Kobolds - A Superior Racial Option

Kobolds are a much maligned race of reptilian humanoids. Centuries (or even millenia) of targeted genocide by parties of adventurers has left Kobolds cautious to a fault, but has not entirely extinguished their inner desire to adventure for the glory of all their kin.

Kobold Traits

Kobolds racial abilities reflect their cautious yet resourceful nature.

Ability Score Increase. Your dexterity score increases by 2.

Age. In theory kobolds can live as long as 150 years, but they are generally cut down by adventurers far before then.

Alignment. Most kobolds are lawful evil.

Size. Kobolds are small creatures, generally averaging between 20-30 lbs.

Speed. Kobolds’ base walking speed is 30 feet

Craven. When at half HP or less, a kobold can use disengage as a bonus action.

Languages. Kobolds speak, read, and write common and draconic

Squirmy. Kobolds have advantage on acrobatics checks made to avoid and escape grapples, and advantage on acrobatics checks made to escape bindings. They may move at full speed while squeezing through small areas. They gain advantage on dexterity saving throws to avoid being ensnared or entangled.

Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the kobold has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

Superior Darkvision. Kobolds have darkvision to a radius of 120 feet.

Weapon Proficiencies. Kobolds have proficiency with light crossbows, slings, spears, and javelins

Subrace. Two subraces of kobolds are found throughout the world, each exemplifying the draconic and resourceful natures inherent in all kobolds: Trappers are the result of a culture of ingenuity, cruelty, and desperation that is instilled in all kobold youth from the moment they are hatched. Dragonwrought kobolds are the rare individuals that express a shadow of their ancient draconic parentage, and are usually found as chieftans or high shamen of kobold clans.

Dragonwrought Kobold

The draconic heritage of dragonwrought kobolds is more apparent than their peers. They tend to be slightly taller than other kobolds and have minor physical characteristics representative of their draconic parentage, most notably a pair of weak but marginally functional wings.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.

Draconic Heritage. Choose a color of dragon from which you are descended. You gain resistance to the element that dragon is associated with.

Draconic Legacy. You know the Thaumaturgy and Prestidigitation cantrips. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Flight. Through vigorous and strained flapping of your wings, you can achieve flight with a speed of 30. If you have not landed at the end of your turn, you plummet to the ground taking falling damage as appropriate.

Trapper Kobold

Trappers supply the primary line of defense for kobold dens, and serve as the artisans of their clans. Frighteningly cunning, they are masters at the production of all manner of deadly traps.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Tool Proficiency. You gain proficiency with tinker’s tools.

Craft Trap. You may use any tool with which you have proficiency to create an appropriate trap. Traps cost 5gp worth of components, and the components can be recovered from triggered traps. If the trap utilizes a weapon or special item, that item must be available while the trap is being crafted. A trap may be triggered to automatically go off after a certain amount of time has passed (up to one hour), or it may be triggered by some physical effect within 10 feet of where the trap is placed. It takes 10 minutes to craft a trap, and once crafted the trap is immobile. Traps may have one of the following effects:

Attack with a weapon. When triggered, this trap will attack the triggering entity with a weapon the trap is crafted with. The weapon attacks with the player's attack bonus, and has no bonus to damage. If the entity triggering the trap is outside of the weapon's reach (which is centered on the square in which the trap is placed), the trap automatically misses. If the entity triggering the trap is farther than 10 feet from where the trap is placed, the attack automatically misses.

Activate an item. When triggered, the trap will activate whatever tiny item it has been loaded with (a potion, a feather token, etc), targeting the triggering entity if possible. If the trap targets the triggering entity, the effect may be avoided by making a Dexterity save of 8 + the crafter's proficiency bonus + the crafter's intelligence modifier.

Interact with the environment. When triggered, this trap will interact with the environment in some way. This can range from closing and locking doors, collapsing a tunnel (if such an environmental hazard hits an enemy, it does damage according to the DM's discretion, up to 2d6), or snuffing candles. If the trap's effects would be harmful to any creatures, those creatures may make a Dexterity saving throw of 8 + the crafter's proficiency bonus + the crafter's intelligence modifier to avoid any harm.

Once crafted, a trap may be concealed by using an action to perform a Survival check. The result of this check is the Perception DC required to spot the trap.