parts of Iejirokarthel and definitely the most pungent, being saturated with musk. Irthos, Master Trapmaker: In this workshop, larger than the spaces afforded to most kobold specialists, Irthos designs and constructs her traps, aided by numerous apprentices. The workshop is located close to the false dungeon, allowing for easy access to the labyrinth.
CREATING KOBOLD CHARACTERS
If the biggest hurdle a kobold faces is her lack of strength, then that’s no obstacle at all. The moment a kobold accepts her physical weakness, the more powerful she can become through means other than brute force. Kobolds’ power doesn’t originate in their muscles, but from their
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KOBOLDS
Staging Area The third tier is where most of the bustle of tribal life takes place. Ore is processed and smelted on this level, and kobold miners start their day here before marching into the mines. All the practical professions congregate here, including alchemists, blacksmiths, demolitionists, jewelers, hunters, pragmatic and preemptive sorcerers, and stonemasons. Verth, All-Watcher: The all-watcher of Iejirokarthel maintains his residence here, allowing him to monitor the daily activities of his tribe. Verth also likes to remain near the most experienced spellcasters of his lair (the instructors) in case preemptive sorcerers need to impart any breaking information. Strict and practical, Verth keeps his tribe content with demanding projects. The Common Room: As the largest open space in Iejirokarthel, this room is big enough to accommodate a Colossal dragon, but it is more frequently used at the beginning of each day when the entire lair performs the Searching for the Dragon ritual. Bonding ceremonies between kobolds are also held in this room, in addition to sorcerer vows. When not otherwise in use, which is most of the time, this roughly hewn room is where kobold sorcerers train to harness their abilities.
CHAPTER 3
Residential Ring The second tier contains common living quarters. Kobold workers and specialists eat and sleep in this area. Each professional family deliberately groups together to occupy the same locale. The inhabitants have diverted two springs to form pools for swimming. The Hatchery: If the living quarters form a gigantic wheel, then the hub is a large chamber reserved for the hatchery. All females come here to lay their eggs. Fosterers remain continually vigilant over these eggs and raise the hatched wyrmlings until they are old enough to join the tribe. Temples of Kurtulmak: Two temples to Kurtulmak grace this lair. One is in a mined-out area between districts occupied by professional families where adepts and clerics live and raise kobold wyrmlings designated for a specific purpose. The second is at the end of a heavily trapped corridor, quite removed from the living quarters on this level. It is within this second temple that the tribal treasures are safeguarded. (For a detailed map of this temple and the route to its location, see page 49.)
hereditary magic—in the heart of every kobold flows the blood of dragons. You should decide whether your character has undergone the draconic Rite of Passage (see page 43), a cultural ritual practiced since the days when the first dragons gave it to kobolds. Moreover, 1st-level kobolds can choose the Dragonwrought feat (see page 100), becoming a dragonwrought kobold and enjoying the benefits of being a Small dragon. If lack of physical strength is still a mental obstacle for you, consider these numbers. While +2 Dexterity, –4 Strength, and –2 Constitution look like an insurmountable deficit, you can apply the elite array of ability scores to a kobold sorcerer to get Strength 8 (from 12), Dexterity 15 (from 13), Constitution 12 (from 14), Intelligence 10, Wisdom 8, and Charisma 15. Charisma and Dexterity are both good. Low Wisdom means a lower Will save, but this disadvantage is minor, since Will is a good save for sorcerers. The low Strength score is only a problem for damage—the kobold’s Small size cancels the penalty such a low score would normally apply on attack rolls. Carrying items is no problem. Kobold equipment weighs half as much as normal gear from the Player’s Handbook, while kobolds can carry three-quarters of what a Medium creature can. Not only is a kobold good with ranged weapons, but also with the help of mage armor, her Armor Class can easily reach 18 at 1st level, factoring in size and natural armor. Tactically, kobolds can outmaneuver dwarves, gnomes, and halflings with their speed. Using a longspear for its extra reach, a kobold sorcerer should be able to adequately protect herself. These are mechanical advantages, which says nothing of kobolds’ historical background. Kobolds come from a lawful evil culture that treats loyalty to the tribe as the highest ideal. Player character kobolds are no more bound to that paradigm than a PC elf is bound to loving forests. Still, to ignore where kobolds come from denies your character a wealth of roleplaying opportunities. Kobolds who spend any time away from the tribe are torn between their emerging sense of individuality and their longinstilled tribal habits. Choosing one of these extremes is certainly an option, but placing a kobold somewhere in the middle of that introspective battle creates a much more interesting dilemma.
KOBOLDS AS CHARACTERS
For kobolds, awakening the potential of sorcery within themselves is a birthright. Nothing could be more natural. As quick-footed creatures, kobolds can also become talented rogues. With a kobold’s lack of brawn and stamina, the fighting professions might seem less than appealing, but as with any vocation that kobolds embrace with determination, they are still very much possible. Barbarian: Kobold berserkers are more common than one might think—their bonuses when raging more than negate the kobold’s racial ability score penalties. A kobold barbarian is therefore able to hold her own against most other opponents once her draconic blood starts boiling. The kobold does enjoy a slight advantage when raging because the –2 penalty to Armor Class is offset by her Small size and +1 natural armor bonus. Finally, a kobold barbarian is
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