Kobolds Ate My Baby!
Encyclopedia
Kobolds Ate My Baby! is an independently published role-playing game
from 9th Level Games, a small-press publisher and designer of humorous
role-playing game
s (RPGs) based in Pennsylvania
. The name is a derivative reference to the Azaria Chamberlain disappearance
and the famous misquote, "A dingo ate my baby!" The Super Deluxx Edition was still designed by 9th Level Games, but is published by Dork Storm Press.
" characters in fantasy
role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons
. KAMB supposedly refutes this role, while at the same time playing up this and other stereotypes of fantasy role-playing. The game takes a generally humorous look at the genre and encourages joking and ludicrous, boisterous behavior among the players, the chief of which is the rule that whenever the name of the kobolds' king, Torg, is mentioned, all present are required to loudly proclaim, "ALL HAIL KING TORG!"
KAMB is played using the dice rolling mechanism called the Beer Engine. It is called Beer after the four stats that make each character: Brawn, Ego, Extraneous, and Reflexes. Essentially, players are given a difficulty in numbers of dice, and they must roll under the appropriate value on their sheet. Kobolds being poorly suited to adventuring have low numbers, which keeps the humour alive in the game.
KAMB is part of an annual event at the Origins Game Fair called the Midnight Massacre, in which large numbers of people customarily play multiple simultaneous games of KAMB and make significant amounts of noise. In 2005, the Midnight Massacre was staged as a LARP.
created by 9th Level Games for Kobolds Ate My Baby! and other games. This is the basic engine is used to determine if a character succeeds at an action they have attempted in the game. In BEER Engine games, all characters have statistics
that represent their physical and mental aptitudes. (i.e. strength, reflexes, or smarts) These statistics are determined by rolling a number of dice when the character is created with higher results representing a greater proficiency in a particular area. While playing the game characters will attempt certain feats (like climbing a wall). To determine whether the action is successful or not the player rolls a number of six-sided dice
. The number of dice that are rolled increases with the difficulty of the action; if the total of the dice rolled by the player is less than or equal to their character's statistic the action succeeds.
Other RPGs using the BEER Engine! are Ninja Burger, Warhamster.
1999.
Currently, 9th Level Games is transitioning out publishing to focus primarily on design. In December 2005, Dork Storm Press (DSP) released Kobolds Ate My Baby! Super Deluxx Edition, a game that was designed by 9LG and published by DSP. This edition features illustrations by John Kovalic
, the creator of Dork Tower
.
.
Reviewer, author and critic Ken Hite said in his review that he “loved it” and praised its humor and solid game mechanic.
A reviewer on RPGnet review site called it “a game of comic genius” and gave it 5 stars out of 5 for both style and substance.
Reviewer Matthew Pook said that "the game itself is amusingly written, and of course, it includes opportunities aplenty for the Mayor [the Gamemaster] to be rotten to his Kobold players. Just as they will be rotten to each other in the scramble to gain Victory Points. In this, it shares some similarity with Paranoia
."
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
from 9th Level Games, a small-press publisher and designer of humorous
Humour
Humour or humor is the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s (RPGs) based in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The name is a derivative reference to the Azaria Chamberlain disappearance
Azaria Chamberlain disappearance
Azaria Chantel Loren Chamberlain was a nine-week-old Australian baby girl, who disappeared on the night of 17 August 1980 on a camping trip to Uluru with her family. Her body was never found. Her parents, Lindy and Michael Chamberlain, reported that she had been taken from their tent by a dingo...
and the famous misquote, "A dingo ate my baby!" The Super Deluxx Edition was still designed by 9th Level Games, but is published by Dork Storm Press.
Game play
The players assume the roles of kobolds, creatures who are often used as weak but numerous "cannon fodderCannon fodder
Cannon fodder is an informal, derogatory term for military personnel who are regarded or treated as expendable in the face of enemy fire. The term is generally used in situations where soldiers are forced to deliberately fight against hopeless odds in an effort to achieve a strategic goal...
" characters in fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
. KAMB supposedly refutes this role, while at the same time playing up this and other stereotypes of fantasy role-playing. The game takes a generally humorous look at the genre and encourages joking and ludicrous, boisterous behavior among the players, the chief of which is the rule that whenever the name of the kobolds' king, Torg, is mentioned, all present are required to loudly proclaim, "ALL HAIL KING TORG!"
KAMB is played using the dice rolling mechanism called the Beer Engine. It is called Beer after the four stats that make each character: Brawn, Ego, Extraneous, and Reflexes. Essentially, players are given a difficulty in numbers of dice, and they must roll under the appropriate value on their sheet. Kobolds being poorly suited to adventuring have low numbers, which keeps the humour alive in the game.
KAMB is part of an annual event at the Origins Game Fair called the Midnight Massacre, in which large numbers of people customarily play multiple simultaneous games of KAMB and make significant amounts of noise. In 2005, the Midnight Massacre was staged as a LARP.
BEER Engine
The BEER Engine! is a role-playing game systemRole-playing game system
A role-playing game system is a set of game mechanics used in a role-playing game to determine the outcome of a character's in-game actions...
created by 9th Level Games for Kobolds Ate My Baby! and other games. This is the basic engine is used to determine if a character succeeds at an action they have attempted in the game. In BEER Engine games, all characters have statistics
Statistic (role-playing games)
A statistic in role-playing games is a piece of data which represents a particular aspect of a fictional character. That piece of data is usually a integer or, in some cases, a set of dice....
that represent their physical and mental aptitudes. (i.e. strength, reflexes, or smarts) These statistics are determined by rolling a number of dice when the character is created with higher results representing a greater proficiency in a particular area. While playing the game characters will attempt certain feats (like climbing a wall). To determine whether the action is successful or not the player rolls a number of six-sided dice
Dice
A die is a small throwable object with multiple resting positions, used for generating random numbers...
. The number of dice that are rolled increases with the difficulty of the action; if the total of the dice rolled by the player is less than or equal to their character's statistic the action succeeds.
Other RPGs using the BEER Engine! are Ninja Burger, Warhamster.
9th Level Games
The company was founded by Dan Landis and Chris O'Neill while in high school together. As of 2001, the company had four employees, including the founders. 9LG's first games were Adventure! The W¸rlde of Kroson and In the Company of Rats, introduced at Origins 1999; these was followed by KAMB, developed in one month for Gen ConGen Con
Gen Con is one of the largest and most prominent annual gaming conventions in North America. It features traditional pen-and-paper, board, and card-style games, including role-playing games, miniatures wargames, board games, live action role-playing games, collectible card games, non-collectible...
1999.
Currently, 9th Level Games is transitioning out publishing to focus primarily on design. In December 2005, Dork Storm Press (DSP) released Kobolds Ate My Baby! Super Deluxx Edition, a game that was designed by 9LG and published by DSP. This edition features illustrations by John Kovalic
John Kovalic
John Kovalic is a cartoonist, illustrator, and writer.Kovalic is best known for his Dork Tower comic book, comic strip and webcomic, and other humorous work set in and about the fantasy role-playing game genre, such as The Unspeakable Oaf...
, the creator of Dork Tower
Dork Tower
Dork Tower is an online comic created, written and drawn by John Kovalic. It chronicles the lives of a group of geeks living in the fictional town of Mud Bay, Wisconsin. Mud Bay's design is strongly influenced by the author's home town of Madison, Wisconsin. Topics have included role-playing...
.
Reviews and Awards
KAMB has received many industry and independent accolades. The publication “Games Quarterly” listed KAMB as one of the top 10 funniest games (non-electronic) released in the last few years. Similarly KAMB was chosen as one of “the 50 Funniest Games of All Time” and the “Weirdest RPG Ever” by Inquest MagazineInQuest Gamer
InQuest Gamer is a discontinued monthly magazine for game reviews and news that was published from 1995 to 2007. Originally, the magazine was named InQuest and focused solely on collectible card games ; InQuest, along with its competitor Scrye, were the two major CCG magazines...
.
Reviewer, author and critic Ken Hite said in his review that he “loved it” and praised its humor and solid game mechanic.
A reviewer on RPGnet review site called it “a game of comic genius” and gave it 5 stars out of 5 for both style and substance.
Reviewer Matthew Pook said that "the game itself is amusingly written, and of course, it includes opportunities aplenty for the Mayor [the Gamemaster] to be rotten to his Kobold players. Just as they will be rotten to each other in the scramble to gain Victory Points. In this, it shares some similarity with Paranoia
Paranoia (role-playing game)
Paranoia is a dystopian science-fiction tabletop role-playing game originally designed and written by Greg Costikyan, Dan Gelber, and Eric Goldberg, and first published in 1984 by West End Games. Since 2004 the game has been published under licence by Mongoose Publishing...
."