Background for Kobold

[GMan04]

Hello so Im playing a Kobold in my next game and Im having trouble deciding on what background to give him. His story so far is that he and his tribe were wiped out by a dragon they all worshipped and for some reason he was brought back to life by a diety.

I couldnt really figure out a 5e background that fit this but any suggestions would be welcome.
Thanks.

[Great Dragon]

Hello so Im playing a Kobold in my next game and Im having trouble deciding on what background to give him. His story so far is that he and his tribe were wiped out by a dragon they all worshipped and for some reason he was brought back to life by a diety.

I couldnt really figure out a 5e background that fit this but any suggestions would be welcome.
Thanks.

What class/subclass are you thinking about?

Here is what I thought of:
Dead, D&D Beyond (https://www.dndbeyond.com/backgrounds/16527-dead)

It can also depend on who brought him back, and why.
Kartulmak: maybe to make a new Tribe?

Bahamat: to bring the light to all Kobolds?

Tiamat: to free her from her prison?

[GMan04]

What class/subclass are you thinking about?

Here is what I thought of:
It can also depend on who brought him back, and why.
Kartulmak: maybe to make a new Tribe?

Bahamat: to bring the light to all Kobolds?

Tiamat: to free her from her prison?

I was going to play him as a Grave Cleric. Deity was probably going to Raven Queen since with his backstory it makes since that she would be the one to send him to back since that’s kinda what she does anyway with souls she likes.

[Great Dragon]

I was going to play him as a Grave Cleric. Deity was probably going to Raven Queen since with his backstory it makes since that she would be the one to send him to back since that’s kinda what she does anyway with souls she likes.

Raven Queen works.

She's a little harder for me to really figure out, since she's so mysterious. So, yeah - you can have all kinds if fun trying to figure out if what your PC is doing, is what she wants done! And spotting any raven might cause the PC to worry.

[LibraryOgre]

Do you want your background to reflect your life before you were dead, or after?

Were you a grave cleric before you were dead, or after?

If it's before, Acolyte makes sense... you were her loyal subject, and she brought you back for a greater purpose.

If you WEREN'T a cleric beforehand, then look at what your tribe was like, and pick your background from there... thief is a good one.

[Yakmala]

I like the idea of a Raven Queen worshiping Kobold.

You didn't mention the color of the dragon they previously worshiped. Maybe the tribe worshiped a Red Dragon and had red scales themselves. After the massacre, when your character was brought back to life by the Raven Queen, they had jet black scales, appropriate for a Kobold Grave Cleric and something that would make them stand out from every other Kobold in the campaign.

[Great Dragon]

I like the idea of a Raven Queen worshiping Kobold.

You didn't mention the color of the dragon they previously worshiped. Maybe the tribe worshiped a Red Dragon and had red scales themselves. After the massacre, when your character was brought back to life by the Raven Queen, they had jet black scales, appropriate for a Kobold Grave Cleric and something that would make them stand out from every other Kobold in the campaign.

Except for maybe the Gloom Kobolds: dedicated/linked to a Black Dragon; who would most likely be insanely jealous of your PC's "glossy" black scales!

[GMan04]

Love all of these suggestions guys! Thanks so much! I was going to actually play him as a red kobold and after he was brought back he was extremely pale (pretty much ablino) I figured it would be a good combination with all the black robes and such that the Raven Queen usually would like. I was going to have him use a stick with a raven skull on the top as his staff. Either that or the skull would be an amulet he wears.

I do love that Black Dragon idea. Very funny!

[GMan04]

Do you want your background to reflect your life before you were dead, or after?

Were you a grave cleric before you were dead, or after?

If it's before, Acolyte makes sense... you were her loyal subject, and she brought you back for a greater purpose.

If you WEREN'T a cleric beforehand, then look at what your tribe was like, and pick your background from there... thief is a good one.

I like the idea of a thief background. Where might I find it?

[Great Dragon]

I like the idea of a thief background. Where might I find it?

PHB. Criminal.

[Great Dragon]

I do love that Black Dragon idea. Very funny!

For Albino, switch to the "Ghost" Kobold Clan of the White Dragon. Your Kobold would make their claim look silly!!

[LibraryOgre]

I like the idea of a thief background. Where might I find it?


PHB. Criminal.

THAT's the one. What he said.

[Puh Laden]

Not sure if the background feature (having access to an underground communications network of criminals) really fits a kobold. Try criminal (or outlander) but swapping out the feature for "Bad Reputation" from the sailor's variant pirate background in the PHB.

[Joe the Rat]

Criminal also works for the traditional banditry-based tribes. If you were more outdoorsy/roughing it tribes, Outlander or the Underdark equivalent would work as well.

I liked a lot of the flavor of Urchin for kobolds among men - you're a titch weird, twitchy, and have some lovely larceny skills. This worked best for city-adjacent tribes - City Secrets captures knowing the tunnels quite well. You might look at it for personality elements if you need them.

(I melded Urchin and Guild Artisan proficiencies and the City Secrets feature to create a Kobold Public Works background).

[Great Dragon]

Not sure if the background feature (having access to an underground communications network of criminals) really fits a kobold. Try criminal (or outlander) but swapping out the feature for "Bad Reputation" from the sailor's variant pirate background in the PHB.

This is an interesting idea.

Idea: Maybe the "network" is contacts with other Humanoid Monster Races (Orc, Goblin/Hobgoblin, Drow, Duergar) as well as being (reluntly) accepted by most other Kobold tribes?

[Kurt Kurageous]

PHB. Criminal.

Or PHB Urchin. He found employment in one of the towns/cities that use kobolds to build and maintain an underwater sewer system. Access to other kobolds, thus possible cult following, etc.

[Kurt Kurageous]

(I melded Urchin and Guild Artisan proficiencies and the City Secrets feature to create a Kobold Public Works background).

Freakin' brilliant! City Secrets + what skills? Ribbon would be a piece of chalk, and a crowbar/pick/shovel?

[Great Dragon]

Freakin' brilliant! City Secrets + what skills? Ribbon would be a piece of chalk, and a crowbar/pick/shovel?

Perception and Investigation, with Thieves Tools? I'd say crowbar as part of standard equipment.

Dungeon Deliver feat at 4th, to mainly have no disadvantage in low light conditions (including Darkvision), the other abilities of the feat would also help in his Job.

[Kyutaru]

Background: Dragonborn
- Pick two shouts. You may use them once per day. Fus Ro Dah.

[MagneticKitty]

Check out dragon casualty background from curse of strahd

[Snowbluff]

Something I would suggest is getting Masonry Tools as a prof. This will help you understand rock and make it easier to search for certain things, including traps. This is a good option for a cave dweller, and kobolds are supposed to be good with traps. :smallsmile:

[Kurt Kurageous]

Something I would suggest is getting Masonry Tools as a prof. This will help you understand rock and make it easier to search for certain things, including traps. This is a good option for a cave dweller, and kobolds are supposed to be good with traps. :smallsmile:

Agreed. That makes sense for sewer work. Chose a pick, shovel, or crowbar with your masonry tools (trowel, rock hammer, plumb/chalk line).