#I needed an excuse to infodump about revamping kobold lore so thank you

[uhohitsdorian]

what exactly is a kobold

That’s a good question! As far as 5E is concerned, they’re small draconic creatures that are typically quite cowardly, unintelligent, and far more formidable together than alone. I think older editions and/or other systems posited that they were more dog-like (which is the kind I’ve drawn in the past, since my friend playing the character specified it so) - I’m not exactly sure on where that take originates but I’ve definitely seen it around enough to know it was established lore at some point. They’re typical low-level XP fodder found in dungeons, usually playing goons for a more powerful being that ends up being the final dungeon boss.

However, if you wanted my personal favourite lore (the exact origin of which I cannot remember but I’m not about to take credit for it), I like to define a kobold as any organic creature given sapience (and sometimes otherwise modified) to serve a specific master and/or purpose. This opens the possibilities for kobolds based on any kind of animal, including the established lizard- and dog-based ones, but also non-beast creatures that are still harmless enough to be co-opted this way without their creator having to worry about giving intelligence to something with far too much potential to subsequently control. It also makes sense then that they’re only given enough intelligence to be able to fulfil whatever purpose they were created for (very commonly mindless grunt work) and that they tend to be tight-knit and efficient team-workers. I think there’s endless flavour to be had here whilst also uniting the various extant kobolds under a single concept and statblock (with room for minor variation) in a way that actually makes sense.

Ultimately though kobolds are just little guys

#Asks #Kobolds #Bumbles #I think this may be the first ask this blog has ever received #I needed an excuse to infodump about revamping kobold lore so thank you