Goblin

>    *“The Goblins exist for us to kick, kill, and eat. They is nothing. They is less than nothing. They are weak and pointless. Only use they got in a fight is catching arrows. With their heads.” -* Tozhug, Orc War Boss.
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The Goblins are a sly and cunning race that use their intelligence to survive rather than physical ability. Unfortunately, most of their kind live in a part of the world that values strength over all else - meaning that Goblins fall into the bottom caste. For centuries, the Goblins have been an effective slave race to the Orcs, who use them as expendable peons. Many of their old tribes have fallen and assimilated into Orc hordes, though luckily some isolated pockets still persist.

## **Physical Description - Small and Scrawny**

Goblins survive in the world by using their small size and scrawny builds to avoid conflict, whilst also using their minds to outsmart the obstacle. Standing at about 3-4 feet tall, they know they have no chance of defeating most foes in single combat and so have survived the centuries by making themselves inconspicuous, plotting and scheming all the while. Unlike Halflings, a race of a similar height, they are not built stout or stocky. They instead have a thin and scrawny build, with the average Goblin weighing about 30-40 pounds.

Like the Orcs, an overwhelming majority of Goblins have green skin - though the exact tone or shade of this green does vary. In some, rarer, cases a Goblin’s skin can also be a stone-like tan, a dark grey or even a bluish turquoise. Most Goblins are unable to grow body hair, but those that do tend to have white, scraggly hair - similar to an elderly Human. A Goblin’s eyes will often be a variation of blue or brown, with brown being more common. Green eyes have never been reported in Goblin populations.

As a slave race, a majority of Goblins wear tattered clothing - and that is if they have any clothing at all. These clothes, often little more than a ripped loin cloth and perhaps a head covering, will be passed down from Goblin to Goblin as the current wearer dies, for nothing must go to waste. Goblins that live outside of slavery, or those of a higher status, will naturally have better attire.

## **Mentality - Sly and Scheming**

As a physically weaker race, Goblins survive by using their minds. They are plotters and schemers by nature, being incredibly cunning and sly. Goblins can and often do plan for long-term gains, waiting months and sometimes years for all the pieces of their scheme to fall into place. These plots can be as large-scale as attempting to assume control over a horde or tribe, to as small as obtaining more of the next meal rations. Goblins will enact effective and often overly-complex plans in order to achieve what they desire.

That said, they are also quite a selfish race. Though they have a sense of community within the slave populations and, especially, the surviving independent tribes, Goblins will willingly backstab and betray each other in order to gain what they want. Within the Orc Hordes, in particular, betrayal amongst the Goblin ranks is common - as they fight over the higher-status positions.

The Goblins themselves, however, are willing to work with other races in order to get what they want or in service to a common goal. Indeed some do not actually see the Orcs as their oppressors, but rather as common allies in the battle for survival. Mind you, these Goblins are usually those in higher positions, who do not suffer the brutality of their race’s enslavement. At the same time, again, Goblins will also betray these allies if the situation requires it - or if the arrangement is no longer advantageous.

## **Society - Slaves and Slavers**

There were once many Goblin tribes, dotted throughout the badlands and the forests or mountains that surrounded it. However, the rise of the Orcs led to a majority of these tribes being destroyed or assimilated into an Orc Horde. Now the few Goblin tribes that remain independent hide within deep forests, dark canyons, or in the perilous heights of the mountains. A majority of Goblins now live within the Orc Hordes, as an effective slave race. They are expendable meat shields and labourers that are worked to their very limit - and then forced to keep going. Some Goblins accept this arrangement as necessary for their survival, for the Red Expanse is hardly the lush grassland that their long-dead ancestors remember. However, some are naturally discontent. It is not uncommon for a Horde to have the occasional Goblin revolt, which are often handled brutally and with violence.

Due to their affinity for scheming and willingness to betray, Goblins are seen as naturally untrustworthy by a majority of other nations. As a result, Goblins that somehow find themselves living in another land will have to scrape a living in the slums or, as many do, turn to crime to survive. That said, there are those that see past the stereotypes and employ Goblins as merchants or advisers - where their talents for long-term planning prove to be most fruitful.

## **Goblin Adventurers - Fortune and Freedom**

Goblins that become adventurers will usually do it out of a sense of long-deserved freedom. They do not wish to be beholden to a person, law or state and so turn to adventuring for what they see as true freedom. Many of these Goblins also desire personal fortunes; not necessarily for materialistic desires, mind you, but so they can truly be free from even the economic machinations that help the world keep ticking.

## **Goblin Names**

Many Goblin names, like most names, are derived from terms and colloquialisms taken from the Greenskin language. Similar to Orc names, Goblin names are short and quite harsh sounding, with some darker and guttural sounds - albeit not as guttural as Orc names. Goblins have typical male names and female names, though there is very little difference between the two and are mostly interchangeable. They also have no family names, though some Goblins might adopt some sort of title or moniker instead.

**Example Male Names -** Stark, Grik, Costro, Trokkuz, Knim.

**Example Female Names -** Cuggi, Rikrorlo, Razevra, Charme, Ritru.

## **Goblin Traits**

Your Goblin character has a number of traits in common with all other Goblins.

* ***Ability Score Increase -*** your Dexterity score increases by 2.
* ***Age -*** Goblins mature much faster than other races and are considered fully grown by the age of 3. Unfortunately, Goblins are also very short-lived. It is believed that they can live to about the age of 60, but most do not make it to this age. The oldest known Goblin was an elder that lived to the age of 43, before he fell into a bog and drowned.
* ***Alignment -*** a large majority of Goblins are considered chaotic in nature. They are willing to murder and betray people in order to achieve their goals and will, in many cases, do whatever it takes to survive. They are also mainly neutral, focusing on themselves and their own goals rather than the desires of other people and causes - whether they be good or evil.
* ***Size -*** Goblins are short, usually 3 to 4 feet in height and weigh about 30-40 pounds. Your size is Small.
* ***Speed -*** your base walking speed is 30 feet.
* ***Darkvision -*** 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 colour in darkness, only shades of grey.
* ***Nimble Escape -*** Goblins know when to run when things get heated. You can take the Disengage or Hide action as a Bonus Action on each of your turns.
* ***Mud Slinger -*** Goblins are naturally talented at insults. You gain the cantrip *vicious mockery.* Charisma is your spell-casting ability for this spell.
* ***Natural Rider -*** Goblins have an affinity for beast-riding and taming. You have proficiency in the Animal Handling skill.
* ***Run For It -*** when the odds are against you, at least you can trust your legs. When using the Disengage action, difficult terrain doesn’t cost you extra movement on that turn.
* ***Languages -*** you can speak, read, and write Common and Greenskin. Goblin voices sound high and gravelly, with a slight nasally hint to it. Their voices can appear aggressive, but are not necessarily the most intimidating for many.