Canine Kobolds

[Ether]

Are canine kobolds found in any edition of D&D?

[Zeta Kai]

2nd Edition has "Dogbolds".

[LoopyZebra]

Earlier kobolds were described as more doglike, as I understand it. But you could certainly use kobolds from any edition and just describe them differently.

[celestialkin]

Here is a homebrew of mine that you might like:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=89631


Not really official, but they have turned ut to be quite fun.

[celestialkin]

2nd Edition has "Dogbolds".

Really?!

I knew about the Urd and their god, but actual dogbolds? Have a book source?

[Innis Cabal]

Early editions they are.

In the several world building projcts I have been apart of, I have made sure to fix their little scale problem

[Gorbash]

In Baldur's Gate (and I imagine the whole 2nd ed), they're still called Kobolds, yet they are doglike, they bark etc..

[Thurbane]

From memory, the 1E MM listed kobolds as mammalian, and their language as yipping and barking...

Really?!

I knew about the Urd and their god, but actual dogbolds? Have a book source?

I think he's talking metaphorically.

[AslanCross]

A holdover in 3.5: Kobolds are reptilian and speak Draconic, but with a barking and yipping accent.

The barking kobolds in Baldur's Gate were hilarious, though.

[SurlySeraph]

The barking kobolds in Baldur's Gate were hilarious, though.

They nearly gave me a goddamn heart attack the first time they showed up. I was looking at a completely different part of the screen, and then suddenly there's this deranged yipping and two of my party members start yelling that they're low on health. It took me ten panicky seconds to find them, by which point all but two of the kobolds were dead. I'm just glad they didn't give the yipping to something actually important, like Illithids.

[Talya]

Kobolds seem different in every source.

Traditional Kobolds of ancient germanic myth were more like fae creatures, mischeivous house spirits and shapeshifters, more akin to boggarts and brownies. In D&D they've been canine or draconic. In the Terry Brooks "Landover" series they are simian. In Everquest they were rather hyena-like.

The name is also the origin of the element Cobalt, a toxic metal.

[Tsotha-lanti]

In Baldur's Gate (and I imagine the whole 2nd ed), they're still called Kobolds, yet they are doglike, they bark etc..

2E kobolds were a mix of reptilian and canine. They were yappy and barky, but had rust-colored scales, lizard tails, and little horns.

[monty]

The name is also the origin of the element Cobalt, a toxic metal.

Now I'm starting to think "The Kobolds" would be a good name for a heavy metal band. *rimshot*

[Prometheus]

They nearly gave me a goddamn heart attack the first time they showed up. I was looking at a completely different part of the screen, and then suddenly there's this deranged yipping and two of my party members start yelling that they're low on health. It took me ten panicky seconds to find them, by which point all but two of the kobolds were dead. I'm just glad they didn't give the yipping to something actually important, like Illithids.

Kobolds that come out of nowhere, looked liked dogs, and had fire arrows. I prefer this version 110% to the 3.5 version of wanna be half-dragons. People wonder why I roll my eyes at every OMG KOBOLDS R SO UBER thread.

[Skaven]

I much prefer the 3rd edition dragon-Kobolds.

They have a level of lore and complexity that most other races lack.

The dogbolds were neat, but they had all the depth of a puddle.

[monty]

Races of the Dragon is one of my favorite books. If I actually had money, I'd buy it.

[Pronounceable]

It took me many years to give up on the notion of orcs being pigheaded, and that was because of the awesomeness of 40k orks. Kobolds have yet to turn up as anything remotely cooler to budge me from my preestablished notion of little barking sobs.

Die By The Sword is that impressive.

[Zephyros]

As Talya so eloquently put it they are different depending on the setting.
In Azeroth (warcraft) they are rat-mole people. Still cannon-fodder but without the cheesy prospect of ascension n stuff It even makes sense moles and rats and generally rodents are great diggers as kobolds are supposed to be...

[Satyr]

The dogbolds were neat, but they had all the depth of a puddle.

You mean poodle.

Based on Baldur's Gate, I have always invisioned Kobolds mostly as rat-like creatures, with small horns. The rat-like appearance also fits well to their habitation, tactics and even family life and emphasises their role as sentient vermin that will adapt to survive anywhere.

[Mina Kobold]

Kobolds seem different in every source.

Traditional Kobolds of ancient germanic myth were more like fae creatures, mischeivous house spirits and shapeshifters, more akin to boggarts and brownies. In D&D they've been canine or draconic. In the Terry Brooks "Landover" series they are simian. In Everquest they were rather hyena-like.

The name is also the origin of the element Cobalt, a toxic metal.

Cobalt is named after kobolds wich (acordong to a book about that kinda things, that I've read) are a german name for dwarves or gnomes (in the medieval age they where fairyly too) Cobalt was named after them because thaey should be good miners.

[Shpadoinkle]

I prefer the rat-like kobolds found in Baldur's Gate as well.

[Matthew]

The art direction in the AD&D/1e Monster Manual gave us the "scaled dog like" kobold. Apparently that was not what Gygax intended; in OD&D kobolds are just weaker versions of goblins, and even during the AD&D/2e era you can see that strand of thought in Greenwood's Elminster's Notebook and other places. Suffice to say, kobolds are whatever you imagine them to be.

As to origins, the word "kobold" is probably originally Greek (Kobalos), and likely related to "goblin" through Latin and French, having its own distinct form in German.

[Athaniar]

I prefer my kobolds reptilian, but Warcraft kobolds are hilarious too with their "You no take candle!".

Oh, and a question for any german here: you call goblins kobolds, right? So what do you do to separate goblins and actual kobolds (in fantasy settings like D&D and Warcraft)?

[Narmoth]

The 2nd ed monstrous manual portrayed Kobolds like this:

Spoiler

Show

This led me to think of them as kind of dog/ratlike creatures

[Dacia Brabant]

The 2nd ed monstrous manual portrayed Kobolds like this:

Spoiler

Show

This led me to think of them as kind of dog/ratlike creatures

Oh man, the scorpion on a stick, I'd forgotten about that, that's the third-best weapon ever after the rat-flail and the severed rust monster tentacle.

Didn't gnolls replace kobolds as the doglike monster when kobolds became little reptillian rats?

[newbDM]

The 2nd ed monstrous manual portrayed Kobolds like this:

Spoiler

Show

This led me to think of them as kind of dog/ratlike creatures

Why is there a scorpion tied to the end of a stick......


edit:

Oh man, the scorpion on a stick, I'd forgotten about that, that's the third-best weapon ever after the rat-flail and the severed rust monster tentacle.

Is the scorpion on a stick, or any of those other weapons actually stated out anyone? If so, are there updates to 3.5?!

Didn't gnolls replace kobolds as the doglike monster when kobolds became little reptillian rats?

Hyenas are not dogs actual, they are related to moles or something similar I believe.

[Thurbane]

Hyenas are not dogs actual, they are related to moles or something similar I believe.

Close - mongooses and meerkats.

I always assumed that, since it wasn't statted out in the 2E MM, the scorpion-on-a-stick was more of an interrogation/entertainment device than a weapon.

[monty]

mongeese

Fixed it for you

And yes, I know that's not correct.

[Thurbane]

Fixed it for you

And yes, I know that's not correct.

Yeah, I thought the same thing, I read and re-read that before I posted. It looked odd.

[Dacia Brabant]

Is the scorpion on a stick, or any of those other weapons actually stated out anyone? If so, are there updates to 3.5?!

I seem to remember the scorpion on a stick did have a weapon stat in the Ruins of Undermountain box set, but it might've just been under a blanket stat of improvised kobold weapons.

I'm not sure it ever was official that a severed rust monster antenna still retained its rusting powers, but I seem to remember it was in AD&D or OD&D. Or maybe just a popular house rule/in-joke.

And the rat-flail is from VG Cats.

Hyenas are not dogs actual, they are related to moles or something similar I believe.

Huh, learn something new every day.