Goblin

Goblins are small humanoids with squat, hunched builds and yellow-orange to deep red skin. Wide flat faces, broad noses, and pointed ears mark them out; their eyes glint dull red or yellow-green in torchlight. They favor caves and warrens in hill country and the upper reaches of the underdark, where their colonies dig elaborate tunnels and fight near-constant inter-tribal feuds.

A goblin band is opportunistic and quick to retreat when outmatched, but ferocious in ambush. They prefer night raids on isolated farmsteads to pitched battle, and a tribe's reputation rests on its hoard far more than its martial skill.

A goblin in this rendering is a small, wiry humanoid the size of a young child, with rough orange-brown skin, oversized ears, and a mouth full of sharp teeth. They are fast — preternaturally so, slipping from cover to cover in melee — and they raid in packs from cave warrens and ruined fortifications.

A typical band is led by the strongest warrior; among the larger tribes goblin shamans wield rudimentary magic. They have a fractious relationship with hobgoblins and bugbears, often subjugated by the larger goblinoids.

Goblins are small, wicked humanoids that favor ambushes, overwhelming odds, dirty tricks, and any other edge they can devise. An adult goblin stands 3 to 3½ feet tall and weigh 40 to 45 pounds. Its eyes are usually bright and crafty-looking, varying in color from red to yellow. A goblin's skin color ranges from yellow through any shade of orange to a deep red; usually all members of a single tribe are about the same color. Goblins wear clothing of dark leather, tending toward drab, soiled-looking colors. They have Darkvision with a 30' range.

The statistics given above are for a standard Goblin in leather armor with a shield; they have a natural Movement rate of 30' and a natural Armor Class of 11.

Some goblins ride dire wolves into combat, and large groups of goblins will often employ them to track and attack their foes.

Special Abilities

Darkvision — 30' range.

Goblins are tribal, with the strongest ruling the tribe. The tribes all owe fealty to the goblin king. Some think goblins are a distant cousin to kobolds, and like their cousins they prefer to live underground. They detest direct sunlight, and will fight at -1 if exposed to it. They have infravision with 60-ft range.

Goblins are good cavers and have a chance (25%) to note new or unusual construction.

Goblins have a deep racial hatred of gnomes and dwarfs and will attack them on sight.

Goblins speak kobold, orcish, hobgoblin, lawful evil, and their own foul tongue.

See also: Nilbog (under "Other Creatures").

Goblins are small evil creatures with red eyes and a yellow to red coloured skin tone. They typically wear leather armour. They have an average lifespan of 50 years.

Special Abilities

Sunlight Weakness — Fight at -1 if exposed to direct sunlight.

Infravision — 60-ft range.

Caving Knowledge — 25% chance to note new or unusual construction.

Racial Hatred — Deep racial hatred of gnomes and dwarfs. Attack them on sight.

In ShadowDark the goblin is one more wretched thing the darkness produces. Small, mean, fast in shadow, and given to ambush. A torch is the only reliable defence against them; in the dark of a warren they outnumber and outmaneuver every party that comes for their hoard.