Goblin

Biology

Goblins are small humanoid mammals. They are genetically unstable and extremely adaptable, capable of limited metamorphos is to adjust to their environment. They are most commonly identified by prominent cheekbones, large noses and very large, pointed ears which they can move around, but even these traits are not universal to goblins. This has caused some natural philosophers at the University of Nes to regard goblin as more a state of being rather than a singular species. Despite the wild variation, goblins are a fairly cohesive species with several common traits that distinguish them. Closely related to goblins are bugbears, which are classified as goblinoids. Bugbears differ greatly from goblins in lifespan and ecology, but are nonetheless the closest species to goblins in traits and genetics. They have no relation to the corrupted fey species of the Forgotten Realms beyond superficial resemblances.

Ecology

Goblins are omnivorous, in fact they are the epitome of an omnivore drawing sustenance from almost anything they can swallow. They scavenge, hunt, fish, gather, steal, trade, barter, beg and borrow for anything they can eat. As such a goblin can slot itself into many places in a food web.

Culture

Left to their own devices, goblins form a fiercely competitive hierarchy based on violence and force of will. Goblin warbands are "monarchies" in a manner of speaking. The title of their leader is often as plundered as his goods, but generally "king" is preferred as goblins like the way it sounds. The manner of succession slightly from band to band, but is generally solved by manner of successfully killing the previous king. Queens are also not uncommon, but typically result from being the mother or widow of a previous king.

Categories

General Goblins

• Goblin: The standard goblin. Small in stature and usually green skinned.

• Hobgoblin: Hobgoblins are human-sized ( Medium ) goblins. Having survived the fierce competition for hierarchy and developed a human-level intellect as they grew, hobgoblins typically leave goblin society for company of other hobgoblins as they become disillusioned with the more chaotic and dangerous lives of their smaller kin. They are often cruel and sometimes use their size and enhanced skills to take command of a goblin warband.

• City Goblin: Consistent exposure to civilization over the generations and interbreeding with non-goblins has produced a more intelligent and civilized goblin. Their skintone is typically a shade of brown or orange rather than the more typical goblin greens and reds and their facial features are less pronounced than wild goblins. They have adapted to the illicit trades of city-life and have much longer average lifespans and heights. Correspondingly, they are the most intelligent goblins for their size, but have lost much of their edge and are less adaptable, lacking the ability to spontaneously mutate to adapt to their surroundings.

• Rock Goblin: Also known as Mountain Goblins, Rock Goblins have lived among the crags of the mountains above the treeline. With incredibly hard teeth and a powerful bite, rock goblins take to eating rocks in order to fill their stomachs and get valuable minerals. Their skin has developed a mineral scale giving them natural armor. They have pig-like snouts that are very sensitive to the smell of fungi and feed. They tend to hunt and fight wild boar and goats and compete with them for wild truffles and herbs, but often fatally lose. They are also naturally resistant to cold.

• Snow Goblin: With dark charcoal coloured skin and a coat of white fur.

• Deep Goblin: Goblins dwelling in the Underdark with pale skin.

• Aqua-Goblin: Amphibious goblins that generally dwell in murky lagoons and muddy swamps and feeding on fish and roots. They secrete and oily slime which

• Mergoblin: Goblins of the sea, Mergoblins superficially resemble sahuagin, but generally live on the beaches year-round instead of returning to the deeps. They have gills and can breathe underwater, but must surface every few hours to breathe fresh air or will begin to have toxic effects and eventually suffocate due to inefficiency in their gills.

Half-Goblin

Half-Goblins: Half-Goblins are the children of a goblin and a non-goblin parent. Goblins take much more after their mothers than fathers in terms of how they manifest traits, so they fall into two major categories based on which parent is a goblin.

Half-goblins with a goblin father tend to resemble hobgoblins, half-orcs, or just very ugly members of their parents' species and tend to have the usual mentality of their mother's species. They generally end up being mistaken for half-orcs and will often end up joining an orcish tribe eventually.

Half-goblins with a goblin mother usually end up being nearly indistinguishable from other goblins, but about a fourth of the time they can resemble a hybrid of a goblin and their father's species. The mentality and physiology of a half-goblin is typically that of a normal goblin and are not distinguished from other goblins.

On extremely rare occasion, half-goblins can resemble and have the physiological traits of a goblin, but the mentality and intelligence of their father's species from birth. The most famous example is Lady Gisella.

Fey Goblins

Fey goblins are technically Not Goblins, but are interlopers from the Forgotten Realms and other realms that have been invaded by Maglubiyet. Originally from the ( This category exists for players who want to play as goblins from standard D&D goblins from official WOTC source books. )

Not Goblins

• Moon Goblin: Moon Goblins are not goblins.
• Gnome: Gnomes are not goblins.
• Sverfneblin: Sverfneblin are not goblins.
• Gremlin: Gremlins are not goblins.
• Brownie: Brownies are not goblins.
• Troll: Trolls are not goblins.
• Dwarf Orc: Dwarf Orcs are not goblins.
• Children: No matter how horrible of a brat a child may be, children are not goblins unless they are goblins.
• That One Ugly Guy may or may not be a goblin.

See Not Goblin for more information.

Other

Due to the chaotic nature of goblins and the open-ended nature of TTRPG, feel free to create your own variant of goblin with your DM's approval.

Stat Blocks

NPCs

D&D 5e

Goblin

Goblin {{{Size}}} {{{Type}}} {{{Alignment}}} Armor Class: Hit Points: HP missing (0) Speed: 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA - - - - - - Skills: none Senses: Darkvision: 60ft. Languages: none Challenge: {{{CR}}} Proficiency Bonus: +2

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Hobgoblin

Hobgoblin {{{Size}}} {{{Type}}} {{{Alignment}}} Armor Class: Hit Points: HP missing (0) Speed: 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA - - - - - - Skills: none Senses: Darkvision: 60ft. Languages: none Challenge: {{{CR}}} Proficiency Bonus: +2

Feats: {{{Feats}}} Actions: {{{Actions}}}

Rock Goblin

Rock Goblin {{{Size}}} {{{Type}}} {{{Alignment}}} Armor Class: Hit Points: HP missing (0) Speed: 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA - - - - - - Skills: none Senses: Darkvision: 60ft. Languages: none Challenge: {{{CR}}} Proficiency Bonus: +2

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Aqua-Goblin

Aqua-Goblin {{{Size}}} {{{Type}}} {{{Alignment}}} Armor Class: Hit Points: HP missing (0) Speed: 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA - - - - - - Skills: none Senses: Darkvision: 60ft. Languages: none Challenge: {{{CR}}} Proficiency Bonus: +2

Feats: {{{Feats}}} Actions: {{{Actions}}}

City Goblin

City Goblin {{{Size}}} {{{Type}}} {{{Alignment}}} Armor Class: Hit Points: HP missing (0) Speed: 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA - - - - - - Skills: none Senses: Darkvision: 60ft. Languages: none Challenge: {{{CR}}} Proficiency Bonus: +2

Feats: {{{Feats}}} Actions: {{{Actions}}}

Mergoblin

Mergoblin {{{Size}}} {{{Type}}} {{{Alignment}}} Armor Class: Hit Points: HP missing (0) Speed: 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA - - - - - - Skills: none Senses: Darkvision: 60ft. Languages: none Challenge: {{{CR}}} Proficiency Bonus: +2

Feats: {{{Feats}}} Actions: {{{Actions}}}