Kobold

Of the smaller races, the kobolds have adapted best to the changing world. Enslaved long ago by ancient dwarves, kobolds quickly carved a niche for themselves as miners, scouts, and tinkerers: small enough to be useful, and also small enough to be dismissed as a threat. At first they were tolerated, then largely ignored. As a result, the shadows of dwarven society are rife with kobold rogues and entrepreneurs, seemingly subservient but busily trading dwarven goods for resources extracted from the dwarves' own mines and storehouses, right under the noses of their "masters."   Free kobolds defend their mines viciously but otherwise maintain the ruse of a harmless and subservient little folk--at least until the opportunity to sheathe a knife in someone's kidney presents itself.   Many other small races have adopted the kobold's strategy, including the worship of Loki, embracing his cunning ways and the advantages of guile and cunning over brawn and bravado.  

Subterranean Survivors

  More than anything, kobolds are survivors . Their scaly skin and keen night vision as well as their dextrous claws and sensitive snouts make them quick to sense danger, and their clawed feet move tehm out of danger with cowardly speed. They are small but fierce when fighting on their own terms, and their weight of numbers helps them survive in places where larger but less numerous races can't sustain a settlement. They are great miners, good gearsmiths, and modest alchemists, and they have a curiousity about the world that frequently gets them into trouble. They are merchants to both the surface world and the world beneath it, with their greatest cities hidden deep below the earth. Their enemies are the diabolical gnomes, the dwarves, and any other mining races that seek dominance of dark, rich territories.  

Finding One's Place

  Kobold society is gregarious and built around the clan, matriarchal lines of descent, male kings, and the curcial importance of clutch-mates (those who hatched about the same time, the closest things kobolds have to brothers and sisters). Few kobolds become adventurers, and most of those who do have either offended a kobold king (and been exiled from teh mines as punishment) or have lost many or all of their clutch-mates (so they leave home to grive and to find new friends). In many cases, a kobold "adopts" an adventuring party as new clutch-mates.   Kobolds are deeply enamored of their tools. Some kobolds spend a great deal of effort improving them. Mining pics, a mason's hammer, jeweler's loupe, and even simple item lik a kobold's spear or dagger are all named and cherished. At the same time, kobolds tend to gnaw on tool handles, forget to oil blades, or even pry out inlays or decrotive gems (to polish or reshape them) without first considering how they'll repair the damage. As a result, most kobold items are distinctive and unlikely to be mistaken for anyone else's items. Some believe this decorative urge is an instincutal defense against theft.   One category of tool deserves special note: traps. Kobolds create simple, deadly traps and wildly impractical ones as a hobby. Few kobolds leave home without string, springs, simple latches, and other bits and pieces that can be quickly fashioned into triggers for traps. Kobolds are the only race that recognizes "trapmith" as a profession.   Kobolds are closely allied with and related to dragonkin, drakes, and dragons. The kobold kings (and there are oh-so-many kobold kings, since no kobold ruler is satisfied with being merely a chieftain) admire dragons as the greatest source of wisdom, power,a nd proper behavior.      

Kobold Traits

  Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.   Draconic Cry. As a bonus action, you let out a cry at your enemies within 10 feet of you. Until the start of your next turn, you and your allies have advantage on attack rolls against any of those enemies who could hear you. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.   Blindsider. You have advantage on your attack roll against aan enemy within 5 feet of you if you have an ally that's not incapacitated also within 5 feet of the target. Yo4vu can apply thi sbonus to one attack per round.   Tinkerer. You have proficiency with artisan's tools of your choice: alchemist's supplies, mason's tools, smith's tools, or tinker's tools. Kobold Legacy. Kobolds' connection to dragons can manifest in upredictable ways in an individual kobold. Choose one of the following legacy options for your kobold:   Craftiness. You have proficiency in on of the following skills of your choice: Arcana, Investigation, Medicine, Sleight of Hand, or Survival.   Defiance. you have advantage on saving throws to avoid or end the frightened condition on yourself.   Draconic Sorcery. You know one cantrip of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for that cantrip (choose when you select this race).