FREQUENCY: Uncommon

FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Dungeon Level I])

FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Cold Wilderness Forest])
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Cold Wilderness Mountains], [Cold Wilderness Hills], [Cold Wilderness Swamp])

FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Temperate Wilderness Forest])
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Temperate Wilderness Mountains], [Temperate Wilderness Hills], [Temperate Wilderness Swamp])

FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Tropical Wilderness Forest])
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Tropical Wilderness Mountains], [Tropical Wilderness Hills], [Tropical Wilderness Swamp])

NO. APPEARING: 40-400
ARMOR CLASS: 7 (6)
MOVE: 6"
HIT DICE: 1-4 HP
Yo IN LAIR: 40% (120 Kobolds: ancient forest, TPL30:5th, REF3.43)
TREASURE TYPE: Individuals [J], [O], [Q] (X5) in lair
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 <note>
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4 (1-6) or by weapon ~ 20n
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
STRENGTH: 9
INTELLIGENCE: Average - low
ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil
SIZE: S (3'tall)
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: 5 + 1
DEITY: Kurtulmak

The society of these creatures is tribal with war bands based on gens.
The stronger tribes rule weaker ones.
Kobolds are usually found in dank, dark places such as dismal overgrown forests || subterranean settings.
They hate bright sunlight, not being able to see well in it, but their night vision is excellent, and they have infra-red vision which operates well up to 60'.
If they are in bright sunlight they have a lesser chance to fight well (-1 from dice rolls to hit opponents).

For every 40 kobolds encountered there will be a leader and 2 guards who are equal to goblins, each having 4 hit points, armor class 6, and doing 1-6 points of damage.
<>

If 200 or more kobolds are encountered in
their lair there will be the following additional creatures there: 5-20
guards (as bodyguards above), females equal to 50% of the total number,
young equal to 10% of the total number, and 30-300 eggs. There will
always be a chief and his bodyguard in the kobold lair. It is also probable
(65%) that there will be from 2-5 wild boars (70%) or 1-4 giant weasels
(30%) in a kobold lair; the animals will serve as guards.

A force of kobolds is typically equipped as follows:
 

01-05	short sword and javelin	5%
06-15	short sword && spear	10%
16-25	short sword	10%
26-45	axe <hand axe>	20%
46-75	spiked wooden club <equiv. to morning star>	30%
76-90	javelins (2-3)	15%
91-00	spear	10%

<18 kobolds, example Arms & Armor>

Chief && guard types always have the best available weapons.
All kobold shields are of wood or wickerwork.

Kobolds hate most other life, delighting in killing and torture.
They particularly hate such creatures as brownies, pixies, sprites and gnomes.
They war continually with the latter, and will attack them on sight.

In addition to the tongues of lawful evil and kobolds, these monsters can
usually (75%) speak goblin and orcish.

Description: The hide of kobolds runs from very dark rusty brawn to a rusty black.
They have no hair.
Their eyes are reddish and their small horns are tan to white.
They favor red or orange garb.
Kobolds live for up to 135 years.

Tribal Spell Casters : Shamen (C5 maximum) OR witch doctors (C5 / MU2 maximum). Not recommended for random encounters.

Young kobolds (kobold cubs): AC 10; MV 6”;
HD 1/3; hp 1 each; #AT 0; D nil (A4)
 

Zudrak wrote:
Col_Pladoh wrote:

...

To put it into game terms:
There's a reason kobolds and other goblinoids seek out commoners and not adventurers, right?
 

Indeed, the population of border areas is likely better able to defend themselves than are those not used to criminal incursions, doubly so if the population is denied weapons for self-defence.
After wll, the Watch cannot be everywhere.

Cheers,
Gary

Yes indeed, even a kobold leader can be quite a challenge for a low-level PC, and en mass a well-organized band of the little humanoids can wipe out the careless adventuring party 

Cheers,
Gary
 
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Henry
...And to answer my burning question... scaly, or hairy?
Heh...
 

I thought of kobolds as humanoid, but with green complexion due to their forest habitat and skin that was rough and scaly even though they were mammalian.

What your kobolds have in the way of skin texture can be quite different 

cheers,
Gary
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by mythusmage
I figured some kobolds had algae growing in their fur.

Well...

In the dark, damp forests, that could well be moss, as is seen on the backs of sole old snapping turtles

Heh,
Gary
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gray Mouser
Heh, OK, last question for the night

With all the talk about Kobalds recently, I got to wondering if you specifically visualized them as dog-like. The picture in the monster manual appears that way, but I don't recall it being specified as such. The kobalds in The Keep on the Borderlands, however, are referred to as "dog-men", and I seem to remember an Erol Otus picture in a module where they appear somewhat canine (although I can't recall the module off hand). Anyway, was the dog-like appearance something you thought of or simply the result of the Monster Manual artist's (DCS, wasn't it?) imagination?

Gray Mouser
 

It was indeed Dave sutherland that decided to give the kobolds a dog-like visage, likely because I had described gnolls as hyena-like.
I had actually originally envisaged them as more impish ot countenence, but I went along with the depiction, as it made no difference to the game's play.

Kobolds in the Lejendary Adventure game are very different, and very potent as either Avatars or non-avatars opposing the player team.

Cheers,
Gary
 

Right about the kobolds.
they are Germanic forest and mine "spirits," that is goblinesque creatures.
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank Mentzer
This has certainly been asked before, but...

In AD&D, why are kobolds "giant class"?

F

How amusing....

All giants are humanoids, and as such they are kin to the smallest of the specias, the kobolds, goblins, hobgoblins, gnolls, bugbears, ogres, and so on up the line

Later mate!
Gary

I would not use minus HPs for kobolds, rather d4.
That allows them better attack capacity while maintaining them as relatively fragile opponents.

Quote:
Originally Posted by JMac5892
Thanks -- yep, I'm not thinking of these as hard rules, but rather guidelines to keep in mind as I consider each monster individually.

As for kobolds (and goblins), treating them as 1 HD monsters for attack purposes will give them a whole new dimension... 

Yes.

And as we are in agreement here you too must be a gaming genius! 

Cheerio,
Gary
 

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