Goblin

Goblin
(MM p133)
–2 Str
+2 Dex
–2 Cha
Rogue • Small Size
• 30’ Movement
• Darkvision 60’
• +4 Racial bonus on Move Silently checks.
• +4 Racial bonus on Ride checks.

Bugbear
(MM p29)
+4 Str
+2 Dex
+2 Con
–2 Cha
Rogue • Medium Size
• 30’ Movement
• Darkvision 60’
• +3 Natural Armor bonus to AC
• 3HD Humanoid (goblinoid), which grants skill
points, Feats, BAB, & Base Save Bonuses.
• +4 Racial bonus to Move Silently checks
• Level Adjustment +1

Hobgoblin
(MM p153)
(DR309 p52)+
+2 Dex
+2 Con
Fighter • Medium Size
• 30’ Movement
• Darkvision 60’
• +4 Racial bonus on Move Silently checks.
• Level Adjustment +1

Goblinoids in Eberrron

“We goblinoids are just like you humans, except our empire
lasted eleven thousand years.”
—Lhesh Haruuc
The goblinoids are more than tribes of savages scratching
at the edges of civilization. They carved out a nation
in Khorvaire during the Last War and ruled an empire
that spanned the continent. Cunning, fierce, and
strong in number, goblinoids are poised to take back
the empire that civil war destroyed millennia ago—if
they can manage to keep civil war from tearing apart
their newborn nation.
Lands: The goblinoids live mainly in Darguun and
Droaam, but a small group ekes out an existence in
nearly every major city of Khorvaire.
Most of these “city goblins” are descendants of
goblinoid slaves taken before and during the Last
War. A few are mercenaries hired during the Last
War who remained loyal to their employers
despite the betrayal and rebellion that created
Darguun. These goblins, hobgoblins,
and bugbears live peacefully among other
races, although they often live in the cities’
slums and have second-class status.
The goblinoid nation of Darguun
has existed only since the end of the
Last War. Led by a hobgoblin tribal
chief named Haruuc, the many
tribes hired out to various
nations as mercenaries turned
against their employers and
carved their own territory out
of the vast battleground the
continent had become.
Haruuc loosely controls
a young country
that strains against his
reign. The tribes of goblins,
hobgoblins, and
bugbears fight among
themselves, and some openly
defy Haruuc’s edicts. Still, the
goblinoids are more unified
now than they have been since the Dhakaani empire
collapsed roughly five thousand years ago.
Droaam also hosts a relatively large population of
goblins, many as slaves to other races. A few independent
tribes eke out an existence among the other monstrous
races. These tribes are proud of their independence
from Darguun, but they must be ever watchful and
defend themselves from those of their land who would
end that independence with death or slavery.

Settlements: Goblinoid settlements differ somewhat
depending on race, tribe, and landscape. In general,
goblinoids have built little in recent history. A tribal
existence and almost constant warfare leaves little
opportunity for making more than simple wooden
fortifi cations. Instead, goblinoids excel at converting
existing constructions for their own needs.
Under the Seawall Mountains, for example, the Dhakaani
clans adapt natural caverns, mines, and the tunnels
dug by the Dhakaani empire. In the highlands of the
nation and on the slopes of the Seawall Mountains, the
Marguul clans use caves, naturally defensible areas, and
fortresses built during the Last War, building long houses
when such places are not available. In the lowlands,
the Ghaal’dar clans cobble together villages and cities
around the ruins of the Dhakaani Empire.
Communities in Darguun often have members of
many races. Typically, settlements are populated mainly
by goblins, hobgoblins, or bugbears. These are supported
by goblin and kobold slaves, with some settlements
using humans and members of other races as slaves.
Tribes are multiracial, although an individual
clan might be dominated by
one particular goblinoid race.
In Darguun, tribal and clan
membership is determined
by merit. Someone
who holds
true to a tribe’s
customs, remains
loyal, and fi ghts off or kills enough of those who oppose his
membership can be inducted into a tribe. Thus, even
humans, kobolds, and gnomes can be found bearing
the scars or brands that indicate tribe and clan.
When settlements are dominated by a single race,
viewers can often determine which race that is by
looking at the existing architecture. Goblins modify
structures to lower doors and ceilings, often splitting
a single story in a building into two. This makes taller
races squat, kneel, and crawl in their buildings, showing
goblin superiority. Hobgoblins alter the landscape and
existing buildings for strong, organized defense. Entry
points into buildings and cities typically require a force
to funnel into an area overlooked by guards behind
arrow loops. Bugbears prefer settlements and structures
to be dark and convoluted, with many hiding places and
dead ends. This gives them the home turf advantage and
allows them to use the guerrilla tactics they prefer.
Power Groups: Haruuc maintains loose control of his
nation. In theory, the country has a feudal system, with
Haruuc demanding fealty, tribute, and military aid from
the clans of the region. In practice, Haruuc maintains
control mainly over the Ghaal’dar. The Marguul obey
his edicts to varying degrees,
and the Dhakaani pay him
lip service at best. The whole nation has the feel of a lawless frontier.
Infighting abounds, and the strong rule the weak. Most
people have respect for the idea of a lawful society, but
when push comes to shove, duels and vengeance punish
more crimes than any system of rules and regulations.
The EBERRON Campaign Setting goes into greater detail
about these and other power groups in Darguun.
Beliefs: Many goblinoids of Darguun worship the
Shadow or the Mockery, sometimes under a different
name. Over the last century, due mostly to their
travels during the Last War, goblinoids have learned
of the other gods of the Sovereign Host. Haruuc took
up Dol Dorn as his patron and has spread that faith
among his followers. Temples to Dol Dorn, Dol Arran,
and Balinor can be found in the capital of Rhukaan
Draal, but Darguun as a whole is ruled by worship of
the Dark Six.
The Dhakaani tribe is the other exception. The clans
of the caverns and hidden places are agnostic and pay
homage to the legends of their great past through the
songs and stories of bards. Clerics have no place among
them, because worship of a deity distracts from reverence
for the Empire of Dhakaan. City goblins worship
the Sovereign Host to some degree, but many also pay
greatest respect to a member of the Dark Six (although
they take pains to hide this fact from others).
Language: Goblinoids share common speech patterns
and vocabulary despite differences of race. Bugbears,
goblins, and hobgoblins all speak Goblin, and bugbears
and hobgoblins also speak Common. Around other races,
goblinoids often speak Goblin, but around goblin slaves,
hobgoblins and bugbears often speak Common. When
speaking to one another, goblinoids often intermix
Common and Goblin, using whatever terms are most
applicable at the moment.
Goblin names for the creations of other races tend
to be several Goblin words strung together to describe
the object, so goblinoids can most often be heard using
a word in Common when the Goblin phrase is too
long. For instance, even at the height of the Dhakaani
Empire, goblinoids didn’t build ships with sails, and
thus, even when a goblin speaks Goblin, it might say
“sailboat” in Common rather than “little-warship-notfor-
war-with-big-blanket-to-hold-wind” in Goblin.
Race can have an effect on the way a goblinoid speaks.
Bugbears tend to speak as little as possible. Even when
separated by great distance, bugbears tend to communicate
intent through pantomime punctuated by
growls or grumbles rather than shouting. On the other
hand, hobgoblins seem to relish raising their voices.
They shout over one another, stating facts in the tone
of commandments and questions like demands. Goblin
slaves speak as little as possible to avoid attracting
attention, but free goblins and slaves left alone tend to yammer with great energy, punctuating speech with
hollering and screeches.
Relations: City goblins get along well enough with
every race. They sometimes have conflicts with individuals
from the wilderness who are unused to goblins
being part of polite society, but for the most part, the
goblinoids of the major cities are tolerated simply as
members of the underclass.
The nation of Darguun is similarly tolerated, but the
same cannot be said for its people. A great deal of bad
feeling exists toward the goblinoids of Darguun. The
wounds of the Last War still ache; the people of Breland
and now-ruined Cyre haven’t forgotten the treachery
that allowed the creation of the goblinoid nation. Thrane
has never fully accepted Darguun, despite signing the
Treaty of Thronehold; many people of other nations hate
the goblinoids for keeping their countrymen as slaves or
for harboring criminals. Of course, many people can’t
really tell the difference between a Darguun goblinoid
and a city goblin, so as long as a Darguun goblinoid
takes up the trappings of civilized society, he can travel
in other realms relatively unmolested.
GOBLINOID CHARACTERS
Goblinoid PCs offer a wealth of roleplaying opportunities
and mechanical benefits unavailable to other races.
Accustomed to danger and hardship, goblinoids are
savage opportunists and canny opponents.
Adventuring Goblinoids: Goblinoids adventure
for many different reasons: fame, fortune, freedom,
or the growth of their empire. Life in a goblinoid
settlement always holds the threat of conflict, so adventuring
seems to some to be less of a risk than simply
living at home. Also, goblinoids can earn respect and
even leadership in their clans through great deeds of
heroism or villainy; even slaves attempt adventuring
to improve their standing.
City goblins most often resemble the typical adventurer.
They take up the trappings of other races, seek
adventure for the same reasons, and even share many
of the same morals. City goblins of any type often
adventure to raise their standing in the community
and to increase respect for all city goblins.
Goblinoids view adventurers as epic figures. They
honor the great heroes of the past, and they respect
powerful adventuring individuals. At the same time,
goblinoids also view goblinoid adventurers as a threat.
Leaders in particular worry about the respect and power
an adventuring goblinoid can earn. This can make for
hostile reactions to adventurers returning home.
Character Development: Goblinoids have varying
skills and abilities. Each race has its advantages and
disadvantages, and these should play into your decisions
about your goblinoid character.
Goblins make excellent rogues. Their high Dexterity,
racial bonus on Move Silently checks, and size bonus on
Hide checks make the rogue class a strong choice, and
their darkvision and high speed for their size help offset
the penalties they have to Strength and Charisma.
Goblins also make good rangers. In addition to their
bonuses on Hide and Move Silently checks, goblins
have a +4 racial bonus on Ride checks. The archery
combat style is the better choice because of the goblin’s
racial bonus to Dexterity, and a wolf animal companion
provides a goblin with a swift mount.
In either case, consider multiclassing as a fighter
to take advantage of the fighter bonus feats. Fighter
bonus feats benefit the ranger in particular, allowing
the character to take Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot,
Mounted Combat, and Mounted Archery while still
at a relatively low level.
Hobgoblins make strong fighters, but their racial
bonus on Move Silently checks and to Dexterity make
the rogue class an even better choice. Other classes are
equally as good choices as the fighter, as even a sorcerer
benefits from having a higher Dexterity and Constitution.
Because of the +1 level adjustment, the player of
a hobgoblin PC should concentrate on maintaining a
high AC at low levels to protect the character’s smaller
number of hit points. By 4th level or so, the hobgoblin’s
racial bonus to Constitution should have made up for
that lost ground.
Bugbears have racial Hit Dice and a +1 level adjustment,
but the level adjustment and humanoid HD are
worth suffering in exchange for the bugbear’s racial
bonuses to ability scores, +3 natural armor, scent, and
+4 racial bonus on Move Silently checks. Fighter,
ranger, barbarian, and rogue are the strongest class
choices for the bugbear, with barbarian being the
best. The bugbear’s racial ability bonuses and natural
armor complement the barbarian’s rage ability and
need to wear light armor. Spellcasting classes are poor
choices due to the four effective levels that are lost to
the bugbear’s race. The wizard and sorcerer classes are
particularly weak choices, since the bugbear’s bonus
to Strength is largely useless to these classes.
Character Names: Goblinoid names tend to have
vowel sounds that are spoken longer than usual for most
languages. In male names, these vowel sounds are most
often couched between a soft consonant and a hard
consonant. In female names, the sound lies between
two soft consonants. Most names have two syllables,
but a few have three. Some goblins are given names that
describe some deed or aspect of the individual.
Goblinoids of the three types use the same names
and naming conventions despite tribal differences.
The Dhakaani tend to use older names and they rarely
incorporate words from Common into names for individuals,
but most nongoblinoids find the distinction
hard to make.
Male Names: Drevduul, Gudruun, Kallaad, Krootad,
Reksiit, Wuudaraj.
Female Names: Belaluur, Draraaar, Kelaal, Rekseen,
Shedroor, Tuneer.

ROLEPLAYING A GOBLINOID
How you roleplay a goblinoid character depends upon his
race and tribe, and whether he is a city goblin.
Don’t expect much respect from others, but don’t allow
them to treat you as nothing, either. Your race has fought
for what it has, and no one will take that from you.
If you’re playing a bugbear, remember that silence is
your ally. Speak little, and let your actions show your feelings.
Stay upwind of likely foes to extend the range of your
scent ability.
A hobgoblin PC should speak and think in terms of offense
and defense. State things with authority. Demand
things rather than ask questions.
The Marguul clans, largely made up of bugbears, are fierce
and savage. Show that savagery in combat. Surprise foes
with your viciousness.
The Dhakaani seek the return of the mighty Empire of
Dhakaan. Remember the goals of your tribe and make decisions
that help your people return to their former glory.
The Ghaal’dar are the most civilized of the goblinoid tribes,
but they’re still considered barbaric by most others’ standards.
You’re used to shooting first and asking questions
later. When someone offends you, demand satisfaction.
If you’re playing a city goblin, keep in mind the ideas
above, but remember that your kind has lived relatively
peacefully among humans for generations. You would rather
not do something to jeopardize that, so keep your barbaric
side in check except among other goblinoids.

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