Hobgoblin

Marching to the beat of an unheard drum, the figure tramps forward at the head of the column, one of several legions forging a new throughway over the hills, the plume of smoke dominating the skyline now all that remains of their last stop. Layers of mail and plate clatter, scuffed, scratched, dented, but the figure bears them as easily as its own skin. The creases carved in its leathery face speak of battlecries and pain, not laughter. His keen ears hone in on commotion in the column behind, lesser soldiers jostling and bargaining for their share of the spoils, greedy eyes panning over their captives, squabbling over the chattel like commoners at a fruit market. He barks a short order in a harsh tongue, silencing them in a heartbeat. The march continues, unabated. This is a hobgoblin.
Hobgoblins live to make war; not the chaotic pillaging and destruction of many other monstrous races, but full-fledged, organized war. Every facet of their society is geared towards it; their strict social hierarchy, harsh punishments, even their naming conventions all aid in their martial endeavors.
Unlike its goblin kin, an individual hobgoblin is more than able to hold its own against any of the civilized races. As a unit in formation though, hobgoblins are almost without peer. Their unbreakable shield walls are legendary as both an offensive and defensive formation among those who have faced them. Other common formations include Kraana (‘the teeth’), a staggered front line for luring in cavalry to be enveloped, Jaashk (‘the spear’), a wedge for piercing through an enemy line, and Jaakja (‘the hedgehog’), a bristling pike formation used to deny areas of the battlefield to the enemy.
Hobgoblins stand around six feet tall, with an athletic physique that comes with a lifetime of hard drilling, their skin is leathery, tending towards greys, or even purples with flecks of orange or reddish tan. Like goblins, their ears and nose do not stop growing but, unlike their smaller cousins, males are capable of growing facial hair around the chin and corners of the mouth. As with most things, this feature is used to denote rank and status, with senior hobgoblins growing longer beards than those under their command. It has been suggested that lower ranking hobgoblins are physically incapable of growing beards; either seniors exude some sort of suppressive pheromone, or promotion to command stimulates the increase of hormones necessary for longer beard growth.
Clothing is practical, mass-produced and, for the most part, unadorned. Their fondness for the simple hobnailed boot gives them their name amongst civilized folk. A few generals and warlords like to flaunt their success by adding flourishes to their armor, but this focus on the impractical is viewed as an eccentricity by most. Hobgoblins would much prefer to receive good quality equipment as a reward than gold which, amongst themselves, they view as an unnecessary step in the process of refining their efficiency as a fighter. However, they do understand the value of gold when dealing with other races (generally for slaves and steel), and as a measure of successful conquest.

Culture

Slaves are the true measure of an individual’s worth in hobgoblin culture, and exist in two distinct castes; schett personal slaves, and schaaf the lower, public slaves. Personal slaves are the property of the officer who captured them, and are expected to carry out tasks unbefitting of a warrior, such as writing and carrying missives, stitching clothes, tending to fires and carrying supplies. While treatment of personal slaves differs from officer to officer, it is uncommon for them to be treated any better than cattle. Some enjoy doling out severe beatings for minor (or invented) offenses, others like to organize gladiatorial games, and some show little interest in their property. While the latter may seem optimal for the slaves in question, disinterest can prove deadly if the master doesn’t bother to apply for their food rations.
Public slaves vastly outnumber hobgoblins in any settlement, and occupy every non-military role needed; they tend to livestock, work the mines, and carry out the bulk of the hard labor needed to maintain defenses. They lead miserable lives, and the hobgoblins do all they can to stamp out any spark of resistance. It is common, for example, for a slave to have a set number of beatings a month, regardless of wrongdoing, and even to ‘declare war’ for a few days each year, during which time no hobgoblin will face punishment for killing a slave.
Hobgoblin females of high rank generally see it as their duty to pass on their evidently strong genes to the next generation and the difficulties of fighting whilst pregnant usually keep them out of active service. Unlike most non-combatants though, high-ranking females are still awarded a great deal of respect (dependent on their previous martial reputation). Wars have been fought and kingdoms have been sacked as dowries for particularly desirable females.
Children are raised communally, often becoming the responsibility of a lower ranking individual angling for a promotion, until they are five years of age. At this point they are segregated from other members of society and undergo a brutal system of training known as Kraachka; ‘the forging’. Youngsters are divided into units of ten, grouping together strangers where possible. These units go through the forging together, swearing loyalty as one, and answerable as one. Soldiers-in-training are intentionally underfed to acclimate them to the possibility of starvation while on campaign, and to encourage them to use their cunning if they want a full belly. Stealing is expected, but any caught doing so will be punished severely along with the rest of the unit. They are trained to take these beatings without showing pain or weakness. After ten years of drilling, and spending winters out in the wilderness with only their wits to warm themselves, the students take the final test Graat, ‘the anvil’; a militia is raised from the strongest slaves and, armed, armored and commanded by their masters, a war is declared against the young hobgoblins. Given basic supplies and a day’s head start, they must emerge victorious, or the survivors must take their place among the slaves.

Environment

Hobgoblins have a profound impact on their environment. Once they establish a base, they will move outwards like a plague of ravenous insects, stripping all resources from the land if given the opportunity. After months or years, the army will depart with its spoils, leaving in its wake desolate fields and dry riverbeds; wastelands to be picked over by feral dogs, carrion birds, and the desperate few survivors not marched away in chains.
As well as the large-scale consumption of their surroundings, hobgoblins make huge changes on a local level; their fortifications are second to none. Upon occupying a new area, every hobgoblinand slave’s efforts will be focused on digging lines of trenches, clearing surrounding forest to remove cover and provide wood for lines of stakes, and serviceable stockades can spring up in a matter of a few days. Over time, if the hobgoblins remain, this wooden skeleton will be reinforced with clay or mud or, in some cases, replaced piece by piece with stonework if they are able.

Roleplaying Hobgoblins

Hobgoblins are hard, unrelenting and uncompromising, but they are not fools. It is not unheard of for them to cooperate with other races if their aims overlap, or even for a tribe to be employed as a large scale mercenary force if the reward is good enough, regardless of the ideals of their employer. Pragmatic and cold, hobgoblins are not the world’s best conversationalists; small talk is more or less unheard of, and an outsider can only realistically expect to hear boasts, war stories, and impassioned discussion of preferred combat tactics.
Most hobgoblins take the view that other races are needlessly decadent and that theirs is a superior and purer way of life, making little effort to hide these views in mixed company. This understandably leads to some ill will from others, and a few hobgoblins take joy in goading others to the point that weapons are drawn as a demonstration of their own restraint and their opponent’s lack of discipline.

Language and Common Names

Hobgoblins speak plainly, and their language reflects this. It is less clipped and chattering than basal Goblin, but still favors hard consonants. It is rare for a word to have more than one meaning, and existing words are clumped together to describe new concepts.
Hobgoblins bear short, sharp names, easy to bark orders to and differentiate in battle, multisyllabic names are rare, and generally only found amongst high ranking officers.
Hobgoblin Names: Borkol, Daksh, Garl, Gorshk, Grak, Karsh, Korb, Krach, Rachka, Rakst, Skaal, Stol, Trosk, Zask

Hobgoblin

ability score increase: +2 Con

age: Mature at the same rate as humans and live roughly as long

alignment: Any

Size: Medium

speed: 30ft

Languages: You can speak, read and write Common and Goblin

race features:
Size. Hobgoblins are between 5 and 6 feet tall and weigh between 150 and 200 pounds. Your size is Medium.
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.
Discipline. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed.
Subrace. Young hobgoblins are trained to fulfill one of two roles. Guides are diplomats and scholars, while soldiers are devoted to war. Choose a subrace for your hobgoblin character.

Guide

As a guide, you’ve been trained to lead your people.
Ability Score Increase. Either your Intelligence or Charisma score increases by 1 (your choice).
Lead By Example. If you fail an ability check or saving throw, you can gain a bonus to the roll equal to the number of allies you can see within 30 feet of you (maximum bonus of +5). Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
The Guiding Arts. You have proficiency in two of the following skills of your choice: History, Medicine, Performance, or Persuasion.

Soldier

As a soldier, you’ve drilled in the art of war since childhood.
Ability Score Increase. Either your Dexterity or Strength score increases by 1 (your choice).
Strength in Unity. If you miss with an attack roll or fail a saving throw, you can gain a bonus to the roll equal to the number of allies you can see within 30 feet of you (Maximum bonus of +5). Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
The Arts of War. You have proficiency in two of the following skills of your choice: Athletics, Intimidation, Perception, or Survival.

Hobgoblins are large goblinoids with dark-orange or red-orange skin. A hobgoblin measures virtue by physical strength and martial prowess, caring about nothing except skill and cunning in battle.