Info about goblins in DM world.
Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 12:43 am
A bit about DM goblins (which I am making up cuz AFAIK there's no canon about them. If there is, point me at it.)
Goblins in their natural state live in a tribal culture, totally based on strength. Basically, the strongest goblin leads, gets the best stuff, mates, ect. Female goblins are generally a bit bigger and stronger then males, so usually the leader is a female, although if a male is strong enough to lead, he may. The only formal rule in their culture is a right of challenge to lead. During this challenge, the chief and the challenger strip naked, grease themselves, and wrestle each other to prove who is stronger. There is no concept of "fighting dirty" and eyegouges, throwing dirt in the eyes ect is common. The first goblin to give up or die loses. If the chief loses the challenger takes his/her place and things, although the chief usually is allowed to stay in the tribe. If the challenger loses, his/her possessions are usually taken and the chief either enslaves him/her or exiles him/her. Due to this state of controlled anarchy, goblin tribes are always splitting and merging with each other.
Depending on tribe, their skin tones range anywhere from pale yellow to deep red, with kind of a dull light orange being the most common. Regardless of skin tone, they ahve dull stringy black hair that stands up off their head until it gets about 6in long. Hunters and warriors usually grease their hair into a topknot. They settle pretty much anywhere they can find room to make a lair and an abundant food supply although they have no concept of husbandry and conserving resources, so if they stay in one area they will eventually strip it. Goblins are not monogomous, taking and leaving mates as it pleases them to do so. There is no "family unit" beyond the tribe. They alos breed explosively, with females usually giving birth to 2-4 babies at a time, every 8 months, although only one out of 5 young makes it to maturity. Unlike most mammals, female goblins are not hampered by preganancy, and are fully active up until the moment of birth. There is no concept of "protecting the young" or individual parents, and goblin children are raised communally by the tribe. Such "raising" basically involves watching the children and putting food down to eat. However, there are so many children taht the adults will most likely not notice or care if a few wander off or play right next to a lit fire so childhood mortality due to predation, neglect and disease is high.
There is no concept of hygiene beyond not going to the bathroom directly in the tribal camp. The camp is usually littered with garbage, rotting carcasses of kills, old food, and broken items. They also have no real concept of manufacturing goods besides the crudest sewn together hide armor, clothing and shields. Most weapons are simple stone psears, clubs, and axes, as well as anything stolen from other small folk living nearby in raids. Anything owned by a goblin for any length of time reeks, as their lack of hygiene extends to their bodies.
Goblins war on other tribes, gnomes, halflings, and kobolds, although they try to avoid larger sentient beings. If they see that an area is inhabited by Medium sized beings, they usually just move away. In game terms, they are Chaotic Neutral as a species. Individuals with a different outlook usually end up leaving their tribe, making their way to one of the large cosmopolitan cities to make a living for themselves, or live alone in the wilderness as hermits.
Goblins are prone to becoming enslaved by the larger goblinoids such as hobgoblins and orcs, and a tribe will make no attempt to free an enslaved member. They also enslave captured members of other tribes, eventually the slaves will become a full tribal member. If they war against other Small races they will enslave them as well, although due to the goblin's lack of a societal structure, the enslaved beings usually find a way to flee.
However, many goblins have been converted to Chaos worship since the time of the coming of Chaos. These goblin tribes usually live in or near other areas of Chaos worship, however some live off by themselves. They are militant and aggressive, actively raiding nearby settlements for goods, slaves, and sacrifices. They also try and capture other goblin tribes to convert them to the way of Chaos, instead of just capturing individuals as their non-Chaos worsjhipping brethren do. In this manner, whole tribes have come under the sway of the High Lord of Chaos. Chaos goblin society as a whole is Neutral Evil, although many individuals of a given Chaos-worshipping tribe are Chaotic Evil. Larger Chaos-worshipping races use the goblins as cannon-fodder when they attack settlements, outfitting them with simple iron daggers and hide armor and sending them at a settlement to "soften it up" before the real fighetrs move in to raid the area.
Goblins in their natural state live in a tribal culture, totally based on strength. Basically, the strongest goblin leads, gets the best stuff, mates, ect. Female goblins are generally a bit bigger and stronger then males, so usually the leader is a female, although if a male is strong enough to lead, he may. The only formal rule in their culture is a right of challenge to lead. During this challenge, the chief and the challenger strip naked, grease themselves, and wrestle each other to prove who is stronger. There is no concept of "fighting dirty" and eyegouges, throwing dirt in the eyes ect is common. The first goblin to give up or die loses. If the chief loses the challenger takes his/her place and things, although the chief usually is allowed to stay in the tribe. If the challenger loses, his/her possessions are usually taken and the chief either enslaves him/her or exiles him/her. Due to this state of controlled anarchy, goblin tribes are always splitting and merging with each other.
Depending on tribe, their skin tones range anywhere from pale yellow to deep red, with kind of a dull light orange being the most common. Regardless of skin tone, they ahve dull stringy black hair that stands up off their head until it gets about 6in long. Hunters and warriors usually grease their hair into a topknot. They settle pretty much anywhere they can find room to make a lair and an abundant food supply although they have no concept of husbandry and conserving resources, so if they stay in one area they will eventually strip it. Goblins are not monogomous, taking and leaving mates as it pleases them to do so. There is no "family unit" beyond the tribe. They alos breed explosively, with females usually giving birth to 2-4 babies at a time, every 8 months, although only one out of 5 young makes it to maturity. Unlike most mammals, female goblins are not hampered by preganancy, and are fully active up until the moment of birth. There is no concept of "protecting the young" or individual parents, and goblin children are raised communally by the tribe. Such "raising" basically involves watching the children and putting food down to eat. However, there are so many children taht the adults will most likely not notice or care if a few wander off or play right next to a lit fire so childhood mortality due to predation, neglect and disease is high.
There is no concept of hygiene beyond not going to the bathroom directly in the tribal camp. The camp is usually littered with garbage, rotting carcasses of kills, old food, and broken items. They also have no real concept of manufacturing goods besides the crudest sewn together hide armor, clothing and shields. Most weapons are simple stone psears, clubs, and axes, as well as anything stolen from other small folk living nearby in raids. Anything owned by a goblin for any length of time reeks, as their lack of hygiene extends to their bodies.
Goblins war on other tribes, gnomes, halflings, and kobolds, although they try to avoid larger sentient beings. If they see that an area is inhabited by Medium sized beings, they usually just move away. In game terms, they are Chaotic Neutral as a species. Individuals with a different outlook usually end up leaving their tribe, making their way to one of the large cosmopolitan cities to make a living for themselves, or live alone in the wilderness as hermits.
Goblins are prone to becoming enslaved by the larger goblinoids such as hobgoblins and orcs, and a tribe will make no attempt to free an enslaved member. They also enslave captured members of other tribes, eventually the slaves will become a full tribal member. If they war against other Small races they will enslave them as well, although due to the goblin's lack of a societal structure, the enslaved beings usually find a way to flee.
However, many goblins have been converted to Chaos worship since the time of the coming of Chaos. These goblin tribes usually live in or near other areas of Chaos worship, however some live off by themselves. They are militant and aggressive, actively raiding nearby settlements for goods, slaves, and sacrifices. They also try and capture other goblin tribes to convert them to the way of Chaos, instead of just capturing individuals as their non-Chaos worsjhipping brethren do. In this manner, whole tribes have come under the sway of the High Lord of Chaos. Chaos goblin society as a whole is Neutral Evil, although many individuals of a given Chaos-worshipping tribe are Chaotic Evil. Larger Chaos-worshipping races use the goblins as cannon-fodder when they attack settlements, outfitting them with simple iron daggers and hide armor and sending them at a settlement to "soften it up" before the real fighetrs move in to raid the area.