Kobold, Urtramani (3.5e Race)
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Low - Moderate - High - Urtramani KoboldEdit
Small draconic lizard people who require alchemy to reproduce
Kobolds are the result of the inherent chaos of Æther and its role in all creation on Urtrament. The original dragons did breed true, for the most part, but as can happen in any egg-laying species, some eggs were not fertilized or simply did not develop properly, producing no dragonling. However, these eggs retained a vital ætheric essence--not enough to give rise to a dragon, but more than enough to create something smaller, and less inherently powerful. From these undeveloped eggs, inevitably broken to be fed upon by the young from those eggs that did hatch, arose the first kobolds.
These first kobolds were perhaps one of the first mortal races, and their creation can only be attributed to Æther, even if indirectly. They were still quite strong, as mortals are considered, but much lesser than their dragon siblings.
The first kobolds were born as mentally developed as their full-born siblings, and knew immediately that they needed to hide, and so claimed the many cracks and crevices that no dragon could ever squirm into. In their first eons, they lived by theft and scavenging, but eventually were strong and developed enough to find their own home, away from the dragons who grew stronger by the day.
Perhaps by some instinctual drive, they had collected what egg shells and bits they could in their time living in the shadows, and brought them with them, and much to their fortune, as they eventually realized that in order to reproduce, they needed these powerful relics of æther essence.
PersonalityEdit
As a race, kobolds are curious, confident, and industrious. That's not to say there are no homebody kobolds, kobolds with self-esteem issues, or kobolds who would rather lounge in front of a fire with a bowl of creamy tomato curry chicken and the largest stein of spiced bitter warren-style coffee they can lift over a day in the mines, but taken as a whole, those are the traits common to the kobold people. If any truly universal thing can be said about the kobold mindset, it is that they tend to obsessively focus over one or a few particular things that especially capture their interest. The standard of this is mining, alchemy, or sorcery, but they are individuals, just ones who all are basically ADHD and autism writ large.
Like most peoples, kobolds love a joke, but kobold humor can be off-putting to non-kobolds. Even non-evil kobolds have a certain tendency to gallows humor and dark comedy, born of being so commonly hunted and demonized by other races.
Kobolds are mostly commonly associated with sorcery, and in truth, there are many kobold sorcerers, and their natural forces of personality makes them quite able sorcerers, but they excel at any form of magic that is driven by their charisma, and are quite taken with artifice as a natural melding of their mechanical aptitude and the power of arcane magic.
Physical DescriptionEdit
Kobolds are scaly, dragon-like humanoids who stand about 2'4" on average, but seldom less than about 2' or more than just under 3', and have slight builds that exaggerate this smallness. However, this belies the true size of kobolds, as all kobolds save those who have lost them possess tails that are at least as long as they are tall, and powerful enough to make them a decent weapon. More than one adventurer has seen a fight they thought already won turn against them in an instant as they lingered on the killing blow and their disregarded foe sweeping their feet from under them to drop them into an unseen trap.
In their natural state, a kobold is covered only in scales, and possess neither hair nor feathers, but their amorphous genetics allow many to cultivate feathers or thin hair-like membranes which they frequently style like hair. Both these chosen integuments and their natural scales can occur in a vast array of colors, though their scales tend to share the color of a dragon, and any chosen integuments usually share their color with the specimen that they took it from.
Reproduction, Gender and SexualityEdit
Urtramani Kobolds are a natural neuter race, and possess no primary or secondary sexual characteristics (instead simply possessing a reptilian cloaca). However, they do generally experience something close enough to a sex drive, save that it is more about pleasure than reproduction. While they cannot, naturally, reproduce or engage in "typical" penetrative sex between themselves, they possess plentiful sensitive areas, and quite enjoy other forms of sex.
In order to reproduce, Urtramani kobolds must make an alchemical substance that includes crushed dragon egg shells as a primary ingredient. With this substance, a kobold can gain genitalia, which can take a variety of forms, but allow two kobolds to engage in procreative sex. The search for unhatched dragon eggs and discarded shells occupies quite a bit of their society's time, as this is the only way they currently know to continue their race without high level magic. When the necessary ingredients are found, what is done depends on the warren. Some warrens, typically those of a more authoritarian bent, will reserve the right to reproduce for their most honored individuals, while those of a more individualistic or libertarian bent will allow many of the warren to take the substance, with a grand orgiastic festival. This latter tactic tends to make for slightly more viable warrens, as it ensures a greater genetic diversity and means that the most powerful kobolds of the warren are not all taken out of commission at the same time, a situation that has seen many more rigid warrens destroyed when an enemy attacks at such a delicate time.
GenderEdit
As natural neuters who require alchemy to sexually reproduce, and as that alchemy allows a kobold to change their sexual characteristics as they desire, kobold society has no concept of genders tied to biological sex without exposure to other cultures. Even when they are exposed to such concepts, they don't quite understand it. Kobold society has a five common genders, and quite a few more that, while uncommon, are about as uncommon as red hair in humans. These genders are tied to the elements and types of the dragons they descend from-
Uvelu
Uvelu is the gender tied to acid. Uvelu kobolds tend to be gaunt and thin, storing fat in flaps of skin that hang from their extremities. They commonly have long frills, singly or in pairs down their back, and horns that either sweep back framing their forehead or extend out of the temples and arc forward. They are frequently acerbic, and approach life with a “through is quicker” philosophy, preferring to take the quickest, easiest method to dealing with their problems, regardless of how destructive it might be. Uveluc are commonly expected to be tactical thinkers, and a great many kobold raidmongers were uveluc. Their scales are frequently black, green, copper, or a mottled patina of all three. Their pronouns in Kobold are Uv/Uvem/Uver
Xarzi
Xarzi kobolds are tied to cold and ice. They are usually stocky and thick, covered in dense muscle under an eternal layer of fat stored evenly over their bodies. Xarzi have some of the shortest frills of kobolds, seldom taller than a few inches and almost always running only the length of the back of their skull. If they have horns at all, they protrude directly back from their heads behind the ears. They are quiet loomers, preferring to stay unseen and take in the whole situation before acting or speaking. The sappers, trappers and snipers of kobold history are frequently xarzin. Xarzi scales are usually white or silver, but they also commonly have pearlescent scales of white with a silvery gleam. Their pronouns in kobold are Xa/Xar/Xarm
Aluji
Aluji, or lightning gender, kobolds tend to be thickly muscled in the chest and neck, with thin abdomens and legs but powerful tails, which is also where most fat is stored. They often have almost no frill, and very short horns, either singular spikes on their snouts or a pair of short horns atop their heads between brow and ears. They tend towards absolutism, either being mercilessly tyrannical, or intolerant of anything with even a whiff of injustice. Alujin kobolds are frequently expected to be oracles, diviners, and riddlemongers, putting their minds to the greatest puzzles their tribes uncover. Alujin have scales of blue, bronze, or a mixture of the two. Their pronouns in kobold are Al/Aluj/Aljem
Ixa
Ixa could also be called fire-gender. Ixa kobolds tend to be willowy and wiry, storing fat mainly in frills and their tails. They usually have impressive crests, pairs of long horns emerging from the tops of their heads or broad plates from the sides. The most notable trait of ixa kobolds is their jaw and chin spikes and whiskers. They can be quick to anger, but also charismatic. Some of the most renowned sorcerers of kobold history were ixan. Their scales are commonly red, gold, brass, or a mixture of the three. Their pronouns in kobold are Ix/Ixes/Ixem
Miiri
The rarest of the elemental genders, miirin kobolds are tied to sonic energy. Miirin kobolds often have horns and spikes like crystal growths, and scales of deep emerald, sapphire, or a glassy black with inner orange glow, being linked to emerald, sapphire and pyroclastic dragons. They are known most for their singing voices, but also for their secrecy and isolationism. Their pronouns in kobold are Mii/Mir/Miirs
Other Genders
Kobolds are innately tied to dragon kind, but not all dragons have an elemental breath weapon, or any breath weapon at all. As well, kobolds can easily alter their gender presentation through the use of alchemical elixirs. The above genders are simply the most common, but there are kobolds who resemble planar dragons, faerie dragons, dragons known for their light or force breath weapons, and even mixtures of genders. These kobolds are essentially the equivalent of nonbinary humans, and frequently choose their own pronouns. The default, however, is Te/Ter/Teim. Kobolds who exhibit connection to fiendish dragons frequently us the pronouns De/Der/Daem, while those connected to celestial dragons commonly use Ae/Aer/Aen.
Kobold Gender Out of the Warren
Within the warrens, elemental and lineage genders are almost all that kobolds know. Those kobolds who leave the warren and travel amongst the other races are exposed to sex-based genders, and comprehend them to various degrees, but tend to simply choose to present as the gender that they feel fits them best, which kobolds refer to as their "Common Gender," ie, the gender they use in the common tongue, regardless of whether it "matches" their genitalia, especially as it's not uncommon for these warrenless kobolds to have no genitals at all. As they lack secondary sex characteristics, and fit into humanoid sex genders in only the most general terms, non-kobolds tend to just accept and go with whatever gender a kobold presents themselves as.
SexualityEdit
As natural neuters, asexuality is more prevalent among kobolds than other races, but as they still, as a race, possess a form of sexual drive, asexuality is not the norm among kobolds, just more common than in other races. To an outsider, pansexuality and bisexuality seem to be particularly common among kobolds, but as they do not have genders as other races do, it's difficult to evaluate them on such terms. On an individual level, a kobold might be any possible sexuality, with no bearing on their kobold gender, their common gender, or their sexual characteristics. That said, there is a slight tendency for kobolds to be pansexual for all intents and purposes outside the warren, and it should be noted that kobolds strongly tend towardsd polyamoury.
RelationsEdit
AlignmentEdit
LandsEdit
ReligionEdit
LanguageEdit
NamesEdit
Racial TraitsEdit
- -4 Strength, +4 Dexterity, +2 Charisma: Kobolds are physically weak, but have amazing dexterity. The draconic blood which flows within them also gives them a stronger mastery over the world around them.
- Humanoid (Dragonblood, Reptilian): Kobolds are small humanoids (though see Extraordinary Traits below), with the Dragonblood subtype. This allows them to age as dragons do, and qualify for draconic feats (so long as they meet all other prerequisites), as well as take Draconic and Draconic Heritage feats as Regional Feats.
- Small: As a Small creature, a kobold, urtramani gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –4 size penalty on special attack (bull rushes, grapples, overruns, and trips) checks, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but it uses smaller weapons than humans use, and its lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
- Kobold, Urtramani base land speed is 30 feet. Climb 15
- Darkvision: A kobold, urtramani can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and a kobold, urtramani can function just fine with no light at all.
- Warrenborn (Ex): +2 racial bonus to Craft (Alchemy), Hide, Listen, and Profession (Miner)
- Slight Build: Their physical stature lets them function in many ways as if you were one size category smaller. Whenever they are subject to a size modifier or special size modifier, they are treated as one size smaller if doing so is advantageous to them. They can use weapons designed for a creature one size smaller without penalty. However, their space and reach remain those of a creature of their actual size. The benefits of this ability stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject’s size category.
- +1 Natural Armor
- Feral Strikes: Kobolds have 2 Claw feral strikes which deal 1d6 piercing and slashing damage and can be made with their hands or feet, and a Tail Slap feral strike which deals 1d4 bludgeoning damage. Their feet claws allow them to grip surfaces as if they were hands for the purpose of climbing. Mundane footwear blocks this ability, but magic footwear shapes to adapt to their feet.
- Mutable Body: Kobold bodies are very mutable through alchemy, which primarily allows them to take Elemental, Fiendish, and Monstrous feats they otherwise qualify for as if they were the appropriate type. Their alchemically mutable bodies also mean they are visually extremely diverse.
- Automatic Languages: Common and a particular dialect of Draconic (which is intelligible enough to anyone who understands Draconic)
- Bonus Languages: Any except secret
- Favored Class: Sorcerer, Alchemist, Chemist
- Level Adjustment: +
- Effective Character Level:
Vital StatisticsEdit
| Adulthood | Simple | Moderate | Complex |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 years | ++1d4 | ++1d6 | ++2d6 |
| Middle Age1 | Old2 | Venerable3 | Maximum Age | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 years | 200 years | 400 years | +Charisma Mod*1d6 years | |
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| Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1' 9" | +3d4 | 20 lbs. | ×(1d4) lbs. |
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