Good Kobold Names? (Also, roleplaying tips?) [Archive] - Wizards Community

Good Kobold Names? (Also, roleplaying tips?) [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
SplendidTuesday
03-07-08, 11:00 AM Most of the characters I make are kobolds, as I enjoy playing them, but the hardest part is thinking up names. Can anyone help me with a good pattern for my kobold names to follow, or even just a list of random names?

Also, I need tips on how to roleplay a kobold. Mannerisms, general personalities, most possible hopes and goals, and all that. Can anyone help with this?

Thanks in advance.
Gentlemanic
03-07-08, 01:41 PM Good post! I have a kobold character myself and I was going to ask the same questions..

My kobold is called Aurytiss Hesjing Petisse (Aury for short) and he's a 193 year old Dragonwrought kobold fighter.

I try to pay attention to his size in combat (I always say he attack loins, lower stomachs and legs of medium creatures), and his strange features outside of combat (he stretches like a cat and rolls up to sleep). For character I try for him to be very strict about rules, since kobolds care alot for rules, but he is good as well and puts that above the law. He tries to support younger group members in their decisions, but also reminds them that he's nearly 2 centuries old.

I can imagine that young kobolds would be impulsive, very curious and suspicious. Now I'm going to post a question about playing ancient characters. Goodluck ;)

Go kobolds!
Drackthor
03-07-08, 03:49 PM I think a very popular way of making kobold names is to take a single syllabled word and repeat it. For example, Order of The Stick Kobolds have names such as YikYik, and his son YokYok, another example, for instance, would be Pun-Pun, the scourge of the CharOp boards.

And for some reason I'm particularly fond of the name TikTik. ;)
SplendidTuesday
03-07-08, 04:28 PM I think a very popular way of making kobold names is to take a single syllabled word and repeat it. For example, Order of The Stick Kobolds have names such as YikYik, and his son YokYok, another example, for instance, would be Pun-Pun, the scourge of the CharOp boards.

And for some reason I'm particularly fond of the name TikTik. ;)

Thanks for the tip! And, yeah, I saw that you liked the kobold named TikTik in Krosh's journal. :D

And thanks, Gentlemanic!

Now, if a few more people would come out of the woodwork and give tips, I'd be able to make a full-blown character, instead of only having hints to go off of. :P
Neraagile
03-07-08, 07:14 PM Check the Draconomicron it has a Draconic dictionary, maybe you could use some words from there to give his name a Draconic feel, or give him an name like "Firesong" and translate it to Draconic using the dicitionary. So his name would in this case be "Ixenmiirik"
Jopustopin
03-08-08, 09:40 PM Ymuckluck, Szzlx, Malx, Kunkle, Meepo
Except for meepo, these are the kobold names I've come up with.
Namer_and_Shaper
03-09-08, 10:11 AM Hmm, names eh?
Yip-Tan, Yum-Ty-Yiddle, Nik-Nak, Wokk-Ek-Cak, Ah-Cuw, Ak-Ak-Ak-Ak-Ak son of Ak-Ak-Ak-Ak, Yap-Yap, Wuff-Bar...
Or, why not play on words?
A kobold thief, Pick-Lock
A kobold barbarian, Axe-Chop
A kobold ranger, See-Far
A kobold wizard, Zap-Hand
A kobold fighter, Stab-Good
Terjon of the Blue Rose
03-13-08, 04:32 AM I've never played a kobold, either as player or DM. Despite this I feel comfortable giving role-playing tips. This is largely due to the fact that I AM TERJON OF THE BLUE ROSE. The (very) rarely disputed king of the char dev boards.:D

That being said there are 2 typical views of kobolds. From an outsiders point of view they are weak, irritating creatures who lack any great intellect or strength. They are a barking nuisance that hold no real threat unless gathered in great numbers, and even then are easily cowed and dispersed.

From the inside, though, kobolds are exceptionally clever. While not particularly bright they possess a wilyness that is not to be underestimated. In part as the result of their isolation from the so-called "greater" races they tend not to think inside the box. They are fairly open to new ideas and points of view... provided they come from within the tribe. That is perhaps the only great failing of kobolds. The one point that holds them back as a species is that they are highly xenophobic. They don't trust the more powerful races... and why should they? They have spent their entire existance being used as slaves of orcs and other races who love the tunnels. Worse they are hunted down and killed en mass when discovered by the greedy, dwarves who covet the land beneath the mountains or by the hate gnomes, who are just as clever and fear the kobold, being only slightly less xenophobic of a race themselves. Kobolds don't often experience a wider world than their tribe and cave. They exist at a point of primitive survival, hating and fearing the races who hold them back.

for the tips don't forget the xenophobic angle. Also kobolds don't tend to dream much of great glory the way orcs, dwarves, and humans do. Nor do they dream of altering the course of the world in the fashion of elves, dragons, or the ocassional giant. They tend to live simply and dream of simple things. They hold an abiding connection to their tribe and it only in the eyes of the tribe they need respect. That being said it takes a very special kobold, with a very special purpose, to adventure. The world does not have any great love for, or need of kobolds. And aside the small cave complexes they claim as their homes they have little love of, or need for, the wider world. When playing a kobold consider at length why you chose to leave your home. Express a longing to return to it wherever possible. While kobolds are sometimes greedy it tends to be due to a lack of resources. When they are plentiful you should be willing (even if reluctantly) to share.
Armarant
03-17-08, 12:01 AM My friend played a Swordsage Kobold in a campaign with me (I was a Nerull Worshipping Cleric). He would always climb inside my robes and poke his head out my arm sleeves or something like that. He had a general disdain for large birds of prey, such as owls, eagles and hawks. If he smelt a gnome he would go crazy and search every nook and cranny until he killed it. Other than that he just seemed to be a little hyper and would eat anything.

As for names, the repetitive nature is a good place to start. I generally tend to think even single syllable names with hard letters such as "p", "k" and "q" fit Kobolds well. e.g. Pik, Qit, Kak.
RillianTheTimeless
03-17-08, 01:34 PM Personally I prefer Kobold names to be only one short syllable, for instance, my Kobold Sorcerer's name was Krat. As far as personality goes, I went with a very Xenophobic stance (though I didn't kill things on sight) I would be very slow to make friends (I only had one at the beginning of the campaign, and only one more at the end). I played him very high and mighty, but quick to cower if any real threat showed up, meanwhile refusing to buff anyone other than the two I befriended. Hope that helps.
ArkhamInmate
03-26-08, 08:19 PM How about Greataxe in the forehead? which is all kobolds are really good for
Ratpick
03-29-08, 08:25 PM I'll second the notion of using the Dragonic lexicon in Draconomicon for kobold names. It carries an air of pretentiousness that I am sure kobolds would have due to being allegedly descended from dragons.
Mad_Jack
03-29-08, 11:42 PM I have a kobold named Krik'ik'T'kik, who says his name means "Heart Of Dragons", but it's actually a corruption of a Draconic term whose direct translation is "Worm Guts"... He's really touchy about that...:D
He's all about trying to gain respect as a serious adventurer. This is often difficult because he doesn't really understand certain things about human(oid) society, even though he tries to emulate them. The concept of personal space, for instance, is completely foreign to him, so he's constantly climbing up onto peoples' backs to see better or wandering into nobles' houses or the rooms of the female party members when they're bathing.
He was raised within a typical kobold tribe, and was essentially the apprentice/bodyguard/servant to the tribe's sorceror, a position which earned him little respect and a great deal of abuse. An unusual sense of individualism caused conflict between his urge to serve the tribe, and the lack of equality and respect he recieved from them.
Just around the time that Krik (as the party calls him) was trying to decide whether or not to take out his "boss" with a well-timed magic missile to the back, an evil wizard happened to come through the area. The wizard decided to take several of the kobolds with him as servants when he left. Mildly amused by Krik's constant but very perceptive questions, the wizard gradually came to regard him as a true minion, giving him a certain level of responsibility and allowing him to assist him in his plans.
After the wizard got killed by adventurers while serving with an evil army in a war, Krik'ik'T'kik set off on his own to become an adventurer. Despite being Lawful Evil, he travels with a good-aligned party because they treat him with respect. The party has become his "tribe".
Krik is helpful and eager with those people he feels are worthy of his respect, but tends to freak out into a frothing rage when he feels slighted (which is often). His personality is sort of like that old cartoon with the big dog named Spike and the little dog who followed him around - Krik often says things like, "Why don't we kill him, boss? Huh? I could kill him for you. I could kill him good." He sometimes comes across as humorous, but that's because I play him perfectly straight and serious, if decidely a bit hyperactive.
elliott20
03-31-08, 10:30 AM for the tips don't forget the xenophobic angle. Also kobolds don't tend to dream much of great glory the way orcs, dwarves, and humans do. Nor do they dream of altering the course of the world in the fashion of elves, dragons, or the ocassional giant. They tend to live simply and dream of simple things.
Your kobold, of course, does not have to be this way. Maybe that's what makes him different from the rest of them. He believes in racial empowerment by example, rather through racial isolation. He believes that racial empowerment requires that the world around them accepts them into their society for who they are, not just the strength to protect themselves from foreign invasion. He believes in the strength in numbers because that's what his race practices. But he also believes that strength in numbers doesn't understand race, and so nor should he make that distinction.
Terjon of the Blue Rose
04-03-08, 06:33 AM But are you really playing a kobold then? Perhaps one of the most annoying aspects of many characters with this sort of reversal is that many come to feel like the classic "human in a funny suit". If the character loses their racial identity in the attempt to be something else then why play that race in the first place. Of course a strong roleplayer can give the clear impression of a creature trying to overcome its racial inclinations but this does take a very strong RPer. In particular you need to be able to play a character who has two opposite traits... the racial inclination AND the desire to rise above.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
SplendidTuesday 03-07-08, 11:00 AM	Most of the characters I make are kobolds, as I enjoy playing them, but the hardest part is thinking up names. Can anyone help me with a good pattern for my kobold names to follow, or even just a list of random names? Also, I need tips on how to roleplay a kobold. Mannerisms, general personalities, most possible hopes and goals, and all that. Can anyone help with this? Thanks in advance.
Gentlemanic 03-07-08, 01:41 PM	Good post! I have a kobold character myself and I was going to ask the same questions.. My kobold is called Aurytiss Hesjing Petisse (Aury for short) and he's a 193 year old Dragonwrought kobold fighter. I try to pay attention to his size in combat (I always say he attack loins, lower stomachs and legs of medium creatures), and his strange features outside of combat (he stretches like a cat and rolls up to sleep). For character I try for him to be very strict about rules, since kobolds care alot for rules, but he is good as well and puts that above the law. He tries to support younger group members in their decisions, but also reminds them that he's nearly 2 centuries old. I can imagine that young kobolds would be impulsive, very curious and suspicious. Now I'm going to post a question about playing ancient characters. Goodluck ;) Go kobolds!
Drackthor 03-07-08, 03:49 PM	I think a very popular way of making kobold names is to take a single syllabled word and repeat it. For example, Order of The Stick Kobolds have names such as YikYik, and his son YokYok, another example, for instance, would be Pun-Pun, the scourge of the CharOp boards. And for some reason I'm particularly fond of the name TikTik. ;)
SplendidTuesday 03-07-08, 04:28 PM	I think a very popular way of making kobold names is to take a single syllabled word and repeat it. For example, Order of The Stick Kobolds have names such as YikYik, and his son YokYok, another example, for instance, would be Pun-Pun, the scourge of the CharOp boards. And for some reason I'm particularly fond of the name TikTik. ;) Thanks for the tip! And, yeah, I saw that you liked the kobold named TikTik in Krosh's journal. :D And thanks, Gentlemanic! Now, if a few more people would come out of the woodwork and give tips, I'd be able to make a full-blown character, instead of only having hints to go off of. :P
Neraagile 03-07-08, 07:14 PM	Check the Draconomicron it has a Draconic dictionary, maybe you could use some words from there to give his name a Draconic feel, or give him an name like "Firesong" and translate it to Draconic using the dicitionary. So his name would in this case be "Ixenmiirik"
Jopustopin 03-08-08, 09:40 PM	Ymuckluck, Szzlx, Malx, Kunkle, Meepo Except for meepo, these are the kobold names I've come up with.
Namer_and_Shaper 03-09-08, 10:11 AM	Hmm, names eh? Yip-Tan, Yum-Ty-Yiddle, Nik-Nak, Wokk-Ek-Cak, Ah-Cuw, Ak-Ak-Ak-Ak-Ak son of Ak-Ak-Ak-Ak, Yap-Yap, Wuff-Bar... Or, why not play on words? A kobold thief, Pick-Lock A kobold barbarian, Axe-Chop A kobold ranger, See-Far A kobold wizard, Zap-Hand A kobold fighter, Stab-Good
Terjon of the Blue Rose 03-13-08, 04:32 AM	I've never played a kobold, either as player or DM. Despite this I feel comfortable giving role-playing tips. This is largely due to the fact that I AM TERJON OF THE BLUE ROSE. The (very) rarely disputed king of the char dev boards.:D That being said there are 2 typical views of kobolds. From an outsiders point of view they are weak, irritating creatures who lack any great intellect or strength. They are a barking nuisance that hold no real threat unless gathered in great numbers, and even then are easily cowed and dispersed. From the inside, though, kobolds are exceptionally clever. While not particularly bright they possess a wilyness that is not to be underestimated. In part as the result of their isolation from the so-called "greater" races they tend not to think inside the box. They are fairly open to new ideas and points of view... provided they come from within the tribe. That is perhaps the only great failing of kobolds. The one point that holds them back as a species is that they are highly xenophobic. They don't trust the more powerful races... and why should they? They have spent their entire existance being used as slaves of orcs and other races who love the tunnels. Worse they are hunted down and killed en mass when discovered by the greedy, dwarves who covet the land beneath the mountains or by the hate gnomes, who are just as clever and fear the kobold, being only slightly less xenophobic of a race themselves. Kobolds don't often experience a wider world than their tribe and cave. They exist at a point of primitive survival, hating and fearing the races who hold them back. for the tips don't forget the xenophobic angle. Also kobolds don't tend to dream much of great glory the way orcs, dwarves, and humans do. Nor do they dream of altering the course of the world in the fashion of elves, dragons, or the ocassional giant. They tend to live simply and dream of simple things. They hold an abiding connection to their tribe and it only in the eyes of the tribe they need respect. That being said it takes a very special kobold, with a very special purpose, to adventure. The world does not have any great love for, or need of kobolds. And aside the small cave complexes they claim as their homes they have little love of, or need for, the wider world. When playing a kobold consider at length why you chose to leave your home. Express a longing to return to it wherever possible. While kobolds are sometimes greedy it tends to be due to a lack of resources. When they are plentiful you should be willing (even if reluctantly) to share.
Armarant 03-17-08, 12:01 AM	My friend played a Swordsage Kobold in a campaign with me (I was a Nerull Worshipping Cleric). He would always climb inside my robes and poke his head out my arm sleeves or something like that. He had a general disdain for large birds of prey, such as owls, eagles and hawks. If he smelt a gnome he would go crazy and search every nook and cranny until he killed it. Other than that he just seemed to be a little hyper and would eat anything. As for names, the repetitive nature is a good place to start. I generally tend to think even single syllable names with hard letters such as "p", "k" and "q" fit Kobolds well. e.g. Pik, Qit, Kak.
RillianTheTimeless 03-17-08, 01:34 PM	Personally I prefer Kobold names to be only one short syllable, for instance, my Kobold Sorcerer's name was Krat. As far as personality goes, I went with a very Xenophobic stance (though I didn't kill things on sight) I would be very slow to make friends (I only had one at the beginning of the campaign, and only one more at the end). I played him very high and mighty, but quick to cower if any real threat showed up, meanwhile refusing to buff anyone other than the two I befriended. Hope that helps.
ArkhamInmate 03-26-08, 08:19 PM	How about Greataxe in the forehead? which is all kobolds are really good for
Ratpick 03-29-08, 08:25 PM	I'll second the notion of using the Dragonic lexicon in Draconomicon for kobold names. It carries an air of pretentiousness that I am sure kobolds would have due to being allegedly descended from dragons.
Mad_Jack 03-29-08, 11:42 PM	I have a kobold named Krik'ik'T'kik, who says his name means "Heart Of Dragons", but it's actually a corruption of a Draconic term whose direct translation is "Worm Guts"... He's really touchy about that...:D He's all about trying to gain respect as a serious adventurer. This is often difficult because he doesn't really understand certain things about human(oid) society, even though he tries to emulate them. The concept of personal space, for instance, is completely foreign to him, so he's constantly climbing up onto peoples' backs to see better or wandering into nobles' houses or the rooms of the female party members when they're bathing. He was raised within a typical kobold tribe, and was essentially the apprentice/bodyguard/servant to the tribe's sorceror, a position which earned him little respect and a great deal of abuse. An unusual sense of individualism caused conflict between his urge to serve the tribe, and the lack of equality and respect he recieved from them. Just around the time that Krik (as the party calls him) was trying to decide whether or not to take out his "boss" with a well-timed magic missile to the back, an evil wizard happened to come through the area. The wizard decided to take several of the kobolds with him as servants when he left. Mildly amused by Krik's constant but very perceptive questions, the wizard gradually came to regard him as a true minion, giving him a certain level of responsibility and allowing him to assist him in his plans. After the wizard got killed by adventurers while serving with an evil army in a war, Krik'ik'T'kik set off on his own to become an adventurer. Despite being Lawful Evil, he travels with a good-aligned party because they treat him with respect. The party has become his "tribe". Krik is helpful and eager with those people he feels are worthy of his respect, but tends to freak out into a frothing rage when he feels slighted (which is often). His personality is sort of like that old cartoon with the big dog named Spike and the little dog who followed him around - Krik often says things like, "Why don't we kill him, boss? Huh? I could kill him for you. I could kill him good." He sometimes comes across as humorous, but that's because I play him perfectly straight and serious, if decidely a bit hyperactive.
elliott20 03-31-08, 10:30 AM	for the tips don't forget the xenophobic angle. Also kobolds don't tend to dream much of great glory the way orcs, dwarves, and humans do. Nor do they dream of altering the course of the world in the fashion of elves, dragons, or the ocassional giant. They tend to live simply and dream of simple things. Your kobold, of course, does not have to be this way. Maybe that's what makes him different from the rest of them. He believes in racial empowerment by example, rather through racial isolation. He believes that racial empowerment requires that the world around them accepts them into their society for who they are, not just the strength to protect themselves from foreign invasion. He believes in the strength in numbers because that's what his race practices. But he also believes that strength in numbers doesn't understand race, and so nor should he make that distinction.
Terjon of the Blue Rose 04-03-08, 06:33 AM	But are you really playing a kobold then? Perhaps one of the most annoying aspects of many characters with this sort of reversal is that many come to feel like the classic "human in a funny suit". If the character loses their racial identity in the attempt to be something else then why play that race in the first place. Of course a strong roleplayer can give the clear impression of a creature trying to overcome its racial inclinations but this does take a very strong RPer. In particular you need to be able to play a character who has two opposite traits... the racial inclination AND the desire to rise above.