Goblin

Beast Masters and Slave Drivers

Goblins occupy an uneasy place in a dangerous world, and they react by lashing out at any creatures they believe they can bully. Cunning in battle and cruel in victory, goblins are fawning and servile in defeat, just as in their own society lower castes must scrape before those of greater status and as goblin tribes bow before other goblinoids.
Goblins know they are a weak, unsophisticated race that can be easily dominated by bigger, smarter, more organized, more ferocious, or more magical creatures. Their god was conquered by Bane, after all, and now when the Strife Emperor calls for it, even their souls are forfeit. It is this realization that drives them fo dominate other creatures whenever they can—for goblins, life is short.
Goblins seek to trap and enslave any creatures they encounter, but they flee from opposition that seems too daunting. For miles around their lair, they employ pit traps, snares, and nets to catch the unwary, and when their hunting patrols encounter other beings, they always look for ways to capture their foes instead of killing them. Goblins that run up against the fringes of a society first test its defenses by stealing objects, and if these crimes go unpunished, they begin stealing people.
Enslaved creatures receive the worst treatment the goblins can dish out while still getting decent performance out of the slaves. But humanoids and monsters that are especially capable or that provide unusual services find themselves treated like favored (though occasionally abused) pets.
Virtually any kind of creature that can be browbeaten into service might be found with a goblin tribe, but rats and wolves are nearly always present. Both have lived in concert with goblins for at least as long as humans have worked with dogs and horses, and in goblin society those two animals serve similar purposes.

Family Matters

A goblin tribe is organized in a four-tiered caste system made up of lashers, hunters, gatherers, and pariahs. The status of every family in the tribe is based on its importance to the tribe's survival. Families that belong to the higher-ranking castes keep their status by not sharing their knowledge and skills with other families, while those in the lower castes have little hope of escaping their plight.
Outsiders who don't understand the goblins' social system are sometimes surprised by how different castes interact with them. A single human warrior might frighten away a dozen gatherers, only to be shocked when two hunters viciously attack. A captured group of invaders might hang in a net while dozens of goblins pass by and pay them no heed until a group of gatherers shows up.

Booyahgs

Spellcasters of any sort among the goblins are rare. Goblins typically lack the intelligence and patience needed to learn and practice wizardry, and they fare poorly even when given access to the necessary training and knowledge. Sorcerers are less prevalent among them than in many other races, and Bane seems to dislike sharing his divine power with his followers. And although many goblins would readily offer anything to have the abilities of a warlock, the patrons that grant such power know a goblin is unlikely to be able to uphold its end of any bargain.
Even when a goblin is born with the ability to become a spellcaster, the knowledge and talent necessary to carry on the tradition rarely persists for more than a couple of generations. Because they have so little experience with magic, goblins make no distinction between its forms. To them all magic is "booyahg," and the word is part of the name they give to any of its practitioners. A goblin with access to booyahg becomes a member of the lashers and can often rise to the role of boss.

The Goblins of Avalor

The vast majority of goblins across Avalor are tribal raiders and slavers, driven by Bane's influence to pillage and living in perpetual fear of militant civilizations growing around them. They acclimate to just about any climate or landscape: forests, plains, swamps, deserts, jungles, and even tundras. It is rare that they are able to steel their will against Bane's foul whispers, but those who do live peaceful lives, and in some more open-minded areas, try to engage with other, non-evil humanodis. Many goblins in the deserts of Malidor have overcame the Strife Emperor's influence and intermingle with civilization, and the Krulan Empire of eastern Vidrea has integrated them as second-class citizens.
Goblins can become adventurers for a variety of reasons. Many goblins will be out hunting and return to find their tribes stomped out by adventurers, military patrols, or large predators. These goblins are forced to wander alone, sometimes having to resort to playing nice and integrating into multicultural cities for survival. Others come to realize the wrongdoings of their tribes and break free of Bane's influence. If a goblin can manage to find an open-minded adventuring party, they could be a valuable asset as a rogue or ranger given their resourcefulness and nimbleness.

Goblin Traits

A goblin character has the following racial traits.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1.
Age. Goblins reach adulthood at age 8 and live up to 60 years.
Alignment. Goblins tend to look out for themselves, preferably without drawing unwanted attention from any larger and more powerful people.
Size. Goblins are between 3 and 4 feet tall and weigh between 40 and 80 pounds. Your size is Small.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Fury of the Small. When you damage a creature with an attack or a spell and the creature's size is larger than yours, you can cause the attack or spell to deal extra damage to the creature. The extra damage equals your level. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Nimble Escape. You can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of your turns.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Goblin.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Goblinoid

Lifespan

40-60 years

Average Height

3'0"-4'0"

Average Weight

35-60 lbs