Building a better goblin [Archive] - Wizards Community

Building a better goblin [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
PoorHobo
08-28-07, 03:34 AM I thought about posting this on the Races board but I thought I would get more of the type of answers I was looking for here than the races board which primarily seems focused on actual stats. (no offense intended, thats just a very minor part of what I'm looking for)

I want goblins to play a more prominent role in the game world other than fodder for first level adventurers. Maybe even a goblin campaign at some point O_o. I want to create a reason for goblins existing and add a few more fluff elements without changing stats... too much.

Going down the SRD list:

Goblins as Characters:
Stats: They're weak, fugly and dexterous. I think stats are pretty much going to guide most everything else. They are by no means dumb but they are cowardly and lack tactics.

Speed: These guys move at 30ft base, impressive for small sized creatures. I'm not sure how this will affect lifestyle

Darkvision: Goblins are still an underground race. I'm not trying to put them in shiny white towers worshiping the sun. But seeing in the dark is part of their lifestyle. In goblin cities, lights may only be used on one or two main streets. Warrens, shops and allyways are all going to be well within 60 feet before hitting a wall or other visual obstacle no need for light there

Racial bonuses:+4 to move silently and Ride. These seem pretty unrelated and only thrown in to make better monsters for PCs to fight. A goblin warrior has +5 to hide and move silently, not bad for a 1st level warrior, every goblin is essentialy an ambusher, which I like. Every Goblin is also a worg rider...not to sure about that one especially since worgs are intelligent (int of 6) and have 4 hit die. I don't see them serving goblins. What makes sense for goblins as a mount? Does having the +4 ride make sense at all? Should +4 to ride just be replaced?

Favored class rogue: Shout this be changed? Maybe too a more exotic class from a different book instead of the PHB? Ninja, wu-jen, scout, I'm not sure what to make this. Favored class essentially give a character a thumbs up for dipping into. So I guess it boils down too what do Goblin adventurers tend too dip into (see goblin hero below)?

These aren't in the SRD or PHB but I think are important questions I'd like help answering.

What do goblin cities produce? Maybe a better question is what do they look like and where are they? What function do they serve, what keeps them floating economically and where do they get food? Whats a goblin governemnt look like? For some reason I'm picturing every city or outpost as having an overseer something akin to a chieftan.

What does a goblin hero look like? I mean what is he doing in battle? Is he leaping off his worg into melee with daggers in hand? Is he a skrimisher with shield and javelin? a stealthy hunter with bow? Cunning mage/alchemist? Granted PCs can pick virtualy any class or concept I was wondering what a typical goblin adventurer

What is a goblins nitch? Gnomes are bards and illusionists, Elves are wizards, dwarves got the mining and fighting down. Humans do a little bit of everything. Half orcs got the barbarian thing going for them. What is a good nitch for Goblins?

Any help would be appreciated. Also can anybody point me in the right direction for formatting? I know all I have are some random questions but at some point later on I'd like to do a more formal write up of the class
Return of the Flumph
08-28-07, 03:51 AM While culture and fluff has too many options for me to name (they can be anything from wandering, nocturnal brigands to citizens of an underground empire that rivals that of the dwarves), I think I have the combat style of goblins all figured out.

Mounted archery.

While worgs are allies rather than mounts, and not always available, wolves and riding dogs are much easier to get ahold of and keep. Due to their small size and dexterity, goblins are very good marksmen, which makes up somewhat for the lesser damage dealt by their small bows. Their mounts run fast, allowing them to slip away quickly after an ambush or hit-and-run attack. Hit and run; those three words define goblin strategy.

If you go this route (I recommend it), replace Alertness with Mounted Combat for a common goblin's first level feat. Higher level goblins and goblins with bonus feats probably favor Mounted Archery. Goblins who do not have the Mounted Archery feat probably ride their wolves close to the target, dismount, use their racial stealth to sneak forward, shoot a few times, then hop back on the wolf and run away to regroup later. Goblins who don't take Mounted Combat probably take Weapon Focus: shortbow, and serve as support units for the cavalry; perhaps each wolfrider carries an "infantryman" on the back of his wolf, who dismounts when they are about to enter combat.

For underground combat, goblins have probably bred a special type of wolf with darkvision.

A goblin hero is a goblin who 1. is a really good wolfrider and marksman, and 2. has a high enough charisma to get his men to use more organized strategies. Magic users are probably also held in high esteem; I think a goblin ranger (archer)/cleric would be their image of an "iconic" hero.
Rinian2
08-28-07, 09:29 AM If the good ol' Gobbies really are going to play a more prominent role in your campaign, I'd suggest different subtypes; like the Elves and the Drow or the Dwarves and the Dueragar. In other words, an acceptable surface race and an unaccepted deep race.

To perhaps answer what it is that your Goblins produce I was thinking along the lines of skilled labour and natural cunning; your Goblins could be expert trap-makers. Their small size and bonus to Dexterity could be extremely useful in such a skill. The incredible number of them would easily be the work force needed to build the traps that would protect the property and fortunes of the rulers of countries or the scourge of nations.

Although trapmaking seems to have a quite limited export potential, don't forget that traps can be built into almost anything and the goblin trap masters would be working constantly to keep up with the demand for chests and locks and swordcanes and all manner of devious or malicious machinery.

I can almost see the Grand Vizier to the High Caliph gloating proudly to his captives of the remarkable workmanship of his Goblin-built Iron Maiden.

A Goblin hero would simply hold himself differently from the average Goblin on the street. He would walk taller and have the scars from having survived many battles displayed proudly.

And I think that Return of the Flumph has the right of it; Ranger would make an excellent Favoured Class for the New Goblin.
master_Tru
08-28-07, 10:09 AM If goblins had a 30ft move it could be explained via a higher rate of metabolism. This would also give the goblin culture a locust edge, they would have to feed and often any race would have issues competing with that. I like the scout class being a racial class for goblins it ties in well with the higher rate of metabolism and that they are general skirmishers. Though if the goblins had more sorcerers with there own unique spell roster this would further define them as a real race (in games I have run in the past I have given goblin sorcerers spells like worg bite, eye scout (a cleaver spell that uses an eye as the material component), and goblin courage a variation on fear).

An all goblin campaign could be a lot of fun with alot to offer as well as a different outlook on the settings your players where in.
yellowdingo
08-29-07, 06:33 AM A lot of talk about using regular classes for goblins, but how about a jack of all trades...not fighter-thief-cleric-wizard rather:

Barbarian-Druid-Sorcerer
Tattoo magic items, Dire wolf pets...I dont know what you would call such a class though? Packhunter?
Delfedd
08-29-07, 07:37 AM If goblins had a 30ft move it could be explained via a higher rate of metabolism. This would also give the goblin culture a locust edge, they would have to feed and often any race would have issues competing with that. I like the scout class being a racial class for goblins it ties in well with the higher rate of metabolism and that they are general skirmishers. Though if the goblins had more sorcerers with there own unique spell roster this would further define them as a real race (in games I have run in the past I have given goblin sorcerers spells like worg bite, eye scout (a cleaver spell that uses an eye as the material component), and goblin courage a variation on fear).

An all goblin campaign could be a lot of fun with alot to offer as well as a different outlook on the settings your players where in.

Wow, I really like that. Maybe when hundreds of them group together, they make a weird clicking that can be heard for miles and miles, and then they swoop in and gobble up... everything.

That's cool.
master_Tru
08-29-07, 03:11 PM You could go a step further, once a year (or every so many years) masses of goblins rise out of there slums for the great feeding. Like mating season for many animals it would be almost irresistible to resist the feeding. This feeding would serve two purposes: 1 The resulting terror they would bring to the land would trigger a culling from the other races (humans would send armies after them) and 2 it would thin out the weak and dumb goblins, this would further explain why the goblins have become a real power.
taradusis
08-29-07, 05:00 PM In the world of greyhawk they made a better goblin thru selective breeding to create the hob-goblins.Suppose an elvish wizard spent a century breeding them for size and brains?If he created a college to teach magic and logic what would the goblins look like?
Delfedd
08-29-07, 05:53 PM Probably Hobgoblins?

That'd have to be a pretty evil wizard though.
yellowdingo
08-30-07, 07:44 AM Greetings Human!

well...you could just as well give them little silver suits, flying saucers, and frostrayguns built by goblin technowizards.

The Citadel of light hovered over them for a while until it turned and was above them. Now the Great Discus lowered slightly until its center sat above the ground.

"BUA! BA! BA! BA! BU!" The Incredible sound echoed across the landscape.
"BUA! BA! BA! BA! BU!" The Sound came again from the great Citadel in the Sky.

Now a small light appeared at the heart of it...and spread becoming a large opening from which small children emerged.

"This isnt happening....Kord tells us we are alone in the Universe!" Jethero the Paladin up and fled.

The Ugly little children in silver clothes emerged and surrounded Silvarn The Wizard.
"Help...I'm being abducted...!" They walked him back into the light.
Cryodancer
08-30-07, 01:10 PM I have a world where non eof the larger races exist (humans, elves, orcs, and tall dwarves etc.) due to a terrible mishap with a black blade of disaster in the astral plane (dont ask it gives me a headache ) Anyways since the larger races are now gone the goblins have become one of the prominent races in the world. The typical goblin soldier has 2 levels in scout and two evels in fighter and focus on mounted combat (mounted charges with lances with support fire from archers (rangers) ). The goblins now freed from the tyranny of the larger races . Have strived to become a respectable race and have helped the gnomes and halflings of the world to cope with the changes to the worlds. My goblin champion is a Barbarian 6/Scout 6 that has had enlarge person cast on him and made permanent. They have a thriving buisness in exporting meats and furs from hunting partys as well as new engeneering marvels such as crossbow sights and alchemical arrows and bolts. Anyways just a look into my weirdo world hope it helps
Bloodlust_the_Bold
08-31-07, 08:29 AM I like the ideas of goblins having higher metabolism and I would like to add that in some ways they mey mature faster than other races. I would put a fully grown goblin at 10 years old which would explain some of their inherent stupidity as well as their large numbers. I would also have their life expectancy longer not just because they die in battle but they die of disease and old age early on so this would explain their aggressive tendencies.

I would depict a goblin hero as one who can organize and mobilize this larg band of "kids".

As for their export, I would make labor their expert since their massive numbers make them ideal mercenaries and laborers hence they depend on other nations. If they didn't have ties with other nations I would make them nomadic tribes maybe with a herd mentality like some animals. They simply stay in an area only long enough to get all the resources they need then move on.

I would think they are not actually "evil" in their eyes, but they view attacking peasants similar to hunting animals, as their nomadic lifestyle would have a different concept of ownership.
Orion__
08-31-07, 09:01 AM This thread has tempted me to include them in my new homebrew world where Halflings (I prefer calling them "Hobbits") have a significant presence. Do you think I should make them distant relatives of Orcs, as in Tolkien's work?

A lot of thanks for the ideas! :D
taradusis
08-31-07, 09:16 AM Let's postulate a goblin goddess of Healing.She espouses a Lawful/Neutral creed to her followers.She teaches them how to make a birth control pill,which eases population pressure.She teaches them better healthcare so they start living longer.Because the women are spending less time caring for children and living longer goblin society begins to become a "grandmother"society with older more experianced goblin grannies having more of a say in goblin society.These women increase their tribes knowledge of herbalism and agriculture.This could be the start of a better civilization for the goblins.RANDOM THOUGHTS.
Hochiu
08-31-07, 12:00 PM You could pull a Warcraft III with your goblins, making them crazy mercenary tinkerers, kind of like how gnomes are portrayed, but a lot more nuts. I've been playing that game a lot, so it's kind of influsing what I'm doing with D&D.

What I'm doing with my goblins is I'm making them the twisted mirror of my elves. My elves are highly eugenicist, so they took the worthless dregs of their societies and sought to make them better, but all they did was draw out the corruption inherent in the elven soul and bring it to the fore, so they resulted in twisted little creatures. Some of these creatures escaped and populated quickly, but were enslaved by my dwarves, so that the weakest died out and the race was left with really strong individuals.

In essence, my goblins are small sized creatures with a bonus to strength, a negative to charisma, and consist of a "goblin build", which enables them to have the encumbrance and carrying capacity of a medium-sized creature, due to their time in the mines.
soldyne
08-31-07, 03:05 PM one thing to think about when creating a goblin campain is currency and trade. how do goblins trade? do they use the same currency as the demihumans or do they have their own currency? do they even use coinage or maybe they barter? if rogue is their prefered class then perhaps they have a more chaotic system where possession is ownership; if you can take it, its yours. (I like that last one).

but then that begs the question of why goblins would care about stealing the money of others if it has no meaning to them (other than maybe it looks pretty and shiny).

another thing to think about is giving your goblins a cultural identity; something that says this is what sets my goblins apart from the rest of the world.

in my world orcs are master weaponsmiths (even better than the dwarves, although don't mention that around a dwarf). orcish weapons are all considered to be masterwork weapons. orcs will never trade or sell or give up their weapons willingly. if an orc falls in battle his comrades will seek out his weapon instead of his body and perform all the rites and rituals on it. to an orc, your weapon contains your soul, your body is just a vessal to wield it. From the time they are strong enough to hold a hammer and tong they learn how to create their own arsenal. you can make jokes about an orcs mother all day long and he might even join you, but, if you told him his sword looked like it was made in a dwarven forge he will rip your spleen out through nostrils.

you need something like this for your goblins. I'll keep thinking about it as i need something for my gobies as well.
Kadrimdorian_Mage
08-31-07, 11:10 PM I changed around the weapons a bit in one of my games, giving each goblin a sap, in addition to their other weapons. Also, the goblins were a little crazier, using not mob tactics, but charging into a grappling situation, and then letting the others club both themselves and the PC they had latched onto into submission. Goblins acually got deadlier, belive it or not, and they acually felt like goblins, not some generic monster you throw at 1st level PC's. It's not nessesarily giving them something extra, just adding flavor as the DM.

Note: send goblins in LARGE numbers for better effect. Enough goblins to keep the cr over the character's level is even more fun.
DarthCestual
09-01-07, 12:32 PM X-Gobbos.

A concept I'd been kicking around was that goblins all over were developing mutant abilities like in the X-Men. :D This could free them to be the weapons themselves, possibly as a tool by some other powerful force, but I was going with the idea that powerful mutant goblins were beginning to direct the development of their species. The variety of abilities the new goblins would have would make them nasty adversaries and difficult to develop strategies against.
Delfedd
09-01-07, 01:30 PM That's interesting. Blue goblins are a good starting point for these guys.
Angel Black
09-01-07, 08:13 PM ...I want goblins to play a more prominent role in the game world other than fodder for first level adventurers. ... I want to create a reason for goblins existing and add a few more fluff elements without changing stats... too much.
...

These aren't in the SRD or PHB but I think are important questions I'd like help answering.

What do goblin cities produce? Maybe a better question is what do they look like and where are they? What function do they serve, what keeps them floating economically and where do they get food? Whats a goblin governemnt look like? For some reason I'm picturing every city or outpost as having an overseer something akin to a chieftan.

What does a goblin hero look like? I mean what is he doing in battle? Is he leaping off his worg into melee with daggers in hand? Is he a skrimisher with shield and javelin? a stealthy hunter with bow? Cunning mage/alchemist? Granted PCs can pick virtualy any class or concept I was wondering what a typical goblin adventurer

What is a goblins nitch? Gnomes are bards and illusionists, Elves are wizards, dwarves got the mining and fighting down. Humans do a little bit of everything. Half orcs got the barbarian thing going for them. What is a good nitch for Goblins?

Any help would be appreciated. Also can anybody point me in the right direction for formatting? I know all I have are some random questions but at some point later on I'd like to do a more formal write up of the class

Some nice goblinoid races/subraces :

http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=746682

For format checkout:

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20040711b&page=5

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebds/20040906a

In the srd goblins are evil small mongol-like bandits, but there can be a group of goblins that can be fierce warriors of the darkness that patrol their lands riding pretty big beasts in a Rohirrim like fashion.

Check out the http://www.goblinscomic.com/ too.

If you don't want to change the srd traits , you can just add a few ones as in:

http://64.223.12.31/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060420a

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
PoorHobo 08-28-07, 03:34 AM	I thought about posting this on the Races board but I thought I would get more of the type of answers I was looking for here than the races board which primarily seems focused on actual stats. (no offense intended, thats just a very minor part of what I'm looking for) I want goblins to play a more prominent role in the game world other than fodder for first level adventurers. Maybe even a goblin campaign at some point O_o. I want to create a reason for goblins existing and add a few more fluff elements without changing stats... too much. Going down the SRD list: Goblins as Characters: Stats: They're weak, fugly and dexterous. I think stats are pretty much going to guide most everything else. They are by no means dumb but they are cowardly and lack tactics. Speed: These guys move at 30ft base, impressive for small sized creatures. I'm not sure how this will affect lifestyle Darkvision: Goblins are still an underground race. I'm not trying to put them in shiny white towers worshiping the sun. But seeing in the dark is part of their lifestyle. In goblin cities, lights may only be used on one or two main streets. Warrens, shops and allyways are all going to be well within 60 feet before hitting a wall or other visual obstacle no need for light there Racial bonuses:+4 to move silently and Ride. These seem pretty unrelated and only thrown in to make better monsters for PCs to fight. A goblin warrior has +5 to hide and move silently, not bad for a 1st level warrior, every goblin is essentialy an ambusher, which I like. Every Goblin is also a worg rider...not to sure about that one especially since worgs are intelligent (int of 6) and have 4 hit die. I don't see them serving goblins. What makes sense for goblins as a mount? Does having the +4 ride make sense at all? Should +4 to ride just be replaced? Favored class rogue: Shout this be changed? Maybe too a more exotic class from a different book instead of the PHB? Ninja, wu-jen, scout, I'm not sure what to make this. Favored class essentially give a character a thumbs up for dipping into. So I guess it boils down too what do Goblin adventurers tend too dip into (see goblin hero below)? These aren't in the SRD or PHB but I think are important questions I'd like help answering. What do goblin cities produce? Maybe a better question is what do they look like and where are they? What function do they serve, what keeps them floating economically and where do they get food? Whats a goblin governemnt look like? For some reason I'm picturing every city or outpost as having an overseer something akin to a chieftan. What does a goblin hero look like? I mean what is he doing in battle? Is he leaping off his worg into melee with daggers in hand? Is he a skrimisher with shield and javelin? a stealthy hunter with bow? Cunning mage/alchemist? Granted PCs can pick virtualy any class or concept I was wondering what a typical goblin adventurer What is a goblins nitch? Gnomes are bards and illusionists, Elves are wizards, dwarves got the mining and fighting down. Humans do a little bit of everything. Half orcs got the barbarian thing going for them. What is a good nitch for Goblins? Any help would be appreciated. Also can anybody point me in the right direction for formatting? I know all I have are some random questions but at some point later on I'd like to do a more formal write up of the class
Return of the Flumph 08-28-07, 03:51 AM	While culture and fluff has too many options for me to name (they can be anything from wandering, nocturnal brigands to citizens of an underground empire that rivals that of the dwarves), I think I have the combat style of goblins all figured out. Mounted archery. While worgs are allies rather than mounts, and not always available, wolves and riding dogs are much easier to get ahold of and keep. Due to their small size and dexterity, goblins are very good marksmen, which makes up somewhat for the lesser damage dealt by their small bows. Their mounts run fast, allowing them to slip away quickly after an ambush or hit-and-run attack. Hit and run; those three words define goblin strategy. If you go this route (I recommend it), replace Alertness with Mounted Combat for a common goblin's first level feat. Higher level goblins and goblins with bonus feats probably favor Mounted Archery. Goblins who do not have the Mounted Archery feat probably ride their wolves close to the target, dismount, use their racial stealth to sneak forward, shoot a few times, then hop back on the wolf and run away to regroup later. Goblins who don't take Mounted Combat probably take Weapon Focus: shortbow, and serve as support units for the cavalry; perhaps each wolfrider carries an "infantryman" on the back of his wolf, who dismounts when they are about to enter combat. For underground combat, goblins have probably bred a special type of wolf with darkvision. A goblin hero is a goblin who 1. is a really good wolfrider and marksman, and 2. has a high enough charisma to get his men to use more organized strategies. Magic users are probably also held in high esteem; I think a goblin ranger (archer)/cleric would be their image of an "iconic" hero.
Rinian2 08-28-07, 09:29 AM	If the good ol' Gobbies really are going to play a more prominent role in your campaign, I'd suggest different subtypes; like the Elves and the Drow or the Dwarves and the Dueragar. In other words, an acceptable surface race and an unaccepted deep race. To perhaps answer what it is that your Goblins produce I was thinking along the lines of skilled labour and natural cunning; your Goblins could be expert trap-makers. Their small size and bonus to Dexterity could be extremely useful in such a skill. The incredible number of them would easily be the work force needed to build the traps that would protect the property and fortunes of the rulers of countries or the scourge of nations. Although trapmaking seems to have a quite limited export potential, don't forget that traps can be built into almost anything and the goblin trap masters would be working constantly to keep up with the demand for chests and locks and swordcanes and all manner of devious or malicious machinery. I can almost see the Grand Vizier to the High Caliph gloating proudly to his captives of the remarkable workmanship of his Goblin-built Iron Maiden. A Goblin hero would simply hold himself differently from the average Goblin on the street. He would walk taller and have the scars from having survived many battles displayed proudly. And I think that Return of the Flumph has the right of it; Ranger would make an excellent Favoured Class for the New Goblin.
master_Tru 08-28-07, 10:09 AM	If goblins had a 30ft move it could be explained via a higher rate of metabolism. This would also give the goblin culture a locust edge, they would have to feed and often any race would have issues competing with that. I like the scout class being a racial class for goblins it ties in well with the higher rate of metabolism and that they are general skirmishers. Though if the goblins had more sorcerers with there own unique spell roster this would further define them as a real race (in games I have run in the past I have given goblin sorcerers spells like worg bite, eye scout (a cleaver spell that uses an eye as the material component), and goblin courage a variation on fear). An all goblin campaign could be a lot of fun with alot to offer as well as a different outlook on the settings your players where in.
yellowdingo 08-29-07, 06:33 AM	A lot of talk about using regular classes for goblins, but how about a jack of all trades...not fighter-thief-cleric-wizard rather: Barbarian-Druid-Sorcerer Tattoo magic items, Dire wolf pets...I dont know what you would call such a class though? Packhunter?
Delfedd 08-29-07, 07:37 AM	If goblins had a 30ft move it could be explained via a higher rate of metabolism. This would also give the goblin culture a locust edge, they would have to feed and often any race would have issues competing with that. I like the scout class being a racial class for goblins it ties in well with the higher rate of metabolism and that they are general skirmishers. Though if the goblins had more sorcerers with there own unique spell roster this would further define them as a real race (in games I have run in the past I have given goblin sorcerers spells like worg bite, eye scout (a cleaver spell that uses an eye as the material component), and goblin courage a variation on fear). An all goblin campaign could be a lot of fun with alot to offer as well as a different outlook on the settings your players where in. Wow, I really like that. Maybe when hundreds of them group together, they make a weird clicking that can be heard for miles and miles, and then they swoop in and gobble up... everything. That's cool.
master_Tru 08-29-07, 03:11 PM	You could go a step further, once a year (or every so many years) masses of goblins rise out of there slums for the great feeding. Like mating season for many animals it would be almost irresistible to resist the feeding. This feeding would serve two purposes: 1 The resulting terror they would bring to the land would trigger a culling from the other races (humans would send armies after them) and 2 it would thin out the weak and dumb goblins, this would further explain why the goblins have become a real power.
taradusis 08-29-07, 05:00 PM	In the world of greyhawk they made a better goblin thru selective breeding to create the hob-goblins.Suppose an elvish wizard spent a century breeding them for size and brains?If he created a college to teach magic and logic what would the goblins look like?
Delfedd 08-29-07, 05:53 PM	Probably Hobgoblins? That'd have to be a pretty evil wizard though.
yellowdingo 08-30-07, 07:44 AM	Greetings Human! well...you could just as well give them little silver suits, flying saucers, and frostrayguns built by goblin technowizards. The Citadel of light hovered over them for a while until it turned and was above them. Now the Great Discus lowered slightly until its center sat above the ground. "BUA! BA! BA! BA! BU!" The Incredible sound echoed across the landscape. "BUA! BA! BA! BA! BU!" The Sound came again from the great Citadel in the Sky. Now a small light appeared at the heart of it...and spread becoming a large opening from which small children emerged. "This isnt happening....Kord tells us we are alone in the Universe!" Jethero the Paladin up and fled. The Ugly little children in silver clothes emerged and surrounded Silvarn The Wizard. "Help...I'm being abducted...!" They walked him back into the light.
Cryodancer 08-30-07, 01:10 PM	I have a world where non eof the larger races exist (humans, elves, orcs, and tall dwarves etc.) due to a terrible mishap with a black blade of disaster in the astral plane (dont ask it gives me a headache ) Anyways since the larger races are now gone the goblins have become one of the prominent races in the world. The typical goblin soldier has 2 levels in scout and two evels in fighter and focus on mounted combat (mounted charges with lances with support fire from archers (rangers) ). The goblins now freed from the tyranny of the larger races . Have strived to become a respectable race and have helped the gnomes and halflings of the world to cope with the changes to the worlds. My goblin champion is a Barbarian 6/Scout 6 that has had enlarge person cast on him and made permanent. They have a thriving buisness in exporting meats and furs from hunting partys as well as new engeneering marvels such as crossbow sights and alchemical arrows and bolts. Anyways just a look into my weirdo world hope it helps
Bloodlust_the_Bold 08-31-07, 08:29 AM	I like the ideas of goblins having higher metabolism and I would like to add that in some ways they mey mature faster than other races. I would put a fully grown goblin at 10 years old which would explain some of their inherent stupidity as well as their large numbers. I would also have their life expectancy longer not just because they die in battle but they die of disease and old age early on so this would explain their aggressive tendencies. I would depict a goblin hero as one who can organize and mobilize this larg band of "kids". As for their export, I would make labor their expert since their massive numbers make them ideal mercenaries and laborers hence they depend on other nations. If they didn't have ties with other nations I would make them nomadic tribes maybe with a herd mentality like some animals. They simply stay in an area only long enough to get all the resources they need then move on. I would think they are not actually "evil" in their eyes, but they view attacking peasants similar to hunting animals, as their nomadic lifestyle would have a different concept of ownership.
Orion__ 08-31-07, 09:01 AM	This thread has tempted me to include them in my new homebrew world where Halflings (I prefer calling them "Hobbits") have a significant presence. Do you think I should make them distant relatives of Orcs, as in Tolkien's work? A lot of thanks for the ideas! :D
taradusis 08-31-07, 09:16 AM	Let's postulate a goblin goddess of Healing.She espouses a Lawful/Neutral creed to her followers.She teaches them how to make a birth control pill,which eases population pressure.She teaches them better healthcare so they start living longer.Because the women are spending less time caring for children and living longer goblin society begins to become a "grandmother"society with older more experianced goblin grannies having more of a say in goblin society.These women increase their tribes knowledge of herbalism and agriculture.This could be the start of a better civilization for the goblins.RANDOM THOUGHTS.
Hochiu 08-31-07, 12:00 PM	You could pull a Warcraft III with your goblins, making them crazy mercenary tinkerers, kind of like how gnomes are portrayed, but a lot more nuts. I've been playing that game a lot, so it's kind of influsing what I'm doing with D&D. What I'm doing with my goblins is I'm making them the twisted mirror of my elves. My elves are highly eugenicist, so they took the worthless dregs of their societies and sought to make them better, but all they did was draw out the corruption inherent in the elven soul and bring it to the fore, so they resulted in twisted little creatures. Some of these creatures escaped and populated quickly, but were enslaved by my dwarves, so that the weakest died out and the race was left with really strong individuals. In essence, my goblins are small sized creatures with a bonus to strength, a negative to charisma, and consist of a "goblin build", which enables them to have the encumbrance and carrying capacity of a medium-sized creature, due to their time in the mines.
soldyne 08-31-07, 03:05 PM	one thing to think about when creating a goblin campain is currency and trade. how do goblins trade? do they use the same currency as the demihumans or do they have their own currency? do they even use coinage or maybe they barter? if rogue is their prefered class then perhaps they have a more chaotic system where possession is ownership; if you can take it, its yours. (I like that last one). but then that begs the question of why goblins would care about stealing the money of others if it has no meaning to them (other than maybe it looks pretty and shiny). another thing to think about is giving your goblins a cultural identity; something that says this is what sets my goblins apart from the rest of the world. in my world orcs are master weaponsmiths (even better than the dwarves, although don't mention that around a dwarf). orcish weapons are all considered to be masterwork weapons. orcs will never trade or sell or give up their weapons willingly. if an orc falls in battle his comrades will seek out his weapon instead of his body and perform all the rites and rituals on it. to an orc, your weapon contains your soul, your body is just a vessal to wield it. From the time they are strong enough to hold a hammer and tong they learn how to create their own arsenal. you can make jokes about an orcs mother all day long and he might even join you, but, if you told him his sword looked like it was made in a dwarven forge he will rip your spleen out through nostrils. you need something like this for your goblins. I'll keep thinking about it as i need something for my gobies as well.
Kadrimdorian_Mage 08-31-07, 11:10 PM	I changed around the weapons a bit in one of my games, giving each goblin a sap, in addition to their other weapons. Also, the goblins were a little crazier, using not mob tactics, but charging into a grappling situation, and then letting the others club both themselves and the PC they had latched onto into submission. Goblins acually got deadlier, belive it or not, and they acually felt like goblins, not some generic monster you throw at 1st level PC's. It's not nessesarily giving them something extra, just adding flavor as the DM. Note: send goblins in LARGE numbers for better effect. Enough goblins to keep the cr over the character's level is even more fun.
DarthCestual 09-01-07, 12:32 PM	X-Gobbos. A concept I'd been kicking around was that goblins all over were developing mutant abilities like in the X-Men. :D This could free them to be the weapons themselves, possibly as a tool by some other powerful force, but I was going with the idea that powerful mutant goblins were beginning to direct the development of their species. The variety of abilities the new goblins would have would make them nasty adversaries and difficult to develop strategies against.
Delfedd 09-01-07, 01:30 PM	That's interesting. Blue goblins are a good starting point for these guys.
Angel Black 09-01-07, 08:13 PM	...I want goblins to play a more prominent role in the game world other than fodder for first level adventurers. ... I want to create a reason for goblins existing and add a few more fluff elements without changing stats... too much. ... These aren't in the SRD or PHB but I think are important questions I'd like help answering. What do goblin cities produce? Maybe a better question is what do they look like and where are they? What function do they serve, what keeps them floating economically and where do they get food? Whats a goblin governemnt look like? For some reason I'm picturing every city or outpost as having an overseer something akin to a chieftan. What does a goblin hero look like? I mean what is he doing in battle? Is he leaping off his worg into melee with daggers in hand? Is he a skrimisher with shield and javelin? a stealthy hunter with bow? Cunning mage/alchemist? Granted PCs can pick virtualy any class or concept I was wondering what a typical goblin adventurer What is a goblins nitch? Gnomes are bards and illusionists, Elves are wizards, dwarves got the mining and fighting down. Humans do a little bit of everything. Half orcs got the barbarian thing going for them. What is a good nitch for Goblins? Any help would be appreciated. Also can anybody point me in the right direction for formatting? I know all I have are some random questions but at some point later on I'd like to do a more formal write up of the class Some nice goblinoid races/subraces : http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=746682 For format checkout: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20040711b&page=5 http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebds/20040906a In the srd goblins are evil small mongol-like bandits, but there can be a group of goblins that can be fierce warriors of the darkness that patrol their lands riding pretty big beasts in a Rohirrim like fashion. Check out the http://www.goblinscomic.com/ too. If you don't want to change the srd traits , you can just add a few ones as in: http://64.223.12.31/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060420a