Kobold

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Kobold (狗头人)
Species/Race	Kobold; an intelligent subterranean race with at least a dozen rumored subspecies 2
Occupation/Role	Miners, mine guards, warriors, overseers/chieftains, foremen, and shamans 3 10
Affiliation	Kobold Den; Jangolode Mine kobolds; kobolds near the Murloc Shoal; a kobold nest encountered in the Dragon Hunter Family dungeon. Jangolode Mine kobolds cooperate with the Defias Brotherhood. 2 10 28 121
Lifespan	A kobold in its thirties is considered unusually old; the aged Kobold Den shaman expects to live only a few more years. 3
First Appearance	Warcraft Fortress, Chapter 2: “Kobold Den”

Appearance

Kobolds are short, filthy cave-dwellers, generally standing under one meter tall. They are described as rat-tailed and typically wear red-and-orange rags, with lit candles balanced on their heads to navigate underground darkness. 2

• Poor eyesight adapted imperfectly to dim mines. 2
• Candles are worn directly on their heads despite dripping wax. 2
• Common kobolds may be malnourished, sallow-faced, frail, and unarmed. 2
• Stronger warriors wear greasy linen tunics and carry worn daggers. 3
• Shamans may wear ill-fitting mage robes and wield gemstone-tipped staffs. 3
• Their short legs ordinarily make them slow runners and easy for Shawn to pursue or escape. Under the Kobold War Horn’s influence, even elderly and young kobolds can surge ahead of him during a charge. 3 13 29
• Their cries are described as resembling a puppy’s yapping. 2

Society and Culture

Kobolds possess their own simple language and are considered a civilized people that has only recently entered primitive society. Most do not understand Common; shaman witch doctors are among the few who know some of it. 11

Their communities are structured around mining and spiritual authority. Shamans serve as tribal leaders, possessing greater intelligence, mental power, knowledge, and magical ability than ordinary kobolds. 3

• Mining — Kobolds are exceptionally diligent miners, scavenging ore so thoroughly that little remains behind. 2
• Food hierarchy — Shamans take the best portions of food before warriors compete for what remains. 3
• Internal control — One aged shaman deliberately allowed subordinate warriors to fight over food, believing infighting helped maintain authority; it had learned such methods from Stormwind’s human nobles. 3
• Fearfulness — Ordinary kobolds are cowardly and prone to panic or flight when confronted by a larger, decisive opponent. 3
• Legendary history — The Withered Whisker Kobolds of the Stoneclaw Mountains allegedly allied with a giant to seal the Earth Princess. 2
• Human perceptions — Humans do not generally recognize kobolds as intelligent life, despite their having entered the Stone Age. 3
• Warbringer tradition — Ancient tales describe the Kobold Warbringer as a great leader and sage. The Kobold War Horn is a token of this figure’s authority, causing affected kobolds to recognize its wielder as the legendary Warbringer. 10
• Trade with the Defias Brotherhood — A foreman-led group occupying Jangolode Mine sells its ore to the Defias Brotherhood for the construction of golems and warships. 10
• Craftsmanship and stored wealth — The kobold camp encountered during the Dragon Hunter Family dungeon contains a crude, apparently kobold-made chest secured with an iron lock and holding a small pile of gold coins. 121

Kobolds and Murlocs are described as two of Azeroth’s most populous intelligent races. Kobolds also exist on multiple life-bearing planets in the Astral Realm, where similar races can develop despite differing origins and evolutionary histories. 43 123

Power Progression

The following distinctions describe kobold roles and externally induced combat states rather than a documented advancement sequence for an individual kobold.

Role / State	Power or Capability	Evidence
Common kobold	The weakest ordinary kobolds have Challenge Level 1; a typical adult human with a wooden stick has at least a 90% chance of defeating one.	2
Warrior / overseer / chieftain	Stronger kobolds have Challenge Levels no lower than 2 and can endanger ordinary humans.	3
Kobold shaman	Low-level evocation spellcasters have Challenge Levels of at least 3; the aged Kobold Den shaman’s spellcasting may rival a Level 5 fighter despite its frail body.	3
Exceptional kobold shaman	The strongest shamans can exceed Challenge Level 10, reaching the high-level professional tier.	2
War Horn-induced fanaticism	Affected kobolds display heightened fighting spirit, strength, and endurance, allowing large groups to overwhelm individually stronger enemies. The state fades with the horn’s influence.	10 11 29 43

Abilities & Skills

Mining and Resource Extraction

Kobolds operate extensive subterranean mines, using pickaxes and mine carts to collect and transport ore. 2 11

• Jangolode Mine kobolds could rapidly assemble more than a dozen ore-filled mine carts when commanded through the Kobold War Horn. 11
• Their mining activity supplied Barren Gold Ore within the Kobold Den. 2
• Their mine carts are less than one-third the size of human mine carts, though a dozen together still carry a substantial quantity of ore. 11
• Jangolode Mine’s output supplies the Defias Brotherhood’s manufacturing activities. 10

Combat

The combat capability of kobolds varies sharply by role.

• Common kobolds — Usually rated at Challenge Level 1; an average adult human with a wooden stick is estimated to have at least a 90% chance of defeating one. 2
• Warriors / overseers / chieftains — Stronger than ordinary kobolds and rated at no lower than Level 2; they use crude daggers and can threaten ordinary humans. 3
• Shamans — Spiritual leaders and spellcasters with Challenge Ratings of at least Level 3; their spell offense may rival that of a Level 5 warrior, though their bodies remain frail. 3
• Exceptional shamans — The race’s strongest shamans can exceed Challenge Level 10; the weaker shaman encountered in the Kobold Den does not represent their upper limit. 2 3

Shamanic Spellcasting

Kobold shamans are capable of low-level evocation arcana, including spells such as Fireball and Frostbolt. 3

• Their staffs can serve as magical equipment; the Kobold Shaman Wizard Staff grants spell effect +1. 4
• Shamans participated as battlefield spellcasters during the Gold Coast conflict, casting Fireballs against Murloc casters using Frostbolts. 43
• Despite their offensive power, shamans are vulnerable to surprise attacks and assassination. 3 4

Mass Mobilization

Though individually weaker than Murlocs, kobolds can become highly dangerous when united and driven into a frenzy. 29

• Hundreds of kobolds overwhelmed Murlocs during the assault on the Murloc Shoal. 29
• More than a thousand Westfall kobolds joined the later raid on the Gold Coast. 42 43
• Their fanaticism faded with the Kobold War Horn’s effect, after which surviving kobolds reverted to fear and fled. 43
• The horn’s influence can mobilize old, young, and adult kobolds together, overcoming their usual timidity and physical limitations during a charge. 28 29
• Following the first Gold Coast battle, kobolds established camps near the coast as vanguards and scouts to guard against Murloc retaliation. These scattered groups later joined Shawn’s army. 42

Equipment

• Candles — Worn on the head as a light source in dark mines. 2
• Mining picks — Used by mine guards and laborers. 28
• Mine carts — Used to transport ore. 2 11
• Worn daggers, iron swords, and axes — Used by kobold warriors. 3 43
• Shaman staffs — Magical implements carried by kobold spellcasters. 3 4
• Mage robes — The aged Kobold Den shaman wears an ill-fitting human mage robe that Shawn loots after killing it. 3 4
• Locked chests — A kobold camp in the Dragon Hunter Family dungeon stores gold coins in a crude handmade chest secured with an iron lock. 121

Relationship with Shawn Feathermoon

• Shawn Feathermoon — Initially kills several Kobold Den inhabitants while gathering resources, including the aged Kobold Shaman Wizard. 3 4
• Kobold War Horn — The horn causes Westfall kobolds to recognize Shawn as the legendary Warbringer and obey his commands despite the language barrier. 10 11
• Jangolode Mine kobolds — Shawn repeatedly uses the horn to direct them against the Murlocs of the Gold Coast. 11 42
• Murloc Shoal kobolds — Respond to the horn as though Shawn is their leader and follow him in an assault on the Murlocs. 28 29
• Gryan Stoutmantle’s investigation — The first kobold–Murloc battle draws Gryan to Saldean Farm and Jangolode Mine. Shawn conceals his role by claiming he merely retrieved abandoned ore carts. 12 13
• Gold Coast agreement — Shawn negotiates a 10% weekly share of Jangolode Mine’s profits and all magical spoils in exchange for provoking another kobold–Murloc battle. His means of controlling the kobolds must remain secret under the agreement. 42
• Dragon-hunting companions — Shawn later helps wipe out another kobold nest while traveling with Olivia, Adrian, Eileen, and Tommy Huggins in the Dragon Hunter Family dungeon. 121

Story Role / Major Arcs

Kobold Den

The Kobold Den is Shawn’s first dungeon destination. Its kobolds inhabit a sprawling, candle-lit mine containing gold ore, abandoned tools, and mine carts. 2

Shawn encounters weak common kobolds before discovering a group led by an aged shaman and guarded by two stronger warriors. He exploits the warriors’ fight over food to ambush and kill the isolated shaman, then clears the dungeon with a C rating. 3 4 5

Jangolode Mine Conflict

After receiving the Kobold War Horn as a Kobold Den clearance reward, Shawn tests it on three Jangolode Mine kobolds. The horn enthralls them, and they respond as if the ancient Kobold Warbringer has appeared before them. 10

Shawn uses the horn to obtain ore carts, then orders kobolds to attack the Gold Coast Murlocs. The resulting battle kills roughly one-third of Jangolode Mine’s kobold population and more than half of the Murlocs present. 11

The conflict alarms Westfall’s inhabitants, places Sentinel Hill’s soldiers on high alert, and prompts an emergency meeting of the Defias Brotherhood’s leaders. Gryan Stoutmantle subsequently investigates the battle and questions Shawn about the kobold ore carts hidden at Saldean Farm, but accepts his explanation that he took advantage of their abandonment. 11 12 13

Murloc Shoal Assault

Shawn identifies the Kobold War Horn as the likely key to clearing the Murloc Shoal dungeon. He finds a nearby mine whose kobolds recognize him as their leader after hearing the horn. 28

Hundreds of kobolds charge the Murloc Shoal under Shawn’s direction. Their unity and aggression allow them to overwhelm Murlocs despite inferior individual strength, though the Murloc Guard ultimately proves devastating. 29

The mine’s resemblance to Jangolode Mine, the shoal’s resemblance to Gold Coast, and the Westfall-specific horn’s success lead Shawn to suspect that the dungeon may depict Westfall in another space-time. He cannot confirm this interpretation. 28

Gold Coast War

Shawn again rallies the Jangolode Mine kobolds, presenting the Murlocs as their eternal enemies and directing them toward Gold Coast. Kobold scouts and vanguards along the route join the force, producing an army of more than a thousand. 42

The kobolds launch a surprise attack and initially inflict heavy Murloc casualties, but the larger Murloc force eventually repels them. As the horn’s influence fades, the survivors flee and are slaughtered by Gryan Stoutmantle’s militia. 43

The first assault kills at least three hundred Murlocs, but the kobolds face at least two thousand Murloc defenders. After roughly an hour of fighting, more than half the kobolds have died. Gryan’s 150 fully armed soldiers intercept the retreating survivors and kill them all before advancing against the Murlocs. 43

Dragon Hunter Family Dungeon

During the party’s journey through the mountains, Shawn and his dragon-hunting companions wipe out a kobold nest. They discover a crude locked chest in the camp, which Tommy Huggins opens with a piece of wire. He distributes a few of its gold coins to each companion and keeps the remainder. 121

Tommy’s demonstrated lock-picking ability prompts Shawn to ask him to open the long-unopened Obsidian Chest recovered from the Murloc Shoal. Its contents reveal an Elite Gargoyle, making the kobold encounter an indirect catalyst for that discovery. 121

Trivia

• Kobolds love darkness and generally avoid sunlight, remaining inside mines during the day except for a few guards. 10
• The Kobold War Horn is fragile: it can be used for only ten minutes before shattering, while each activation lasts thirty minutes. 10
• Shawn cannot understand kobold speech, but the Kobold War Horn nevertheless allows his spoken commands to be understood. 11
• The Westfall horn grants general kobold affinity +1, Westfall kobold affinity +5, and Spirit +1. Its command effect is specifically suited to Westfall kobolds, with only minimal influence on kobolds elsewhere. 10 28
• After the first Gold Coast battle, Shawn dreams of becoming a kobold warlord commanding an army against the Horde, Alliance, Burning Legion, and Pantheon; this is a dream rather than an actual development. 11