How do subrace traits (or traits in general) work?

[Rakaydos]

So I'm working up a kobold for a potential Pathfinder game. Alternate race traits look easy enough- just swap one race feature for another, the same way architypes swap class features around.

But I'm confused when I get to Subrace traits. There's 3 traits each, no apparent drawback, nothing telling me how I'm supposed to swap abilities out.

Do I just get extra stuff if my GM allows subraces? How do traits work?

[Kallimakus]

I don't see any subraces in Kobold page in Pathfinder.

If you mean the scale colours, those are Race Traits, a subset of Traits that a character gets a total of 2 of by default. So a black-scaled Kobold could pick one of the traits listed as a Race Trait (a character can only have one Trait per category).
It is a touch confusing that you have Racial Traits like ability scores and things listed on the page, including alternate racial traits, and Race Traits, a subset of Traits.

If you meant something else, then I hope there is another that can help.

[Rakaydos]

Yea, I meant the scale colors.

So I can have one scale color trait, and one other traait?

[Kallimakus]

By usual rules, yes

[Psyren]

You can pick up more of them with the Extra Traits feat. Also, nothing is stopping you from mixing and matching colors if you want a more varied (variegated? :smalltongue:) heritage.