Kobolds in Glorantha?

[Brian]

So I’m converting some sandbox information to Glorantha, but am running into issues with converting (the predominantly D&D) “Kobolds” to something Gloranthan. Any ideas to spike my creative juices?

[Graeme Vallance]

Trollkin perhaps?

[Brian]

That might work, thanks Graeme!

[Pentallion]

Do trollkins eat babies? Because KOBOLDS ATE MY BABY!!!

🙂 Sorry, couldn’t resist. For those that don’t know, Kobolds Ate My Baby is a very fun little game.

[Jenx]

Yes they do. The trollkin, as their name implies, are trolls. And trolls can and usually do eat everything.

[Runeblogger]

Another option would be: weak dog-broo or rat-broo. Or perhaps small lizard-broo.

[Brian]

Thanks, I didn’t even think of that.

I like that as an option if the PCs get too sick of fighting the mini-me Trolls!

[Alex Ferguson]

If you’re aiming for the generic small swarmy enemies of “old” D&D, the above suggestions all seem excellent. If you require the revisionist, reptilian/draconic take of “new” D&D more specifically, some sort of deviant dragonewt would be an option. (Or perhaps a type of Lesser Slarge, though they’re much more glorographically limited.)

[Tim Ellis]

…or Newtlings?

[Simon Phipp]

Why use a different race?

Kobolds would probably fit into Glorantha as they are. All you need is to double-check the characteristics and decide on background/professions and you are away.

If you are thinking of HeroQuest then just have a Kobold Keyword and stick some Koboldy abilities in there.

[Niall]

As Rungard suggested Dog Broo. Common up in my Elder Wilds and Balazar, roaming in nasty packs and sleeping in warrens. Chuck in a few Rubble runner Broo for extra teeth and you’ll have your party in rags in next to no time.

[Hannu Kokko]

You could use troll kin or if in Pamaltela the various races of swamp goblins. Smaller varieties of broo would work nicely as well.

[Thomas Devine]

Hey guys, in actual folklore Kobolds are poltergeist-like creatures. They were often described as hostile and mischievous sprites. If you want Kobolds, why not have a pack of Runners and Sprites (2nd Edition had Pixies) who are followers of Eurmal (I may have misspelled the name of the owner of the Illusion Rune). A pack of tricksters wounld make fairly pontent Kolbolds.

[Sean Foster]

My thoughts on conversions:

RQ D&D 3.5/PF

Trollkin Orc / Goblin / Gremlin (PF)
Troll, Dark Bugbear / Ogrekin (PF)
Troll, Cave Troll
Troll, Great Ogre
Troll, Mistress Ogre, Mage +++
Duck Kenku (3.5) / Tengu (PF)
Dragonewt, Scout Kobold
Dragonewt, Warrior Lizard Folk, or Use Spawn of Tiamat (D&D MMIV)
Broo Goatfolk (Ibixian) (D&D MMIII)
Aldrayami Vegepygmy
Elf, Black ” / Goblin
Elf, Red (Slorfing) ” / Goblin – I’m shifting these guys to Genertela to add another protagonist race, they keep separate from normal elf’s.

Cheers

[Styopa]

“Modern” context for D&D (say 3.0e and up) has Kobolds related to dragons.
Logically, then, it would make sense that they’re some sort of Dragonewt-trollkin analogue: militant, hostile, side-tracks from the main D-newt vanilla ecology of Crested-Beaked-Tailed-Full. Since wimpy crested evolve to massive beaked, perhaps Kobolds are the colloquial term form cresteds that somehow fail to evolve ‘true’ and divert off into a stunted version of the beaked (warrior) dnewt.
Thus their aggression (despite their wimpiness) stems from their deep desire to ‘earn’ their way back onto the correct path.

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