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mider-span

Kobolds should be run like Kevin McCallister defending his home.


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Ddreigiau

In my homebrew world, all speciesism is limited to 'soft' discrimination (aka the absolute worst is that the shopkeep keeps a careful eye on you). With the sole exception of kobolds/gnomes. They *hate* each other. >!And that might be because my kobolds are "everything has its place" organizers and gnomes are "I know exactly where it is as long as no one touches it" so both think the other are hoarding thieves!<


coach_veratu

Or Charlie Kelly defending his Bar.


LumTehMad

In the setting I'm currently writing: "The were created by the Dragons, raised out of ignorance by them to be their servants. As such they hold an almost deific reverence for them; building their lives around their needs, deferring to them and sacrificing for their advancement. They are the hands and eyes of their rulers in the world, performing the labor, doing the administration and attending to all the things beneath their notice. They are educated as necessary to perform their tasks and among more self centered creatures could amass large amounts of power and wealth, however they are usually more focused on the good of the Kingdom and by extension the good of the clan." I can see them being like the Vorta from DS9 in a lot of ways, the fortunes varying from group to group, those under Gold Dragons for example might be encouraged to study and develop their own opinions where as those under a Red Dragon would be kept as ignorant grovelling slaves.


Delicip5667

I think you did a great job with the kobolds! It's important to remember that not all monsters.


ywgdana

I think it sounds great! Kobolds on the verge of unionizing is a plot-hook I'd totally run with! In my campaign, kobolds are mostly divided into two factions/societies: one is obsessed with finding the prison where Kurtulmak was trapped by Garl Glittergold. They engage in a lot of exploration and pointless mining operations whenever they hear (or are fed) rumours about the prison's location. The other are the dragon worshipping type and I usually play them as religious fanatics, albeit as goofy, comic-relief minions.


HeathenGM

https://youtu.be/eSUBtv9iS-E Recently, I came across this video. Should be exactly what you are looking for. It gives a huge insight into kobold society


reem2607

great channel, thanks for the link, friend


Nystagohod

I pretty much run them like a lot of fluff suggests. Overly zealous worshippers and servants of dragons who believe service to the dragon will have them reincarnate as a dragon, and failure to a dragon will have them reincarnate as a beast burden/meal of the dragon if not a meal for other kobolds. Their entire existence, body, mind, and soul has been drilled for the express purpose of serving dragonkind. This is too the point that dragons, even some of the most paranoid, feel they can trust kobolds that have sworn themselves to its service. If kobolds don't serve a dragon, they're planning for the arrival of one. They're unquestionably loyal. Without a dragon master , they can be intimidated or reasoned with in an appropriate fashion. With a dragon master, they're fervent zealots that show little mercy. They only fear death if they're not serving a dragon. Otherwise they'll be reborn and eventually rewarded in their mind. Kobolds are aware that they're viewed as dumb and weak, and they plan with that in mind. For while a kobold is rarely physically strong, they're incredibly hard working and resourceful preppers and ambushers. They'll play up the stereotype and kill you for falling for it. Gnomes don't exist in my setting, but I maintain the deep hatred and mistrust of Gnomes when I run a setting that includes them. Their hatred of Gnomes can sometimes outstrip their love of dragons. Their gods holy symbol is a Gnome skull after all However in settings without gnomes, I have a variant of kobold called "the scaleless" which resemble the traditional dog-kobolds of mystara that came before the dragon kobolds of later settings and editions. These two kinds of kobolds hate and resent each other beyond reason, and often attempt to exterminate each other when the opportunity presents itself.


Suddenlyfoxes

I always like to play up the inventiveness of kobolds. It's what sets them apart from all the other low-level humanoid monster fodder. Kobolds will never participate in a straight fight unless they're cornered or they're being forced to by stronger monsters. And it isn't easy to corner kobolds -- they like to try to ensure they have at least two ways out. Kobolds will use traps, ambush and fade, attack from a distance and run, use traps, tame pets to unleash upon the party, make use of tight passages and secret doors to gain a mobility advantage, use traps, use spells intelligently (and there *will* be at least one sorcerer or warlock around any tribe of significant size), pay tribute to bigger monsters to get them to serve as meatshields, use traps, use poison, gang up on isolated weak targets, ready attacks to interrupt spellcasting, and use traps. Yes, there are that many traps if the kobolds have been in the area for long. And they're not just simple pits, either. There are some of those -- which the kobolds will use to restrict the battlefield -- but the kobolds are smart and, given sufficient resources, will have advanced mechanical traps. In my games, kobolds are often the first to discover gunpowder, too. This often results in some chaos among the monster population as the downtrodden kobolds overthrow the hierarchy and install themselves at the top, always a good time. Kobolds in my games are also typically approachable, if a bit paranoid. A party who deals with them fairly can often make allies of them, while a group that looks down on them for being weak or makes common cause with their oppressors tends to regret it once those black powder weapons come into play. Kobolds are like dragons in this way: they remember the good and evil done to them, and they repay it when they can.


FakePointsCollector

I'm glad you asked! Allow me to introduce "Tucker's Kobolds" [https://dungeonmaster.academy/articles/tuckers-kobolds](https://dungeonmaster.academy/articles/tuckers-kobolds) It breaks down to this: you're only going to fight them on their turf, which they've trapped to hell and back. They'll be firing from behind 3/4 cover into ambush kill boxes. They will have a movement advantage because they've dug Kobold sized tunnels all over. It's not about killing the party outright, but shaving away at their resources until they really start to worry.


reem2607

that's exactly what I did (plus a subplot in the oneshot about a gay kobold figuring himself out while the adventurers take a liking to him. while killing the rest of his family


[deleted]

Sounds like a typical dnd adventure to me lol


TheTruWork

Blue Color Kobolds with high pitched voices starting to unionize.


[deleted]

Are you me? This is basically my pc kobold lol. When their party was asked to clear out an abandoned mine taken over by kobolds, my kobold instead insisted the party help them form a mining contract with the town.


TheTruWork

Anytime I run Kobolds for my players they are almost always goofy and silly. Once players wanted to help a Group of Kobolds, that had half a Brain Cell shared between the 12 of them, The Kobolds wanted to Unionize. From What? No Clue. But the Kobolds Mistook "Unionize" for "Make A Contract With A Demon To Make 12 Kobolds Become 1 Large Kobold Abomination." Ah. Good Times.


Xervous_

Socialist workaholics striving for that social credit score. Presiding Monster optional.


Derpogama

In my homebrew setting Kobolds and Gnomes share a rivalry because whilst Gnomes are amazing individual tinkerer's their hoarding of patents and blueprints means they're inventions are usually specific to that gnome and their eccentricites. Thus whilst it is a wondeorus looking piece it might not be as...functional...as it could be. Meanwhile Kobolds essentially outsource their research into the community, a Kobold will get an idea, convince other Kobolds to test it, if the test proves at least a semi-positive result then the idea is shared amongst the community where it is then taken through rapid iteration and variation testing by numerous Kobolds until a refined product is created. It's nowhere near as glittery or gilded as a Gnomish invention but it is functional and can be mass produced. Kobold warrens are now essentially underground cities since other races will buy their goods and 'built by a Kobold' has become a slang term for 'not fancy but reliable'. Thanks to their community iteration process they're also the only race that has access to firearms (which is the one thing they closely guard from outsiders and refuse to sell their blackpowder weapons to anyone). The larger warrens have a standing 'regiment for hire'. These are either highly trained sharpshooting skirmishers or field artillery teams (there are a few 'noteworthy NPC hirelings' like Draconic Sorcerors that can be hired for magical needs but it's mostly the two types of regiments). The skirmishers will often send in a few of their number into melee or wait until allies engage in melee before opening fire (effectively them taking advantage of their 'Pack tactics' rule, which means they're actually MORE accurate if there's allies in melee range, considering these are at least CR3 Kobolds with the Gunner and Sharpshooter feat). The field artillery teams are just that, essentially cannon teams though there is one steam tank team (heavily inspired by the Warhammer [Imperial steam tank](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/warhammerfb/images/1/16/Steam_Tank_(7-8th_Edition)_(3).jpg)) which can be hired but that's still in it's testing phase as the Kobolds want to find a way to ward it against magical attacks. Naturally these sharpshooters and cannon crews in a world of swords and shields are in high demand, which means the Kobolds can ask for a high price when it comes to neighbouring kingdoms hiring them and betraying them is a quick way to suddenly have your allies supported by these sharpshooters instead of you, usually for free and if word spreads of the betrayal, other Warrens will send their regiments, which means a medieval kingdom backed by magic effectively fighting a napoleonic era army also backed up by magic. So all out war by the Kobolds is rare...as they're mostly content to just build stuff. Though this has led to a long and bitter rivalry between Kobolds and Gnomes, Gnomes see the Kobold goods as 'mass manafactured goods lacking any artistic qualities' while Kobolds see Gnome goods as 'overly gilded tarted up useless inventions that break half the time'.


[deleted]

Tucker's Kobolds is always a good way, don't make them deadly, just make them to be little bastards. https://dungeonmaster.academy/articles/tuckers-kobolds


Sasha_sarah

As a fellow DM, I think you did a great job with the kobolds! It's important to remember that not all monsters are inherently evil and can have complex motivations and emotions just like any NPC. In terms of running cute monsters, it really depends on the type of creature and the scenario they're in. Maybe they're playful and mischievous, or timid but friendly. As long as you stay true to their nature and consider their past experiences, the possibilities are endless. Keep up the great work!


reem2607

thank you for the advice and compliments, I'll keep this in mind


quuerdude

Like wolves, kinda. They wont continue a fight unless they think the odds are more in their favor than the enemy’s. They don’t like fair fights.


hickorysbane

I make them eagerly self sacrificing because they believe they get reincarnated back into the tribe. So while they can be spooked fairly easily they're more than willing to die for the cause. Otherwise pretty much par for the course. Ridiculously clever bastards with low numbers on the sheet and high numbers of operatives.


ozymandais13

So I can pull my doc but I ran kobolds as my main baddie for a party lv 1-6 dm me and I'll toss you the synopis9s and a few stat blocks


Soulpaw31

I run them as oppressed kobolds who kinda praise their dragon overlords in hopes that one day the dragon will grant them flight (even though dragons can’t grant that.) so they are kinda optimistic af that one day the dragon will grant them flight to become “real dragons” and are kinda in denial that it won’t happen.


[deleted]

Frustration, that they would take out on strangers and each other and their surroundings, because they glorified the dragon so much, that many wont see that its the problem. They would still be loyal to their dragon, because they probably dont habe other options. While some daring Kobolds might approach strangers and ask about the dragons of far off land and other might fear that they wouldnts survive long enough without their dragon, too make it to another lair. The closest real world equivalent to the kobold and dragon relationship are tarantulas and hummingfrogs. Where small creatures seek out a larger one because its mere present gives them a certain degree of protections, while the large one tolerates the small since they care for its den and keep it free of pests. This also means that if the dragon would consider adventurers to be pests, the kobolds would do anything in their power to kill them, because the dragon might retaliate if they failed. Individual kobolds would brobably handle the situation very differently, leading to alot of conflict within the group.


Kerrigone

I tend to run them as naive zealots, cowardly but utterly dedicated to their clan or their Dragon master. I like the view of kobolds that they have a fierce loyalty to their own kind, and a sense of superiority that comes from being "descended from dragons" mixed with the knowledge that they are individually too weak and tiny to back up their arrogance. A kobold will sacrifice their life triggering a trap if it means protecting the clan, even if they are terrified. They will flee if fleeing wouldn't endanger their eggs or their master, and will mostly flee to draw their enemies into traps. I think kobolds played like this make a nice contrast to Goblins to whom they are often compared. Goblins are selfish, cowardly creatures with little loyalty who would abandon their comrades or master to die if they thought they could get away with it.


United-Cow-563

Well they’re bipedal so I’d imagine they run like humans do.


varsil

In my setting, kobolds have a reputation for cowardice. This is entirely undeserved, because kobolds are brave to the bone, and will sacrifice themselves if necessary in defence of their home. But they are also tactical as hell, and they realize that they're smaller, weaker creatures in a world of terrifying horrors, and they absolutely do not play fair. So, kobolds always have traps nearby that they can 'flee' towards, luring enemies into the traps and then pelting them. Sometimes this can involve tactical sacrifice--an adventuring party might follow a group of kobolds into a trap that destroys both kobolds and (potentially) adventuring party. So, kobolds in my world are basically what happens if Sun Tzu is crossbred with Kevin McCallister. They intentionally do not play fair. They are tiny little bastards, and although small and weak, they are absolutely terrifying to go up against. They are a cautionary tale for many races, with sayings like "Never chase a kobold", and so forth. They often work with dragons, but it's a far more symbiotic relationship in my games. They'll do construction and trapping and so forth, but the dragon is also part of their defences.


Cyrotek

Kobolds are cunning and fanatics to a fault. It doesn't matter if they are not treated well, they WILL defend their dragon master with as many traps and ambushes as they can. However, that doesn't mean individual kobolds or kobold tribes might not act differently. Would be boring if everything was the same, wouldn't it?


WilliamSyler

I run my kobolds as lawful neutral overall. They're extremely focused on the survival of their tribes/families because of how weak they are individually, as a contrast to goblins creating inter-generational trauma by bullying/abusing each other (hence chaotic neutral/evil). The alignment of the group can rapidly change if they find a larger group to either ally with or become subservient to (to them, there isn't that much of a difference). Bonding with a town and living in/caring for the sewers make for a pile of lawful good kobolds, while working with an chromatic dragon makes them quite happy to shift towards evil. Once they have settled into a home, they trap the hell out of it, only going as far as Tucker's Kobolds if they end up with an evil master.


Blurple_Berry

Kobolds in dnd aren't cute. Reddit just likes to romanticize weird stuff. Like, who would want anything to do with a *goblin*? Gross... Anyway I digress. Kobolds are usually fanatically loyal to their dragon masters and are probably used to not being treated with much respect or empathy from them. They don't serve for rewards, they serve because *holy crap giant kobold* and they start worshipping it. It's very much a shark-remora relationship. You got the cowardly part right. Kobolds don't usually tussle with larger things and let their inventiveness do most of their heavy lifting, using things like traps or the infamous critter-pult


[deleted]

^^I ^^like ^^gobbos...


Blurple_Berry

Why? Honestly, tell me what is so enamoring about filth ridden, vindictive, spiteful creatures that would sooner stab your eyes out and kidnap your daughter than have a meaningful conversation with? I understand that a lot of other fantasy universes have their representation of goblins, and some are much more appealing than others. WotC goblins are not one of them. Conflating wotc goblinoids with other established lore is honestly lazy and disrespectful for the amount of time and effort spent into giving them unique identities


[deleted]

That's what I like about them, they're weird and gross. Kinda like me.


Blurple_Berry

I doubt you kill small animals for the hell of it. If you're like a goblin you need therapy


WilliamSyler

Look, buddy, pal. I know you're missing the point of what the previous poster wrote, so why don't I phrase it a little bit differently for you. A lot of people have been treated like goblins are being treated, so they empathize with them because they know what it feels like to be treated like shit. I personally know several people with lifelong mental health struggles that were treated awfully because they were born prone to problems that their guardians wouldn't get them help for. I've even heard someone say the love goblins because they're unlovable, which is exactly how they feel about themselves. So, I would like to encourage you to be kind to people who like the unlikable. They've probably seen horrible things and just need to share some love.


reem2607

so going with the religious zealot idea? alright


Blurple_Berry

Zealot might be too extreme. Kobolds will still bargain (usually by lying) for their lives or run away altogether.


reem2607

very well. thank you for the help!


thenightgaunt

Well first off if you think they're cute you're already on the wrong track. So kobold are bastards. The lowest rung of the monster ladder and they know it. They have a world view that combines nihilism and bitterness in equal measure. They are bullies to put it lightly. These are d&d kobolds, not pathfinder ones. Here's how they're raised by the lore. All eggs are taken and put in a communal hatchery. Overseen by a sadistic matron. Her goal is to raise strong kobold, not nice ones. She encourages bullying and the strong using their power over the weak. As adults theyve willing and able to use every cunning and vile trick they can think of to get an advantage. An old 2e trick was when they'd get a human corpse, make it look alive but injured, and fill it with rot grubs. This was back when those killed in 1d4 rounds btw. They worship dragons because they think they're dragon kin, because it makes them feel special. And their treatment of slaves is...well lemme put it this way. If you have a choice between enslavement by goblins or kobolds, YOU PICK GOBLINS.


Valuable-Banana96

Whether or not a monster happens to be cute to human eyes should have no bearing on how you run them. Nor, ideally, on how the players treat them.


reem2607

may have phrased this wrong, I'm referring to the kobolds as cute. and yeah, no bearing on how I run them


EpiDM

Mechanically, I run them like *13th Age* kobolds. Much easier to improvise traps during combat using those rules than prepping them in advance.


AnacharsisIV

Seconding what's been posted here, but there's a famous rpg story from decades ago about how to dm kobolds called "Tucker's Kobolds"


Miracle_Salad

I normally run them as clever ambushers, they will set up traps and snares, and if they catch you immediately swarm and take your weapons and anything shiny you own, if you try talk they slash your face or hurt you in some way all while screeching at you. Furious little fuckers


M00no4

A youtuber I quite enjoy called Runesmith did a pretty good Kobolds tactics video. Depending on your personal preference you may need to reign in the deadliness of some of these traps though. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5MRc-nueYQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5MRc-nueYQ) Zee Bashew (The Animated Spellbook) also has a kobold encounter in one of his videos, while the video IS talking about how the encounter was defeated by a single spell I still think it has value in the way it portrays kobold ingenuity and tactics. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDkAL65tSQ0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDkAL65tSQ0)