I love goblins. Despite the fact that most people consider them a target of derision and a laughable foe at best, and not worth including as anything beyond a joke at worst, I have much love for my tiny greens brothers and sisters.
 |
| Hail to the King, baby. |
One of my gripes about 3.5 is that with all the monster races playable, goblins were 'technically' playable, but crippled to the point of being terrible. I generally resorted to using halfling stats. I played goblins frequently, and enjoyed every minute of it--even when being pursued by well-meaning but xenophobic townsfolk. In keeping with all of this, I've spent plenty of time considering goblins, their mannerisms, societies, and their place in the world beyond "generic punching bag/chew toy for low level adventurers."
Creating entire goblin civilizations doesn't necessarily mean converting them into technophiles or merchant societies, (a la Blizzard) and giving them a bit more depth doesn't mean pulling them away from the role of villains, or even making them sympathetic--although those are both options.
More pocket-sized, green-skinned goodness after the jump. (Including some gorgeous artwork courtesy of Aureath over on deviant art. Pop by and give them some props, add them to your favorites, buy some prints, etc.)
This is gonna be a long one, folks. Grab a snack.
Goblins aren't usually well defined by most publishers. They get a token description as weak, sneaky, cowardly little buggers that attack in waves. On the other hand, some studios have done wonderful jobs of fleshing out their goblin content--Piazo, for one, did a wonderful article several months back that did a great job of defining what goblins mean for Pathfinder. I may not be particularly fond of the visual style of their goblins, but I can respect anyone who gives them that much thought.
In creating my own campaign I took a cue from their staff and took a bit of time to define how the iconic critters function in my world... even if my players will likely never care.
The Goblins of Unt
Yes. Unt. Deal with it.
Cunning, clannish and constantly ravenous, goblins can be found the world over, living in the shadows of other societies, claiming portions of the wild and abandoned lands as their own, or navigating the roadways in search of the next source of food.
Physical Qualities
Goblins stand between 3 and 4 feet tall, weighing between 60 and 75 pounds on average, although the rare affluent goblin will bloat themselves into monstrous obesity. While principally humanoid in structure, goblins display a variety of traits outside the norm from most civilized races. Their legs account for only a third of overall body length, with long, narrow, four-toes feet. Their arms measure to just below the knee at the wrist, and end in proportionally large hands and three long, dexterous fingers and an opposable thumb. Goblin heads are large and narrow, with high and deep-set eyes, large, tapered ears, sizable noses, broad mouths and a jutting, pointed chin.
Goblin display skin tones ranging from pale green to light olive, eyes in a variety of hues, and hair that varies from black to shades of ochre. Body and facial hair is a rare trait among males, (although common among certain family lines) and completely lacking in females. Younger goblins are completely hairless, and adults generally favor uncomplicated and pragmatic hairstyles.
Goblins generally choose clothing in earth tones, frequently preferring leather over woven fabrics. Depending on local culture, the clothing may range from ornately crafted and intricately stitched to simple loincloths crafted from cast off scraps of uneaten leather. In contrast. Goblin ornamentation is often ostentatious, gaudy and garish, erring towards an abundance of shine rather than taste. Intricate tattoos, piercing, and scarification are common.
 |
| Disallowing firearms in your setting will not stop the goblin gun show. |
While goblins have a natural lifespan comparable to humans, few goblins meet natural ends, and surviving to middle age is generally considered an unusual accomplishment.
Biological Notes and Oddities
Goblins are possessed of an unnaturally high metabolism, resulting in a near-constant hunger, low fat reserves, and a tendency towards hyperactivity. Their muscle fibers are more dense than humans, resulting in comparable strength despite their diminutive size, and also accounting for much of their appetites. Goblins possess exceptional low light vision, owing partially to pupils capable of dilation well in excess of human norms. Under most conditions, they breed at prodigious rates, with twin births the norm, and multiple births not at all uncommon.
Most unusual of all, goblin saliva acts as a weak local anesthetic, and while ineffective when applied to skin, in larger targets it causes very mild, localized numbness when applied to open wounds, or delivered via a bite, although it is enough to subdue or paralyze very small prey.
Most unusual of all, goblin saliva acts as a weak local anesthetic, and while ineffective when applied to skin, in larger targets it causes very mild, localized numbness when applied to open wounds, or delivered via a bite, although it is enough to subdue or paralyze very small prey.
Society and Cultural Constants
Goblin societies are usually ruled by two constants: a loyalty to the extended family unit, and the gathering, hoarding and consumption of food. While can result in frequent raids, theft, and the occasional war party, clans with fertile territory may well form agrarian societies, or result to (mostly) peaceful trade.
Communities are usually composed of a single 'clan' made up of several loosely related bloodlines. Competition for leadership roles are fierce, although seldom fatal--while violence is permitted, a strong taboo exists against the murder of one's extended family, and frequently is more strictly adhered to than it is among human cultures. The victor is frequently determined by martial (or occasionally magical) prowess among more primitive societies, with trade and agrarian based clans usually resorting to bribes, trickery, political machinations.
Goblins have a rich artistic tradition, consisting mostly of song and dance, simple poetry and various retellings of a single, epic poem, composed mostly of simple rhyming doublets that describes the travels (and meals) of the first goblin. They tend to leave few written or visual works, and seldom develop architectural styles, preferring to inhabit natural structures like caverns or take over abandoned settlements of other cultures.
Additionally, cannibalism is widely accepted and practiced across all variants of goblin culture. It frequently takes a dichotomous form, with the consumption of enemies and outsiders being seen as "taking their strength," while eating clan members is almost always done as part of a reverent funeral process.
Communities are usually composed of a single 'clan' made up of several loosely related bloodlines. Competition for leadership roles are fierce, although seldom fatal--while violence is permitted, a strong taboo exists against the murder of one's extended family, and frequently is more strictly adhered to than it is among human cultures. The victor is frequently determined by martial (or occasionally magical) prowess among more primitive societies, with trade and agrarian based clans usually resorting to bribes, trickery, political machinations.
Goblins have a rich artistic tradition, consisting mostly of song and dance, simple poetry and various retellings of a single, epic poem, composed mostly of simple rhyming doublets that describes the travels (and meals) of the first goblin. They tend to leave few written or visual works, and seldom develop architectural styles, preferring to inhabit natural structures like caverns or take over abandoned settlements of other cultures.
Additionally, cannibalism is widely accepted and practiced across all variants of goblin culture. It frequently takes a dichotomous form, with the consumption of enemies and outsiders being seen as "taking their strength," while eating clan members is almost always done as part of a reverent funeral process.
Individuals and Psychological Norms
Goblins are cunning, manic, inquisitive and nearly fearless by nature, and often more than a little creepy. While most adventurers would ascribe a certain amount of cowardice to them as a whole, they're more likely to withdraw to plot a more effective revenge than they are to flee from a combat they can win because they've been intimidated. They also have an amazing degree of focus when something catches their attention--sometimes to their own detriment. Savage goblins have been known to spend hours contemplating how to defeat intricate traps baited with food when their time would likely have been better spent hunting, gathering, or performing nearly any other task.
Goblins have little in the way of "downtime," spending most of their waking hours in a blur of noisy hyperactivity; spontaneous outbursts of song or dance, chasing about smaller creatures or impromptu wrestling matches are some of the more frequent (and mentionable) examples. Of course, goblins are extremely capable of settling into disturbing, unnatural silences when it's called for, and they make their way in a world filled with much larger creatures through a combination of stealth, ruthlessness, trickery, or simply overwhelming their problems through sheer numbers. Goblins are more likely to stage a mass ambush than engage in complicated assassinations.
Family is a very powerful bond for the goblin--usually keeping them close to their clan unless cast out. Those that find themselves exiled seldom live long on their own, although those that do frequently begin looking for a surrogate family almost immediately. For good or ill, once a goblin has accepted a new group as family, they're nearly impossible to get rid of.
When it comes to religion, goblins are notoriously irreverent. They may pay lip-service to some deity or another, but the rigors of finding food, taking care of family concerns and spastic behavior usually preclude spending a lot of time in devotion and service of a specific religion. On the other hand, this minimizes many of the conflicts goblins are generally willing to participate in.
Goblins may not be popular among other races, but goblins themselves don't draw too many lines; there is the clan, non-clan goblins, non-goblins, and food. Ogre, human, half-orc, elf, it makes little difference, as their casual disregard for their own safety means that a towering foe doesn't get much more regard than one their own size. After all, goblin tactics boil down to one basic concept: everyone attacks until it's dead, or they are.
Final thoughts.
Yes, this is a lot of thought to put into one specific creature. Frankly, I've always thought that if more people put this much thought into all their monsters, they'd become less of a collection of statistics and more like the actual threats and rivals they're meant to be. Still, I understand that this certainly isn't for everyone.
Yes, I love goblins, and I am not ashamed of it.
Goblins are cunning, manic, inquisitive and nearly fearless by nature, and often more than a little creepy. While most adventurers would ascribe a certain amount of cowardice to them as a whole, they're more likely to withdraw to plot a more effective revenge than they are to flee from a combat they can win because they've been intimidated. They also have an amazing degree of focus when something catches their attention--sometimes to their own detriment. Savage goblins have been known to spend hours contemplating how to defeat intricate traps baited with food when their time would likely have been better spent hunting, gathering, or performing nearly any other task.
Goblins have little in the way of "downtime," spending most of their waking hours in a blur of noisy hyperactivity; spontaneous outbursts of song or dance, chasing about smaller creatures or impromptu wrestling matches are some of the more frequent (and mentionable) examples. Of course, goblins are extremely capable of settling into disturbing, unnatural silences when it's called for, and they make their way in a world filled with much larger creatures through a combination of stealth, ruthlessness, trickery, or simply overwhelming their problems through sheer numbers. Goblins are more likely to stage a mass ambush than engage in complicated assassinations.
Family is a very powerful bond for the goblin--usually keeping them close to their clan unless cast out. Those that find themselves exiled seldom live long on their own, although those that do frequently begin looking for a surrogate family almost immediately. For good or ill, once a goblin has accepted a new group as family, they're nearly impossible to get rid of.
When it comes to religion, goblins are notoriously irreverent. They may pay lip-service to some deity or another, but the rigors of finding food, taking care of family concerns and spastic behavior usually preclude spending a lot of time in devotion and service of a specific religion. On the other hand, this minimizes many of the conflicts goblins are generally willing to participate in.
Goblins may not be popular among other races, but goblins themselves don't draw too many lines; there is the clan, non-clan goblins, non-goblins, and food. Ogre, human, half-orc, elf, it makes little difference, as their casual disregard for their own safety means that a towering foe doesn't get much more regard than one their own size. After all, goblin tactics boil down to one basic concept: everyone attacks until it's dead, or they are.
Final thoughts.
Yes, this is a lot of thought to put into one specific creature. Frankly, I've always thought that if more people put this much thought into all their monsters, they'd become less of a collection of statistics and more like the actual threats and rivals they're meant to be. Still, I understand that this certainly isn't for everyone.
Yes, I love goblins, and I am not ashamed of it.
Great post! I'm a Goblin Afficionado as well, it's good to know there are others.
ReplyDelete