een known to cannib alize t heir weaker siblings, an act adult kob old s allow, seeing it as a sign of strengt h. Hatc hl ings d eve l op quite quic kly, d oubl ing in size eac h year unti l t hey reac h t he juveni l e stage at around 3 years of age and fu ll a du lt hoo d by t h eir tent h year. Ma l es

and fema les are virtua lly ind istinguis h abl e to ot h er races, even after reac h ing adu lt h oo d. Life expectancy for most kob old s is ab out 30 years, t houg h some particu l arly h ar dy and carefu l k ob o ld s h ave b een k nown to l ive up to i40 years.

EXTERNAL PHYSlOLOGY T he average kob o ld stand s around 3 feet ta ll an d weig h s ab out 40 poun d s. T h oug h p hysica lly wea k, k ob o ld s are remark ably quic k and agi l e. Kob old s ' flexible tai l s, whic h extend roug hly two-t hir d s h t eir height in lengt h, provi d e exce llent natura l b al ance and are integra l to many of t he creatures ' gestures and subt le nonverb a l cues. T heir highly sensitive eyes, which allow them to see perfectly in pitch d arkness, are protecte d by a nictitating membrane. T his t hick, transparent eye lid guard s against debris and ot her irritants, but doesn't negate t he discomfort cause d by bright lights. Because closing t he membrane causes a subtle s hift in eye color, it may signal when a kob old is ab out to attack or anticipates a d angerous situation. A kob old ' s sca les, teet h, and horns are a lways growing and scales are s he d wit h regu l arity. A fu ll set of 54 teet h is lost and rep l ace d every 5 years or so, wit h t he second set of teet h seen as a sign of adu lt hoo d. Horns grow extreme ly s lowly, tak ing nearly a decad e to accrue any noticeable lengt h or curvature. Kob old s ' t hick hi d es vary in color. Most h ave scales h t at match t hose of chromatic d ragons-re d b eing t he most prevalent-t hough some ex hib it more exotic colors, inclu d ing orange, ye llow, gray, and purple.

1 NTERNAL PHYSlOLOGY Kob o ld s are omnivorous, and b ecause of t heir powerfu l jaws, s h arp teet h, and toug h gizzar d s, t hey eat anyt h ing t hey can c hew. Furt hermore, t h ey h ave a s l ow, h ig hly efficient metab o l ism. As suc h, t hey require re l ative ly l itt l e foo d and water, a k ey factor of t h eir remark abl e work et hic-t h ey aren' t d istracte d by hunger or t hirst­ and t heir ab i l ity to survive und erground. Kob o ld s are ferti le t h roug hout t h eir entire a du lt l ives. Fema l es typica lly pro duce one egg every 20-25 d ays, t houg h und er i d ea l cond itions an und isturb e d fema l e cou ld l ay a c lutc h of up to six eggs at a time. Remark ably, a fema l e k ob o ld ' s b o dy can retain viabl e materia l from a sing le coup l ing wit h a mate for as long as 6 years, pro ducing ferti l ize d eggs during t h at entire time. 6

KOBOLD ORIGINS The stories ko bolds tel l a bout how they came i nto being vary fro m tribe to tribe. Retold here a re three of the most co mmon creation myths.

THE THIRD BROOD

TEARS OF DAHAK

The dragon god D ah ak created the c h romatic d rag o ns, yet he has no love for these creatures. D u ri n g the last a n d most devastating of h i s ra mpages a g a i nst dragonki nd, he slew nearly a s m a ny c h romatic d ragons as he d i d meta l l i c ones. H i s traps a n d s n a res laid them low a n d held them fast. This g reat atrocity soon ca ught the attention of Daha k's father, Apsu, as D a h a k had hoped. When Apsu ca me down to release the d ragons (c h romatic a n d meta l l i c a l i ke) , Dahak a m bushed h i s father a n d nearly slew him. Yet Apsu preva i led, a n d fo rced D a h a k to flee. Apsu looked upon the dying d ragons that we re Daha k's victims, and saw that a m o n g them o n l y the t i n iest spa rks of l i fe re m a i n e d . These spa rks, Apsu knew, were too s m a l l for g reat d raconic bodies, so to save them from death he made their bo di e s s m a l l as wel l-a nd the descenda nts of t h e s e d ragons l ive on today as ko bolds.

An a lternate vers i o n of "The T h i rd Brood" c l a i m s that D a h a k won the b a t t l e a g a i nst A p s u , y e t a s he f i n a l l y s e n t h i s father fleeing, h e shed tea rs of s h a m e for the fi rst a n d o n l y t i m e . The tea rs fe l l i n a ra i n bow of co l o rs, a n d as they struck the ea rth, they tra nsformed i nto the fi rst ko bolds, w h i c h s h a red the s a m e sca l e co l o rs a s the teardrops that p ro d u ced t h e m .

ALTERNATE RAC1At TRAlTS T he fo ll owing racia l traits may b e se l ecte d instea d of existing kob old racia l traits. Consu lt your GM b efore se l ecting any of t hese new options. ' Day Raider: You re one of t he few kob old s b orn wit h a l greater to erance for sunlight. You don't have light sensitivity, and you have low-light vision instead of darkvision. Dragonmaw: Your d raconic heritage ma k es you smi l e­ not just b ecause it ma kes you h appy, b ut al so b ecause your powerfu l jaws and teet h are proof of your kins hip to a chromatic d ragon. You gain a bite attack t h at d ea l s i d4 points of d amage. Once per d ay, you can d ea l id6 points of additional energy d amage wit h your b ite attac k. T he d amage type d epend s on your scale color: aci d d amage for bl ack or green, e lectricity for blue, fire for re d, or cold for white. If you h ave a d ifferent sca le color, you sti ll gain t he b ite attack, b ut can't d o t he additional energy d amage. T his racia l trait repl aces t he armor racia l trait. Echo Whistler: By ob serving t he noises in und erground tunnel s, you learne d to uncanni ly mimic any voice or sound you heard. T hree times per d ay, you can attempt to trick someone in t his way by making a Bluff check against the listener 's Sense Motive check. You get a +2 circumstance b onus on this check if you're in tunnel s or ot her structures where your voice can echo. T his racial trait replaces crafty. Frightener: Li k e t h e great d ragons, you can stri k e fear in t he hearts of your foes wit h your majestic presence. Few enemies suspect t h at you make yourse l f look more d angerous wit h simple trick s you learne d b ack when you were newly h atche d. You gain a +1 racial b onus to t he DC of saving t h rows against spe ll s you cast wit h t he fear d escriptor. T his racial trait repl aces t he armor racial trait. Prehensile Tail: Your tai l is especia lly fl exibl e an d strong, so you've learne d to use it for b ot h movement and simp le tric k s. You gain a +2 racia l b onus on Acrob atics

THE FIRSTBORN When a l l t h i n g s were fi rst created, the ko bolds were tucked away deep within the g ro u nd, kept safe because they were the worl d 's g reatest treas u re. Later, when Dahak ra mpaged thro u g h the world, the ko bolds g rew c u r i o u s a n d s o u g h t out the source o f the disturbance. As t h e s e pioneering kobolds d iscovered D a h a k, he scooped u p a handful of them a n d transformed them i nto the very first d ragons-those he left behind co u l d not find thei r way back home, a n d have l i ved i n caves near the su rface eve r since.

and C l imb c h ec k s, and you can use your tai l to d raw a h i dd en weapon as a move action instead of as a stand ar d action. T h is racia l trait rep l aces t he armor racia l trait. Secret Strider: You h ave t h e ab i l ity to traverse t h e ld wi erness wit hout a trace. Twice per d ay, you can move t h roug h natura l surround ings wit h out l eaving a trai l for i minute, increasing t he DC of any attempts to trac k you by 10. T his racia l trait rep l aces crafty. Shoulder to Shoulder: Having l ive d and work e d in c l ose quarters wit h your trib e-mates, you've learne d how to maneuver wit hin t heir personal space wit hout disturbing t hem. You can occupy t he same space as one ot her Small ally wit hout pena lty. If you s h are a space wit h anot her kob old who h as t his trait, you each gain a +i circumstance b onus to AC, as you he lp jost le one anot her out of t he way ofincoming attac k s. You al so gain a +i racial b onus on ai d anot her roll s. T his racial trait repl aces crafty. Spellcaster Sneak: Traversing t he tunne l s near big, nasty, hungry creatures, you learne d to keep quiet-and to keep your spe ll s quiet too. You gain a +2 racial b onus on Stealth check s, and once per day you can gain the b enefit ofthe Silent Spell feat on a spell you cast. T his racial trait replaces crafty. ' Wild Forest Kobold: You re one of t h e b arb aric k ob o ld s dwe ll ing in t he forests of t he surface world. Your cu lture s huns artifice, b ut teac hes how to endure and hunt. You gain a +2 racia l b onus on Perception and Surviva l c hec k s. T h is racia l trait rep l aces crafty. Stea lt h and Surviva l are a lways c l ass s k i ll s for you. Wyrmcrowned: Your horns h ave grown to t he extent h t at they appear simil ar to those of a dragon who s hares your scale color, lend ing a draconic power or menace to your dealings wit h ot hers. C hoose eit her Diplomacy or Intimid ate. You gain a +2 racial b onus on check s wit h t hat s ki ll, and it is always a class s ki ll for you. T his racial trait replaces crafty. 7

KOBOLD HAB1TAT & SOC1ET Y Kob o ld s are everywhere. T h at is to say, k ob o ld l airs h ave b een encountere d in every conceivabl e part ofGol arion. Due to t h eir l ig ht sensitivity an d size, k ob o ld s construct t h eir l airs anywh ere t h at ' s suitably d ark an d restricts t h e movement of anyt h ing l arger t h an a k ob o ld ; t h is cou ld b e d eep wit h in a forest or swamp, b ut most l airs are l ocate d far un d ergroun d. T h e maj ority of k ob o ld s in any given trib e typica lly s h are sca l e co l oration wit h t h e type of d ragon t h at favors t h at region-wh ite-sca l e d k ob o ld s in co ld regions, blue­ sca l e d k ob o ld s in d eserts, and s o on. T he most notorious feature ofa k ob o ld l air is t he maze­ l i ke network of tig ht tunne l s and trappe d pas sages t h at surround it. T h is d ea dly l abyrint h is k nown by k ob o ld s as t he l air ' s " snarl. " Burie d d eep wit h in t he snarl, t he main k ob old l air is a series ofnatura l and constructe d caverns t h at serves as t he communa l h ome and work space for a ll t he memb ers of t h e trib e.

have a small numb er of personal possessions, but rarely claims owners hip of anything they can't carry with t hem everywhere and at all times. T hough cooperative and industrious, kob old society is l a so d raconian. T he trib e is on ly as strong as its weakest memb ers, and t hose " softscales " are constant ly cu lle d for t he b enefit oft he trib e. Wea k, incompetent, or du ll -witte d kob old s are regu l arly employe d to test traps, mine in d angerous areas, and ( especially) join patrol s, where t hey are often ch arge d wit h "taking point " or " holding off an attac ker " whi le ot hers retreat. T his expl ains t he common i d ea t h at kob old s are fool is h or cowar dly creatures-t hose are t he kob old s most adventurers encounter. A ll trib e memb ers contrib ute equa lly, b ut some contrib ute more equa lly t h an ot h ers. T h at is, certain ro les are affor d e d more respect, power, and privi lege­ usua lly b ecause t he rol e is more critica l to t he security of t he trib e. T h is loose hierarc hy, in or d er of d escend ing importance, wou ld b e sorcerers, trapma k ers, warriors, nestwatc hers, priests, miners, crafters, anima l h andl ers, and farmers.

LEADERSHlP Most kob old trib es are organize d as a communistic society, wit h everyone b oth working to contribute and s h aring practically a ll resources, work spaces, and living quarters. Kob old s might each

Most trib es are le d by a c hief, common ly t he e ld est memb er of t he trib e. Eac h c h ief d etermines trib a l l aws; t hese vary wi ldly from one c h ief to t h e next, as eac h establ is hes l aws t h at punis h or e l iminate riva l s. A c h ief usua lly reigns unti l d eat h-whet h er due to age, " acci d ent, " or outrig ht treac h ery. Most often t he c h ief is a powerfu l sorcerer or priest, b ut s he cou ld a l so b e a s k i lle d warrior or ot her k ob o ld t h at h as proven to b e wise and wi ly enoug h to survive and lea d. Age a lone d oesn't guarantee t h e l ead ers h ip position. Any particu l arly heroic, powerfu l , or ot herwise impressive kob old s may rise to t h e ro l e of c hief­ even non- k ob o ld lea d ers aren't un hear d of. A sma ll counci l of important kob old s a dvise t h e c h ief. Memb ers mig ht inc lu d e l ld e ers, mi itary l ead ers, trapmasters, nestwatc hers, and master crafters. If t he trib e is a ll ie d wit h a d ragon, t he d ragon' s hera ld is a lways hea d oft he counci l, an d usua lly b ecomes t h e c h ief as we ll.

DRAGONS AND Kosotos T he most fortunate an d powerfu l k ob o ld trib es are t h ose wh o b oast ( and b oast t hey d o) an a ll iance wit h a d ragon. In t hese remark able circumstances, t h e trib e ' s l air connects to t h e d ragon' s ( wh et her by a sing l e passage or wit h full integration.) Kob old s are ab solutely sub servient, focusing t heir efforts towar d p l easing t heir d raconic a lly.

REG10NAL TRA1TS T he fo ll owing are regiona l traits for k ob old s ( and ot h er creatures from areas common ly occupie d b y kob old s ). ' Briar Bandit (forest): T he time you ve spent crawling h h h h bl d b t roug t orny ram es an ot er t hick underbrus h during rai d s and ambus hes taught you how to move without disturbing t he dense flora around you. When in overgrown areas, you gain a +2 trait b onus on Stealt h check s and a +1 trait b onus on d amage roll s wit h sneak attack s. Gravelwalker

( Darklands,

usually

under

warm

Having grown up navigating roc k s li d es and k pic ing your way t hrough partia lly coll apse d tunne l s, you are able to determine t he most stable pat h across d iffi cu lt terrain cause d by rubble or ot her d eb ris. You can move normally t hroug h suc h ob structe d spaces, and can run or ch arge t hough t hem wit h a successfu l Acrob atics chec k. Grit Goggles ( Darklands, usually under deserts): Exposure to the constant hazard s ofairb orne particles ( such as during a sand storm or cave-in) has made your eyes less susceptible to irritants, such as sand, dust, and even liquid s and gases. You gain a +2 trait b onus against b eing blinde d by foreign objects ( such as from a Dirty Trick combat maneuver) and you halve any re ductions in visibi lity from the environment ( such as from certain storms) and their corresponding penalties. For example, if you were in a sand storm that normally re duces visibility to 25 feet and imparts a -4 penalty on Perception check s, you re duce visibility to 50 feet and take only a -2 penalty on Perception check s.

mountains):

Iron Lungs (Darklands, usually under marshlands):

Due to t he constant intrusion of mars h gases seeping into t h e tunne l s and c h amb ers of your l air, you can ho ld your b reat h for twice as long and gain a +2 trait b onus on saving t hrows against t he effects ofin h a l e d poisons. Lair Snake (dragon's lair): You spent your formative years b owing and scraping in the presence of a dragon, witnessing t he glory of the vast hoar d... and squirre ling away a few bits of coin for yourse lf. You gain a +i trait b onus on Appraise check s, and your starting wealt h increases by 200 gp. Snowstride ( Darklands, usually under cold mountains):

T he wi d e stance and sure footing you d eve l ope d wh i le traipsing over ice- covere d roc k and frozen eart h provi d es you wit h a +i trait b onus on Acrob atics c h ec k s mad e on s l ippery surfaces and enables you to trip or b u ll rus h opponents two size categories l arger t h an you instea d of just one. Stream Nomad (Darklands, usually under rivers): Digging tunnel s near a b o dy of rus hing water has taught you how to use water as a means oftravel and escape. Others whisper that you must have b een b orn with webb e d feet. You gain a +i trait b onus on Swim check s, and Swim is always a class s kill for you. You increase the spee d of any raft, b arge, kee lb oat, or rowb oat you pilot by 4 mi les per day (1/2 mile per hour). Suck in Your Gut ( Darklands): Because of t h e frequent nee d to move t hroug h t he tig ht tunne l s and ot her narrow spaces sunound ing your trib e ' s l air, you're able to move normally when squeezing and take only a -2 penalty on attac k roll s and to AC.

KOBOLD ALLIES Ko bolds w i l l often j o i n fo rces with or e n l ist the a i d of a n u m be r of other creat u res. Here a re just a few.

BULETTES T h o u g h occas ionally ra ised a n d tra i ned from bi rth, these powerful b u rrowing creatures a re most often controlled thro u g h magical means. Bul ettes a re primarily us ed to h e l p with t u n n e l i ng, but also lend m uscle a n d power o n the battlefield a n d i n su rprise su rface ra ids.

DRAGONS Ko bolds usually se rve their d ragon a l l y by b u i l d i ng, expa ndi ng, m a i n ta i n i ng, and tra p p i n g its l a i r. Pa rticu l a rly privileged ko bold tribes might be tasked with the nerve­ wracking d uty of ten d i n g to a d rago n's i n c u bating eggs. These tribes a re eve n m ore a l e rt a n d letha l-eve n suicidal­ i n their zea l to m a i n t a i n the secu rity of their charges.

GIANT ANTS Whether magically or a lchemically contro l led, g i a n t a nts se rve ko bolds as m ou nts and pack a n i m a ls, pa rticu l a rly o n m i n i n g exped itions where ru n n i n g mine cart tracks is undesirable o r i m practica l . Their stinger ve nom is co m m o n l y ha rvested for use o n wea pons a n d traps.

MYCELOIDS I n add ition to a r m i n g traps with myceloid spores, Ko bolds co m m o n l y enter i nto a mutually beneficial partners h i p w i t h these inte l l igent f u n g i . The myceloids a re esta b l ished i n a n a rea near a ko bold lair (often i n a ba ndoned o r otherwise u ndesira b l e cave rns) to se rve as a deterrent. I n retu rn, ko bolds provide a steady food supply i n t h e form of ca ptives o r l ivestock.

QUICKWOODS Much as myceloids a re e m ployed u n d e rg ro u nd, fo rest­ dwe l l i n g ko bold tribes e n l ist q u i ckwoods to g u a rd a n a rea o n the perimeter of their l a i r in exchange for food and the occasional recharg i n g of their fea r a u ras.

SLURKS These su rprisi ngly agile creatures serve as stu rdy, sli me­ covered mou nts that enable kobolds to easily traverse long d ista nces with speed and g reater security. Slurks' abil ity to adhere to wa lls and cei l i ngs make them invaluable steeds for hunting pa rties, scouts, and guards that ra nge fa r from the lair.

Growing up in a dangerous area, l you were constant y surrounde d by traps t hat had b een set up to defend your l air from intruders. Sometimes t hese d angers were so dense ly packe d t hat you cou ldn't go more t han a couple feet down a tunnel wit hout encountering a new way to die. You gain a +i trait b onus on Craft (traps) check s, and gain a +1 b onus to AC against attack s by traps or on saving t hrows against effects create d by traps. Trap Savvy ( Darklands):

9

BLACK CLAW TRIBE Location

Cand lesto n e Cave rns (Andora n) Leader King Vexatox Scale Color red a n d black Allies d row, giant vermin, minor tribes i n the Cand lestone Caverns Special Personages Ca pta i n Za lsus DESCRIPTION

As the dominant kobold tribe in the Cand lestone Caverns, the Black Claws a re paid fea lty by severa l smaller kobold tribes residing nearby. The tribe's name is literal-in a dangerous coming-of-age ceremony, a black claw kobold soaks her hands i n spider venom that permanently blackens them. Only then, and only if she su rvives, is she considered a full adult i n the tribe. On the su rface world, the Black Claws a re a lso notorious for two thi ngs: their deadly poisonous traps and the "one-way" tunnels they create to push monstrous Darklands creatures towa rd the su rface preceding their ra ids.

DANKBLADE CREW Location

Raptor Island (The Shackles) Chief Ca pta i n Enga Blood knot Scale Color black Allies Capta i n jhod Deepba rrow of the Kraken's Tooth Special Personages F i rst Mate Haksikk Enemies sahuagin near Shark Island Associated Dragon Machazmroh, Brood of the Waves Leader

DESCRIPTION

Si nce they tunneled a n a i rshaft i nto a sea cave on Raptor Isla nd, the Dankblade Crew (formerly the Darkblade tri be) has shifted their ind ustry somewhat. Though they stil l pull va luable ore out of their m i nes, they a lso fish cargo out of the sea. Most of this is waterlogged flotsam and jetsam thrown wide of the Eye of Abendego, but their rea l catches come from waywa rd ships that fa l l i nto t h e crew's s i m p l e b u t effective tra p. On stormy or foggy nig hts, mem bers of the Dankblade Crew set up a series of lig hted poles that a re easily m istaken for the la nterns marking the entrance to the harbor of Olio on nea rby Shark Island. By the time a shi p's pi lot has rea l ized his mista ke, his vessel has run aground on the na rrow reef several feet below the waters, and his ship is being overrun by a vicious kobold boarding crew. Merchandise that's of little use to the kobolds and any prisoners that a re taken a re sold to the enterprising crew of a slaver ship known as the Kroken's Tooth. The Dan kblades reserve the finest treasures they find, presenting them to the d ragon Machazmroh, who often flies over Raptor Island. She sea rches for lowly beings to rule, but hasn't decided between the Dankblade Crew and other potential subjects. EMBERMAW CLAN Location

N a r-Voth (beneath the Mindspin Mou nta i n s of Va risia) Chief Skelvryx Scale Color red Allies O m morph the Spore Father Special Personages Tra pma ster N e l n a k, Xa nj a k Ant-Ca l l e r Enemies azers and salama nders of t h e Fume Wa rrens, fi re gia nts Associated Dragon Tsazgatherax the Em bermaw Leader

DESCRIPTION

Despite the chaos of war ra g i n g i n the F u m e Warre n s below its l a i r, the E m b e rmaw c l a n manages to conti n u e ru n n i n g a l u c rative m i n i ng operation i n the C i n d e rla nds. Having been tasked with p rotecti n g Tsazg athe rax's eggs o n no fewer than t h ree occa s i o n s, the tribe i s we l l known to the fi re g i a nts res i d i n g i n the a rea. Not brazen e n o u g h to assa u l t the ko b ol d s (o n l y o u t of fea r of t h e i r d ra g o n overlord), the g i a nts have coerced both azers a n d s a l a m a n d e rs to u n s u ccessf u l l y i nvade the cla n's territory n u m e ro u s times.

ICE RENDE R TRIBE Location

Tusk Mou nta i n s (Rea l m of the M am moth Lo rds) Leader Yerd ryn nak lcerender Scale Color white Enemies frost gi a nts led by jarl G n a rg o ra k Associated Dragon Lyde k t h e White DESCRIPTION

The l a i r of the lcerender tribe lies i n a pass i n the Tusk Mountains. Travel e rs frequent the pass because it re m a i n s clear of snow­ because the ko bolds work t i relessly to keep the trade ro ute open. Occasional ly, the kobolds target ca rava ns with rigged ava la nches. Afte r t u n n e l i n g i nto the loot-laden snowba n k to strip away a nyth i n g of worth, the ko bolds d ispose of the rem na nts of the caravan, then clear the way a g a i n . The lcerenders g ive the majority of the treas ure sto l e n d u ri n g these ra ids to Lydek the White, whose attacks farther to the south d rive ca rava ns towa rd the n o rthern route in the first place. SEWE R DRAGON TRIBE Location Absa l o m Leader

Kibizax black, b l u e, o r orange Special Personages Yiddle pode, Yippitok (Tra pmaster To k) Enemies Pathfi n d e r Society Associated Dragon Li rove l i x Scale Color

DESCRIPTION

The Sewer D ra g o n tribe fi rst t u n neled i nto the drainage system u n d e r Absa l o m in 4696 AR. It's rumored they p rovide d i screet t u n n e l i n g and tra pm a k i n g services to some of the city's noble ho uses. The l i kely successors of the a g i n g c h ief, K i bizax, a re the clutch mates Yiddlepode a n d Yippitok. They work i n secret a g a i nst the chief's m o re foo l i s h schemes, atte m pting to i n stitute a mo re sta ble rule. O n l y Kibizax's plea ca n bring forth L i rovel ix, the tri be's b l u e d ra g o n mascot. SOOTSCALE TRIBE Location Si lver

Caverns (lcerime Peaks bordering Brevoy) Leader Chief Sootsca le Scale Color black o r dark g ray Special Personages Mikmek, Ta rtuk the Sorcerer Enemies band its, m ites DESCRIPTION

Always ta king on the n a m e of its cu rrent leader, the Sootsca le tribe l ives i n a n o l d si lver m i n e nea r the S h r i ke River. The Sootsca les a re cu rrently e m b ro i l e d i n a petty war with m i tes who l i ve nea rby a n d co nstantly to rment a n d steal fro m the tribe. H i sto rica l ly, the Sootsca les have been fa r m o re peacefu l-or at least reasonable-th a n of late but the i n fl u e nce of Ta rtuk the Sorcerer has led them i nto co nflict. THUNDE RSCALE TRIBE Location T h u n d e rsca le

Warrens (Mediogalti Island) Leader Chief lnda k S p i kecatcher Scale Color g reen Allies d i nosa u rs, llizmagorti traders, megafa u n a Special Personages Ma kkatat the Tra m pled, Pixxiv the Pai nter Enemies m o n key g o b l i n s

KOBOLD ENEMIES Kobolds a re consta ntly at odds with other creatures. The fo llowing a re a few of their ancestra l enem ies.

CAVE GIANTS Ko bolds avoid cave gia nts at a l l costs. The h u nched brutes have a nasty habit of following ko bold tra i l s back to the l a i r, i ntent o n gorg i ng themselves o n one of their favo rite del icacies-fresh ko bold eggs.

DWARVES Ko bolds reg u l a rly clash with dwa rves when vyi ng for control over newly d iscovered m i n i ng resources. Dwa rves try to clear and f i l l in ko bold l a i rs, beca use they fea r that the repti lia ns' haphazard t u n n e l i n g co u l d undermine the sta b i l ity of the dwa rven h a l ls.

GOBLINS To ko bolds, g o b l i n s a re pests that m ust be tended to before they ca n threaten the secu rity of the l a i r. G o b l i n s a re u n d a u nted b y ko bold tra ps-perhaps t o o d i mwitted to rea l ize they're pu rposeful co nstructions rather than just odd haza rds-a nd so frequently b u n g l e ca refully l a i d snares a n d genera l ly m a ke a n u isa nce of themse lves.

PURPLE WORMS Beca use of the utter d evastation a purple worm ca n wreak o n a ko bold l a i r-especi a l l y by u nderm i n i n g the i ntegrity of the tunnels that m a ke u p the sna rl-wheneve r a ko bold tribe d iscove rs one (even if it's just rumored) it d ispatches a h u nting pa rty i m mediately. Such excursions a l most a lways res u l t in heavy l osses, but the ko bolds wo u l d rather die on their own terms than in a cave - i n .

ROCK TROLLS Kobolds come i nto conflict with rock trolls when scouting for new a reas to mi ne. Crafty kobold tribes sometimes construct ela borate traps to l u re rock trolls i nto sunlig ht, baiting the gia nts with huma noid prisoners, and then directing the sun's rays towa rd them with a convol uted series of rigged mi rrors.

SVIRFNEBLIN Deep g nomes harbor a firmly rooted hatred of ko bolds a n d attack m i n i n g exped itions o r patrols o n s i g h t . However, svirfne b l i n a lso hate dwa rves a n d d uerg a r with e q u a l vigor (so meth ing ko bolds ca n get behi nd). Ko bolds sometimes e n g i neer "accidental" t u n n e l co l l a pses that connect svirfne b l i n cities with d u e rg a r stro n g h o lds.

DESCRIPTION

The largest kobold tribe in the j u ngles of Med iogalti Isla nd, the Thundersca les can be identified by their garishly pai nted scales. Their tolera nce for non-reptilian h u manoids lets them trade with ll izmagorti and guide jungle expeditions. I nstead of d ragons, Thundersca les revere dinosa u rs, and perform dangerous ritua ls in which they release ca ptive d i nosa u rs among tribe mem bers. 11

KOBOLD OE1T1ES A lone kob old trib e usually de dicates itse l f to a single deity, but l arger kob old cities often have s hrines to a hal f- dozen patrons, including living dragons. From the wors hip of deities li ke Net hys and Asmo deus, to outsiders li ke Andiri fkhu and Mammon, kob old s lead rich re ligious lives. Asmodeus: T h e Prince ofHe ll is strict ly aut h oritarian, and b e l ieves d eep ly in a cosmic or d er in wh ic h t he strong subjugate t h e wea k t h roug h force or tric kery. T h is emp h asis on d eception is natura lly appea l ing to k ob old s, who use traps extensive ly for b ot h d efense and sustenance. Asmo d eus is a l so a master of fire, wh ic h is a lluring to a race t h at venerates d ragons and uses t he reformative powers of heat so extensive ly in its mining and meta lwork ing operations. T he strongest connection b etween Asmo dean thought and kob old culture has to do with t heir mutual b e lief in tyranny and subjugation. Kob old priests often appeal to a vision of kob old supremacy, in which t he Darkl anders rise up to subjugate the clumsy surface dwe llers. T he great irony of this, of course, is that kob old s are deeply insecure, and are willing to do anything to don t he trappings of power. T his fund amental character flaw makes t hem easy pawns for dragons, devi l s, and d aemons. So, t hough kob old s li ke to see t hemselves as t he ones holding t he whip, t hey 're far more often on t he receiving end oft he l as h. Dahak: One of t he old est go d s, Dah a k is cre d ite d wit h giving He ll its fire, and is al so said to b e t he progenitor oft he dragon race, making him a natural candid ate for wors hip Deity

Alignment

Andi rifkhu

CE

Asmodeus

LE

Dahak

CE

Mammon

LE

Areas of Concern

Domains

by kob old s. T his draconic link is why Dahak is a patron of the Scalykind domain, which earns him t he wors hip of multiple repti lian humanoid s. Dahak ' s rites of wors hip often revolve around his six subdomains: Catastrophe, Deception, Demons, Dragons, Rage, and T hievery. Nethys: T h oug h t h e d eity Net hys is tec h nica lly neutra l , t h e A ll - Seeing Eye is capabl e of extreme b e h avior. C h ampion of b ot h b enevo l ent creation an d catac lysmic d estruction, t h e magica lly powerfu l Net hys can lure power- hungry k ob o ld s away from evi l d eities. Kob o ld c h ieftains or spe ll casters mig ht wors h ip t h e go d of magic, an d even b ecome superior arcanists, b ut few k ob o ld s compre h en d t h e d eeper meaning of Net hys ' s mes s age. For k ob o ld s, t h e l e s s ons of b a l ance an d cyc l ica l inter d epen d ence are l e s s important t h an a spe ll caster ' s ab i l ity to impose h er wi ll on t h e world. T h is fun d amenta l oversig ht k eeps most k ob o ld s from attaining t h e h ig h est l eve l s of magica l practice, t h oug h k ob o ld casters are often abl e to exercise t h e power t h ey h ave wit h rut hl e s s efficiency. Other Kobold Deities: Powerfu l archdevi l s and infernal du kes often garner kob old s ' wors hip, and t he most common oft hese is Mammon, who counts Meta l, Toi l, and Construct among his domains. Andiri fkhu, demonic patron ofknives, illusions, and traps, is a favorite among t he kob old trappers, who d e l ight in creating comp lex d eat h - devices to guar d t h eir subterranean temp les. Tre l marixian, t he Horseman of Famine, is occasionally wors hipe d by k ob old s suffering from bl ig htb urn ra d iation. Subdomains

Knives, i l l usions, Chaos, Evil, Luck, Trickery Cu rse, Deception, Demon, torture, tra ps Thievery Contracts, pride, slavery, Evil, F i re, Law, Magic, Arcane, Ash, Deception, tyra nny Trickery Devil, Divine, Smoke Destruction, evil, d ragons, Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Catastrophe, Deception, trea chery Scalyki nd, Trickery Demon, Dragon, Rage, T hievery Avarice, watchfu l ness, Artifice, Ea rth, Evil, Law Construct, Devil, Metal, wea lth To i l Magic Destruction, Knowledge, Arcane, Catastrophe, Magic, Protection, Rune Divine, Defense, Thoug ht, Wards Fa mine Ea rth, Evil, Mad ness, Daemon, Decay···, Weather I ns anity, Seasons

Notes

Patron of sad ists a n d maril iths, promotes torture Authorita rian, Pri nee of Da rkness Made Hell fiery, first creator of d ragons

H e l l 's treasure r a n d accou ntant Nethys N Of two m i nds, with the twi n i m p u lses to heal a n d destroy Trelmarixian NE Archdaemon known as the Horse m a n of Fa m i n e o r Tre l m a rixian the B l a c k "' Although t h i s subdoma i n would norma lly n o t be available t o worshi pers of t h i s deity, i n t h i s case a n exception is m a d e because of the deity's close association with this theme. 12

NEW SUBOOMA1NS Even kob old s who wors hip t he same deities as surface dwe llers put a kob old spin on t heir re ligious practices. T his results in some rare subdomains which are accessible only to kob old followers of t hat fait h. T he following race trait grants access to t he subdomains detai le d b e low. Kobold Faith (race trait): You are one oft he die har d kob old fait h ful, respecte d in your kob old community. You gain a +2 trait b onus on Diplomacy check s when dealing wit h other kob old s. Additionally, if your deity grants t he Artifice, Eart h, or Trickery domain, t hen your kob old fait h unlock s a corresponding subdomain: Trap, Radiation, or Ambus h.

AMsusH SusooMAI N Trickery. Replacement Power: T he following grante d power repl aces the copycat power ofthe Trickery domain. Chameleon Aspect (Su): As a swift action, you can subt ly l a ter t he color of your scales, blending t hem wit h the surrounding environment. Whi le under t he effect of this power, you gain concealment from creatures more t han 10 feet away ( attack s have a 20% miss chance), and total concealment from creatures more than 40 feet away ( attack s have a 50% miss chance). You can use t his abi lity a numb er of round s per d ay equal to 3 + your Wis dom mo difier. Replacement Domain Spells: 1st-alarm, 5th-illusory wall, 6th-veil.

Associated Domain:

RArnATlON SusooMAI N Earth. Replacement Power: The following grante d power repl aces h t e acid dart power ofthe Earth domain. Radiatin9 Touch (Su): As a stand ard action that provokes attack s of opportunity, you can irradiate any unattende d object for a numb er ofround s equal to your cleric level. While an object is irradiate d, it emits a faint aura oftransmutation. Any creature that passes within 5 feet of the aura must succee d at a Will save ( DC equal to 10 + 1/2 your cleric level + your Wis dom mo difier) or b ecome sickene d. You're immune to this object 's effect. You can use this ability a numb er of times per day equal to 3 + your Wis dom mo difier. Replacement Domain Spells: 2nd-defoliate, 4th-bli9ht, 8th-horrid wiltin9. Associated Subdomain:

TRAP SusooMAI N Associated Subdomain:

Artifice. T he following grante d power l h d rep aces t e ancing weapons power ofthe Artifice domain. Supernatural Trap (Su): At 8th leve l, select a supernatural ranger trap (Patlifinder RPG Ultimate Ma9ic 64). You can use t his trap a numb er of times per d ay equal to your Wis dom b onus. T he DCs for Perception check s, Disable Device check s, and saving t hrows against t he trap are equal to 10 + i/2 your character level + your Wis dom b onus. T he trap l asts for i hour or until triggere d. Replacement Domain Spells: 2nd-snare, 3 r d -improve trap, 7th-teleport trap. Replacement

Power:

T h e ro l es t h at fo ll ow i llustrate some of t h e d esires an d persona l ities most common to k ob o ld s, b ut k ob o ld c h aracters may range from rut hl e s s an d outwar d ­ l oo k ing rogues wh o rea l ize t h e potentia l of wor k ing wit h lesser races, to canny witches supporte d by d raconic patrons b ent on prying secrets fr om t h e h i dd en corners of Go l arion, to nobl e pa l a d ins wh o s h rug off t h e vio l ent an d merci l e s s ways of t h eir k in to b ecome s h ining b eacons of Apsu, proving t h at meta ll ic d ragons d es erve as muc h reverence and respect as t h eir c h romatic counterparts d o fear.

KOBOLD ROLES Arc hetypes, feats, and spe ll s marke d wit h an asteris k appear in t his b ook.

(*)

DRAGON HEART Fanatical Evangelist and Enforcer of Droconic Glory

Specialty Race

divine slayer, d ragon d evotee, proud missionary ko bold

CLASS OPTIONS

Class

cle ric; Archetype eva n g e l i st"' ba rd; Archetype dragon hera l d '' Class sorcere r; Class Features blood l i n e (d raco n i c) Class

PREFERRED OPTIONS

D i p l o m a cy, I n t i m i date, Knowledge (a rcana ) , Knowledge ( re l i g i o n ) , Pe rce ption, Perform (oratory) , Perform ( s i n g ) , Sense Motive, S p e l l craft Feats A n c i e n t Draco n i c'', Arca n e Stri ke, Dea d l y S k i ll "', D i v i n e D i s c i p l e''', D ra co n i c AspectA•0, D ra co n i c BreathA•0, D ra co n i c G l i d e'"0, Draco n i c Parago nA•0, I ro n W i l l , Maxim ize S p e l l , Redeemed Ko b o l d '', Self B e l i ef', S p e l l Focus (enchantm e nt, evoca t i o n ) Spells evocations that deal energy d a m a g e a p p ropriate for the d ra g o n hea rt's d ragon patro n ( fireball for a red d ragon, lightning bolt for a b l u e, corrosive touch for a black or g reen, and so forth) , bull's strength, charm person, charm monster, Skills

command, dragon breath"M, enthrall, enlarge person, heroism, form of the dragon, magic fang, shadow dragon aspec('

Prestige Class d ragon

d isciple

DESCRIPTION

For some ko bolds, d raco n i c heritage is not s i m p l y the source of a sense of entitlement and s u perio rity-it is also the basis of a deep a n d powe rful fa ith. A d ra g o n heart feels a d uty to further the teachings a n d wisdom of d ra g o n k i nd-a nd the destruction they wrea k. A d ragon hea rt's ro le is twofold: spread wo rd of d raconic g l o ry, then violently persuade those u nwi l l i n g to acknowledge or s u b m i t to it of the e rro r of their ways. When D i p l o macy and I ntim idate fail, d ragon hea rts rely on both spellcasting ( particula rly enchantment and evocation spells) a n d melee co mbat to i m pose their strength a n d w i l l . Tra nsmutations, b uffs, a n d t o u c h attacks a re a vita l pa rt of a dragon hea rt's a rsenal since the ko bolds lack the physical bea ring of the beasts they wors h i p but p u rsue the same rend­ a n d - r u i n style of co m bat. ROLEPLAYING

Persona

a rroga nt, dedicated to a h i g h e r pu rpose, hom icid al, xe nophobic, zea lous Preferred Equipment necklace o f fireballs; d rag o n h i d e a rmor; wea pons with h i g h critical threat ra nges, the keen special a b i l ity, a n d elemental encha ntments; Preferred Religion d raconic pantheon or a specific living d ra g o n

FAVORED CLASS OPTIONS The fol l owing classes were not acco u nted for i n the ko bold section of the Pathfinder RPG Advanced Race Guide. These a re u n usual classes for ko bold cha racte rs, but not entirely u n hea rd of. Barbarian: W h i l e you a re rag i ng, yo u r racial natura l attacks deal +1/4 point o f damage. Inquisitor: Ad d 1/2 to Su rviva l checks made to track creatu res i n tota l da rkness. Paladin: Add 1/4 to the deflection bonus g ra nted by yo u r smite evil a b i l ity. Wizard: Add 1/2 to yo u r fa m i l i a r's W i l l saves a g a i nst enchantment effects, o r increase the hit poi nts of you r bonded item b y 1 .

KOBO LD AMBUSHE R Master of Stealth, Traps, and Ambushes

Specialty Race

g u e rr i l l a co m bata nt, scout, trapper ko bold

CLASS OPTIONS

Class

fig hter; Archetype m o b i l e fig hterAPG ra nger; Archetype deep wal ker"c, skirmisherAPG, tra pper"M Class rog u e; Archetype s n a re sette r"'', sniperAPG, trapsmithAPG Class

PREFERRED OPTIONS

Skills

Acrobatics, Craft (tra ps), Disable Device, Pe rce ption, Stealth, S u rvival Feats Ad vanced Ranger Tra p"M, Ag i l e M a n e uve rs, Coo rd i nated C h a rge"c, Deadly S k i l l '', Dodge, Escape Route"c, Extra R a n g e r Tra p"M, G o U n noticedAPG, I m p roved I n i tiative, I m p roved Learn R a n g e r Tra p'", Ko b o l d A m b u s h e rARG, Ko b o l d S n i pe rA•c, Learn R a n g e r Tra p'", Mo b i l i ty, Outfl a n kAPG, Precise Stri keAPG, S p r i n g Attack, Stea lthy, U n d e r a n d OverAPG, U n d e rfootAPG, Wea po n F i nesse

DESCRIPTION

If o n e combat tactic defi nes ko bolds, it's su rprise. T heir da rk, twisti ng t u n n e l s a re ideal for tra ps and a m bushes. Ko bolds a re ferocious when defe n d i n g t h e i r l a i rs, especially when victims a re restra i ned, entang led, or wounded by a n i n g e n i o u s mechanism. Kobold a m bushers rely on stea lth an d su rprise to attack the co nfused o r affl icted, then va nish i nto shadows. They use techniq ues other races might co nsider cowa rd ly, believing such tactics j ustified to overco me the unfa i r physical advantages of l a rger beings. ROLEPLAYING

Persona

c u n n i ng, determi ned, handy with too l s a n d mechan isms, protective, resourceful, vicious Preferred Equipment potio n s of invisibility o r blur, universal solvent, s l i n g a n d alchemical s l i n g b u l l ets, items that create darkness and invisibility effects, masterwork o r encha nted thieves' tools, caltro ps, nets, smokesticks, tang lefoot bags

CRE AT1NG KOBOLD CHARACTERS Despite possessing a variety of outlook s, phi losophies, and drives, kob old s are drawn down traditional path s by a strong sense of order. Kob old s ' traditionalism and physical frailty often make them pre dictable-t here are t hings at which kob old characters excel, and others to which they're unsuited. T heir small size, Dexterity b onus, spee d, and d arkvision make kob old s exceptional ambus hers and s kirmis hers. Rogues and rangers in particul ar b enefit from these features, b ut even carefu l ( or cowar dly) spe llcasters can great ly increase t heir longevity through stealt h and rapid retreat. Natural armor and a size bonus to AC al so extend a kobold's l ifespan. A lt hough kob old s ' Constitution pena lty hurts their stamina, their lawful b ent and ability to avoid blows fit t he mon k c l ass. A k ob old monk wit h Weapon Finesse using comb at maneuvers makes a potentially infuriating combatant. Kob old s ' -4 Strength penalty prevents them from dealing consistently high damage in melee, and although this can b e improve d with magical enhancements, kob old s aren't built to b e primary melee damage dealers.

Light sensitivity is a considerable disadvantage for trave ling kob old s; wit hout protection from the sun, they struggle under its constant rays. Whether they like it or not, kob old s are creatures ofthe night and t he depth s. Kob old characters rarely trust outsiders, are s kittis h and stand offis h, and can take a whi le to warm to strangers. When creating a kob old ch aracter, consid er t he following. Why wou ld I leave t he safety of a home b ui lt to expe l outsi d ers for t he uncertainty of a world fu ll of t hem? How can I ensure my allies give me the respect I deserve as a cousin ofGolarion' s most powerfu l and ancient b eings? If I h ad to choose, to whom is my loya lty greater: my companions, or my d raconic bret hren? Wh at wi ll I offer my trave ling companions in return for t heir physical protection and support? •

•

•

•

KOBOLD ALIGNMENT T he vast majority of kob old s are l awful evi l. But given t heir ferti lity and enormous popu lations, t here are always a few who don't fit in-something draws t hem out of t he structure and ritual that limit their race. Good Kobolds: T he incre d ibly rare goo d kob old s tend to remain l awfu l, supporting t heir unusual moralistic nature with a touch stone, cree d, or purpose that focuses their virtue. Meeting a goo d d ragon can open a kob old 's eyes to a new phi losophy wit hout mak ing her ab and on her heritage. A lternative ly, a se lfless act undertaken by anot her mig ht awa ken somet h ing insid e a kob old t h at speak s against t he ch ittering b rutal ity of life in t he d en. Kobold Renegades: Driven by discomfort at t he extreme b e liefs and b ehaviors of their own kind, kob old renegades tend toward neutrality on b oth scales. T heir tribal nature is supplante d by a strong b elief in the power of the individual, judging creatures and situations on their imme diate merits. One motivating factor for a renegad e kob old cou ld b e t he extreme b e h avior of a chromatic d ragon its trib e reveres. T he kob old 's own mo d erate p hi losophy may not sit we ll wit h t he vicious gree d of a furious ancient re d, or t he wanton crue lty of a juveni le blue. T he kob old might find it b etter to leave b efore its dissent is uncovere d t han to stay and ris k exi le or a punis hment even more b rutal. 15

Snarl

..

Giant

.

bermaw Clan

T hough some traits are common to all kob old s, t he following race traits are particu lar to kob old s of certain colors. Note t hat kob old s b orn from two different ly colore d parents are colore d li ke one parent or t he ot her, rat her t han a mix of the two. Kob old s characters are not restricte d from taking traits from anot her color, t houg h t he following traits are typical of each color, and considere d prestigious.

BL ACK-SCALED KOBOLDS Like t he black chromatic dragons they venerate, black kob old s often lurk in fetid swamps. With an affinity for acidity and corruption, these mars h dwellers revel in decay. Bog Scamp: You were raise d in t he l s u d gy swamps, and are use d to

moving t hroug h b oggy terrain. You can swim t hrough a d eep b og at up to h a l f your spee d as a move action, instead oft he normal quarter spee d. Fai l ing a swim c heck whi le in a deep b og d oesn't cause you to go underwater, even if you fai l by 5 or more, t houg h suc h a fai lure sti ll resu lts in a l ack of progress. Ooze Defense: T he murk y tunne l s of your trib a l h ome were infeste d wit h voracious oozes, which were a constant t h reat to your trib e. To protect yourse lves, you and your trib espeople never straye d far wit hout anti-ooze aci d. You b egin pl ay wit h t hree alk al i flas k s (Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Equipment 106). T hese d on't count against your starting ch aracter wealt h. Sneaky Swimmer: Swimming comes natura lly to you, as d oes hunting mars h vipers and ot her aquatic creatures. Increase t he numb er of round s you can hold your b reat h und erwater by an amount equal to your Constitution score. You gain a +2 b onus on Stea lt h check s in swamps and in und erwater environments.

BLUE -SCALED KOBOLDS Blue kob old s are or derly and neat, and tend to h atch comp lex schemes. Whi le t hey pl an b rutally effective amb us hes and traps, t hey do not exce l at improvisation, and may falter ift heir pl ans go awry. Draconic Echo: Li k e t he blue d ragons your trib e reveres, you h ave a touc h of i llusory magic. You are able to cast 9host sound twice per d ay as a spe ll - l i ke abi lity. T he caster leve l for t h is effect is equa l to your ch aracter leve l. T his spe ll - li ke ab i l ity ' s save DC is Inte lligence- b ase d. ' Elaborate Trapper: You re bl esse d wit h a d evious mind, l h b d an t e more e a orate your traps are, t he more effective t hey b ecome. When creating a trap, if your Craft (trap) roll excee d s t he DC of t he c heck by 5 or more, t h at trap 's Disable Device DC increases by 2 . ' Lightning Blessed: You re favore d b y t h e l ig htning h d b s aman of your tri e, an he gifte d you several sacre d items as a remind er of your origins. You b egin pl ay wit h t hree vial s of b ott le d l ig hting (Ultimate Equipment 106). T hese don't count against your starting c h aracter wea lt h. Liquid-Tongued: T he magic-users in your trib e pri d e t hemse lves on t heir ab i l ity to control t he forces of water. Integra l to t his practice is t he ab i l ity to stu dy and communicate wit h visitors from t he E lemental Pl ane of Water. In add ition to speak ing Draconic, you b egin pl ay wit h t he ab i l ity to speak Aquan. 18

GREEN-SCALED KOBOLDS

WH1TE -SCALED KOBOLDS

Li k e t h eir correspon d ing d raconic cousins, green k ob o ld s are at t h eir b est wh en surround e d b y fo l iage. At h ome in forest caves, green k ob o ld s ten d to b e more to l erant t h an k ob o ld s of ot h er co l ors. Alchemical Breath: Your trib e, in an effort to emu l ate h t e green c h romatic d ragons t hey ad mire, goes to great l engt h s to secure a l c hemica l coa l (Patlifinder RPG Ultimate Race Guide 135). As a memb er of a green k ob o ld trib e, you b egin p l ay wit h t h ree pieces of t h e c ho k ing smo ke variety of a lc hemica l coa l. Eating one of t hese pe ll ets a ll ows you to ex h a le noxious vapors, d amaging and sic kening your enemies. T hese pe llets d o not count against your starting c h aracter wea lt h. Kobold Herbalist: You are fami l iar wit h t h e fl ora of your native forest and h ave ru d imentary s k i ll as an herb a l ist. Once per d ay, you can attempt a DC 20 Surviva l c hec k instea d of a Craft ( a lc hemy) c hec k to create a sing l e d ose of scent c l oa k (Ultimate Equipment 105) wit h out paying any cost for raw materia l s. Any scent c l oa k create d using t h is met ho d must b e use d wit h in 24 hours, or it b ecomes inert. Slithering Stride: You were raise d as a forest trapper, an d are a d ept at moving quic kly t h roug h un d erb rus h. For 3 roun d s per d ay, you can move t h roug h l ig ht or h eavy un d ergrowt h at fu ll spee d. T h is ab i l ity d oesn't work in terrain t h at h as b een magica lly manipu l ate d to impe d e motion.

White kob old s inh ab it t he frozen reaches of Gol arion, rai d ing across icy tund ra and gl acia l expanses. T houg h not as hearty as re d or green kob old s, t hey are we ll ad apte d to t heir environments. Cold Fortitude: T he perpetua lly c h i lly environment of your yout h mad e you exceptionally resi lient in arctic cl imes. You gain a +4 trait b onus on Fortitu d e saving t h rows against nonlet ha l cold d amage. Frost Spitter: T he icy b reat h of a wh ite d ragon fi ll s your lungs. Once per d ay, you can quic kly ex h ale to pro duce a frigi d clou d of d ense fog t h at quickly sink s to t he ground. T his freezing mist covers a 10-foot-square area wit h s l ippery ice t h at ' s as d ifficu lt to traverse as an ice s heet (Core Rulebook 430). Icy Mementos: As a parting gift, t h e s h aman of your trib e gave you an alc hemica l concoction as a remind er of your icy home. You b egin pl ay wit h t hree b ott les of l iqui d ice (Ultimate Equipment 108). T hese don't count against your starting ch aracter wealt h. Skater's Balance: You grew up sta lk ing acros s t he frozen pool s of water t h at dot your trib e 's Darkl and s home. You d on't nee d to spend extra movement to enter a square of an ice s heet (Core Rulebook 430), and t he DCs ofyour Acrob atics check s on ice s heets d on't increase by 5.

RED - SCALED KOBOLDS Li ke t h e rut hl ess re d c h romatic d ragons t h ey esteem, re d kob old s respect d estructive power and l itt le e l se. T he most wi d e ly recognize d of t heir race, re d - s ca l e d kob old s are notorious ly menacing. Firebug: Li k e t h e re d d ragons t h at inspire your trib e, you're blesse d wit h a sma ll spark of incend iary magic. You are able to cast spark t hree times per d ay as a spe ll - li ke abi lity. T he caster leve l is equal to your c haracter leve l. T his spe ll - li ke ab i l ity ' s save DC is Inte lligence- b ase d. Fire-Tongued: T h e sorcerers of your trib e are a d ept at summoning and b ind ing outsi d ers from t he E l ementa l Pl ane of Fire. In or d er to communicate wit h t h eir t h ra ll s, many in your trib e l earne d t he ru d iments of t he outsi d ers ' l anguage. In a dd ition to spea k ing Draconic, you b egin pl ay wit h t he ab i l ity to spea k Ignan. Heat Fortitude: You grew up c l ose to su l furous vo l canic vents, wh ic h stee le d you against h eat d angers. You gain a +4 trait b onus on Fortitu d e saving t h rows against non l et h a l d amage from heat. ' Smoke Resistant: You ve spent so muc h of your l ife h k d aroun fires t at smo e no l onger affects you t he way it d oes ot her creatures. Your vision isn't impaire d by nonmagica l smo ke, and you gain a +5 trait b onus on Fortitu d e saves to avoi d coug hing and c hok ing b ecause of smok e in h a l ation (PaHifinder RPG Core Rulebook 426). T h is trait confers no b enefits against magica lly create d smo ke, suc h as t h at pro duce d by pyrotechnics.

RARE SCALE COLORS T hough t he majority of kob old s exhibit one of the five major chromatic colors, occasionally individual s emerge wit h alternate pigmentations, wit h t he most common b eing purple, orange, and yellow. T hose who possess t he rarer colors d escrib e d b e low are d iscriminate d against by t heir homogeneous trib e-mates, b ut t hese colors d o h ave unique b enefits. In addition to t he atteste d colorations liste d b e low, trans lucent- scale d kob old s are rumore d to exist, b ut t hese "g host kob old s " haven't b een encountere d in centuries. Carnation S cales: T h oug h your l ig ht pin k sca l es ma d e you t he subj ect ofri d icu l e b y your trib e, you can ad apt to more environments t h an t hey can. You gain a +1 b onus on Surviva l c hec k s, and Surviva l is a lways a c l ass s k i ll for you. Most kob old s wit h carnation sca l es a l so h ave t he d ay rai d er a lternate racia l trait ( see page 7). Golden S cales: Your d istinctive go ld en sca l es strong ly reflect t he l ig ht, ma k ing ot her k ob old s mistrust you, b ut ab oveground races favor you. You ta k e a -1 pena lty on B luff c hec k s and Dip l omacy c h ec k s wh en d ea l ing wit h ot her k ob old s, b ut a +2 b onus on B luff c hec k s and Dip l omacy c hec k s when d ea l ing wit h non-repti l ian humanoi d s. Purple S cales: Your out l an d is h purp l e sca l es ma d e you an outcast from your trib e and force d you to survive in isol ation at t h e e d ges of k ob o ld society. Wh i l e wand ering a l one t h roug h t he Darkl and s, you contacte d severa l ot h er und erground races an d expand e d your l inguistic repertoire. In add ition to spea k ing Draconic, you b egin p l ay wit h t he ab i l ity to spea k one of t he fo llowing: A klo, Dwarven, Gobl in, or Und ercommon. 19

T he fo ll owing traps can b e create d using t he Learn Ranger Trap feat (see page 24). T h is feat is avai l abl e to a ll c l asses, and is a key feature of t h e snare setter arc hetype (see page 23). T he Improve d Learn Ranger Trap feat on page 24 can en h ance a c h aracter ' s s k i ll wit h ranger traps. Ranger traps first appeare d in Patlifinder RPG Ultimate Ma.!Jic, and more traps can b e found on page 64 of t h at b oo k, a l ong wit h t he trapper ranger arc hetype. Setting a ranger trap is a fu ll -roun d action t h at provokes attack s of opportunity. A trap fi ll s a single 5-foot square, and cannot b e p l ace d in t he same area as anot her ranger trap or a magica l trap suc h as a .!Jlyph of wardin.!J. T he D Cs for Perception c h ec k s to notice t h e trap, for Disable Device c heck s to disable it, and for saving t hrows to avoi d it are equa l to 10 + i/2 t he c h aracter ' s leve l + t he c h aracter ' s Wis d om b onus. A ll ranger traps are Trigger: l ocation, and Reset: none. Ranger traps are eit her extraor d inary or supernatural ; extraor d inary traps a ll h ave Type: mec h anica l , and supernatural traps all have Type: magic. Some traps may b e set as eit her extraor d inary traps or magical (supernatura l) traps; learning how to construct suc h a trap lets a ranger set it eit her way. An extraor d inary trap h as a -2 penalty to its DC. An extraor d inary trap l asts i d ay per ranger leve l or unti l it is triggere d, whic hever comes first. A magica l trap l asts only i hour per leve l or unti l triggere d, whichever comes first. A trap' s DC d ecreases by i for each fu ll d ay (or hour, for a magica l trap) t h at passes after it is set. Traps marke d wit h an asteris k (*) add to or mo d ify t he effects of anot her trap; a ranger can add one of t hese trap types to any stand ar d ranger trap (t his costs i add itiona l use of t he trap ab i l ity). T his section intro duces a new kind of supernatura l trap t h at a c h aracter wh o isn' t a ranger (b ut wh o h as t he Learn Ranger Trap feat) can create by inc lu d ing an add itiona l magica l component. T h is component­ usua lly a scro ll, potion, or oil-is expende d at the time of t he trap' s creation. Inc lu d ing it increases t he time to l ay t he trap to i fu ll minute.

damage equal to 1 d 6 + 1/2 the ra nger's level to the triggering creature (Refl ex negates). I f it is an extraord i n a ry tra p, the ra nger must supply a dose of acid when setting the trap. Magical Component scroll o f corrosive touch BLIGHTBURN TRAP (EX) Effect

This tra p stri kes the ta rget with a s m a l l s h a rd of b l i g htbu rn, dea l i ng 2d6 poi nts of fi re d a m age, 1d3 points of Co nstitution d a m age, and 1 d 3 poi nts of Charisma damage. A successful Fortitude save negates the a b i l ity d a m a g e a n d ha lves the fi re d a m a g e . The ra nger must supply a sl iver o f b l i g htbu rn, a d a n g e rous t a s k i n itself, t h o u g h sto ring t h e b l i g htburn i n a lead vial m a kes the t a s k l e s s risky.

CHANNE LE D E NE RGY TRAP (EX O R SU) Effect

This tra p creates a positive o r negative energy effect designed to harm either undead o r living creatures, respectively. The target ta kes a n u m ber of poi nts of d a m a g e e q u a l t o 1 d 8 + the ra nger's level fro m either positive energy o r negative energy (Wi l l save for h a l f). If this is a n extra o rd i n a ry tra p, t h e ra nger m u s t supply a v i a l of holy water (positive energy) o r u n holy water (negative energy).

DISTRACTION TRAP (EX O R SU) Effect

The target is affected with i rritation that detracts from its alertness. It ta kes a -2 penalty o n Perception checks, i n itiative checks, and Reflex saves for 10 m in utes per ra nger level. If this is a su pernatura l trap, this is a m ind-affecting effect. If this is a n extraord i n a ry trap, the ra nger must supply a dose of itching powder or another a lchemical i rritant. Magical Component scroll o f doze monster LAZURITE TRAP (EX OR SU) Effect

Lazu rite radiation i ncreases the victi m's suscept i b i l ity to the attacks of undead creatures that a re bolstered by the radiation. The target ta kes a -2 pena lty to Armor Class a g a i nst the attacks of undead creatu res a n d o n saving throws a g a i nst effects created by undead. This effect lasts for 10 m i n utes per ra nger level. A successful W i l l save negates this effect. I f this is a n extraord i nary tra p, the

OVE RSIZE D BARBS (EX O R SU) Effect

taking a n u m ber of points of acid 20

The ta rget is spea red with ba rbs that penetrate and protrude from its body, m a k i n g squeezi ng,

c l i m b i ng, a n d swi m m i n g c h a l l e n g i n g . T h e tra p i m p l a nts 1 d 4+1 ba rbs, each d ea l i ng 1 point of d a m a g e . A s u ccessful Reflex save ha lves t h e n u m be r of ba rbs. T h e ta rget ta kes a p e n a l ty o n C l i m b checks and Swi m checks e q u a l to the n u m be r of barbs at t ac h e d , a n d is co n s i d e red o n e size cate g o ry l a rg e r fo r t h e p u rposes of d eterm i n i n g what size of o p e n i n g o r passageway it m u st s q u e eze t h ro u g h a s l o n g a s a t l e a s t 1 barb re m a i n s a t t a c h e d . Each barb c a n be re m oved with a full m i n ute of work and a Heal check that e q u a l s o r exceeds t h e tra p's DC. I f this check fa i l s, the barb is sti l l re m oved b ut the t a rget ta kes 1d4 p o i nts of d a mage. Th e barbs s h a ke loose h a r m l essly after 10 m i n u tes per ra n g e r leve l . PIT TRAP (EX O R SU) Effect

This simple pit is covered over with leaves or appropriate materia ls for the a rea. It's 5 feet deep p l u s 5 feet for every 4 ra nger l eve ls. A victim that succeeds at a Reflex save doesn't fa l l i nto the pit. If it is a n extrao rd i na ry tra p, the ra nger ca n set this tra p only i n terra i n with soft g ro u n d .

Magical Component scroll o f create pit RUST MONSTE R TRAP (EX OR SU) Effect

The tra p t h rows u p a cloud of dust g ro u n d fro m the antennae of a rust mo nster, dea l i n g 1d4 points of d a m a g e t o the ta rget's m e t a l armor a n d wea pons. A ra nger m a y i ncrea se the d a m a g e b y 1 point f o r each additional d a i l y use of h i s tra p a b i l ity he s p e n d s when creating this trap. A successful Reflex save negates this damage. If this is a n extra o rd i n a ry tra p, t h e ra nger must supply a set o f rust mo nster a ntennae.

Magical Component scroll o f rusting grasp SE LECTIVE TRIGGE R ..' (EX OR SU) Effect

The ra nger adds a race, type, a l i g n ment, or m i n i m u m weight restriction t o t h e tra p's trigger. I f t h i s is a n extra o rd i n a ry tra p, t h e ra nger can choose o n l y t h e m i n i m u m weight restriction.

Magical Component potion o f identify SPE L L- STEALING TRAP (SU) Effect

The ta rget is struck by a b u rst of a bj u ration that stea ls its magical a b i l ity. The ta rget loses 1 d 4+1 levels of spells (of its choice). A ra nger may i n c rease the n u m be r of spell levels lost by 1d4 for each additional d a i l y use of his tra p a b i l ity he spends when creating this trap.

MORE ELABORATE TRAPS Most ko bold l a i rs conta i n co m p l ex tra ps that l i e dormant until a n i nvasion occu rs. They a re often ca refully weig hted so that they a re not triggered by i n h a b i ta nts, and thei r locations a re ta ught to every tribe member at a young age. These deadly mechanisms req u i re occasional mai ntenance, but most ko bolds ca n both spot when such work is necessary a n d co m p l ete it themse lves. Architectural Traps: Ko bolds' g reatest advantage a g a i nst i nvaders is their inti mate knowledge of their l a i rs, which they very l i kely had a h a n d in b u i l d i n g . They a ugm ent co m p l ex, twist i n g t u n n e l s of i n hospita b l e d i m e n s i o n s with confo u n d i n g a rch itect u re: d o o rs that a p pea r to be wa l l s, t u n n e l s that can be closed off with cou nte rwe ig hts, u n sta ble floors that co l l a pse under l a rger creatu res, and at their most co m p l ex, rotating cham bers that can rea l i g n to face d i ffe rent entra nces a n d exits. Animals: Kobolds a re keen a n i m a l trainers, and a variety of d a n g e rous creatu res g u a rd their l a i rs. Eve n harmless a n i m a l s ca n be made i nto threats by l o a d i n g them with a l chemical bom bs, poisons, o r eve n spell effects, a n d send i n g them d o w n tunnels at foes l i ke wa l k i n g traps. Cave-Ins and Landfalls: For ko bolds, esca pe fro m sea led tunnels is just a matter of ca reful i n d u stry. For i nvaders, however, it can be both terrifying a n d l ife-threate n i ng, as they usually have l i m ited food, a i r, a n d water, a n d l ittle idea how to find these thi ngs. Some ko bold t u n n e l s a re rigged to co l l a pse once their residents have passed t h ro u g h, creating at best difficult terra i n for i nvaders, a n d at worst an a i rless to m b in which to reconsider their i nvasio n . If a tribe believes t h e i nvasion of i t s h o m e is i m m i nent, its mem bers may even co l l a pse a whole section to sea l off the vita l a reas fro m further penetration. I n doing so, the kobolds might lose some of their own, but that's a small price to pay fo r the secu rity of their eggs and their way of l ife.

TAR TRAP (EX O R SU) Effect

The target is coated i n a t h i n layer of sticky t a r u n less it s ucceeds at a Refl ex save. I t is entang led, and beco mes suscept i b l e to catc h i n g fi re from a ny so u rce of fl a m e . I f lit o n fi re, the tar b u rns i ntensely fo r 1 ro u nd; it d e a l s 2 d 6 points of fi re d a m a g e a n d is destroyed i n the p rocess. U n less b u rned away, the tar re m a i n s fo r 1 ro u n d per ra n g e r leve l . I f t h i s i s a n extra o rd i n a ry tra p, the ra n g e r m u st s u p p l y a dose of tar.

Magical Component scroll o f dispel magic TRANSDIME NSIONAL TRAP. (SU) SPE LL- STORING TRAP (SU) Effect

T h i s tra p behaves l i ke a greater glyph of wording, except the maxi m u m level of s p e l l it c an h o l d is 1 . A ra n g e r may i n crease t h e maxi m u m leve l b y 1 fo r each d a i l y use of his tra p a b i l ity he spends when crea t i n g this tra p. T he s p e l l conta i n e d m ust be s u p p l ied by e i t h e r t h e ra n g e r o r a n other cre a t u re within 1 ro u n d of the tra p b e i n g laid. T h e d u ra t i o n of t h i s tra p is d e p e n d e n t o n t h e ra n g e r's l evel, b ut a target receives o n l y o n e save, that of the s p e l l conta i n e d .

Effect

This a u g m e ntation a l l ows a tra p to affect a n i n corporea l or etherea l creature as if it we re corporea l or existed on the Material Plane.

Magical Component scroll o f ghostbone dirgeAPG TRIPWIRE (EX OR SU) Effect A

taut wire stretched between two vertical su rfaces knocks the ta rget prone u n less it succeeds at a Reflex save. A r u n n i n g or c h a rg i n g creature ta kes a -6 penalty on its save. 21

DRAGON HERALD (BARO ARCHETYPE) Dragon herald s are messengers and evange lists of true dragonkind. T hey carry t he wor d oft heir dragon patrons far and wide, whet her t hat 's a message of peace or a decl aration of war. A kob old whose scales already associate her with a revere d dragon is often traine d as her trib e 's dragon herald. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: T he d ragon hera ld is proficient wit h simple weapons and l ig ht armor, b ut not wit h s hie ld s. Dragon herald s are messengers, not warriors. Li ke ot her b ar d s, d ragon hera ld s don't incur t he normal arcane spe ll fai lure ch ance from wearing light armor.

A dragon herald must choose a l d particu ar true ragon species whose glory to extol. In most cases, t his is a dragon with whom t he herald is fami liar, but it could b e a dragon deity, a long- dead dragon hero, or even an entire dragon lineage. T he energy type associate d wit h her dragon patron (as s hown on page 75 of t he Core Rulebook) determines the energy type use d by several of her abi lities. S he must al so designate a sacre d space re levant to her d ragon choice-usually t he lair of a patron dragon or a s hrine or holy place associate d wit h a dragon type. Coat of Arms ( Ex): A d ragon hera ld gains energy resistance equal to her d ragon hera ld leve l against t he energy type associate d wit h her dragon patron. T h is resistance stack s wit h any inherent racia l resistances, b ut not wit h magica l or temporary resistances. Dragon Voice ( Ex): A d ragon hera ld gains a b onus equa l to h a l f her leve l on Intimid ate and Dip lomacy c heck s. S he gains Draconic as a b onus l anguage. T his abi l ity rep l aces b ar d ic knowle d ge. Bardic Performance: A d ragon hera ld gains t he following types of b ar d ic performance: Diplomatic Immunity (Su): A d ragon herald can use b ar d ic performance to generate a sanctuary effect upon herse l( Most use t his to d e l iver t he wor d oft heir patron or to safe ly complete Diplomacy or Intimi d ate chec k s in t he presence of hosti le foes. T he effect persists for as long as t he d ragon hera ld performs and for i round after. T his performance repl aces countersong and fascinate. Diplomatic Protection (Su): At 3r d leve l, t he dragon hera ld can use b ar dic performance to wrap a single ally in t he colors and scales of her patron. T he dragon hera ld must b e able to see her ally, and t h at ally must b e able to perceive her performance. Whi le t he herald performs, t he target gains resistance equa l to twice t he d ragon herald' s leve l to t he energy type associate d wit h t he d ragon herald ' s patron, Dragon Patron (Ex):

and an enh ancement b onus to natura l armor equal to i/2 t he dragon herald' s leve l. T his performance repl aces inspire competence. Rebuke Foes (Su): At 12t h leve l, t he d ragon herald gains h t e abi l ity to rain d own her patron' s wrat h on her enemies, d eal ing energy d amage of t he appropriate type equal to twice her dragon herald leve l ( Re flex save for h al f). S he can target one enemy wit hin 50 feet for every 4 dragon herald leve l s s he h as. T his effect occurs once per round for as long as s he continues her performance. T his performance repl aces soot hing performance. Retreat to Lair (Sp): At i5th level, the dragon herald can spend d 5 aily uses of performance as a full-round action to teleport herself, or a willing target touche d, to her sacre d place. T his performance repl aces inspire heroics. 22

Master of Persuasion (Ex): At 5t h leve l, t he d ragon herald b ecomes so sure in her craft that s he can take 10 on any Diplomacy or Intimi date check, even when rus he d or t hreatene d. Once per d ay, s he may attempt eit her a Diplomacy or Intimid ate check as a full-round action, instead of spending a full minute. S he can use this abi lity one additional time per d ay at nt h and i7t h leve l. T his abi lity rep l aces lore master. Extol Glory {Su): At 10t h leve l, t he dragon herald gains t he b a ility to spread her patron's glory to all intelligent creatures. When s he speak s Draconic, any intelligent creature that hears her and knows any language can understand her word s. T his ability does not allow the dragon herald to understand languages with which s he is not familiar. T his abi lity rep l aces jack-of-a ll -trades.

SNARE SET TER CROGUE ARCHET YPE) Deep in d arkness, t he snare setter constructs his d eadly traps and b rutal mech anisms to confound and d estroy any who try to invad e his d omain. Trapper (Ex): At ist leve l, a snare setter gains Learn Ranger Trap ( see page 24) as a b onus feat. In addition to the trap grante d by this feat, he learns how to construct the tripwire trap for free. For the purposes of this feat, he 's considere d a ranger of his snare setter leve l, and uses his Inte lligence in place of Wis dom to determine uses per day and the DC of his ranger traps. Whenever the snare setter could learn a new rogue trick, he may instead learn a new ranger trap. T his abi lity rep l aces sneak attack ( b ut see b e low). Trapsmithing ( Ex): A snare setter gains a b onus on Perception s ki ll check s to detect traps and on Craft (traps ) check s equal to i/2 his snare setter leve l. He can use Craft (traps) in pl ace ofDisable Device to d isarm traps, inclu d ing magical traps. T his abi lity rep l aces trapfind ing. ' Deadly Traps (Ex): At 3r d leve l, t he snare setter s traps deal an additional id6 points of d amage on the first round t hey 're activate d. T his d amage is of t he same type t he trap normally deal s. Traps t hat don't deal damage are unaffecte d by t his abi lity. T his additional damage increases by id6 points every 4 leve l s b eyond 3rd ( ?t h, nth, i5t h, and i9th). Sneak Attack ( Su): At 5t h l eve l, t h e snare setter gains sneak attac k +id6. T his functions as t he rogue abi l ity of t he same name, b ut t he d amage increases by id6 every 4 leve l s after 5t h (9t h, i3t h, and i7t h). Master Snare Setter ( Ex): At 20t h l eve l, t he snare setter can attach one of a rogue ' s master stri ke effects to a trap he creates. When t he trap is triggere d, t he subject makes an add itional Fortitu d e save at t he same DC as t he trap to avoi d t his effect. A snare setter can h ave only one trap affecte d by t his ab i l ity active at any time. He may remove t h is ab i l ity from a trap at any range as a free action. T his abi lity rep l aces master stri ke. Rogue Talents: T he foll owing rogue tal ents complement h t e snare setter archetype: camou fl age, cunning trigger, fast stealt h, sniper ' s eye.

SWARM FlGHTER CF1GHTER ARCHET YPE) Kob old s know t here ' s strengt h in numb ers, and t hey rare ly send fewer t h an two kob old s out on patrol. T his re liance on one anot her extend s to comb at tactics too­ overwhe l ming numb ers and tight quarters are t he kob old fighter ' s friend s. Scutt ling b etween t he legs of friend and foe al i ke, t he swarm fig hter is an uns h ak able comb atant. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A swarm fig hter is proficient wit h a ll simp l e an d martia l weapons. S h e is proficient wit h l ig ht and me d ium armor, b ut not wit h s h ie ld s. Athletic Prowess ( Ex): A swarm fi g hter a dd s Acro b atics an d C l imb to h er c l ass s k i ll s, an d gains a b onus on check s wit h t hese s ki ll s equal to i/2 her swarm fig hter l eve l . Mobility ( Ex): T h e swarm fig hter gains Mob i l ity as a b onus feat, even if s he d oes not meet t he prerequisites. T his repl aces t he b onus feat a fig hter gains at first leve l, and can't b e repl ace d at a l ater leve l. Safety in Numbers ( Ex): A swarm fig hter b enefits great ly from t he proximity of her allies. S he gains a mora le b onus on saves against fear effects equal to t he numb er of allies wit hin 20 feet ofher. T his b onus can't excee d h al fher leve l. T his abi lity repl aces bravery. Bonus Teamwork Feats ( Ex): At 2nd l eve l an d every 4 leve l s t hereafter, t he swarm fig hter gains a b onus Teamwork Feat. T his ab i l ity repl aces t he b onus comb at feats t he fighter normally receives at t hose leve l s. Bonus Feats ( Ex): At 4t h l eve l, and every 4 l eve l s h t ereafter, t he swarm fig hter gains a b onus comb at feat. T hese are gaine d as wit h t he fighter ' s norma l b onus feats cl ass feature ( b ut less frequent ly). Share Space ( Ex): At 5t h l eve l, t he swarm fig hter can move into t he space of anot her creature at least one size category l arger t h an s he is. S he may end her movement in, and make attack s from, t h at space. S he must succee d at t he Acrob atics chec k for moving t hroug h an occupie d square to move into a space occupie d by an enemy. Whi le s h aring t he space of anot her creature, s he gains a +z s hie ld b onus to AC and a +i circumstance b onus on Re flex saves. T his abi lity repl aces weapon training i. Strike the Underbelly ( Ex): At 9t h l eve l, creatures wit h whic h t he swarm fig hter s h ares a space are d enie d t heir Dexterity b onus to Armor C l ass against t he swam fig hter ' s attac k s. T his abi lity repl aces weapon training z. Always Underfoot ( Ex): At i3t h l eve l, t he swarm fig hter gains Step Up as a b onus feat. A creature s h aring a square wit h t he swarm fig hter is consi d ere d adjacent for t he purposes oft his feat. At i7t h leve l, t he swarm fig hter gains Following Step as a b onus feat. T hese ab i l ities repl ace weapon training 3 and 4. Soft Underbelly ( Ex): At 20t h l eve l, any attac k s ma d e against creatures wit h wh ic h t he swarm fighter s h ares a space automatically confirm all critical t hreats. T his abi lity repl aces weapon mastery. 23

ANCI ENT DRACONIC You empower spe ll s using t he ancient l anguage ofd ragons. Prerequisites: Arcane caster l eve l 5t h, spea k s Draconic. Benefit: You gain a +1 b onus on caster l eve l c h ec k s to overcome spe ll resistance when casting arcane spe ll s t h at h ave a verb al component. If you spea k Draconic when casting an arcane l anguage- d epend ent spe ll, a ll inte ll igent creatures wit h a l anguage can und erstand your wor d s.

lMPROVED LEARN RANGER TRAP Your s ki ll wit h traps is extensive. Prerequisites: Learn Ranger Trap, Surviva l 8 ran k s. Benefit: You l earn one a dd itiona l ranger trap and can now use b ot h extraor d inary and supernatural versions of any ranger traps you know.

KoBOLD CO N FIDENCE Your cunning, confidence, or faith in t he draconic power in your bloo d allows you to overcome your physical frailty. Prerequisites: C harisma i3 , kob old. Benefit: You use your C harisma, Inte lligence, or Wis d om in place ofConstitution to determine your b onus to Fortitude saves and your maximum negative hit points b efore death. Once this choice has b een made, it can't b e change d.

LEARN RANG ER TRAP You learn how to create one kind of ranger trap. Prerequisite: Surviva l 5 ran k s. Benefit: Se l ect one ranger trap (see page 2 0) . You may use h t is trap a numb er of times per d ay equal to your Wis d om b onus (minimum i) . T he DC for your trap is equal to io + ' i /2 your c h aracter s l eve l + your Wis d om b onus, and it l asts h d i ay per 2 c aracter l eve l s.

If you aren't a ranger, you can only set extraor d inary traps wit h t his feat; li ke all extraor d inary ranger traps, t h is d ecreases t he trap' s DC by 2 . Special: A ranger can u s e ranger traps a numb er o ftimes per d ay equal to i/2 his ranger leve l + his Wis d om b onus. See t he d escription ofranger traps for durations.

MERCILESS MAGIC Your spe llcasting is strongest against t hose i n peri l. Prerequisites: Ab i l ity to cast spe ll s, k ob o ld. Benefit: T he DC to resist your spe ll s increases by i for targets that are already afilicte d with any of the following conditions: blinde d, dying, entangle d, exhauste d, frightene d, helpless, nauseate d, panicke d, paralyze d, or stunne d.

MERCILESS PRECISI O N You d e light and exce l i n bringing d own hobble d targets. Prerequisites: Snea k attac k c l ass feature, kob o ld. Benefit: Your sneak attack d amage increases by id6 against targets that are already afilicte d with any of the following conditions: blinde d, dying, entangle d, exhauste d, frightene d, helpless, nauseate d, panicke d, paralyze d, or stunne d.

MIXED SCALES You h ave two colors of scales, which mark you as specia l. ARG or dragon-scale d racial Prerequisites: Draconic Aspect ARG k ld b trait , o o . Benefit: C hoose an add itiona l color for your Draconic Aspect feat or dragon-scale d racial trait. You gain t he b enefits of b ot h t his color and t he color you originally chose. (Ifyou have b ot h Draconic Aspect and dragon-scale d, t his b enefit applies to b ot h.) If you gain abi lities t hat re ly on scale color, choose which color gains t he b enefits.

REDEEMED KoBOLD

KoBOLD FLOOD (COMBAT, STYLE)

T he purity you h ave found in t he teachings of goo d d ragonkind colors your sca les and grants you confi dence. Prerequisites: Goo d a l ignment, k ob o ld. Benefit: Your sca l es ta k e on a meta ll ic s h een appropriate for t h at ofa goo d -al igne d metall ic d ragon who s h ares any existing energy affinity you possess, or whom you h ave chosen to emu l ate. You gain a +2 circumstance b onus on Diplomacy chec k s when interacting wit h goo d creatures. In add ition, your C h arisma is consi d ere d 2 points hig her for t he purposes of ch anne l ing positive energy.

You are an expert at keeping creatures on t he ground. Prerequisites: Comb at Expertise, Kob o ld Groun dl ing, Kob old Style, Small size or smaller. Benefit: You can ma k e a grapp l e comb at maneuver c hec k to mount a prone Me d ium or Large foe. Ifyou're successfu l, you move into t he target ' s square and are consi dere d to b e on top oft he target. For t he target to stand, it must succee d at a comb at maneuver c heck to break your grapple.

SCALED D1sc1PLE Your d raconic heritage manifests as d ivine power. Prerequisites: Ab i l ity to spontaneous ly cast d ivine spe ll s, k ob old. Benefit: You gain a +1 b onus to your caster l eve l h w en casting spe ll s inc lu de d in t he d ragon domain or subd omains. Your spontaneous divine spe llcasting qual ifies in p l ace of arcane casting for t he d ragon d isciple prestige c l ass, and you may increase spe llcasting in your spontaneous divine c l ass as you progress in d ragon d isciple leve l s. A dd t he b onus spe ll s gaine d from t he bloo d of d ragons ab i l ity to t hose you can cast as d ivine spe ll s.

SMALL BuT D EADLY You h ave learne d to ma ke t he most of certain weapons, d espite your p hysica l wea kness. Prerequisites: Weapon Focus or natura l weapon, Sma ll size or smaller. Benefit: You ignore your Strengt h pena lty to d amage h w en making attack s wit h your racial natural weapons and weapons for which you h ave t he Weapon Focus feat.

KoBOLD GROU NDLI NG (COMBAT, STYLE) Your small size grants you superiority over grounde d foes. Prerequisites: Comb at Expertise, Kob o ld Styl e, Sma ll size or smaller. Benefit: Prone creatures are d enie d t h eir Dexterity b onus to AC against your attac k s.

KoBOLD STYLE (COMBAT, STYLE) You're able to manipu l ate foes t h at are caught off guar d. Prerequisites: Comb at Expertise, Sma ll size or sma ll er. Benefit: You gain a +4 b onus on comb at maneuver c heck s against enemies denie d t heir Dexterity b onus to AC.

TE AMWORK FE ATS Kob old s t hin k and fight trib ally. T he swarm fig hter arc hetype ( see page 22) grants b onus teamwork feats.

TRIBE MENTALITY CT EAMWORK) You and your trib emates grant eac h ot her menta l strengt h. ' Benefit: When you re simu ltaneous ly subject to t h e h ( same enc antment compu l sion) or [emotion] effect as anot her a lly wit h t his feat, you b ot h roll saves b ut can use eit her resu lt.

KOBOLD S T YLE

WALL OF FLESH CT EAMWORK)

Quic k, powerfu l movements mark t his style, which focuses on rus hing and upend ing an opponent, t hen c limbing on top ofit to keep t he creature prone. Feat Path: Kob old Style, Kob old Groundling, l ld b d Ko o F oo .

You swarm wit h your a ll ies, b ecoming a wa ll of creatures. Prerequisite: Sma ll size or sma ll er. ' Benefit: When a djacent to an a lly wit h t h is feat, you re l d d d consi ere one size category arger for etermining CMD and t he way comb at maneuvers and ab i l ities affect you.

HEZZ1LREEN'S SPELLBOOK Following in Hezzi lreen' s trad ition, his most fervent d evotees make spe llb ook s just l i ke h is-b ook s in which every spe ll inscrib e d b ecomes a trap. Kob old spe llcasters who go to t he trouble of creating such a b ook al so see k out t he finest materia l s, l i ke s he d dragonscales, s kins from trappe d intru ders in t he tunne l s, or t he hid es of t he creators ' fai le d apprentices.

Each spell i nscribed in this book becomes a greater glyph of (DC 1 9, spell g lyph) containing the spell recorded. When a n unauthorized person reads a spell, the glyph triggers agai nst him. This destroys the pages on which the spell is written, but warding

leaves the rest of the book unharmed. Pages containing harmless spells or spells that can't be attached to a glyph are unaffected. CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS I COST 4,000 G P Craft Wondrous Item, erase, greater glyph o f warding, creator m ust be a kobold BLIGHTBURN WEAPON School

transm utation; Level alchem ist 4, i n q u isitor 4, mag us 4, sorcerer/wizard 5, witch 5 Casting Time 1 sta n d a rd action Components V, S, D F Range c l o s e (2 5 f t . + 5 ft./2 levels) Target one wea pon Duration 1 ro u nd/level (D) Saving Throw Will negates (object); Spell Resistance yes (object) Yo u transform the target wea pon i nto p u re b l i g htburn. The wea pon fu nctions as normal, but any creature that touches it, o r that it stri kes, takes 2d6 points of fi re damage each ro u n d it re m a i n s i n contact. I n add ition, the wea pon em anates a n a u ra of radiation that causes b l i g htburn sickness. This is as the d i sease (see page 2 9), but with a 1 0 -foot rad i us and a save DC e q u a l to this spel l 's save DC. CHAME LEON SCALES School

transm utation; Level alchem ist 1, d ruid 0, ra nger 1 , sorcerer/wizard O Casting Time 1 sta n d a rd action Components V, S, D F Range perso n a l Target yo u Duration 1 0 m i n u tes/leve l (D) You tempora rily a lter the color of you r skin, h ide, or sca les to a nother option legal for you r race. Yo u take no penalty fo r using Disgu ise to a ppea r as a member of a different race as long as that race has the same type and color of skin, hide, or sca les as you. DARK- LIGHT School

evocation [lig ht]; Level cleric 3, druid 3, sorcerer/wiza rd 3 1 sta n d a rd action Components V, S, M/D F (a pinch of Darklands ea rth) Range med i u m (1 0 0 ft. + 10 ft/level) Target living creatures without l i g h t sensitivity Area 2 0 -ft.-ra d i u s b u rst Duration i nsta ntaneous Saving Throw Fortitude partial; Spell Resistance yes Yo u evoke a powe rful l i g h t that affects a l l sig hted creatures that do not posses light sensitivity. Those that succeed o n their saves ..,,a re dazzled for 1 ro und per l evel; those who fa i l a re b l i nded for the same d u ration. Casting Time

ENLARGE TAIL School

transm utation; Level alchem ist 1, a nt i pa l a d i n 1, druid 1 , ma gu s 1 , sorcerer/wiza rd 1 , s u m m o n e r 1 , witch 1 Casting Time 1 sta n d a rd action Components V, S Range perso n a l Target yo u r t a i l Duration 1 h o u r/l eve l When attacking with you r ta i l or ta i l wea po ns, you g a i n 5 feet of reach, a +1 bonus on attack rolls, and a +2 bonus on damage rolls. LEAD PLATING School

conj u ration (creation); Level a lchem ist 3, cleric 2, druid 2, ra nger 2, sorcere r/wizard 2, witch 2 Casting Time 1 sta n d a rd action Components V, S, F (a n o u nce of lead) Range to uch Target a creature o r o bject we i g h i n g u p to 1 00 l bs/level Duration 1 m i n u te/level (D) Saving Throw W i l l negates (harmless, o bj ect); Spell Resistance yes (harmless, object) You enclose the target in a thin sheath of lead. This doesn't restrict the target's movement or functional ity, but protects it from the effects of rad iation and prevents the penetration of many d ivination spells. The lead doesn't coat the target's equi pment. SHADOW DRAGO N ASPECT School

illusion (shadow) [shadow]; Level bard 4, sorcerer/wiza rd 4 1 sta n d a rd action Components V, S Range perso n a l Duration 1 ro u nd/level Saving Throw W i l l disbel ief (if i nteracted with), see text; Spell Resistance yes, see text; You wreathe you rself in the quasi-real form of a d ragon. You gain two claw attacks (1 d6 plus caster level slashing damage) and a bite attack (1 d8 plus caster level piercing damage). These a re primary attacks. In add ition, you gain shadowy wings, g ranting you a fly speed equal to you r base speed (good ma neuverability). You r shadowy natural wea pons a re only half as strong as the real things, though creatures that believe them to be rea l a re affected at full strength. A creature is perm itted one Will save the fi rst time you strike it. If it succeeds, the creature ta kes half damage from such attacks for the d u ration of the spell. If you overcome a creatu re's spell resista nce on you r fi rst attack, that creature remains vul nerable for the spell's d u ration; otherwise, it's i m m u ne. Casting Time

STRIP SCALES School

transm utation; Level d r ui d 4, sorcere r/wiza rd 5, witch 5 1 sta n d a rd action Components V, S, M/D F (a s i n g l e re pti le sca le) Range close (2 5 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Target o n e living creature Duration 1 m i n u te/level Saving Throw Fortitude; Spell Resistance yes Yo u red u ce the t arget's ra c i a l natural a r m o r b o n u s by 1 p o i n t per 3 c a s t e r leve l s . Casting Time

FAVORED KOBOLD FAMILIARS To some, a fa m i l i a r is a trusted co m p a n i o n; to others a powerful too l . But to ko bolds, a fa m i l i a r is a bove a l l a loya l serva nt-one that w i l l never q u estion the a bsolute power and authority of its master. Bat: Though their Fly bonus is of lim ited use underg rou nd, bats' sonar is a powerfu l tool for masters who play the role of the hu nted as often as they do that of the hunter. Lizard: As a fel low reptile, the lizard s h a res the co ld­ bloodedness of its master. Scarlet SpideruM: Spiders excel in da rk, underg round places, making excellent spies for their masters. An i m m u nity to mind-affecting effects further guara ntees their loya lty. Toad: Also co l d - blooded, a toad has the benefit of being a m p h i bio us-a useful feature in d a n k, d r i p p i n g u n d e rg ro u n d caverns. The bonus hit poi nts a t o a d g ra nts a re inva l u a b l e to the fra i l ko bold race.

IMPROVED FAMILIARS Their natura l ly d istrustful natures cause kobold wiza rds to shy away fro m more intell igent creatures (such as imps o r meph itis) as fa m i l i a rs. I nstead, ko bold wizards co m m o n l y c h o o s e creatures l e s s l i kely t o t a l k back, o r t h e y bond w i t h d i re rats, fiendish a n i m a ls, o r eve n i m passive elementals that match the breath wea pon of a d ragon the ko bold reve res. For those ra re good-a l i g ned ko bold wiza rds, fa erie d ragons a n d pseudodragons a re natural choices. For the truly evil, a shared interest i n going u n n oticed a n d an u n c a n ny a ptitude for spyi ng m a ke raktava rna ra kshasas popular among kobold wizards-who also reve l i n the creatu re's i n h e rent desire to serve.

UNSEEN E NGINEERS School

conj u ration (creation); Level sorcere r/wizard 3, s u m m o n e r 2, witch 3 Casting Time 1 sta n d a rd action Components V, 5, M (materials req u i red to construct the tra p) Range long (400 ft. + 40 ft. l eve l) Effect a tea m of ti ny, i nvisible e n g i neers Duration 1 m i n u te/level Saving Throw no ne; Spell Resistance no You conj u re a n i nvisible tea m of tiny engi neers to construct a tra p at alarming speed. Originating at you r location, the tea m must remain with in ra nge of you or the spell ends. The engi neers construct a mecha nical tra p of you r choice. Construction ta kes a number of rounds equal to the tra p's challenge rating. The engi neers must have the materials availa ble. At the end of the construction time, use you r Craft (tra ps) skill with a +5 bonus to determine the success of their work. If the engi neers succeed, the tra p is com plete and the spell ends. If they fail, the materials a re deposited at that location and the spell ends. If the spell's d u ration ends before the tra p is complete, the engi neers a utomatica lly fa il. The engi neers move at you r base speed and ca n ca rry only materials req uired i n the construction of the desired tra p. They can't attack i n a ny way or be killed, and d issi pate if they ta ke 12 poi nts of damage from a rea attacks (they get no saves agai nst attacks). 27

TRAP ACCESSOR1ES

LURES

Traps are integral to kob old cu lture, as traps a llow t hem to stay on even footing wit h more p hysica lly imposing races. T hese d evices protect homes and capture critters to eat. Kob old s ma ke a wi de variety of trapping accessories.

Among Darkl and ers, t he process ofluring surface dwe llers into d anger is k nown as "d eepb aiting. " T his practice is highly refine d in kob old cu lture, and requires a sub stantial amount of psychological subt lety. Many kob old trappers use physical lures to draw victims into such ambus hes. T hese lures are most often replica items, c hosen to appeal to t he intend e d prey. Because kob old s have litt le in- d ept h contact wit h t he surface- dwe lling world, t heir replicas l ack detai l, and usually d on't stand up to close inspection. Fake Area Map: T h is faux- d istresse d piece of parc h ment is a cru d e map oft he loca l area, wit h re d circ les and arcane gibb eris h scrawle d on it. Intentiona lly made to look old and worn, it ' s actua lly a simp le piece of parchment t hat ' s b een singe d, crumple d, and rolle d in t he dirt. Because t he average kob old artisan' s knowle d ge of Common is poor, any literate creature wit hin 5 feet can i dentify t he map as a fake. However, b eyond 5 feet, a fake map requires a successfu l DC 25 Sense Motive chec k to i d entify it as phony. Fake Coins: T h ese roug h - hewn d iscs ofmeta l are covere d in hig hly reflective, gold -colore d pl ating, which catc hes t he l ight and causes t hem to s himmer. At a d istance greater t h an 5 feet, fake coins require a DC 2 0 Sense Motive c heck to i d entify. However, b ecause t hese " coins " aren't mold e d and have no emb e ll is h ment on eit her sid e, any creature wit hin s feet can c learly i d entify t hem as spurious.

Item

B l i g ht b u rn pa ste Ca phorite dust Cyt i l l esh stun vial Decoy press u re switch Decoy tra p door Decoy tripwire Fa ke a rea m a p Fa ke coins Paper wa l l paste Tra pped di sgu ise kit Tra pped scro l l case

Price

Weight

5,000 g p 2 5 gp 75 g p 60 g p 120 gp 25 gp 20 gp 5 gp 10 g p 5 0 gp 40 gp

45 l bs. 1/2 lb. 1 / 2 l b.

1/2 lb. 2 l bs. 8 l bs. 1 lb.

DECOY TRlGGERS Decoy triggers are mis leading mechanisms intende d to divert a victim's attention from a real trap by presenting an easily found decoy. Ideally, the victim spots the fake mechanism and, in attempting to disarm or evade it, triggers the real trap. A decoy trigger grants a b onus to the Perception DC of any trap it accessorizes-the decoy itsel fhas an intentionally low Perception DC. T hough a decoy trigger increases the CR of the trap it augments, as a standalone accessory it doesn't increase the trap's Craft DC. Instead ofa Disable Device DC, decoy triggers have a Sense Motive DC. Ifa creature succee d s at the decoy 's Sense Motive check, it imme diately recognizes the decoy trigger as a fake, and the real trap loses the b onus to its Perception DC. All decoy triggers are single-use only. DECOY P RE SSURE SWITCH Type

mechan ical; Perception DC 1 2;

Sense Motive

DC 24

TRAPPED hEMS Kob o ld artisans are constant ly l ook ing for new ways to increase t h e effectivenes s of t h eir traps, a ll whi le d ecreasing t h eir setup time. To fit t h ese two nee d s, k ob old inventors h ave create d a series of sma ll and easy­ to-use trappe d items. T hese rep l ica items h ave traps b ui lt into t hem, and can b e arme d in a stand ar d action. T hey 're se l f- containe d, sing l e-use, and as easi ly transportable as t he items t hey mimic.

EFFECTS

Trap

TRAPPED DISGUISE KIT

Pe rce ption DC +6, CR Modifier: +2

Type DECOY TRAP DOOR Type

mechan ical; Perception DC 1 0;

Sense Motive

DC 2 8

EFFECTS

Trap

Pe rce ption DC +9, CR Mod ifier: +3

DECOY TRIPWIRE Type

mechan ical; Perception DC 1 5; Sense Motive DC 2 0

EFFECTS

Trap

28

mechan ical; Perception DC 25;

Disable Device

DC 2 5

EFFECTS

Pe rce ption DC + 3, CR Modifier: + 1

Trigger Effect

touch; Reset rep a i r sce nt ma rk; never m iss; o n s e t d e l a y (1 ro und )

DESCRIPTION

This a ppea rs to be a normal dis gu ise kit, except that if any of the m a ke u p o r false facial hair is a p p l ied, the victim is ma rked with a strong scent. This scent mark decreases the DC of tracking the victim by scent by 4. The m a rk ca n be washed off with vigorous scru bbi ng, but otherwise fades o n its own over seve ra l days.

TRAPPED SCROLL CASE Type

mechan ical; Perception DC 2 0;

Disable Device

DC 2 0

EFFECTS

Trigger Effect

touch; Reset none poison gas (Ungol d ust)

DESCRIPTION

This see m i n g l y i n nocuous scro l l case conta i n s a glass pellet fi lled with gaseous poison. This pellet breaks when the case is opened, fi l l i ng a 5 -foot s q u a re with toxic gas. This poisonous cloud disperses after 1 rou n d .

ALCH EMlCAL hEMS T hough not as d e dicate d as a society to t he alc hemical arts as some of t he surface- dwe lling races, kob old s nevert he less h ave access to e lements and reagents which are excee d ing ly rare ab oveground. Among t hese are subterranean flora and radioactive minera l s. Blightburn Paste: T h is heavy stone b ox measures 2 feet to a si de, and t he tiny compartment insid e is line d wit h lead. Insi de t he compartment is a h al f- ounce of deep green paste. T his paste is mad e ofanimal fat mixe d wit h ground ­ up bl ig htburn. Once t he b ox is opene d, blightb urn paste l imits te leportation wit hin 60 feet and irradiates anyone wit hin 60 feet, afflicting t hem wit h blightb urn sic kness (see si deb ar for d etai l s on b ot h effects). Any creature t h at touches t he paste is affl icte d wit h bl ig htb urn sic kness (no save), and ta kes 2 d6 points of fire d amage per round unti l t he paste is c leane d away wit h a successfu l DC i5 Hea l check. Crafting t his item requires a successfu l DC 30 Craft (a lchemy) c hec k. Caphorite Dust: T h is sma ll l eat h er pouc h is fi ll e d wit h a faint ly rad ioactive ore ca lle d caph orite, wit h a sma ll percentage of reactants t h at activate t he dust. Wh en use d, caph orite dust must b e sprin kl e d in a 5-foot square, wh ic h t hen b ecomes t he center of t h e dust ' s effect. A ll b rig ht or norma l l ig ht wit h in 30 feet of t he activate d dust is re duce d to dim light, and any creature attempting to cast a spe ll with t he l ig ht d escriptor in t h is area must succee d at a DC 15 caster leve l c hec k or h ave spe ll' s effect b e negate d. If caph orite is expose d to sun l ig ht, it imme d iate ly b ecomes permanent ly inert. Eac h pouc h contains enoug h dust for two appl ications. Crafting t h is item requires a successfu l DC 25 Craft (a l c hemy) c hec k. Cytillesh Stun Vial: Harveste d from t he cyti lles h fungus commonly found in t he Darkl and s, t hese small via l s emit a brig ht blue glow, and are common ly use d in intertrib al kob old d isputes. When b roken, a cyti lles h stun vial re leases a flas h of blue l ig ht consisting of b right l ig ht in a 10-foot radius and d im l ig ht in a 20-foot rad ius. A ll creatures wit hin t he fl as h area must make a Wi ll save (DC 20). Creatures t h at fai l are stunne d for l d2 round s if t hey 're

BLIGHTBURN The mi neral blightburn is the deadliest radioactive su bsta nce in the Darklands. The g reen-glowing crysta l burns a nyone who touches it, dealing 2d6 points of fire damage per round of contact, and its rad iation causes blightburn sickness. The su bsta nce a lso l i m its teleportation. Anyone casti ng a teleportation spell in or teleporting to a cavern with blightburn in its wa lls m ust succeed at a DC 30 caster level check. BLIGHTBURN SICKNESS Type

d i sease, contact (see text); Save Fortitude DC 2 2 1/day Effect 1d6 Con damage a n d 1d6 Cha d a m age; contact is a utomatic when a creature comes with i n a 60-foot rad i u s, and can be b locked o n l y by lead sheeting, 1 foot of stone, o r a fo rce effect; Cure 2 consecutive saves Frequency

in t he area of brig ht light, or are confuse d for 1 round if in t he area of dim l ig ht. Crafting t his item requires a successfu l DC 30 Craft (alc hemy) c heck. Paper Wall Paste: T h is jar of t h ic k, gritty paste is ma d e from coarse ly ground pl ant matter, wea k epoxy, and b at guano. When expose d to air, t he mold able sub stance quickly creates a t hin, paperl i ke surface, which is id ea l for creating fal se eart hen wall s. Creating a 5-foot- by-5-foot section of paper wa ll requires a fu ll -round action. T hough t h is fal se wall is easy to punch t h roug h, it requires a successfu l DC 13 Perception chec k to i d entify t he wall as a fake. If t he creator of t he paper wa ll spend s an add itiona l fu ll -round action d isguising t he wall wit h d irt and pebbles, t he DC increases by 2. Crafting t his item requires a successfu l DC 15 Craft (a lchemy) chec k.

PRICE

PRICE

5,901 G P WEIGHT 4 lbs. AURA

WEIGHT AURA

fa int transm utation

Three times per day, the wielder of this + 1 pounder toil ottochmentAll