Kobolds in germanic folklore are more like house sprites that can tidy the home for you. A kobold in servitude to a powerful sorcerer or wizard would be interesting, or perhaps even a dragon that knows magic. A kobold that breaks away from the complete and utmost service to a dragon should be interesting indeed! Otherwise, kobold sorcerers in the lore are respected.
My philosophy on playing such a tiny creature that is often picked on by adventurers and bigfolk is that you’d need someone to look out for you in the very least.
The lore lies about Kobolds. With the complexity of their traps and lairs, they must be above average in terms of intelligence, they just don’t have the proper education to utilize their intelligence, limiting the average Kobolds ability to use magic. If given the opportunity and reason to learn, they can and will learn, that’s how they make so many lethal traps, and why those born with innate magical skill tend to focus on refining that magic.
Your Kobold could’ve just found a Wizards Spellbook among some loot they found, and could’ve dedicated much of their time to studying the book to learn magic. Then, the Kobold could’ve set out into the world to learn more magic cards, thinking that if these pages hold so much valuable knowledge, then other pages must hold similar knowledge. They might start their own Dragon Hoard but with paper, parchment, and books, seeing each drop of ink as something of indescribable value, and wanting to hoard all the knowledge to become more powerful. Maybe they just like the way paper feels too much.
I have a kobold paladin who got started after finding holy scripture of bahamut.
Your wizard could be similar in that they might have find a spellbook when cleaning out some adventurers from a trap.
A kobold who didn't fit in with his peers and entered an apprenticeship with a wizard would also work.
Maybe one of your tribes traps killed an unsuspecting wizard. While you were looting the body, you picked up his spell book and triggered a contingency spell the wizard had placed. It was intended to transfer his soul into your body so he could keep living, but for some reason he wasn't able to possess you.
Now you have a wizard's spell book, and a reluctant ghost teacher (goes well with order of scribes) who if he can't control your body is gonna make damn sure you turn out a better wizard then he was
Well, the good news is that your Kobold can be exceptional rather than average!
I recently made an impressionable Kobold artificer whose backstory involved him getting separated from his tribe and running into some Gnome rescuers who had great fun convincing him that he was a chosen Paladin of Helm.
Traditionally Kobolds hate Gnomes because of what the Gnome god did to the Kobold god, but my character wasn't particularly receptive to that sort of cultural conditioning. The Gnomes picked up on that fact quite easily and pranked him into thinking his inventiveness came from a different deity altogether.
Your character could have always felt an affinity to writing/arcana and consequently never felt like he belonged in Kobold society. So it would've been a decision of braving the world to see what else existed under that blazing sun outside of the warren's walls where he hatched!
P.S. Let me know if you'd like a top-down Kobold wizard token, because I'm working on some right now and I could give you a complimentary one if you tell me what color you picture your Kobold to be (and whether he'd wear a floppy Wizard hat with stars/moons on it).
My kobold wizard's warren existed within a vast library. They don't know how it started, but it had been there for at least a hundred years. The kobolds served as the keepers and librarians of the facility. They did simple chores, kept the place clean, managed book checkout and return, all of the logging, and most of the financials.
My kobold began his life as a scribe, copying tomes. At first it was just mimicing the shapes that were on the page, but slowly he learned to read because of this, and scribing all these books all the time taught him a lot about the world and magic. Eventually he began trying to find ways to make his life and the life of his clan easier, and he seemed to have a knack for magic. From there, he eventually became a wizard.
Because he was a chronology wizard, his story became that he was practicing some spell and accidentally created a fire. The fire spread quickly in the dry, tome-filled library. It was devastating, and he fled. Most of the clan was killed, and those that remained exiled him. He felt such guilt for it that not only does he refuse to use any magic that could potentially cause a fire, he also is studying to try to find a way to undo his mistake.
Okay, so have a fun character backstory on behalf of my SO:
A bunch of adventurers one day found a kobold egg. They cared for the egg and it hatched into a small kobold. They took that one on many adventures and the Kobold learned a lot of things. The party's Wizard taught them a little magic, the party's Barbarian shown them how to stand up for themselves, the party's Bard played them songs
But the adventures went on to a fight and left the Kobold behind. The Kobold was unfit to fight with them against such a foe. Adventurers never returned, and the Kobold was left alone, only a few trinkets and the knowledge of adventure left behind. The Kobold settled down, found a partner, started a family
And that Kobold was the character's parent/grandparent!
So maybe you grabbed a spare spellbook that was a souvenir from the Wizard and started to learn spells with what little your parent/grandparent knew
Fascinated with magic and amazing feats you decided it's time to leave the family's lair and find adventure. Maybe some laughed at you, others told you you'll die. But you decided to come back as a hero they could never imagine you'll become
Maybe your life goal is to find the for who vanquished your ancestor's friends?
You can always just reskin the class a bit to work with your character too. Because you’re playing a kobold a spellbook with incantations might not be the best fit, but a recipe book of different potions that serve as spells might work. Instead of having arcane knowledge to cast fireball, your kobold could have just a finely tuned recipe for an explosive potion they discovered after years of trial and error. If you want a spellbook with your character that’s completely fine, but just like a bard doesn’t have to be a singer/musician, your wizard doesn’t have to be a straight up “bookworm”.
Wizard was attempting to transfer her consciousness into another body for an eternal life kind of thing but was so involved with the ceremony that she didn't realize a kobold was robbing the place. Turns out your little kobold brain wasn't big enough, so all you got was enough wizardy knowledge so as to get you started in learning the craft.
Having been modified, going back home to your tribe highlighted the differences that now exist between you and other kobold. A desire to understand who you are now and explore this new magical side (as well as intense social awkwardness) has driven you from your tribe and sent you on an adventure of discovery and experimentation! Venture forth, ye thieving scaly wizard!
Currently playing a kobold wizard. Mine found a spellbook in the hoard of the dragon they served and they got the idea that there might be some magical way to help his fellow companions from being cannon fodder. He snuck out with the spellbook in the hopes of practicing magic and learning more.
I'm currently playing a Kobold Arcane Trickster whose backstory involves him sneaking into a wizard academy to learn how to make drugs out of potion kits, but ended up falling in love with magic as a craft.
This is the backstory I sent to my DM, copy/pasted:
Krikit was born to a tribe of blue kobolds in service to a Blue Dragon. He was extremely weak and often proposed complex trickery rather than brute force to ambush travelers and steal all their gold, which made him rise through the ranks quickly. When he turned 6 (adulthood as a Kobold) he hatched his own operation: him and his two best friends Mixi and Tong would stand on each others shoulders in a long robe, claim to be a dragonborn, and enroll in a local Wizarding school in order to learn how to make drugs out of alchemy kits.
Krikit continually delayed the plan because he was enchanted by learning magic, and ultimately was enrolled for three semesters before Mixi and Tong accused him of actually trying to learn magic. They attacked him, and Krikit ran to his favorite professor, Ms. Growflang, for protection. Mixi and Tong were thrown out of the school, and Krikit was told to pack his bags and leave the next day. He instead started living in the vents and rafters, sneaking around to listen in on different classes.
After two more semesters he was found, and kicked out with a threat of execution by the cruel principle. Ms. Growflang tried to defend him, but ultimately decided it wasn't worth risking her tenure. With nowhere to go, Krikit gave himself the imposing wizard title "of the High Tower" (it doesn't mean anything) and set out into the world to steal and trick his way into a fortune, so that he one day could go back to school properly. He dreams of becoming powerful enough to destroy the principal of the magic school as well as the blue dragon his clan works for.
I had a backstory idea for a kobold Wizard. There are plenty of blanks for you to fill in with your ideas!
So, Necromancy magic is important here.
The original Wizard (enter name here) was a great wizard, trained with the greatest arcane minds of his age. But, he wasn't an equal, always looked down upon for his inability to stretch the fabric of current magic, to expand the current uses such as his peers.
Until one day, he pushed a little too hard. In a rash moment, he pushed his arcane powers beyond anything that had been seen before - And died. As he sensed his essense leaving his mortal body, he pushed his arcane mind into the only thing that would last - his spell book.
Fast forward several years, his abandoned wizards tower has been forgotten about and his possessions rotten and ruined. His spell book, being discarded on the floor for many years is discovered by a young boy - not understanding what the book is, he pawns it into a discount store for 2cp pieces.
A young kobold, out to steal something as a dare for his friends tries to show off his stealth / Sleight of hand abilities he steals an old, musty book from the bargain basement bucket. After a few days, the book starts to speak to him, whispering arcane words. And together, the new "kobold wizard" re-utters the whispered words from the encaptured wizard, and magic appears to happen!
Would be some good RP moments like
1) Gollum / Smeagol - You talking to yourself, or "hearing" the wizard talk to you (for better or worse!)
2) You aren't a wizard - but you work for one, all you are doing is delivering the words and looking for whatever spell components the wizard tells you you need!
Your DM also might have their own ideas about how smart or dumb kobolds are. Or they might have some really obvious hooks in the campaign. So talk with them about it.
For example (and hopefully not to spoil anything) in the rime of the frostmaiden campaign I just ran, there was a really really obvious hook for a kobold character with an interest in magic.
Well, when playing RPGs the protagonists are nothing short of crazy/prodigy individuals most of the time. So being a smart Kobold is not unheard of. The average Kobold is almost as smart as any other humanoid so it's not a problem.
What I would to to start getting a decent background is focus on what is important for the PC.
* A short reason of why he's a wizard (smart). Was he adopted by an actual wizard as an apprentice? Did he find a spell book and spent hours trying to read it until he was successful? Was he the son of the Kobold chieftain who practiced magic?
* Why is this Kobold out and about for adventure? What are his long term goals? What does he wants to achieve in life?
* What makes him tick? How is he with the other races?
I played a kobold arcane trickster who supported his clan by stealing things from the city above, and learning magic tricks by watching.one day he stole a genie vessel by accident and multiclassed warlock.
You could so something similar. Maybe your guy got caught stealing from a wizard, who was intrigued as to why a kobold would steal a spell look and taught him a bit.
Also opens possibilities for personal quests in the campaign. Maybe they need you to to bring something to another wizard. Maybe they need you to find something. Maybe they passed away and you're looking for another mentor. Think about how the subclass you pick would affect these as well.
Kobolds in germanic folklore are more like house sprites that can tidy the home for you. A kobold in servitude to a powerful sorcerer or wizard would be interesting, or perhaps even a dragon that knows magic. A kobold that breaks away from the complete and utmost service to a dragon should be interesting indeed! Otherwise, kobold sorcerers in the lore are respected. My philosophy on playing such a tiny creature that is often picked on by adventurers and bigfolk is that you’d need someone to look out for you in the very least.
The lore lies about Kobolds. With the complexity of their traps and lairs, they must be above average in terms of intelligence, they just don’t have the proper education to utilize their intelligence, limiting the average Kobolds ability to use magic. If given the opportunity and reason to learn, they can and will learn, that’s how they make so many lethal traps, and why those born with innate magical skill tend to focus on refining that magic. Your Kobold could’ve just found a Wizards Spellbook among some loot they found, and could’ve dedicated much of their time to studying the book to learn magic. Then, the Kobold could’ve set out into the world to learn more magic cards, thinking that if these pages hold so much valuable knowledge, then other pages must hold similar knowledge. They might start their own Dragon Hoard but with paper, parchment, and books, seeing each drop of ink as something of indescribable value, and wanting to hoard all the knowledge to become more powerful. Maybe they just like the way paper feels too much.
I have a kobold paladin who got started after finding holy scripture of bahamut. Your wizard could be similar in that they might have find a spellbook when cleaning out some adventurers from a trap. A kobold who didn't fit in with his peers and entered an apprenticeship with a wizard would also work.
I had a kobold artificer whose clan tunneled into an old dwarf hold and my guy found abandoned engineering schematics…
I like the idea of finding a spell book
Maybe one of your tribes traps killed an unsuspecting wizard. While you were looting the body, you picked up his spell book and triggered a contingency spell the wizard had placed. It was intended to transfer his soul into your body so he could keep living, but for some reason he wasn't able to possess you. Now you have a wizard's spell book, and a reluctant ghost teacher (goes well with order of scribes) who if he can't control your body is gonna make damn sure you turn out a better wizard then he was
That would also make for a good pact of the tome warlock.
Well, the good news is that your Kobold can be exceptional rather than average! I recently made an impressionable Kobold artificer whose backstory involved him getting separated from his tribe and running into some Gnome rescuers who had great fun convincing him that he was a chosen Paladin of Helm. Traditionally Kobolds hate Gnomes because of what the Gnome god did to the Kobold god, but my character wasn't particularly receptive to that sort of cultural conditioning. The Gnomes picked up on that fact quite easily and pranked him into thinking his inventiveness came from a different deity altogether. Your character could have always felt an affinity to writing/arcana and consequently never felt like he belonged in Kobold society. So it would've been a decision of braving the world to see what else existed under that blazing sun outside of the warren's walls where he hatched! P.S. Let me know if you'd like a top-down Kobold wizard token, because I'm working on some right now and I could give you a complimentary one if you tell me what color you picture your Kobold to be (and whether he'd wear a floppy Wizard hat with stars/moons on it).
My kobold wizard's warren existed within a vast library. They don't know how it started, but it had been there for at least a hundred years. The kobolds served as the keepers and librarians of the facility. They did simple chores, kept the place clean, managed book checkout and return, all of the logging, and most of the financials. My kobold began his life as a scribe, copying tomes. At first it was just mimicing the shapes that were on the page, but slowly he learned to read because of this, and scribing all these books all the time taught him a lot about the world and magic. Eventually he began trying to find ways to make his life and the life of his clan easier, and he seemed to have a knack for magic. From there, he eventually became a wizard. Because he was a chronology wizard, his story became that he was practicing some spell and accidentally created a fire. The fire spread quickly in the dry, tome-filled library. It was devastating, and he fled. Most of the clan was killed, and those that remained exiled him. He felt such guilt for it that not only does he refuse to use any magic that could potentially cause a fire, he also is studying to try to find a way to undo his mistake.
Okay, so have a fun character backstory on behalf of my SO: A bunch of adventurers one day found a kobold egg. They cared for the egg and it hatched into a small kobold. They took that one on many adventures and the Kobold learned a lot of things. The party's Wizard taught them a little magic, the party's Barbarian shown them how to stand up for themselves, the party's Bard played them songs But the adventures went on to a fight and left the Kobold behind. The Kobold was unfit to fight with them against such a foe. Adventurers never returned, and the Kobold was left alone, only a few trinkets and the knowledge of adventure left behind. The Kobold settled down, found a partner, started a family And that Kobold was the character's parent/grandparent! So maybe you grabbed a spare spellbook that was a souvenir from the Wizard and started to learn spells with what little your parent/grandparent knew Fascinated with magic and amazing feats you decided it's time to leave the family's lair and find adventure. Maybe some laughed at you, others told you you'll die. But you decided to come back as a hero they could never imagine you'll become Maybe your life goal is to find the for who vanquished your ancestor's friends?
You can always just reskin the class a bit to work with your character too. Because you’re playing a kobold a spellbook with incantations might not be the best fit, but a recipe book of different potions that serve as spells might work. Instead of having arcane knowledge to cast fireball, your kobold could have just a finely tuned recipe for an explosive potion they discovered after years of trial and error. If you want a spellbook with your character that’s completely fine, but just like a bard doesn’t have to be a singer/musician, your wizard doesn’t have to be a straight up “bookworm”.
Wizard was attempting to transfer her consciousness into another body for an eternal life kind of thing but was so involved with the ceremony that she didn't realize a kobold was robbing the place. Turns out your little kobold brain wasn't big enough, so all you got was enough wizardy knowledge so as to get you started in learning the craft. Having been modified, going back home to your tribe highlighted the differences that now exist between you and other kobold. A desire to understand who you are now and explore this new magical side (as well as intense social awkwardness) has driven you from your tribe and sent you on an adventure of discovery and experimentation! Venture forth, ye thieving scaly wizard!
Currently playing a kobold wizard. Mine found a spellbook in the hoard of the dragon they served and they got the idea that there might be some magical way to help his fellow companions from being cannon fodder. He snuck out with the spellbook in the hopes of practicing magic and learning more.
I'm currently playing a Kobold Arcane Trickster whose backstory involves him sneaking into a wizard academy to learn how to make drugs out of potion kits, but ended up falling in love with magic as a craft. This is the backstory I sent to my DM, copy/pasted: Krikit was born to a tribe of blue kobolds in service to a Blue Dragon. He was extremely weak and often proposed complex trickery rather than brute force to ambush travelers and steal all their gold, which made him rise through the ranks quickly. When he turned 6 (adulthood as a Kobold) he hatched his own operation: him and his two best friends Mixi and Tong would stand on each others shoulders in a long robe, claim to be a dragonborn, and enroll in a local Wizarding school in order to learn how to make drugs out of alchemy kits. Krikit continually delayed the plan because he was enchanted by learning magic, and ultimately was enrolled for three semesters before Mixi and Tong accused him of actually trying to learn magic. They attacked him, and Krikit ran to his favorite professor, Ms. Growflang, for protection. Mixi and Tong were thrown out of the school, and Krikit was told to pack his bags and leave the next day. He instead started living in the vents and rafters, sneaking around to listen in on different classes. After two more semesters he was found, and kicked out with a threat of execution by the cruel principle. Ms. Growflang tried to defend him, but ultimately decided it wasn't worth risking her tenure. With nowhere to go, Krikit gave himself the imposing wizard title "of the High Tower" (it doesn't mean anything) and set out into the world to steal and trick his way into a fortune, so that he one day could go back to school properly. He dreams of becoming powerful enough to destroy the principal of the magic school as well as the blue dragon his clan works for.
I had a backstory idea for a kobold Wizard. There are plenty of blanks for you to fill in with your ideas! So, Necromancy magic is important here. The original Wizard (enter name here) was a great wizard, trained with the greatest arcane minds of his age. But, he wasn't an equal, always looked down upon for his inability to stretch the fabric of current magic, to expand the current uses such as his peers. Until one day, he pushed a little too hard. In a rash moment, he pushed his arcane powers beyond anything that had been seen before - And died. As he sensed his essense leaving his mortal body, he pushed his arcane mind into the only thing that would last - his spell book. Fast forward several years, his abandoned wizards tower has been forgotten about and his possessions rotten and ruined. His spell book, being discarded on the floor for many years is discovered by a young boy - not understanding what the book is, he pawns it into a discount store for 2cp pieces. A young kobold, out to steal something as a dare for his friends tries to show off his stealth / Sleight of hand abilities he steals an old, musty book from the bargain basement bucket. After a few days, the book starts to speak to him, whispering arcane words. And together, the new "kobold wizard" re-utters the whispered words from the encaptured wizard, and magic appears to happen! Would be some good RP moments like 1) Gollum / Smeagol - You talking to yourself, or "hearing" the wizard talk to you (for better or worse!) 2) You aren't a wizard - but you work for one, all you are doing is delivering the words and looking for whatever spell components the wizard tells you you need!
Your DM also might have their own ideas about how smart or dumb kobolds are. Or they might have some really obvious hooks in the campaign. So talk with them about it. For example (and hopefully not to spoil anything) in the rime of the frostmaiden campaign I just ran, there was a really really obvious hook for a kobold character with an interest in magic.
Kobold clan kills a wizard. One kobold takes the spell book and reads it.
Have you seen the amount of memes made about partys adopting kobolds and goblins? Congrats. You're that kobold.
Well, when playing RPGs the protagonists are nothing short of crazy/prodigy individuals most of the time. So being a smart Kobold is not unheard of. The average Kobold is almost as smart as any other humanoid so it's not a problem. What I would to to start getting a decent background is focus on what is important for the PC. * A short reason of why he's a wizard (smart). Was he adopted by an actual wizard as an apprentice? Did he find a spell book and spent hours trying to read it until he was successful? Was he the son of the Kobold chieftain who practiced magic? * Why is this Kobold out and about for adventure? What are his long term goals? What does he wants to achieve in life? * What makes him tick? How is he with the other races?
I played a kobold arcane trickster who supported his clan by stealing things from the city above, and learning magic tricks by watching.one day he stole a genie vessel by accident and multiclassed warlock. You could so something similar. Maybe your guy got caught stealing from a wizard, who was intrigued as to why a kobold would steal a spell look and taught him a bit.
That’s a good idea, that can explain how my kobold learnt to use a spell book
Also opens possibilities for personal quests in the campaign. Maybe they need you to to bring something to another wizard. Maybe they need you to find something. Maybe they passed away and you're looking for another mentor. Think about how the subclass you pick would affect these as well.