In the northern regions, homesteads are sometimes attacked in the dead of night, their inhabitants killed and their treasure stolen. The raiders are winter kobolds.

The winter kobold warrior presented here had the following ability scores before racial adjustments: Str 13, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 8.

Strategy and Tactics

Winter kobolds favor a kind of studded leather armor, and sometimes use wickerwork shields (treat as light wooden shields). Typical weapons are battleaxes, clubs, longswords, light crossbows, and spears. To protect themselves against the intense cold of the regions they inhabit, winter kobolds have evolved a thin coat of hollow shafted hairs. As an added benefit, the hairs can be fluffed out in combat, presenting a large attacking profile consisting solely of inflated hairs.

Winter kobold leaders often fight with two weapons, while winter kobold sorcerers generally prefer spells with the cold descriptor. The dire wolves usually found with a large band of winter kobolds are sometimes used as steeds, but only on very rare occasions.

Sample Encounter

Winter kobolds hate all other humanoid life, particularly elves and gnomes whom they will attack on sight.

Raiding Party (EL 6): A team of eight winter kobold warriors and one dire wolf are preparing to raid some unsuspecting homesteads on the edge of the wilderness.

Ecology

Winter kobolds are more powerful than the normal kobold and originate in the northern wastes, where they favor caves and high places as bases. Winter kobolds live for up to 140 years.

Environment: Winter kobolds are found in any cold hills, mountains, or underground regions.

Typical Physical Characteristics: A winter kobold stands 3 feet tall and weighs 50 pounds.

Society

A tribe of winter kobolds usually consists of 20–100 1st-level warriors plus 100% noncombatants plus one 3rd-level sergeant per 20 adults, one leader of 4th-6th level, one sorcerer of 3th-4th level, and 1–4 dire wolves as guards.

Various minor winter kobold shrines have been discovered in arctic mountain caves, and most have been dedicated to a deity called Kr’tollomoc , usually thought to be a neutral evil aspect of Kurtulmak. However, this deity appears to resemble a giant winter kobold, complete with a coat of white fur. His granted domains are Evil, Trickery, and Weather; his favored weapon is a battleaxe. A few winter kobold tribes actually worship Cryonax, the elemental prince of evil cold creatures.

Typical Treasure

Winter kobolds have standard treasure for their Challenge Rating.

Winter Kobolds As Characters

Winter kobold characters possess the following racial traits.

• -4 Strength.
• Small size: +1 bonus to Armor Class, +1 bonus on attack rolls, +4 bonus on Hide checks, -4 penalty on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits 3/4 those of Medium characters.
• A winter kobold’s base land speed is 30 feet.
• Low-light vision.
• Racial Skills: A winter kobold character has a +2 racial bonus on Search and Survival checks.
• Racial Feats: A winter kobold character gains feats according to its character class.
• +2 natural armor bonus.
• Special Qualities (see above): snow move.
• Automatic Languages: Draconic. Bonus Languages: Common, Undercommon.
• Favored Class: Sorcerer.
• Level Adjustment: +0.

Advanced Winter Kobolds

The following is an example of a winter kobold advanced by sorcerer levels. The winter kobold had the following ability scores before racial adjustments and Hit Dice ability score increases: Str 8, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 15