Small humanoid (kobold), lawful evil
Armor class 12
Hit points 5 (2d6 − 2)
Speed 30 ft.
STR: 7 (-2)
DEX: 15 (+2)
CON: 9 (-1)
INT: 8 (-1)
WIS: 7 (-2)
CHA: 8 (-1)
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8
Languages Common, Draconic
Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
Sunlight sensitivity. While in sunlight, the kobold has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Pack tactics. The kobold has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the kobold’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.
Actions
Dagger. Melee weapon attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.
Sling. Ranged weapon attack: +4 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
By Savannah Joiner
It is doubtful that dungeon masters will ever get tired of kobolds. There is a reason they’ve remained a staple of low-level play throughout the years. Though kobolds have a low intellect, they are infinitely resourceful, clever little beasts. It seems there is no end to the mischief and hijinks to be had, both running kobolds as a dungeon master or building one as a player character. These rascals have great range and can be played for a laugh or as an underestimated threat.
Running Kobolds
Kobolds mature at 6 years of age and can live up to 120, but few ever do. They have a high dexterity but the rest of their stats are lower than average. Kobolds have a sensitivity to sunlight so you would most often find them underground – in caves, sewers, dungeons, and the like. You can’t go wrong bringing a kobold infestation to the local village for your players to deal with. They sometimes worship dragons, and like their more regal cousins, they, too, are fond of valuable, shiny things. That’s another place you can find kobolds, too – a dragon’s lair. They may be helping to raise a wyrmling, desperate to please their master and get their hands on a single, beautiful gem, or acting as goons and lookouts for a more powerful dragon. This can serve to give your kobolds purpose and reveal the motives of an enemy dragon in the area without your players having to face it head-on right away.
Most dungeon masters run kobolds as a light-hearted early level encounter with some comedic relief. That is certainly a fun way to play them, but if you want to make your encounters with them a bit more deadly, there are two major ways that kobolds can become a serious threat.
Traps
Trap-setting is a defining feature for kobolds that distinguishes them from other low-level creatures. While foolish and inept on their own, kobolds lean toward a lawful evil alignment and are willing to do whatever is takes to defend their own. They aren’t completely clueless, though. They know all too well they are bite-sized and can’t hold their own against most foes in hand-to-hand combat. This is where their contraptions come in. On the fringes of their settlements lie handfuls of booby-traps, spike-filled pits, and escape hatches. As a player gets closer to the actual kobold den, the traps will increase in both number and lethality. Perhaps poisoned darts will shoot from the wall, flames erupt from the floor, or the classic swinging axes crowd a narrow corridor. Once a trap is set off and the party advances past it, a look-out kobold may run closer to the den through a pre-planned escape route and join others as it waits to see what will happen once the invaders approach the pack’s next trap. Their strategy is to wear a party down, so they will be discouraged and leave or be easier to take down in more direct combat if it comes down to it. Strategy is key to these encounters.
Sheer Numbers
With the puny 1/8 CR, you may think a kobold is a throwaway encounter to be killed in one shot. That’s the thing, though. Kobolds know they’re fragile and will never fight alone. And this is what can make them so dangerous. A couple kobolds are laughable to even a level one party, but put them in their den, arm them with some traps, and add as many as your heart desires and you’ve got a solid, potentially deadly encounter. With the Pack Tactics skill giving them advantage, they will rely on the power of teamwork and swarm their foes. Suddenly, that cute, bumbling kobold is a real threat. It can be fun to lure players in like that, too. Setting up the expectation of an easy encounter only for it to turn into something more serious can raise the stakes and add drama in the best possible way.
Other Tricks
If you want to really emphasis the kobold’s craftiness, never have them fight a party head-on except as a last resort. A kobold will find cover and peek their head out to attack, only to return to its safety at the end of its turn. When caught alone or off-guard, they may beg, plead, and lie to escape. Resorting to trickery and manipulation is second-nature to a lowly, cornered kobold. Another fun way to challenge players is to include winged kobolds. They have a 1/4CR, making them just barely more challenging than the basic kobold and easy to add to an encounter without making it overwhelming. They like to soar above with rocks, pelt the players and fly off to find more ammo. Winged kobolds are an easy way to add some dimension to combat, too, forcing your players to fight more tactically themselves.
Playing a Kobold
Originally introduced as a playable race in Volo’s Guide to Monsters, the more recently released book, Monsters of the Multiverse revised and rebuilt the Kobold class. Be sure to consult with your dungeon master about which version they allow at their table. Monsters of the Multiverse had an early release in January 2022 as a part of a gift set, but will have a solo release in May of 2022.
Kobolds gain a dexterity increase of +2 which makes them great for classes like fighter, monk, or rogue. Previous iterations of the race gave them a negative to strength but that has since changed. Kobolds come with excellent opportunities for role-playing, too. You can lean into the trope of the foolish yet crafty reptile, or push back against the confines of the stereotypes. Either way, you’ll have a good time. Playing a kobold is a bit like playing a drow or a goblin in that sense – society has it out for them and as the underdog, you must rise to the occasion and prove everyone wrong. Don’t dismiss kobold stereotypes altogether, though. There is nothing more entertaining than shouting insults at enemies four times your size and hiding behind the party’s barbarian.
Volo’s Guide to Monsters gave the playable race sunlight sensitivity and pack tactics which created a bit of a problem. Most dungeon masters allow for creative ways around sunlight sensitivity, such as sunglasses or parasols, which made pack tactics far too powerful. If a player didn’t have a way around the sunlight sensitivity and was fighting in a bright location, the advantage of pack tactics would simply cancel out the disadvantage from the light. The two traits were in conflict. Monsters of the Multiverse does away with both of them altogether, opting to drop the aforementioned negative strength stat modifier to compensate.
Volo’s included the trait Grovel, Cower, and Beg which uses an action to distract nearby enemies and give nearby allies advantage, usable once per short or long rest. This trait was also replaced in the more recent Monster’s by the trait Draconic Cry. It essentially does the same thing, but can be used up to the number of the character’s proficiency bonus and as a bonus action instead of a full action. Draconic Cry also leaves room for more creative role-play. Instead of cowering pathetically, a character can roar bravely or shout crude insults about the enemy’s mother.
To review:
Volo’s Guide to Monsters kobolds have:
- +2 DEX, -2 STR
- Sunlight Sensitivity and Pack Tactics
- Grovel, Cower, and Beg as an action
Monsters of the Multiverse kobolds have:
- +2 DEX, no negative STR
- No Sunlight Sensitivity or Pack Tactics
- Draconic Cry as a bonus action
Final Thoughts
Overall, playing kobolds as a dungeon master or as a player can be fun and rewarding. They have unique abilities and are geared toward creative solutions because they’ve never been able to solve any problems with brute-strength alone. Kobolds rely on their allies, making them dangerous in a crowded den, or a fantastic team player in an adventuring party. They’ve been a crucial tool for dungeon masters early on in campaigns and they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. And who would want them to?
