Sinewy, double-jointed legs, naturally bent and poised for sudden speed, contribute to their height. When her legs are stretched out, a kobold can increase her height by up to 1 foot, but doing so is uncomfortable. Kobolds have scaly skin, varying in color from rusty brown to reddish black. They have strong teeth, and their hands and feet have long digits tipped with very small claws. A Kobold’s face is like a crocodile’s, with a jaw that can open wide enough to hold a whole melon. Constantly alert and wide, the eyes of a Kobold range in color from burnt ochre to red.
A ridge of small, hornlike bone juts above each brow and sweeps backward, the protrusions growing larger and more pronounced toward the rear of the skull. The most important difference between the two, however, is that Kobolds have close biological ties to Dragons.
Kobolds are cold-blooded creatures, and Dragons are warmblooded. While Kobolds do generate some internal body heat from taking in food and engaging in activity, they are dependent on their environment for warmth. This is one reason why they live underground, especially in their native temperate climate. Being a cold-blooded humanoid has advantages and disadvantages. Warm temperatures are comfortable to Kobolds, who can sustain their bodies by literally soaking up heat. A Kobold who inhabits a region with a temperature of 40☏ or above for 24 hours can go for another three days after that time before having to eat normally. The downside is that Kobolds feel the cold more profoundly. Sudden chilling temperatures, such as being struck by a cone of cold spell, do not affect Kobolds more than normal, but prolonged cold increases their need for sustenance. After inhabiting a region with a temperature below 40☏ for more than three days, Kobolds must consistently consume three times as much food per day than is normal for their size. Kobolds can eat a wide variety of foodstuffs, drawing nutrition from a broad, omnivorous diet. Evil Kobolds have no scruples when it comes to eating, even considering other intelligent creatures as options for the stewpot. Kobolds who are desperate for food, especially when traveling through cold regions, can eat almost anything. They can metabolize many forms of organic matter, including bark, bones, dirt, leather, and shells. A tribe of Kobolds that is short on provisions feeds its youngest members whatever they can eat. As reptiles, Kobolds are hatched from hard-shelled eggs. Once a female Kobold has been fertilized, she lays one egg within two weeks, with a 10% chance of laying two eggs. The egg must be incubated for 60 days, after which time it hatches into a Kobold wyrmling that is able to walk and feed after only a few hours. An average tribe has one egg and one child per ten Kobold adults, while a particularly prosperous one might have double this number. Tribes with a scarcity of food have fewer young. On rare occasions, a Kobold female lays what kobolds call a dragonwrought egg. Kobold embryos are resilient and not easily disturbed These eggs are spotted with the color of whichever true dragon influences the dragonwrought kobold within, with such mottles increasing in number and size as the wyrmling inside grows. A Kobold embryo rarely expires unless its egg is broken before the final 15 days of incubation. A Kobold embryo inside an egg that is broken after that time suffers no ill effects, though the wyrmling may take a while longer to reach physical maturity. They dress appropriately for the occasion, which includes finery for special celebrations and ceremonies. While an individual Kobold enjoys looking distinguished and fine, tailored or inlaid clothing is an extravagance seen only in the wardrobes of tribal dignitaries and leaders. Most Kobolds spend all their time mining, however, and working Kobolds wear work clothing. Kobolds do not usually have access to resources such as cotton, but they readily harvest silk from underground spiders, worms, and other insect larvae. Along with silk, leather sees widespread use. Such hide, once cured, creates the most durable clothing for mining and requires the least amount of maintenance.
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