Just what are kobolds anyway?

[Coidzor]

Are they supposed to be the descendants of cursed dragons?

Some kind of biological construct slave made back in days of yore?

What happens when mommy dragons don't have daddy dragons (or daddy humans...or elves...or... well... anything with a Y chromosome) and just lay the eggs unfertilized?

[FoE]

Small reptilian humanoids. That's it.

[Assassin89]

There are two types of kolbolds: The hairy ones and the scaly ones.

For all I know, the scaly ones could just be egotistical creatures that claim descent from dragons to boost their egos.

[chiasaur11]

Your future overlords.

Sorry. Just the way it goes.

[Civil War Man]

For all I know, the scaly ones could just be egotistical creatures that claim descent from dragons to boost their egos.

They did a pretty damned good job of it, then.

[Haven]

These guys.

The latter I made my one-shot Kobold Avenger's official backstory. After that happened, he dedicated himself to Avandra, because it was such a stroke of luck.

[jmbrown]

Kobolds are diminutive bipedal canines that live in fear of an ever hungry warlord and religiously serve a cruel demon master. Their insatiable appetite and rapid breeding force them to raid human villages but their curiosity and general bad luck usually results in their hilarious deaths.

[afroakuma]

What are kobolds?

Delicious in satay. They make good nacho dip, too...

[Archpaladin Zousha]

These guys.

The latter I made my one-shot Kobold Avenger's official backstory. After that happened, he dedicated himself to Avandra, because it was such a stroke of luck.

Aww...Kobolds DO have their sensitive side after all.

[jmbrown]

Aww...Kobolds DO have their sensitive side after all.

Yes. Yes, they do.

[Sinfire Titan]

Technically, in 3.5 cannon, Kobolds are descendants of the first Green Dragon to lose true immortality. Or at least that's what Races of the Dragon says.

[Berserk Monk]

Kobold=xp fodder. This is basic gaming knowledge.

[Recaiden]

Technically, in 3.5 cannon, Kobolds are descendants of the first Green Dragon to lose true immortality. Or at least that's what Races of the Dragon says.

This, although I think it is that some were created from each of the original dragons when they became mortal.

Earlier, they were more doglike, and basically jsur another race of humanoids.

@Berserk Monk: Or your worst nightmare.

[Wind d8/d12]

Kobolds are a central european demon that it is believed came about when I child was sacrificed to the gods to protect and prosper a village. They were chosen at birth and kept alive but completely isolated until there 7, at which time they were brought before the village, bound, and killed through bloodletting.

The children sacrificed in this was were denied contact with anybody other than the mother or a wetnurse, who was forbidden from speaking to them. If they had to be moved they would be drugged and blind folded. Never allowing the child to see or hear a human was the charge of special blood-bound guards (possibly Eunuchs) on pain of death.

Also they are almost as popular as Gnomes as a PC now.

Pun-Pun is their God, as well as his own, as well as his pet.

[golentan]

Yes. Yes, they do.

"I once traveled with a kobold bard. He rhymed Sadder with Bladder and sang fondly about his navel."

Kobolds are distantly descended from dragons, and have an awesome cooperative society. They are ingenious, inventive, motivated, and more. I love kobolds.

[Trodon]

What are kobolds?

Delicious in satay. They make good nacho dip, too...

That is what I was going to say.

[Set]

What happens when mommy dragons don't have daddy dragons (or daddy humans...or elves...or... well... anything with a Y chromosome) and just lay the eggs unfertilized?

An appropriate number of Kobolds come out of the egg, with scales tinted the same color as their 'mother' and being fanatically loyal to their mother.

Male dragons can mate with anything and make 1/2 Dragon flunkies. Female dragons don't play that game (mate with a lion to make a dragonne? No thank you. Dragonesses don't bottom for food.), and instead produce litters of fanatical little dragon-dudes.

[tiercel]

What kobolds are, is an excuse for the DM to break out the ruleset on traps. Lots of traps. Bending and twisting and breaking the ruleset on traps. And pulling out d20 supplements on traps. Grimtooth's, anyone?

Actual kobolds are there to snicker at the PCs as they fall prey to the traps. Particularly vindictive kobolds may hold up big scorecard placards or offer color commentary.

... okay, seriously, in and of themselves kobolds are incredibly weak challenges for low-level PCs in a direct combat confrontation, but a fiendishly nasty challenge when utilized by a particularly evil-minded DM who likes to use numbers and ambush tactics in combination with spellcasting, alchemy, and yes traps. (Because what causes chagrin in PCs like getting pwned by kobolds? Tucker, anyone?)

[Triaxx]

Kobolds are cutprice dragons. They are to dragons as rats are to bears. Annoying and similar, but not nearly as powerful.

Unlike Dragons however, they always have the advantage of numbers or should, and thus are usually tactically superior.

[Tetsubo 57]

An appropriate number of Kobolds come out of the egg, with scales tinted the same color as their 'mother' and being fanatically loyal to their mother.

Male dragons can mate with anything and make 1/2 Dragon flunkies. Female dragons don't play that game (mate with a lion to make a dragonne? No thank you. Dragonesses don't bottom for food.), and instead produce litters of fanatical little dragon-dudes.

I've done something similar. Unfertilized eggs hatch out kobolds that are fanatically loyal to the dragon that laid the egg. Of course my dragons are hermaphrodites that can all lay unfertilized eggs. They can only lay fertilized eggs after mating with another dragon.

[MickJay]

One version I know was that Kobolds were originally associated with mines and with "switching" valuable metal ores with cobalt (hence the name) ore. So basically, they started as mischevious underground critters that pestered human miners.

In D&D, real cobolds were canine and had fur, don't let anyone tell you otherwise Those scaly critters that got popular in recent years are just impostors.

[only1doug]

One version I know was that Kobolds were originally associated with mines and with "switching" valuable metal ores with cobalt (hence the name) ore. So basically, they started as mischevious underground critters that pestered human miners.

In D&D, real cobolds were canine and had fur, don't let anyone tell you otherwise Those scaly critters that got popular in recent years are just impostors.

Yes, Cobolds are canine, Kobolds are dragonspawned... there ya go, problem solved.

[Tempest Fennac]

I really liked those cartoons, Haven. Was the 2nd one a Dwarf Fortress reference? Weren't Kobolds dog-like in earlier Editions before becoming reptillian?

[Riffington]

"I once traveled with a kobold bard. He rhymed Sadder with Bladder and sang fondly about his navel."

Kobolds are distantly descended from dragons, and have an awesome cooperative society. They are ingenious, inventive, motivated, and more. I love kobolds.

Nothing descended from a Dragon has a navel. I hope this does not ruin your love.

[jmbrown]

I really liked those cartoons, Haven. Was the 2nd one a Dwarf Fortress reference? Weren't Kobolds dog-like in earlier Editions before becoming reptillian?

Kobolds have always been described as being scaly humanoids. The confusion came from 2E where the monster manual described their appearance as being canine like and their language sounding like yelps and barks.

[Tempest Fennac]

Thanks for clarifying, JM. Regarding what Kobolds are, I tend to view them as basically being miners which are more likely to be Sorcerers while having a well ordered society (I disagree with having "usually/always alignment x" races, and I hate the idea of using specific races as cannon-fodder, so I make Kobolds stronger in games which I'm DMing).

[jmbrown]

Thanks for clarifying, JM. Regarding what Kobolds are, I tend to view them as basically being miners which are more likely to be Sorcerers while having a well ordered society (I disagree with having "usually/always alignment x" races, and I hate the idea of using specific races as cannon-fodder, so I make Kobolds stronger in games which I'm DMing).

You can blame their bad rep on The Keep on the Borderlands. It was pretty much DnD for Dummies and included a bunch of stuff that wasn't in the 1E Basic set so it basically held the DM by the hand. You come across a keep in the wilderness contested between warring tribes of goblinoids, orcs, and kobolds. The kobolds are the first monster tribe you encounter and subsequently the easiest to defeat.

Then 2nd edition came out and their description basically turned them into a joke.

[Tempest Fennac]

What was the 2nd Edition description? That module sounded a lot like Sunless Citadel by the sounds of it.

[Haven]

I really liked those cartoons, Haven. Was the 2nd one a Dwarf Fortress reference? Weren't Kobolds dog-like in earlier Editions before becoming reptillian?

They actually both were; the first one is based on a Dwarf Fortress spin-off called Kobold Camp, where the kobolds look like this.

[Tempest Fennac]

Thanks for explaining. I'm looking up information on Kobold Camp now (I consider Kobolds to be cute so I'd probably like it).