by Ray Cordova, iltharanos@yahoo.com last updated on July 17, 2015 at 08:07:49 AM

72

Goblin Short of stature and in many virtues, your race is reviled

by the races of man, elf, dwarf, and kender.

Nasty, Brutish, and Short

Goblins are small, spindly-limbed humanoids with skin

ranging from a pale yellow through russetorange to a

dark reddish-purple, depending on climate and other

influences. They have dark hair, usually thin and stringy

or growing in tufts from their cheeks and chins, and dull

red or yellow eyes. Never more than three and ½ feet tall,

goblins weigh between 40 and 45 pounds and are marked

by their pointed ears, sharp fang-like teeth, and swift

movement.

Power and Strength

Goblins value and respect power and strength. They

aspire towards it, although most accept they cannot be

powerful and strong themselves. They quickly adopt mob

rule and mob mentality when brought together in a large

group. This strongly resembles the manner in which

wolves move as packs behind a strong leader. By

himself, a goblin is more likely to focus on non-group

traits, such as survival, cunning, and the use his size and

speed to get what he wants. A goblin without a tribe or

group often appears to be lost or alone, cut off from

society, but in truth many lone goblins are entirely

confident.

Goblins skulk, hide, and sneak whenever possible.

Outside of combat, they emphasize their smaller size and

generally try to remain out of sight or unnoticed. Because

they are so used to being bullied or abused by larger

creatures, including humans, even the more civilized

goblins of Sikk’et Hul are constantly on guard for a

smack on the back of the head, a knife in the guts, or

something poisonous in the food.

When engaged in a conversation, a goblin speaks

rapidly and nervously. Although they are small and

forced to look up at their superiors, goblins almost

always avert their gaze. There is safety in numbers, so

many goblins in social situations will gravitate towards a

cluster of other people of similar size. Failing that, they

will hover in the shadow of a superior or a stronger

character.

Anywhere and Everywhere

Goblins can be found anywhere on Ansalon, even in the

coldest and harshest of places. They prefer temperate

climates to extremes of temperature, and the largest

concentration of goblins can be found in scattered tribes

in eastern Solamnia, Throt, Northern Ergoth, Qualinesti,

and the Taman Busuk. Mountain tribes share territory

with nomadic humans, while goblins of the plains and

forests continually struggle against centaurs, humans, and

elves.

Feared and Hunted

Goblins are both feared and hunted, so the adventure

possibilities are endless. Someone or something could be

pursuing a goblin in an adventuring party, particularly if

the goblin is a coveted stone-teller or escapee. The

motivation for the goblin being a part of the group is key.

If the character is hiding from an enemy, that enemy

could now also be after the other player characters. If he

is an escaped slave, his former master might have others

looking for him, so he can be brought back and made an

example. The other characters in the party could be

forced to take a stand on the issue of slavery. Goblins

Goblin Names

Goblins are named by their parents at birth. Birth names

are often quickly lost, especially if a goblin does

something to distinguish himself. Initially, a goblin is

named either to reference a parent, leader, or landmark,

such as Wee Gnasher of the Crooked Khur Peak or

Belter’s Son of Sharpteeth’s Tribe. The longer the name,

the more likely it will be discarded. Goblins change their

names when something momentous happens. If a warrior

slays a bear by himself, the tribe could rename him

Bearkiller or Redfur Bearkiller, if the fight was

particularly bloody. Such a name is likely to stick with

the goblin for the rest of his life, unless an even more

momentous event occurs to warrant another renaming.

Names can be derived from horrendous events, too.

The lone survivor of a Dark Knight raid might be called

Lone Griever or Lone Walker. Goblins who do

something shameful can be marked with a name that

draws attention to their misdeed and could ultimately

force a break with the tribe, such as Pelt-Stealer, Dung-

Eater, Backstabber, or Always-Hides.

A goblin joining an adventuring party likely will make

up a new name for himself, no doubt one sounding

important. Unless the other members of the band are

familiar with goblinish customs, they will not know that

their new companion has renamed himself.

Male Names: Eaglebeak Archer, Golch, Grum, Heart,

Ithk, Mudskip, Phracc, Phragg, Phrycc, Velg

Female Names: Mudwort

ep ey

hen brought together in a large

obselves. They quickly adopt mob

hen brought together in a large

lves. They quickly adopt mobGoblin by Felideus

th

Goblins by Prescott

by Ray Cordova, iltharanos@yahoo.com last updated on July 17, 2015 at 08:07:49 AM

73

Goblin Traits:

Your goblin character has an array of abilities evolved

from countless millennia of slavery and servitude.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases

by 2.

Age. Goblins mature at about a decade, and live for a

few decades shy of a century, usually due to violent

causes.

Alignment. Most goblins are neutral evil, though the

goblins of Sikk’et Hul on the Isle of Northern Ergoth are

neutral.

Size. Goblins stand about 3 feet tall and average about

36 pounds. Your size is Small.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. Thanks to your goblinoid blood, you have

superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see

in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright

light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t

discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Nimble Escape. You can take the Disengage or Hide

action as a bonus action on each of your turns.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common

and Goblin.

Goblin Lair by Headconc