Kobolds - update 20/01/ - Guards!

[Schrumpfkopf]

I am planning a little range of Kobolds and the one thing I am struggling with is to find proper allied creatures. We were pondering with giant rats, bugs that can be herded into battle and such, but none of it felt quite right.

Does anyone here have a good idea?

[JollyBob]

Kobolds are mine goblins, right? 

So a tunnelling creature, maybe some kind of battle-mole? Those ones with the star shaped noses would look freaky, or the naked mole-rat....

Big hands and gnashy teeth!

[Khadrin Stonetooth]

If I remember well when described in Dee and Dee Kobolds had wild boars if living in dark forests or giant weasels if living in subterranean settings.

[PhilH]

Beetles sound good, especially the rhino versions. Or cockroaches too?

[Skyven]

Rock eating worms and mobile, exploding, poison fungi. And slime molds and giant woodlice (trilobites).

[Cubs]

Salamanders!

[Diablo Jon]

Early D&D they were yappy dog men so perhaps something canine. I noticed the more modern D&D incarnations of Kobolds are Lizard/draconian types like so maybe a big old dragon  or some drakes.

[Vermis]

Huge cave cockroaches, feasting on enormous piles of bat shit and any creature that falls dead to the cave floor. Or any creature unlucky enough to fall to the floor and succumb to the toxic gasses emanating from the generations-old heaps of effluence.

And that's before you fantasy it up.

[Khadrin Stonetooth]

Sorry Diablo Jon but they always been described as reptilian even in D&D 1st ed. They were described as scaly and laying eggs.

[Hobgoblin]

Sorry Diablo Jon but they always been described as reptilian even in D&D 1st ed. They were described as scaly and laying eggs.

I don't think that's quite right. In the first edition of D&D, the only description is "Treat these monsters as if they were Goblins except that they will take from 1-3 hits". And in Chainmail, on which D&D was built, they seem to be the same thing as Goblins (which, etymologically, makes sense).

All the scaly, egg-laying stuff came later, I think - as did the resemblance to dogs.

[Khadrin Stonetooth]

Never played Chainmal (to me it's not D&D but its father ) but in the monster manual 1st ed they are. Well anyway, that's not really an issue. Let's go back to Schrumpfkopf's request.

[Hobgoblin]

Never played Chainmal (to me it's not D&D but its father ) but in the monster manual 1st ed they are. Well anyway, that's not really an issue. Let's go back to Schrumpfkopf's request.

Nor me! Yes, I think it's AD&D where the doggish/reptile thing comes in. In the illustrations to first-edition D&D, a goblin has a long beard (and why not?) as does an elf, a gnoll has no resemblance to a hyena and an orc is devoid of any porcine features.

Yes, indeed: how about some blind - indeed eyeless - albino trolls that have evolved that way at the roots of the mountains and which are quadrupedal for the most part? I imagine the kobolds prodding them into battle with pointed implements. Also, giant grubs!

[Diablo Jon]

Sorry Diablo Jon but they always been described as reptilian even in D&D 1st ed. They were described as scaly and laying eggs.

Dungeons and Dragons red book Dungeon Masters guide circa 83 (OK not the earliest reference)

These small, evil doglike humanoids.

AD&D 2nd edition complete book of humanoids

they have two small horns atop their dog like heads

also

dog-like voices

you can see why I might have thought they were dog like  

As an aside the second book mentioned has kobold characters down as having non-weapon proficiencies for animal training giant weasel and animal training wild boar...

[Schrumpfkopf]

Thanks for the fantastic feedback. To me Kobolds are cold blooded creatures and the similarities to dogs are mere coincidence.
That said am I not particulary keen on fiding something that comes from the same gene-pool.
I think rather large insects fit the bill. A proper Centipede comes to mind.

Anyway - thanks again. It's interesting to see the development of the Kobolds.

[Timbor]

I think something like a pillbug would be awesome as a mount, or a warbeast...