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View Full Version : Surface Kobolds [3.5e Player Race] PEACH



Alabenson
2011-04-22, 07:24 PM
One of my first homebrews, a kobold subrace (hopefully) appropriate for use as a player race


Surface Kobolds
Cousins of the evil, subterranean-dwelling kobolds, surface kobolds are known for there arcane skill, their knack for diplomacy and trade, and their affinity for dragons. Their trade caravans travel across the world seeking profit.

Personality: Surface kobolds can be very easily excitable, and are often wary of strangers. However, once a surface kobold has determined a person’s intentions, they will often become quite friendly. They have a great love of valuable items such as gold and jewels, and will often go to great lengths to acquire such objects.

Physical Description: Surface kobolds are physically almost identical to regular kobolds. Their scaly hides range in color from ivory to a medium gray, with markings individual to the kobold ranging from dark gray to black. Surface kobolds stand roughly 2 to 2 ½ feet tall and weigh 35 to 45 pounds, with males slightly taller and heavier than females. They tend to dress in elaborate, loose fitting garments, favoring deep blues, greens, and purples, and they frequently wear finely worked jewelry. Surface kobolds reach adulthood at the age of 6, and can live over 120 years.

Relations: Surface kobolds get along very well with gnomes, who not only share their love of magic and precious objects, but also their loathing of common kobolds. Similarly, surface kobolds tend to get along well with dwarves, who share their lawful nature. While surface kobolds have little trouble getting along with most other races, they tend to find elves completely insufferable (though they usually can get along well enough to do business with them).

Alignment: Surface kobolds lean strongly towards good, and more often than not they are lawful as well. However, they tend to be reasonably tolerant of individuals who don’t fit the common mold.

Surface Kobold Lands: Surface kobolds tend to favor warm climates as a result of their cold-blooded physiology, and are rarely encountered in lands with a less than temperate clime. They tend to establish enclaves in or near the communities of other races, particularly dwarves and humans, both for purposes of protection and the facilitation of commerce. These enclaves are typically led by small councils of clerics, sorcerers and wizards, who act as the representatives for the enclave to any outsiders. Outside of these enclaves, surface kobolds can often be found operating wide-ranging trade caravans.

Religion: The leader of the surface kobold pantheon is Alabenson, an incredibly powerful half-dragon sorcerer who ascended to divine status, and is credited with returning the surface kobold race to the Material Plane. Surface kobolds who do not revere Alabenson are exceedingly rare, though they do exist. (Clerics of Alabenson are able to choose from the Good, Law, Magic, Fire, Sun, and Destiny domains)

Language: Surface kobolds speak Draconic, the ancient language of the dragons, which has its own alphabet.

Adventurers: Most surface kobold adventurers view adventuring as a semi-religious experience, seeking to emulate their deity, who was a renowned adventurer as a mortal. Beyond this, many surface kobolds adventure in order to amass great wealth or magical power as quickly as possible.

Surface Kobold Racial Traits- Dragonblood and Reptilian Subtypes (Ex): Surface kobolds are humanoids with the dragonblood and reptilian subtypes

-4 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma: Surface kobolds are agile and posses impressive wit and intellect, but physically are exceptionally weak and rather fragile.
Small: As a Small creature, a surface kobold gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but he uses smaller weapons than humans use, and his lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
Surface Kobold base land speed is 30 feet.
Low-Light Vision: A surface kobold can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
+1 natural armor bonus: Surface kobolds’ hides are naturally tough.
+2 racial bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks: Surface kobolds are natural diplomats.
Automatic Languages: Common and Draconic. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, and Ingan
Favored Class: Sorcerer. A multiclass surface kobold’s sorcerer class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.

Solaris
2011-04-22, 08:09 PM
I was never a fan of the kobolds = dragons thing, always preferred 'em being dinosaurs. But hey, that's just me. At least you didn't play it up too hard. The fluff is pretty vanilla, but nothing strikes me as being a glaring incongruity.

Might I suggest the name "silbold", instead of the rather clunky 'surface kobolds'? It draws from similar origins (German Kobold => cobalt, German for silver is silber and these guys have a coloration that indicates, well, silver). Alternatively, a rather benevolent version of the kobold sprites was called a Klaubatermann. Perhaps the "klaubaters" could have a naval tradition (even skyships, if your fantasy is high-magic enough for it). Just some suggestions.

The race seems reasonably balanced mechanically, albeit a little on the strong side. Small size, bonus to Intelligence and Charisma, and a favored class of Sorcerer. It shouldn't be breaking any games, especially without certain shenanigans, but you might want to consider dropping the boost to Intelligence.