Goblins are small, black-hearted, selfish humanoids that lair in caves, abandoned mines, despoiled dungeons, and other dismal settings. Individually weak, goblins gather in large-sometimes overwhelming-numbers. They crave power and regularly abuse whatever authority they obtain.

Goblinoids

Goblins belong to a family of creatures called goblinoids. Their larger cousins, hobgoblins and bugbears, like to bully goblins into submission. Goblins are lazy and undisciplined, making them poor servants, laborers, and guards.

Malicious Glee

Motivated by greed and malice, goblins can't help but celebrate the few times they have the upper hand. They dance, caper with sheer joy when victory is theirs. Once their revels have ended, goblins delight in the torment of other creatures and embrace all manner of wickedness.

Leaders and Followers

Goblins are ruled by the strongest or smartest among them. A goblin boss might command a single lair, while a goblin king or queen (who is nothing more than a glorified goblin boss) rules hundreds of goblins, spread out among multiple lairs to ensure the tribe's survival. Goblin bosses are easily ousted, and many goblin tribes are taken over by hobgoblin warlords or bugbear chiefs.

Challenging Lairs

Goblins festoon their lairs with alarms designed to signal the arrival of intruders. Those lairs are also riddled with narrow tunnels and bolt-holes that human-sized creatures can't navigate, but which goblins can crawl through with ease, allowing them to flee or to circle around and surprise their enemies. Rat Keepers and Wolf Riders. Goblins have an affinity for rats and wolves, raising them to serve as companions and mounts, respectively. Like rats, goblins shun sunlight and sleep underground during the day. Like wolves, they are pack hunters, made bolder by their numbers. When they hunt from the backs of wolves, goblins use hit-and-run attacks.

Worshipers of Maglubiyet

Maglubiyet the Mighty One, the Lord of Depths and Darkness, is the greater god of goblinoids. Envisioned by most goblins as an eleven-foot-tall battle-scarred goblin with black skin and fire erupting from his eyes, he is worshiped not out of adoration but fear. Goblins believe that when they die in battle, their spirits join the ranks of Maglubiyet's army on the plane of Acheron. This is a "privilege" that most goblins dread, fearing the Mighty One's eternal tyranny even more than death.

If you want soldiers or thugs, hire hobgoblins. If you want someone clubbed to death in their sleep, hire bugbears. If you want mean little fools, hire goblins.

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Small, wicked humanoids that favor ambushes, overwhelming odds, and dirty tricks

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.

Small, grotesque humanoids with pallid, earth-coloured skin and glowing, red eyes. Dwell underground.

Small, wicked humanoids that favor ambushes, overwhelming odds, and dirty tricks

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.