Greetings?

Do you have Goblins or Gremlins in your campaigns? Or both?

In my Thandor Campaign, I have the Savori Goblins. The Savori Goblins have established a fairly advanced and sophisticated culture, primarily centered on city-states and a simple kind of monarchy. The Sovari Goblins are inspired by medieval Italians, with heavy doses of Italian Mafia sub-culture thrown in. Having a more or less "civilized" culture, this foundation easily accomodates and provides archetypes from suave, dashing aristocrats, smooth political priests, to hard-working farmers, labourers, and craftsmen.

Besides having independent Sovari homelands--the urban city-states and loose kingdoms--the Sovari Goblins have also immigrated in large numbers to many other places through the years. Their homeland, if course having similar problems to similar human-like realms, so there is corruption, disasters, and climate problems, which in turn create economic and family problems. Throw in occasional religious drama and political scandals, and there is plenty of reasons and motivation for large groups of Goblins to immigrate to live in foreign lands, where they can make new homes for themselves. Of course, I also use these dynamics to create many sub-culture settlements of Sovari Goblins in different foreign cities, living in crazy ghettos and urban neighborhoods. There are also uber-wealthy Goblins that have worked their way into the halls of the elite, which creates some additional contrasts, culturally, socially, and economically. This also leads into some very different political ideologies, which can be fun too.

Brigands, pirates, and short-stack strumpet courtesans are always in abundance, as well as a wide range of urban criminals.

With this as a foundation recipe, the Sovari Goblins are very much into wealth, fashion, and food.

In contrast to the Sovari Goblins, I have the Gremlins. The Gremlins are more inclined to magic, but also more primitive, simple, and brutal. The Gremlins are similar in appearance to the Goblins, though the Gremlins have larger, wider mouths, and more prominent claws. The Gremlins are barbaric, ruled by chieftains, and live organized as tribes. The Gremlins live out in the wilderness, and freely mix and ally with dark Fey creatures, demons, and monsters. Of course, the Gremlins are very much more unpleasant than the Goblins, embracing blood sacrifice, cannibalism, torture, slavery, and slaughtering anyone that they do not like.

I tend to align the Gremlins more with a dark, mythological interpretation, whereas the Sovari Goblins are more nuanced. This also easily allows me to embrace Goblin villains, but also Goblins that are more normal, and even noble in their lifestyle, morals, and culture.

This kind of flexibility has also been very popular with my Players. The players *LOVE* Goblins. especially the sexy, short-stack, Kardashian strumpets. *Laughing*

In one of my campaigns, there are several Goblins. A couple Players, and a few NPC henchmen. Goblins can have normal professions and classes, though their naturally-comical physical appearance is always a treat. Add that with some of the over-the-top cultural flourishes, and Goblin characters can really add a lot of flavour and fun to any group.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Greetings!

Having embraced a kind of formalized distinction in my campaign between Goblins and Gremlins has also provided more "space" in which to make Goblins something deeper and more varied than merely being evil pests to be ruthlessly exterminated at every opportunity. My Players have appreciated that distinction, as some of them really love Goblins.

I also think it is kind of neat how Goblins step into the "Short Races" space--of the Dwarves, Gnomes, and Halflings--and of course, while similar, also provide a distinct enough palette and characteristics to be different. Goblins can make for some compelling characters, that also have many humorous characteristics.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

I love using swarmy little monsters to give a sense of fighting against a tide of numbers and heroism to my players. One problem I've found though is that depending on the culture the game is based off of there are not always good mythological analogues for the D&D goblin archetype.

Last few years, I go the other way with the "goblin" label.  I have feral goblins, that use stone-age tools plus whatever they can steal, live on the outskirts of other cultures (including monster tribes). They train/domesticate giant rats as both hunter companions and an emergency food source. Wargs wouldn't give them the time of day. They prefer to eat whatever they can bring down, be it game, people, other goblins. They have primitive shamans that seldom advance very far (usually ending up in an ambitious apprentices stomach), and practice a kind of dark, ritual nature magic.

Then I have "hobs" that are the more traditional replacements, kind of a cross between the usual goblin, hobgoblin, and orc. More like humans in their manner, with a constant strain of order warring with baser desires. They can forge decent equipment, and the order provides enough space for some of them to become quite proficient in their goals. Their magic is usually wizardry based, though a few practice a kind of faerie magic instead (which also replaces what amounts to their religions, since except for superstitions, they avoid entanglement with the gods). You can deal with them from a position of strength but never trust them for long. Most of them are slavers.

Quote from: Hzilong on January 13, 2024, 07:00:14 PM
I love using swarmy little monsters to give a sense of fighting against a tide of numbers and heroism to my players. One problem I've found though is that depending on the culture the game is based off of there are not always good mythological analogues for the D&D goblin archetype.

Greetings!

Nice, Hzilong! Lots of swarmy little monsters! *Laughing* Players tend to love and hate those at the same time!

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Quote from: Steven Mitchell on January 13, 2024, 07:19:48 PM
Last few years, I go the other way with the "goblin" label.  I have feral goblins, that use stone-age tools plus whatever they can steal, live on the outskirts of other cultures (including monster tribes). They train/domesticate giant rats as both hunter companions and an emergency food source. Wargs wouldn't give them the time of day. They prefer to eat whatever they can bring down, be it game, people, other goblins. They have primitive shamans that seldom advance very far (usually ending up in an ambitious apprentices stomach), and practice a kind of dark, ritual nature magic.

Then I have "hobs" that are the more traditional replacements, kind of a cross between the usual goblin, hobgoblin, and orc. More like humans in their manner, with a constant strain of order warring with baser desires. They can forge decent equipment, and the order provides enough space for some of them to become quite proficient in their goals. Their magic is usually wizardry based, though a few practice a kind of faerie magic instead (which also replaces what amounts to their religions, since except for superstitions, they avoid entanglement with the gods). You can deal with them from a position of strength but never trust them for long. Most of them are slavers.

Greetings!

Very interesting, Steven!

Do your Hobs have large tribes or organize into tribal kingdoms?

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Quote from: SHARK on January 13, 2024, 07:39:29 PM

Do your Hobs have large tribes or organize into tribal kingdoms?

They'd love to, and it's not from lack of trying.  Given the setting has mostly 600-800 A.D. tech and is less stable than Western Europe in that same time frame, the best even the human/elf/dwarf and other allied races have been able to do is small kingdoms, sometimes with a single modest city.  Some of them do have fortified bases, from which allied tribes maintain an uneasy truce, their version of a town, with forges, bakeries, etc.  But then they need to deal with the same pressures that are keeping all the other races limited to small kingdoms only worth the name in the same sense it was used in the real world during that time.  Something as large as Wessex or Aquitaine are outside their current reach.

One of my favorite RPG books is GURPS Goblins, which is a hilarious parody of 1830 London inhabited by goblins of all shapes and sizes. It has a look and feel similar to the movie _Labyrinth_, but with all sorts of historical detail/parody and great full-color illustrations. The back cover goes:

QuoteBe Warned Gentle Reader

This game deals with a variety of unpleasant subjects, such as burglary, prostitution, child abuse, leeching, alcoholism, the opinions of O.S. Fowler, piracy and venereal disease.

It is unsuitable for small children or persons of frail moral character.

The inclusion of this subject matter should not be taken to imply that the authors or publishers in any way support, condone, or propagate these things in life.

https://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/goblins/

A particular highlight of this is an adventure set in a theater, where the play running is "The Abridged Macbeth - With Just The Witches And The Fighting". The complete text of the play is included on one page in the book.

---

I also had a short campaign in a reversed D&D world, where goblins and other humanoids were the good races - and humans and demi-humans were the evil races. My description for goblins was this:

QuoteThe merry little goblins are often dismissed as frivolous jokers. The caverns rings with their songs - and they prize humor especially. "Where there's a wit, there's a way" goes the old goblin song. But there is more to them than that. Goblins also prize stories, and keep a rich oral tradition. They are also quick and sly. Sometimes they will play pranks on others, but they also sometimes give unseen help to those in need - like mending tools or shoes.

Heh, some good ideas here... I really ought to do more with goblins.  They are versatile, and you can do a lot with them.

  In my long running campaign set in Greyhawk I've got numerous Goblin bands about, the most notable of which (so far as the players are concerned)
are shaking down peasants and merchants for copper pieces, to hand over to a lovesick Copper dragon with dubious morals who is trying to raise the
money to pay off the bride-price of the copper dragoness he's attempting to court.  It's been a running gag for more than a year but the party has pieced
just enough evidence together to go and do something about it at last.  I used to play a fair bit of Warhammer, it's a constant struggle to keep me from
giving them cockney accents but I've been doing well on that front so far.

  As for gremlins... i use them as nuisances that are about a step ahead of Kobolds with flaming oil.  I have 'em steal food and equipment from the party
and generally make a mess of things.  Inspired entirely by the hordes of gremlins that would kill me off in the early ultima games.  The party can take
any complaints to Lord British, it's ultimately all his fault, of course.  That's what I'm telling them anyways, when a horde of gremlins makes off with the
rations they've got left after losing their horses this week, thanks for the inspiration!

In my fantasy setting, goblins are a type of fungus.

Quote from: BadApple on January 14, 2024, 04:06:42 AM
In my fantasy setting, goblins are a type of fungus.

I take it they also enjoy krumpin things, dakka, and even more dakka?

Quote from: Hzilong on January 14, 2024, 04:52:16 AM

Quote from: BadApple on January 14, 2024, 04:06:42 AM
In my fantasy setting, goblins are a type of fungus.

I take it they also enjoy krumpin things, dakka, and even more dakka?

So funny thing that.  I wasn't really a 40k guy and it was only long after I established my goblin lore that I learned about 40k orcs.  Of course no one believes me now but, what the hell, I'm not changing them now.

The big thing about mine is that they are arsonists because when they spore they grow in earth that's been scorched.  Their head explodes and releases spores when they've matured as well.