Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Threefists 06-15-07, 08:19 AM	Alright, this thread is a off-shoot of the 'Races of Savagery/the Horde' thread, and is solely for posting about the life-style, religion, social structure and so on of Goblins. In no way, shape or form is it in any way linked to WoW Goblins or other non-WotC Goblin-named Race, nor should it be considered so. Please post only if: A) You are intending to add relevant (3 or 3.5 information) about a Goblin's life-style or -cycle. B) Have spotted a flaw in a post, such as data that has been errata'ed or a mis-interpretation of CORE. C) A poster on the original Thread (Races of Savagery) who wants to link to a post or comment on another thread. This post will be editted as data is compiled and we build up a workable, RP and Rules alike, 'Races of X' format. Chapter Two: Goblinoids (Again, kudos to Borris) A Day in the Life: Appearance: Goblins are small humanoids that stand anywhere from 3 to 3 1/2 feet tall, and both genders weigh between 40-45 pounds. A Goblin's eyes commonly have a dull and glazed appearance, with a wide variety of colour from the red and yellow spectrums. A ususal Goblin has a skin colour of yellow, but any shade from orange to a deep red or a variety of shades of green is possible, though most members of a single tribe possess the same-coloured skin. Goblins possess flat faces, broad noses with large nasal openings, large pointed ears and a wide mouth full of small fangs in the place of teeth, although the common Goblin lacks a effective bite attack. Psychology: Goblinoid Life: Society and Culture: Life in a Goblin tribe is full of strife and subterfuge and quite often all too violently short. As most Goblin tribes live as raiders, when their prey, normally Human or Gnome villages, create more determined defences, the Goblins either starve or are forced to move on to easier pickings. Those few tribes that practice primitive farming fair a little better, but there is always something bigger, stronger and crueler willing and able to move in and dominate such forward-thinking Tribes. Personal space is reserved for the Chieftan, and perhaps the other upper echelons of Goblin Society if their lair, be it ruins or other abandoned structure, has the room for such extravagence, while the common Goblins of the tribe must share communal living areas, often with little more than a boundary of pebbles to deliniate where one Goblin's 'territory' begins and another's ends. Squabbling over space, food and just about anything that can be argued about is common, with each insult filed away for repayment later. The Communal living arrangement has one benefit, in that it requires a very charismatic, or very intimidating, Goblin to get the rest of his bretheren to ignore him as he murders his rival in his sleep, a fact which keeps the burgeoning numbers of Goblins from turning on each other as the lack of space, privacy and often food excaberates their aggravation. Goblin children are raised by both parents, assuming the mother knows which Goblin is the father, but once they are able to walk, are abandoned as burdens. Most Goblin children band together simply for survival in the dog-eat-dog world of the Goblin Tribe, and it is the friendships and rivalries born in these proto-tribes that are often the strongest bonds that a Goblin will forge in his or her life. Goblinoids and Other Races: Religion: (all those are listed in the Living Greyhawk Deities pdf) _Maglubiyet ((Taken directly from Wikipedia)) Description: Maglubiyet appears as a giant (11 feet tall), black-skinned goblin with flaming eyes, powerfully-muscled arms and sharp talons. He wields a mighty coal-black battleaxe that constantly drips blood. Relationships: Maglubiyet is currently served by Khurgorbaeyag, goblin god of slavery, oppression, and morale, and Bargrivyek, the god of co-operation and territory among the goblins. Nomog-Geaya, patron deity of the hobgoblins, also pays fealty to Maglubiyet. Maglubiyet is an unpopular deity with many gods, including those of the elves, dwarves, orcs, and others. Maglubiyet covets the fertility portfolio of Kikanuti, the good-aligned goblinoid goddess of the desert goblins. Realm: Maglubiyet's divine realm is Clangor, located on the plane of Acheron. His capital is a fortress city called Grashmog, which translated from the goblin tongue means the "Heart of Battle." The mightiest goblin city in Clangor is Shetring, a fortification with five bridges spanning the River Lorfang. Maglubiyet lives at the bottom of a waterfall of the river in a cavern of magnificently carved steel dripping with moisture. From his throne of flaming iron, Maglubiyet commands the souls of goblins, hobgoblins, and worgs to wage eternal war against the orcish petitioners of Gruumsh. He also employs baatezu, barghests, and yugoloths as mercenaries and commanders to bolster his armies. Maglubiyet allows the gods Khurgorbaeyag and Nomog-Geaya to live in his realm, if only just to keep an eye on them. Dogma: Maglubiyet revels in conflict and destruction and constantly pushes his followers to wage war, particularly against dwarves and gnomes. He encourages goblins to increase their numbers in order to overrun their enemies. As a paranoid god he is prone to destroy lesser goblin deities when he suspects treachery or he thinks they are becoming too powerful. Clergy and temples: The priests and shamans of Maglubiyet are his mouthpieces on the Material Planes. They fulfill his demands for blood sacrifices by dispatching victims with an axe. They believe that these sacrifices strengthen Maglubiyet. His clergy is almost always drawn from the goblin and hobgoblin races. In the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, the tasloi also worship an aspect of Maglubiyet. Maglubiyet communes with his priests through omens. Blood flowing from the edge of an axe, abnormal behavior in worgs and wolves, and speaking directly through shamans in a trance are all ways he makes his will known. In some worlds Maglubiyet's priests wear gray-green scale mail and conical hats and worship him in cave temples where they make sacrifices of hearts to him monthly. Maglubiyet's holy day is the new moon and his holy weapon is the battleaxe. His goblin worshippers are sometimes referred to as the "Sons of Maglubiyet." Myths and legends: In times past, Maglubiyet had two sons who served as his lieutenants. However, in true goblin fashion, he decided that they were a threat. To get rid of them he sent them on suicide missions against the orcs and dwarves until they were slain. _Bargrivyek _Grankhul _Hruggek _Khurgorbaeyag _Nomog-Geaya Histiory and Folklore: Language: Cities and Settlements: Goblinoids as Characters:
Warforged Goblin 06-15-07, 08:41 AM	GOBLIN PARAGON Sneaky, mean, and conniving, these words perfectly describe the goblin way of life. Goblin paragons exemplify these traits to their worst possible extent. Only the strongest survive in goblin culture and the best way to the top is through whoever is in front of you. Survivors and quite possibly the most capable members of their race, goblin paragons seek wealth and power, both from within and without of their tribe. Adventures: Goblin paragons adventure for many different reasons: fame, fortune, freedom, or the growth of their tribe’s territory. Life in a goblin settlement always carries the risk of violence, so adventuring seems to be less of a risk than living at home. Goblin paragons view adventure as not only a way to acquire wealth, but to also as an outlet for their more murderous tendencies. Characteristics: Most goblins are shifty, devious, detestable little creatures, and not surprisingly, so are goblin paragons. They use their superior skill to not only get one up on members of other races, but their own kin as well. Alignment: Most goblin paragons are as hateful as any other member of their race. Granted, exceptions to this generalization of evilness do exist, but they are rare indeed. Religion: All goblins worship Maglubiyet, evil lord of all things goblin. A few others will worship other evil gods, particularly Hextor, Nerull, and Vecna. Background: Goblins become goblin paragons by being the sneakiest, most cunning, or most underhanded goblin they can be. There are no goblin paragon teachers or mentors, as they are loathe to share their talents with anyone else. Races: Goblin paragons see only two types of people in the world: those that can be killed and looted, and those that should be killed and looted. They are always looking for another purse to cut or throat to slit, and it doesn’t matter what race that purse or throat belongs to. All races are fair game to a goblin paragon. Other Classes: Goblin paragons work unusually well with rogues, who understand and appreciate their stealth. They find fighters and barbarians to good as distractions and not much else. Other than that, goblin paragons see other classes as tools to be used for furthering their own means. GAME RULE INFORMATION Goblin paragons have the following game statistics. Abilities: Dexterity is important to goblin paragons, as it improves not only their stealth, but their ability to break, enter, and steal. Intelligence helps with their skills, and a good Constitution keeps the goblin paragon alive longer. Alignment: Any, though most favor neutral evil. Hit Dice: d6 CLASS SKILLS The goblin paragon’s class skills (and the key ability for each) are Bluff (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex) Skill Points at 1st Level: (8 + Int modifier) x 4 Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier TABLE 1-1: THE GOBLIN PARAGON Level Base Attack: Saves: Special: 1st +0 0 / 2 / 0 Skill bonus 2nd +1 1 / 3 / 1 Improved feint 3rd +2 1 / 3 / 1 Ability boost (Dex +2) Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Goblin paragons are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with light armor, and light shields. Skill Bonus (Ex): At 1st level, a goblin paragon gains a +2 bonus to Hide, Move Silently, and Ride. This bonus stacks with his racial bonus to Move Silently and Ride and size bonus to Hide. Improved Feint (Ex): At 2nd level, a goblin paragon gains the Improved Feint feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. If the goblin paragon already has Improved Feint, he may choose another feat he qualifies for. Ability Boost (Ex): At 3rd level, a goblin paragon increases his Dexterity by 2 points. Hopefully this will help out somewhere down the line...
Kel 06-15-07, 12:55 PM	Um, aren't at least some goblins green?
Warforged Goblin 06-15-07, 01:54 PM	Um, aren't at least some goblins green? An eco-friendly goblin? I'd assume the druids are, but aside from that, I doubt it :P
Threefists 06-15-07, 08:07 PM	In regards to the colouration, I was going off the descriptions in the Monster Manual, but if you've got errata that says otherwise, or popular opinion says they're green as well, so be it. This is a democratic process, not a dictatorship. Also, many thanks to Warforged_Goblin for his racial paragon classes!
CaoSlayer 06-16-07, 03:17 AM	not a single mention to worgs? IMO the goblin paragon should be a worg-rider.
Obelisk_Doon 06-16-07, 04:33 AM	By "Goblinoid," are you including hobgoblins and bugbears? Edit: Didn't see the other thread. My mistake.
Threefists 06-17-07, 09:11 AM	Alright, slowly but surely these 'off-shoots' are growing. First off, again, thank you to everyone who's participating in this. Secondly, does anyone know of other places other than Wikipedia where we can find information of the Gods/Demi-Gods/Ect of the Goblinoids and Orcs? Not that Wikipedia isn't all knowing, but I prefer to have several sources for cross-referencing and so on. A link would be greatly appreciated!
Thief_of_Hope 06-17-07, 01:12 PM	not a single mention to worgs? IMO the goblin paragon should be a worg-rider. Well, the paragon does get an additional +2 to Ride checks at first level, which means they get a total of +6 to ride checks. In my opinion, it's about time goblins got their due. Kobolds have been getting all the love, and goblins have been left behind. Anyway, here's a link to a guide I found for goblins in the forgotton realms setting, which includes some info on goblin deities: http://www.candlekeep.com/library/articles/goblins.htm#deities Hope this helps!
Omega_Grey 06-17-07, 05:53 PM	Not to criticize or anything (well, okay thats exactly what I'm doing, but I dont mean anything by it). Shouldnt all mention of Blues be kept out of the goblin description and saved for the later chapters? I mean the Human description didn't mention Underfolk after all.
Threefists 06-17-07, 07:58 PM	Valid point, removing Blue 'section'
bobothechimp 06-17-07, 08:24 PM	I would absolutely love either a variant goblin paladin or some PrC that gets a Worg as a special mount of some sort.
Omega_Grey 06-17-07, 08:25 PM	Umm, not to be mean or anything, but why in the heck would a paladin receive a worg as a special mount? They are evil creatures after all. I can see a druid or ranger having some sort of ability to do it though.
bobothechimp 06-17-07, 08:41 PM	variant goblin paladin Emphasis mine.
Kel 06-17-07, 08:54 PM	On page 4 of the main thread I posted a big list of possible variants for the different races: One was a goblin paladin, focusing on taking advantage of their small size, defending others, and can summon a wolf mount. Even so, this is not where we should post ideas for substitution levels: do that on the main thread, or wait until Threefist starts a Chapter 6 thread. Please.
AllWillFall2Me 06-19-07, 02:01 PM	Umm, not to be mean or anything, but why in the heck would a paladin receive a worg as a special mount? They are evil creatures after all. I can see a druid or ranger having some sort of ability to do it though. Hence why they summon a celestial Worg, silly! ;)
Kel 06-19-07, 11:47 PM	You forgot Skiggaret on the list of deities up there. Um, is there a goblin god of death? I think that goblinoids, of all races, should have a god of death. I have one ready to post, if you want.
Omega_Grey 06-20-07, 12:02 AM	Even if it doesnt go in the book I would love to see it. I agree completely, death for goblins, more then any other race, is a common occurrence.
TheFallenOne 06-21-07, 11:23 AM	Is there gonna be a part for goblins warfare? weapons? tactics in such? If not just a notion for a warfare section.
SilverFoxKnows 06-21-07, 11:29 AM	Um, aren't at least some goblins green? Jungle Goblins in the Realms.
Treymordin 06-21-07, 06:23 PM	Races of Ansalon by Margaret Weis has some pretty good information on the goblin races, goblins, hobgoblins and bugbears.
Omega_Grey 06-25-07, 02:10 AM	Is there gonna be a part for goblins warfare? weapons? tactics in such? If not just a notion for a warfare section. All the Races of Books have a section that talks about the race in question at war. So we should definitely have one as well.
Kel 07-02-07, 11:48 AM	:bump:
AllWillFall2Me 07-02-07, 10:19 PM	Goblins at War: Firstly, goblins do not go to war. At least as it is understood by the demihumans. When goblins have to fight for their territory, they attack in small squads, hoping that surprise and treachery will help them win the day. As such, any large scale force consisting purely of goblins would probably be recognized as the largest guerilla warfare unit ever assembled. That said, very frequently, goblins are brought to war. Whether it be orcs, hobgoblins, bugbears, or drow, almost all the evil humanoids know that goblins make excellent scouts and cannon fodder, and are easily put into submission. In such scenarios, they fill whatever role their overseers demand of them, which tend to be either stealthy enterprises or as a disposable force to throw at enemy defenses either as a distraction or to wear down the defenders without truly harming the attackers. There's a beginning.
Omega_Grey 07-22-07, 04:26 AM	From the Second Edition Humanoids Handbook Background. Goblins are small humanoids, growing to a height of about four feet tall. They have flat faces, broad noses, pointed ears, wide mouths, and small, sharp fangs. Though they walk upright, their arms hang down to their knees. Their dull, glazed eyes range in color from bright red to gleaming yellow. Their speech is harsh and of a higher pitch than humans. These humanoids are generally evil in nature, and often they are great cowards as well. They avoid direct confrontations whenever possible, preferring the safety of ambushes. They use simple, even crude, strategies and tactics. They do not believe in fair fights, for many-on-one works much better than one-on-one to the goblin mindset. Goblins live in dank caves and dismal underground dwellings. They only come above ground at night or on dark, cloudy days. Goblins and their lairs carry a foul stench, due to their lack of sanitation. Their tribes share with large common areas set aside for eating and sleeping. Treasure and property belongs to the entire tribe, though the chief and his sub-chiefs watch over it. Only their leaders have separate living areas. Females are not afforded the same rights as males in goblin society, and females never learn to fight. Their role is to service the males and care for the young. Each tribe has an exact pecking order, and every goblin knows his exact place in it. The way to move up the social ladder is through battle, and goblins constantly fight among themselves to improve their station in life. Tribes regularly take slaves for food and labor. They keep their slaves constantly shackled and under guard. Goblins take great pleasure in killing. They do not eat much, but they eat almost anything. Rats, snakes, humans, and other humanoids make up the bulk of their diets. When food is scarce, they will even eat carrion. They hate most other humanoid races, especially gnomes and dwarves. Role-Playing Suggestions. Like most evil creatures, few goblins ever become adventurers. Those that do are unusually rare, for the individualistic life of an adventurer is completely foreign to goblin society. Those few members of the race who display such tendencies are often killed by their brethren, for they are believed to be insane. If they can survive the prejudices and fears of their own people, goblin PCs generally reject their own societies. They leave their lairs and strike out to find fame (of a sort) and fortune (whatever they can get their hands on). They often fight against such goblin practices as slave keeping and marauding, working to make up for the atrocities of their people. Still you cant take all of the monster out of goblin PCs. They do their best to control their fear and overcome their natural cowardice, but few goblin PCs will earn awards for bravery. Even the cleanest goblin adventurers have trouble eliminating the stench they have grown up with. It hangs about them like a shroud. Because of their communal back-grounds, goblins have no concept of privacy. This can lead to amusing-and not so amusing-situations for goblin PCs and their companions. Superstitions. Eternal hatred and fear of gnomes and dwarves, sensitive to the unusual behavior of worgs and wolves, fearful of dreams and visions. Thought it would help the thread out a bit.
tantric 07-23-07, 12:56 PM	Class variant: Goblin paladins of slaughter and tyranny summon Worgs as mounts, not horses
bhu 09-10-07, 03:57 AM	:bump: You guys still out there?
Omega_Grey 09-10-07, 08:42 AM	You know it.
bhu 09-13-07, 03:24 AM	Taking writing sign ups now in the main thread: http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=862300 If you wanna do something for the goblins, drop me a PM or post there.
AllWillFall2Me 09-15-07, 03:07 PM	Here's my attempt at a goblin myth. It's in doggerel, so be warned. Gather 'round, mites, gather 'round. 's time sumone told you da ways of our people. So let me tell ya da tale of Maglubiyet's Malice. In da ancient times, dere were only da gods. Maglubiyet, da big dumb gods of bugbears, and da hobgoblins' crazy gods dwelt together. Elsewhere, dere dwelt da ugly orc god, Gruumsh, and da dumb dwarven god Moradin. And even farther away da gods of men and elves, and snails and whoever. In dose days, da Brotherhood, as da goblinkin gods were called, waged war on da orc and dwarven gods, who waged war wit' each other. The bugbears fought da orcs, seeking to prove who was da Biggest Bad, and da hobgoblins da dwarves, to show who was da big Tinkers. No-one-abody was winnin', 'sept Maglubiyet. Sees, 'e wasn't fightin' any-one side, but killin' orcs and dwarves, and trickin' hobgoblins and bugbears for fun. Wells, one day 'e got caught by da bugbears, who, squished 'im down small. See, 'e used ta be as big as a dwarf, til 'e got squish-ed. Well, dis seemed bad, til 'e found out 'e 'id even betta now! So he had many much fun, and liked bein' da small one. Well, one day 'e got caught again, dis time by da hobbys, who punched 'is face flat. Dat 'urt, so 'e asked how dey saw 'im. "You forgot your shadow." dey said. So, dis made biggo Maglubiyet mad. Stupid shadow, gettin' 'im 'urt. So, ta get back at it, Maglubiyet ripped up 'is shadow into a tousand tousan pieces, and threw it out on the world! After a little bit, da pieces o' da shadow stood up, adn dat's where we come from. Now go away.
thefishcometh 03-13-08, 12:00 AM	Arise, O thread, Arise! :bump: Hope nobody minds, but I think Goblins deserve some attention, as long as this project hasn't been cancelled. I'll have a little ready myself in a bit.
bhu 03-13-08, 12:34 AM	Arise, O thread, Arise! :bump: Hope nobody minds, but I think Goblins deserve some attention, as long as this project hasn't been cancelled. I'll have a little ready myself in a bit. The project hasn't been cancelled. I was trying to just concentrate on one chapter to get it done but it would seem better to just accept whatever comes in and try to compile it.
SilverFoxKnows 03-13-08, 11:39 AM	I think I posted this somewhere else, but here goes. I broke the Goblins down by tribe. Rats- the single biggest tribe, in my homebrew world they are the default Goblins. If you see a Gobbo, odds are fair it's a Rat. They're adaptable, cunning and resilient. Welcome more places than any other tribe. Fleas- this is where the notion of the filthy, Goblin mob came from. They eat what's left behind by the Brown Gnolls and attack in waves with scavaged & improvised weapons. Vultures- formerly used as disposable troops by the Hobgoblins. They learned much from their former masters. Highly organized. They wear mantles of feathers that fall from the great birds that follow them around and shave their heads. They will circle a battle and descend upon the "winners". The sight of them has been enough to stop fights. Jackals- this is where the notion of the cowardly Goblin came from, they only fight if they have too. They've been known to pack up and leave their burrows when trouble comes. Reclusive and rarely seen amongst other tribes or races. Crows- a little too clever for their own good, welcome nowhere but tolerated because if booted out they tend to wage a campaign of sabotage, it's easier (and cheaper) to hold your tongue, they never stay more than a few days anyway
thefishcometh 03-13-08, 07:19 PM	The project hasn't been cancelled. I was trying to just concentrate on one chapter to get it done but it would seem better to just accept whatever comes in and try to compile it. Ok, that works too. Thanks for the update. Don't worry about compiling this thread yet, but I may still post on it soon. Glad to see it's still going!
UnderworldLord 04-12-08, 12:01 PM	In yet my second post of the day, I will mention again eberron. This time, i specifically annotate the concept they gave of Goblins originating the tradition of ninjas. Its a stretch, but I rather like this concept, much like the one of hobgoblins originating the tradition of the samurai. It adds in some flair that you just don't normally see in these races. As a continued note: Perhaps someone should write a "Day in the life" for this section. As far as I recall (which isn't from looking in particular detail) each section starts of with that. Perhaps it would be better if this were organized as going section by section of a chapter. Any volunteers?
dulsi 06-13-08, 10:24 PM	Beehive Some goblin tribes have become skilled at beekeeping perhaps to ensure a supply of the sweet honey. Usually four or six beehives are stored near each other. Moving the hive must be done carefully at half regular speed otherwise the bees may attack. When a village is attack, the goblins will hurl the bee hives at the attackers. Treat the attack like a splash weapon, a ranged touch attack with a 10 foot range increment. Where ever the hive lands, it smashes apart and the honey bee emerge. They will attack the person occupying the square. If no one occupies the square they attack the first person to come within five feet. Otherwise they stay by the broken hive. They do 1 point of damage per round and distracts spell casting (Concentration DC 12 + spell level) and using skills that involve patience and concentration (Concentration DC 12). Any weapon effective against a swarm will disperse the honey bee swarm. Cost: 100 gp Weight: 15 lb
Divisionbyzer0 06-14-08, 01:45 AM	Goblin defense fund: http://www.goblindefensefund.org/petition.html A little late but worth signing anyway for those of us who enjoy monstrous humanoids, and dislike the consistent racist, imperialist, black and white unsubstantiated prejudices against monstrous races that are seen time and again in the books, and adventures. There's some real gems on this site as the author traces the history of racism against goblinoids from 1974 till 2008: Perhaps the less that is said about the alignment switch from ‘lawful evil’ to ‘chaotic’, the better. Clearly, if these quick-and-easy alignment labels had any meaning at all, Goblinkind would not be ‘lawful’ in 1978 and ‘chaotic’ a mere five years later. One’s worldviews simply do not change that rapidly, or are we to assume that all of Goblinkind attended college in a foreign country in the intervening years? On the other hand, perhaps something did happen, because the short-but-snappily-dressed goblin from 1974 (http://www.goblindefensefund.org/gobbies/beard2.gif)suddenly became “very ugly”. Rat-like, no doubt, given that their eyes are red, and “glow when there is little light.” And yet a goblin does not “save” as a Rat, but as a Normal Man. This is telling; one is reminded of the World War II propaganda in which the Chinese (our allies at the time) were depicted as . . . well, human, while the Japanese were depicted as buck-toothed squinty-eyed rat-folk. (http://www.bookmice.net/darkchilde/japan/posters.html) it would be impossible to exaggerate the depths to which the authors sink in this entry. It begins with a cheap shot, indicating the intelligence of the fine goblin race as “Average (low)”. This odd parenthetical addition to what would otherwise be an accurate description of goblin intelligence meets its match later on in the entry: “Goblins are fair miners and are able to note new or unusual construction 25% of the time. They hate gnomes and dwarves and attack them in preference to any other creature. All goblins are slave takers and fond of torture.” The passage starts sanely enough, commenting on goblins’ excellent mining ability, but then it descends into a bizarre non-sequitur, claiming that not only to goblins hate dwarves, but gnomes as well. One might, as we did above, attribute this to the undeniable fact that gnomes and dwarves will also always attack goblins on sight, but the author’s true colors are on display in the third sentence. Slave takers and fond of torture. Indeed. These (supposedly) borderline retarded creatures, weaker than gnomes and dwarves, with lower hit points and a worse armor class, are somehow suddenly capable of taking and keeping slaves? We remain skeptical, dear Reader, as should you. The slurs continue, of course: “The concept of a fair fight is meaningless in their society. They favor ambushes, overwhelming odds, dirty tricks, and any other edge they can devise . . . goblins have a poor grasp of strategy and are cowardly by nature, tending to flee the field if a battle turns against them.” Indeed. Cowardly swine, attacking from the bushes, fleeing when the battle turns against them. For shame. Clearly, a “poor grasp of strategy.” Nothing like elves . . . From the 3E Monster Manual: “Elves are cautious warriors . . . maximizing their advantage by using ambushes, snipers, and camouflage. They prefer to fire from cover and retreat before they are found, repeating this maneuver until all of their enemies are dead.” It’s good to know that “firing from cover and retreating . . . until all of their enemies are dead” does not count as a dirty trick. interestingly, goblins as well as orcs lost their mining expertise in 3+ editions.
bhu 06-14-08, 04:23 AM	I like the Bee Hive idea, but wouldnt hurling the hives be destroying a food resource?
dulsi 06-14-08, 08:25 AM	I like the Bee Hive idea, but wouldnt hurling the hives be destroying a food resource? I intended it as a last resort sort of thing. Change "When a village is attack, the goblins will hurl the bee hives at the attackers." to "When a village is attack and defeat seem inevitable, the goblins will hurl the bee hives at the attackers."
dulsi 06-14-08, 07:20 PM	Religion Goblins are not a particularly loyal race. They worship those who help there survival. If a powerful demon take control of a tribe and demands that they worship him or some other evil entity, the goblins will submit. Sometimes it is uncertain that the being they worship even exists. The Fire Wormz tribe believe the great Fire Worm freed them from enslavement to Ogres by causing the mountain near the Ogre city to spew lava and ash. The priests of the Fire Worm draw power from some divine source but no outside the tribe has heard of the Fire Worm. It has been suggested that Maglubiyet assumes many aliases to mislead others of his strength.
dulsi 06-30-08, 05:37 PM	Some info of Bargrivyek's religion: Quests: Bargrivyek's followers are interested in uniting the goblin tribes. They may frame another group for attacks to promote war with the common enemy. Prayers: Bargrivyek's prayers tell of the glory of the goblin race. They involve the rallying of goblins for common cause. Rites: Followers of Bargrivyek bless meetings between goblin tribes. For negotiating a peace, this may be a short prayer before the talks begin. After defeating a common foe, a large party celebrates the goblin race. Herald and Allies: Bargrivyek's herald is a fiendish goblin 15th-level bard. His allies are barghests and worgs.
Midnight_v 07-09-08, 02:52 PM	"Mark my words, and mark them well. I saw one that day, hovering just above the tree line with dimly glowing azure light flashing round its head from time to time. The brief thought passed over me that maybe it had been some illusion, something brought on by the fog of war. I even drew a line of sight on it with my bow, but it noticed me before I could fire and vanished. Suddenly, though, a rain of goblin arrows washed over my body, despite my well defended position. . . and that how I lost my eye. How we lost the battle something had been there, directing them." Silas Xiloscient -last survivor of the Battle of Willow oak ridge, in his speech to the elven high council. Goblins, one of the fastest breeding races produce more offspring each year that the dwarves and humans combined, this rampant fecundity leads to no small degree of mutations and variants being born. To date it is widely known that at least two entire fully developed species have been born or bred from the base goblin stock, bugbears and hobgoblins all originate to goblin ancestry. However there is a 3rd and possibly 4th goblin race that has evolved and carved out a niche in goblin existence. A hidden race largely unknown and referred to simply as the "blue". Blues have positioned themselves as the powerful and enigmatic leaders and directors of Goblinkind. Untold thousands of years have seen the blue sacrificed at birth. It was a decree laid down by Magubliyet to his clerics that being born blue was a sign of displeasure and an abomination to him. It is largely accepted by blue scholars that this edict was laid down because there eventually be enough blue with psionic powers competing with his clerics that his dominion of the Goblin race would be challenged. The events of the past few hundred years would lead the blue to also believe that he was right. It only took a few blue to reach primacy to begin the chain of events that would lead to the blues establishing dominance over Goblin kingdoms. However the ultimate ruler of the blue is an entity calling itself Knux (prounced Nucks) which means the "The First" in goblin tongue. Those who know the story of "The First" will tell one of two tales. One says that this creature was born with the ability to influence the actions of others and while in utero convinced its mother to leave the warrens, thus escaping its fate as a sacrifice. The other tale states that the mother of the first became separated from the clan during a raid from adventures and in her flight accidentally entered an elemental pocket of air. Escaping this was impossible and the trauma of perpetual falling for several days caused her to go into labor, Knox was born as a creature of sky while his siblings and mother died with birth. The details of both stories end after his miraculous "births" but explain both his allegence to both the Blues of Sky and the Blues of Mind. Whatever the case maybe the first upon reaching maturity went about saving blues from the alter and killing clerics of Maglubiyet. He essentially saved 100-500 blues worldwide and forced them into an army. He single handedly conquered a tribe of mostly females after killing thier clerics and dominated them to suckle his new found family. He then after establishing and order upon the new blue comprised of both Psionic and Air Goblins he began a system of covert warfare to conquer and unite the goblin tribes on his continent. Finally, allowing the edict of blue children being sacrificed to resume, because he wanted no upstarts not raised by him challenging his new regime. All blues generally have some levels psions, or sorcerer though there are a few beguilers out there and generally gravitate towards a level of mind bender or thrallherd. Knux, himself is a Psion 10/Thrallherd 10 if you use psionic blue or if you prefer, he is an air goblin Sorcerer X/mindbenderX with leadership. Even a few Dread necromancers exist out there that have learned somehow to gain eclectic learning from their experiences. However, there are No wizards as the goblin language does not have expressive enough written form to lead any one blue down that path. How this affects the goblins as a whole. Not much from a sociological standpoint; only about 2% of regular goblins are even aware of the leading class of Blues, so really the live of the average Goblin is pretty much the same... Right until it is time to go to war. At which case the blues perform a series of phenomenal changes upon goblin "leaders" and rank and file. Through mindlinks, dominate, mass buff spells, mirror images, mass teleportation and various other spell support and direction the goblins are a terrifying fighting force that operates like a well oiled machine. They are just as savage and as numerous as always but you find yourself fighting a veritable "goody bag" of abilities when the horde washes over you. There have been several elven outposts, dwarven colonies and barbarian tribes destroyed this way. Also the goblins clean up the mess now after the war. No Goblin body is allowed to be left behind so many times if no survivors escape the battle, no one knows what even happend to the settlements. No one that is except for the blues, who lead the goblin horde. The few people that do survive to report the events find themselves largely disbelieved as aside from a few scattered eye witness accounts evidence of these "New Blue goblins" has yet to be recovered. "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled is convincing the world that they do not exist."
dulsi 07-10-08, 06:25 PM	I like the idea that the blues are mutant that are usually killed. I dislike the description of a single blue gathering all the others. I don't mind a powerful blue leading a significant number but there should be other groups and I think his powers are overplayed in the story (although that could be embellishments). I also don't like the statement that there are no blue wizards. They should simply use another language if goblin is not expressive enough. They know Common after all. (I'm one of those weird people would play unoptimized races. I've considered making a goblin were-octopus rogue/sorcerer. I also toyed around with how to create a goblin were-toad but that is questionable.)
bhu 07-11-08, 09:14 PM	I like the idea of the Blues turning the Goblins nto a feared fighting force :)
Rappy 07-12-08, 04:45 AM	Rogues of the Seas: Aquatic Goblin Adventurers "The waves are our territory, and you best not forget it, you orc pigs!" -Blood-Tide Greck, aquatic goblin pirate Aquatic Goblin Adventurers: Melee Combatants The vicious aquatic goblins (Unearthed Arcana) are the scourge of the waves, natural-born thieves with a natural knack for disarming locks and traps. This makes them prone to swarming aboard ships in raids en masse, pillaging as much as they can before their water supply runs out, and then dropping back into the sea once more. Many become fearsome pirates or vikings that raid without remorse or regret, often taming and riding blue sharks as mounts on their bloody task. Anything considered a weak enough targets is within bounds in the one-track mind of an aquatic goblin. Due to their penalty to Strength and bonus to Constitution, aquatic goblins are best suited for dealing with punishment, but not so much dishing it out on a purely physical scale. The most-used weaponry of aquatic goblin fighters are stingray whips and aquatic longbows (Stormwrack) Aquatic Goblin Adventurers: Supernatural Powers Those aquatic goblins that become spellcasters will usually choose specific forms of casting dependent upon their chosen path. Arcane spellcasters often become sea witches (Stormwrack), using their curse powers to brutalize ships upon the surface of the sea as retribution for their intrusion, and almost always use briny deep summoning to call forth dire sharks. Those goblins that use divine spellcasting tend to gravitate towards staying true to the original path of a cleric, usually being called upon as a servant of Panzuriel the Writhing One (Ecology of the Kraken) due to usually sharing his alignment and being one of the tentacled god's "children of the sea". Those rare aquatic goblins that utilize psionics tend to become slayers.
Midnight_v 07-12-08, 01:00 PM	And with that... the ball is rolling.;)