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Neh-thalggu

2021-07-08T04:14:08Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:9DF1:2164:4318:5A88: /* Yah-thelgaad */

[[File:Neh-thalggu X2.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The original Neh-thalggu art from module X2.]]
The '''Neh-thalggu''', or '''Brain Collectors''', are an [[aberration]] originating from the [[Dungeons & Dragons]] setting of [[Mystara]]. Hailing from the Dimension of Nightmares, and later the [[Far Realm]], where they are figures of dread and awe to the [[diabolus]] race in much the same way that [[dragon]]s are to [[human]]s, a neh-thalggu is a grotesque monster, somewhere between a crab and a spider, with a toothy maw, myriad tentacles, and bulging blisters that they use to house human brains. Unlike the common [[illithid]], neh-thalggu don't merely eat brains; rather, they are able to enhance their own mental prowess by storing stolen brains - the more brains stashed in their preservative blister-wombs, the more powerful they are.

First appearing in the Basic D&D adventure module [[X2: Castle Amber]], neh-thalggu then got an entry in the Creature Catalogue. They were subsequently updated to [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]] in the [[Mystara]] Monstrous Compendium Appendix. In 3rd edition, they appeared as epic tier monsters in the [[Epic Level Handbook]], and as a more reasonable CR 7 creature in issue #144 of [[Dungeon Magazine]], officially representing the "larval stage" of the epic version. Despite this, such is their obscurity that [[Pathfinder]] managed to use them in their [[Golarion]] setting, slipping them into their 2nd Pathfinder Bestiary [[splatbook]], whilst the Iron Gods adventure path would present its "mature" form, the ''Yah-thelgaad'' in part 4: Valley of the Brain Collectors.

==Mystaran Neh-thalggu==
[[File:Neh-thalggu MC Mystara.jpg|right|300px|thumb|''Monstrous Compendium: Mystara Appendix'']]
{{NotFunny Sourcebook}}
Brain collectors (Neh-thalggu in their own language) are rare creatures who occasionally cross the barriers separating their distant home from the Prime Material Plane. Only near sources of great magical energy, where the fabric of time and space is twisted, can they find small gateways to Mystara, where they collect the brains of intelligent beings.

Each specimen of this hideous race has a yellow-orange body – bloated, oily, and amorphous – with dozens of short, writhing tentacles. Six crablike legs allow it to scuttle about. Four large, yellow, bulging eyes and a tooth-filled maw are set in its bulbous head. The head may also have a number of distinctive lumps (up to twelve), each one housing the brain of another intelligent creature.

Neh-thalggu do not think like any other creature. They speak their own tongue and that of diaboli. They can also speak and comprehend the languages known by any creatures whose brains they’ve swallowed.

The brain collector’s method of attack is a powerful bite with its razor-toothed jaws, inflicting 1d10 points of damage with each bite that hits.

Each brain collector can cast spells, depending on how many brains it has collected. Roll 1d12 to determine how many transplanted brains the monster already has in its head. Each transplanted brain can hold a single wizard spell, no bigger than 3rd level (these can be chosen by the DM or randomly determined by dice roll; 1d3 for level and then according to wizard spell lists).

A brain collector can attack with its bite or with a single spell in a given round. Although the nature of its intelligence is unfathomable, brain collectors display a considerable tactical cunning in combat; they will use their available spells to the best possible effect.

A brain collector takes great care as it fights, to avoid doing damage to the cranium of its opponent. As its name suggests, the brains of sapient foes are very precious, indeed.

Though brain collectors have a completely alien psychology, “chaotic neutral” is the alignment that best describes them. The Neh-thalggu do not have hostile intentions as such; rather, they do not seem to regard humans or or other humanoids as people.

Brain collectors are known to exist on the Demiplane of Nightmares, where they hold a mythic position in the folklore of diaboli, like that of dragons in human tales. Diaboli regard Neh-thalggu as creatures of power, cunning, and inscrutability, and brain collector magic can affect diaboli.

While Neh-thalggu exist on the Demiplane of Nightmares and the Prime Material Plane, sages agree the creatures are native to neither. Brain collectors may also be found wandering other known planes, particularly the Astral or Ethereal Plane. On the Prime Material Plane, a brain collector prefers ruins and caverns and other places with little light and infrequent disturbances.

When a brain collector reaches the Prime Material Plane, it immediately begins acquiring as many brains as it can, as quickly as possible. Each collector can store up to 12 brains at any one time. When these creatures slay humans, demihumans, or humanoids, they carefully cut away the top of the head with surgical tools to expose the brain, and then swallow it. The swallowed brain then moves into one of several pockets witbin the brain collector’s own head, forming a distinctive lump. For each brain collected, the creature gains the ability to cast one wizard spell of 1st to 3rd level once per day.

When a Neh-thalggu has collected its 12 brains, it immediately seeks to retum to its home plane. One theory holds that with 12 collected brains, these monsters can, in certain locations, re-open the link to their native world. Fortunately, few 12-brain Neh-thalggu have been encountered; since they can collect no more brains, they are more eager to move along than to engage opponents.

The brain collector may be related in some fashion to the feyr.

Brain collectors have no interest in treasure of any kind; denizens of the Prime Material Plane are curious objects for dispassionate study and ruthless exploitation – cattle, in the brain collectors’ eyes.

Neh-thalggu are predators of the highest order, but they exert little influence on the Mystaran environment.

==Far Realm Neh-thalggu==
{{NotFunny Sourcebook}}
===Dungeon Version===
Brain collectors encroach upon the [[Prime Material|Material Plane]] from the inconceivable [[Far Realm]] in what is actually their larval stage. Terrible beings of unspeakable and unwholesome desires, these monsters are driven to ollect brains and use the knowledge locked within these organs to further their own transformation into beings of godlike power ([[Epic Level Handbook]] 207). Uncaring of the empty husks cast aside by their feeding, these alien predators use their fleshy meals to generate great bursts of arcane energy. While even the weakest are capable of devouring the sentience from whole regions, a fully ascended neh-thallggu rivals even the eldest dragons and some demon lords in ferocity and arcane might.

===[[Epic Level Handbook]] Version===
Bizarre creatures best known for their unpleasant habit of harvesting humanoid brains, whatever the wishes of their current owners, neh-thalggu endlessly prowl for additions to their collections.

Brain collectors have bloated, yellow-orange, oily bodies that spout dozens of short, writhing tentacles. Ten slightly longer tentacles frame its lamprey mouth, which is filled with row after row of jagged red teeth. Above the gaping maw are four large, yellow, red-irised, bulging eyes, behind which cluster a number of squirming bulges about a foot across. These bulges house the human or humanoid brains the brain collector has harvested to date (up to thirteen brains at a time), which it uses to power its own special abilities. It must discard one of its currently “banked” brains in order to replace it with another. The creatures move with surprising agility on twelve segmented crablike legs (larger specimens have eighteen or even twenty-four legs, juveniles but six). Brain collectors lack fixed internal anatomies and can rearrange organ functions at will, making them very difficult to kill.

Brain collectors hail from a distant reality known to sages only as the Far Realm or Nightmare Dimension. Occasionally juveniles (Large, 10 HD, AC 20) are encountered in isolated locations, but fully grown specimens such as the one described here are quite rare. Both types visit mundane realms in order to harvest the brains they need to fully access their abilities. A juvenile will seize any brains of characters 5th level and higher as opportunity arises, but an adult absorbs only the brains of arcane spellcasters of at least 15th level, passing along rejects to its less fussy mind flayer retainers. A creature whose brain has been harvested by a brain collector cannot be raised, reincarnated, or resurrected while the brain is in the creature, because the collector preserves and draws upon the soul and basic personality of the creature for as long as it retains the brain. A brain collector might be bargained with for the return of a specific brain, but only in exchange for a better (higher-level) specimen.

Brain collectors typically attract a retinue of 1d4+1 mind flayers, drawn by the desire to study the aberration’s technique in extracting brains with ranged attacks and its ability to access the arcane brainpower of the assimilated brains. Some sages have ascribed the illithids’ attraction to simple self-interest (the illithids get to claim the rejects that do not meet the neh-thalggu’s demanding specifications), others to an affinity almost amounting to worship. On rare occasions a neh-thalggu is accompanied by a single paragon mind flayer sworn to its service.

Neh-thalggus’ own language is a silent sign language “spoken” with their writhing head-tentacles. They can also communicate telepathically with any creature that has a language within 100 feet.

==Golarion Neh-thalggu==
{{NotFunny Sourcebook}}
Neh-thalggus are aliens from distant worlds, traveling the gulfs of space on immense living ships that swiftly decay when they land upon a new world, leaving behind a deadly cargo of hungry monsters. Neh-thalggus are carnivores, but they do not digest humanoid brains they eat—rather, these brains lodge in one of several bulbous blisters on the Creature’s back and help to increase its intellect.

Some speculate that neh-thalggus encountered in this reality may merely be juveniles of their kind, perhaps exiled from their home worlds by greater kin until they can prove their worth on other worlds. Their brain collections may be a morbid form of currency in their home realm, or the thoughts in these brains may merely be fuel for a dark apotheosis into an even more sinister mature form.

===Yah-thelgaad===
When a neh-thalggu has absorbed a critical mass of thoughts and memories from an unknown number of humanoid brains, its body undergoes a horrific transformation. The creature enters a state of torpor, its body curling into a tight ball as it consumes the oldest of its seven stored brains to trigger the metamorphosis. Over the course of several days of self-consumption, the neh-thalggu bursts from the shell of its old body into its new incarnation as a yah-thelgaad.

While the yah-thelgaad shares many of the features of its less powerful progenitor, it is in every way a more powerful creature than it was before. While the capacity to store one fewer brain than a neh-thalggu presents some disadvantage, the yah-thelgaad gains twice as much power from a collected brain as its lesser kin does. In addition, these creatures need not limit their harvest to the brains of humanoids - any Small or Medium creature's brain will do.

Yah-thelgaads are zealously devoted to the inscrutable causes of the Dominion of the Black, but they are also notoriously devout believers in that alliance's weird theology, worshipping a concept they refer to as the "Ineffable Void", among other cryptic mysteries. It is not uncommon for yah-thelgaads of high rank to also possess [[inquisitor]] or [[oracle]] levels, lording their authority and fanatical faith over those in their charge - the most powerful yah-thelgaads often take levels in mystic theurge to combine their class-based mastery of the divine with their stolen brains' arcane lore.

Yah-thelgaads often supervise the Dominion of the Black's surgical and genetic engineers on major projects, pushing those agents to attempt greater and more horrific procedures. For all their legendary cruelty, however, yah-thelgaads don't appear to gain pleasure from such experiments. Indeed, they don't seem to feel any emotions at all on their own, but rather experience such sensations vicariously through the memories of the brains they've collected. In this way, the creatures know lust, fear, hatred and pride without exposing their own minds to the disadvantages of being susceptible to mind-affecting effects.

==Gallery==
<center>
<gallery>
Castle Amber Neh-thalggu.png|AC9: The Creature Catalogue
Mystaran Neh-thalggu.gif
CR 7 Far Realm Neh-thalggu.jpg|Dungeon #144
Epic Far Realm Neh-thalggu.jpg|Epic Level Handbook
Golarion Neh-thalggu 1.jpg|Pathfinder
Golarion Neh-thalggu 2.jpg
Golarion Neh-thalggu 3.jpg
Neh-thalggu fight PF.png
Yah-thelgaad.jpg|PF Yah-thelgaad
Neh-thalggu PF 2e.png|Pathfinder 2e
Brain collector SF.png|Starfinder
</gallery>
</center>

[[Category: Dungeons & Dragons]] [[Category: Pathfinder]] [[Category: Monsters]] [[Category: Mystara]]

Kobold

2021-07-07T19:53:38Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:9DF1:2164:4318:5A88: /* Western-style Monstergirls */

{{Promotions}}
[[File:Kobold commando.jpg|300px|thumb|right|A [[/k/]]obold.]]
'''Kobolds''' are a race of creatures originating from Germanic folklore, where they were [[goblin]]-like malevolent spirits who were believed to haunt mines, occasionally leaving nasty surprises in the form of worthless, poisonous metal - the element we now know as "cobalt". The ore is naturally found as sharp shards, bonded with arsenic oxide. The shards are sharp enough to penetrate boots and feet, hurting miners and making them sick just as if they were poisoned caltrop traps left by kobolds. A "cobalt bomb" is a proposed nuclear weapon designed to poison a large territory with super-radioactive cobalt dust, making the target area uninhabitable for 105 years. The (relatively) short half-life makes it especially deadly, but possible for your great-grandchildren to recover the empty territory. So watch out for "kobold bombs" or "magic missiles".

They shot to fame in /tg/ circles in [[Dungeons & Dragons]] where, ever since the very first edition, they have been small, weak creatures, generally serving in most campaigns as low-level cannon fodder for the adventurers to mow down, much like [[goblins]] and [[orcs]].

Despite being physically weak, however, kobolds are also described as capable trapsmiths, and are known for creating traps to protect their lairs and dungeons (a habit that is usually ignored or underplayed by most [[DM]]s). This habit - combined with a penchant for lethal tunnel design and group tactics - were famously used in the tale of [[Tucker's Kobolds]] to illustrate that kobolds - and, indeed, any intelligent creature - can remain dangerous to high-level adventurers despite being statistically inferior in just about every way.

If played with the intention of being dangerous, kobolds are far and away the hardest throwaway monsters to fight. It could be likened to a sort of sick, hardcore version of Home Alone, with the kobolds taking the part of a severely deranged and sadistic Kevin McCallister and the PCs taking the part of hopelessly underprepared thugs walking into a situation they cannot have possibly foreseen. If treated like cannon fodder, they are the absolute hands-down easiest things in any edition to kill, including [[cat|housecats]] and electric iguanas.

Kobolds are often used as "weakling" monsters in games, particularly video games based on the pen-and-paper variety. Their actual versatility depends on the system, but like D&D runs the gamut of [[Dawww|harmless]] to [[Dwarf Fortress#Cats|devastating in numbers]] to [[Anal circumference|downright impossible]]. They are sometimes portayed as reptilian creatures, sometimes as either wolf/dog-like or [[Warcraft| rat-like]]; D&D has actually been in both camps in different editions, and in fact [[5e]] (presumably as part of its attempt to be the "Greatest Hits" edition) actually decided to split the difference and made them dragonkin with some reptilian and some canine features.

There is a market in [[Dungeons_%26_Dragons_3rd_Edition | 3.5]] for kobold [[PC]]s, since their draconian/reptilian ancestry make them one of the only +0 Level Adjustment races capable of qualifying for much of the additional material in [[splatbook]]s like the Draconomicon and the Book of Dragons. [[Pun-Pun]], for example, is a rather famous [[CharOp]] design that allows a kobold wizard to attain theoretically unlimited abilities and attributes, using material from splatbooks and the [[Forgotten Realms]] [[Dungeons_%26_Dragons_Campaign_Settings | campaign setting]].

While [[4e]] technically does allow for 0LA characters using the "racial features" rules in the Monster Manual, they effectively play like reptilian halflings, which get better bonuses. The lack of splat and reptilian-based bonuses makes them less appealing than 3e, but their inherent trap skills make them excellent [[Bloody Path|rogues]].

5th edition's Volo Guide to Monsters reintroduced them as an option, and while they're not a ''bad'' choice per se (Small, +2 to Dex and Darkvision make Kobolds quite effective rogues), their sensitivity to daylight proves to be a real disadvantage in campaigns that aren't extensive dungeon crawls.

The patron god of the kobolds is [[Kurtulmak]].

Kobolds with wings are known as Urds.

Kobolds are very popular with [[Furry|Scalies]].

==The Many Faces of Kobolds==
[[File:Kobold_Art_History.jpg|200px|thumb|right|A basic summary of the kobold look from 1st to 4th edition.]]
D&D Kobolds have undergone a long history of revision. When they first appeared in basic/AD&D 1e, they were considered kin to goblinoids, but also had distinctly beast-man type appearances - of course, these were the days in which [[bullywug]]s and [[gnolls]] were considered humanoids and thus could interbreed with humans, so not that weird. The result was a scaly-skinned rat- or dog-like humanoid with small horns and a distinct barking voice. The version first depicted in the [[Monster Manual]] was clearly a scaly dog-man, but versions by other artists were more rat-like.

When AD&D 2e was launched, the first Monstrous Compendium presented an alternative version that was more visibly [[goblin]]-like; a small, ugly but fundamentally man-shaped creature with big, saucer-like eyes, a puggish face and small horns. This version was not very well received, and the artwork quickly went back to the more rodent-like visages of editions past. The iconic depiction of this was by [[Tony DiTerlizzi]], in the AD&D Monstrous Manual.

Finally, in 3rd edition, kobolds became stunted, draconic humanoids; little reptile men with dragon-like snouts and stubby horns, and this interpretation, which made them claim kinship to true dragons, became their iconic face for all editions afterwards. Even Pathfinder reused this. The 5th edition version somewhat combined the reptilian and canine features, keeping them little reptile men with stubby horns on their heads, but giving them a more canine head with a black dog-like nose at the end of their snout, as well as a pair of longer horns that somewhat resemble dog ears at a glance.

Because the "dragonbolds" or "lizardbolds" are so associated with D&D, when kobolds reappear in other media, their appearance often changes. Because the goblinoid form is too confusing, most kobolds tend to be either [[ratfolk]] or dog-people. [[Warcraft]] has long used the ratfolk interpretation, with its kobolds being humanoid rats who are obsessed with finding candles to help them in their eternal mining. In Japanese media, kobolds as digging dog-people as popular for much the same reason why pig-men [[orc]]s are popular: [[Old School Roleplaying]] [[neckbeard]]s have a huge influence on /tg/ related animes & mangas, and they retain fond memories of the original quasi-dog-like appearance of kobolds from AD&D 2e. This is why, for example, Polt of [[Life With Monstergirls]] appears as a dog-girl.

==D&D Stats==
Kobolds have long been one of the playable monstrous races of Dungeons & Dragons, although their precise mechanical crunch has been... kind of hit and miss. Pathfinder and 5th edition's versions in particular have often been angrily derided for actually being weaker than [[Goblin]]s, who are supposed to be on roughly the same level of inferiority on the totem pole.

===BECMI===
Kobolds were amongst the many "humanoid" races to debut in the [[Known World Gazetteers|Known World Gazetteer #10: The Orcs of Thar]], alongside [[orc]]s, [[goblinoid]]s, [[ogre]]s, [[troll]]s and [[gnoll]]s.

::Kobold Ability Modifiers: -4 Strength, +3 Dexterity
::Note: Like all Humanoids from "The Orcs of Thar", a Kobold has racial ability score caps of 18 in all scores bar [[Intelligence]] and [[Wisdom]], which are capped at 16.
::Note: Like all Humanoids from "The Orcs of Thar", a Kobold determines its [[Charisma]] score for interacting with [[human]]s and [[demihuman]]s by dividing its Charisma score by 3 (rounding down) and subtacting the result from 9.
::Kobold Natural Armor Class: 7
::Can become [[Shaman]]s (6th level) and [[Wokani]] (4th level).

{| class=wikitable
!Kobold's's level || XP Required || Kobold's hit dice
|-
|0||0||1d4
|-
|1||500X||2d4
|-
|2||1,000||3d4
|-
|3||2,000||4d4
|-
|4||4,000||5d4
|-
|5||8,000||6d4
|-
|6||16,000||7d4
|-
|7||30,000||8d4
|-
|8||60,000||9d4
|-
|9||120,000||+2 Hit Points
|-
|Subsequent||100,000||+2 Hit Points
|}
{{D&D1e-Races}}

===AD&D/2nd Edition===
From the Complete Book of Humanoids. Before these, kobold PC rules (alongside [[xvart]], [[goblin]] and [[orc]] rules) had appeared for AD&D 1e in the article "Hey, Wanna Be a Kobold?" by Joseph Clay in [[Dragon Magazine]] #141 (January 1989).

::Ability Score Modifiers: -1 Strength, -1 Constitution
::Altered Ability Scores: Minimum Dexterity and Constitution of 4, Maximum Strength of 15, Maximum Constitution of 16, Maximum Intelligence of 17, Maximum Charisma of 14
::Class & Level Restrictions: Fighter (8), Cleric (9), Shaman (7), Witch Doctor (7), Thief (12)
::Size: Small
::Special Advantages: Infravision 60 feet, Intelligent or Powerful creatures will attack a kobold last unless it is obviously a threat
::Special Disadvantages: Light Aversion (-1 penalty to attack rolls in equivalent of direct sunlight), gnomes receive a +1 to attack rolls against kobolds
::Weapon Proficiencies: Club (spiked), hand axe, javelin, short sword, spear
::Non-Weapon Proficiencies: Animal noise, animal training (giant weasel), animal training (wild boar), begging, close-quarter fighting, danger sense, fast-talking, gem cutting, hiding, looting, mining, set snares, wild fighting
{{D&D2e-Races}}

===3rd Edition===
From Races of the Dragon.

*Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, -4 Strength, -2 Constitution
*Size: Small
*Type: Humanoid (Dragonblood, Reptilian)
*Base Speed 30 feet
::This is faster than almost any other Small humanoid can get, making kobolds actually better for certain mobility builds than gnomes or halflings can ever be.
*Darkvision 60 ft.
*+1 natural bonus to AC
*+2 racial bonus to Craft (Trapmaking), Profession (Miner) and Search checks; Craft (trapmaking) is always considered a class skill.
::Later on in Chapter 6: Character Options, the skill listing for Profession says that kobolds also get some unusual perks to use Profession (miner). One kobold counts as a Medium creature to determine how much digging it can do, and up to 4 of the Small-sized fuckers can fit into a single square at one time. That means that they can actually dig four times as fast as dwarves and certain other underground races. In the book, it actually says that dwarves respect their mining skills.
*Light Sensitivity: Dazzled when exposed to bright sunlight or a daylight spell (which can be negated by buying some goggle-shades later on in the same book)
*Favored Class: Sorcerer

Additionally, Races of the Dragon has the Draconic Rite of Passage, where allows kobolds to endure a 9-day fasting, the permanent loss of 1 hp, and sacrifice a 100 gp gem to gain any 1st-level spell as a spell-like ability, usable once a day.

It should be noted that these basic stats were still considered a little weak compared to other races, so a web enhancement for Races of the Dragon beefed them up a tiny bit. While this didn't really make them all that "powerful", the update did actually make them a very interesting race. The additional abilities are:
* Natural Weapons: It's just a little 2 claws / 1 bite set that does 1d3 for them all, but it does mean a kobold is never unarmed, as well as explaining how they are so fucking ridiculous at digging.
* Slight Build: The opposite of the goliath advantage, you get to count as one size category smaller when it's advantageous, such as for size modifiers or when squeezing through a tight space.
* Weapon Proficiency/Familiarity: Kobolds get Martial Weapon Proficiency in light pick and heavy pick (kind of the way elves and others get bonus profs), and treat greatpicks from that web supplement as martial instead of exotic.
* Kobold cleric domain: Gives the cleric trapfinding, adds Disable Device and Search to class skills, gives some pretty fucking spiffy domain spells.
* The Greater Draconic Rite of Passage: This awesome addition allows a kobold sorcerer who already did the lesser Draconic Rite of Passage to get a free fucking level of sorcerer that doesn't alter their ECL or anything. No shit; all you have to do is another 9-day fast, give up 3 hp permanently (which is the only reason you might hesitate to do it), and a 1,000 gp gem. Enjoy being overpowered, you asshole...
* Draconic Reservoir feat: Your SLA from Draconic Rite of Passage is now 3/day instead of 1/day. Make it count.

====Why D&D 3.5 Kobolds Kick Ass====
It may not seem like it, but despite what a bunch of dipshts may say, 3.5 was the time when kobolds ascended to godlike fucking power.

You see, D&D characters have ages, and in third edition, your character's age can place you into one of four age categories. The first does nothing, and each one after that stacks an increasing penalty to your physical ability scores and a +1 to all of your mental ability scores, so a character who is older than Jesus will have -6 str, -6 dex, -6 con, +3 int, +3 wis, and +3 cha... unless that character is a dragon. Dragons get the mental benefits of old age without the physical penalties, because dragons are fucking awesome. But that doesn't do kobolds a lot of good, because kobolds aren't dragons, right? Enter the Dragonwrought feat. A kobold who takes the Dragonwrought feat during character-creation gets their creature type changed from humanoid to dragon. Page 39 of Races of the Dragon explicitly confirms: "Ability penalties due to age do not apply to dragonwrought kobolds. See the Dragonwrought feat, page 100." So, a 120-year-old dragonwrought kobold gets a free +3 to its mental scores in addition to all the other benefits of counting as a dragon, like low-light vision and immunity to magic sleep and paralysis effects. For a wizard, sorcerer, cleric, favored soul, psion, or any other dedicated caster class, which are already pretty godlike, dragonwrought kobolds can give you that little bit of extra edge that you need to achieve [[Pun-Pun|''uber''-godhood]].

It gets better, though. You see, in addition to the four ''normal'' age categories that all characters have, kobolds have ''kobold age categories'', ranging from Wrymling to Great Wyrm. True dragons, meanwhile, have ''dragon age categories'' with the ''exact same names'', and although there is no strict and official definition of a "true dragon" anywhere in the D&D 3e literature, they have been described as dragons that progress through said age categories. As a result, [[skub|some people have argued]] that [[bullshit|dragonwrought kobolds are, in fact, true dragons]]. Why would this matter? Because there's a bunch of epic dragon cheese that is only available to true dragons, and if you can stack that shit on a kobold player character, you'll practically be eating Tarrasques for lunch.

As NPCs, kobolds know they are small and weak and can't do much about it. They can dig through a mountain faster than that chump John Henry (look it up, you illiterate fuckwits), and lay out enough traps to make the Tomb of Horrors look like a fucking carnival ride, though, so what other creature could use a legion of little minions who do nothing but dig out precious minerals and make traps to defend it all day? Fucking dragons, of course. Right there in Races of the Dragon, there's a blue dragon who actually tells her hatchlings that only kobolds are more reliable than family and the most diehard friends. Because kobolds don't sit on their treasure; they hand it over to a neighborhood dragon and ask for nothing but protection and a little help with enemies once in a while. For a dragon, the return on that investment is just too good: fabulous wealth, dozens of lethal traps to help protect it, and a nice little army of sneaky, smart little ranged attackers who won't hesitate to pin-cushion intruders with dozens of crossbow bolts. For the most part, everyone wins in that arrangement.

Kobolds may not be as elegant as elves, as sturdy as dwarves, or have the adaptability of humans. What they have is moxie and the smarts to play up their strengths, making them the "underdogs" you can't help but root for a little bit.

===Pathfinder===
In addition to appearing in the Advanced Race Guide and Inner Sea Races, Kobolds got their own mini-booklet specifically aimed at Kobolds of Golarion, with a bunch of new traits - including special "bonus" traits based on what color their scales were.

::Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, -4 Strength, -2 Constitution
::Size: Small
::Type: Humanoid (Reptilian)
::Speed: 30 feet
::Darkvision 60 feet
::Armor: +1 natural armor
::Crafty: +2 racial bonus to Craft (Traps), Perception, and Profession (Miner), Craft (Traps) and Stealth are always Class Skills
::Weakness: Light Sensitivity

''Alternate Racial Traits:''
* '''Beast Bond:''' Replace '''Crafty''' with +2 racial bonus to Handle Animal and Ride checks, with Handle Animal and Ride always being Class Skills.
* '''Dragon-Scaled:''' Replace '''Armor''' with Resistance 5 to either Acid, Cold, Electricity or Fire Damage.
* '''Gliding Wings:''' Replace '''Crafty''' with the ability to Glide; when falling, a kobold can make a DC 15 Fly check to land without injury as if using the ''Feather Fall'' spell, and if it succeeds on this check, can then make a second DC 15 Fly check to move 5 feet laterally for every 20 feet fallen.
* '''Jester:''' Replace '''Crafty''' with +2 racial bonus to Diplomacy and Perform checks, with Diplomacy and Perform always being Class Skills.
* '''Dayrider:''' Downgrades a kobold's Darkvision to Low-Light Vision, but removes its Light Sensitivity.
* '''Dragonmaw:''' Replaces '''Armor''' with a D4 damage bite attack that can also deal a bonus +1d6 fire/acid/cold/lightning damage (chosen and set at character creation) 1/day.
* '''Echo Whistler:''' Replaces '''Crafty''' with the ability to try and make a Bluff check with just a bit of vocal mimicry 3/day, gaining a +2 bonus to the check in any place that would generate an echo.
* '''Frightener:''' Replaces '''Armor''' with a +1 DC boost to any Fear spell that the kobold casts.
* '''Prehensile Tail:''' Replaces '''Armor''' with a +2 bonus to Acrobatics & Climb checks and the ability to draw a hidden weapon as a move action.
* '''Secret Strider:''' Replaces '''Crafty''' with the ability to, twice per day, enter a super-sneaky mode for 1 minute. During this time, the kobold leaves no trail when moving through natural surroundings, increasing the DC of Survival checks to track it by +10.
* '''Shoulder To Shoulder:''' Replaces '''Crafty''' with a +1 bonus to Aid Another checks, the ability to occupy the same space as another Small creature without penalty, and the ability to gain a +1 AC bonus when sharing a space with another kobold with this trait.
* '''Spellcaster Sneak:''' Replaces '''Crafty''' with a +2 bonus to Stealth checks. A kobold spellcaster with this trait can also freely apply Silent Spell to a spell 1/day.
* '''Wild Forest Kobold:''' Replaces ''Crafty'' with a +2 bonus to Perception and Survival checks. Additionally, Stealth and Survival are always class skills for this kobold.
* '''Wyrmcrowned:''' Replaces ''Crafty'' with a +2 bonus to either Diplomacy or Intimidate and the ability to count the chosen skill as always being a class skill.

Pathfinder 2nd Edition now has Kobolds thanks to the Advanced Player's Guide. Artwork of the little scalies shows a notable redesign in appearance from 1st edition, now looking more like salamanders or other lizards, with wider heads and a relatively thicker body (no, not ''that'' sort of thick). If nothing else, the wider and flatter heads do make the "three kobolds in a trenchcoat" trick a little more structurally-stable.
{{Pathfinder-Races}}

===Pathfinder 2nd Edition Kobolds===

Kobolds finally got their time in the spotlight with the APG during Gencon 2020. As stated above, they got an update to their appearances, now looking more like salamanders than the mini dragons they were before.

'''Stats'''

::Hit points: 6

::Size: Small

::Speed: 25 feet

::Ability Boosts: Dexterity, Charisma, Free

::Ability Flaw: Constitution

::Languages: Common and Draconic, as well as any other languages equal to your intelligence modifier.

::Darkvision: You can see in darkness and dim light just as well as you can see in bright light, though your vision in darkness is in black and white.

::Draconic Exemplar: You draw minor powers from your draconic exemplar. Choose a type of chromatic or metallic dragon to be your exemplar. This determines your scale color and appearance, and dragons sometimes look more favorably upon those kobolds who resemble them, at the GM’s discretion. Your exemplar may also determine details of other abilities you have, using the Draconic Exemplars table.

In addition to all of these, Kobolds get a few feats like ''Cringe'', which works a lot like 5e's Grovel, Cower, and Beg, except here it's optional.

::Cringe

:::''Trigger'': A creature you are aware of critically succeeds on a Strike against you and would deal damage to you.
:::With pitiful posturing, you cause your foe to pull back a deadly attack. The attacking creature takes a circumstance penalty to the damage of the triggering Strike equal to your level + 2. This penalty applies after doubling the damage for a critical hit. The attacker is then immune to your Cringe for 24 hours.

===4th Edition===
In this edition, kobolds received their first writeup in the Monster Manual 1.
::Ability Score Modifier: +2 Dexterity +2 Constitution,
::Size: Small
::Vision: Normal
::Speed: 6 squares
::Skill Bonus: +2 Stealth, +2 Thievery
::Trap Sense: +2 to all defenses against traps
::Racial Power - Shifty: At-Will power. You can spend a minor action to Shift 1 square

They later got beefed up in the Dungeon Survival Guide. This gave them the Reptile type, traded Stealth bonus for Dungeoneering, gave them Darkvision, let them swap their Dex boost for +2 Charisma instead, and replaced Shifty with Shifty Manuever, an Encounter power that lets the kobold and all allies within Close Burst 2 shift 1 square as a free action.

It also gave them five new racial utility powers; Flee! (level 2 Daily; kobold and all allies in Close Burst 2 get +2 to all defenses for 1 turn and shift their full speed), Load Slingpot (level 2 Encounter; kobold with a sling can fling a randomly enchanted projectile that will either give the target a turn-long attack penalty, set the target on fire, or immobilize them for a turn), Tunnel Scuttle (level 6 Encounter; free move action that can go up walls and through tight spaces without issue), Frantic Shift (level 10 Encounter; shift 1 square as a minor action, recharges if you get Bloodied) and Trap-Gang Method (level 10 At-Will; if you take trap/hazard damage with a non-minion creature adjacent to you, you can shift over half the damage you take to that creature).

On top of that, it also provided them with five empowering feats; Dragon's Indomitability (roll two dice and choose the result you want when saving vs. Fear and Stun), Kobold in a Corner (+1 per tier bonus damage against creatures that have combat advantage against you), and Shiftier Maneuver (when you use Shifty Maneuver, one target can shift +2 extra squares) for every'bold, Trapbuster (roll two dice and pick your preference when making Perception checks to detect traps, you don't ever trigger a trap if you fail a Thievery check to disable it) for those with training in Thievery, and Eldritch Momentum (if you move at least 3 squares away from where you started your turn, you gain combat advantage against all creatures under your Warlock's Curse until the end of your next turn) for the kobold [[warlock]].

Truly, 4th edition was a glorious time to play a kobold.
{{D&D4e-Races}}

===5th Edition===
[[File:Looting_Kobolds.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Kobolds are a bit more silly in 5e.]]
From Volo's Guide to Monsters.

::Ability Score Modifier: +2 Dexterity
::Size: Small
::Speed: 30 feet
::Darkvision: 60 feet
::Grovel: Once per encounter, can use an action on your turn to beg, plead, snivel and otherwise humiliate yourself; until the end of your next turn, all of your allies gain Advantage on attack rolls made against enemies within 10 feet of you and who can see your pathetic display.
::Pack Tactics: If at least one non-incapacitated ally is within 5 feet of a creature you are attacking, you gain Advantage on attack rolls against that creature.
::Sunlight Sensitivity: You suffer Disadvantage on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks made when you or your target are in direct sunlight.

Until the 2020 errata of Volo's Guide to Monsters, kobolds had a -2 penalty to strength. This made kobolds and full-blooded orcs the only races in 5e with a racial ability score penalty. The orc's -2 to intelligence was also removed in the same errata (though, the orcs had already gotten the same change in the Eberron and Wildemount books).

The Grovel power is ridiculously useful, allowing you to grant Advantage to ALL attack rolls made by ALL your allies against a sizable number of enemies. That said, it's also the source of a great deal of [[skub]]; those who like their kobolds to be viewed as "truly pathetic" feel it's fitting, whilst players who want to play a kobold in order to fight ''against'' the perception of kobolds as weak, cowardly, stupid cannon fodder find it infuriating, because it's a racial trait that goes directly against their character plan AND it means you're inherently contributing less to the party. In fairness, it can easily be reskinned into a more heroic or warlike act, a comedy skit if you're going for something goofier, or even an elaborate and [[Pun-Pun|truly cunning]] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XfkZlcG8KU| deception.]

Likewise, the Pack Tactics power is seen as extremely powerful. This is offset by your Sunlight Sensitivity, meaning that you yourself are less able to contribute in a fight. Especially since, being Small and having a Strength penalty, you're not likely to be in melee range in the first place, as you're far better suited for a bow-based [[rogue]]/[[ranger]] or a spellcaster.

In a nutshell, the 5e Kobold looks like an attempt at directly converting the 5e Monster Manual version into a PC race, for good or ill. An interesting thing to consider is that on their own, Grovel and Pack Tactics would be overpowered, but they are easily canceled out by Daylight Sensitivity, which is very likely to be the norm as most adventuring parties will choose to take a long rest during the night. From a meta-gaming perspective, the best way to play a kobold is as a team-player, which is very fitting for its lore as a creature that is weak on its own but powerful in large numbers. Consequently, it shouldn't be too surprising to see a kobold player find great success playing a class focused around the use of a companion, such as a Battlesmith Artificer or a Beastmaster Ranger.

Naturally, this version is not the most popular around, and there are alternatives. In particular, the [[Midgard]] Heroes Handbook offers this alternative;
::Ability Score Modifier: +2 Dexterity, +1 Intelligence
::Size: Small
::Speed: 30 feet
::Darkvision: 60 feet
::Blindsider: If at least one non-incapacitated ally is within 5 feet of a creature you are attacking, you gain Advantage on attack rolls against that creature. You can only benefit from this trait with one attack per round.
::Sunlight Sensitivity: You suffer Disadvantage on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks made when you or your target are in direct sunlight.
::Tinkerer: You have Proficiency with one set of Artisan's Tools of your choice from the following list: Alchemist's Supplies, Mason's Tools, Smith's Tools, or Tinker's Tools.

Or you could look at the [[World of Farland]] version:
::Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Dexterity
::Size: Small
::Speed: 30 feet
::Darkvision 60 feet
::Tricksy: You have Proficiency with the Trapmaking Kit.
::Sunlight Sensitivity: You suffer Disadvantage on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks made when you or your target are in direct sunlight.
::Pack Tactics: Once per short rest, when attacking an enemy adjacent to an ally who isn't incapacitated, you can gain advantage on the attack roll. If this attack hits, it does +1d6 damage, increasing to +2d6, +3d6 and +4d6 at levels 6, 11 and 14 respectively.
::Subrace: Choose the Common, Winged or Wyrmsblood subrace.

''Common Kobolds'' are known as "Murgs", which means "Scavenger" or "Rat" in the Dark Tongue. They gain +1 Constitution and the Iron Stomach trait, which lets them even spoiled or rotten food whilst also giving them Proficiency in Survival, Advantage on Constitution saving throws, and Resistance to Poison damage. Despite their name, they are ''not'' [[ratfolk]]; those are the [[ferek]]kin.

''Winged Kobolds'', obviously, can fly. They gain no extra ability score increase, but have a Fly speed of 30 feet. They can't fly if wearing armor they're not proficient in, nor a backpack specifically tailored to fit around their wings. Additionally, they need to pass a Constitution save whenever they take damage whilst flying (DC 10 or 1/2 the damage, whichever is higher) or else they immediately fall to the ground.

''Wyrmsblood Kobolds'' claim distant [[dragon]] heritage and an attendant affinity for [[Sorcerer (Dungeons & Dragons)|sorcery]]. They gain +1 Charisma and can cast Blade Ward, as well as gaining the ability to cast Charm Person 1/day from 3rd level, both using Charisma as their spellcasting ability score.

{{D&D5e-Races}}

==Cutebolds==
[[File:Cutebold adventure party.gif|250px|thumb|right|Aw, they think they're people!]]
Cutebolds are like Kobolds only incredibly cute.

They are pitiful and childish in everything they do, and are innocent enough to not know how to procreate. All they know is that rubbing their noses gives them a guilty pleasure. They are no less "harmless" when played properly, though. They tend toward the dog-like for extra D'aww.

This interpretation of the Kobold is thought to have been inspired by their depiction in [[Dwarf Fortress]], where they steal your supplies, but seem to do it in the most endearingly stupid manner possible.

Cutebold stats:
: +2 Dex, +2 Cha, -2 Int
: Charm person once per day as a spell like ability
: Low light vision and scent

==Kobold Commandos==

[[File:Kobold-red-beret.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Another [[/k/]]obold.]]
[[File:Kobold-with-smg.png|300px|thumb|right|Is that a sturmfaust? ITS A GUNDAM!]]
A popular way to portray kobolds in a more contemporary fashion, kobold commandos portray kobolds as being part of the military, especially special forces. Other anons point out that with the fact that they don't hold up in a one-on-on fight with other low level monsters, attack in large numbers and from ambush, have a predisposition towards traps and dig big underground tunnels, they're kind of like the Viet Cong. This is probably rooted in the old story about [[Tucker's Kobolds]], and there are similarities between these two depictions. Of the various 'cannon fodder' enemies, Kobolds seem to be the most organized, and with that organization a DM has a lot of leeway to look into all the ways one can use fortifications to fuck with an attacker, and turn them upon unsuspecting players.
D20 Modern's urban Arcana made this version actually canon, right down to an almost [[Ork]]ish love of [[DAKKA]], with the popular kobold character [[Meepo]], originally from the module The Sunless Citadel, getting transported into the world of d20 modern and joining an army, and later returning to his own world bringing his shotgun with him.

==Kobold Models==
Despite being a part of D&D since the very beginning, kobold tabletop models are rather rare(see below for links). For the longest time, [[Reaper Miniatures]] has been pretty much the ''only'' company that made them in squad/mob size numbers, and even then the sculpts... aren't that spectacular. However, as of May 2017 Westfalia Miniatures has Kickstarted their new tabletop wargame Strongsword, and included with it are models (damn good ones, too) for an entire kobold army! What's more, in the Strongsword lore the little bastards apparently cause enough mayhem to be responsible for a conflict called (I shit you not) the [[Tucker's Kobolds|''Kobold Wars'']].

==Warhammer Kobolds==

The Kobolds of Warhammer Fantasy were merely a subspecies of Goblin, whose only morphological difference was being skinnier and with more angular proportions. The exception to this was the Fire Kobold, a form of Kobold covered in red patches often mistaken for diseased rash. The Fire Kobolds held the unique ability to manifest fire through throwing fireballs or spitting out small gouts of flame.

==Monstergirls==
{{Monstergirls}}
[[File:MGE Kobold.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The MGE Kobold, one of the two most iconic depictions of the kobold as a cute doggie-girl.]]
[[File:Koboldette.jpg|thumb|200px|left|The basic approach the West takes to sexy kobolds.]]

Given the popularity of kobolds, there are also a lot of people who like them In That Way. The two most popular kobold monstergirl depictions are the dogbold and the little dragonbold: Goblinoid kobolds are pretty much immune to this treatment, mostly because at that point you just end up with a monstergirl [[goblin]] and maybe a few special kinks, at which point you're usually asking yourself "why is this not just called a goblin?".

Dogbolds are mostly seen in Japanese media like [[Life With Monstergirls]] and the [[Monster Girl Encyclopedia]], where they are humanoid dogs to some degree. In the former they have small snouts instead of noses, fur covering their bodies and [[Power_Fist|massive hands]]. Polt is the only kobold seen so far, the owner of a gym and creator of the "kobolds are all hyperactive dogs who'll drag you along if you take them for walkies" stereotype. In the latter they are humans with dog-like disposion; submissive, eager to please, excitable and won't stop doing something until you tell them to.

In the west, meanwhile, the small dragon type kobold is massive bait for the [[furry]] subgroup known as scalies: those with an interested in scaled rather than furred animals. Dragons are by far the most popular animal in the group, and not only are kobolds essentially a smaller version of dragons, the fact that kobolds are generally depicted as the loyal and submissive servants to their draconic masters means it's not hard to sexualize that relationship. Humanization is rarely done because that would ruin their small dragon appeal. While in some cases they are drawn with humanoid penises or breasts, often they are depicted as they are in the books (except, you know, naked). This includes very minute sexual dimorphism, meaning that any kobold could be a [[trap]]. Often included is them having a cloaca, meaning that their pelvic region is reduced to a single nondescript opening that they piss, jizz, and crap out of (....hot?). These kobolds are often portrayed with wide, egg-laying hips in order to give them some [[shortstack]] appeal.

===Canonical Kobold Deviance===
In what has to be the weirdest of coincidences, ever since kobolds got their [[dragon]]-linked makeover in 3rd edition, there's been some really weird sexual elements snuck into their lore, although what that element is depends on the edition.

[[Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition]]: [[Races of X|Races of the Dragon]] states that kobolds go into heat and are compelled to breed, like animals, but they're also sapient beings, so they also form permanent pair-bondings. They reconcile these different facts with the statement that extra-marital sex and breeding is considered "no biggie" in kobold society, because the urge hits when it hits, and they can't control themselves when it happens, so there's no point getting jealous about it.

[[Pathfinder]]: Kobolds of [[Golarion]] has become somewhat memetically infamous for its presentation of kobold biology. Classic Monsters Revisited also established kobolds as being super-breeders, with females producing eggs throughout their lives and producing bigger and bigger clutches as they get older.

[[Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition]]: The Dungeon Survival Handbook states that kobolds worship [[dragon]]s to the extent of willingly committing suicide by feeding themselves to hungry dragons because they view it was a way to transcend their kobold natures and become one with their devourer. While they are not stated to get any ''sexual'' pleasure from this act of getting eaten, you just know that pointing as much out will fall on deaf ears with many voraphiles.

[[Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition]]: Volo's Guide to Monsters states that, like certain frogs and fish, kobolds are environmentally triggered gender-benders, switching between male and female in response to the overabundance of one gender in order to facilitate breeding. So theoretically, if you want kobolds, you just stick two kobolds in a cage and it doesn't matter what sexes they started out as, they'll become a breeding pair and start making eggs soon enough.

==Gallery==
===Cutebolds===
<center>
<gallery>
File:Koboldthief.png
File:Id give you the moon.gif|If you should want the moon, and the stars that shine...
File:Grifli.gif|There's no word in kobold for "[[just as planned|keikaku]]".
File:Koboldhouse.gif|[[Kobold Camp]] now with 3D rendering.
File:Loveakobold.gif|Love can bloom under a battlefield.
Image:Cutebold_fantasies.jpg|Someone's got a widdle crush!
File:CuteboldMindflayer.jpg|No one messes with a [[Illithid|Mindflayer]]
</gallery>
</center>

===D&D Kobolds through the ages===
<center>
<gallery>
Original_Kobold.png|The very first kobold in D&D, the foundation of them all.
Kobold MM 1e 2.jpg
Kobold Monster card.jpg|The one time when "goblin" and "kobold" became interchangeable.
Goblinoid_Kobold.jpg
Urd.jpg|Now with flight!
Kobold MM 2e.png|The iconic AD&D Kobold artwork; you can actually see similarities to 3e if you squint.
3e_Kobold.jpg|The definitive species change-over.
4e_Kobolds.jpg
4e_Kobolds_2.jpg
5e_Kobold.jpg|New swolbolds, the pinnacle of kobold design!
Pathfinder_Kobold.jpg|Pathfinder did buff kobolds first.
Pathfinder_Kobold_Warrior.jpg
Pathfinder_Kobold_Shaman.jpg
KoboldPF2e.png|Pathfinder 2e makes the Kobolds look more like salamanders
</gallery>
</center>

===Western-style Monstergirls===
<center>
<gallery>
Image:Koboldette_2.jpg|Now in flat-chested variety.
Image:Kobold_Maiden.jpg
Image:Kobold_Maiden_2.jpg
Image:Embarrassed_Kobold.png|Some kobold-gals are very shy about being approached by human adventurers.
Image:Presenting_Kobold.png|Others, not so much.
Image:Then_and_now_1.png|Kobolds have changed a lot over the years.
Image:Nubile_Kobold_Savage.jpg
Image:Kobold_Worker.png
Image:Kobold_Traveler.jpg
Image:Kobold_Warrior.jpg
Image:Kobold_Dancer.png
Image:Kobold_White_Mage.jpg
Image:Kobold_Wizard_1.png
Image:Kobold_Wizard_2.jpg
File:Feathered Aztec Kobold Spirit Shaman.png
Image:Koboldwater.jpg
Image:Coal_the_Kobold_gets_pettings.jpg|Coal the Kobold, protagonist of [https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/monsters-can-be-heroes-too/list?title_no=281278&page=1| Monsters Can Be Heroes Too!] being adorable.
</gallery>
</center>

==See also==
*[[Tucker's Kobolds]]
*[[Pun-Pun]]
*[[Kobold Camp]]
*[[Kobolds Ate My Baby!]]
*[[Unified Setting/Kobolds]]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80BWVkKd_Cw The cutebold theme]
*[https://www.reapermini.com/search/kobold/ Reaper minis]
*[https://www.stonehavenmini.com/collections/kobold Stonehaven minis]
*[https://wizkids.com/dnd-unpainted/ wizkid D&D line, has some kobolds]

[[Category:Dragons]] [[Category:Furry]]

Gods of Dungeons & Dragons

2021-07-07T10:46:56Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:9DF1:2164:4318:5A88: /* Racial */

Within all roleplaying games (outside of Warhammer 40k's Dark Heresy, where thinking outside the box is [[Heresy]]) there are deities. Whether they are good or bad, they exist.

This list will more or less contain the versions of the deities from 3.5 to the latest edition, and how they can be used to portray characters in your settings.

==Infobox==
{{Infobox Deity
|Name = What the god is called.
|Symbol = What special marking worshippers use to signal their faith.
|Aliases = Other names and titles the god is known by.
|Alignment = Does this need explaining?
|Divine Rank = How the god ranks amongst its own kind.
|Pantheon = What group(s) of gods this god belongs to.
|Portfolio = What this god is responsible for.
|Domains = What [[Cleric Domain]]s it bestows.
|Home Plane = Place of residence in the multiverse.
|Worshippers = Who actually worships this god.
|Favoured Weapon = What faithful worshippers consider best to protect themselves with.
}}
The information box that should eventually grace each god's page, summing up their information in a nutshell.
{{clear}}

==Types of Religions==
These are how religions are categorized in D&D.

===Loose & Tight Pantheons===
Loose pantheons are the default for D&D. A bunch of gods with their own portfolio exist, have varying relationships with other deities, their own myths and doctrines, and each deity tries to advance their own portfolio and doctrine in the world.

Tight pantheons differ in that the gods usually have either a ruler among them, or some other body of myths, doctrine, or rituals common with them, with an aberrant deity or two whose worship is frowned upon. Most people in either of them are either polytheistic or henotheistic, acknowledge the other gods but only worship one or some of them.

===Mystery Cults===
Cults of a single deity, or at most a handful of deities, where the personal relationship with the deity is emphasized. Largely based on a ritual of initiation where the person is mystically identified with the deity in question, and are taught their own unique myths. Often associated with gods of nature, and a part of other religious systems. [[Dennari]]'s faith is an example of deity with a mystery cult.

===Monotheism===
You probably know what monotheism means, and if you don't look it up ya dingus! In D&D, monotheistic deities have aspects who the regular people worship. [[Taiia]] is an example of a monotheistic D&D deity.

===Dualism===
Here, you two opposing forces (Law vs. Chaos, Good Vs. Evil, etc.) fighting each other, and the whole world is the stage for their conflict. Most believe that one is good and the other is evil, but some say that the two must remain at balance for the best result. [[Elishar]] and [[Toldoth]] are examples of a dualistic religion and its deities.

===Animism===
Spirits are everywhere here, and I mean literally everywhere, a tree has its spirit, as does everyone of its leaves, and so does the mountain, the sun and moon, the river, your computer, and that pebble over there. Most people here tend give praise and sacrifices to a specific spirit depending on the occasion and situation, whiles a [[cleric]] worships a handful of them as his or her patrons.

An undetermined/unexplored form of Animism is the presumed default religion of the [[Druid]]s, which is literally why that class exists as a separate thing to the Nature God Clerics. In [[Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition]], this desire to give druids a deeper meaning led to the creation of the [[Primal Spirits]] as ''the'' animistic religion of the [[World Axis]] cosmology.

===Forces & Philosophies===
Of course, some gain their powers from their devotion and beliefs of some ideal or philosophy (honor, freedom, wealth, power, etc.) or simply worship forces of either nature or magic, with deities being just personal manifestations of impersonal forces and philosophies. They don't deny the existance of deities, they just think them as too much like the mortals who worship them.

==Divine Ranks==
In D&D, deities have a rank, ranging from quasi-deity to greater deity. All it really means is that the greater deities rank the more powerful they are, more generalized their portfolio's are, and, depending on the setting, how many worshippers they have. The ranks shown here are the ones used in 3.5, and from bottom to top they are:
*'''Quasi-Deity:''' Not quite gods but still immortal and powerful beings. Planar powers ([[Archdevil]]s, [[Animal Lord]]s, [[Celestia|the Hebdomad]], etc.), [[Elder Evils]] (Though some of them such as Pandorym are much stronger than gods), and [[Vestige]]s go here.
*'''Hero-Deity:''' Ascended mortals, often sponsored by other gods, and descendants of mortals and deities go here. Often have very specialized portfolios.
*'''Demigod:''' Here be gods proper. From here on they can have their own realms in the [[Outer Planes]], and grant spells to their worshippers depending on the setting.
*'''Lesser Deity:''' More powerful than demigods and more widely worshipped.
*'''Intermediate Deity:''' More powerful than lesser deities and more widely worshipped.
*'''Greater Deity:''' The leaders of pantheons, usually, and gods of common nouns, concepts, and universal forces (magic, sun, nature, etc.) go here.
*'''Overdeity:''' Gods in charge of other gods, often the ones who decide whether or not someone becomes a god. Don't grant spells and have no worshippers, being beyond the need for them. Examples include [[Ao]] and possibly [[Lady of Pain]].

There are also two unique divine ranks that are tied to cosmologies outside of the [[Great Wheel]]...
*'''[[Mystaran Immortal]]s''' are named as such because they are tied to the nameless cosmology of [[Mystara]], which due to its basis in [[Sword & Sorcery]] meets [[Science Fantasy]] "Pulp Fantasy" uses a complex system of dimensions rather than planes. Immortals are former mortals who have attuned themselves to one of the five Spheres that make up the pillars of reality - Thought, Matter, Energy, Time and Entropy - by following one of four archetypal Paths (Dynast, Hero, Paragon, Polymath) to ascend into a multi-dimensional higher entity. They're gods, but they don't work the same way as the gods of Great Wheel do.
*'''[[Exarch]]s''' hail from the World Axis, and the term basically means "any powerful, unique, and immortal servant of a full-fledged god". In essence, the World Axis uses "God" to refer "Greater Deity" and "Exarch" to refer to "any divine entity below that in power".

==Historical Deities==
Whilst D&D has never shied away from creating gods of its own division for its various campaign settings, [[Gygax]] and his buddies were big mythology and history fans, so they eagerly explored the idea of using various "Pagan" religions as being real things in the D&D multiverse. This led to the [[Deities & Demigods]] [[splatbook]]. Whether or not people actually ''like'' this idea of "fictionalizing" real-world mythologies, which people can get rather touchy about... well...

Whatever the stance on actually ''using'' them in game is, they're well known and public domain so they ''do'' serve well as examples of how to make a D&D type deity without attaching a particular setting to the example.

{{D&D-Historical-Deities}}

==[[Birthright]]==
{{D&D-Birthright-Deities}}

==[[Dragonlance]]==
The gods of Dragonlance each have a constellation in the night sky or one of the three moons. When a god walks in the world among mortals, that constellation is absent from the sky, which is a dead giveaway to the other gods.

;Gods of Good
* Branchala (the harp), music, inspiration, bards
* Habbakuk (the phoenix), persistence, animals, rangers
* Kiri-Jolith (the bison's head), unity, strength, fighters
* Majere (the rose), discipline, dreams, monks
* Mishakal (the figure-eight), restoration, motherhood, healers
* Paladine (the platinum dragon), majesty, aspirations, leaders
* Solinari (the silver moon), magic used for good, wizards

;Gods of Neutrality
* Chislev (a wandering star (planet)), instinct, natural world
* Gilean (the book), knowledge, librarians, scholars
* Lunitari (the red moon), magic used for neutrality, wizards
* Reorx (a red star), creation, craftsmen, dwarves and gnomes
* Shinare (a wandering star (planet)), interaction, agreements, merchants
* Sirrion (a wandering star (planet)), transformation, fire, artists and alchemists
* Zivilyn (a wandering star (planet)), wisdom, awareness, completely impartial

;Gods of Evil
* Chemosh (the goat skull), fatalism, despair, undead
* Hiddukel (the broken scale), exploitation, selfishness, thieves
* Morgion (the diseased hood), decay, disease, suffering
* Nuitari (the black (invisible) moon), magic used for evil, wizards
* Sargonnas (the condor), wrath, revenge, minotaurs
* Takhisis (the five-headed dragon), control, conquest, tyrants
* Zeboim (the dragon-turtle), strife, mood-swings, bane of sailors

{{D&D-Dragonlance-Deities}}

==[[Eberron]]==
Religion here is more like actual religion than normal ''D&D''. There's evidence for and against the gods existing, and divine magic is fueled by faith, rather than the actual god. Some atheist/agnostic clerics or fanatical believers in a state or charismatic individual can also access spells for this reason, and there are no alignment restrictions on priesthood. The Silver Flame has the worst kind of evil hypocrites, deluded into thinking they're doing the right thing, the Blood of Vol has decent, innocent people taken in by its cultish lies, and everything on a spectrum in between, and so long as their faith holds, their spells come out right.

*The Sovereign Host: Traditional "good" gods.
*The Dark Six: Traditional "evil" gods.
*The Silver Flame: Similar to Medieval Catholicism
*The Dragon Below: Demon worship.
*The Lord of Blades: A [[warforged]]-supremacist preaching the death or enslavement of all the fleshies. Not ''actually'' a god, but his followers are such mad fanatics that they can manifest divine magic anyway.
*The Blood of Vol: Humanism with some Undeath mixed in. Most members don’t know about the evil cult running things from behind the scenes..
*The Path of Light: Kalashtar religion opposing the Quori.
*The Path of Inspiration: Quori-founded religion that ''looks'' like a peaceful religion but is actually helping them come into the world.
*The Becoming God: A bunch of warforged trying to build their own god. Probably not actually the Lord of Blades, though he certainly wants to be, and there's some overlap with his followers.

{{D&D-Eberron-Faiths}}

==[[Exandria]]==
{{D&D-Exandria-Deities}}

==[[Forgotten Realms]]==
{{D&D5e-FR-Deities}}

==[[Ghostwalk]]==
{{Ghostwalk-Deities}}

==[[Greyhawk]]==
{{D&D-Greyhawk-Deities}}

To make things more complicated, the gods that appear in the Flanaess originated from a number of ethnic groups appearing in the setting. The Oerdian, Baklunish, Flan and Suloise peoples all have their own gods, some of them overlapping. Some gods are revered by multiple groups and have no direct origin, while others are worshipped in only one region. Below are listed a number of these deities.

;Greater Deities
*[[Beory]], the Earth mother
*[[Boccob]], god of magic, arcane knowledge, balance and foresight.
*[[Incabulos]], god of plague, famine, disease and disaster.
*[[Istus]], goddess of fate, destiny and the future.
*[[Nerull]], god of death, darkness, murder and the underworld.
*[[Pelor]], god of sun, light, strength and healing. More humans worship Pelor than any other deity.
*[[Rao]], god of peace and reason.

;Intermediate Deities
*[[Celestian]], god of the stars, wanderers and space.
*[[Ehlonna]], goddess of forests, woodlands, flora & fauna, and fertility.
*[[Erythnul]], god of hate, envy, malice, panic, ugliness, and slaughter.
*[[Fharlanghn]], god of horizons, distance, travel, and roads.
*[[Heironeous]], god of chivalry, justice, honor, war, daring, and valor.
*[[Hextor]], god of war, discord, massacres, conflict, fitness, and tyranny.
*[[Kord]], god of athletics, sports, brawling, strength, and courage.
*[[Lendor]], god of time, patience and study.
*[[Obad-Hai]], god of nature, freedom, hunting, and beasts.
*[[Olidammara]], god of music, revels, wine, rogues, humor, and tricks. Tends to fuck with the other gods for the hell of it.
*[[Pholtus]], god of law, order, light, the sun and the moons.
*[[Procan]], god of the seas, sea life and navigation.
*[[Ralishaz]], god of chance, misfortune and insanity.
*[[Saint Cuthbert]], god of common sense, wisdom, zeal, honesty, truth, and discipline. Needless to say, he's all but dead in the [[Warhammer 40k|future]].
*[[Tharizdun]], god of entropy, insanity and darkness.
*[[Ulaa]], goddess of mountains, mining and gemstones.
*[[Wee Jas]], goddess of magic, death, vanity, and law.
*[[Zilchus]], god of trade and money.

;Lesser Deities
*[[Vecna]] god of secrets.
*[[Xan Yae]]

;Demi-Gods
*[[Wastri]]
*[[Ye'Cind]], [[Alignment#Chaotic_Good|Chaotic]] [[Seldarine|elven deity]] of music, enchantment, and magic.
*[[Zagyg]], deification of [[Gygax]] himself.
*[[Zuoken]]

==[[Mystara]]==
In Mystara, instead of Gods you have the Immortals, mortal beings who reached divinity through their actions in life and sponsorship by other Immortals. The Immortals are ranked by power (Initiates being the recently ascended and the weakest, with Hierarchs being the oldest and strongest), and divided based on which of the five Spheres they belong to.
*Sphere of Matter is mainly Lawful, concerned with stability and order.
*Sphere of Energy is mainly Chaotic, concerned with change and transformation.
*Sphere of Time is mainly Neutral, concerned with balance, growth, and rebirth.
*Sphere of Thought is mainly Good, concerned with understanding and enlightnement.
*Sphere of Entrophy is mainly Evil, concerned with destruction and opposing all of the above Spheres and itself.

Above the Immortals are the [[Old Ones]] ([[Old Ones (Warhammer)|No, not those ones]]), who are to Immortals, what Immortals are to mortals.

It's also possible for [[PC]]s to become Immortals (of any Sphere except Entropy), and even Old Ones (provided they can reach the highest level in their Sphere, level 40, twice).
{{D&D-Mystara-Immortals}}

==Nentir Vale (Dawn War Pantheon)==
The default setting for D&D 4E.
{{D&D4e-Deities}}

==[[Planescape]]==
Too many gods to count, some less potent than a 20th level player character. You can use gods from any of the other campaign settings, even multiple settings. Planescape adventures are usually based in the city of [[Planescape#Sigil|Sigil]] which no god may enter, not even when [[Orcus]] was acting as the [[BBEG]] of the entire AD&D 2nd edition.

Pantheons that have been mentioned in Planescape include:

;D&D
*[[Birthright]]
*[[Dragonlance]]
*[[Forgotten Realms]]
*[[Greyhawk]]

;Real life
*Babylonian
*Celtic
*Chinese
*Egyptian
*Finnish
*Greek
*Indian
*Japanese
*Native American
*Norse
*Sumerian

The [[Lady of Pain]] may or may not be a god. She is powerful enough to kill gods, but she usually kill anyone who tries worshiping her, which might indicate that she is trying to avoid becoming one.

==Racial==
{{D&D-Nonhuman-Deities}}

These deities appear in several campaign settings (including [[Forgotten Realms]] and [[Greyhawk]]) as part of their racial pantheons. Except when they're dead.
*[[Annam]], god of giants.
*[[Bahamut]], god of good dragons.
*[[Blibdoolpoolp]], god of kuo-toas.
*[[Corellon Larethian]], god of [[elves]], magic, music, and arts.
*[[Garl Glittergold]], god of [[gnomes]], humor, and gemcutting.
*[[Gruumsh]], god of [[orcs]].
*[[Ilsensine]], god of [[illithid]]s.
*[[Kurtulmak]] god of [[kobold]]s.
*[[Lolth]], goddess of [[Drow]] and spiders.
*[[Moradin]], god of [[dwarves]].
*[[Tiamat]], goddess of evil dragons.
*[[Yondalla]], goddess of [[halflings]].

==[[Ravenloft]]==
Many of the gods of Ravenloft are confirmed to be or are likely not real, but people who worship them can gain spells anyway because the [[Dark Powers]] grant divine magic in their place. The Dark Powers may actually be granting the spells of all divine casters in Ravenloft no matter what deity they actually worship. So the Dark Powers may be the only gods or otherwise godlike beings that have any influence even if nobody actually worships them. Several of the gods worshiped in Ravenloft are [[#Historical_Deities]], or may be gods from other settings under different names.
{{D&D-Ravenloft-Deities}}

==Third Party Settings==

===[[Dragonmech]]===
Most people stopped believing in the gods after the moon got closer and clerics stopped getting spells properly. They do exist but are under siege from the lunar gods, who are also trying to steal their followers, which limits their capabilities. Along with that, some old and forgotten gods are coming back, a new god, [[Dotrak]], is being born from peoples faith in machines, and some people are gaining divine spells from their faith in ideas and philosophies.

===[[Dragonstar]]===
The Unification Church maintains that there are 12 "deitypes", or true gods, who created everything and from which all the other deities are derived, with some being combinations of two or more deitypes. Along with that you also have the Dualist Heresy who say that there are only two true gods.

===[[Humblewood]]===
The birdfolk and humblefolk both worship a pantheon known as the [[Amaranthine]], a collection of nature deities who each take responsibility for a specific aspect of nature. There are twelve Amaranthine in total; one spiritual patron for each of the [[beastfolk]] races of the setting, plus a duotheistic pair of pantheon leaders who, whilst depicted as birds, are regarded as above such a divide and thusly are connected to all races equally.
{{D&D-Amaranthine}}

===[[Ptolus]]===
In Ptolus, most people follow [[Lothian]], who is Jesus and whose church is the Roman Catholic Church. The said church went about oppressing all the other faiths until just 200 years ago when they lost enough power, and became a bit more tolerant, to allow other faiths to gain momentum again. You also have things like the Temple of Excellence, whose halfling cleric has divine spells simply because he believes in himself hard enough, and the cults of chaos who worship [[The Galchutt|various gribbly things]].

{{D&D-Ptolus-Deities}}

===[[Scarred Lands]]===
The world underwent a fantasy Titanomachy, i.e. mortal-friendly gods took over things from the less-friendly titans. There's the eight main gods, and a host of minor demigods, and titan-worshippers are hiding in the shadows, well except for the followers of [[Denev]]. In other places you have the [[Ushada]], the animistic spirits of everything, and the [[Agency of the Emperor]] in the Dragon Lands.

{{D&D-SL-Faiths}}

==Gallery==
<center>
<gallery>
File:Greyhawk1.gif|Priests of [[Pholtus]], [[Al'Akbar]], [[Saint Cuthbert]], [[Heironeous]], and [[Hextor]]
File:Greyhawk2.gif|Priests of [[Lendor]], [[Istus]], [[Boccob]], [[Celestian]], and [[Fharlaghn]]
File:Greyhawk3.gif|Priests of [[Iuz]], [[Nerull]], [[Tharizdun]], [[Vecna]], and [[Wastri]]
File:Greyhawk4.gif|Priests of [[Sehanine Moonbow]], [[Mouqol]], [[Rao]], [[Zuoken]], and [[Xan Yae]]
File:Greyhawk5.gif|Priests of [[Kurell]], [[Trithereon]], [[Wenta]], [[Ralishaz]], and [[Kord]]
</gallery>
</center>

[[Category: Planescape]]