Kobolds in gaming

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The first role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons, depicted kobolds as a race of weak humanoid monsters formed into primitive tribes populating the sorts of beginning dungeons explored and looted by low-level adventurers. In other words, they were an early example of mooks, watered-down orcs with no real chance of winning any fight. As role-playing expanded into other game lines and eventually computer gaming, this precedent was carried over and kobolds are still almost always depicted as weak and ineffectual. The poor Kobold's role as the perennial loser of fantasy role-playing is so long established as to have become something of a recognized running gag among gamers. However, this has been changed to some extent with an article on Meepo a kobold NPC from a low level adventure, Wizard's of the Coast's Sunless Citidel. Further to make kobolds more attractive as characters they were one of the races featured in "Races of the Dragon" supplement.

For more information on kobolds in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, see Kobold (Dungeons & Dragons).
  • The publication of Kobolds Ate My Baby by 9th Level Games features kobolds as dog-like, yet comical creatures with an insatiable omnivorous appetite. They are extremely stupid, lead by King Torg (All Hail King Torg!), and worship Vor the Big Red God of Anger.
  • In many computer and video game based role-playing games, Kobolds are a race of anthropomorphic dogs that primarily dwell in forests and often use swords and bows as weapons. The Suikoden and Lufia series both use this depiction, as does the anime series Record of Lodoss War. Suikoden also includes the Nay's Kobold, which resemble anthropomorphic cats.
  • In the open-source, text-based game NetHack, kobolds are common, medium-sized monsters of weak power.
  • In Mythic Entertainment's Dark Age of Camelot players are able to play a Kobold character if they choose the Norse realm of Midgard. These Kobolds are not the yammering, dog-like wimps portrayed by many modern games. Dark Age of Camelot's Kobold race is blue-skinned, mischievous, and on a similar intellectual footing with the average Norseman. Mythic was likely inspired by the likes of smurfs and gremlins.
  • In the video game series Xenosaga, Kobolds are portrayed as a type of Gnosis that resemble a humanoid lizard with long scythe-like claws.
  • In the Warcraft series of games, Kobolds are a race of ratlike burrowers, who often appear as villains. However, the games also include goblins and gnomes, and the three races fit the same rough pattern (diminutive race which is skilled in early technology). Kobolds are less developed than gnomes and goblins. In World of Warcraft Kobolds are low level enemies generally found in caves and mines. Kobolds ingame also treasure candles in which they will wear one on their head, occasionally a candle will apear in the loot, and they occasionally yell at the beginning of a battle, "You no take candle".
  • In the MMORPG Ragnarok Online, Kobolds are small, blue dog-like creatures who walk on 2 legs and wield an array of weapons ( Axes, flails, etc ).
  • In Final Fantasy XI Kobolds are a race of earth spirits enslaved by Evil Weapons, which use them to more easily manipulate their environment.
  • In one of the oldest RPG's, Castle of the Winds, Kobolds are short little warriors generally depicted as holding a knife or dagger. They are only a threat to very low level or severely weakened players
  • In Magic: The Gathering Kobolds are a group of three 0 casting cost red creatures in the set Legends. There are the Crimson Kobolds, Kobolds of Kher Keep, and Crookshank Kobolds. There are also three 2 casting cost creatures that give them either a +0/+1 toughness boost and trample (Kobold Drill Sergeant), first strike (Kobold Overlord), or a +1/+0 power boost (Kobold Taskmaster), all of which were printed in Legends as well. It is important to note that the three creatures that enhance kobolds are not, in fact, kobolds themselves, and don't gain the bonus. In addition, there is a legend, Rohgahh of Kher Keep, who gives all Kobolds of Kher Keep +2/+2, but if you don't pay {R}{R}{R} during your upkeep, an opponent gains control of Rohgahh and all your Kobolds of Kher Keep, tapped. In the Time Spiral expansion, which has a theme of revisting themes and ideas from Magic's past, the Legendary Land Kher Keep was printed which generates Kobold's of Kher Keep.
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