Which came first, the Kobold or the egg?
In our 5e campaign, we found a nest with Kobold eggs and I wanted to hatch one and bring it up as my own, but alas I fell off a moving wagon and the Kobold egg broke. So sad: cast Ceremony.
It left me wondering how long it takes for a Kobold egg to hatch. Also, if Kobold eggs are part of standard D&D lore, or whether this is something specific to our campaign.
Is there any lore about Kobolds hatching, or being born?
Though I am looking for a response for 5e, I am also interested in lore from previous editions as long as it mentions from which one in the answer.
Best Answer
Kobolds do lay eggs, which mature for 2-3 months before hatching
Volo's Guide to Monsters features an entire Monster Lore section about kobolds, including a brief examination of their biological life-cycle. Of their birth and ageing, it says that:
This is roughly congruent with lore from previous editions of the game, too. The 3.5e Races of the Dragon also describes kobolds in some detail and states that:
Based on this edition, if you had a relatively mature kobold egg already, your plan might still have been viable; Races of the Dragon notes that an egg prematurely cracked in the final 15 days of its maturation still produces a viable kobold wyrmling, albeit one that might mature a little more slowly than their fellows.