D&D General Dragonborn as Kobolds: Yea or Nay?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

It was 3e that fully pivoted to small dragonfolk kobolds. But they weren’t exactly dog-people before that. Dog noses were the only dog feature explicitly mentioned in their description, and IIRC there was a module that described them barking or maybe yipping. But they also had scales and rat-like tails. So, up until the 3e redesign made them into dragon-people, they were not fully dog-people, dragon-people or rat-people or anything like that. Just a fully unique creature with a strange mishmash of features.

Yeah, the fantastic two-page illustration of them in the 1E Rogues Gallery from 1980 (we're missing seeing the human spellcaster responsible for the fireball (?) hitting the kobold) makes it clear they're kind of their own thing.

 

[Epic Meepo]

Actually, 3e was were kobolds became draconic. I know people love to hate 4e, but it's boring when people blame everything they don't like from any edition to 4e...

Anyways, draconic kobolds rulz. They are better than the doggers.

Hmm. Maybe kobolds as a group are becoming slowly more draconic over time. Early kobolds were dog-faced people. Modern kobolds are more dragon-like. And dragonborn are the next evolution of kobolds.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Hmm. Maybe kobolds as a group are becoming slowly more draconic over time. Early kobolds were dog-faced people. Modern kobolds are more dragon-like. And dragonborn are the next evolution of kobolds.

Someone -- maybe the Cult of Tiamat -- doing this to the kobolds is a great way to unify all the different depictions of them over the decades and provide a cool kobold-specific metaplot.

 

[Corinnguard]

Would making every dragonborn a powered-up kobold detract from the fantasy of playing a dragonborn?

Maybe. If they were written up to be something like the Tatsumi species in Ryoko's Guide to the Yokai Realms, it could work. The Tatsumi species is dimorphic with one half of the race being the Koi-like Nishikin and the other half resembling an Asian version of the Dragonborn, the Ryujin. During a moment of life-changing significance such as achieving a lifelong goal, a moment of epiphany or a tragedy, a Nishikin will transform into a Ryujin over the course of a night/Long Rest.

I am okay with this idea. It is a multiverse out there.

 

[Corinnguard]

Since Kobolds are now of the Dragon type in 2024D&D, will the Dragonborn likewise be reclassified as Dragons?

 

[Ruin Explorer]

As a kobold fan, I think this makes perfect sense. Dragonborn could be kobolds that had gotten some sort of power-up, either from a dragon or a ritual spell cast by a bunch of kobold spellcasters.

Yeah exactly - it could even be a kind of "don't feed them after midnight" kind of deal, or like, what happens if a kobold eats dragon flesh or something.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Since Kobolds are now of the Dragon type in 2024D&D, will the Dragonborn likewise be reclassified as Dragons?

Given that they made Gith into Aberrations, when they share basically no characteristics with other Aberrations, just some history, it seems like they really should.

(Honestly the refusal to dual-type species and monsters in 5E mystifies the hell out of me - you can just do it, and it doesn't even break anything!)

 

[Sacrosanct]

It was 3e that fully pivoted to small dragonfolk kobolds. But they weren’t exactly dog-people before that. Dog noses were the only dog feature explicitly mentioned in their description, and IIRC there was a module that described them barking or maybe yipping. But they also had scales and rat-like tails. So, up until the 3e redesign made them into dragon-people, they were not fully dog-people, dragon-people or rat-people or anything like that. Just a fully unique creature with a strange mishmash of features.

And they laid eggs and had scaly skin. Kobolds have been more draconic than dog-like since day 1. As you mention, somewhere they were described as "yipping" or "barking" and an artist took that to mean dog-like when they were never meant to be so.

Doesn't matter what the MM book description says though, over the years people will die on the hill that kobolds in 1e were dog-men. Like arguing if pineapple belongs on pizza.

 

[Charlaquin]

And they laid eggs and had scaly skin. Kobolds have been more draconic than dog-like since day 1. As you mention, somewhere they were described as "yipping" or "barking" and an artist took that to mean dog-like when they were never meant to be so.

I seem to also recall that there were a lot of miscommunications between EGG and his artist(s?). I believe the dog noses was a result of Garry trying to express that they had snouts and the artist taking “dog noses” very literally. Same as the bugbear with a literal pumpkin for a head.

Doesn't matter what the MM book description says though, over the years people will die on the hill that kobolds in 1e were dog-men. Like arguing if pineapple belongs on pizza.

It’s interesting how much that idea of kobolds as dog men stuck, even cross-culturally, hence why we’ve now got straight-up anthro dogs in Dungeon Meshi.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

I applaud the effort to be inclusive toward newer options, but it really isn't for me.