Where are the kobolds?!

[Spencer Souris]

The little trap makers, on of the most iconic monster fodder next to goblins. With their affinity for tinkering they should be in space with the others. What is the lore around them, are they on Triaxus? Did their trap making prowess translate into them being naturals in tech companies? Did their xenophobia hold them back at all, or like the Elves are they prospering in their own way?

[Isaac Zephyr]

Maybe we'll find out in Alien Archive 3?

My group had a fun in game theory, since we played through Iron Gods and had a Kobold Brawler in the party who started with a couple tech items and had a fear of robots. The theory, that Kobolds are enormously diminished in population in Starfinder, but due to the gap they don't know what happened. So they sent one of their last back to the past to figure it out and save Kobold kind. However due to the unusual nature of the Gap, the time travel process erased his memory, so all he could remember was that a machine (robot) did something to him. So he's terrified and should destroy them.

And thus Kobold-kind's last saviour failed them. And that's why they're not in Starfinder (yet).

[Ventnor]

They all died.

Unless they didn't.

[Albatoonoe]

A lot of Golarion emigrants ended up on Apostae. That is as good a place as any.

[Garretmander]

Were Kobolds ever on Triaxus? The obvious place, but I don't remember.

[WatersLethe]

I'm all about Kobolds cropping up all over the place, much like Ysoki. A Kobold-Ysoki rivalry would be my jam.

Clans of kobolds hired en masse as facility security for any wealthy corporation (dragons get a discount) would also be highly appropriate.

Kobolds' cleverness, adaptability, dexterity and size all lend themselves to Starfinder's challenges.

[pithica42]

Aren't they the office workers in the Dragon Corps on Triaxus?

[Isaac Zephyr]

I think currently, just from a mechanical standpoint, the only thing stopping us seeing Kobolds is rebalancing.

All Starfinder races have a net +2 to ability scores, which the Kobolds were significantly behind in PF1. In exchange they had all sorts of little things like Natural Armor and bonuses to attack, many of which just don't exist anymore. So Kobolds kind of need a reworking from the ground up, and will likely end up a lit stronger than we're used to when they do pop back up.

So there's likely also a "How much can we change without angering the core audience?" mentality in reworking them. Who knows though? Maybe the next AP will focus around dragons and Triaxus and we'll see them modernized for Starfinder.

[Garretmander]

Coming up with a workable set of racial traits seems fairly easy. For most any race, making it match what that race is supposed to be is a bit harder, but I don't think kobolds are particularly difficult.

+4 Dex, -2 str, darkvision, light bindness, +2 racial to stealth and perception. Add in a couple of unique traits regarding teamwork and/or traps and you're good. Maybe do +2 Dex and int. Only 2 racial hp for the old school numerous but weak feeling and you're good.

pithica42 wrote:

Aren't they the office workers in the Dragon Corps on Triaxus?

Nope, the word 'kobold' does not appear even once in the core rulebook, archive 1, or pact worlds.

[pithica42]

I know it's not written anywhere in canon, yet. I would just be shocked if that isn't at least part of the role they end up filling if they ever do get added to canon.

[Dracomicron]

Kobalds will probably show up in book 6 of an AP as the elite henchmen of a villain named Tucker.

[ZandrXI]

Space Kobold:

Racial Traits

Ability Adjustments: (+4 Dex, -2 Str)

Hit Points: 2

Size and Type: Space kobolds are Small humanoids with the kobold subtype

Darkvision: Space kobolds have darkvision with a range of 60 feet.

Saboteurs: Space kobolds receive a +2 racial bonus to Engineering, Stealth, and Profession (Miner) skill checks.

Fast: Space kobolds are fast for their size and have a base speed of 35 feet.

Cosmic Wind Resistance: Space kobolds are immune to low radiation. They also gain a +2 racial bonus to Fortitude saving throws against radiation.

Trap Minded: Space kobolds gain a +2 to perception to see traps and to skill checks to disarm traps.

Light Blindness: Kobolds are adapted to dark tunnels, and as such a Space Kobold exposed to bright light is blinded for 1 round and dazzled as long as she remains in areas of bright light, unless wearing eye protection.

This is my homebrew for Kobolds i did buff their power a bit because they were only a 5 RP race in pathfinder so i wanted them to be a bit closer to what i felt was a 8 - 10 point race

I have them base in the asteroid belt of Diaspora so they live in lightly shielded asteroids so they have developed low radiation resistance.

Kobold Time Delay Grenade Trap:

CR: 5+

XP: 1600

Trap Type: technological

Perception DC: 25

Creature Type:-

Disable: Engineering DC 22 (disable Trigger plate) or DC22 (jam release mechanism)

Trigger: floor plates

Init: 14

Duration: immediate

Onset Delay: 2-3 rounds after the trap is set off it releases another grenade then 1-2 rounds later it releases the last grenade

Reset: manual

Bypass: none

Effect: Initial: the trap fire and primed grenade then follows up with two more grenades set on a time delay that can be changed but most leave it as it’s set up. The trigger can also be set to close an automatic door if needed.

Description: This trap consists of several 5-foot-square trigger plates that then wirelessly activates the trap box to release and primes three grenades and drops or throws them in to the targeted area of the triggered plate. The box can be filled with any type and level of grenade and it will use them in ordered of how they were loaded. Kobolds like to use stickybomb grenade to trap someone then it is followed by an Incendiary grenade to make everyone rush to save them then a frag grenade as everyone is hopefully clustered together.

I let my inner kobold out and came up with this awful trap that they would totally make and use on people in small tight tunnels.

[yukongil]

give me tiny dogmen with scorpions on sticks IN SPACE! Or bust!

[thecursor]

I like to believe that Kobolds and Ysoki are mortal enemies, fighting over ever scrap of metal they can get their hands on.

[ghostunderasheet]

Kobold are in starfinder. They went into hiding long enough to be though gone and in that time they perfected their defects. Claimed a world and conquered the system. They are known as the vesk. Or at least that's my hopeful thinking.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

I gotta echo what's been said by others in this thread: it makes the most sense that kobolds would migrate to Triaxus and become enthusiastic corporate flunkies for the dragons there.

Just because they're not explicitly mentioned in the text so far doesn't mean they're not there! That's probably what they WANT you to think!

[Ambrosia Slaad]

ZandrXI wrote:

** spoiler omitted **

This is my homebrew for Kobolds i did buff their power a bit because they were only a 5 RP race in pathfinder so i wanted them to be a bit closer to what i felt was a 8 - 10 point race

I have them base in the asteroid belt of Diaspora so they live in lightly shielded asteroids so they have developed low radiation resistance.

Space Kobold:

Racial Traits

Ability Adjustments: (+4 Dex, -2 Str)

Hit Points: 2

Size and Type: Space kobolds are Small humanoids with the kobold subtype

Darkvision: Space kobolds have darkvision with a range of 60 feet.

Saboteurs: Space kobolds receive a +2 racial bonus to Engineering, Stealth, and Profession (Miner) skill checks.

Fast: Space kobolds are fast for their size and have a base speed of 35 feet.

Cosmic Wind Resistance: Space kobolds are immune to low radiation. They also gain a +2 racial bonus to Fortitude saving throws against radiation.

Trap Minded: Space kobolds gain a +2 to perception to see traps and to skill checks to disarm traps.

Light Blindness: Kobolds are adapted to dark tunnels, and as such a Space Kobold exposed to bright light is blinded for 1 round and dazzled as long as she remains in areas of bright light, unless wearing eye protection.

This is my homebrew for Kobolds i did buff their power a bit because they were only a 5 RP race in pathfinder so i wanted them to be a bit closer to what i felt was a 8 - 10 point race

I have them base in the asteroid belt of Diaspora so they live in lightly shielded asteroids so they have developed low radiation resistance.

Ooo, neat. Reminds me a bit of my stab at them.

Archpaladin Zousha wrote:

I gotta echo what's been said by others in this thread: it makes the most sense that kobolds would migrate to Triaxus and become enthusiastic corporate flunkies for the dragons there.

Dragon corps probably enjoy the fact that you can squeeze four kobolds in the space that a single human would take. Plus, kobolds thrive living for extended periods in small cramped environs.

If you thought levels of Tucker's Kobolds was horrifyingly lethal, just imagine how much more terrible it would be for the PCs to face... Tucker's Call Center!!!

[EltonJ]

I imagined kobolds to be in the Diaspora, mining the asteroids there. Although I originally thought them to be in ramshackle ships, but I changed my mind when a friend said goblins are in ramshackle ships and that the kobolds would be mining asteroids.

If Paizo wanted to put kobolds in AA3, then let them do so.

[FormerFiend]

EltonJ wrote:

I imagined kobolds to be in the Diaspora, mining the asteroids there. Although I originally thought them to be in ramshackle ships, but I changed my mind when a friend said goblins are in ramshackle ships and that the kobolds would be mining asteroids.

If Paizo wanted to put kobolds in AA3, then let them do so.

I'd be curious how anyone would plan to stop them.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

FormerFiend wrote:

EltonJ wrote:

I imagined kobolds to be in the Diaspora, mining the asteroids there. Although I originally thought them to be in ramshackle ships, but I changed my mind when a friend said goblins are in ramshackle ships and that the kobolds would be mining asteroids.

If Paizo wanted to put kobolds in AA3, then let them do so.

I'd be curious how anyone would plan to stop them.

They wouldn't be able to. After all, as we all know, "Kobolds are the only race capable of winning a fight solely through determination, their own sense of self-importance, and adorable pluck." :D

[ZandrXI]

Diaspora is made up of over an million asteroids that are a mile or bigger so any of them could hide a kobold lair with hundreds of them living just under the surface.

So even if you could find one lair how many more asteroids are out there filled with kobolds just waiting to steal stuff from traders and miners.

I could just see kobold pirates strapping a ship engine onto smaller asteroid. Then using it as boarding craft with dozens of them hanging off the sides ready to jump on to ships as they ram it in to unsuspecting victims.

[Metaphysician]

Here's a thought: kobolds are still around, but by and large they've responded to the infinite expanse of space by embracing extreme isolationism. Which is to say, when there are an infinite number of rocks spread across a functionally endless number of star systems, if you don't want neighbors? You will never have neighbors.

[Pantshandshake]

The Starfinder reality is actually a big matrix-type simulation created by Triune. Every PC is actually a kobold strapped in a VR tank, we’re all still on Golarion.

[SquirmWyrm]

Bringing this thread back because kobolds deserve to be in Starfinder!

[Master Han Del of the Web]

They're too busy running the sun.

[thecursor]

After seeing that the Veskarium is basically run by skittermanders, I picture all the Dragon Corporations basically run by Kobolds.

[avr]

They're smart enough to stay out of the way of heroes, which is why they haven't been seen. The true evolution of Tucker's kobolds.

[Dracomicron]

avr wrote:

They're smart enough to stay out of the way of heroes, which is why they haven't been seen. The true evolution of Tucker's kobolds.

Tucker's Kobalds were the bureaucracy all along.

[Peg'giz]

small, lizard people… Ikeshti?

[Dracomicron]

Peg'giz wrote:

small, lizard people… Ikeshti?

Right aesthetics, wrong xenobiology and culture.

[Kishmo]

In one of the PaizoCon Discord AMA channels, one of the Starfinder devs said that things being ported from PF to SF need, like, a compelling reason, or niche. The question of Kobolds, specifically, came up - the answer was that the 'niche' Kobolds have in PF today boils down to: Small size, focused on traps/mechanics, scrappy 'survivor' mentality, usually a bunch of them/strength in numbers. And when you look at that, that design space is already occupied by both ysoki, and space goblins.

So to bring kobolds forwards, they'd need something new. Some kind of re-imagining or re-conceptualizing of the Kobold 'space.' And, the comment made, was...they just didn't have anything for the Kobolds like that. At least, not for now.

Just wanted to pass along what I learned, to help temper expectations - don't shoot the messenger :D Obviously there's demand for everyone's favourite scaly dragon-adjacent scamps, and Paizo knows that, so who can say.

[FormerFiend]

Kishmo wrote:

In one of the PaizoCon Discord AMA channels, one of the Starfinder devs said that things being ported from PF to SF need, like, a compelling reason, or niche. The question of Kobolds, specifically, came up - the answer was that the 'niche' Kobolds have in PF today boils down to: Small size, focused on traps/mechanics, scrappy 'survivor' mentality, usually a bunch of them/strength in numbers. And when you look at that, that design space is already occupied by both ysoki, and space goblins.

So to bring kobolds forwards, they'd need something new. Some kind of re-imagining or re-conceptualizing of the Kobold 'space.' And, the comment made, was...they just didn't have anything for the Kobolds like that. At least, not for now.

Just wanted to pass along what I learned, to help temper expectations - don't shoot the messenger :D Obviously there's demand for everyone's favourite scaly dragon-adjacent scamps, and Paizo knows that, so who can say.

I do not know why they get notions like this in their heads.

I mean, I get that philosophy of making sure each element you bring into a setting has a distinct niche at the foundation stage, but Starfinder isn't the foundation stage, Pathfinder 1e was. Starfinder is the sequel stage.

Players don't care about redundancies like that. They care about aesthetics & nostalgia. They want their toys favorite toys back, they don't care if you've already given them new toys that do kind of the same thing.

[Dracomicron]

Kobolds do have a niche, though, they are the perfect bureaucrats and middle management for Triaxus. Completely loyal to their dragoncorp, they lead their corporate enemies into traps... ECONOMIC traps! Once you've bought stock in their dummy shell company, it's already too late... you've taken on legal liability tying you to three counts of market price fixing and one minor war crime.

Tucker's Financial Kobolds.

[Milo v3]

Based on that ratfolk should have never been in PF1.

[Ascalaphus]

I sorta agree that we need something to give them their own niche, instead of looking like "hey, they do mostly the same as ysoki".

Maybe what we need is a Triaxus book?

- More stuff for ryphorians. They get ignored a lot; they're also one of the pretty normal, suitable for adventuring races from the Pact Worlds but even the reclusive elves get more material. Character Operations Manual almost entirely ignored them.

- Development of the DragonCorps as story elements.

- More dragonkin stuff

- More technology, instead of field-deployable traps that adventurers and enemies could use to liven up starship boarding defenses

- And kobolds!

[Luke Spencer]

Milo v3 wrote:

Based on that ratfolk should have never been in PF1.

The logic being used there was specific to porting from Pathfinder to Starfinder I believe. I'd imagine that Kobolds could have a place if there were a story where it seemed appropriate, the idea that they probably live on through the Triaxian dragoncorps makes sense and could be put in a future AP or hardcover. I don't think the idea itself is flawed though, in PF1 they could just make whatever seemed fun because there was no orbiting material, but with SF you have an entire galaxy and I personally appreciate that they're filling the gaps in the playable alien list with new things rather than just reusing materials from PF when they don't need to.

[Garretmander]

Ascalaphus wrote:

I sorta agree that we need something to give them their own niche, instead of looking like "hey, they do mostly the same as ysoki".

Maybe what we need is a Triaxus book?

- More stuff for ryphorians. They get ignored a lot; they're also one of the pretty normal, suitable for adventuring races from the Pact Worlds but even the reclusive elves get more material. Character Operations Manual almost entirely ignored them.

- Development of the DragonCorps as story elements.

- More dragonkin stuff

- More technology, instead of field-deployable traps that adventurers and enemies could use to liven up starship boarding defenses

- And kobolds!

I agree. I don't think they'll be in an alien archive, but as soon as an AP goes to triaxus, I bet they show up.

[Kishmo]

I think we're a ways away from getting an entire splatbook devoted to a single planet, but I want to go on record saying I'm in for a book on Triaxus, the planet of dragon-y dragon things :D
Signed,
- J.J. "I would like items/magic/augments/whatever that let you increase your flying maneuverability, and I bet Triaxus has that" Kishmo

[The Shifty Mongoose]

They do have another niche: they talk bigger than both ysoki & goblins. They're the super-intelligent little dinosaurs who claim to actually be little dragons instead. That's gotta be worth something.

Though I'd expect a lot of them on Verces: while the others pay a lot of money for super-gentrified housing that goes up, they can dig down all under the place and set up their own subterranean arcologies.
Though Triaxus & the Diaspora also work for them.

[BigNorseWolf]

Kobold Run Dragonwash on triaxus?

[WatersLethe]

I still think Kobolds should come up frequently as whole clans hired as a location's security force.

They're small, adaptable, intelligent, work fantastically as a team, are predisposed to not asking questions about morality, and have a very long history of utilizing traps and guile.

If a big company, not even just a dragoncorp (those get discounts), wanted a set it and forget it security team they could just contract a clan of kobolds.

[Pantshandshake]

Maybe if we start keeping all the Pact World's trash in one place, the Kobolds will show up eventually?

[thecursor]

WatersLethe wrote:

If a big company, not even just a dragoncorp (those get discounts), wanted a set it and forget it security team they could just contract a clan of kobolds.

Giant Gold Dragon CEO: Alright, little ones, here is one plasma cannon and a few million credits, guard this moon.

Five hundred years later

Kobolds: We turned the moon into a plasma cannon, we now rule this sector with an iron fist. Anything else you need?

Giant Gold Dragon CEO: You conquered a whole sector of space in half a Millenium?

Kobolds: We apologize for being behind schedule.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Pantshandshake wrote:

Maybe if we start keeping all the Pact World's trash in one place, the Kobolds will show up eventually?

Think you're thinking of space goblins.

[Pantshandshake]

I could have sworn Pathfinder Kobolds enjoyed trash heaps.

I might be misremembering that from much earlier versions of D&D, though.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Yeah, that's more a D&D thing, in Pathfinder they prefer natural caves and tunnels as far as I'm aware. On the other hand, both Paizo games make it abundantly clear that goblins are the absolute MASTERS of turning trash into treasure.

[Lord Fyre]

Kishmo wrote:

In one of the PaizoCon Discord AMA channels, one of the Starfinder devs said that things being ported from PF to SF need, like, a compelling reason, or niche. The question of Kobolds, specifically, came up - the answer was that the 'niche' Kobolds have in PF today boils down to: Small size, focused on traps/mechanics, scrappy 'survivor' mentality, usually a bunch of them/strength in numbers. And when you look at that, that design space is already occupied by both ysoki, and space goblins.

So to bring kobolds forwards, they'd need something new. Some kind of re-imagining or re-conceptualizing of the Kobold 'space.' And, the comment made, was...they just didn't have anything for the Kobolds like that. At least, not for now.

Just wanted to pass along what I learned, to help temper expectations - don't shoot the messenger :D Obviously there's demand for everyone's favourite scaly dragon-adjacent scamps, and Paizo knows that, so who can say.

Since they made Goblins a PC species, we need somthing else for target practice.

[BigNorseWolf]

Pantshandshake wrote:

I could have sworn Pathfinder Kobolds enjoyed trash heaps.

I might be misremembering that from much earlier versions of D&D, though.

Everything is made out of UPBs and everything can be recycled No more junk yards!

[Archpaladin Zousha]

BigNorseWolf wrote:

Pantshandshake wrote:

I could have sworn Pathfinder Kobolds enjoyed trash heaps.

I might be misremembering that from much earlier versions of D&D, though.

Everything is made out of UPBs and everything can be recycled No more junk yards!

Then where do space goblins get the scrap to make their junklasers and junkcycles?

[Garretmander]

Archpaladin Zousha wrote:

BigNorseWolf wrote:

Pantshandshake wrote:

I could have sworn Pathfinder Kobolds enjoyed trash heaps.

I might be misremembering that from much earlier versions of D&D, though.

Everything is made out of UPBs and everything can be recycled No more junk yards!

Then where do space goblins get the scrap to make their junklasers and junkcycles?

They take nice stuff and junk it up a bit. Leave it out in the rain, gnaw on the power cables, that sort of thing.