PDA

View Full Version : D&D 3.x Other Meso-American Kobolds n' stuff.



Frakbox
2015-08-27, 10:10 PM
I was doing some thinking the other day: Kobolds in the D&D 3.5 monster manual are more-or-less equipped the same way that an Incan soldier would have been prior to the invasion by the Spaniards.

-The Incan soldiers were highly mobile, used slings and spears and favored hit and run tactics. I actually like this idea of Kobolds quite a bit. Simplified bands of small yet organized soldier-slingers and guerilla tacticians.

Whenever I run a campaign, I always imagine that the reptilian humanoids share cultural likenesses with Meso-American cultures.

I think it is also a creeping cultural meme in fantasy adventures that Lizardfolk type creatures are Aztec-ish in culture. That was always what my DM's portrayed. That is how Elder Scrolls online portrays Argonians; which is a relatively mainstream video game.

I like to imagine Yaun-Ti Civilizations in the jungle with Pyramids where they perform (what to a European person) might seem like odd and demonic magics.

Furthermore, playing into this fantasy: Dragons. The Meso-Americans have a rich folklore regarding dragons, serpents and the like. This is probably why many people think of Meso-American culture when they think of Lizardfolk. Those were the legends that we heard about.

The Draconic language I imagine to be something of an Uto-Aztecan language group or perhaps Quechuan (I realize these are entirely different language groups). I mean that Draconic should be considered something Archaic, less affected by Western thought (Which is so often represented in D&D more often than any other way of thinking).

And the many options abound for storymaking! There are lots of interesting cultures around the world. Fact is stranger than fiction! There are many options for worldbuilding from many different cultures of the world.

Just rambling thoughts.