Blatant Fetish Posting- Genderbending Kobolds

When it comes to fantasy worlds, I think exploring non-human races and cultures is very interesting- biology and magical/supernatural elements means these beings can be very different from our baseline "human" experience, which adds both roleplaying potential as well as game potential for things like rules and background for a game world.

Recently, in some modern D&D lore supplements, the idea of Kobolds being able to switch gender was introduced. This, in my mind, was a very interesting way to make kobolds distinct from other races and humans, and actually makes a lot of sense given the setting- I always imagined kobolds being a bit androgynous in the first place, both in terms of height/strength/looks so it fits that it wouldn't be too destructive or difficult to accomplish in terms of a biological transformation. (I've even written about this before) Kobolds are usually depicted as a bit more lizard-like, who are much more capable of performing a transformation like that compared to a mammal. Kobolds are also often depicted as being highly communal, and the importance of the individual is usually placed underneath the importance of the tribe- both of these would also make sense as cultural elements of a species who can shift and change sex. You give up your own original identity for one that keeps the population of the tribe going even after a disaster. And that final element also ties into it- Kobolds are weak. They are minions or sometimes food for greater monsters, and they die a lot. Evolution shows that creatures with short life expectancy tend to have lots of babies, it's a more r selected species on the sliding scale of quantity and quality.

This leads a lot of doors to potential for interesting character development. My favorite interpretation of this is that it is not a willing or choice to transform, it happens naturally. If you play as a male kobold in a party of mostly male adventurers, your kobold will turn into a girl. It isn't some weird sex thing either, simply being in the presence of males means there is more testosterone in the air then estrogen- this triggers the change to begin. For the character itself; this could lead down a lot of interesting roads. Perhaps they don't really care about the transformation at all, it's a normal part of life for them. Maybe the character is angry or lashes out against these changes, especially if they were raised in a society where the innate ability to change sexes isn't normal, leading to drama.

But there's a bit of a problem with this. Let's get real. There is a group of people, we'll call them those people, who have those politics. If you can't handle spicy political opinions, don't read on.

Is this a boy or a girl?
Art @ecmajor (VERY NSFW)

Basically, some people like the idea of gender shifting or changing stuff in fantasy as a form of wish fulfillment, or worse yet, a intentional political addition. These are inane opinions. But the idea behind genderbending kobolds is still cool- but it doesn't have any bite to it.

See, in my opinion, switching your sex is a big deal. Even in fantasy where magic can be easy or painless; there are so many knock on effects to sex. Sex is an inherent part of what people are; and while most RPGs and video games making a character's sex a purely cosmetic choice, in the fantasy milieu it doesn't really need to be this way. I would find it much more interesting if a character changing sex was a profound thing that really messed up their whole life- and part of this is the fact that kobolds are a bit too androgynous for this to work!

Imagine if you, a female creature, spent your entire life and career as a ammoral vagabond that goes into tombs and explores around as an adventurer. You are skilled at picking locks and mending wounds. Suddenly you begin to bulk up, growing taller and less able to fit into small places. Your hands grow large and hairy and so unsanitary; fingers that once wrapped bandages around your wounded allies are now replaced with large digging and fighting claws- used by males of your species to compete for mates. Suddenly you find your attention span greatly sapped, finding the careful craft of making medicines or repairing machinery impossible or very very difficult. It's a profound part of a character that changes everything, in how they dress and act and are viewed by their society. To simply chalk it up as an "oopsie you're a girl now! :^) " with no mechanical or roleplaying depth makes it nothing more then a pointless cosmetic choice that means nothing.

[Class] Kobold Sparkle-Boy

It is an unfortunate, commonly attributed dynamic in relation to a dragon and their kobold worshipers. Often, there is a sensual or downright sexual connotation implied between these two radically different races. It seems ridiculous, due to both the massive difference in size, biology, and attitudes of these races. But it is there- which is partially due to the Sparkle-Boys.

Of course, learned scholars understand the truth of the matter. Think about it; if you are a dragon, and you are imparting magical knowledge and power on one of your short lived slaves, whose grandchildren will be having babies by the time you wake up from your next nap, which kobold are you going to choose? For a dragon, they're going to choose the biggest one. Which will usually be a male kobold. Then, that male kobold will be serving the dragon as a scribe, learning arcane knoweldge, and be spared from the drudgery and trap-building that would grow muscles on their otherwise slim frame. They instead spend all day lounging around at the dragon's feet, draped in fine silks, whispering secrets in their dragon master's ear. There's no wonder people think something funny is going on.

Kobold Sparkle-Boy

HD- d3

Max AC- 12 / Minimum Hit-Points- 3

You are a Kobold Sparkle-Boy. You can also be a Sparkle-Girl, but your name is still Sparkle-Boy. Dragons tend not to care too much what sex you actually are. All Kobolds require a once daily resource called Warm, equivalent to a ration but of heat for your cold blood. Cuddling up to a warm creature, sitting by a fire, or getting a dragon's hot breath down your spine all count as filling you with warm for the day. If you don't have Warm for a day, it starts to fill your inventory slots/encumbrance until it kills you. Getting hit by a cold spell can take away your Warm for that day.

The Kobold Sparkle-Boy is magically gifted, as well as academically trained. If your game uses spell slots, use the spell-slots of the Kobold Proud-Crier.

The Kobold Sparkle-Boy's primary magical powers revolve around the shimmering piles of riches and wealth that hoards accumulate. While in your dragon's hoard, you can freely use it as a conduit for magic, though you are as incapable of taking any for yourself as any interloper would be. Outside of the dragon's den, however, you'll need your own pile of gold, worn jewelry, golden chalices to wave around to channel your magic, and so on.

You can emit a glamor of sparkles once per day per 2000c worth of treasure you are touching. You can essentially cast it once per pile of treasure, rare piece of jewlery you rare, or pile of silks you throw around yourself.

This glamour makes you harder to hit with ranged weapons (-2 to hit) and grants +2 to saving throws vs magic from enemy magicians. Additionally, the sparkles empower your own spells. If you are sparkling, you cast cast spells that effect yourself at one level earlier then you normally could. Invisibility could be cast at 2^nd level, instead of 3^rd from using a 2^nd level spell slot, for example.

Once your dragon master fell asleep, it was pretty much safe for you to leave their side and explore the world, but woe be unto you if they find you missing when they wake up and need an errand done. There is a 1 in 20 chance that any activity of surface dwellers around or within your dragon's lair that will wake it up. While dragons are unlikely to care TOO much that their kobold charge has left, they may be offended you quit your job of counting their hoard while they were asleep, and may seek you out to destroy you.

At 10^th level, you become a Sparkling One. You always sparkle and glow a bit, as long as you are carrying at least a few hundred coins worth of luxury items and jewels. You can also channel your shine to blind all mortal eyes who gaze upon you for a maximum of 3 combat rounds per day.

Finally, you gain the rare honor of dragon envoy. You may be officially released by your dragon master and allowed to roam the world as an envoy between it and the other powerful dragons in their hoards. While an honor, there is little guarantee that you won't be eaten as any bearer of bad news to a dragon, so most Sparkling Ones drag their feet to their various appointments. That's alright- dragons are very patient creatures after all.

[Classes] Four Kobold Classes

All these classes are Kobolds. If you're a kobold, you're a small cold-blooded dragonic minion. Kobolds are about as smart as humans, just weaker and with less self preservation instinct, so you generate your Strength with a 1d8+1 roll and have a base AC of 12 from being small and scaly. Also, you have the innate move of Sacrifice. Whenever another party member takes a hit, you can jump in front of the attack if you're adjacent and take the damage instead. Additionally, all Kobolds can pick locks about as well as a first level thief, but isn't capable of picking locks more complex without further training. If you want to play a Kobold and not be one of these silly classes, you can play anything that's not a Fighter.

Kobolds also need Warm. Warm is a resource you need every day, like food with a ration. If you do not have at least one Warm, you treat this condition as filling your inventory spaces; you become sluggish and encumbered from the chill in your blood. Going multiple days without Warm can kill you. If you have more then one Warm, you can give it to another Kobold through touch. This is why Kobolds often sleep in big piles. Needless to say, you lose any Warm you have if your character is hit by a cold spell or attack that deals 2 or more damage.

Art @ExitStageLeft

Shiny-Finder

HD- d6

Max AC- 15 / Minimum Hit-Points- 4

Kobolds have a different definition of bravery then humans do. To a Kobold, life is less about conquering and overcoming obstacles and more about avoiding them and twisting them to your advantage. To deftly avoid danger is a Kobold heroic trait. Think about it- no Kobold will ever be able to beat up an ogre. To Kobolds, dodging under an Orc's swing and running between their legs to grab the jewels, then collapsing the tunnel behind you? That's a heroic feat akin to a human slaying that orc. Fighters just remind kobolds of the brutes in the dungeons they live around, Rogues are more worthy of praise.

You're a mix of a miner, thief, and warrior. You can use pickaxes like a d6 weapon if you couldn't already. You get +1 damage with all attacks at 3^rd level and 7^th level. You get +1 to hit with all weapons at 1^st, 4^th, and 8^th level.

Kobolds aren't great at fighting, but they are fast and agile. They're great at climbing on people. You'll lose almost any grapple as a Kobold, but you can make a combat saving throw to wriggle out of people's grasp if you couldn't already. Plus, whenever you make this save, you can then make an attack roll with advantage against the being which grappled you on your next action, stabbing or striking them from that sneaky position. Also, give yourself +1 AC naturally.

At 10^th level, you will find a massive diamond worth 100,000c. This is a major spell component that can be used to cast wishes, or sold to generate some real cash. Anyone bigger and stronger then you is likely to try and take it if your secret gets out.

Warm-Maker

HD- d6

Max AC- 14 / Minimum Hit-Points- 3

You make warm. You're a combination of a crafter, armor smith, survivalist, and pyromanic. You can create armor from feathers, leaves, spiderwebs, and other insulating material which helps prevent cold weather from sapping the warm from kobolds. Your knowledge of sewing is akin to sorcery for other kobolds- though other races wouldn't need a special skill to do this. You can also repair clothes and armor pretty fast too, taking a turn to repair a patch or hole.

You can start fires with anything flammable and an exploration turn of time. You can also add your level to outside survivalist rolls to find warm shelter or to find food. If your system doesn't use rolls like this, just allow the Warm-Maker to find a cave to use as shelter that can fit a maximum number of creatures equal to their level, starting at 3^rd level and above. Also, gain +1 maximum hit point every odd level 3^rd level and up.

Warm Makers also deal additional damage with fire. You can throw firebombs, use torches as weapons, use flame rods or other magic items to great effect. You get +2 to hit and damage with any flaming object or spell effect, though you can't cast spells yourself.

At 6^th level, increase your maximum AC by +1. At 8^th level, you lose the Kobold's weakness to cold based spells and attacks, and gain a +1 resistance to fire.

At 10^th level, you gain the inner flame. You generate two Warm per day naturally, and can light any small, flammable object you can hold in your hands on fire at your will, magically, and can burn people dealing 1 damage per round you grab them with your flaming hands. Warm-Makers of this level may aspire to learn how to breath fire, to emulate the power of the Dragons.

Kill-Trapper

HD- d4

Max AC- 14 / Minimum Hit-Points- 3

You are adept with machines. Kobolds are naturally talented with mechanisms, traps, and dungeon hazards. It's an instinct like walking and talking for humans, or swimming for dogs. Even a Kobold raised in the woods that stumbled across a bear trap would know instantly what it was, how to trigger it, how to modify it, and would quickly come up with plans to use it to catch food- that's how innate Kobold's are with traps. To a Kobold, a trap primed and ready is a weapon like any other; luring someone into a trap is no different then slaying them with your own hand, the concept of “honorable combat” as other races define it is laughable.

The Kill-Trapper specializes in mechanisms and traps. You can pick locks equal to a Rogue, and can apply that same ability to machines. You can modify a trap that deals a number of damage die equal to your level or less to not trigger, or only trigger under certain broad conditions, such as making the pressure point less sensitive- It won't trigger for you, but will for a heavier creature. You can also use this ability to disable a trap temporarily, but not permanently disarming it. At 8^th level and above, you can also interface with magical runes and traps by closing your eyes and scratching tiny modifications to the runes; however this does require you to have a friendly magician teach you some basics about that particular Runic spell.

Additionally, you gain +1 to hit with all weapons at 5^th level. You gain advantage on all trap saving throws at 6^th level and above. If this is too strong, just let the Kill-Trapper learn a new secret weapon instead.

At 10^th level, you become so skilled with traps that you venture to create your own gauntlet. The gauntlet is a single floor of a dungeon, retrofitted to your design, one floor in a friendly character's tower you build for their protection, a large space to defend your treasure hoard, etc. The gauntlet is filled to the brim with traps. Every tile or 5ft area moved in the gauntlet has a 1 in 6 chance to activate a devious trap. All traps mapped out, avoided, or disarmed have an extra 1 in 6 chance to activate a secondary back up trap, which was just a decoy for the real traps. Traps in this place deal 1d6 damage on each failed save, growing by another die for each save you fail on a single trip. The first time you fail you are hit with an arrow that deals 1d6, then you're struck by a lightning spine for 2d6, then shoved into an acid pit that deals 3d6, and so on until you escape or die.

The gauntlet can be circumvented by the Kill-Trapper who made it, and anyone who they personally coach on the secret method to avoid the traps. If this method gets out, then whoever learns it can make their way through in absolute safety. If an enemy learns your method, you get a final 1 in 10 chance for a secret surprise trap to activate anyway, causing a save vs death to the offending intruder.

Proud-Crier

HD- d3

Max AC- 13 / Minimum Hit-Points- 2

Kobold Wizards. Criers are known to be quite fearsome- their spells lack none of the potency that a human mage might have and may be taught by dragons themselves. The crier has the ability to make their voice boomingly loud at their will, which echoes through caverns and dungeons incredibly well. This will almost certainly attract wandering monsters (5 in 6 chance), but is terrifying to kobolds and other intelligent creatures that respect the Wizard's power, causing a morale check.

You can cast spells. You are probably illiterate, but can 'learn' spells by listening to the invocations made by other Wizards, mimicking their voice in your own yippy shrill voice to learn spells that way. You must listen to spell incantations at least once per spell level of the spell. If you eventually do learn how to read and write, you can learn spells that way too.

At 8^th level, you gain the power to focus your voice into a weapon. You can shout a cone of force that deals 1d4+1 damage to anyone struck by it. You can use this power 3 times a day before losing your voice, which will also stop you using any spells if you stress your throat.

At 10^th level, you gain a 4^th Circle spell slot, and you can also focus your voice and use your voice weapon power as many times a day as you want. Additionally, your voice has given you special status. Intelligent dungeon monsters regardless of their strength will give pause before attacking you if you speak in your Proud voice- make a morale check to attack, but they do not flee on a failed roll. Proud-Criers are among the only messengers between the kobolds' camps, and are also known for brokering trade agreements and alliances between different monster factions, as the only Kobold who can be taken seriously is one with incredible arcane might.

Proud-Crier Spell Table

Level	1st Circle	2nd Circle	3rd Circle	4th Circle
1	1
2	2
3	2	1
4	3	1
5	3	2
6	3	2	1
7	3	2	2
8	3	2	2
9	3	3	2
10	3	3	2	1

12 Kobold Secret Weapons

Add this to the Kobold Warren Generator to give them a fighting chance.
 

Beheading blades [5]

12 Kobold Secret Weapons

For OSR Adventures

[1] Iron-clad mini siege tower. Only small creatures can climb inside it. Attacks by sticking spears and darts out the murder holes, rolls around on cranked wheels. Sufficiently strong people (17+ Strength) could knock the tower over and deal 1d6 damage to all kobolds within.

[2] Freakishly strong young kobold, upper body is extremely muscular and developed. Legs gangly and twisted. Can hurl spears that deal 1d8+1 damage with +1 to hit, but runs at half speed.

[3] Kobold slingers cleverly stuffed dry grass inside clay sling bullets and lit them on fire; deals +1d4 fire damage when hit. Not so clever as they accidentally drop some and start a fire at their feet after 1d6 rounds of using this tactic.

[4] Giant spider, barely domesticated. They mostly just poke it with a stick.

[5] Two long chopping sword blades, attached together with a joint and spring. Dropped silently from a hole in the ceiling. Save or deal 1d6 damage. On a roll of 6, the character is instead beheaded.

[6] Mechanical device made of wood and steel braces. It's shaped like a giant's foot, with a lever that lets it wind back and 'hop' forward, and dealing 1d6 damage to human sized beings it falls on, double to dwarves and halflings. It must be piloted to work.

[7] Magic wand containing 2d6 charges of a low level offensive spell. The first round they use it, they accidentally hold it backwards and do nothing until they figure out which end to point.

[8] Repurposed trombone. When you pull back on the lever, it squirts out flammable oil in a cone 15ft ahead of the device. Nearby kobolds throw torches or otherwise try to light it. Kobold using it will probably swallow some of the oil on accident from the backwash, useless for the rest of fight.

[9] Kobold “Knight”. Armored with scrap metal, holding a javeling as a lance, hoisted onto a mule with a crane. They only use a crane because the suit's joints are rusted shut. Surprisingly good rider, can turn on a dime and tries to run people down.

[10] Magic Pillows. Each pillow thrown when hit gives 1d6 'sleep points' to the target. When 6 sleep points are reached the target falls asleep, as though effected by Sleep spell. They'll usually go for the guy in armor first.

[11] Boiling shells. The kobolds mix together chemicals into turtle shells or bowls, then as they start to fizz push them across the floor like a shuffleboard. The shells spurt boiling hot water and steam upwards, dealing 1d4 damage if you're close. They only do this down a long flat corridor.

[12] Nearly indestructible, animated, headless suit of brass armor. It is controlled by whatever kobold is holding a special human skull above their head. If you kill them the next kobold will grab it, and the armor will attack anyone nearby including the kobolds until it is seized again. You can crush the skull to make the armor fall apart, holding the skull can be used to turn the armor as Turn Undead.

Kobold Warren Generator

Kobold Warren Generator

For OSR Adventures

Clothing Style – 1d8
[1] Bones, tied around as armor and to cover themselves. Human skull as codpiece is popular.
[2] Uniforms. Poor material and stitching, but well cleaned and pressed. Complete with medals made of squashed coins and colorful ribbons for trap making and human killing skills.
[3] Dirty togas made from stitched fabrics. The kobolds have arranged themselves into social ranks.
[4] Scrap metal links and tied into armor. No other clothing beyond that. +2 AC
[5] Skirts made of grass and leaves. Because they live in a dungeon, leaves are rotting and old.
[6] They all wear oversized long shirts or sweaters, goes down to their knees.
[7] Wear tiny rune-carved wooden talismans. They gather darkness, smoke, and dust around themselves to cover their nudity. First spell hits them breaks the talismans and makes them naked.
[8] They wear nothing but leather harnesses and toolbets used for trap building.

Trap Making Fad – 1d10
[1] Water. Every trap relates to water in some way, like flooding a room to drown people, or a trap activates if a still pool of water is disturbed.
[2] Each trap has a 1 in 6 chance to not do any damage, it stops short on purpose to show the skill and 'humility' of the trap maker. Axeblade stops inches from your neck.
[3] Pendulums. Every trap has to be on a swinging pendulum; arrow traps are timed to fire as they swing, poison gas traps are put inside a goat stomach and popped by a pendulum, etc.
[4] All traps are normal, but done by magical means. Portal traps teleport you to a ditch just below them, conjures bolts just like an arrow trap, etc.
[5] Wild animals. Blood sucking bats released from above, owlbear locked in a closet, etc.
[6] Overly complex rube goldberg machienes triggers for traps.
[7] Traps are designed to capture one character into a sticky situation, and the obvious solution to free them activates a dangerous trap against the captured character. Such as an iron maiden envelopes a character, then a nearby lever just makes it squeeze harder instead of freeing them.
[8] Every part of the trap is highly decorated. Depict kobolds triumphing over humans or the religious figure these kobolds worship.
[9] Every trap in the warren is collected in one extremely deadly hallway or room. Taking almost any step or interacting with almost any object activates some kind of trap.
[10] Life force binding rituals ensure traps are partially 'alive' and can reset themselves, along with occasionally changing how they act and triggering themselves. This also means they can be 'killed'.

Religious Figure they Worship – 1d8
[1] Dragon of a random color. The dragon may be dead or may not care about kobold worshipers.
[2] Fairy trapped in a bottle. They don't seem to notice its very obvious requests to be released.
[3] Skeleton of a large, badass kobold ancestor. Said to be progenitor of the tribe. 50% chance for it to just be a lizardman corpse.
[4] Stone face carved into a dungeon wall. It seems to be a highly advanced Magic Mouth spell, as it can respond to a few questions and even reacts to things going on around it.
[5] Black pit. They throw a rope and bucket down it, and occasionally pull back up a gemstone or minor magic item. In return they throw down sacrificial victims.
[6] Gigantic bronze clockwork calculator machine.
[7] Glowing meteorite chunk. Kobolds who sleep with it get engineering knowledge in their dreams.
[8] The shriveled old hand of a witch, can aid the shaman in casting spells. It terrifies them.

Some Warrens may also have a secret weapon.