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Lamashtu

2018-10-03T23:23:26Z

2001:4930:48:53:74F5:A50F:5E59:AF37:

{{Infobox Deity
|Name = Lamashtu
|Symbol = [[File:Lamashtu Holy Symbol.jpg]]
|Alignment = Chaotic Evil
|Divine Rank = Goddess, Ex-[[Demon Prince]]ss
|Pantheon = Golarion
|Portfolio = Madness, Monsters, Mutation, Miscarriage, Nightmares, Stillbirths
|Domains = Chaos, Evil, Madness, Strength, Trickery
|Subdomains = Deception, Demon, Ferocity, Insanity, Nightmare, Riot, Thievery
|Home Plane = The layer of Kurnugia on the [[Abyss]]
|Worshippers = Maniacs, The Deformed, Fleshwarpers, [[Gnoll]]s, [[Medusa]]s, [[Harpy|Harpies]], [[Lamia]]s, [[Minotaur]]s, [[Goblinoid]]s, [[Ogre]]s, [[Sahuagin]], Other Assorted Monsters
|Favoured Weapon = Falchion or Kukri
|Sacred Animal = Jackals, Hyenas, Wolves, Chimerical Beasts
|Favorite Colors = Red and Yellow
}}
[[File:Lamashtu 1.jpg|200px|thumb|left|One bad mother.]]
'''Lamashtu''' is a totally insane and horrific goddess from the [[Pathfinder]] setting. [[Chaotic Evil]] in alignment, she is Paizo's answer to being unable to use [[Demogorgon]] because of WoTC's property restrictions (Demogorgon is technically public-domain, but the DnD portrayal of him as a two headed baboonasaurus with tentacles for hands isn't). The Queen of Demons, Lamashtu goes her counterpart one better by being one of the actual official gods of the Pathfinder setting; known as the Mother of Monsters, she is the Goddess of Monsters, Madness and Nightmares.

Physically, Lamashtu has the wings of a vulture, the claws of a vulture for feet, a snake-like tail, and the head of a three-eyed jackal (or sometimes hyena) - the rest of her looks like a human woman who enjoys running around in a two-piece skull-bikini. A view that is sadly spoiled by the aforementioned animal parts and her perpetual hugely pregnant belly, which is covered in scars from where it has been repeatedly torn open in the past.

One sick mother, Lamashtu gained power over children and pregnancy by ripping out and eating her own womb, which she then regenerated by eating babies and pregnant women's wombs. She despises beauty and preaches the acceptance of deformity and madness; she causes stillbirths and miscarriages if women are lucky, and mutates their offspring into horribly deformed monsters if they aren't. Lasmashtu's effects on pregnancies are so nasty that many otherwise good people will actually pray to [[Pazuzu]], her arch-enemy (and ex-boyfriend) amongst the Demon Princes, to keep her away from their unborn kids. Pazuzu, in return, hates Lamashtu so much he is actually willing to act upon these prayers without being a dick about it. Lamashtu's congregation revere deformed and monstrous births as sacred, holy events, and are uniformly sexual perverts who will sleep with just about anything in hopes of having some mutant offspring. A particular holy rite for Lamashtans involves a pregnant woman, voluntarily or otherwise, experiencing an agonizing birth where the mutant in her womb rips its way out through her guts instead of going for the "normal" route. This is the best way for Lamashtan priestesses to gain veneration in their ranks, and so they usually have at least one hideous scar on their stomach showing they've had such a "blessed" birth.

Lamashtu is worshipped predominantly by the [[gnoll]], [[minotaur]], [[harpy]], [[sahuagin]], and [[medusa]] races, all of whom claim to be the result of her various dalliances. [[Goblins]] also revere Lamashtu, but are sensible enough to claim to be her grandchildren, spawned from the blood of her first four Barghests. There are human and demi-human worshippers of Lamashtu, but they're all nuts - also, they tend to be [[furry|furries]], since sex with the "children of Lamashtu" tends to be seen as both sexy and sacred.

According to one adventure module, Lamashtu's worshippers know of magical rituals that allow them to get men pregnant. This is just one of the many ways in which Lamashtu and her worshippers are messed up.

==Gallery==
<center>
<gallery>
Image:Lamashtu 2.jpg|Another depiction of her "glory".
Image:Aspect of Lamashtu Miniature.jpg|An official model of the avatar she sometimes sends to bedevil the mortal world.
Image:Lamashtu Demon Rune.png|The unholy sigil she used in her days as a Demon Princess.
</gallery>
</center>

{{Clear}}
{{Pathfinder-DemonPrinces}}
{{Pathfinder-Deities}}

Basilisk

2018-10-03T23:11:38Z

2001:4930:48:53:74F5:A50F:5E59:AF37:

'' This article is about the creature. For the [[Imperial Guard]] artillery piece, see [[Basilisk Artillery Gun]].''

A '''Basilisk''' is a mythological creature, always described as reptilian and deadly. Its name comes from Greek phrase for "little king," and was considered to be lord of all serpents. The first recorded mention of a basilisk described it as a snake about twelve fingers long (6"-24" long, depending on how you orient your finger), and it was so venomous that it would kill plants just by passing by (back then people assumed snakes poisoned victims via their breath rather than any sort of fluid injection, no really), and it would kill you just by looking at you. You were supposed to kill it with weasel musk -- I'm not joking.

The modern-day "green basilisk" or "plumed basilisk" is a little lizard that can run across the surface of water like wire-fu ninjas do, or reptile Jesus, or Remo Williams, or that movie "American Ninja."

:''Rejoice not thou, whole Philistia, that the rod of him that struck thee is broken in pieces:
:''for out of the root of the serpent shall come forth a basilisk, and his seed shall swallow the bird.
:-Isiah 14:29

Somewhere along the way, the basilisk's ability to kill with its gaze was "clarified" to mean that anyone who locked eyes with it would be turned to stone (maybe though conflation with [[Medusa]]'s similar ability), and thus we have the modern image of the basilisk.

It's generally accepted that basilisks are related to [[cockatrice]]s, which are usually depicted as some hybrid of snake or dragon and chicken; a cockatrice happens when a rooster's egg is hatched under a toad or snake, whilst a basilisk is created by hatching a snake's egg under a hen (medieval Europeans had some pretty weird ideas about reality).

== Dungeons & Dragons ==

Since a lizard whose mere presence and gaze are deadly makes for a great hazard to [[adventurer]]s, every edition of [[Dungeons & Dragons]] since the beginning has featured basilisks as enemies. The D&D basilisk is unique in its appearance, which is a rather crocodilian reptile with about six or eight legs.

;Original [[D&D]] "Basic" edition:
:Move: 60 feet/turn HitDice: 6+1 ArmorClass: 4 TreasureType: F Alignment: neutral Attacks: 1 bite Damage: d10
:A rather small reptilian monster, unintelligent, that turns creatures to stone by its glance or its touch. Saving throws applicable. It can be viewed in a mirror without harm. If it sees its own eyes in a mirror it must make a saving throw or be turned to stone!

;D&D 3.5 edition:
:Medium Magical Beast, 6d10+12 HD, -1 Initiative, 20' speed, AC 16 (-1 Dex, +7 natural), Attacks: +6/+8, bite (1d8+3), SAtks: Petrifying Gaze (range 30', save Fort+Cha DC13 or turn to stone), SDef: Darkvision, low-light vision, Saves: +9 Fort +4 Ref +3 Will, S15 D8 Cn15 I2 W12 Ch12, Skills: +7 Listen +7 Spot +4 Hide in dessert, Feats: Alertness, Blindfight, Great Fort, Env: warn desserts, #encountered: 1 or 3-6, ChallengeRating: 5, Alignment: neutral.
:A basilisk relies on its gaze attack, biting only when opponents come within reach. Though it has eight legs, its slow metabolism renders it relatively sluggish, so it does not expend energy unnecessarily. Intruders who flee a basilisk rather than fight can expect, at best, a halfhearted pursuit. These creatures tend to spend most of their time lying in wait for prey, which includes small mammals, birds, reptiles, and similar creatures.

;D&D 4e:
:Large Natural Beast (reptile), L10 Artillery, L12 Soldier.
:Basilisks are predatory reptiles that hunt with a deadly gaze attack. They are not malicious creatures, but their gaze makes them widely feared. A small pack of wild basilisks is called a clutch. Like a wolf pack, a clutch coordinates to hunt and its members live together in a communal den. Tamed basilisks can be found among various humanoids. (PHB1, P26) Two varieties are presented; the more mythologically accurate Venom-Eye (poison gaze) and the more pop-culture accurate Stone-Eye (petrify gaze).
:''[[Bear Lore|Basilisk Lore]]'': A character knows the following information with a successful Nature check.
::'''DC 15:''' Basilisks are strangely evolved drakes. As such, they can be domesticated and trained.
::'''DC 20:''' The venom-eye basilisk's poisonous gaze is empowered by the beast's spirit. The creature itself isn't venomous; consequently, the venom can't be captured and used for other purposes.
::'''DC 25:''' A stone-eye basilisk's jaws are so strong that it can chew up and devour creatures it has petrified with its gaze.

The Monster Vault, a reprint of the Monster Manual with improved maths and expanded fluff for 4e's "Essentials" line, added several new versions; the Mesmeric-Eye Basilisk ([[Enchanter|Take a wild guess]]), the Wilt-Eye Basilisk (enervating gaze that drains the life from anything it looks at) and the Abyssal Basilisk (floods the minds of anyone who meets its gaze with such horrific visions of the [[Abyss]] that they can die of terror).

;D&D5e
:Medium Monstrosity, Challenge 3.
:Poisonous bite and petrifying gaze attacks.
:The fluff states that skilled alchemists can distill a de-petrifying tonic from intact gullet of a basilisk, since it secretes such oils as part of the digestion process.

== Basilisk Images ==

A "basilisk image" or "[[medusa]] phrase" is something that will crash a human brain, named for the original basilisk's ability to kill with its gaze. Since it's the "in" thing to think of brains/minds as deterministic machines like computers, the idea of "[[Meme|mindworms]]" and brain hacking gets kicked around. The term originated from Dave Langford's short story "BLIT", which can be found online at http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/stories/blit.htm.

Viewing a basilisk image will get your visual/perceptive cortex to parse an idea so fucked up that it puts the viewer into a catatonic state. These weapons are kept secret for obvious reasons -- depending on your campaign setting, viewing a thumbnail or a selection of a basilisk image could have no effect whatsoever, or it could cause someone to go into seizures.

:''See Also: Neal Stephenson's novel "Snow Crash," and urban legends about the Brown Note, Monty Python sketch about the funniest/deadliest joke in the world, The SCP Wiki's "memetic kill agents."''

== Monstergirls ==
[[File:MGE Basilisk.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The MGE Basilisk.]]
{{monstergirls}}

Like their [[cockatrice]] cousin, basilisks have not been spared the [[monstergirls]] treatment, even if it can be rather sporadic; the diverse array of depictions of the basilisk lends itself to equally diverse arrays of basilisk-girls, although they are usually reptilian and possess powerful gaze attacks.

In the [[Monster Girl Encyclopedia]], the basilisk is a [[lamia]]-like mamono with taloned hands and feathered plumage on her arms and the tip of her tail. She possesses a powerful gaze attack that forces a sort of "spiritual venom" into whomever it falls upon, flooding them with arousal and converting a massive chunk of their spirit energy into monster energy, almost certainly resulting in the victim's transformation into a monstergirl (if female) or total corruption into an [[incubus]] (if male). They are a shy, melancholic species who try to protect others from their gaze - since, as per standard MGE traits, they will immediately fall head over heels in love with an incubus created by their gaze - by wearing elaborate half-masks that cover their eyes, usually with a [[cyclops|cyclopean]] design of a single eye upon them.

[[Category:Dungeons & Dragons]] [[Category: Monsters]] [[Category:Roleplaying]]

Basilisk

2018-10-03T23:09:07Z

2001:4930:48:53:74F5:A50F:5E59:AF37:

'' This article is about the creature. For the [[Imperial Guard]] artillery piece, see [[Basilisk Artillery Gun]].''

A '''Basilisk''' is a mythological creature, always described as reptilian and deadly. Its name comes from Greek phrase for "little king," and was considered to be lord of all serpents. The first recorded mention of a basilisk described it as a snake about twelve fingers long (6"-24" long, depending on how you orient your finger), and it was so venomous that it would kill plants just by passing by (back then people assumed snakes poisoned victims via their breath rather than any sort of fluid injection, no really), and it would kill you just by looking at you. You were supposed to kill it with weasel musk -- I'm not joking.

The modern-day "green basilisk" or "plumed basilisk" is a little lizard that can run across the surface of water like wire-fu ninjas do, or reptile Jesus, or Remo Williams, or that movie "American Ninja."

:''Rejoice not thou, whole Philistia, that the rod of him that struck thee is broken in pieces:
:''for out of the root of the serpent shall come forth a basilisk, and his seed shall swallow the bird.
:-Isiah 14:29

Somewhere along the way, the basilisk's ability to kill with its gaze was "clarified" to mean that anyone who locked eyes with it would be turned to stone (maybe though conflation with [[Medusa]]'s similar ability), and thus we have the modern image of the basilisk.

It's generally accepted that basilisks are related to [[cockatrice]]s, which are usually depicted as some hybrid of snake or dragon and chicken; a cockatrice happens when a rooster's egg is hatched under a toad or snake, whilst a basilisk is created by hatching a snake's egg under a hen.

== Dungeons & Dragons ==

Since a lizard whose mere presence and gaze are deadly makes for a great hazard to [[adventurer]]s, every edition of [[Dungeons & Dragons]] since the beginning has featured basilisks as enemies. The D&D basilisk is unique in its appearance, which is a rather crocodilian reptile with about six or eight legs.

;Original [[D&D]] "Basic" edition:
:Move: 60 feet/turn HitDice: 6+1 ArmorClass: 4 TreasureType: F Alignment: neutral Attacks: 1 bite Damage: d10
:A rather small reptilian monster, unintelligent, that turns creatures to stone by its glance or its touch. Saving throws applicable. It can be viewed in a mirror without harm. If it sees its own eyes in a mirror it must make a saving throw or be turned to stone!

;D&D 3.5 edition:
:Medium Magical Beast, 6d10+12 HD, -1 Initiative, 20' speed, AC 16 (-1 Dex, +7 natural), Attacks: +6/+8, bite (1d8+3), SAtks: Petrifying Gaze (range 30', save Fort+Cha DC13 or turn to stone), SDef: Darkvision, low-light vision, Saves: +9 Fort +4 Ref +3 Will, S15 D8 Cn15 I2 W12 Ch12, Skills: +7 Listen +7 Spot +4 Hide in dessert, Feats: Alertness, Blindfight, Great Fort, Env: warn desserts, #encountered: 1 or 3-6, ChallengeRating: 5, Alignment: neutral.
:A basilisk relies on its gaze attack, biting only when opponents come within reach. Though it has eight legs, its slow metabolism renders it relatively sluggish, so it does not expend energy unnecessarily. Intruders who flee a basilisk rather than fight can expect, at best, a halfhearted pursuit. These creatures tend to spend most of their time lying in wait for prey, which includes small mammals, birds, reptiles, and similar creatures.

;D&D 4e:
:Large Natural Beast (reptile), L10 Artillery, L12 Soldier.
:Basilisks are predatory reptiles that hunt with a deadly gaze attack. They are not malicious creatures, but their gaze makes them widely feared. A small pack of wild basilisks is called a clutch. Like a wolf pack, a clutch coordinates to hunt and its members live together in a communal den. Tamed basilisks can be found among various humanoids. (PHB1, P26) Two varieties are presented; the more mythologically accurate Venom-Eye (poison gaze) and the more pop-culture accurate Stone-Eye (petrify gaze).
:''[[Bear Lore|Basilisk Lore]]'': A character knows the following information with a successful Nature check.
::'''DC 15:''' Basilisks are strangely evolved drakes. As such, they can be domesticated and trained.
::'''DC 20:''' The venom-eye basilisk's poisonous gaze is empowered by the beast's spirit. The creature itself isn't venomous; consequently, the venom can't be captured and used for other purposes.
::'''DC 25:''' A stone-eye basilisk's jaws are so strong that it can chew up and devour creatures it has petrified with its gaze.

The Monster Vault, a reprint of the Monster Manual with improved maths and expanded fluff for 4e's "Essentials" line, added several new versions; the Mesmeric-Eye Basilisk ([[Enchanter|Take a wild guess]]), the Wilt-Eye Basilisk (enervating gaze that drains the life from anything it looks at) and the Abyssal Basilisk (floods the minds of anyone who meets its gaze with such horrific visions of the [[Abyss]] that they can die of terror).

;D&D5e
:Medium Monstrosity, Challenge 3.
:Poisonous bite and petrifying gaze attacks.
:The fluff states that skilled alchemists can distill a de-petrifying tonic from intact gullet of a basilisk, since it secretes such oils as part of the digestion process.

== Basilisk Images ==

A "basilisk image" or "[[medusa]] phrase" is something that will crash a human brain, named for the original basilisk's ability to kill with its gaze. Since it's the "in" thing to think of brains/minds as deterministic machines like computers, the idea of "[[Meme|mindworms]]" and brain hacking gets kicked around. The term originated from Dave Langford's short story "BLIT", which can be found online at http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/stories/blit.htm.

Viewing a basilisk image will get your visual/perceptive cortex to parse an idea so fucked up that it puts the viewer into a catatonic state. These weapons are kept secret for obvious reasons -- depending on your campaign setting, viewing a thumbnail or a selection of a basilisk image could have no effect whatsoever, or it could cause someone to go into seizures.

:''See Also: Neal Stephenson's novel "Snow Crash," and urban legends about the Brown Note, Monty Python sketch about the funniest/deadliest joke in the world, The SCP Wiki's "memetic kill agents."''

== Monstergirls ==
[[File:MGE Basilisk.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The MGE Basilisk.]]
{{monstergirls}}

Like their [[cockatrice]] cousin, basilisks have not been spared the [[monstergirls]] treatment, even if it can be rather sporadic; the diverse array of depictions of the basilisk lends itself to equally diverse arrays of basilisk-girls, although they are usually reptilian and possess powerful gaze attacks.

In the [[Monster Girl Encyclopedia]], the basilisk is a [[lamia]]-like mamono with taloned hands and feathered plumage on her arms and the tip of her tail. She possesses a powerful gaze attack that forces a sort of "spiritual venom" into whomever it falls upon, flooding them with arousal and converting a massive chunk of their spirit energy into monster energy, almost certainly resulting in the victim's transformation into a monstergirl (if female) or total corruption into an [[incubus]] (if male). They are a shy, melancholic species who try to protect others from their gaze - since, as per standard MGE traits, they will immediately fall head over heels in love with an incubus created by their gaze - by wearing elaborate half-masks that cover their eyes, usually with a [[cyclops|cyclopean]] design of a single eye upon them.

[[Category:Dungeons & Dragons]] [[Category: Monsters]] [[Category:Roleplaying]]

Drow

2018-10-03T23:05:19Z

2001:4930:48:53:74F5:A50F:5E59:AF37: /* Monstergirls */

[[File:45308.jpg|400px|thumb|right|I think Drow is a pretty cool guy, eh evil and doesn't afraid of anything]]

'''Drow''' are black-skinned and white-haired subterranean [[elves]] who are allergic to sunlight. The strange thing is they live underground, but have black skin due to their curse by [[Corellon]] when [[Lolth]] turned them away from the other elven gods. They produce adamantine equipment (which falls apart in sunlight, yet is bad-ass underground), take slaves, are ruled by a matriarchy that likes S&M, have magic resistance and hate normal elves. In short, they'd be fucking cool, were it not for the fact that 90% of all player character Drow will be Chaotic Good and be Rebelling Against The Evils Of Their Race, thanks to the raging hard-on underages have on [[Drizzt]]. As a result, even though dark elf pr0n is 1; common, 2; totally acceptable given their interests, and 3; totally relevant when somebody asks for dark elf pictures (see 2) people still get whiny on /tg/ at anything moderately crude. Sure, we're trying to hold back the tide of cancer, but where dark elves are concerned, it's totally good.

[[Eberron]]'s Drow are somewhat different, in that they have gender equality (more or less), hang out in jungles with the Yuan-Ti, and worship Vulkoor, a dickish scorpion god who looks like a cool guy to hang out with compared to [[Lolth]]. Their mamas also actually love them rather than whip them everyday then sacrifice them later. They're still a bunch of racist dicks, though. Still, Eberron Drows are the more tolerable Drows, have a nice childhood, and at least they can be reasoned with easier. This means you can play as a Drow there without issues you'll have in any another setting.

[[Drider]]s are what happens when drow take their obsession with spiders a bit too far. The specifics vary.

[[Shadow Elf|Shadow Elves]] are the [[Mystara]]n equivalent to Drow, and are frankly way less fucked up.

==Character templates==
===AD&D and 2nd Edition===
During this era, Drow were recommended as being restricted to the role of monsters, due to their in-game lore; both [[Drizzt Do'Urden]] and [[Viconia de'Vir]] stand out as "playable" drow, with backstories to explain why they're on the surface instead of down in the Underdark. That said, The Complete Book of Elves splatbook did give rules for playable Drow and holy ''fuck'' were they powerful... IF you were playing in the Underdark.

+2 Dex, +1 Int, -1 Constitution, -2 Charisma for initial ability score modifiers, and with racial maximums of 18, 20, 17, 19, 18 and 16 for Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma respectively. They have a bunch of spell-like abilities, all usable once per day; Dancing Lights, Faerie Fire, and Darkness by default, with Levitate, Know Alignment and Detect Magic gained at level 4. Drow [[Cleric]]s get even more, in the form of Clairvoyance, Detect Lie, Suggestion and Dispel Magic. Also, they ''start'' with Magic Resistance 50% and increase it by +2% per level, to a max of 80%, and get a +2 bonus on all saves involving magic.

So, what's the drawback? Aside from the sensitivity to light (-2 penalty to Dexterity and Attack Rolls, enemies are +2 bonus to saves vs. drow spells), they also lose their powers if they spend more than two weeks outside of the Underdark, losing 10% Magic Resistance and one spell-like ability each day. If they go back to the Underdark, they get their powers back if they spend 1 day for each week they spent on the surface. Also, they get a -4 penalty to Reaction rolls against other elves, and increase their experience costs by +20%.

===3rd edition===
3E had rules in the core set for monsters as races. For Elf (Drow) the effective Character level (ECL) was 3, so a 1st level Drow elf is equivalent to a 3rd level regular elf character. The usual elf bonuses and flaws, plus: +2 Int, +2 Cha, Darkvision 120' instead of elf-normal lowlight vision, Spell resistance of 11+level, +2 to will saves for spells, can cast these spell-like abilities 1/day: dancing lights, darkness, faerie fire, weapon proficiencies are hand-crossbow rapier and shortsword instead of elf-normal, sudden bright sunlight will blind a drow for 1 round, and the drow will be dazzled until they leave the bright light. Boy drow have [[wizard]] as their favored class, girl drow have [[cleric]] (of [[Lolth]]) as favored class.

The larger array of spell-like abilities they had in AD&D, such as Levitation, are retconned in this edition as being exclusive to drow nobility only. That's not to say mechanics to let a PC have access to these powers were completely unavailable.

They had an article on their culture in [[Dragon Magazine]] #298 that really emphasized the darker side of drow culture. Want a sample? According to this lore, drow don't die out because, despite their tendency to murder and torture each other, they're as fertile as [[orc]]s, with females normally conceiving twins and triplets. They normally only birth a single baby, though, because the strongest usually kills and absorbs the others in the womb; these prenatal struggles actually produce orgasms more intense than anything a drow female might feel elsewhere. This sensation, ''chad-zak'', is explicitly called out as the main reason why drow women are willing to get pregnant at all, considering the selfish power-hungry bitches they generally are.

[[Eberron]] has a drow sub-race called the Umbragen, who possess strange, mystical powers connecting to the darkness. Mechanically, this is represented by replacing their spell saving throw bonus with a + 2 racial bonus to Hide & Move Silently checks, swapping their weapon proficiencies for longbow, shortbow, longsword & rapier, and making their [[Favored Class]] into [[warlock]], plus a racial-restricted set of variant abilities for [[soulknife]] and a bevy of racial feats. All of this appears in [[Dragon Magazine]] #330.

===4th edition===
The 4E Monster Manual had some explicit monsters-as-races in the back, and the Drow were one of them, although they got an identical repost in the 4e [[Forgotten Realms]] Player's Guide alongside the [[Genasi]] -- fittingly, since FR basically created the idea of Drow PCs.

For Drow, +2 Dex and +2 Cha or +2 Wis, Darkvision, +2 Intimidate, +2 Stealth, Fey Origin, Trance, and one racial encounter power (Llothtouched) that could be used as a minor action for one of two effects that last until the drow's next turn: a close-burst-1 darkness spell the drow can see through, or a faerie-fire spell that gives combat advantage against the target.

Drow had a couple of [[Dragon Magazine]] articles available to them. Issue #367 featured the article "Children of Darkness", a setting-neutral (in that it was equally applicable to both the [[Nentir Vale]] and the [[Forgotten Realms]]) guide to drow with new racial feats, a racial [[Paragon Path]] (the Curseborn) and a racial [[Epic Destiny]] (the Redeemed Drow). Ironically, it brought back the idea of drow having greater racial magic without touching upon the old mechanics; a paragon level racial feat called Highborn Drow gave the drow a third effect to their Lolthtouched racial power; Webs of Darkness creates blinding webbing of solidified shadow that ensnare all enemies in a close blast 3. This was then followed by issue #413, which abounded in new racial themes for drow; the Bregan D'Aerthe Mercenary, the Elderboy, the Melee-Magthere Champion, the Sorcere Adept, the House Priestess, the Widow of Arach-Tinilith, the Ooze Master, the Secret Apostate, and the Skulker of Vhaerun.

===5th edition===
Drow are '''finally''' mentioned in the Player's Handbook as an equal option for elf subtypes. The usual elf advantages, along with +1 Cha, 120' darkvision, automatic knowing some spells: the 'dancing lights' cantrip at 1st, the 'faerie fire' 1/day at 3rd level, and 'darkness' 1/day at 5th level. Automatic weapon proficiencies are hand-crossbows, rapiers and shortswords. They are also the ''only'' race to receive an explicit ''penalty'' in the core book: if the drow or the drow's target are in direct sunlight, the drow has disadvantage on attack rolls and perception rolls. Better hope you fight indoors a lot.

That said, they haven't remained the only penalized race in 5e. Both the [[duergar]] and the [[kobold]] also have the same Sunlight Sensitivity weakness, whilst kobolds and [[orc]]s are the only races in the game to have ability score penalties - something that caused an immediate outburst of [[skub]], since that mechanic had seemingly been dumped since 4th edition.

Xanathar's Guide gave them a boost with a new racial feat; Drow High Magic. Reflecting the "noble drow" spell-like abilities of AD&D, this feat grants a drow the ability to cast Detect Magic at will and both Levitate and Dispel Magic once per long rest without a spell slot.

==Pathfinder==
Pathfinder ditches the [[Lolth]] aspect and instead makes Drow aligned to assorted [[Demon Prince]]s instead. They got playable templates for the first time in their Bestiary entry, and updated versions thereof in the Advanced Races Guide. Pathfinder goes back to really, really freaking old Drow lore by stating that there's two kinds of Drow; normal Drow, and Noble Drow, who're even tougher and nastier, with a lot more magical powers. These were handled as separate races in the Bestiary, but ARG instead changed it to a Drow race with a bunch of racial feats to simulate Noble Drow abilities, which is arguably more balanced.

Fluff-wise, they're tied into the weird sf-bent of the [[Golarion]] setting, being the descendants of elves who refused to flee the planet in the face of a catastrophe, and turned to demon worship to survive. First-generation drow are actually the result of elves who've broken really bad physically and psychologically transforming into dark elves. Natural-born drow aren't actually innately evil, but their culture, which engages in the traditional practices of slavery, human sacrifice, etc., with the lovely addition of "[[Tzimisce| fleshcrafting]]," is so hideously corrupt that almost all of them end up bad anyway. They aren't matriarchal like classic drow either. Just assholes. Their [[drider]]s are... well, see that page.

===Drow===
* Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Dex, +2 Cha, -2 Con
* Size: Medium
* Speed: 30 feet
* Darkvision 120 feet
* Drow Immunities: Drow are immune to Magic Sleep Effects and get a +2 racial bonus to saves vs. Enchantments.
* Keen Senses: +2 Racial Bonus on Perception checks.
* Spell Resistance: 6 + class level
* Spell-Like Abilities: Dancing Lights, Darkness and Faerie Fire, each 1/day.
* Light Blindness: Abrupt exposure to bright light blinds a drow for 1 minute and leaves them dazzled on all subsequent rounds until they get out of the light.
* Poison Use: Drow don't risk poisoning themselves when they apply poison to weapons, etc.
* Weapon Familiarity: Free proficiency in Hand Crossbow, Rapier and Shortsword.

===Noble Drow===
* Ability Score Modifiers: +4 Dex, +2 Int, +2 Wis, +2 Cha, -2 Con
* Size: Medium
* Speed: 30 feet
* Darkvision 120 feet
* Drow Immunities: Drow are immune to Magic Sleep Effects and get a +2 racial bonus to saves vs. Enchantments.
* Keen Senses: +2 Racial Bonus on Perception checks.
* Spell Resistance: 11 + character level
* Spell-Like Abilities:
** Constant: Detect Magic
** At-Will: Dancing Lights, Deeper Darkness, Faerie Fire, Feather Fall, Levitate
** 1/Day: Divine Favor, Dispel Magic, Suggestion
* Light Blindness: Abrupt exposure to bright light blinds a drow for 1 minute and leaves them dazzled on all subsequent rounds until they get out of the light.
* Poison Use: Drow don't risk poisoning themselves when they apply poison to weapons, etc.
* Weapon Familiarity: Free proficiency in Hand Crossbow, Rapier and Shortsword.

{{D&D4e-Races}}
{{D&D5e-Races}}
{{Pathfinder-Races}}

==See also==
* [[Unified Setting/Drow]] - Arctic merchant vikings who ride giant lobsters. But still with black skin and white hair.

* [[Drizzt| Drizzt Do'Urden]] - A... [[skub|polarizing character]], but still the most famous and iconic drow hero in ''D&D''.

* [[Viconia de'Vir]] - A [[cleric]] of Shar in the ''[[Baldur's Gate]]'' games, and a good example of a "PC-friendly" drow who ''isn't'' a chaotic good Drizzt clone. Also [[Bioware]]'s first "sexy, mildly-evil-but-mostly-misunderstood lady love interest" character, setting the template for all those that followed. Had an incredibly complex, tragic and deep story in the sequel involving brotherly love and sacrifice. May have inadvertantly spawned [[Drowtales|a horribly Mary Sue webcomic funded by clinical psychopaths with too much money to spare and an axe against humanity to grind.]]

*[[Sandwich Stoutaxe]]: 1d4chan's take on the heroic Drow, she was abandoned by her family and raised by a Dwarf. So named because said dwarf found her in a basket that he thought was full of sandwichs.

* [[Drowtales]]: When an admittedly skilled bunch of [[drawfag|artists]] with the mental maturity of a blighted potato makes a webcomic series financed by sponsor avatar insertion, porn requests, and the worst, ''plot dictation'' and slather copious amounts of [[Skub]] onto it.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:drow_blackface.jpg|not racist; or at least not THAT kind of racist
File:Drows_in_SPEEES.jpg|in the skin darkness of the future, there is only Mary Sues. A.k.A [[Drowtales]]: How to be a mangaka-faggot with cognitive dissonance.
File:Drizzt by Todd Lockwood.jpg|did I mention the [[Drizzt|Mary Sues]] yet?
File:Yafgc drow matriarchy advantages.png|drow men have [[Rule 34|a place]] in their matriarchy
File:Drow scouts by jonhodgson.jpg|[[Meme|Welcome to the jungle]], where you can play a Drow however you want
File:Xendrik Drow.jpg|Xen'drik's drows like to tattoo themselves with scorpion venom.
</gallery>

==Monstergirls==
{{Monstergirls}}
[[Image:MGE Dark Elf.jpg|300px|thumb|right|The Dark Elf maiden is an alluring creature, if in a different way to her light-skinned cousin.]]

Given that female elves are practically canon [[monstergirls]] in [[Dungeons & Dragons]] to begin with (where do you think [[Half-Elves]] come from? Human women pouncing on cute elven men? Pah!), and that the drow are both female led ''and'' have a long tradition of cheesecake/pin-up tier femdom-heavy artwork for their females - there's a reason drow are often mocked on nu-/tg/ as a culture made up of cheesy BDSM pin-up art - it should be no surprise that drow feature in works of erotica just as frequently as their surface cousins. Indeed, the talk of D&D sessions everywhere must have had since the late 90's, inevitably, sexualized Drow raids owing to Greenwood's [[Magical Realm]]. Often called "Dark Elves", their skin tone ranges from the actual drow onyx/blue/purple to more dusky brown colors, which leads to the nickname "chocolate elves" being used for erotic female drow characters.

Given the heavy BDSM themes in actual drow society, it should be no surprise that drow monstergirls are usually portrayed as dominatrixes in the same way. Asian hentai artists, however, like to subvert the idea by portraying them as submissives instead of dominatrixes; chocolate elf slaves and maids are as old as [[Elf slave, wat do?]] threads. Might have something to do with dark skin being inferior in Asian cultures.

In the [[Monster Girl Encyclopedia]], the Dark Elves have willingly embraced [[succubus]]ization, unlike their Light Elf kindred. This has turned them into a perverse culture of dominatrixes, who take human men as their sexual slaves. They were some of the setting's earliest [[skub]] when it was confirmed that they actually do practice incest, with young dark elves being taught the arts of sexual dominance, bondage and sado-masochism by using their fathers as their subs - that was quickly blown out of the water by other controversial aspects of the setting, like the revelation that ''most'' monstergirl daughters will generally lose their virginities to their fathers and then decide whether they do or don't want to go and find their own boyfriend later.

Monster Girl Encyclopedia

2018-10-03T23:01:18Z

2001:4930:48:53:74F5:A50F:5E59:AF37: /* (Unintentional) Grimdarkness */

{{editwar}}
{{Promotions}}
{{Monstergirls}}
The '''Monster Girl Encyclopedia''' is a [[NSFW]] encylopedia fleshing out a setting of [[monstergirls]] written and impressively illustrated by Japanese hentai creator Kenkou Cross. The artwork is great (if somewhat contentious in content). Some of the premises are as interesting as they are [[/d/|"enjoyable"]].

So what's the problem?

Well, while everyone more or less likes the entries themselves, the setting around them is pure [[skub]], built on a mixture of fetishized [[rape]] and the sort of unintentional [[grimdark]] only a [[/d/M]] [[Magical Realm|building a world entirely for his penis to the exclusion of all other cocks]] could create. That didn't stop it from getting an english-translated hardcover first volume printed thanks to [[Life With Monstergirls|this faggotry]].

The first encyclopedia is written from the perspective of a human, a nameless Wandering Scholar. The second one is written by Saphirette Spherica, a formerly human monster girl. Whether or not this change in author actually results in a change in editorial viewpoint is... debatable. Kenkou Cross has tried to claim that the first paints the monsters in a harsher light due to faulty information, and the second in a more favorable light thanks to being written by one, but considering the first volume has nary a good thing to say about the monsters' enemies, stops just shy of all-but urging the reader to go fuck a monster right now, and is actually revealed to be cursed by a succubus at the end, well... doesn't really hold water upon any kind of inspection.

But, we're getting ahead of ourselves...

==The Setting==
A brief summary is pretty simple. A Succubus has become Monster Lord, god-like ruler of all monsters. Taking the throne for herself, the Succubus has enacted a plan to bring about her vision of peace upon the world: transforming all monsters into lusty monstergirls, known in universe as mamono, and setting them out to score themselves human husbands. Peace through mutually-ensured copulation, you might say. She even convinces the Hero who is sent to slay her to join her in her rebellion against the Chief God and become her husband.

==The Factions==
===Monster Lord===
The aforementioned Big Chief Succubus, her human husband, their daughters, and pretty much every freaking mamono in the world. Want to bring about peace between humans and monsters by making human man/monstergirl relationships the norm of the world. To be fair, though, the vast majority of "normal" mamono don't really have a lot of ideological indoctrination so much as help her goals by trying to find someone to slip 'em the d - the Monster Lord basically leeches off of their "mamono mana", which increases when they fuck, to boost her own strength.

Thanks to [[Mary Sue|blatant creator favoritism]], the Monster Lord has so many ludicrously-overblown advantages piled up on her side it's honestly more incredible she hasn't instantly won the conflict seconds after starting it. And the fact that her ideal world would look like ''Brave New World'' as run by a particularly sick combination of [[Nurgle]] and [[Slaanesh]] is something of a turn-off for a lot of readers. Seriously, go read [[Chakat|this page]], mentally find+replace all the furry stuff with this-setting stuff, and see how accurate all the descriptions still are.

Part of her eventual endgame involves causing monsters to have male incubus children, in addition to their own female offspring. Again, most monsters have no interest in actively conquering human lands so complete assimilation of humans into the "new humanity consisting of incubi and monster girls" will, probably, take a while. It's been a few centuries now and things are still in a relative stalemate, though every once in a while something dramatic happens, especially since lately one of her daughters, Derulla, has taken it upon herself to probe the human kingdoms for weak links, and has already destroyed the nation of Lescatier by exploiting its internal flaws and transforming its various heroines into ravenous and evangelical monster girls by exploiting their neuroses.

====Sabbath====
A sub-faction under the Monster Lord's banner, led by baphomet mamono and primarily staffed by cults of witches, many of whom joined for "eternal youth" without reading the side effects too closely. This group is comprised entirely of [[loli]] mamono and is dedicated to spreading lolidom (in both senses of the word) over the world. Or, in other words, they want to convert women into loli mamono, convert non-loli mamono into loli form, and convert human men into "Big Brothers" (lolicons). They're the monster's primary source of R&D for various weird and sexy inventions. While each branch of the Sabbath is run by a baphomet, the organization as a whole is led by the strongest baphomet of all. This same baphomet also leads the Mamono Lord's army and holds considerable influence in the world of monsters. Surprisingly she is noted to still be single, perhaps because baphomet normally only marry men who can beat them in battle, but more-probably so the lolicons in the audience can still hold onto hope of tappin' dat semi-jailbait ass.

====Zipangu====
The not!Japan of the setting, not technically loyal to the Monster Lord but still held up as the shining example of what she wants to achieve, with humans and monstergirls living together relatively peacefully, though often with monsters dominating humanity in the bargain. Would be [[Mary Sue]] if they had a bigger role in the world instead of being in the ass end of nowhere, but what do you expect when the creator is Japanese? Often a source of various "[[weeaboo|Eastern]]" versions of already-released mamono. Whether this is a bad thing really depends on your perspective, as well as the degree to which they successfully differentiate themselves from their predecessors.

Supposedly has clans of exorcists who fight monsters with about the same success as the Order, but are tolerated since some vicious monsters really do need clearing out.

====The Land of Mists====
Like Zipangu, only not!Chinese instead of not!Japanese.

===Pandemonium===
A faction operating out of a timeless demiplane. Allied to a high tier god called "the Fallen God", they're basically extremists on the Monster Lord's plan who seek to convert men and women to go to a dimension (Pandemonium) that consists essentially of one eternal, never-ending orgy. KC only made three profiles for this faction - the Dark Angel, Dark Valkyries and the Dark Priest - and often doesn't touch it for ages between profiles, probably because they tended to be the biggest fuel for the "anti-mamono interpretation" of the setting in the early days due to the rather limited lifestyle they subject their converts to. Hilariously, compared to the Monster Lord, they're practically vanilla: since none of them seem to go in for rape when "conversion" is much more fun. Moreover, since they have their own dimension, they aren't all that interested in altering the rest of the world, instead seeking converts to leave with them for Pandemonium.

Of course, the featured Fallen God-aligned maiden in Lescatier went and raped a couple little girl orphans she'd been caring for immediately after converting to its worship (with some prodding by Derulla), then pimped out all the other orphan children to random perverts in the street, so maybe not ''as'' vanilla as many would like...

===The Gods===
The original masters of the world, led by a Chief God, who was gravely injured by the Monster Lord and her husband while trying to kill them both to stop their plans. Currently split between those who support the Monster Lord's plan and those who support the Chief God in trying to slay the Monster Lord and return things to the original cycle. Mentioned goddesses in the first faction include Poseidon, Eros, Ares, and Dionysus. Hilariously, [[Derp|the english translations refer to every single god thus far as a goddess, and most of them are named after a deity that was originally male,]] though the Japanese text refers to them using gender neutral pronouns which is slightly less odd.

In all honesty, many fans find the Chief God (who isn't the ''original'' Chief God) far more sympathetic than the Monster Lord. Yes, she wants to bring back the old cycle, which is bad, but otherwise she doesn't really work as a villain and is written too sympathetically to be truly hateable. KC has admitted that she was a rookie, and she ''knows'' this and that she's over her head. She's still hurt from a thwarted attempt at smiting the current Monster Lord and her husband, and she has no idea what she's doing, but she's trying to do a good job and set things "right" as far as she understands it, because that's what's expected of her. She's so ineffectual as an antagonist, especially with how stacked things are in the Monster Lord's favor, that many fans want to comfort her rather than see her lose.

To try and counter this, KC has put out that it's officially fact that the Chief God will accept nothing less than the restoration of the old cycle, and doing so will result in countless grisly deaths as every former-mamono reverts to a man-eating monster and devours her spouse. Unfortunately, rather than instantly silence his critics, it has only made the setting look like a [[Grimdark|"you're fucked either way"]] sort of deal. (Pun semi-intended.)

====The Order====
The chief religion of the setting and a fairly standard [[weeaboo]] take on Medieval semi-Christianity. Dedicated to the Chief God first and foremost, their duty is to ensure humanity lives safe, moral lives. To this end, they train divinely-empowered Heroes to go out and fight monsters. It's kind of unclear as to whether they don't know that the new Monster Lord wants to end the cycle, if they even know there ''is'' a cycle, or if they know everything and are deliberately lying to general people so they still believe that all mamono want to kill and eat them. The Wandering Scholar is worried he'll be killed if they catch him, and the original Encyclopedia had a warning about people being punished for being caught with it, but, well... remember how it ends with a call to arms for everyone to go out and become or fuck a monster, then with a ''second'' reveal that it's actually a cursed book that's either turned you into a succubus or sent you off to stick your dick in the nearest one?

A lot of fans like to portray them as essentially a fantasy take on the [[Imperium of Man]], but, really, that particular interpretation doesn't hold much water. If nothing else they aren't racist, having been on excellent terms with a number of non-human races before current events left humankind alone. Shit, settings material outright states that monsters are always ''happy'' when the Order comes crusadin', because it means they're about to enjoy the fantasy equivalent of a massive speed dating party. Due to the very nature of their teachings, the Order's men are such good people that most of them can't bring themselves to actually hurt a mamono when they meet one. Consequently, mamono consider Order men damn fine husbando material, and are eager to capture and "convert" them when they show up.

There are Order soldiers and heroes who will kill monsters readily of course, but given monsters will still fight and even kill to defend themselves it's dangerous work. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on one's perspective), the goddess of war protects both side of the war, and getting killed in battle is rare, so lots of beaten knights just end up getting convinced "the hard way" after a fight.

==(Unintentional) Grimdarkness==
The original Chief God created humans, but for an unknown reason was worried about their numbers like the retard it is. So it created monsters to slaughter humans in sufficient numbers to cull them before eventually creating the program of the Heroes and the Monster Lord: the Heroes get empowered when humans are too weak to disrupt the monsters' attack by killing their demigod leader, the Monster Lord, throwing monsterkind into disarray so that humanity has time to recover, and then eventually a new Monster Lord rises up and starts the same shit over again. Said Chief God also forced the other gods to get in on this - Poseidon supports the new Monster Lord because she's sick of having to kill people with tidal waves, storms, and sea monster attacks.

So there we start: murder and violence is a must because...well...the creator can't be bothered to invent diseases or make a better species, literally turns the world into a medieval battlefield and forces genocidal hate onto other species.

Think the new Monster Lord is any better? Only if you don't mind the fact that she's bungling her job, and so mamono have swapped "kill and eat humans" for "kidnap and rape" humans...It would be a relatively tolerable subjugation were it not the fact her stated goal is to drive human women ''extinct'' so human men '''would have to''' marry monstergirls, and so she is actively seeking to convert (physically and mentally transform) all women into mamono. Also, her idea of utopia is a [[/d/| lawless wasteland]] where [[Chris-Chan|free love is rampant, dissent is impossible, everyone agrees with her about everything all the time, and also, children regularly fuck their parents]]. (No, seriously, there's an entire species of mamono that are literally fetuses that ''abort'' themselves because they can't stand waiting to be born before having sex, on top of the [[loli| usual nonsense]].) And anyone who becomes a monster or an incubus basically loses the ability to disagree with her, one way or another. And we all can agree that mind rape is worse than murder in many ways, like a family mother that disappeared in a monster raid and now is back as a forcefully converted sex hungry monster that rapes probably even her own kids.

[[Edgy|Jesus...]]

Also, a lot of the time when KC writes profiles he focuses ''so goddamn much'' on the aspect of how the men that monsters catch react sexually and how women caught by monsters end up going "Oh noes, how embarrassing, everyone can see my sexual repression!" that he forgets to ''actually write the profile'', causing several monsters to come across as significantly more horrible than he intended. Though this is still absolutely a rod this idiot has made for his own back, and he deserves your scorn rather than your pity for it. (Significant mentions include the matango, which as written was in everyone's "least favorite" category for years, thanks to seeming more like a plague than a fun monster, the mind flayer, where he got so wrapped up in masturbating over how the mind flayer can make a woman slutty that he forgot to clarify basic facts like a man's ability to go back and forth between squid-monster form and human form and that women don't ''actually'' turn into lobotomized corpses after being fed on, and the atlach-nacha, which, in addition to being a [[DFC|loli]], and therefore [[heresy]], also fails to clarify that the human being they turn into their spider body can turn back in favor of going on and on about random minutae.)

Kenkou Cross has taken the observations on his setting's grimdarkness poorly, to say the least. According to him, the encyclopedia descriptions were in fact grossly exaggerating both the nymphomania of the monstergirls and the intentions of the Monster Lord - the unintended grimdarkness was in fact the product of shoddy translation work. As a result, he forced the most popular website supporting of his work to cease hosting translated versions of his material when they refused to ban anyone espousing those interpretations, and only lets other sites host them on the condition that they prevent anyone from voicing their unhappy opinions.

He also likes to argue that the "blame" lies squarely on his Western fandom, since they don't get the overworked-Japanese-salaryman mindset (because apparently overworked = pedophile over there?) that apparently makes his setting such a paradise. It hasn't worked because, really, when you get right down to brass tacks, his [[Butthurt|little tantrum]] boils down to the DM failing to understand why anyone ''wouldn't'' want to enter his [[magical realm]] unless there was something wrong with them, compounded with the fact that letting his penis do all the thinking blinded him to the unintentional grimdarkness he was putting in without even realizing it. So if he didn't want it to be grimdark, he shouldn't have written himself into a corner where grimdarkness was the only logical explanation for how everything was still working. Though, admittedly, his attitude wasn't helped by anti-fans sending him hate-mail and death threats.

Oh, a reminder by the way: if the Chief God wins, then all those sexy monstergirls? They immediately revert back to being hideous monsters, and the mamono mindset of "love humans" will be forced to return to "kill humans" and most monsters will not be able to resist it. So a Chief God victory means restarting the original cycle, and anyone who has a mamono lover, is going to wind up being '''killed and eaten by his wife'''. And this time it isn't hyperbole, that's plain and explicit ''fact'', straight from KC, so that's one bit of grimdarkness he's actively promoting, to make the Monster Lord seem the better choice because the alternate is literal ''worldwide human and monstergirl extinction''.

[https://allthetropes.org "All The Tropes Wiki"] (an uncensored fork of TvTropes that hosts all the PROMOTIONS the advertising companies threw a shitfit over) theorizes the grimdark is actually intentional after all, a sort of saccharine-flavored crapsack world where the glass is only half full (as opposed to Warhammer 40k where the glass is half empty with holes drilled along the bottom). It's not a nice place to live, rape and kidnapping are so common on the frontiers almost everyone is desensitized to it, and roving packs of [[Amazon]]s and [[Drow|Dark Elf]] slavers aren't sugarcoated at all... but there's plenty of people living decent lives and there's still plenty of ways things can get better.

Maybe.

==For more information...==
What? You're still here? You wanna know about the monstergirls we keep insisting prop the whole thing up?
* [http://mgewiki.com/w/Main_Page Here, look at their wiki.]
* [https://www.amazon.com/Monster-Girl-Encyclopedia-Vol-1/dp/1626923612 Or go buy it, you /d/egenerate]
Also, specific answers from Kenkou Cross's [https://ask.fm/k_cross Q&A site], which briefly hint at the future of Monster Girl Encyclopedia world:
* [https://ask.fm/k_cross/answers/114716374101 The Order and the Chief God are, as anyone following the source material is unsurprised to learn, fated to lose, or at least never to win.]
* [https://ask.fm/k_cross/answers/127378863701 The plan to have mamono give birth to incubus children is going to succeed within one lifetime, so complete extinction is not on the table.]
* [https://ask.fm/k_cross/answers/117249680981 Even after completely defeating the Chief God, the Monster lord will not kill her.]
And some /d/eviant is making a work in progress homebrew for running a game in the setting using the WHFRP 2e system: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-khJ4fE5v2MyrumyZoauEJ4VIucMO-kP1MGHNVtaDkc/edit

==So Why Is This Here?==
You may be asking just why this page is here, and what possible relevance it has to /tg/. Well, there's a couple of reasons.

Firstly, /tg/, having grown with non-human settings where humans lived along with other sentient beings, loves [[monstergirls]], plain and simple - and for all its many faults, the MGE is a widely recognized and well-detailed MG setting which both has consistently appealing artwork ''and'' does not shit it up with some of the more hardcore /d/ fetishes, like vore. Whilst the MGE's setting could definitely be better, it could very, ''very'' easily be a lot worse than it is. Deviantart is full of artists who add cannibalism, hard bondage and slavery being common to monster-rich fantasy settings, and Kenkou, though misguided, still has a semblance of decency in form of monster battle gods preventing death on both sides so the victor can fuck/love the defeated to their hearts' content.

Secondly, every so often, a thread pops up on /tg/ about adapting the setting in some way. If it's not anons asking how they can stat up a given mamono race as either PCs or NPCs, it's a thread asking how you might rework the setting for use in running your own campaigns, or even a simple "your last character/party gets dumped into the MGE world; what happens?" idle chatter-thread.

==/tg/ Races==
Being a Monstergirl Fantasy World, it's natural that a lot of the entries in the Encyclopedia correspond to various races and monsters present in more mainstream works.

* [[Amazon]]
* [[Angel]]
* [[Basilisk]]
* [[Beholder]]
* [[Catfolk]]
* [[Centaur]]
* [[Chimera]]
* [[Cockatrice]]
* [[Cyclops]]
* [[Demon]]
* [[Dhampir]]
* [[Doppelganger]]
* [[Dragon]]
* [[Drider]]
* [[Dryad]]
* [[Dwarf]]
* [[Elemental]]
* [[Elf]]
* [[Fairy]]
* [[Familiar]]
* [[Ghost]]
* [[Ghoul]]
* [[Girtablilu]]
* [[Gnome]]
* [[Goblin]]
* [[Golem]]
* [[Gremlin]]
* [[Griffon]]
* [[Harpy]]
* [[Hellhound]]
* [[Illithid]]
* [[Incubus]]
* [[Jiangshi]]
* [[Kappa]]
* [[Kitsune]]
* [[Kobold]]
* [[Kraken]]
* [[Lamia]]
* [[Lich]]
* [[Lizardfolk]]
* [[Manticore]]
* [[Medusa]]
* [[Merfolk]]
* [[Mimic]]
* [[Minotaur]]
* [[Mummy]]
* [[Nightmare]]
* [[Ogre]]
* [[Oni]]
* [[Orc]]
* [[Pixie]]
* [[Ratfolk]] (the Large Mouse in particular is based on the [[Giant Rat]])
* [[Redcap]]
* [[Roper]]
* [[Sahuagin]]
* [[Salamander]]
* [[Satyr]]
* [[Scylla]]
* [[Selkie]]
* [[Shoggoth]]
* [[Siren]]
* [[Skeleton]]
* [[Slime]]
* [[Sphinx]]
* [[Succubus]]
* [[Tanuki]]
* [[Therianthrope]]
* [[Troll]]
* [[Unicorn]]
* [[Vampire]]
* [[Werewolf]]
* [[Wight]]
* [[Will-o-Wisp]]
* [[Witch]]
* [[Yeti]]
* [[Yuki-onna]]
* [[Zombie]]

==Gallery==
<center>
<gallery>
File:MGE Large Mouse.jpg
File:MGE Dormouse.jpg
File:MGE Hinezumi.jpg
File:MGE Holstaur.jpg
File:MGE Gyobu Danuki.jpg
File:MGE Sphinx.jpg
File:MGE Minotaur.jpg
File:MGE Hakutaku.jpg
File:MGE Ogre.jpg
File:MGE Red Oni.jpeg
File:MGE Blue Oni.jpg
File:MGE Slime.jpg
File:MGE Red Slime.jpg
File:MGE Bubble Slime.jpg
File:MGE Dark Slime.jpg
File:MGE Slime Queen.jpg
File:MGE Orc.jpg
File:MGE Dragon.jpg
File:MGE Dragon Zombie.jpg
File:MGE Jabberwock.jpg
File:MGE Otohime.jpg
File:MGE Ryu.jpg
File:MGE Wurm.jpg
File:MGE Wyvern.jpg
File:MGE Jiangshi.jpg
</gallery>
</center>

[[Category:NSFW]]

Varag

2018-10-03T22:45:25Z

2001:4930:48:53:74F5:A50F:5E59:AF37:

[[File:Varag.jpg|400px|thumb|right|A varag.]]
'''Varags''' are a [[goblinoid]] race born from[[hobgoblin]]s engaging in magical [[/d/|bestiality]] with [[wolf|dire wolves]] (no, seriously). They first appeared in the [[Monster Manual]] IV for [[Dungeons & Dragons]] 3rd edition.

In appearance, the mage-bred varags mostly resemble a 7ft tall hobgoblin, but they are far more hirsute, have hunched postures, and possess double-jointed legs (which faciliate their preference for moving on all fours), distinctly clawed fingers, bestial paw-like feet, and two curving horns that sweep away from their skulls.

Also known as blood chasers, these dim-witted, animalistic creatures are little better than animals, and even other goblinoids think of them as feral, stupid creatures. Their mentalities, societies and behavioral traits are distinctly lupine in nature, a result of their dire wolf ancestry, but impeded by their heightened savagery and low intellects. They can understand the goblinoid language, but their primitive physiologies and dim wits make it almost impossible for them to speak it; varags mostly use hand gestures, howls and shrieks to communicate.

In the wild, varags gravitate towards a pack-like structure, with the strongest and smartest taking the role of the pack alpha. Wild varag packs are extremely dangerous, mostly because not only are varags naturally aggressive and vicious, they have tremendous appetites for flesh.

See, the creators of varags actually weren't sexual deviants, they intended for them to be super-soldiers. They wanted something that would be capable of hitting hard and moving with incredible speed. As a result, they boosted the metabolic rates of these goblinoids; it worked, making them extremely quick and agile, but it also meant they needed to eat voraciously. A healthy varag needs to consume three times as much food per day as a normal hobgoblin, or twice as much food if it spends the bulk of its time sleeping. Feeding it a normal amount of food will leave it critically undernourished, halving its formidable speed and putting it at risk of starvation.

But it gets worse. You see, varags retain a very goblinoid approach to sexuality; so long as they have unrestricted access to each other, male and female varags will mate incessantly. And a female varag will give birth to a litter of two or three pups within 5 or 6 months of conception. Varags reach adulthood by eight years old, and even at the age of 1 year are consuming as much food as an adult hobgoblin.

It goes without saying that wild varag packs can devastate the countryside, breeding into massive plague-like hordes that sweep across the land and devour every living creature they can catch.

Ironically, varags are '''less''' dangerous when in their natural state of being controlled by hobgoblins. Well aware of the rampant & voracious nature of their charges, hobgoblins strictly control the population of varags, doing their best to seclude females from males and producing only as many as they feel comfortable they can support.

The place varags hold in hobgoblin society is somewhere between mercenaries and beloved pet dogs. Proving their status as the smartest of the goblinoids, hobgoblins remain firmly aware of the fact that varags are capable of flattening them without breaking a sweat, and do everything they can to reinforce the initial mage-bred affection for their people. Varags naturally look for strong role models to guide them and offer encouragement, and hobgoblins play to this; they offer generous praise for even the smallest accomplishments, and ensure that varags are always fed well. And it works; the instinctive affection that varags feel means they will protect hobgoblins at all costs, immediately rushing to the aid of any hobgoblin without the slightest concern for their own safety.

That said... when it comes to the conflict between a varag's heart and its belly, its belly always wins. Varag devotion wanes when food becomes scarce, so a warband that can't feed its varags will see them become restless. Worse, it will see them start actively looking for "better masters", which means the once-loyal goblinoids '''will''' desert their handlers if they get hungry enough.

Ultimately, a varag's loyalty is to its belly. If desperate enough, they have even been known to serve non-hobgoblins, predominantly [[orc]]s (who sort of ''look'' like hobgoblins) and [[goblin]]s (who they think of as just really tiny hobgoblins).

==Varag PCs==
Despite this, varags are playable. That said, they're amongst the most powerful of all goblinoids, and their [[Level Adjustment]] would normally be through the roof... except, varags came out quite late in 3e's lifespan. As such, they were provided with a 5 level "Varag Racial Class", to instead escape Level Adjustment's failures.

'''Varag Base Stats:'''
::+2 Strength, -4 Intelligence
::Medium
::Humanoid (Goblionoid)
::Base Land Speed 40 feet
::Darkvision 60 feet
::+4 racial bonus on Move Silently
::+4 racial bonus on Survival checks made when tracking by scent
::Favored Class: Varag/[[Scout]]

'''Varag Racial Class:'''
::Class Skills: Jump, Move Silently, Survival
::Feats: Like any character, a varag gets 1 feat at 1st level and another at every Hit Dice total divisible by 3, in addition to any bonus feats granted by class features or other sources.
::Ability Score Increases: Upon attaining any Hit Die total divisible by 4, a varag increases one ability score by +1, as per a normal character.
::Level 1: 1d8 (8) hit points, Reflex Save +2, (2 + Int modifier, minimum of 1) x 4 Skill Points, +1 Natural Armor Bonus
::Level 2: 1d8 hit points, Base Attack Bonus +1, Reflex Save +3, 2 + Int modifier (minimum of 1) Skill Points, +2 Dexterity, Scent (10 feet), Bonus Feat: Run
::Level 3: +2 Natural Armor Bonus, +2 Constitution, Racial Bonus to Move Silently increases to +8, Scent (20 feet)
::Level 4: 1d8 hit points, Fortitude Save +1, Will Save +1, 2 + Int modifier (minimum of 1) Skill Points, +2 Dexterity, Scent (30 feet)
::Level 5: +3 Natural Armor Bonus, +2 Strength, Can Always Take 10 on Move Silently (even when rushed/threatened), Bonus Feat: Spring Attack

[[Category: Dungeons & Dragons]] [[Category: Dungeons & Dragons Races]] [[Category: Monsters]]

Varag

2018-10-03T22:42:55Z

2001:4930:48:53:74F5:A50F:5E59:AF37:

[[File:Varag.jpg|400px|thumb|right|A varag.]]
'''Varags''' are a [[goblinoid]] race born from[[hobgoblin]]s engaging in magical [[/d/|bestiality]] with [[wolf|dire wolves]] (no, seriously). They first appeared in the [[Monster Manual]] IV for [[Dungeons & Dragons]] 3rd edition.

In appearance, the mage-bred varags mostly resemble a 7ft tall hobgoblin, but they are far more hirsute, have hunched postures, and possess double-jointed legs (which faciliate their preference for moving on all fours), distinctly clawed fingers, bestial paw-like feet, and two curving horns that sweep away from their skulls.

Also known as blood chasers, these dim-witted, animalistic creatures are little better than animals, and even other goblinoids think of them as feral, stupid creatures. Their mentalities, societies and behavioral traits are distinctly lupine in nature, a result of their dire wolf ancestry, but impeded by their heightened savagery and low intellects. They can understand the goblinoid language, but their primitive physiologies and dim wits make it almost impossible for them to speak it; varags mostly use hand gestures, howls and shrieks to communicate.

In the wild, varags gravitate towards a pack-like structure, with the strongest and smartest taking the role of the pack alpha. Wild varag packs are extremely dangerous, mostly because not only are varags naturally aggressive and vicious, they have tremendous appetites for flesh.

See, the creators of varags intended for them to be super-soldiers. They wanted something that would be capable of hitting hard and moving with incredible speed. As a result, they boosted the metabolic rates of these goblinoids; it worked, making them extremely quick and agile, but it also meant they needed to eat voraciously. A healthy varag needs to consume three times as much food per day as a normal hobgoblin, or twice as much food if it spends the bulk of its time sleeping. Feeding it a normal amount of food will leave it critically undernourished, halving its formidable speed and putting it at risk of starvation.

But it gets worse. You see, varags retain a very goblinoid approach to sexuality; so long as they have unrestricted access to each other, male and female varags will mate incessantly. And a female varag will give birth to a litter of two or three pups within 5 or 6 months of conception. Varags reach adulthood by eight years old, and even at the age of 1 year are consuming as much food as an adult hobgoblin.

It goes without saying that wild varag packs can devastate the countryside, breeding into massive plague-like hordes that sweep across the land and devour every living creature they can catch.

Ironically, varags are '''less''' dangerous when in their natural state of being controlled by hobgoblins. Well aware of the rampant & voracious nature of their charges, hobgoblins strictly control the population of varags, doing their best to seclude females from males and producing only as many as they feel comfortable they can support.

The place varags hold in hobgoblin society is somewhere between mercenaries and beloved pet dogs. Proving their status as the smartest of the goblinoids, hobgoblins remain firmly aware of the fact that varags are capable of flattening them without breaking a sweat, and do everything they can to reinforce the initial mage-bred affection for their people. Varags naturally look for strong role models to guide them and offer encouragement, and hobgoblins play to this; they offer generous praise for even the smallest accomplishments, and ensure that varags are always fed well. And it works; the instinctive affection that varags feel means they will protect hobgoblins at all costs, immediately rushing to the aid of any hobgoblin without the slightest concern for their own safety.

That said... when it comes to the conflict between a varag's heart and its belly, its belly always wins. Varag devotion wanes when food becomes scarce, so a warband that can't feed its varags will see them become restless. Worse, it will see them start actively looking for "better masters", which means the once-loyal goblinoids '''will''' desert their handlers if they get hungry enough.

Ultimately, a varag's loyalty is to its belly. If desperate enough, they have even been known to serve non-hobgoblins, predominantly [[orc]]s (who sort of ''look'' like hobgoblins) and [[goblin]]s (who they think of as just really tiny hobgoblins).

==Varag PCs==
Despite this, varags are playable. That said, they're amongst the most powerful of all goblinoids, and their [[Level Adjustment]] would normally be through the roof... except, varags came out quite late in 3e's lifespan. As such, they were provided with a 5 level "Varag Racial Class", to instead escape Level Adjustment's failures.

'''Varag Base Stats:'''
::+2 Strength, -4 Intelligence
::Medium
::Humanoid (Goblionoid)
::Base Land Speed 40 feet
::Darkvision 60 feet
::+4 racial bonus on Move Silently
::+4 racial bonus on Survival checks made when tracking by scent
::Favored Class: Varag/[[Scout]]

'''Varag Racial Class:'''
::Class Skills: Jump, Move Silently, Survival
::Feats: Like any character, a varag gets 1 feat at 1st level and another at every Hit Dice total divisible by 3, in addition to any bonus feats granted by class features or other sources.
::Ability Score Increases: Upon attaining any Hit Die total divisible by 4, a varag increases one ability score by +1, as per a normal character.
::Level 1: 1d8 (8) hit points, Reflex Save +2, (2 + Int modifier, minimum of 1) x 4 Skill Points, +1 Natural Armor Bonus
::Level 2: 1d8 hit points, Base Attack Bonus +1, Reflex Save +3, 2 + Int modifier (minimum of 1) Skill Points, +2 Dexterity, Scent (10 feet), Bonus Feat: Run
::Level 3: +2 Natural Armor Bonus, +2 Constitution, Racial Bonus to Move Silently increases to +8, Scent (20 feet)
::Level 4: 1d8 hit points, Fortitude Save +1, Will Save +1, 2 + Int modifier (minimum of 1) Skill Points, +2 Dexterity, Scent (30 feet)
::Level 5: +3 Natural Armor Bonus, +2 Strength, Can Always Take 10 on Move Silently (even when rushed/threatened), Bonus Feat: Spring Attack

[[Category: Dungeons & Dragons]] [[Category: Dungeons & Dragons Races]] [[Category: Monsters]]

Goblin

2018-10-03T22:25:16Z

2001:4930:48:53:74F5:A50F:5E59:AF37: /* D&D Goblins */

[[File:Path Gob Rat.PNG|thumb|right|300px|Brushy brushy.]]
'''Goblins''' are mythological creatures of unclear origin and contradicting descriptions. They are small humanoids of a mischievous nature, possibly belonging to the fey family (along with creatures such as redcaps, brownies, leprechauns, kobolds, etc).

The origin of the word "Goblin" can be traced back to the British "Gobelinus" which was the name of a demon that once caused trouble in Normandy. It has been theorized the term began with [[Kobold]], which was a German Fey spirit whose origins can be traced to one of a variety of earlier myths based in Paganism from various other culture. Kobolds also gave their name to cobalt, due to the fact that new advances in mining in Germany during the middle ages allowed access to large amounts of cobalt ore, although the mining was very dangerous and they had no idea how to smelt the metal so as a result the numerous mine collapses as well as the "theft of the ore, with only poison and ash left behind" were blamed on Kobolds. Either way, Goblin myths often involve mischief, mining, and chemistry.

In modern fantasy, the term "Goblin" has been very much determined by the Tolkienian use of the word - as in a species of humanoids in service to evil, with the "Orcs" being another word for the same thing, with Tolkien claiming the etymology for that word being an old English term for demon. Goblin appearance has been further shaped by both video- and boardgames, as well as various artists. They are universally smaller than humans, although the exact size varies, and often have large pointy ears (larger and more animalistic than elf ears) and either long, crooked and pointed noses or orc-esque noseless features.

The typical goblin stereotype is that of a savage warrior and raider that attacks villages and ambushes unwary travelers; being one-dimensionally evil, they can be (and are) killed without remorse in large numbers (unless you read Eberron, G:LTTE, or Terry Pratchett's Snuff). Another Goblin stereotype is that they are a race of unusually technologically advanced and ludicrously smart and cunning race on par if not better than [[Dwarves]] such as creating fantasy machine guns or an entire robot army such as those in Warcraft or Dungeon Siege. They act and move in smaller groups as they don't pose a large threat by themselves, and are commonly the first combat encounter for a young adventurer. Goblins tend to live in caves and gang up with orcs and similar races, to whom they are sometimes described as belonging to the same family or species. Their intelligence is usually fairly low, although among dumber and larger brutes will be the clever ones doing the "skilled" work while the bigger ones shout orders.

Because of the comedy potential, players have always liked being goblins, and they were one of the three most-popular races requested for an add-on to 5e as of a recent survey.

[[Goblinoid]]s include a vast array of species in D&D, ranging from obscurities like the stone-skinned [[Norker]]s and the "they heal when you hit them, die if you heal them" [[Nilbog]]s to mainstays like the more organized [[Hobgoblin]]s and the big, scary, pseudo-[[orcs]] called [[Bugbear]]s.

==In /tg/ Media==
In the [[Iron Kingdoms]] and [[Magic: The Gathering]] (sometimes), goblins have a penchant for technology and love to tinker with machinery (especially steampunk contraptions and the like), somewhat propagating the "mad scientist" archetype.

In [[Kings of War]] goblins are still a source of evil comic relief. They're often suggested to have been created by the [[Celestians (Kings of War)|Celestian]] Garkhan the Black after he finished creating the orcs with "whatever was left," although where exactly they came from is a mystery. They're still engineers as in many settings, but they tend to be very short-term thinking and don't like to test things before they use them.

In [[Eberron]], goblins are quite a bit different than their usual portrayal, described in the d&d section below

In [[Pathfinder]], they're stupid little freaks with all manner of strange quirks (good singing voices, fear horses and writing, like fire and pickles), sort of a cross between Gremlins and a baby-eating Stitch. They are also very funny and (somewhat) lovable, and even have their own comic series. Surprisingly, despite being described as naturally inclined towards a mixture of [[Chaotic Stupid]] (easily distractable to the point of stopping combat ''mid-swing'' to chase a frog or pick their nose) and [[Stupid Evil]] (love of torturing anything smaller than them) behaviors, they have no mental penalties. Pathfinder also has a goblin variant called the Monkey Goblin, which is even ''stupider'' than regular goblins, but much stronger and more agile, using a rat-like prehensile tail to aid it in a life in the trees.

In [[Malifaux]], they're noseless hillbillies with very few womanfolk called Gremlins complete with straw hats, jug bands, blunderbusses, and lots of pigs. Also come in an Asian variant.

==Tolkien Goblins==
Tolkien was not consistent on the relationship between goblins and orcs. Initially he said that "orc" was merely the halfling owrd for goblin. Later works said that goblins were a subtype of orc. later still works treated goblins and orcs like completely separate creatures. so take your pick.

Goblins and Orcs are given different backstories from Tolkien, although the most prominent one is they are the twisted forms of Elves tortured and beat into submission by Morgoth and Sauron. Other origins are being an Asian group of Elves stolen from their people and bred as slaves by Morgoth and Sauron, just being animals uplifted by M&S, fallen Maiar, men who were corrupted rather than Elves (or a mix of the two, with some interbreeding with humans as another possibility), or slimy rocks transformed by Morgoth's magic into living beings. Regardless, almost all were the backbone of Sauron's armies who have heavily industrialized and produce only ugly things that cause sickness (perhaps as a metaphor for wartime industry).

There are hints that not all Goblins and Orcs were evil, as a few passages indicate no race was wholly united for or against Morgoth; there are independent groups of Goblins in The Hobbit, and a few lines given indicate that Orcs will go to great lengths to avenge their fallen leaders, while in his notes he considered them a race capable of free-choice and thus not the "Always Chaotic Evil" that many modern works paint them to be.

<gallery>
Image:Tolkien Goblins.JPG|The most accepted origin of Goblins in the Middle Earth setting.
</gallery>

==Warhammer==
In early [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]], Goblins were merely a shorter variety of Orcs, which were greenskinned evil humanoids who sometimes bred with humans. In fact, Warhammer Fantasy was the very first depiction of Goblins and Orcs as green skinned, something that has since become a staple of the races in pop culture.

With the creation of [[Warhammer 40,000]], the Goblins became [[Grots]], also called Gretchin, who like the [[Orks]] were actually a type of fungus ape. Between their legs is only two bulging spore-sacs which burst upon death and grow into new Grots/Orks in the ground.

After 40k had massive success, this was ported back into Warhammer Fantasy and Goblins along with the Orcs became fungus men. [[Skub|some oldschool Warhammer fans have rejected this, and the term "Orcgina" can make many on /tg/ go into flashbacks about the arguments inspired between the oldfags and newfags on the subject.]]

In both settings, Goblins/Grots are smaller greenskins who are extremely vicious but extremely cowardly and refuse to attack something unless they outnumber it ten to one (preferably more). Against nonthreatening foes however they enjoy torturing them, and POWs are subjected to horribly slow deaths to the chittering amusement of the tiny greenskins.

In Warhammer Fantasy Goblins are independent of Orcs, many living in their own tribes. A few even have their own gods, like the [[Forest Goblins]] who worship the [[Spider-god]]. Despite this, many Goblins also join groups with Orcs either to bully the Orcs into doing the manual labor, or where they are bullied into doing the manual labor. While only the [[Black Orc]]s are capable of actually producing new goods or learning technical knowledge among the larger greenskins, Goblins produce many things from giant flying ships to chariots. Of particular note is the Night Goblins, master chemists who's biology is bizarre and alien in its fungus nature even to other greenskins.

In 40k, Grots have almost no freedom and are only found alongside their bigger kin. They're not the strongest, quickest, meanest, or anything-est compared to the Orks, except for being better shots and more kunnin', to the point of generally being brighter (though that's not saying much). In most cases they are at best assistants, at worst slaves and moving targets. The only exception is the [[Gretchin Revolutionary Committee]], although that...ended badly.

In both Warhammers all greenskins speak in a British Cockney accent, with heavy Chav mixed in for variation. Goblins were renamed to Grots in [[Age of Sigmar]].

<gallery>
Image:Bad Moon Goblins.png|Warhammer Fantasy Goblins of today.
Image:Goblin Airship.JPG|Warboss Beater Pan(ic)!
Image:Gretchinmob.jpg|Grots.
</gallery>

==D&D Goblins==
[[Dungeons & Dragons]] did not do anything particularly innovative with goblins. Instead, they are fairly close(ish) to their Tolkien roots - or, rather, to the simplified version of Tolkien's goblins; small, hateful, savage creatures that infest the unwanted corners of the world, constantly squabbling amongst themselves for power and occasionally spilling out to raid and terrorize the neighboring civilized lands when their numbers build up enough. Whilst Tolkien's goblins were actually quite inventive and adept at building things, since they were a combination of the two peoples that Tolkien most disliked (the Central soldiers he'd fought in WW1, and the industrialists he believed were destroying the countryside), D&D's goblins lack that trait due to [[Medieval Stasis]] - they're not as primitive as [[lizardfolk]], but are basically just tribal scavengers, in a stark contrast to goblins in other settings being the "chaotic and/or evil tinker race".

In fact, when you scratch the surface, D&D goblins may tap into the same "evil mook" basis as Tolkien's goblins, but actually are deliberately taken in different ways. Whilst originally D&D [[orc]]s & goblins are implied to have often worked together, and even interbreed, by the time of [[Planescape]] the two were actually bitter enemies - the two races share the same "heaven" of [[Acheron]], where they constantly war in an attempt to drive the other race to extinction. This even persisted into 3rd edition, when the orcs' changed racial alignment of Chaotic Evil meant they shouldn't have been going to Acheron in the first place. This stands in stark contrast both to Tolkien (who initially said that "orc" and "goblin" were words in two different languages for the same race) and to other popular settings, such as [[Warhammer Fantasy]] & [[Warcraft]], where goblins tend to be a strong racial ally to orcs.

Some sourcebooks, usually setting dependent, present a more nuanced portrayal of them and give them a deeper culture than that, but for the most part, D&D goblins are your standard generic cannon fodder evil mook race.
However, just like the [[orc]]s, goblins have a ''long'' history of being a potential PC race in [[Dungeons & Dragons]] - they've been playable in literally every single edition, with multiple incarnations in 3rd edition. The usual idea is to play them up as "spunky little troublemakers" - either a braver analogue to the [[halfling]] or a less annoying version of the [[gnome]]. And, for what it's worth, goblin PCs are actually generally quite liked. In fact, goblins were one of the player races most requested for a formal update into 5th edition PC races. Given the second season of [[Critical Role]] features a goblin PC as a main character, in the form of Nott (a self-loathing female who wants to become a [[halfling]]), and the fact that [[Pathfinder]] goblins have such an fandom that Pathfinder 2e promotes them to a corebook race, many are expecting 6e to feature playable goblins in the PHB, just like how 4e added the [[tiefling]] and the [[dragonborn]].

The biggest exception to goblins being generic evil baddies in d&d is the Eberron
setting, where they're given a nuanced portrayal, with a deep and sophisticated culture. In [[Eberron]], "goblin" is used to refer to bugbears, hobgoblins, and goblins. They are the descendants of the once mighty continent spanning Empire of Dhakaan that collapsed because of an invasion by the Daelkyr, masters of the plane of madness. The invasion was eventually beaten back by an alliance between the empire and the orc tribes called the Gatekeepers (badass men-in-black style druids who protect the world from lovecraftian horrors), but the empire fell afterwards. They're not the savages that you can kill guilt free in every other setting.
In the current day they are split up into three broad cultural groups (and a few splinter groups) - the smallest of the big three are The Heirs of Dhakaan, or Dhakaani, which are the badass super disciplined remanents of the empire who preserved their way of life after the empire collapsed by hiding underground or in secluded mountains and would like to bring goblins back to their previous heights. The various goblin races are all equal under the Dhakaani and share a eusocial bond like ants. They specialize in different tasks - the hobgoblins are administrators and soldiers (females are usually bards), goblins are workers, scouts and spies, and the bugbears are shock troopers and heavy laborers - but if you're better at a job outside your cultural role, the empire doesn't waste talent and puts you in that job.
Then you have the Ghaal'Dar, who made up the bulk of the descendants of the collapsed empire and had to deal with the fallout. Their culture degenerated into petty barbarian tribes with a might-makes-right mentality, their eusocial bond destroyed by the daelkyr. They are usually ruled by hobgoblins due to their superior ability to organize vs the other two subspecies. However, during the conflict known as The Last War they united and stole a chunk of land from the human kingdoms that they named Darguun. It's their "new goblin Homeland" and they're starting to rebuild their culture from there, but nobody thinks it will last. It's ruled by an alliance of clans with the leader, Lhesh Haruuc maintaining a delicate balance of power between them to maintain stability. He's tried to institute the rule of law and has been mostly successful, but a few clans (mostly in desolate areas where they can get away with it) only pay lip service. The country has been a success so far and their culture is slowly clawing it's way out of the dumps, but many are worried that when Haruuc dies it will all fall apart, so he is desperately looking for a competent successor.
The last major cultural group are the city goblins. They're the descendents of Ghaal'Dar goblinoids who weren't killed or fled when the humans conquered the continent, and were enslaved for a few thousand years. They're mostly lower g goblins, and were released from slavery about a thousand years before the current time. They're considered tax paying citizens and have all the rights (on paper) of human or Demi human citizens of the countries they live in. However, they tend to be poor and live as second class citizens in many places due to racism and lack of opportunities. The majority of them are loyal to their country of birth and consider themselves regular citizens, and they often dislike the Ghaal'Dar for commiting war crimes during the Last War and giving goblins a bad name. Most of the ones who were sympathetic to Ghaal'Dar moved to Darguun.
Goblins (like 99% of races in this setting) are not naturally evil in Eberron, they have the same range of alignments as every other sentient race. For cultural reasons they do tend towards being lawful neutral, but only slightly.

As a somewhat curious aside, D&D goblins are yellow (mostly) compared to the more usual goblin color of green. These even survived after the popularization of green Goblins in many other fantasy settings, most prominently the aforementioned Warhammer Fantasy and Warcraft. A few settings sometimes portray them as shades of grey, or the previously mentioned colors with a grey tint. They're even portrayed as red in some artwork.

The D&D goblin has a ''huge'' family tree, to the point they even coined their own racial name; "[[goblinoid]]". The two most prominent goblin-kin are the [[bugbear]]s - large, hairy, brutish goblins that, arguably, are D&D's attempt to maintain the orcy archetype without making orcs & goblins officially related - and the [[hobgoblin]]s, who are literally Tolkien's uruk-hai.

===Basic Stats===
Goblin PCs first appeared, alongside many other "classic humanoids", as PCs in the Known World Gazetteer #10: The Orcs of Thar. Under the Basic system, they had the following crunch:

::Racial Ability Modifiers: -3 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution
::Racial Ability Restrictions: Intelligence 16, Wisdom 16, when dealing with [[demihuman]]s and [[human]]s, divide the goblin's Charisma by 3 (round down) and subtract the result from 9 to determine effective Charisma
::Natural Armor Class: 8

The goblin racial experience level reads as follows:
::0: 0 XP, HD D8-1
::1: 800 XP, HD 2d8-2
::2: 1,600 XP, HD 3d8-3
::3: 3,200 XP, HD -
::4: 6,400 XP, HD 4d8-4
::5: 13,000 XP, HD 5d8-5
::6: 26,000 XP, HD 6d8-6
::7: 55,000 XP, HD -
::8: 110,000 XP, HD 7d8-5
::9: 220,000 XP, +2 HP

For subsequent levels, 160,000 XP is required and the goblin gains +2 hit points.

===AD&D Stats===
Having appeared in Orcs of Thar, naturally, goblins went on to appear in [[The Complete Book of|The Complete Book of Humanoids]]:

::Ability Score Modifiers: -1 Strength, -1 Charisma
::Ability Score Range: Strength 4/15, Dexterity 4/17, Constitution 5/16, Intelligence 3/18, Wisdom 3/18, Charisma 3/12
::Class Restrictions: [[Fighter]] 10, [[Cleric]] 9, Shaman 7, Witch Doctor 7, [[Thief]] 12
::Infravision 60 feet
::Can detect new or unusual constructions in an underground area with a 25% chance of success (1-2 on a d8).
::Goblin shamans have access to the Spheres of Divination, Reversed Healing, Protection and Reversed Sun.
::-1 Penalty to their attack rolls when in bright sunshine
::Monstrous Traits: Appearance (-2 to to reaction rolls), Bestial Habits (-2 to reaction rolls)
::Weapon Proficiencies: Axe, Military Pick, Morning Star Sling, Short Sword, Spear
::Nonweapon Proficiencies: Alertness, Animal Handling, Animal Training (Worg), Begging, Chanting, Close-Quarter Fighting, Fast-Talking, Fortune Telling, Hiding, Hunting, Information Gathering, Looting, Mining, Religion, Riding (Worg), Set Snares

===3e Stats===
In 3rd edition, goblins appeared three times; first in the [[Monster Manual]] 1, and in the [[Races of X|Races of]] [[Dragonlance|Ansalon]] and [[Forgotten Realms|Faerun]] sourcebooks. However, its statblock was repeated in all three sourcebooks; the only change was that, as Races of Ansalon came out for 3.5 and the other two came out for 3.0, it was the only one to give them the Humanoid (Goblinoid) racial typing:

::-2 Strenth, +2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma
::Small
::Humanoid ([[Goblinoid]])
::Base speed 30 feet
::Darkvision 60 feet
::+4 racial bonus on Move Silently and Ride checks
::[[Favored Class]]: [[Rogue]]

===4e Stats===
Like in 3e, the goblin appeared as a PC class in the [[Monster Manual]] for 4th edition. However, like all such races in 4e, its statblok there was...serviceable, but underwhelming. However, one of the last sourcebooks of that edition to be published, "The Dungeon Survival Handbook", brought them back as an official race, and boy were they beefy!

::+2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom OR +2 Charisma
::Small
::Speed 6 squares
::Low-light vision
::+2 Bluff, +2 Stealth
::Goblin Reflexes: +1 to Reflex defense.
::Racial Power - Goblin Tactics: At will, as an immediate reaction to being missed by an enemy melee attack, you can shift 1 square.

The biggest boost that the DSHb gave, besides the flexible mental ability score boost, was a selection of racial feats and racial utility powers, both of which really strengthened the goblin's mechanics and thematics.

''Goblin Racial Feats:''
* Ankle Biter: +1 feat bonus per tier to damage rolls vs. creatures larger than you, +1d6 damage on critical hits against creatures larger than you.
* Desperate Goblin Tactics: When bloodied, Goblin Tactics lets you shift 3 squares.
* Goblin Feint: When you use Goblin Tactics, you gain Combat Advantage against the triggering enemy until the end of your next turn.
* Shadowcreeper: Requires [[Assassin]] class. When you use Goblin Tactics, you shift 2 squares and gain Partial Concealment until the end of your next turn.
* Sneaky Stabber: Requires [[Rogue]] class. When you deal Sneak Attack damage to an adjacent foe, reroll any damage rolls of 1 until you get a result higher than 1.
* Wrist Biter: When you use Goblin Tactics, the triggering enemy takes 1d4 damage per your character's tier before you shift.

''Goblin Racial Utility Powers:''
* Fast Filch: At-will. When adjacent to a creature granting combat advantage, as a minor action, you can make a Thievery check to pick its pocket or perform sleight of hand. Level 2.
* Leg Up: Encounter. When adjacent to a creature, as a move action, you can jump your speed horizontally or up to 10 feet vertically. Level 2.
* Little Green Lie: Encounter. If you fail a Bluff, Diplomacy or Intimidate check, you can re-roll the check as a free action. If it was a Diplomacy or Intimidate check, you can use your Bluff modifier instead. Level 2.
* Living Shield: Encounter. If you are hit by an enemy melee or ranged attack whilst adjacent to an ally, as an immediate interrupt, you can shift 1 square and transfer the hit to that ally. Level 6.
* Unwitting Guardian: Encounter. When adjacent to a Medium or larger creature, as a move action, you can can shift 1 square to enter the target's space, occupying it until the end of your next turn and being hidden from all creatures except the target. Level 6.
* Down and Through: Encounter. As a move action, choose a Medium or larger enemy adjacent to you and shift up to 5 squares to a different square adjacent to that creature; you can move through its space during this shift. Level 10.

===5e Stats===
Finally, goblins appeared as a PC race in 5th edition's Volo's Guide to Monsters. Like their fellow [[goblinoid]]s, the [[kobold]], the [[orc]] and the [[Yuan-ti]], they were officially described as "unbalanced", which has earned a lot of fan flak, as this is literally an open invitation for more close-minded DMs to refuse goblin PCs - goblin fans are still hoping that WotC will eventually put out a splatbook with a "more official" and/or balanced version of goblin PC stats. Ironically, they were better off than the poor kobold.

::+2 Dexterity, +1 Constitution
::Small
::Speed 30 feet
::Darkvision 60 feet
::Fury of the Small: Once per short or long rest, when you inflict damage with an attack or spell on a creature larger than you, inflict bonus damage equal to your level.
::Nimble Escape: You can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of your turns.

===[[Half-Goblin]]s?===
Given the strong connections between goblins and [[orc]]s in some settings, particularly in [[Dungeons & Dragons]]' older editions, and the existence of [[half-orc]]s, one may ask if there's ever been any love give to half-goblins? Well, ironically, not really; though [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]] claimed that [[goblinoid]]s interbred with each other and with orcs all the time, that fluff was lost after the change to 3rd edition, which wanted to try and make the two races distinct. As for goblin/human crossbreeding? Forget about it; they barely gave half-orcs any love, so you can imagine they'd be less than interested in half-goblins.

Except... there was one setting where [[goblinoid]]s took the place of orcs. In the [[Dragonlance]] setting, orcs don't exist, being replaced by goblins and [[draconian]]s, and so the half-goblin appeared there in 3.5's Races of Ansalon sourcebook. Surprisingly, they're known for both being very self-confident and assured (in fact, their Charisma penalty is described as stemming from coming across as ''too'' confident, making them seem overbearing or aggressive), in contrast to the propensity for wangsting endemic to half-orcs and half-elves in other settings, very brave (in contrast to the traditional goblin cowardice) and with a drive to be peacemakers and diplomats, rather like half-elves. Essentially, rather than bitching about being rejected by both worlds (human and goblin) or about the lack of a "true" half-goblin culture, half-goblins are near-universally driven to try and force the world to shape up and make a culture for them, by bringing goblins and humans to work together in peace. Which is actually kind of badass, and certainly a change from the norms for half-breeds. In essence, they're said to combine human ambition and drive with goblin ferocity and mob mentality.

Half-goblins are described as looking more or less like human-sized goblins; half-bugbears might be particularly hairy, and half-"common" goblins shorter than average, but still within the human stature. Although this stature can lead to them being mistaken for [[hobgoblin]]s, they apparently lack quite as many fangs and have more human-like eyes, which makes the difference obvious enough at a closer look.

::+2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma
::Humanoid (Goblinoid)
::Medium
::Base speed 30 feet
::Darkvision 60 feet
::+2 racial bonus on Bluff and Move Silently
::+4 racial bonus on Will saving throws to resist Charm, Compulsion and Fear effects.
::Favored Class: Any

==[[Warcraft]]==
Goblins are a staple race in the Warcraft franchise. They have green skin, are very short, have long and strong fingers, long noses, large pointy ears, and sharp teeth.

In Warcraft 2, when the game expanded to more than just Humans, Orcs, Ogres, and Demons, Goblins were first mentioned. They were small mechanically-inclinded lunatics who invented great devices and were god-tier chemists. They offered their services to the Horde since it gave them more opportunities to wreak havoc and the races that would come to be those of the Alliance had ignored them for their entire history.
The Goblins mainly performed recon and VIP transport for the Horde via their Zeppelins, demolitions in the form of suicide Sapper squads, the invention of airtight missile-launching capsules that were tied to the backs of giant turtles to use as submarines, and finally experimenting on their Forest Troll allies to transform them into giant Berserkers. In secret they also helped the resident Sauron, an insane evil dragon named Deathwing, in his various endeavors. Goblins were described as insane, sadistic, and greedy for gold.

In Warcraft 3, Goblins became a neutral group. It was revealed only a small portion of the Goblin race actually worked with the Horde, while the others have always provided their services to anyone with gold to spend and after the fall of the first Horde they have enforced that their own race remain entirely neutral to all factions. They did little of importance other than provide transportation for the various power players in this time.
When the second Horde was building their capital of Durotar, a small number of Goblins lead by world famous Gazlowe provided them with fair deals (which is itself a big deal for their race) for Goblin services including demolition.

In vanilla World of Warcraft, Goblin lore expanded even further; a small number of Goblins were seen in the Alliance, some among the Horde, while it was revealed almost the entirety of their race dwell on an island called Kezan which has a massive underground city called the Undermine. The Cartels run Kezan, the most powerful of which is the Steamwheedle Cartel which performs the basic services offered in Warcraft 3. They maintain a few cities around the world including Ratchet (Gazlowe's city nearby Durotar), Booty Bay (a port which services anyone who reaches it, mainly pirates although they are just as much at threat from pirate attack), Gadgetzan (a desert city of scum and villainy, plus a small gladiatorial arena), and Everlook (a town high in the mountains of Kalimdor near by ancient magical Elf ruins).

Goblins have a racial rivalry with the other mechanically minded race, [[Gnomes]], although hostility varies from giant robot wars to having a giant racetrack where they see which race can build the best vehicles to next-door neighbors who collaborate with each other on inventions and take any opportunity to try and make the other admit their philosophy is better.

In general, the Goblin philosophy is "Chemicals, 50% chance of explosion is acceptable, make it fast so it makes money!" while the Gnomish philosophy is "Magic and radiation, take your time and spend decades if need be, 10% chance of turning yourself into a chicken or a different color is acceptable, make it for the love of knowledge and invention".

In Cataclysm, Goblins recieved a MAJOR update as they became a player race. One of the cartels which was one of the weaker ones (having their section of Kezan entirely on the surface, mainly producing pop culture, cars, sports, and edibles) joined the Horde after Deathwing set their portion of Kezan on fire (since in the middle of a not-football game a ball was kicked and hit him). Their trade prince sold the entire Cartel into slavery after charging them all their possessions for supposedly safe passage off the island, and the ships were caught in a naval battle between the Horde and Alliance. After conquering the island, they then joined the Horde which was in the middle of becoming a fascist genocidal dictatorship again thanks to shit leaders (also, their trade prince got to keep his job despite the mess he caused). They quickly upgraded the Horde from catapults to giant robots and from bow and arrow to machineguns, then created their own new capital by completely renovating a huge chunk of the continent into the symbol of the Horde complete with a Mount Rushmore of their racial leader.
During the Kezan levels it was also revealed that Goblins have become multicultural, taking on things previously alien to them like worship of the light and shamanism (although the former is seen as a combination of medic and television evangelism, while the latter is perceived as cutting deals with nature). Kezan is very modern and has television, pop stars, sunglasses, champagne, fancy cars, neon lights, not-Chinese food, electricity and lightbulbs, and many other conveniences not seen elsewhere in the rest of the Renaissance setting outside the homeland of the Gnomes.

Goblin origins were also explained. In ancient times, Goblins were an semi-intelligent race of monkey which was enslaved by Island Trolls and forced to mine a substance called Kajamite. Kajamite has a side-effect of causing a huge boost to intelligence (although not coherent thought) in anyone who imbibes it, and one day the Troll slavemasters entered the mines to whip their tiny laborers and were disintegrated with laser beams. Since then, the Goblins have mined Kajamite and used it as an ingredient in ingestibles of all kinds (including "Kaja-cola") although their supply was beginning to run out, and there was fear they may regress back to being mere monkeys without it. Like most Cataclysm plots, this was never brought up again although there was hints that with the Kaja-cola that was left everywhere they go that monkeys drinking it have begun becoming intelligent as well.

Goblins in Warcraft 2 had extremely squeaky, high-pitched voices and tended to babble or shriek. In Warcraft 3 the shrillness of the voice was lessened, and they became more calm and coherent. The Goblins in World of Warcraft still have a voice that is higher-pitched than a human, although only slightly more for males while gaining something of an American Brooklyn accent. The non-Bilgewater Goblins still speak in their Brooklyn accent or a general American accent, Bilgewater Goblins speak like they're from New Jersey both in accent and expression.

<gallery>
Image:GoblinZeppelin.png|A Goblin Zeppelin pilot in Warcraft 2.
Image:GoblinSappers 2.jpg|Goblin Sappers in Warcraft 2.
Image:Goblin Sappers.jpg|Warcraft 3 Goblin Sappers.
Image:Goblin Tinker WX.png|Warcraft 3 Goblin Tinker.
Image:WoW Goblin Fem.jpg|World of Warcraft female Goblin player characters.
Image:Warcraft Goblin Player Male.jpg|World of Warcraft male Goblin player characters.
Image:GOBLINS AND GNOMES.jpg|Goblin/Gnome rivalry.
Image:Kezan.png|The Bilgewater portion of Kezan.
Image:Goblin Easter.png|Goblins are into holidays in a big way, either as a business conspiracy or over-enthusiasm.
Image:Goblin femSapper.jpg
</gallery>

==[[Goblin Slayer]]==
[[skarsnik|The said goblin in this manga while being a weak, tiny and barbaric humanoid is capable of many unorthodox tactics and teamwork that they could outplay and murder low level adventurers numerous times, whom the said adventurers underestimate the cunning goblins]]. They are barbaric primitives so they have to loot tool. However, they are capable of some degree of intelligence, like using signs like totems to create distractions as well as cover their weapons with urine and poisonous herbs to not only prevent adventurers from healing themselves, but also mark them with scents for goblins have an acute sense of smell. While they use mercenaries and pets such as wolves and orcs to further boost their effectiveness, the biggest contributors of their horde are their red shirt goblin goons, who are weak, small, but expendable and effective while attacking in groups. The horde is often led by a goblin mage that is capable of casting spells like fireball.

Oh, and this being Japan, they're sadists native to the moon and rape to reproduce. What the hell else would you read this shit for?

==Goblins (The Webcomic)==
{{/co/}}
[[File:Webcomic Goblins.jpg|thumb|right|400px|"This is the arc that will not end, it will go on and on my friend..."]]
Goblins are the stars of a webcomic called [http://www.goblinscomic.org/ Goblins] created by a man known as "Thunt" (real name Tarol Hunt) in 2005, which claims that #GoblinLivesMatter and all the bad stuff comes from evil clans but most monsters are totally bros and it's all just a misunderstanding or a result of the ignorant sadistic humans, with those of the monster who ARE bad only being a product of human oppression.

Even so, only half of the arcs even have goblin protagonists - the other focuses on two adventurers, the, well, min/maxed human named Minmax and his dwarf cleric partner Forgath. Originally they were in an adventuring party (back when the comic was actually still a parody of an RPG world, complete with characters confusing the first person and meta as well as the cleric praying to the DM) who were at first all [[Drizzt]] clones then a bad weeaboo crew although the joke of the characters all dying at the same time due to their incompetence shortly after being rolled was dropped after the second time, and the parody plot was entirely dropped later on as well.

The supposed main characters are a group of goblins who were supposed to be just your average quick skirmish that was guarding a treasure chest full of magic gear they weren't allowed to open for reasons none of them knew. After surviving the attack by Minmax, Forgath, and their idiot friends that suffered a TPK, the Goblins decided to commit the ultimate act of heresy against their race and become player characters by adopting classes.

Then the story starts getting convoluted, going through a human city that is mostly just built on torture-killing monster races, having Minmax and Forgath go on a subplot that involved a Yuan-Ti that lead into a seemingly unending dungeon arc involving parallel realities before a misunderstanding forced the two characters to separate with her, while at the same time the Goblin group attempted to escape from a paladin who has taken the Lawful Good definition into "an omnicidal maniac who enslaves the souls of those he has killed while maintaining a personality straight out of a [[Warhammer 40000]] fanfic". While having side stories involving ANOTHER insanely complex dungeon. While a third group, made up of one of the Goblins plus an evil Goblin who's really tragically misunderstood product of her situation going through ANOTHER unending dungeon.

The common points that are inevitably mentioned on /tg/ when Goblins is brought up are both the lack of an improvement of art over the course of the comics decade of history and the meme "IMSAD", the latter of which is a good summary of most of the plot of the comic. After a small breakdown caused by backlash from [[SJW]] fans taking issue with the torture-rapist ex-adventurer governor villain, [http://www.goblinscomic.org/kins-story-is-kind-of-true/ the creator revealed that the reason the villains are written so absolutely edgetastically hammy in their evil is he was using the comic to work through some emotional trauma caused when some men raped his mother before he was born and the story of it scarred him.] He also later revealed he had a history of domestic abuse. Somehow he thought this would make things better.

Thunt is currently supported exclusively through the webcomic, which goes on hiatus from time to time.

Recently Thunt has been working on turning his comic into an animated series which he funded on Indiegogo. Somehow, he managed to get several famous voice actors on the project.

<gallery>
Image:Webcomic Goblins IMSAD.gif|Congratulations, you now know the basic plot.
Image:IMSAD 2.jpg
Image:Webcomic Goblins Page.jpg|An actual page, from when it was still a parody.
Image:Webcomic Goblins Thunt Goes Bananas.jpg|A piece Thunt made during his breakdown. Feel free to insert your own reference to [[Chaos]] corruption here.
Image:4chan on Goblins.png|tl;dr
</gallery>

==Monstergirl Depictions==
{{Monstergirls}}
Traditionally, the idea of goblins being [[monstergirls]] was something of a niche, at best; most thought of them as just hideous, stupid, filthy little monsters - who would want to put their dicks in that?

Ironically, it was [[Warcraft]] that probably first sowed the seeds of female goblins being fuggable; whilst the attractiveness of female goblins in that game is contentious, people must admit that they were better-looking than the tumor-riddled, snaggle-toothed, scarred abominations that make up the canon depictions of most goblins prior to that. They were certainly attractive enough to start scoring [[Rule 34]] artwork, and this became a revelation to fa/tg/uys: that goblin-girls did ''not'' have to be fugly!

From there, goblin-girls became an underground sensation, slowly developing and evolving in the steamier underbelly of /tg/ and on /d/ (or at least its "western counterpart" /aco/) until they have become as mainstream in the /tg/ fandom as any monstergirl has a chance of being.

Because goblins vary so widely in their depictions, it shouldn't be surprising that goblin-girls likewise have been a particularly fertile ground for interpretations. There are five "mainstream" depictions of the goblin-as-monstergirl you will probably encounter on /tg/, and many different sub-forms and cross-pollinations. All depend on which of various "goblin aspects" that a creator deigns to focus on; short-sighted hedonism, tinker skills, mischievousness, raw sexual appetites, and fertility:

* The "Pervy Tinker" archetype directly traces its roots back to Warcraft's Rule 34'd goblins: this envisions goblins as a "techy" race with a strong lewd streak, leading to them focusing their mad science skills on coming up with newer and more deviant ways of getting off. Depending on the fundamental tech level of the setting and the creator's own tastes, this can range from aphrodisiac gas grenades and automated dildos to [[golem]]s built as living sex engines and bimbofying/transforming [[magitek]] rayguns. Rule 34 interpretations of World of Warcraft lore can be counted as this, as well as rare goblins in Corruption of Champions that are mentally stable enough hold their panties on.
* The "Shameless Slut" archetype likewise has its roots in Warcraft goblins, vis a vis their canonical obsession with money, but is perhaps one of the more widely known "generic" archetypes as well. These goblins are hedonists who take a great deal of pride in their libido and their love of pleasure, integrating with the other races and usually gravitating towards roles based on "entertaining", from barmaids to outright prostitutes. In fact, they are often depicted as actively enjoying whoring themselves out, as it ensures a steady stream of partners and profit, whilst sating their perverse and degrading sexual desires. These goblin-girls are often size-queens, specifically choosing partners based on the stature of their masculine organs. The adult comic artist Incase is focused on this one, and might as well started it with his drawings.
* The "Mischief Maker" archetype is the most innocent of the archetypes, portraying goblins as just playful, fun-loving hedonists whose greatest aims in life are pranking, partying and making love, not necessarily in that order.
* The "Savage Slut" archetype is perhaps the oldest of the archetypes, for it owes its origins to the original interchangeability of goblin and [[orc]]. These goblins are basically sexy "savages", wild and primal little monstergirls who live a primitive lifestyle centered on hunting, playing, and of course capturing & having sex with men. Essentially, this depicts goblins as [[shortstack]] or [[loli|"a loophole for masturbating to underage children"]] orcs. Kenkou Cross' Monster Girl Encyclopedia is focused on that.
* The "Breederphile" archetype is, in comparison, probably the youngest of archetypes. These goblins are defined by their racial pregnancy fetishism, and by having bodies almost literally built to breed. Being impregnated is intensely orgasmic, pregnancy either fills them with ecstasy, makes them incredibly horny, or both, birth is a series of some of the most intense orgasms in their lives, and social standing often revolves around how many daughters they have to boss around. This archetype does make some sense if you think about it: after all as a 'cannon fodder' species for PC, where do all the Goblins come from? Corruption of Champions might as well started this archetype.

More recently, moreso than even the Breederphile, a variant of goblin-girl portrayal native to [[Urban Fantasy]] settings has come to /tg/'s attention from our [[shortstack]] fetishising kinsfolk on /aco/. Combining parts of the "Shameless Slut" and "Breederphile" stereotypes, paired with some occasionally-awkward racial coding, the so-called "Ghetto Goblin" tends to be used as an less-racially-offensive imitation of the "hot-blooded Latina" or "Ghetto Black Girl" racial stereotype, in that they are sexually open, tend toward foul language and fiery tempers when angry and lewd vocalizing or body-language when aroused or teasing others, and frequently dress provocatively. While breeding for the Ghetto Goblin isn't usually as erotic as with the Breederphile, the social status of the Ghettoblin is often measured by how many offspring they have, how often they have sex, and how early they first had sex. They arouse easily, to the point that human men in their stories often need to talk Ghetto Goblins out of outright molesting them openly in public.

Whilst these archetypes are certainly well known, there are also two specific depictions of goblin monstergirls that have achieved enough recognition to be recognizable by name; the MGE Goblin and the CoC Goblin.

The [[Monster Girl Encyclopedia]] depiction of the goblin is essentially a mashup of the Mischief Maker and the Savage Slut archetypes. These primitive mamono live in tribal clusters, entertaining themselves by playing pranks on each other or the races around them, hunting game, and conducting banditry for fun, profit and boyfriends. In appearance, they resemble pointy-eared human [[loli]]s with horns and superhuman strength, allowing them to fight with weapons that only a strong human man would normally have a chance of lifting. Simple-minded and carefree, they have no intention of giving up the lifestyle they so enjoy.

The CoC Goblin takes its name from Corruption of Champions, a [[/d/|hentai]] fantasy text adventure game that was popular on /tg/ for a while, before the fact that [[furries]] are much more willing to put money where mouth is when it comes to getting fetishistic shit done led to the inevitable flooding of the game with [[beastfolk]] waifus and encounters and /tg/ promptly banished it. Still, before it went under, it had a significant impact on the goblin-girl arena: CoC may not have created the idea of the Breederphile archetype, but it certainly brought it to the attention of what passes for /tg/ mainstream. CoC's goblins are Breederphiles who became a pregnancy-obsessed all-female race due to corruption of their water supply. Once a brilliant race of alchemists and inventors, they have since devolved into a Savage Slut culture, living in crude tribes based on a massively curvy matriarch, her husband(s), and as many daughters as she can make who are willing to stick around - whilst goblins are fiercely competitive with each other, there is also safety in numbers, keeping them from being eaten by [[hellhound]]s or raped/beaten to death by [[minotaur]]s. Such clans are often notably inbred, for their corruption means they have little sense of objection to incest, with only the matriarch's jealous possessiveness in regards her husband keeping her daughters at bay. They're also examples of the Pervy Tinker archetype, using what remains of their former knack for invention to create sex toys and perverse alchemical concoctions for use in subduing husbands and molding them to their liking.

<gallery>
Image:Cute_Goblin_Adventurer.jpg
Image:Goblin_Dancer.jpg
Image:Goblin_Adventurer_1.png
Image:Goblin_Bar_Wench.png
Image:Goblin_Monk_1.jpg
Image:Goblin_Shamaness_1.jpg
Image:Goblin_Shamaness_2.jpg
File:MGE Goblin.jpg
</gallery>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:Sneaky Goblin.gif
Image:Goblin Knight.JPG|A more "player character" variety.
Image:GreenGoblin3.jpg|Most goblins tend to [[Alchemist|throw pumpkin bombs]] and use flying crafts to annoy [[/co/|superheroes]].
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Unified Setting/Goblins]] Yet another take on a classic concept.
* [[Goblin Slayer]], a man with a serious beef against goblins.
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqx4ywmqYUw The most common reaction to Goblins]

{{D&D1e-Races}}
{{D&D2e-Races}}
{{D&D4e-Races}}
{{D&D5e-Races}}
{{Pathfinder-Races}}

[[Category:Kings of War]][[Category:Monsters]]

Goblin

2018-10-03T22:21:07Z

2001:4930:48:53:74F5:A50F:5E59:AF37: /* D&D Goblins */ the WWI "bad guys" were called the central powers (I put bad guys in quote marks because neither side was really fighting FOR anything), The "Axis" powers refers to the bad guys of the second war.

[[File:Path Gob Rat.PNG|thumb|right|300px|Brushy brushy.]]
'''Goblins''' are mythological creatures of unclear origin and contradicting descriptions. They are small humanoids of a mischievous nature, possibly belonging to the fey family (along with creatures such as redcaps, brownies, leprechauns, kobolds, etc).

The origin of the word "Goblin" can be traced back to the British "Gobelinus" which was the name of a demon that once caused trouble in Normandy. It has been theorized the term began with [[Kobold]], which was a German Fey spirit whose origins can be traced to one of a variety of earlier myths based in Paganism from various other culture. Kobolds also gave their name to cobalt, due to the fact that new advances in mining in Germany during the middle ages allowed access to large amounts of cobalt ore, although the mining was very dangerous and they had no idea how to smelt the metal so as a result the numerous mine collapses as well as the "theft of the ore, with only poison and ash left behind" were blamed on Kobolds. Either way, Goblin myths often involve mischief, mining, and chemistry.

In modern fantasy, the term "Goblin" has been very much determined by the Tolkienian use of the word - as in a species of humanoids in service to evil, with the "Orcs" being another word for the same thing, with Tolkien claiming the etymology for that word being an old English term for demon. Goblin appearance has been further shaped by both video- and boardgames, as well as various artists. They are universally smaller than humans, although the exact size varies, and often have large pointy ears (larger and more animalistic than elf ears) and either long, crooked and pointed noses or orc-esque noseless features.

The typical goblin stereotype is that of a savage warrior and raider that attacks villages and ambushes unwary travelers; being one-dimensionally evil, they can be (and are) killed without remorse in large numbers (unless you read Eberron, G:LTTE, or Terry Pratchett's Snuff). Another Goblin stereotype is that they are a race of unusually technologically advanced and ludicrously smart and cunning race on par if not better than [[Dwarves]] such as creating fantasy machine guns or an entire robot army such as those in Warcraft or Dungeon Siege. They act and move in smaller groups as they don't pose a large threat by themselves, and are commonly the first combat encounter for a young adventurer. Goblins tend to live in caves and gang up with orcs and similar races, to whom they are sometimes described as belonging to the same family or species. Their intelligence is usually fairly low, although among dumber and larger brutes will be the clever ones doing the "skilled" work while the bigger ones shout orders.

Because of the comedy potential, players have always liked being goblins, and they were one of the three most-popular races requested for an add-on to 5e as of a recent survey.

[[Goblinoid]]s include a vast array of species in D&D, ranging from obscurities like the stone-skinned [[Norker]]s and the "they heal when you hit them, die if you heal them" [[Nilbog]]s to mainstays like the more organized [[Hobgoblin]]s and the big, scary, pseudo-[[orcs]] called [[Bugbear]]s.

==In /tg/ Media==
In the [[Iron Kingdoms]] and [[Magic: The Gathering]] (sometimes), goblins have a penchant for technology and love to tinker with machinery (especially steampunk contraptions and the like), somewhat propagating the "mad scientist" archetype.

In [[Kings of War]] goblins are still a source of evil comic relief. They're often suggested to have been created by the [[Celestians (Kings of War)|Celestian]] Garkhan the Black after he finished creating the orcs with "whatever was left," although where exactly they came from is a mystery. They're still engineers as in many settings, but they tend to be very short-term thinking and don't like to test things before they use them.

In [[Eberron]], goblins are quite a bit different than their usual portrayal, described in the d&d section below

In [[Pathfinder]], they're stupid little freaks with all manner of strange quirks (good singing voices, fear horses and writing, like fire and pickles), sort of a cross between Gremlins and a baby-eating Stitch. They are also very funny and (somewhat) lovable, and even have their own comic series. Surprisingly, despite being described as naturally inclined towards a mixture of [[Chaotic Stupid]] (easily distractable to the point of stopping combat ''mid-swing'' to chase a frog or pick their nose) and [[Stupid Evil]] (love of torturing anything smaller than them) behaviors, they have no mental penalties. Pathfinder also has a goblin variant called the Monkey Goblin, which is even ''stupider'' than regular goblins, but much stronger and more agile, using a rat-like prehensile tail to aid it in a life in the trees.

In [[Malifaux]], they're noseless hillbillies with very few womanfolk called Gremlins complete with straw hats, jug bands, blunderbusses, and lots of pigs. Also come in an Asian variant.

==Tolkien Goblins==
Tolkien was not consistent on the relationship between goblins and orcs. Initially he said that "orc" was merely the halfling owrd for goblin. Later works said that goblins were a subtype of orc. later still works treated goblins and orcs like completely separate creatures. so take your pick.

Goblins and Orcs are given different backstories from Tolkien, although the most prominent one is they are the twisted forms of Elves tortured and beat into submission by Morgoth and Sauron. Other origins are being an Asian group of Elves stolen from their people and bred as slaves by Morgoth and Sauron, just being animals uplifted by M&S, fallen Maiar, men who were corrupted rather than Elves (or a mix of the two, with some interbreeding with humans as another possibility), or slimy rocks transformed by Morgoth's magic into living beings. Regardless, almost all were the backbone of Sauron's armies who have heavily industrialized and produce only ugly things that cause sickness (perhaps as a metaphor for wartime industry).

There are hints that not all Goblins and Orcs were evil, as a few passages indicate no race was wholly united for or against Morgoth; there are independent groups of Goblins in The Hobbit, and a few lines given indicate that Orcs will go to great lengths to avenge their fallen leaders, while in his notes he considered them a race capable of free-choice and thus not the "Always Chaotic Evil" that many modern works paint them to be.

<gallery>
Image:Tolkien Goblins.JPG|The most accepted origin of Goblins in the Middle Earth setting.
</gallery>

==Warhammer==
In early [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]], Goblins were merely a shorter variety of Orcs, which were greenskinned evil humanoids who sometimes bred with humans. In fact, Warhammer Fantasy was the very first depiction of Goblins and Orcs as green skinned, something that has since become a staple of the races in pop culture.

With the creation of [[Warhammer 40,000]], the Goblins became [[Grots]], also called Gretchin, who like the [[Orks]] were actually a type of fungus ape. Between their legs is only two bulging spore-sacs which burst upon death and grow into new Grots/Orks in the ground.

After 40k had massive success, this was ported back into Warhammer Fantasy and Goblins along with the Orcs became fungus men. [[Skub|some oldschool Warhammer fans have rejected this, and the term "Orcgina" can make many on /tg/ go into flashbacks about the arguments inspired between the oldfags and newfags on the subject.]]

In both settings, Goblins/Grots are smaller greenskins who are extremely vicious but extremely cowardly and refuse to attack something unless they outnumber it ten to one (preferably more). Against nonthreatening foes however they enjoy torturing them, and POWs are subjected to horribly slow deaths to the chittering amusement of the tiny greenskins.

In Warhammer Fantasy Goblins are independent of Orcs, many living in their own tribes. A few even have their own gods, like the [[Forest Goblins]] who worship the [[Spider-god]]. Despite this, many Goblins also join groups with Orcs either to bully the Orcs into doing the manual labor, or where they are bullied into doing the manual labor. While only the [[Black Orc]]s are capable of actually producing new goods or learning technical knowledge among the larger greenskins, Goblins produce many things from giant flying ships to chariots. Of particular note is the Night Goblins, master chemists who's biology is bizarre and alien in its fungus nature even to other greenskins.

In 40k, Grots have almost no freedom and are only found alongside their bigger kin. They're not the strongest, quickest, meanest, or anything-est compared to the Orks, except for being better shots and more kunnin', to the point of generally being brighter (though that's not saying much). In most cases they are at best assistants, at worst slaves and moving targets. The only exception is the [[Gretchin Revolutionary Committee]], although that...ended badly.

In both Warhammers all greenskins speak in a British Cockney accent, with heavy Chav mixed in for variation. Goblins were renamed to Grots in [[Age of Sigmar]].

<gallery>
Image:Bad Moon Goblins.png|Warhammer Fantasy Goblins of today.
Image:Goblin Airship.JPG|Warboss Beater Pan(ic)!
Image:Gretchinmob.jpg|Grots.
</gallery>

==D&D Goblins==
[[Dungeons & Dragons]] did not do anything particularly innovative with goblins. Instead, they are fairly close(ish) to their Tolkien roots - or, rather, to the simplified version of Tolkien's goblins; small, hateful, savage creatures that infest the unwanted corners of the world, constantly squabbling amongst themselves for power and occasionally spilling out to raid and terrorize the neighboring civilized lands when their numbers build up enough. Whilst Tolkien's goblins were actually quite inventive and adept at building things, since they were a combination of the two peoples that Tolkien most disliked (the Central soldiers he'd fought in WW1, and the industrialists he believed were destroying the countryside), D&D's goblins lack that trait due to [[Medieval Stasis]] - they're not as primitive as [[lizardfolk]], but are basically just tribal scavengers, in a stark contrast to goblins in other settings being the "chaotic and/or evil tinker race".

In fact, when you scratch the surface, D&D goblins may tap into the same "evil mook" basis as Tolkien's goblins, but actually are deliberately taken in different ways. Whilst originally D&D [[orc]]s & goblins are implied to have often worked together, and even interbreed, by the time of [[Planescape]] the two were actually bitter enemies - the two races share the same "heaven" of [[Acheron]], where they constantly war in an attempt to drive the other race to extinction. This even persisted into 3rd edition, when the orcs' changed racial alignment of Chaotic Evil meant they shouldn't have been going to Acheron in the first place. This stands in stark contrast both to Tolkien (where orcs & goblins are so indistinguishable that some believe they're just different names for the same race) and to other popular settings, such as [[Warhammer Fantasy]] & [[Warcraft]], where goblins tend to be a strong racial ally to orcs.

Some sourcebooks, usually setting dependent, present a more nuanced portrayal of them and give them a deeper culture than that, but for the most part, D&D goblins are your standard generic cannon fodder evil mook race.
However, just like the [[orc]]s, goblins have a ''long'' history of being a potential PC race in [[Dungeons & Dragons]] - they've been playable in literally every single edition, with multiple incarnations in 3rd edition. The usual idea is to play them up as "spunky little troublemakers" - either a braver analogue to the [[halfling]] or a less annoying version of the [[gnome]]. And, for what it's worth, goblin PCs are actually generally quite liked. In fact, goblins were one of the player races most requested for a formal update into 5th edition PC races. Given the second season of [[Critical Role]] features a goblin PC as a main character, in the form of Nott (a self-loathing female who wants to become a [[halfling]]), and the fact that [[Pathfinder]] goblins have such an fandom that Pathfinder 2e promotes them to a corebook race, many are expecting 6e to feature playable goblins in the PHB, just like how 4e added the [[tiefling]] and the [[dragonborn]].

The biggest exception to goblins being generic evil baddies in d&d is the Eberron
setting, where they're given a nuanced portrayal, with a deep and sophisticated culture. In [[Eberron]], "goblin" is used to refer to bugbears, hobgoblins, and goblins. They are the descendants of the once mighty continent spanning Empire of Dhakaan that collapsed because of an invasion by the Daelkyr, masters of the plane of madness. The invasion was eventually beaten back by an alliance between the empire and the orc tribes called the Gatekeepers (badass men-in-black style druids who protect the world from lovecraftian horrors), but the empire fell afterwards. They're not the savages that you can kill guilt free in every other setting.
In the current day they are split up into three broad cultural groups (and a few splinter groups) - the smallest of the big three are The Heirs of Dhakaan, or Dhakaani, which are the badass super disciplined remanents of the empire who preserved their way of life after the empire collapsed by hiding underground or in secluded mountains and would like to bring goblins back to their previous heights. The various goblin races are all equal under the Dhakaani and share a eusocial bond like ants. They specialize in different tasks - the hobgoblins are administrators and soldiers (females are usually bards), goblins are workers, scouts and spies, and the bugbears are shock troopers and heavy laborers - but if you're better at a job outside your cultural role, the empire doesn't waste talent and puts you in that job.
Then you have the Ghaal'Dar, who made up the bulk of the descendants of the collapsed empire and had to deal with the fallout. Their culture degenerated into petty barbarian tribes with a might-makes-right mentality, their eusocial bond destroyed by the daelkyr. They are usually ruled by hobgoblins due to their superior ability to organize vs the other two subspecies. However, during the conflict known as The Last War they united and stole a chunk of land from the human kingdoms that they named Darguun. It's their "new goblin Homeland" and they're starting to rebuild their culture from there, but nobody thinks it will last. It's ruled by an alliance of clans with the leader, Lhesh Haruuc maintaining a delicate balance of power between them to maintain stability. He's tried to institute the rule of law and has been mostly successful, but a few clans (mostly in desolate areas where they can get away with it) only pay lip service. The country has been a success so far and their culture is slowly clawing it's way out of the dumps, but many are worried that when Haruuc dies it will all fall apart, so he is desperately looking for a competent successor.
The last major cultural group are the city goblins. They're the descendents of Ghaal'Dar goblinoids who weren't killed or fled when the humans conquered the continent, and were enslaved for a few thousand years. They're mostly lower g goblins, and were released from slavery about a thousand years before the current time. They're considered tax paying citizens and have all the rights (on paper) of human or Demi human citizens of the countries they live in. However, they tend to be poor and live as second class citizens in many places due to racism and lack of opportunities. The majority of them are loyal to their country of birth and consider themselves regular citizens, and they often dislike the Ghaal'Dar for commiting war crimes during the Last War and giving goblins a bad name. Most of the ones who were sympathetic to Ghaal'Dar moved to Darguun.
Goblins (like 99% of races in this setting) are not naturally evil in Eberron, they have the same range of alignments as every other sentient race. For cultural reasons they do tend towards being lawful neutral, but only slightly.

As a somewhat curious aside, D&D goblins are yellow (mostly) compared to the more usual goblin color of green. These even survived after the popularization of green Goblins in many other fantasy settings, most prominently the aforementioned Warhammer Fantasy and Warcraft. A few settings sometimes portray them as shades of grey, or the previously mentioned colors with a grey tint. They're even portrayed as red in some artwork.

The D&D goblin has a ''huge'' family tree, to the point they even coined their own racial name; "[[goblinoid]]". The two most prominent goblin-kin are the [[bugbear]]s - large, hairy, brutish goblins that, arguably, are D&D's attempt to maintain the orcy archetype without making orcs & goblins officially related - and the [[hobgoblin]]s, who are literally Tolkien's uruk-hai.

===Basic Stats===
Goblin PCs first appeared, alongside many other "classic humanoids", as PCs in the Known World Gazetteer #10: The Orcs of Thar. Under the Basic system, they had the following crunch:

::Racial Ability Modifiers: -3 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution
::Racial Ability Restrictions: Intelligence 16, Wisdom 16, when dealing with [[demihuman]]s and [[human]]s, divide the goblin's Charisma by 3 (round down) and subtract the result from 9 to determine effective Charisma
::Natural Armor Class: 8

The goblin racial experience level reads as follows:
::0: 0 XP, HD D8-1
::1: 800 XP, HD 2d8-2
::2: 1,600 XP, HD 3d8-3
::3: 3,200 XP, HD -
::4: 6,400 XP, HD 4d8-4
::5: 13,000 XP, HD 5d8-5
::6: 26,000 XP, HD 6d8-6
::7: 55,000 XP, HD -
::8: 110,000 XP, HD 7d8-5
::9: 220,000 XP, +2 HP

For subsequent levels, 160,000 XP is required and the goblin gains +2 hit points.

===AD&D Stats===
Having appeared in Orcs of Thar, naturally, goblins went on to appear in [[The Complete Book of|The Complete Book of Humanoids]]:

::Ability Score Modifiers: -1 Strength, -1 Charisma
::Ability Score Range: Strength 4/15, Dexterity 4/17, Constitution 5/16, Intelligence 3/18, Wisdom 3/18, Charisma 3/12
::Class Restrictions: [[Fighter]] 10, [[Cleric]] 9, Shaman 7, Witch Doctor 7, [[Thief]] 12
::Infravision 60 feet
::Can detect new or unusual constructions in an underground area with a 25% chance of success (1-2 on a d8).
::Goblin shamans have access to the Spheres of Divination, Reversed Healing, Protection and Reversed Sun.
::-1 Penalty to their attack rolls when in bright sunshine
::Monstrous Traits: Appearance (-2 to to reaction rolls), Bestial Habits (-2 to reaction rolls)
::Weapon Proficiencies: Axe, Military Pick, Morning Star Sling, Short Sword, Spear
::Nonweapon Proficiencies: Alertness, Animal Handling, Animal Training (Worg), Begging, Chanting, Close-Quarter Fighting, Fast-Talking, Fortune Telling, Hiding, Hunting, Information Gathering, Looting, Mining, Religion, Riding (Worg), Set Snares

===3e Stats===
In 3rd edition, goblins appeared three times; first in the [[Monster Manual]] 1, and in the [[Races of X|Races of]] [[Dragonlance|Ansalon]] and [[Forgotten Realms|Faerun]] sourcebooks. However, its statblock was repeated in all three sourcebooks; the only change was that, as Races of Ansalon came out for 3.5 and the other two came out for 3.0, it was the only one to give them the Humanoid (Goblinoid) racial typing:

::-2 Strenth, +2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma
::Small
::Humanoid ([[Goblinoid]])
::Base speed 30 feet
::Darkvision 60 feet
::+4 racial bonus on Move Silently and Ride checks
::[[Favored Class]]: [[Rogue]]

===4e Stats===
Like in 3e, the goblin appeared as a PC class in the [[Monster Manual]] for 4th edition. However, like all such races in 4e, its statblok there was...serviceable, but underwhelming. However, one of the last sourcebooks of that edition to be published, "The Dungeon Survival Handbook", brought them back as an official race, and boy were they beefy!

::+2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom OR +2 Charisma
::Small
::Speed 6 squares
::Low-light vision
::+2 Bluff, +2 Stealth
::Goblin Reflexes: +1 to Reflex defense.
::Racial Power - Goblin Tactics: At will, as an immediate reaction to being missed by an enemy melee attack, you can shift 1 square.

The biggest boost that the DSHb gave, besides the flexible mental ability score boost, was a selection of racial feats and racial utility powers, both of which really strengthened the goblin's mechanics and thematics.

''Goblin Racial Feats:''
* Ankle Biter: +1 feat bonus per tier to damage rolls vs. creatures larger than you, +1d6 damage on critical hits against creatures larger than you.
* Desperate Goblin Tactics: When bloodied, Goblin Tactics lets you shift 3 squares.
* Goblin Feint: When you use Goblin Tactics, you gain Combat Advantage against the triggering enemy until the end of your next turn.
* Shadowcreeper: Requires [[Assassin]] class. When you use Goblin Tactics, you shift 2 squares and gain Partial Concealment until the end of your next turn.
* Sneaky Stabber: Requires [[Rogue]] class. When you deal Sneak Attack damage to an adjacent foe, reroll any damage rolls of 1 until you get a result higher than 1.
* Wrist Biter: When you use Goblin Tactics, the triggering enemy takes 1d4 damage per your character's tier before you shift.

''Goblin Racial Utility Powers:''
* Fast Filch: At-will. When adjacent to a creature granting combat advantage, as a minor action, you can make a Thievery check to pick its pocket or perform sleight of hand. Level 2.
* Leg Up: Encounter. When adjacent to a creature, as a move action, you can jump your speed horizontally or up to 10 feet vertically. Level 2.
* Little Green Lie: Encounter. If you fail a Bluff, Diplomacy or Intimidate check, you can re-roll the check as a free action. If it was a Diplomacy or Intimidate check, you can use your Bluff modifier instead. Level 2.
* Living Shield: Encounter. If you are hit by an enemy melee or ranged attack whilst adjacent to an ally, as an immediate interrupt, you can shift 1 square and transfer the hit to that ally. Level 6.
* Unwitting Guardian: Encounter. When adjacent to a Medium or larger creature, as a move action, you can can shift 1 square to enter the target's space, occupying it until the end of your next turn and being hidden from all creatures except the target. Level 6.
* Down and Through: Encounter. As a move action, choose a Medium or larger enemy adjacent to you and shift up to 5 squares to a different square adjacent to that creature; you can move through its space during this shift. Level 10.

===5e Stats===
Finally, goblins appeared as a PC race in 5th edition's Volo's Guide to Monsters. Like their fellow [[goblinoid]]s, the [[kobold]], the [[orc]] and the [[Yuan-ti]], they were officially described as "unbalanced", which has earned a lot of fan flak, as this is literally an open invitation for more close-minded DMs to refuse goblin PCs - goblin fans are still hoping that WotC will eventually put out a splatbook with a "more official" and/or balanced version of goblin PC stats. Ironically, they were better off than the poor kobold.

::+2 Dexterity, +1 Constitution
::Small
::Speed 30 feet
::Darkvision 60 feet
::Fury of the Small: Once per short or long rest, when you inflict damage with an attack or spell on a creature larger than you, inflict bonus damage equal to your level.
::Nimble Escape: You can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of your turns.

===[[Half-Goblin]]s?===
Given the strong connections between goblins and [[orc]]s in some settings, particularly in [[Dungeons & Dragons]]' older editions, and the existence of [[half-orc]]s, one may ask if there's ever been any love give to half-goblins? Well, ironically, not really; though [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]] claimed that [[goblinoid]]s interbred with each other and with orcs all the time, that fluff was lost after the change to 3rd edition, which wanted to try and make the two races distinct. As for goblin/human crossbreeding? Forget about it; they barely gave half-orcs any love, so you can imagine they'd be less than interested in half-goblins.

Except... there was one setting where [[goblinoid]]s took the place of orcs. In the [[Dragonlance]] setting, orcs don't exist, being replaced by goblins and [[draconian]]s, and so the half-goblin appeared there in 3.5's Races of Ansalon sourcebook. Surprisingly, they're known for both being very self-confident and assured (in fact, their Charisma penalty is described as stemming from coming across as ''too'' confident, making them seem overbearing or aggressive), in contrast to the propensity for wangsting endemic to half-orcs and half-elves in other settings, very brave (in contrast to the traditional goblin cowardice) and with a drive to be peacemakers and diplomats, rather like half-elves. Essentially, rather than bitching about being rejected by both worlds (human and goblin) or about the lack of a "true" half-goblin culture, half-goblins are near-universally driven to try and force the world to shape up and make a culture for them, by bringing goblins and humans to work together in peace. Which is actually kind of badass, and certainly a change from the norms for half-breeds. In essence, they're said to combine human ambition and drive with goblin ferocity and mob mentality.

Half-goblins are described as looking more or less like human-sized goblins; half-bugbears might be particularly hairy, and half-"common" goblins shorter than average, but still within the human stature. Although this stature can lead to them being mistaken for [[hobgoblin]]s, they apparently lack quite as many fangs and have more human-like eyes, which makes the difference obvious enough at a closer look.

::+2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma
::Humanoid (Goblinoid)
::Medium
::Base speed 30 feet
::Darkvision 60 feet
::+2 racial bonus on Bluff and Move Silently
::+4 racial bonus on Will saving throws to resist Charm, Compulsion and Fear effects.
::Favored Class: Any

==[[Warcraft]]==
Goblins are a staple race in the Warcraft franchise. They have green skin, are very short, have long and strong fingers, long noses, large pointy ears, and sharp teeth.

In Warcraft 2, when the game expanded to more than just Humans, Orcs, Ogres, and Demons, Goblins were first mentioned. They were small mechanically-inclinded lunatics who invented great devices and were god-tier chemists. They offered their services to the Horde since it gave them more opportunities to wreak havoc and the races that would come to be those of the Alliance had ignored them for their entire history.
The Goblins mainly performed recon and VIP transport for the Horde via their Zeppelins, demolitions in the form of suicide Sapper squads, the invention of airtight missile-launching capsules that were tied to the backs of giant turtles to use as submarines, and finally experimenting on their Forest Troll allies to transform them into giant Berserkers. In secret they also helped the resident Sauron, an insane evil dragon named Deathwing, in his various endeavors. Goblins were described as insane, sadistic, and greedy for gold.

In Warcraft 3, Goblins became a neutral group. It was revealed only a small portion of the Goblin race actually worked with the Horde, while the others have always provided their services to anyone with gold to spend and after the fall of the first Horde they have enforced that their own race remain entirely neutral to all factions. They did little of importance other than provide transportation for the various power players in this time.
When the second Horde was building their capital of Durotar, a small number of Goblins lead by world famous Gazlowe provided them with fair deals (which is itself a big deal for their race) for Goblin services including demolition.

In vanilla World of Warcraft, Goblin lore expanded even further; a small number of Goblins were seen in the Alliance, some among the Horde, while it was revealed almost the entirety of their race dwell on an island called Kezan which has a massive underground city called the Undermine. The Cartels run Kezan, the most powerful of which is the Steamwheedle Cartel which performs the basic services offered in Warcraft 3. They maintain a few cities around the world including Ratchet (Gazlowe's city nearby Durotar), Booty Bay (a port which services anyone who reaches it, mainly pirates although they are just as much at threat from pirate attack), Gadgetzan (a desert city of scum and villainy, plus a small gladiatorial arena), and Everlook (a town high in the mountains of Kalimdor near by ancient magical Elf ruins).

Goblins have a racial rivalry with the other mechanically minded race, [[Gnomes]], although hostility varies from giant robot wars to having a giant racetrack where they see which race can build the best vehicles to next-door neighbors who collaborate with each other on inventions and take any opportunity to try and make the other admit their philosophy is better.

In general, the Goblin philosophy is "Chemicals, 50% chance of explosion is acceptable, make it fast so it makes money!" while the Gnomish philosophy is "Magic and radiation, take your time and spend decades if need be, 10% chance of turning yourself into a chicken or a different color is acceptable, make it for the love of knowledge and invention".

In Cataclysm, Goblins recieved a MAJOR update as they became a player race. One of the cartels which was one of the weaker ones (having their section of Kezan entirely on the surface, mainly producing pop culture, cars, sports, and edibles) joined the Horde after Deathwing set their portion of Kezan on fire (since in the middle of a not-football game a ball was kicked and hit him). Their trade prince sold the entire Cartel into slavery after charging them all their possessions for supposedly safe passage off the island, and the ships were caught in a naval battle between the Horde and Alliance. After conquering the island, they then joined the Horde which was in the middle of becoming a fascist genocidal dictatorship again thanks to shit leaders (also, their trade prince got to keep his job despite the mess he caused). They quickly upgraded the Horde from catapults to giant robots and from bow and arrow to machineguns, then created their own new capital by completely renovating a huge chunk of the continent into the symbol of the Horde complete with a Mount Rushmore of their racial leader.
During the Kezan levels it was also revealed that Goblins have become multicultural, taking on things previously alien to them like worship of the light and shamanism (although the former is seen as a combination of medic and television evangelism, while the latter is perceived as cutting deals with nature). Kezan is very modern and has television, pop stars, sunglasses, champagne, fancy cars, neon lights, not-Chinese food, electricity and lightbulbs, and many other conveniences not seen elsewhere in the rest of the Renaissance setting outside the homeland of the Gnomes.

Goblin origins were also explained. In ancient times, Goblins were an semi-intelligent race of monkey which was enslaved by Island Trolls and forced to mine a substance called Kajamite. Kajamite has a side-effect of causing a huge boost to intelligence (although not coherent thought) in anyone who imbibes it, and one day the Troll slavemasters entered the mines to whip their tiny laborers and were disintegrated with laser beams. Since then, the Goblins have mined Kajamite and used it as an ingredient in ingestibles of all kinds (including "Kaja-cola") although their supply was beginning to run out, and there was fear they may regress back to being mere monkeys without it. Like most Cataclysm plots, this was never brought up again although there was hints that with the Kaja-cola that was left everywhere they go that monkeys drinking it have begun becoming intelligent as well.

Goblins in Warcraft 2 had extremely squeaky, high-pitched voices and tended to babble or shriek. In Warcraft 3 the shrillness of the voice was lessened, and they became more calm and coherent. The Goblins in World of Warcraft still have a voice that is higher-pitched than a human, although only slightly more for males while gaining something of an American Brooklyn accent. The non-Bilgewater Goblins still speak in their Brooklyn accent or a general American accent, Bilgewater Goblins speak like they're from New Jersey both in accent and expression.

<gallery>
Image:GoblinZeppelin.png|A Goblin Zeppelin pilot in Warcraft 2.
Image:GoblinSappers 2.jpg|Goblin Sappers in Warcraft 2.
Image:Goblin Sappers.jpg|Warcraft 3 Goblin Sappers.
Image:Goblin Tinker WX.png|Warcraft 3 Goblin Tinker.
Image:WoW Goblin Fem.jpg|World of Warcraft female Goblin player characters.
Image:Warcraft Goblin Player Male.jpg|World of Warcraft male Goblin player characters.
Image:GOBLINS AND GNOMES.jpg|Goblin/Gnome rivalry.
Image:Kezan.png|The Bilgewater portion of Kezan.
Image:Goblin Easter.png|Goblins are into holidays in a big way, either as a business conspiracy or over-enthusiasm.
Image:Goblin femSapper.jpg
</gallery>

==[[Goblin Slayer]]==
[[skarsnik|The said goblin in this manga while being a weak, tiny and barbaric humanoid is capable of many unorthodox tactics and teamwork that they could outplay and murder low level adventurers numerous times, whom the said adventurers underestimate the cunning goblins]]. They are barbaric primitives so they have to loot tool. However, they are capable of some degree of intelligence, like using signs like totems to create distractions as well as cover their weapons with urine and poisonous herbs to not only prevent adventurers from healing themselves, but also mark them with scents for goblins have an acute sense of smell. While they use mercenaries and pets such as wolves and orcs to further boost their effectiveness, the biggest contributors of their horde are their red shirt goblin goons, who are weak, small, but expendable and effective while attacking in groups. The horde is often led by a goblin mage that is capable of casting spells like fireball.

Oh, and this being Japan, they're sadists native to the moon and rape to reproduce. What the hell else would you read this shit for?

==Goblins (The Webcomic)==
{{/co/}}
[[File:Webcomic Goblins.jpg|thumb|right|400px|"This is the arc that will not end, it will go on and on my friend..."]]
Goblins are the stars of a webcomic called [http://www.goblinscomic.org/ Goblins] created by a man known as "Thunt" (real name Tarol Hunt) in 2005, which claims that #GoblinLivesMatter and all the bad stuff comes from evil clans but most monsters are totally bros and it's all just a misunderstanding or a result of the ignorant sadistic humans, with those of the monster who ARE bad only being a product of human oppression.

Even so, only half of the arcs even have goblin protagonists - the other focuses on two adventurers, the, well, min/maxed human named Minmax and his dwarf cleric partner Forgath. Originally they were in an adventuring party (back when the comic was actually still a parody of an RPG world, complete with characters confusing the first person and meta as well as the cleric praying to the DM) who were at first all [[Drizzt]] clones then a bad weeaboo crew although the joke of the characters all dying at the same time due to their incompetence shortly after being rolled was dropped after the second time, and the parody plot was entirely dropped later on as well.

The supposed main characters are a group of goblins who were supposed to be just your average quick skirmish that was guarding a treasure chest full of magic gear they weren't allowed to open for reasons none of them knew. After surviving the attack by Minmax, Forgath, and their idiot friends that suffered a TPK, the Goblins decided to commit the ultimate act of heresy against their race and become player characters by adopting classes.

Then the story starts getting convoluted, going through a human city that is mostly just built on torture-killing monster races, having Minmax and Forgath go on a subplot that involved a Yuan-Ti that lead into a seemingly unending dungeon arc involving parallel realities before a misunderstanding forced the two characters to separate with her, while at the same time the Goblin group attempted to escape from a paladin who has taken the Lawful Good definition into "an omnicidal maniac who enslaves the souls of those he has killed while maintaining a personality straight out of a [[Warhammer 40000]] fanfic". While having side stories involving ANOTHER insanely complex dungeon. While a third group, made up of one of the Goblins plus an evil Goblin who's really tragically misunderstood product of her situation going through ANOTHER unending dungeon.

The common points that are inevitably mentioned on /tg/ when Goblins is brought up are both the lack of an improvement of art over the course of the comics decade of history and the meme "IMSAD", the latter of which is a good summary of most of the plot of the comic. After a small breakdown caused by backlash from [[SJW]] fans taking issue with the torture-rapist ex-adventurer governor villain, [http://www.goblinscomic.org/kins-story-is-kind-of-true/ the creator revealed that the reason the villains are written so absolutely edgetastically hammy in their evil is he was using the comic to work through some emotional trauma caused when some men raped his mother before he was born and the story of it scarred him.] He also later revealed he had a history of domestic abuse. Somehow he thought this would make things better.

Thunt is currently supported exclusively through the webcomic, which goes on hiatus from time to time.

Recently Thunt has been working on turning his comic into an animated series which he funded on Indiegogo. Somehow, he managed to get several famous voice actors on the project.

<gallery>
Image:Webcomic Goblins IMSAD.gif|Congratulations, you now know the basic plot.
Image:IMSAD 2.jpg
Image:Webcomic Goblins Page.jpg|An actual page, from when it was still a parody.
Image:Webcomic Goblins Thunt Goes Bananas.jpg|A piece Thunt made during his breakdown. Feel free to insert your own reference to [[Chaos]] corruption here.
Image:4chan on Goblins.png|tl;dr
</gallery>

==Monstergirl Depictions==
{{Monstergirls}}
Traditionally, the idea of goblins being [[monstergirls]] was something of a niche, at best; most thought of them as just hideous, stupid, filthy little monsters - who would want to put their dicks in that?

Ironically, it was [[Warcraft]] that probably first sowed the seeds of female goblins being fuggable; whilst the attractiveness of female goblins in that game is contentious, people must admit that they were better-looking than the tumor-riddled, snaggle-toothed, scarred abominations that make up the canon depictions of most goblins prior to that. They were certainly attractive enough to start scoring [[Rule 34]] artwork, and this became a revelation to fa/tg/uys: that goblin-girls did ''not'' have to be fugly!

From there, goblin-girls became an underground sensation, slowly developing and evolving in the steamier underbelly of /tg/ and on /d/ (or at least its "western counterpart" /aco/) until they have become as mainstream in the /tg/ fandom as any monstergirl has a chance of being.

Because goblins vary so widely in their depictions, it shouldn't be surprising that goblin-girls likewise have been a particularly fertile ground for interpretations. There are five "mainstream" depictions of the goblin-as-monstergirl you will probably encounter on /tg/, and many different sub-forms and cross-pollinations. All depend on which of various "goblin aspects" that a creator deigns to focus on; short-sighted hedonism, tinker skills, mischievousness, raw sexual appetites, and fertility:

* The "Pervy Tinker" archetype directly traces its roots back to Warcraft's Rule 34'd goblins: this envisions goblins as a "techy" race with a strong lewd streak, leading to them focusing their mad science skills on coming up with newer and more deviant ways of getting off. Depending on the fundamental tech level of the setting and the creator's own tastes, this can range from aphrodisiac gas grenades and automated dildos to [[golem]]s built as living sex engines and bimbofying/transforming [[magitek]] rayguns. Rule 34 interpretations of World of Warcraft lore can be counted as this, as well as rare goblins in Corruption of Champions that are mentally stable enough hold their panties on.
* The "Shameless Slut" archetype likewise has its roots in Warcraft goblins, vis a vis their canonical obsession with money, but is perhaps one of the more widely known "generic" archetypes as well. These goblins are hedonists who take a great deal of pride in their libido and their love of pleasure, integrating with the other races and usually gravitating towards roles based on "entertaining", from barmaids to outright prostitutes. In fact, they are often depicted as actively enjoying whoring themselves out, as it ensures a steady stream of partners and profit, whilst sating their perverse and degrading sexual desires. These goblin-girls are often size-queens, specifically choosing partners based on the stature of their masculine organs. The adult comic artist Incase is focused on this one, and might as well started it with his drawings.
* The "Mischief Maker" archetype is the most innocent of the archetypes, portraying goblins as just playful, fun-loving hedonists whose greatest aims in life are pranking, partying and making love, not necessarily in that order.
* The "Savage Slut" archetype is perhaps the oldest of the archetypes, for it owes its origins to the original interchangeability of goblin and [[orc]]. These goblins are basically sexy "savages", wild and primal little monstergirls who live a primitive lifestyle centered on hunting, playing, and of course capturing & having sex with men. Essentially, this depicts goblins as [[shortstack]] or [[loli|"a loophole for masturbating to underage children"]] orcs. Kenkou Cross' Monster Girl Encyclopedia is focused on that.
* The "Breederphile" archetype is, in comparison, probably the youngest of archetypes. These goblins are defined by their racial pregnancy fetishism, and by having bodies almost literally built to breed. Being impregnated is intensely orgasmic, pregnancy either fills them with ecstasy, makes them incredibly horny, or both, birth is a series of some of the most intense orgasms in their lives, and social standing often revolves around how many daughters they have to boss around. This archetype does make some sense if you think about it: after all as a 'cannon fodder' species for PC, where do all the Goblins come from? Corruption of Champions might as well started this archetype.

More recently, moreso than even the Breederphile, a variant of goblin-girl portrayal native to [[Urban Fantasy]] settings has come to /tg/'s attention from our [[shortstack]] fetishising kinsfolk on /aco/. Combining parts of the "Shameless Slut" and "Breederphile" stereotypes, paired with some occasionally-awkward racial coding, the so-called "Ghetto Goblin" tends to be used as an less-racially-offensive imitation of the "hot-blooded Latina" or "Ghetto Black Girl" racial stereotype, in that they are sexually open, tend toward foul language and fiery tempers when angry and lewd vocalizing or body-language when aroused or teasing others, and frequently dress provocatively. While breeding for the Ghetto Goblin isn't usually as erotic as with the Breederphile, the social status of the Ghettoblin is often measured by how many offspring they have, how often they have sex, and how early they first had sex. They arouse easily, to the point that human men in their stories often need to talk Ghetto Goblins out of outright molesting them openly in public.

Whilst these archetypes are certainly well known, there are also two specific depictions of goblin monstergirls that have achieved enough recognition to be recognizable by name; the MGE Goblin and the CoC Goblin.

The [[Monster Girl Encyclopedia]] depiction of the goblin is essentially a mashup of the Mischief Maker and the Savage Slut archetypes. These primitive mamono live in tribal clusters, entertaining themselves by playing pranks on each other or the races around them, hunting game, and conducting banditry for fun, profit and boyfriends. In appearance, they resemble pointy-eared human [[loli]]s with horns and superhuman strength, allowing them to fight with weapons that only a strong human man would normally have a chance of lifting. Simple-minded and carefree, they have no intention of giving up the lifestyle they so enjoy.

The CoC Goblin takes its name from Corruption of Champions, a [[/d/|hentai]] fantasy text adventure game that was popular on /tg/ for a while, before the fact that [[furries]] are much more willing to put money where mouth is when it comes to getting fetishistic shit done led to the inevitable flooding of the game with [[beastfolk]] waifus and encounters and /tg/ promptly banished it. Still, before it went under, it had a significant impact on the goblin-girl arena: CoC may not have created the idea of the Breederphile archetype, but it certainly brought it to the attention of what passes for /tg/ mainstream. CoC's goblins are Breederphiles who became a pregnancy-obsessed all-female race due to corruption of their water supply. Once a brilliant race of alchemists and inventors, they have since devolved into a Savage Slut culture, living in crude tribes based on a massively curvy matriarch, her husband(s), and as many daughters as she can make who are willing to stick around - whilst goblins are fiercely competitive with each other, there is also safety in numbers, keeping them from being eaten by [[hellhound]]s or raped/beaten to death by [[minotaur]]s. Such clans are often notably inbred, for their corruption means they have little sense of objection to incest, with only the matriarch's jealous possessiveness in regards her husband keeping her daughters at bay. They're also examples of the Pervy Tinker archetype, using what remains of their former knack for invention to create sex toys and perverse alchemical concoctions for use in subduing husbands and molding them to their liking.

<gallery>
Image:Cute_Goblin_Adventurer.jpg
Image:Goblin_Dancer.jpg
Image:Goblin_Adventurer_1.png
Image:Goblin_Bar_Wench.png
Image:Goblin_Monk_1.jpg
Image:Goblin_Shamaness_1.jpg
Image:Goblin_Shamaness_2.jpg
File:MGE Goblin.jpg
</gallery>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:Sneaky Goblin.gif
Image:Goblin Knight.JPG|A more "player character" variety.
Image:GreenGoblin3.jpg|Most goblins tend to [[Alchemist|throw pumpkin bombs]] and use flying crafts to annoy [[/co/|superheroes]].
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Unified Setting/Goblins]] Yet another take on a classic concept.
* [[Goblin Slayer]], a man with a serious beef against goblins.
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqx4ywmqYUw The most common reaction to Goblins]

{{D&D1e-Races}}
{{D&D2e-Races}}
{{D&D4e-Races}}
{{D&D5e-Races}}
{{Pathfinder-Races}}

[[Category:Kings of War]][[Category:Monsters]]

Goblin

2018-10-03T22:16:42Z

2001:4930:48:53:74F5:A50F:5E59:AF37: /* Tolkien Goblins */

[[File:Path Gob Rat.PNG|thumb|right|300px|Brushy brushy.]]
'''Goblins''' are mythological creatures of unclear origin and contradicting descriptions. They are small humanoids of a mischievous nature, possibly belonging to the fey family (along with creatures such as redcaps, brownies, leprechauns, kobolds, etc).

The origin of the word "Goblin" can be traced back to the British "Gobelinus" which was the name of a demon that once caused trouble in Normandy. It has been theorized the term began with [[Kobold]], which was a German Fey spirit whose origins can be traced to one of a variety of earlier myths based in Paganism from various other culture. Kobolds also gave their name to cobalt, due to the fact that new advances in mining in Germany during the middle ages allowed access to large amounts of cobalt ore, although the mining was very dangerous and they had no idea how to smelt the metal so as a result the numerous mine collapses as well as the "theft of the ore, with only poison and ash left behind" were blamed on Kobolds. Either way, Goblin myths often involve mischief, mining, and chemistry.

In modern fantasy, the term "Goblin" has been very much determined by the Tolkienian use of the word - as in a species of humanoids in service to evil, with the "Orcs" being another word for the same thing, with Tolkien claiming the etymology for that word being an old English term for demon. Goblin appearance has been further shaped by both video- and boardgames, as well as various artists. They are universally smaller than humans, although the exact size varies, and often have large pointy ears (larger and more animalistic than elf ears) and either long, crooked and pointed noses or orc-esque noseless features.

The typical goblin stereotype is that of a savage warrior and raider that attacks villages and ambushes unwary travelers; being one-dimensionally evil, they can be (and are) killed without remorse in large numbers (unless you read Eberron, G:LTTE, or Terry Pratchett's Snuff). Another Goblin stereotype is that they are a race of unusually technologically advanced and ludicrously smart and cunning race on par if not better than [[Dwarves]] such as creating fantasy machine guns or an entire robot army such as those in Warcraft or Dungeon Siege. They act and move in smaller groups as they don't pose a large threat by themselves, and are commonly the first combat encounter for a young adventurer. Goblins tend to live in caves and gang up with orcs and similar races, to whom they are sometimes described as belonging to the same family or species. Their intelligence is usually fairly low, although among dumber and larger brutes will be the clever ones doing the "skilled" work while the bigger ones shout orders.

Because of the comedy potential, players have always liked being goblins, and they were one of the three most-popular races requested for an add-on to 5e as of a recent survey.

[[Goblinoid]]s include a vast array of species in D&D, ranging from obscurities like the stone-skinned [[Norker]]s and the "they heal when you hit them, die if you heal them" [[Nilbog]]s to mainstays like the more organized [[Hobgoblin]]s and the big, scary, pseudo-[[orcs]] called [[Bugbear]]s.

==In /tg/ Media==
In the [[Iron Kingdoms]] and [[Magic: The Gathering]] (sometimes), goblins have a penchant for technology and love to tinker with machinery (especially steampunk contraptions and the like), somewhat propagating the "mad scientist" archetype.

In [[Kings of War]] goblins are still a source of evil comic relief. They're often suggested to have been created by the [[Celestians (Kings of War)|Celestian]] Garkhan the Black after he finished creating the orcs with "whatever was left," although where exactly they came from is a mystery. They're still engineers as in many settings, but they tend to be very short-term thinking and don't like to test things before they use them.

In [[Eberron]], goblins are quite a bit different than their usual portrayal, described in the d&d section below

In [[Pathfinder]], they're stupid little freaks with all manner of strange quirks (good singing voices, fear horses and writing, like fire and pickles), sort of a cross between Gremlins and a baby-eating Stitch. They are also very funny and (somewhat) lovable, and even have their own comic series. Surprisingly, despite being described as naturally inclined towards a mixture of [[Chaotic Stupid]] (easily distractable to the point of stopping combat ''mid-swing'' to chase a frog or pick their nose) and [[Stupid Evil]] (love of torturing anything smaller than them) behaviors, they have no mental penalties. Pathfinder also has a goblin variant called the Monkey Goblin, which is even ''stupider'' than regular goblins, but much stronger and more agile, using a rat-like prehensile tail to aid it in a life in the trees.

In [[Malifaux]], they're noseless hillbillies with very few womanfolk called Gremlins complete with straw hats, jug bands, blunderbusses, and lots of pigs. Also come in an Asian variant.

==Tolkien Goblins==
Tolkien was not consistent on the relationship between goblins and orcs. Initially he said that "orc" was merely the halfling owrd for goblin. Later works said that goblins were a subtype of orc. later still works treated goblins and orcs like completely separate creatures. so take your pick.

Goblins and Orcs are given different backstories from Tolkien, although the most prominent one is they are the twisted forms of Elves tortured and beat into submission by Morgoth and Sauron. Other origins are being an Asian group of Elves stolen from their people and bred as slaves by Morgoth and Sauron, just being animals uplifted by M&S, fallen Maiar, men who were corrupted rather than Elves (or a mix of the two, with some interbreeding with humans as another possibility), or slimy rocks transformed by Morgoth's magic into living beings. Regardless, almost all were the backbone of Sauron's armies who have heavily industrialized and produce only ugly things that cause sickness (perhaps as a metaphor for wartime industry).

There are hints that not all Goblins and Orcs were evil, as a few passages indicate no race was wholly united for or against Morgoth; there are independent groups of Goblins in The Hobbit, and a few lines given indicate that Orcs will go to great lengths to avenge their fallen leaders, while in his notes he considered them a race capable of free-choice and thus not the "Always Chaotic Evil" that many modern works paint them to be.

<gallery>
Image:Tolkien Goblins.JPG|The most accepted origin of Goblins in the Middle Earth setting.
</gallery>

==Warhammer==
In early [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]], Goblins were merely a shorter variety of Orcs, which were greenskinned evil humanoids who sometimes bred with humans. In fact, Warhammer Fantasy was the very first depiction of Goblins and Orcs as green skinned, something that has since become a staple of the races in pop culture.

With the creation of [[Warhammer 40,000]], the Goblins became [[Grots]], also called Gretchin, who like the [[Orks]] were actually a type of fungus ape. Between their legs is only two bulging spore-sacs which burst upon death and grow into new Grots/Orks in the ground.

After 40k had massive success, this was ported back into Warhammer Fantasy and Goblins along with the Orcs became fungus men. [[Skub|some oldschool Warhammer fans have rejected this, and the term "Orcgina" can make many on /tg/ go into flashbacks about the arguments inspired between the oldfags and newfags on the subject.]]

In both settings, Goblins/Grots are smaller greenskins who are extremely vicious but extremely cowardly and refuse to attack something unless they outnumber it ten to one (preferably more). Against nonthreatening foes however they enjoy torturing them, and POWs are subjected to horribly slow deaths to the chittering amusement of the tiny greenskins.

In Warhammer Fantasy Goblins are independent of Orcs, many living in their own tribes. A few even have their own gods, like the [[Forest Goblins]] who worship the [[Spider-god]]. Despite this, many Goblins also join groups with Orcs either to bully the Orcs into doing the manual labor, or where they are bullied into doing the manual labor. While only the [[Black Orc]]s are capable of actually producing new goods or learning technical knowledge among the larger greenskins, Goblins produce many things from giant flying ships to chariots. Of particular note is the Night Goblins, master chemists who's biology is bizarre and alien in its fungus nature even to other greenskins.

In 40k, Grots have almost no freedom and are only found alongside their bigger kin. They're not the strongest, quickest, meanest, or anything-est compared to the Orks, except for being better shots and more kunnin', to the point of generally being brighter (though that's not saying much). In most cases they are at best assistants, at worst slaves and moving targets. The only exception is the [[Gretchin Revolutionary Committee]], although that...ended badly.

In both Warhammers all greenskins speak in a British Cockney accent, with heavy Chav mixed in for variation. Goblins were renamed to Grots in [[Age of Sigmar]].

<gallery>
Image:Bad Moon Goblins.png|Warhammer Fantasy Goblins of today.
Image:Goblin Airship.JPG|Warboss Beater Pan(ic)!
Image:Gretchinmob.jpg|Grots.
</gallery>

==D&D Goblins==
[[Dungeons & Dragons]] did not do anything particularly innovative with goblins. Instead, they are fairly close(ish) to their Tolkien roots - or, rather, to the simplified version of Tolkien's goblins; small, hateful, savage creatures that infest the unwanted corners of the world, constantly squabbling amongst themselves for power and occasionally spilling out to raid and terrorize the neighboring civilized lands when their numbers build up enough. Whilst Tolkien's goblins were actually quite inventive and adept at building things, since they were a combination of the two peoples that Tolkien most disliked (the Axis soldiers he'd fought in WW1, and the industrialists he believed were destroying the countryside), D&D's goblins lack that trait due to [[Medieval Stasis]] - they're not as primitive as [[lizardfolk]], but are basically just tribal scavengers, in a stark contrast to goblins in other settings being the "chaotic and/or evil tinker race".

In fact, when you scratch the surface, D&D goblins may tap into the same "evil mook" basis as Tolkien's goblins, but actually are deliberately taken in different ways. Whilst originally D&D [[orc]]s & goblins are implied to have often worked together, and even interbreed, by the time of [[Planescape]] the two were actually bitter enemies - the two races share the same "heaven" of [[Acheron]], where they constantly war in an attempt to drive the other race to extinction. This even persisted into 3rd edition, when the orcs' changed racial alignment of Chaotic Evil meant they shouldn't have been going to Acheron in the first place. This stands in stark contrast both to Tolkien (where orcs & goblins are so indistinguishable that some believe they're just different names for the same race) and to other popular settings, such as [[Warhammer Fantasy]] & [[Warcraft]], where goblins tend to be a strong racial ally to orcs.

Some sourcebooks, usually setting dependent, present a more nuanced portrayal of them and give them a deeper culture than that, but for the most part, D&D goblins are your standard generic cannon fodder evil mook race.
However, just like the [[orc]]s, goblins have a ''long'' history of being a potential PC race in [[Dungeons & Dragons]] - they've been playable in literally every single edition, with multiple incarnations in 3rd edition. The usual idea is to play them up as "spunky little troublemakers" - either a braver analogue to the [[halfling]] or a less annoying version of the [[gnome]]. And, for what it's worth, goblin PCs are actually generally quite liked. In fact, goblins were one of the player races most requested for a formal update into 5th edition PC races. Given the second season of [[Critical Role]] features a goblin PC as a main character, in the form of Nott (a self-loathing female who wants to become a [[halfling]]), and the fact that [[Pathfinder]] goblins have such an fandom that Pathfinder 2e promotes them to a corebook race, many are expecting 6e to feature playable goblins in the PHB, just like how 4e added the [[tiefling]] and the [[dragonborn]].

The biggest exception to goblins being generic evil baddies in d&d is the Eberron
setting, where they're given a nuanced portrayal, with a deep and sophisticated culture. In [[Eberron]], "goblin" is used to refer to bugbears, hobgoblins, and goblins. They are the descendants of the once mighty continent spanning Empire of Dhakaan that collapsed because of an invasion by the Daelkyr, masters of the plane of madness. The invasion was eventually beaten back by an alliance between the empire and the orc tribes called the Gatekeepers (badass men-in-black style druids who protect the world from lovecraftian horrors), but the empire fell afterwards. They're not the savages that you can kill guilt free in every other setting.
In the current day they are split up into three broad cultural groups (and a few splinter groups) - the smallest of the big three are The Heirs of Dhakaan, or Dhakaani, which are the badass super disciplined remanents of the empire who preserved their way of life after the empire collapsed by hiding underground or in secluded mountains and would like to bring goblins back to their previous heights. The various goblin races are all equal under the Dhakaani and share a eusocial bond like ants. They specialize in different tasks - the hobgoblins are administrators and soldiers (females are usually bards), goblins are workers, scouts and spies, and the bugbears are shock troopers and heavy laborers - but if you're better at a job outside your cultural role, the empire doesn't waste talent and puts you in that job.
Then you have the Ghaal'Dar, who made up the bulk of the descendants of the collapsed empire and had to deal with the fallout. Their culture degenerated into petty barbarian tribes with a might-makes-right mentality, their eusocial bond destroyed by the daelkyr. They are usually ruled by hobgoblins due to their superior ability to organize vs the other two subspecies. However, during the conflict known as The Last War they united and stole a chunk of land from the human kingdoms that they named Darguun. It's their "new goblin Homeland" and they're starting to rebuild their culture from there, but nobody thinks it will last. It's ruled by an alliance of clans with the leader, Lhesh Haruuc maintaining a delicate balance of power between them to maintain stability. He's tried to institute the rule of law and has been mostly successful, but a few clans (mostly in desolate areas where they can get away with it) only pay lip service. The country has been a success so far and their culture is slowly clawing it's way out of the dumps, but many are worried that when Haruuc dies it will all fall apart, so he is desperately looking for a competent successor.
The last major cultural group are the city goblins. They're the descendents of Ghaal'Dar goblinoids who weren't killed or fled when the humans conquered the continent, and were enslaved for a few thousand years. They're mostly lower g goblins, and were released from slavery about a thousand years before the current time. They're considered tax paying citizens and have all the rights (on paper) of human or Demi human citizens of the countries they live in. However, they tend to be poor and live as second class citizens in many places due to racism and lack of opportunities. The majority of them are loyal to their country of birth and consider themselves regular citizens, and they often dislike the Ghaal'Dar for commiting war crimes during the Last War and giving goblins a bad name. Most of the ones who were sympathetic to Ghaal'Dar moved to Darguun.
Goblins (like 99% of races in this setting) are not naturally evil in Eberron, they have the same range of alignments as every other sentient race. For cultural reasons they do tend towards being lawful neutral, but only slightly.

As a somewhat curious aside, D&D goblins are yellow (mostly) compared to the more usual goblin color of green. These even survived after the popularization of green Goblins in many other fantasy settings, most prominently the aforementioned Warhammer Fantasy and Warcraft. A few settings sometimes portray them as shades of grey, or the previously mentioned colors with a grey tint. They're even portrayed as red in some artwork.

The D&D goblin has a ''huge'' family tree, to the point they even coined their own racial name; "[[goblinoid]]". The two most prominent goblin-kin are the [[bugbear]]s - large, hairy, brutish goblins that, arguably, are D&D's attempt to maintain the orcy archetype without making orcs & goblins officially related - and the [[hobgoblin]]s, who are literally Tolkien's uruk-hai.

===Basic Stats===
Goblin PCs first appeared, alongside many other "classic humanoids", as PCs in the Known World Gazetteer #10: The Orcs of Thar. Under the Basic system, they had the following crunch:

::Racial Ability Modifiers: -3 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution
::Racial Ability Restrictions: Intelligence 16, Wisdom 16, when dealing with [[demihuman]]s and [[human]]s, divide the goblin's Charisma by 3 (round down) and subtract the result from 9 to determine effective Charisma
::Natural Armor Class: 8

The goblin racial experience level reads as follows:
::0: 0 XP, HD D8-1
::1: 800 XP, HD 2d8-2
::2: 1,600 XP, HD 3d8-3
::3: 3,200 XP, HD -
::4: 6,400 XP, HD 4d8-4
::5: 13,000 XP, HD 5d8-5
::6: 26,000 XP, HD 6d8-6
::7: 55,000 XP, HD -
::8: 110,000 XP, HD 7d8-5
::9: 220,000 XP, +2 HP

For subsequent levels, 160,000 XP is required and the goblin gains +2 hit points.

===AD&D Stats===
Having appeared in Orcs of Thar, naturally, goblins went on to appear in [[The Complete Book of|The Complete Book of Humanoids]]:

::Ability Score Modifiers: -1 Strength, -1 Charisma
::Ability Score Range: Strength 4/15, Dexterity 4/17, Constitution 5/16, Intelligence 3/18, Wisdom 3/18, Charisma 3/12
::Class Restrictions: [[Fighter]] 10, [[Cleric]] 9, Shaman 7, Witch Doctor 7, [[Thief]] 12
::Infravision 60 feet
::Can detect new or unusual constructions in an underground area with a 25% chance of success (1-2 on a d8).
::Goblin shamans have access to the Spheres of Divination, Reversed Healing, Protection and Reversed Sun.
::-1 Penalty to their attack rolls when in bright sunshine
::Monstrous Traits: Appearance (-2 to to reaction rolls), Bestial Habits (-2 to reaction rolls)
::Weapon Proficiencies: Axe, Military Pick, Morning Star Sling, Short Sword, Spear
::Nonweapon Proficiencies: Alertness, Animal Handling, Animal Training (Worg), Begging, Chanting, Close-Quarter Fighting, Fast-Talking, Fortune Telling, Hiding, Hunting, Information Gathering, Looting, Mining, Religion, Riding (Worg), Set Snares

===3e Stats===
In 3rd edition, goblins appeared three times; first in the [[Monster Manual]] 1, and in the [[Races of X|Races of]] [[Dragonlance|Ansalon]] and [[Forgotten Realms|Faerun]] sourcebooks. However, its statblock was repeated in all three sourcebooks; the only change was that, as Races of Ansalon came out for 3.5 and the other two came out for 3.0, it was the only one to give them the Humanoid (Goblinoid) racial typing:

::-2 Strenth, +2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma
::Small
::Humanoid ([[Goblinoid]])
::Base speed 30 feet
::Darkvision 60 feet
::+4 racial bonus on Move Silently and Ride checks
::[[Favored Class]]: [[Rogue]]

===4e Stats===
Like in 3e, the goblin appeared as a PC class in the [[Monster Manual]] for 4th edition. However, like all such races in 4e, its statblok there was...serviceable, but underwhelming. However, one of the last sourcebooks of that edition to be published, "The Dungeon Survival Handbook", brought them back as an official race, and boy were they beefy!

::+2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom OR +2 Charisma
::Small
::Speed 6 squares
::Low-light vision
::+2 Bluff, +2 Stealth
::Goblin Reflexes: +1 to Reflex defense.
::Racial Power - Goblin Tactics: At will, as an immediate reaction to being missed by an enemy melee attack, you can shift 1 square.

The biggest boost that the DSHb gave, besides the flexible mental ability score boost, was a selection of racial feats and racial utility powers, both of which really strengthened the goblin's mechanics and thematics.

''Goblin Racial Feats:''
* Ankle Biter: +1 feat bonus per tier to damage rolls vs. creatures larger than you, +1d6 damage on critical hits against creatures larger than you.
* Desperate Goblin Tactics: When bloodied, Goblin Tactics lets you shift 3 squares.
* Goblin Feint: When you use Goblin Tactics, you gain Combat Advantage against the triggering enemy until the end of your next turn.
* Shadowcreeper: Requires [[Assassin]] class. When you use Goblin Tactics, you shift 2 squares and gain Partial Concealment until the end of your next turn.
* Sneaky Stabber: Requires [[Rogue]] class. When you deal Sneak Attack damage to an adjacent foe, reroll any damage rolls of 1 until you get a result higher than 1.
* Wrist Biter: When you use Goblin Tactics, the triggering enemy takes 1d4 damage per your character's tier before you shift.

''Goblin Racial Utility Powers:''
* Fast Filch: At-will. When adjacent to a creature granting combat advantage, as a minor action, you can make a Thievery check to pick its pocket or perform sleight of hand. Level 2.
* Leg Up: Encounter. When adjacent to a creature, as a move action, you can jump your speed horizontally or up to 10 feet vertically. Level 2.
* Little Green Lie: Encounter. If you fail a Bluff, Diplomacy or Intimidate check, you can re-roll the check as a free action. If it was a Diplomacy or Intimidate check, you can use your Bluff modifier instead. Level 2.
* Living Shield: Encounter. If you are hit by an enemy melee or ranged attack whilst adjacent to an ally, as an immediate interrupt, you can shift 1 square and transfer the hit to that ally. Level 6.
* Unwitting Guardian: Encounter. When adjacent to a Medium or larger creature, as a move action, you can can shift 1 square to enter the target's space, occupying it until the end of your next turn and being hidden from all creatures except the target. Level 6.
* Down and Through: Encounter. As a move action, choose a Medium or larger enemy adjacent to you and shift up to 5 squares to a different square adjacent to that creature; you can move through its space during this shift. Level 10.

===5e Stats===
Finally, goblins appeared as a PC race in 5th edition's Volo's Guide to Monsters. Like their fellow [[goblinoid]]s, the [[kobold]], the [[orc]] and the [[Yuan-ti]], they were officially described as "unbalanced", which has earned a lot of fan flak, as this is literally an open invitation for more close-minded DMs to refuse goblin PCs - goblin fans are still hoping that WotC will eventually put out a splatbook with a "more official" and/or balanced version of goblin PC stats. Ironically, they were better off than the poor kobold.

::+2 Dexterity, +1 Constitution
::Small
::Speed 30 feet
::Darkvision 60 feet
::Fury of the Small: Once per short or long rest, when you inflict damage with an attack or spell on a creature larger than you, inflict bonus damage equal to your level.
::Nimble Escape: You can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of your turns.

===[[Half-Goblin]]s?===
Given the strong connections between goblins and [[orc]]s in some settings, particularly in [[Dungeons & Dragons]]' older editions, and the existence of [[half-orc]]s, one may ask if there's ever been any love give to half-goblins? Well, ironically, not really; though [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]] claimed that [[goblinoid]]s interbred with each other and with orcs all the time, that fluff was lost after the change to 3rd edition, which wanted to try and make the two races distinct. As for goblin/human crossbreeding? Forget about it; they barely gave half-orcs any love, so you can imagine they'd be less than interested in half-goblins.

Except... there was one setting where [[goblinoid]]s took the place of orcs. In the [[Dragonlance]] setting, orcs don't exist, being replaced by goblins and [[draconian]]s, and so the half-goblin appeared there in 3.5's Races of Ansalon sourcebook. Surprisingly, they're known for both being very self-confident and assured (in fact, their Charisma penalty is described as stemming from coming across as ''too'' confident, making them seem overbearing or aggressive), in contrast to the propensity for wangsting endemic to half-orcs and half-elves in other settings, very brave (in contrast to the traditional goblin cowardice) and with a drive to be peacemakers and diplomats, rather like half-elves. Essentially, rather than bitching about being rejected by both worlds (human and goblin) or about the lack of a "true" half-goblin culture, half-goblins are near-universally driven to try and force the world to shape up and make a culture for them, by bringing goblins and humans to work together in peace. Which is actually kind of badass, and certainly a change from the norms for half-breeds. In essence, they're said to combine human ambition and drive with goblin ferocity and mob mentality.

Half-goblins are described as looking more or less like human-sized goblins; half-bugbears might be particularly hairy, and half-"common" goblins shorter than average, but still within the human stature. Although this stature can lead to them being mistaken for [[hobgoblin]]s, they apparently lack quite as many fangs and have more human-like eyes, which makes the difference obvious enough at a closer look.

::+2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma
::Humanoid (Goblinoid)
::Medium
::Base speed 30 feet
::Darkvision 60 feet
::+2 racial bonus on Bluff and Move Silently
::+4 racial bonus on Will saving throws to resist Charm, Compulsion and Fear effects.
::Favored Class: Any

==[[Warcraft]]==
Goblins are a staple race in the Warcraft franchise. They have green skin, are very short, have long and strong fingers, long noses, large pointy ears, and sharp teeth.

In Warcraft 2, when the game expanded to more than just Humans, Orcs, Ogres, and Demons, Goblins were first mentioned. They were small mechanically-inclinded lunatics who invented great devices and were god-tier chemists. They offered their services to the Horde since it gave them more opportunities to wreak havoc and the races that would come to be those of the Alliance had ignored them for their entire history.
The Goblins mainly performed recon and VIP transport for the Horde via their Zeppelins, demolitions in the form of suicide Sapper squads, the invention of airtight missile-launching capsules that were tied to the backs of giant turtles to use as submarines, and finally experimenting on their Forest Troll allies to transform them into giant Berserkers. In secret they also helped the resident Sauron, an insane evil dragon named Deathwing, in his various endeavors. Goblins were described as insane, sadistic, and greedy for gold.

In Warcraft 3, Goblins became a neutral group. It was revealed only a small portion of the Goblin race actually worked with the Horde, while the others have always provided their services to anyone with gold to spend and after the fall of the first Horde they have enforced that their own race remain entirely neutral to all factions. They did little of importance other than provide transportation for the various power players in this time.
When the second Horde was building their capital of Durotar, a small number of Goblins lead by world famous Gazlowe provided them with fair deals (which is itself a big deal for their race) for Goblin services including demolition.

In vanilla World of Warcraft, Goblin lore expanded even further; a small number of Goblins were seen in the Alliance, some among the Horde, while it was revealed almost the entirety of their race dwell on an island called Kezan which has a massive underground city called the Undermine. The Cartels run Kezan, the most powerful of which is the Steamwheedle Cartel which performs the basic services offered in Warcraft 3. They maintain a few cities around the world including Ratchet (Gazlowe's city nearby Durotar), Booty Bay (a port which services anyone who reaches it, mainly pirates although they are just as much at threat from pirate attack), Gadgetzan (a desert city of scum and villainy, plus a small gladiatorial arena), and Everlook (a town high in the mountains of Kalimdor near by ancient magical Elf ruins).

Goblins have a racial rivalry with the other mechanically minded race, [[Gnomes]], although hostility varies from giant robot wars to having a giant racetrack where they see which race can build the best vehicles to next-door neighbors who collaborate with each other on inventions and take any opportunity to try and make the other admit their philosophy is better.

In general, the Goblin philosophy is "Chemicals, 50% chance of explosion is acceptable, make it fast so it makes money!" while the Gnomish philosophy is "Magic and radiation, take your time and spend decades if need be, 10% chance of turning yourself into a chicken or a different color is acceptable, make it for the love of knowledge and invention".

In Cataclysm, Goblins recieved a MAJOR update as they became a player race. One of the cartels which was one of the weaker ones (having their section of Kezan entirely on the surface, mainly producing pop culture, cars, sports, and edibles) joined the Horde after Deathwing set their portion of Kezan on fire (since in the middle of a not-football game a ball was kicked and hit him). Their trade prince sold the entire Cartel into slavery after charging them all their possessions for supposedly safe passage off the island, and the ships were caught in a naval battle between the Horde and Alliance. After conquering the island, they then joined the Horde which was in the middle of becoming a fascist genocidal dictatorship again thanks to shit leaders (also, their trade prince got to keep his job despite the mess he caused). They quickly upgraded the Horde from catapults to giant robots and from bow and arrow to machineguns, then created their own new capital by completely renovating a huge chunk of the continent into the symbol of the Horde complete with a Mount Rushmore of their racial leader.
During the Kezan levels it was also revealed that Goblins have become multicultural, taking on things previously alien to them like worship of the light and shamanism (although the former is seen as a combination of medic and television evangelism, while the latter is perceived as cutting deals with nature). Kezan is very modern and has television, pop stars, sunglasses, champagne, fancy cars, neon lights, not-Chinese food, electricity and lightbulbs, and many other conveniences not seen elsewhere in the rest of the Renaissance setting outside the homeland of the Gnomes.

Goblin origins were also explained. In ancient times, Goblins were an semi-intelligent race of monkey which was enslaved by Island Trolls and forced to mine a substance called Kajamite. Kajamite has a side-effect of causing a huge boost to intelligence (although not coherent thought) in anyone who imbibes it, and one day the Troll slavemasters entered the mines to whip their tiny laborers and were disintegrated with laser beams. Since then, the Goblins have mined Kajamite and used it as an ingredient in ingestibles of all kinds (including "Kaja-cola") although their supply was beginning to run out, and there was fear they may regress back to being mere monkeys without it. Like most Cataclysm plots, this was never brought up again although there was hints that with the Kaja-cola that was left everywhere they go that monkeys drinking it have begun becoming intelligent as well.

Goblins in Warcraft 2 had extremely squeaky, high-pitched voices and tended to babble or shriek. In Warcraft 3 the shrillness of the voice was lessened, and they became more calm and coherent. The Goblins in World of Warcraft still have a voice that is higher-pitched than a human, although only slightly more for males while gaining something of an American Brooklyn accent. The non-Bilgewater Goblins still speak in their Brooklyn accent or a general American accent, Bilgewater Goblins speak like they're from New Jersey both in accent and expression.

<gallery>
Image:GoblinZeppelin.png|A Goblin Zeppelin pilot in Warcraft 2.
Image:GoblinSappers 2.jpg|Goblin Sappers in Warcraft 2.
Image:Goblin Sappers.jpg|Warcraft 3 Goblin Sappers.
Image:Goblin Tinker WX.png|Warcraft 3 Goblin Tinker.
Image:WoW Goblin Fem.jpg|World of Warcraft female Goblin player characters.
Image:Warcraft Goblin Player Male.jpg|World of Warcraft male Goblin player characters.
Image:GOBLINS AND GNOMES.jpg|Goblin/Gnome rivalry.
Image:Kezan.png|The Bilgewater portion of Kezan.
Image:Goblin Easter.png|Goblins are into holidays in a big way, either as a business conspiracy or over-enthusiasm.
Image:Goblin femSapper.jpg
</gallery>

==[[Goblin Slayer]]==
[[skarsnik|The said goblin in this manga while being a weak, tiny and barbaric humanoid is capable of many unorthodox tactics and teamwork that they could outplay and murder low level adventurers numerous times, whom the said adventurers underestimate the cunning goblins]]. They are barbaric primitives so they have to loot tool. However, they are capable of some degree of intelligence, like using signs like totems to create distractions as well as cover their weapons with urine and poisonous herbs to not only prevent adventurers from healing themselves, but also mark them with scents for goblins have an acute sense of smell. While they use mercenaries and pets such as wolves and orcs to further boost their effectiveness, the biggest contributors of their horde are their red shirt goblin goons, who are weak, small, but expendable and effective while attacking in groups. The horde is often led by a goblin mage that is capable of casting spells like fireball.

Oh, and this being Japan, they're sadists native to the moon and rape to reproduce. What the hell else would you read this shit for?

==Goblins (The Webcomic)==
{{/co/}}
[[File:Webcomic Goblins.jpg|thumb|right|400px|"This is the arc that will not end, it will go on and on my friend..."]]
Goblins are the stars of a webcomic called [http://www.goblinscomic.org/ Goblins] created by a man known as "Thunt" (real name Tarol Hunt) in 2005, which claims that #GoblinLivesMatter and all the bad stuff comes from evil clans but most monsters are totally bros and it's all just a misunderstanding or a result of the ignorant sadistic humans, with those of the monster who ARE bad only being a product of human oppression.

Even so, only half of the arcs even have goblin protagonists - the other focuses on two adventurers, the, well, min/maxed human named Minmax and his dwarf cleric partner Forgath. Originally they were in an adventuring party (back when the comic was actually still a parody of an RPG world, complete with characters confusing the first person and meta as well as the cleric praying to the DM) who were at first all [[Drizzt]] clones then a bad weeaboo crew although the joke of the characters all dying at the same time due to their incompetence shortly after being rolled was dropped after the second time, and the parody plot was entirely dropped later on as well.

The supposed main characters are a group of goblins who were supposed to be just your average quick skirmish that was guarding a treasure chest full of magic gear they weren't allowed to open for reasons none of them knew. After surviving the attack by Minmax, Forgath, and their idiot friends that suffered a TPK, the Goblins decided to commit the ultimate act of heresy against their race and become player characters by adopting classes.

Then the story starts getting convoluted, going through a human city that is mostly just built on torture-killing monster races, having Minmax and Forgath go on a subplot that involved a Yuan-Ti that lead into a seemingly unending dungeon arc involving parallel realities before a misunderstanding forced the two characters to separate with her, while at the same time the Goblin group attempted to escape from a paladin who has taken the Lawful Good definition into "an omnicidal maniac who enslaves the souls of those he has killed while maintaining a personality straight out of a [[Warhammer 40000]] fanfic". While having side stories involving ANOTHER insanely complex dungeon. While a third group, made up of one of the Goblins plus an evil Goblin who's really tragically misunderstood product of her situation going through ANOTHER unending dungeon.

The common points that are inevitably mentioned on /tg/ when Goblins is brought up are both the lack of an improvement of art over the course of the comics decade of history and the meme "IMSAD", the latter of which is a good summary of most of the plot of the comic. After a small breakdown caused by backlash from [[SJW]] fans taking issue with the torture-rapist ex-adventurer governor villain, [http://www.goblinscomic.org/kins-story-is-kind-of-true/ the creator revealed that the reason the villains are written so absolutely edgetastically hammy in their evil is he was using the comic to work through some emotional trauma caused when some men raped his mother before he was born and the story of it scarred him.] He also later revealed he had a history of domestic abuse. Somehow he thought this would make things better.

Thunt is currently supported exclusively through the webcomic, which goes on hiatus from time to time.

Recently Thunt has been working on turning his comic into an animated series which he funded on Indiegogo. Somehow, he managed to get several famous voice actors on the project.

<gallery>
Image:Webcomic Goblins IMSAD.gif|Congratulations, you now know the basic plot.
Image:IMSAD 2.jpg
Image:Webcomic Goblins Page.jpg|An actual page, from when it was still a parody.
Image:Webcomic Goblins Thunt Goes Bananas.jpg|A piece Thunt made during his breakdown. Feel free to insert your own reference to [[Chaos]] corruption here.
Image:4chan on Goblins.png|tl;dr
</gallery>

==Monstergirl Depictions==
{{Monstergirls}}
Traditionally, the idea of goblins being [[monstergirls]] was something of a niche, at best; most thought of them as just hideous, stupid, filthy little monsters - who would want to put their dicks in that?

Ironically, it was [[Warcraft]] that probably first sowed the seeds of female goblins being fuggable; whilst the attractiveness of female goblins in that game is contentious, people must admit that they were better-looking than the tumor-riddled, snaggle-toothed, scarred abominations that make up the canon depictions of most goblins prior to that. They were certainly attractive enough to start scoring [[Rule 34]] artwork, and this became a revelation to fa/tg/uys: that goblin-girls did ''not'' have to be fugly!

From there, goblin-girls became an underground sensation, slowly developing and evolving in the steamier underbelly of /tg/ and on /d/ (or at least its "western counterpart" /aco/) until they have become as mainstream in the /tg/ fandom as any monstergirl has a chance of being.

Because goblins vary so widely in their depictions, it shouldn't be surprising that goblin-girls likewise have been a particularly fertile ground for interpretations. There are five "mainstream" depictions of the goblin-as-monstergirl you will probably encounter on /tg/, and many different sub-forms and cross-pollinations. All depend on which of various "goblin aspects" that a creator deigns to focus on; short-sighted hedonism, tinker skills, mischievousness, raw sexual appetites, and fertility:

* The "Pervy Tinker" archetype directly traces its roots back to Warcraft's Rule 34'd goblins: this envisions goblins as a "techy" race with a strong lewd streak, leading to them focusing their mad science skills on coming up with newer and more deviant ways of getting off. Depending on the fundamental tech level of the setting and the creator's own tastes, this can range from aphrodisiac gas grenades and automated dildos to [[golem]]s built as living sex engines and bimbofying/transforming [[magitek]] rayguns. Rule 34 interpretations of World of Warcraft lore can be counted as this, as well as rare goblins in Corruption of Champions that are mentally stable enough hold their panties on.
* The "Shameless Slut" archetype likewise has its roots in Warcraft goblins, vis a vis their canonical obsession with money, but is perhaps one of the more widely known "generic" archetypes as well. These goblins are hedonists who take a great deal of pride in their libido and their love of pleasure, integrating with the other races and usually gravitating towards roles based on "entertaining", from barmaids to outright prostitutes. In fact, they are often depicted as actively enjoying whoring themselves out, as it ensures a steady stream of partners and profit, whilst sating their perverse and degrading sexual desires. These goblin-girls are often size-queens, specifically choosing partners based on the stature of their masculine organs. The adult comic artist Incase is focused on this one, and might as well started it with his drawings.
* The "Mischief Maker" archetype is the most innocent of the archetypes, portraying goblins as just playful, fun-loving hedonists whose greatest aims in life are pranking, partying and making love, not necessarily in that order.
* The "Savage Slut" archetype is perhaps the oldest of the archetypes, for it owes its origins to the original interchangeability of goblin and [[orc]]. These goblins are basically sexy "savages", wild and primal little monstergirls who live a primitive lifestyle centered on hunting, playing, and of course capturing & having sex with men. Essentially, this depicts goblins as [[shortstack]] or [[loli|"a loophole for masturbating to underage children"]] orcs. Kenkou Cross' Monster Girl Encyclopedia is focused on that.
* The "Breederphile" archetype is, in comparison, probably the youngest of archetypes. These goblins are defined by their racial pregnancy fetishism, and by having bodies almost literally built to breed. Being impregnated is intensely orgasmic, pregnancy either fills them with ecstasy, makes them incredibly horny, or both, birth is a series of some of the most intense orgasms in their lives, and social standing often revolves around how many daughters they have to boss around. This archetype does make some sense if you think about it: after all as a 'cannon fodder' species for PC, where do all the Goblins come from? Corruption of Champions might as well started this archetype.

More recently, moreso than even the Breederphile, a variant of goblin-girl portrayal native to [[Urban Fantasy]] settings has come to /tg/'s attention from our [[shortstack]] fetishising kinsfolk on /aco/. Combining parts of the "Shameless Slut" and "Breederphile" stereotypes, paired with some occasionally-awkward racial coding, the so-called "Ghetto Goblin" tends to be used as an less-racially-offensive imitation of the "hot-blooded Latina" or "Ghetto Black Girl" racial stereotype, in that they are sexually open, tend toward foul language and fiery tempers when angry and lewd vocalizing or body-language when aroused or teasing others, and frequently dress provocatively. While breeding for the Ghetto Goblin isn't usually as erotic as with the Breederphile, the social status of the Ghettoblin is often measured by how many offspring they have, how often they have sex, and how early they first had sex. They arouse easily, to the point that human men in their stories often need to talk Ghetto Goblins out of outright molesting them openly in public.

Whilst these archetypes are certainly well known, there are also two specific depictions of goblin monstergirls that have achieved enough recognition to be recognizable by name; the MGE Goblin and the CoC Goblin.

The [[Monster Girl Encyclopedia]] depiction of the goblin is essentially a mashup of the Mischief Maker and the Savage Slut archetypes. These primitive mamono live in tribal clusters, entertaining themselves by playing pranks on each other or the races around them, hunting game, and conducting banditry for fun, profit and boyfriends. In appearance, they resemble pointy-eared human [[loli]]s with horns and superhuman strength, allowing them to fight with weapons that only a strong human man would normally have a chance of lifting. Simple-minded and carefree, they have no intention of giving up the lifestyle they so enjoy.

The CoC Goblin takes its name from Corruption of Champions, a [[/d/|hentai]] fantasy text adventure game that was popular on /tg/ for a while, before the fact that [[furries]] are much more willing to put money where mouth is when it comes to getting fetishistic shit done led to the inevitable flooding of the game with [[beastfolk]] waifus and encounters and /tg/ promptly banished it. Still, before it went under, it had a significant impact on the goblin-girl arena: CoC may not have created the idea of the Breederphile archetype, but it certainly brought it to the attention of what passes for /tg/ mainstream. CoC's goblins are Breederphiles who became a pregnancy-obsessed all-female race due to corruption of their water supply. Once a brilliant race of alchemists and inventors, they have since devolved into a Savage Slut culture, living in crude tribes based on a massively curvy matriarch, her husband(s), and as many daughters as she can make who are willing to stick around - whilst goblins are fiercely competitive with each other, there is also safety in numbers, keeping them from being eaten by [[hellhound]]s or raped/beaten to death by [[minotaur]]s. Such clans are often notably inbred, for their corruption means they have little sense of objection to incest, with only the matriarch's jealous possessiveness in regards her husband keeping her daughters at bay. They're also examples of the Pervy Tinker archetype, using what remains of their former knack for invention to create sex toys and perverse alchemical concoctions for use in subduing husbands and molding them to their liking.

<gallery>
Image:Cute_Goblin_Adventurer.jpg
Image:Goblin_Dancer.jpg
Image:Goblin_Adventurer_1.png
Image:Goblin_Bar_Wench.png
Image:Goblin_Monk_1.jpg
Image:Goblin_Shamaness_1.jpg
Image:Goblin_Shamaness_2.jpg
File:MGE Goblin.jpg
</gallery>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:Sneaky Goblin.gif
Image:Goblin Knight.JPG|A more "player character" variety.
Image:GreenGoblin3.jpg|Most goblins tend to [[Alchemist|throw pumpkin bombs]] and use flying crafts to annoy [[/co/|superheroes]].
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Unified Setting/Goblins]] Yet another take on a classic concept.
* [[Goblin Slayer]], a man with a serious beef against goblins.
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqx4ywmqYUw The most common reaction to Goblins]

{{D&D1e-Races}}
{{D&D2e-Races}}
{{D&D4e-Races}}
{{D&D5e-Races}}
{{Pathfinder-Races}}

[[Category:Kings of War]][[Category:Monsters]]