The Truth About Kobolds, the Worshipers of Monstrosities

Kobolds are a staple of TTRPGs. They can be found in Dungeons and Dragons and Pathfinder as well as other fantasy media. Some depict Kobolds as tiny dragon-like creatures, others are more dog-like as seen in Delicious in Dungeon. The word Kobold likely comes from German folk-lore where the beasts are similar to house elves in English folk-lore. They help around the farm and house, but want to be fed and can be mischievous at times. Which can easily link the dog-like depictions. Dogs are often helpful on farms, but must be fed and can get into trouble on occasion. The description of aiding lends itself to the depictions of worshipers, which I think leads us to how they eventually wound up as helpers of giant monsters.

Along the Leyline takes the lore one step further. Kobolds can change to be like the ones they serve. They are not static in form, but morph and mutate to become like their masters. For this reason, when you play as a Kobold, you can choose a species trait from any other species. This makes Kobolds an incredibly flexible species.

Example Encounter

Intro

Iota rushes into town. The night fresh and cool. His sweat matting his face. A cold sweat. He screams and hollers waking the town. “Come quick, come quick!” He shouts in frantic spurts. Folks pour out of their houses to see what the fuss is about. Ulga the Innkeeper slaps him across the face. “Calm down Iota! Why are you disturbing the whole town at such an hour?” Iota shudders and regains composure. Then he begins to tell the small crowd his tale of woe. “The sun was low on the horizon when two, no three forms made their way out of the forest. They was poking out cautiously. I think they was comin’ to look at the land. To see what they could steal for their master. Their bodies. Their mangled forms. They had to be Kobold. I tell ya, they had to be. The light from the low sun was dancing upon them, but I tell you it was not natural. I saw extra arms growing where no arm should be! They was a cacklin’, an a shoutin’, and the forms rushed back to the forest. I know they turned back to get one last glance. Their eyes glinted in the fading light. I knows they will return. Kobolds will laying traps! I’ll be dead by morning if I go back there. I can’t go back. But we can’t eat without the harvest. You’ve got to help me! Get your swords! Get your torches! Or they’ll get my harvest and we’ll all starve!”

Ulga the Innkeeper turns to the small crowed. “Go back to your homes. It’s alright. Just some kids playing pranks. There are no Kobolds here, because there are no monsters here. Iota just got a little scared.”

“It wasn’t kids! You gotta believe me!”

“Iota, it is night. We can head back in the morning. Come now, spend the night at my inn, and I will head back with you tomorrow.” The crowd thins as heavy eyelids draw to a close. Iota turns back to look at his farm. His eyes seem to peer beyond the hills, beyond what can be seen. He shakes his head.

“It wasn’t kids.” He says, his tone determined. He gives Ulga one last long look of disdain before turning back toward the farm.

You can this intro for any small town that has a farm near it. After the scene, players can choose to stay in town or follow Iota back to the farm.

If they follow Iota, he will thank them for coming and explain that he has no weapons or armor. There are tools in the shed (rakes, hoes, shovels, saws, etc.) but he did not bring anything with him. He plans on going to the shed to arm himself, then he will light torches around the edge of his field and keep watch for Kobolds.

If they do not follow Iota, the morning will come with a report that Iota is dead. His farm was pillaged and the harvest is gone. The town will panic. Ulga will offer payment to anyone who can recover the harvest.

Iota’s Farm at Night

While Iota was away, Kobolds laid traps. There are traps between the road and the house, the shed and the field. Kobolds will harvest the food growing in the fields. If it is spring, the field has carrots and cabbage. In the summer wheat and barely. In the fall pumpkins and squash. Iota’s wife Tilde is in the house with their daughter Dot. The Kobold will ignore them unless they come out of the house. When you arrive at the farm, Iota will rush toward the shed and fall into a trap. Kobolds will then rush him from the sides. There will be Kobold hiding in the fields and around the outside of the house. The Kobolds will attack if approached, but when a couple Kobold die the others will retreat to the forest.

Note: Iota can act like a damage sponge if you think your player’s characters can’t take the beating. If players are experienced you can also make Iota an example of the deadliness of Kobolds. Yes, I am suggesting you red-shirt Iota. For the younger people, that’s a Star Trek reference.

Iota’s Farm the Next Morning

Tilde and Dot (Iota’s wife and daughter respectively) cry mornfully at the grizzly sight of their loved one’s remains. Iota was brutally slain by Kobolds the night before. Through sobs Tilde will explain they heard a crunch last night and this morning they found Iota’s body. Their are traps all around the farm. The field is barren of food. Tracks lead into the forest.

The Forest

In the forest evidence of foot-traffic can be easily seen. Broken branches, footprints, and trampled grass. It leads to a hole. A small hole in the ground that slopes quickly. A strange smell wafts from it. If the players look down in it they will see glinting eyes. From this point you can insert any dungeon you like. Dungeons with big monsters make more sense as Kobolds love to worship them and draw powers from their eminence.

Kobold Tactics

Kobolds make up for their frail forms in cunning and skullduggery. You must route them and whatever beast they are worshiping before you are over run. As long as they have a master to serve they will remain. They utilize Guerrilla warfare striking from hidden positions, setting traps, and leading larger forces into them. Kobolds will attempt to lead larger opponents into traps whenever possible.

Kobolds are great for early level encounters because they are not very strong on their own. This means if players think, and play smart they can over come. However, Kobolds are also tricky, this means they can still be a threat for higher level characters. Set an ambush up with several well placed traps and you are on your way to a deadly combat scenario.

Wrapping It Up

Ah what? This encounter did not have any stats or rules or stuff. Yes, Kobolds are pretty generic and likely to be found in whatever system you use. However, if you are looking for an awesome system to run this in, check out Along the Leyline. The Referee’s Toolkit has monster stats for Kobold. Or if you want to play as a Kobold, stay tuned for an exclusive supplement that will be coming out soon. The supplement will have an exclusive monster called Dragon Hydra. Yeah, it is as awesome as it sounds. But more than that, it has rules for playing as a Kobold in Along the Leyline. Sign up for the newsletter to stay in the know. Plus, you’ll get the quickstart rules sent right to your inbox. Better yet, it’s totally FREE! Click the link below to sign up.

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