Kobold (Dungeons & Dragons)
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| Kobold | |
|---|---|
 An illustration of two kobolds | |
| First appearance | Dungeons & Dragons (1974) |
| Based on | Kobold (Sprite in German folklore) |
| In-universe information | |
| Type | Humanoid |
| Alignment | Usually Lawful Evil |
Kobolds are a fictional species featured in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, generally depicted as small reptilian humanoids, sometimes displaying doglike or ratlike characteristics.
Publication History
Kobolds appeared as monsters in the 1971 wargame Chainmail, as part of Gary Gygax's "fantasy supplement" inspired by The Hobbit and other fantasy novels.[1] Gygax later expanded this supplement into the first edition of Dungeons & Dragons (1974), where kobolds appear again. In these early appearances, they are only described as creatures similar to goblins.[2]
Kobolds were first depicted as scaly reptilian humanoids in Gygax's Monster Manual (1977) for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, which describes them as aggressive, tribal creatures living in dark forests or subterranean settings.[3] They are similarly depicted in later editions of the game.
Some game books, such as Races of the Dragon (2006) written for the 3.5 edition, suggest that kobolds are biologically related to dragons, and view them as an object of worship and servitude.[4]
Reception
Screen Rant compiled a list of the game's "10 Most Powerful (And 10 Weakest) Monsters, Ranked" in 2018, calling this one of the weakest, saying "When a dungeon master has run several low-level Dungeons & Dragons adventures, they will inevitably grow weary of using the same creatures from before and will want to shake things up. That's the moment when they prepare to paint over the serial numbers and replace the goblins with kobolds."[5]
References
- ^ Gygax, Gary; Peren, Jeff (1972). Chainmail: Rules for Medieval Miniatures (PDF) (2nd ed.). Guidon Games. pp. 25–32.
[W]e are including a brief set of rules which will allow the medieval miniatures wargamer to [...] refight the epic struggles related by J. R. R. Tolkien, Robert E. Howard, and other fantasy writers.
- ^ Gygax, Gary; Arneson, Dave (1974). Dungeons & Dragons: Single Volume Edition (PDF). Tactical Study Rules. p. 49.
Treat these monsters as if they were Goblins except that they will take from 1-3 hits (roll a six-sided die with a 1 or 3 equalling 1 hit, a 3 or 4 equalling 2 hits, etc.).
- ^ Gygax, Gary (1979). Monster Manual (PDF). TSR Games. p. 58. ISBN 0-935696-00-8.
The hide of kabolds runs from very dark rusty brawn to a rusty black. They have no hair. Their eyes are reddish and their small horns are tan to white. They favor red or orange garb. Kobolds live for up to 135 years.
- ^ Kestrel, Gwendolyn F.M.; Wilkes, Jennifer Clarke; Liquette, Kolja Raven (2006). Races of the Dragon (PDF). Wizards of the Coast. p. 48. ISBN 0-7869-3913-3.
The body and soul of any kobold is dedicated to dragons, whether literally or figuratively. Kobolds search for the dragon in themselves, and they pledge themselves to the dragon in their rites of passage. In the presence of an actual dragon, kobolds are servile, doing anything required of them. Kobolds see dragons as older and wiser kin and cultural heroes.
- ^ "Dungeons & Dragons: 10 Most Powerful (And 10 Weakest) Monsters, Ranked". ScreenRant. May 20, 2018.
Further reading
- Hergenrader, Trent (2019). Collaborative Worldbuilding for Writers and Gamers. Bloomsbury Academic. pp. 95–98. ISBN 978-1-3500-1667-5.
- Greenwood, Ed (1995). "Elminster's Notebook". Dragon. #216. TSR.
- Holian, Gary, Erik Mona, Sean K Reynolds, and Frederick Weining. Living Greyhawk Gazetteer. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2000.
- Sargent, Carl. Monster Mythology. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1992.