Dragon's-Eye View - Reimagining Kobolds

[Mon]

I always imagined D&D Kobolds to be kinda like humanoid versions of Sam:
Sam 1
Sam 2
Sam 3

As opposed to mythological kobolds which are blue-skinned gnomes with slouch hats, kinda like ugly, michevious smurfs.

 

[the Jester]

I think Jon's way off in left field for this one.

- no prehensile tail. These are not phanatons.
- leaving the yapping language, it fits their small size
- leave any draconic connections up to DMs/campaign worlds. Possibly mention it, but I'd like to see some variations as well, perhaps them being starspawn (The platapus of humanoids?) or a fiendish humanoid offshoot.
- They don't need to be great tailors or master smiths to make traps. These are entities that prefer to quickly cobble together traps rather than spend a lot of time fashioning quality items; their clothes are tacky, for example, because perhaps they divvy up the scraps of victims they slew with a scorpion-on-stick trap, instead of taking the time to build a loom...

I am totally in agreement with you. The article pushes kobolds well away from what they have traditionally been, and I'm not in favor of any of his changes.

 

[Sunseeker]

I always imagined D&D Kobolds to be kinda like humanoid versions of Sam:
Sam 1
Sam 2
Sam 3

As opposed to mythological kobolds which are blue-skinned gnomes with slouch hats, kinda like ugly, michevious smurfs.

Now there's a Kobold design I can get behind.

 

[LightPhoenix]

If anything, I would move Kobolds slightly in the other direction. That is to say, move them farther away from semi-civilized towards animalistic:

• Limited intelligence. Smarter than an animal like a dog, but not on par with any humanoid species.
• Yapping communication, but not really complex enough to be a full language.
• Rudimentary trap-making skills; maybe they dig pits, maybe a drop trap or snare. Very little that isn't manually activated.
• Limited simple tool-use. More than a raven, but again not on par with humanoids. Spears and knives would be appropriate.
• No worshiping dragons. No worship period. They might be trained by dragons, or fear them.
• No clothes, because animals don't really think about clothes.
• I don't have a preference for prehensile tails, but generally I'd go with no.

 

[Stormonu]

Nah, I want my Tucker's Kobolds - smart enough to build rudimentary stone traps (or conniving enough to take over a dwarven or gnomish stronghold and lace it with traps), use arrow slits and the like. Capable of wearing armor but shying from the "heavy stuff" like plate (slows 'em down too much when they inevitably need to run away) - probably preferring untanned leather hides or chain mail stolen from (gnomish) victims.

I could do without the dragon worship, though - maybe idolize them like any other creature stronger than they are, but not seeking them out for worship. However, Kurtulmak has long been part of the lore, so I'm not against any form of worship.

 

[Klaus]

I always imagined D&D Kobolds to be kinda like humanoid versions of Sam:
Sam 1
Sam 2
Sam 3

As opposed to mythological kobolds which are blue-skinned gnomes with slouch hats, kinda like ugly, michevious smurfs.

Your first picture is the same picture I used for reference on my kobold concept art, posted upthread.

 

[Klaus]

I DON'T see an issue with clever trap-builders who don't make good clothes or accessories. What, just because I can build a car from scratch must mean that I also have lovely couture? It speaks to their psychology: they're not well-dressed not because they COULDN'T be, but because they don't value it. They value making blundering idiots impale themselves on nefariously designed traps.

Jon clarified in the article's comments that he didn't mean high cuture, but that he would like for the clothes to reflect the kobold's place in their society (a kobold who works with mechanical traps would dress differently than one who relies on living traps, like scorpions or spiders, for instance).

 

[Sunseeker]

Jon clarified in the article's comments that he didn't mean high cuture, but that he would like for the clothes to reflect the kobold's place in their society (a kobold who works with mechanical traps would dress differently than one who relies on living traps, like scorpions or spiders, for instance).

I never quite pictured kobolds as having that much of an organized society. I was generally under the impression that there was a leader...who led because he happened to be slightly smarter or stronger than everyone else. Beyond that I never really considered kobolds to have any further social organization.

 

[Cleon]

I never quite pictured kobolds as having that much of an organized society. I was generally under the impression that there was a leader...who led because he happened to be slightly smarter or stronger than everyone else. Beyond that I never really considered kobolds to have any further social organization.

Contrariwise, kobolds are the smallest and weakest of the humanoid races. Having a well organized society is one of the ways they can ensure their survival and freedom in the face of orc slavers and ravenous bugbears.

Besides, Tucker's Kobolds wouldn't work so well without tightly disciplined small-unit tactics.

I'd also require them to be superb miners.

 

[Quickleaf]

I think hands-down the best artist out there for humanoid monsters is Mike Wilson (http://www.mikewilsonart.com/).

Here are his kobolds:

Personally, I would have kept just a bit of the crocodile aspect from 3e/4e because it really fits their ridiculous but dangerous look, and maybe combined a bit of Gary's original concept (which I think are kinda embodied in Pathfinder's "Mites"). But otherwise I think Mike hit the nail on the head with his old school design.

Oh, and I agree with the sentiments of others that Jon Schindehette is off base with tailor kobolds, prehensile tails, and dragon soul infusion. Normally I like Jon's perspective, but with kobolds I'd leave well enough alone.

For some other humanoids Mike Wilson has done check out this thread, and scroll toward the bottom: http://www.goodman-games.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=5273&start=0