Post by sandcastles on Feb 19, 2012 23:13:28 GMT -5
The Goblinoid Races
Regions: Anaurach, Chult, Cormyr, Moonsea, the North, Vaasa, the Vast, Western Heartlands.
Level Adjustment: Varies; see below.
Goblinoids are a group of humanoid races that includes four different subraces in Faerûn: goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears, and the relatively new Dekanter goblins. These creatures are close enough in outlook and society to discuss as a group. They are closely related by ties of language and culture.
Goblins are the smallest of the group. They stand only about four feet tall and weigh roughly 60 pounds. Like all goblinoids, they have flat faces, broad noses, pointed ears, wide mouths, and sharp fangs. Their arms hang down almost to their knees. Goblin hides range in color from yellow through orange to red, and members of the same tribe usually share similar coloring. Goblins wear dark leather clothing, which is usually heavily soiled due to their lack of concern with hygiene.
Hogboglins are much larger, usually reaching 6 1/2 feet in height and weighing up to 275 pounds. Their hairy hides come in dark shades ranging from reddish-brown to gray. Their eyes are yellowish or dark brown, and their teeth are yellow and strong. They like to wear bright clothing, usually red with black leather. They keep their weapons clean, even if they don't take so much care with themselves.
The largest of the goblinoids, bugbears stand about 7 feet tall and often top 300 pounds. Their hides are usually yellowish ranging from brownish to mustard yellow. Their coarse hair runs from brown to brick red. Their eyes are green-white with crimson pupils, and their ears are more wedge-shaped than those of their smaller kin.
Dekanter goblins were created from regular goblins by the alhoon (illithid lich) known as the Beast Lord in the mines of Dekanter. They are larger than the race from which they sprang, ranging in height from 4 to 5 feet. Their tough hides are orange-red, and they have manes of wiry black hair that tumble down past their shoulders. Their heads squat atop thick, powerful necks, and they have a sharp, rhino-like horn at the top of their elongated snouts.
Whatever the subrace, goblinoids are universally bullies. They pick on smaller creatures whenever they can, and when faced with a superior force they turn tail and run. Because of their smaller size, goblins prefer to strike from ambush, usually every fighting trick they know how to gain an edge. While tactically canny, the larger hobgoblins and bugbears usually prefer a more direct approach, often driving weaker troops before them into any perceived danger.
Dekanter goblins, in contrast, are aggressive and fearless. They never met a foe they didn't want to impale on their horns. They are cunning enough to not charge directly into battle against a clearly superior foe, but they rarely run away from a fight.
Goblinoids are all short-lived. Most meet a violent end long before they reach old age. They are pressed into service as adults at just10 years of age. They rarely live to be older tan 40, though some few lucky or wily individuals have been known to make it to 60 years of age.
Goblinoids have the same life expectancy and age categories as half-orcs.
Outlook
Life in a goblinoid community is cheap. There are always a dozen people behind you, trying to trip you up, ready to take over your place as soon as you fall. Goblinoid leaders rule through aggressive ruthlessness, bullying any who get in their way and killing hose who are foolhardy enough to challenge them. Goblinoids are constantly trying to get ahead of each other, mostly by backstabbing those in front of them.
Of course, goblins lack the strength and ferocity to lord it over hobgoblins. Similarly, hobgoblins are usually at the mercy of bugbears. The difference in size between the races are too great to overcome. A group of smaller goblinoids can sometimes band together to overpower a larger cousin, but they often end up betraying each other to the biggest creature. Even should they succeed in their efforts, the smaller creatures regularly fall to squabbling among each other as to who is now in charge, and another of the larger goblinoids often arrives on the scene to put an end to the argument by killing off any who might lay claim to such leadership.
Dekanter goblins, on the other hand, live only to serve their creature, the Beast Lord. They are the terror of the Dekanter mines, mostly because of the alhoon's cunning in his command of them. Originally, these creatures only guarded the Beast Lord's domain. Today, however, they have begun ranging far and wide, perhaps signaling that the alhoon has larger schemes to execute.
Most goblinoids take up lives as adventurers simply to get away from their clans. Some do this solely for reasons of survival, sure that they would be killed if they were to remain. Others believe that if they can find real power in the wider world, they can then return to their homeland and take over.
Goblinoid Characters
Living by their wits rather than their muscles, goblins favor the rogue class. The more combat-orientated individuals sometimes multiclass as fighter/rogues. Goblin tribes also feature the occasional cleric, who stands aside from the standard pecking order.
Hobgoblins depend on their physical impressiveness to cow both friend and foe, so they favor the fighter class. The more cunning ones multiclass as fighter/rogues.
Bugbears favor the rogue class, because treachery figures at least as much into their success as does their power in battle. many bugbears multiclass as fighter/rogues, and a rare few serve their clan as clerics.
Dekanter goblins are basically killing machines, so they favor the barbarian class. They value strength and ferocity in battle too much to keep up less militant pursuits.
Goblinoid Society
Goblinoid society is a difficult one in which to grow up. Simply surviving to adulthood takes a combination of luck, careful planning, and ruthless aggression. The golden rule among goblins is to do unto others before they do unto you.
Goblinoid children establish a pecking order much like that of their parents. The older and larger ones pick on the smaller ones, honing their skills which will serve them well later as adults. In goblinoid communities, there are as many children as there are adults. The reasons for this are many, but they boil down to two unavoidable facts. First, most goblinoids don't survive their harsh childhoods. Second, many adults die violent deaths before they advance too far in goblinoid society.
Males have almost all the power in goblinoid society. They support their clan by constantly raiding other communities and stealing their treasure, food, and drink. When supplies are short, goblinoids have been known to slaughter and eat members of other races, even including smaller goblinoids.
Females are expected to stay home and raise as many young goblins as possible. They are not permitted to join the clan's warriors in their hunts or in battle. For this reason, many goblinoid adventurers are females who left their clans looking for better opportunities from life.
There is no sense of privacy in most goblinoid clans. Most clans live in a large, communal area, often a cave. Only the leaders of the clan have the privilege of keeping their own quarters. These leaders like to limit such privacy, as they fear that those they cannot see might use the opportunity to plot betrayal. This goes on all the time anyhow, but it's more difficult to accomplish in the common chambers, since many goblinoids are only too happy to sell out any mutineers in exchange for winning their leader's favor.
It's rare for a goblinoid to reach a ripe old age. At the first sign of weakness, older goblinoids are constantly challenged by their younger kin, one right after another. Eventually youth and persistence wins out over age and treachery.
Outside their home territories, most goblinoids try to replicate the conditions under which they were raised. They look for weaker people and bully them into joining up with a nascent clan. Even goblinoids who have renounced their native clans and become adventurers often fall back into old habits, given the chance.
Language and Literacy
Most goblins speak only Goblin. Smarter ones often speak Common as well, as well as those who become adventurers. Hobgoblins and bugbears speak both Goblin and Common - they have more need to, as they are often in charge of bossing around other creatures and need to be able to speak to the creatures they enslave. Dekanter goblins speak Goblin and Undercommon, since they spend most of their lives in the depths of the Dekanter mines.
Goblinoids of all sorts are illiterate, except for those who have player character classes other than barbarian.
Abilities and Racial Features
Goblinoid racial characteristics vary by subrace.
Goblins have the following racial traits:
- -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma. Small and unsociable, goblins rely on their speed and reflexes in combat.
- Small: As Small creatures, goblins gain a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 bonus on Hide Checks. However, they must use smaller weapons than hobgoblins can, and their lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters that of Medium-sized characters.
- Goblin land speed is 30 feet.
- Darkvision 60 feet.
- +4 racial bonus on Move Silently and Ride checks.
- Favored Class: Rogue.
- Automatic Languages: Common, Goblin, home region. Bonus Languages: By region.
Hobgoblins have the following racial traits:
- +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution. Face and hardy, hobgoblins are tenacious and deadly in combat.
- Medium-size: As Medium-sized creatures, hobgoblins have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
- Hobgoblin land speed is 30 feet.
- Darkvision 60 feet.
- +4 racial bonus on Move Silently checks.
- Automatic Languages: Common, Goblin, home region. Bonus Languages: By region.
- Favored Class: Fighter.
- Level Adjustment: +1. Hobgoblins are slightly more powerful and gain levels more slowly than the common races of Faerûn. A player may play a hobgoblin as a character with total levels equal to his class level +1.
Bugbears have the following racial traits:
- +4 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma. Strong, fast, and tough, bugbears seem to be built for combat, but they are crude and coarse.
- Medium-size: As Medium-size creatures, bugbears have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
- Bugbear land speed is 30 feet.
- Darkvision 60 feet.
- +3 natural armor.
- Proficient with all simple weapons and the goblin stick. Proficient with light armor and shields.
- +4 racial bonus on Move Silently checks.
- Humanoid Hit Dice: A bugbear has 3d8 racial Hit Dice. A bugbear character receives the maximum hit points for his first humanoid Hit Dice and rolls his other humanoid Hit Dice normally. He rolls all Hit Dice from class levels and does not automatically get maximum hit points for his first class-level Hit Die. A bugbear's racial Hit Dice also provides a +2 base attack bonus and saving throws of Fort +1, Ref +3, and Will +1. Bugbears with class levels add their class attack bonus and save bonuses to their racial attack bonuses and saves.
- Humanoid Skills: A bugbear's humanoid Hit Dice grant him skill points equal to (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1) x 6. Class skills for these skill points are Climb, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot. A bugbear does not get the x4 multiplier for skill points acquired from his first class level.
- Humanoid Feats: A bugbear's humanoid Hit Dice grant him two feats. A typical bugbear chooses Alertness and Weapon Focus (morningstar). A bugbear with class levels gains feats based on his total Hit Dice.
- Automatic Languages: Common, Goblin, home region. Bonus Languages: By home region.
- Favored Class: Rogue.
- Level Adjustment: +1. Due to his racial Hit Dice and physical ability bonuses, a bugbear has an effective character level of 4 plus his class levels. Thus, a 3rd-level bugbear rogue would have an ECL of 7.
Dekanter goblins have the following racial traits:
- +6 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +4 constitution, +2 intelligence, +2 Wisdom, =2 Charisma. Physically powerful and cunning, Dekanter goblins have literally been made for battle.
- Medium-sized: As Medium-size creatures, Dekanter goblins have no special bonuses r penalties due to their size.
- Dekanter goblin land speed is 20 feet.
- Darkvision 60 feet.
- +4 natural armor.
- Fast Healing 3.
- Cold Resistance 5.
- Proficient with all simple weapons.
- Monstrous Humanoid Hit Dice: A Dekanter goblin has 2d8 racial Hit Dice. He receives the maximum hit points for his first monstrous humanoid Hit Die and rolls his other monstrous humanoid Hit Die normally. He rolls all Hit Dice from class levels and does not automatically get maximum hit points on his first class level Hit Die. A Dekanter goblin's racial Hit Dice also provides a +2 base attack bonus and saving throws of Fort +0, Ref +3, and Will +3. Dekanter goblins with class levels add their class attack and save bonuses to their racial attack bonuses and saves.
- Monstrous Humanoid Skills: A Dekanter goblin's monstrous humanoid Hit Dice grant him skill points equal to (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1) x5. Class skills for these skill points are Climb, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Sense Motive, and Spot. A Dekanter goblin does not get the x4 multiplier for skill points acquired from his first class level.
- Monstrous Humanoid Feats: A Dekanter goblin's monstrous humanoid Hit Dice grant him one feat. A typical Dekanter goblin chooses Power Attack. A Dekanter goblin with class levels gains feats based on his total Hit Dice.
- Natural Attacks: A Dekanter goblin can attack with his horn and 2 claws. The horn deals 1d6 points of damage plus the character's Strength bonus, with a x3 damage on a critical hit. The claws are secondary attacks (-5 penalty on attack rolls, and half Strength bonus on damage rolls), and deal 1d4 points of damage. The character can attack with a weapon at his normal attack bonus, and make a horn or single claw attack as a secondary attack.
- Automatic Languages: Goblin, Undercommon, Common. Bonus Languages: By region.
- Favored Class: Barbarian.
- Level Adjustment: +4. Due to his racial Hit Dice plus his ability bonuses, fast healing ability, natural weapons, and cold resistance, a Dekanter goblin has an effective character level of 6 plus his class levels. Thus, a 5th-level Dekanter goblin barbarian would have an ECL of 11.
Goblinoid Deities
Goblinoids worship a number of evil deities. These gods often exhort their followers to overbreed as much as possible then attempt to overrun their foes with superior numbers. This is one reason why life is considered so cheap in goblinoid clans. Goblins, hobgoblins, and even Dekanter goblins worship Maglubiyet, god of goblinkind. They are inspired by the legendary tales of his strength and treachery winning out over all. The god of bugbears, Hruggek, coaches his followers in the art of the ambush and furious fighting.
Relations with Other Races
Goblinoids do not get along well with each other, much less any other races. They don't even particularly like members of other goblinoid subraces. Of the standard character races, goblinoids favor half-orcs best, mostly because goblinoids are used to working with orcs upon occasion, usually under the command of some bugbear warlord.
Goblinoids harbor a special hatred of elves and dwarves, and may attack them on sight. The rare good- or neutral- aligned goblinoid character struggles to control this urge and usually wins out over it.
Goblinoid Equipment
Bugbears and hobgoblins often use a special weapon called a goblin stick.
Animals and Pets
Goblinoids don't keep pets. To them, such creatures are for slaughtering and eating. They often steal livestock from their neighbors and may keep goats, sheep, or cattle for a short time, but they are in the habit of eating their loot at the first opportunity.
Goblins have a special relationship with worgs, and often ride worgs into battle. The evil wolves are the goblins' allies, not their servants.
Source: Forgotten Realms: Races of Faerûn