Crow's B2+T1+Mikeβs World Factions #4: The Goblins
Special shout-out to Jenx of Gorgonbones, whose Stonehell goblins play with similar themes. And for being such a hype man for this campaign!
Introduction
Goblins are an invasion from Faerie, a spearpoint of malicious whimsy thrust at the heart of the waking world. Children lost in the woods returned as murderous moppets. The more philosophical assert that goblins spontaneously generate in dark woods and forsaken ruins, much like flies do in spoiled meat.
Goblins often grow no taller than four feet due to stiff competition for food and their tendency to die violently. They vary wildly in appearance and coloration, like a mad toymaker stitched them together with bits and bobs from a junk drawer. The one thing they all share is a wide mouth full of sharp teeth.
Goblins emerge mewling from nooks and crannies not reached by light in years. They build strange little parodies of Manβs principalities and states. An established goblin nest is often likened to a hive of wasps or termitesβone by itself is easily dealt with, but signals there are many more unseen.
A few goblings (or perhaps goblets) become the larger and more competent hobgoblins via some unknown process. Hobgoblins more often emerge in ruined places touched by war. These goblin knights rule over their kin as a military junta, at least until the Great Goblin emerges.
Any goblin can become a great goblin, but most never survive long enough to do so. A clever and successful goblin will keep growing so long as it is fed. Eventually, it trades the madcap tendencies of its lesser kin for shrewdness. When the goblin finally becomes as big as an ogre, it crowns itself the Great Goblin and commands the loyalty of its brethren.
When the Great Goblin founds a proper kingdom, the land itself is annexed by Faerie. The woods grow a bit more foreboding, and the process begins in a some new haunted place.
Forces and Strategy
Goblins use whatever weapons and armor they can get their hands on, while the best goes to the hobs. Despite their eccentricity, goblin craft is clever and full of personality. Goblins have knowledge of torsion engines and are capable of building catapults and ballistas, which they use to launch missiles and goblins alike.
Goblins have an affinity for worgs and wolves, having struck some ancient pact with a wolf prince in Faerie. They form a deadly cavalry wing capable of challenging knights on horseback, though only a hobgoblin astride a worg can hope to match.
Archer goblins carry short little bows made of gnarled wood. Though their range is poor, the goblinsβ natural sneakiness allows them to creep up for ambushes. The arrows are barbed and stick fast in flesh, preventing healing while stuck and dealing an extra 1 damage when extracted.
A goblin failing a morale check has a 5% chance of swearing fealty to the victors, becoming a toady hireling as per The Gongfarmer Militia.
Religion and Magic
Goblin-magic is flashy, unpredictable, and dangerous. A goblin magic user rolling a fumble incurs the normal corruption penalties, but casts the spell at 20 before losing the spell. Every successful goblin-spell increases the fumble range. Goblins love spells like animal summoning, color spray, and polymorph.
Goblins don't seem to have a real religion of their own, but love to cavort and imitate religious rites to mock their enemies. When sacking a temple of lawful gods, a goblin will invariably garb itself in ill-fitting priest robes and bless its flock. Sometimes it the blessing comes true. They are easily wowed by the dark, macabre, and mystical, and thusly are often commanded by more serious and powerful cults.
Activities, Encounters, and Territory
Goblins have moved into the pine forest known as the Spiderwood, south of the Fell Fens. They have commenced a logging operation using an old Woodfolk sawmill there, with the intention to build catapults for an eventual siege of the Keep.
Wolf riders periodically conduct raids on settlements throughout the region. These are led by 1d4+1 hobgoblins and include twice as many goblins. They seek to sow terror and chaos first and loot second, but goblins are easily distracted by shiny objects.
Relationships with Other Factions
Goblins love to bully the weaker kobolds, who lack the goblinβs sense of humor about their pathetic station. Goblins also like to provoke the orcs and then hide behind the hobgoblins, who share a genuine rivalry with the pigmen.
Goblins are petrified of both the gnolls and bugbears. While the gnolls ignore the foolish goblins, the bugbears are prone to snatching up stray goblins for unknown ends.
The Cult of the Eye regards the goblins with a mix of consternation and pride. Although the goblins are difficult to manage and struggle to get serious, the goblinsβ numbers and the hobgoblinsβ skill are the backbone of the Caves of Chaos at the start of the campaign.
Leadership and Notable NPCs
The Great Goblin residing at the Caves of Chaos has ambitions of founding a goblin kingdom in the dark forest of the Borderlands. He wields the giantish sword (&&&&&&&Treasure p. 51), unaware that the spirits of those he has bullied haunt the blade.
The Great Goblin fights as a hill giant, carrying a satchel of lead shot as his missile weapons. He can also hurl nearby goblins like rocks. This kills the goblin thrown, but the little blighter gets a free attack added to the Great Goblinβs missile damage. [Hob]goblins who can see their lord also get a +2 to morale checks.