Hobgoblin (Hob-gob-lin)
Larger and more organized and tyrannical than their smaller cousins, hobgoblins are brutal slavers whose empire fuels slavery around the world.
Basic Information
Genetics and Reproduction
Hobgoblins are the least prolific of goblinkind; often only bearing one or two children. However, the hobgoblins strict and militaristic childhood means hobgoblin children are much more likely to survive to adulthood then their more brutal cousins.
Growth Rate & Stages
While they mature much slower than regular Goblins or Bugbears, hobgoblins still mature quite quickly compared to other races. A hobgoblin youth can walk, talk, and fully fend for itself at 6 months of age, and from there it is thrust into a military training camp to have its role beaten into it. A hobgoblin reaches adulthood at 14 years of age, graduating from training and gaining a spot in society based on its performance.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Hobgoblin society is strictly a militaristic hierarchy, with each hobgoblin fortress ruled over with an iron fist by a ruling general. Every hobgoblin is required to serve the military in some capacity, with youths entering as soon as they are capable of walking. Those that excel in training are given better roles, while those who wash out are given lower more menial jobs. Hobgoblin flunkies are treated barely better then slaves.
Facial characteristics
Hobgoblins have sharply pointed ears and broad faces. Their eyes are most often a burning red or fiery orange, and all hobgoblins lack body hair completely.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Most hobgoblins dwell in mountain fortress' in the Kuzan Front, but they have a large presence in the Skretir Desert, as well as outposts all around the world in the search of better slaves.
Average Intelligence
The intellect for a hobgoblin ranges, as those who receive the best marks in training often receive additional education. Nearly all of a hobgoblins knowledge pertains to war in some way, be it best recipes for rations or a strategical knowledge of geographical terrain.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Hobgoblins have darkvision, although those who work in the great furnaces of hobgoblin war-factories often lose their ability to see in the dark due to their constant exposure to light.
Civilization and Culture
Major Organizations
The hobgoblin empire is known collectively as the Kuzon Imperialism, but it has many subsections, with each territory ruled over by competing generals.
Beauty Ideals
Hobgoblins care nothing for beauty, only for efficiency. If an object has no use either in battle or increasing the productivity of the hobgoblin race, it is discarded or destroyed.
Gender Ideals
Gender is of no concern to the hobgoblins, as all they care about is militarily might. Males and females alike are given equal opportunities; as long as a hobgoblin can provide results, it earns the respect of its brethren.
Courtship Ideals
Hobgoblin marriages are always made of convivence, and are usually arraigned by a hobgoblins superior. Hobgoblins are not monogamous, often having multiple husbands and/or wives, and will often trade partners as part of political deals.
Relationship Ideals
Hobgoblins discourage personal relationships, preferring to keep things strictly professional. This applies to children as well; Unless the mother has enough political status for personal trainers, hobgoblin children are taken from their mother at three weeks to be weaned and then raised communally until they become of age to enter military training.
Average Technological Level
Hobgoblins would have you believe they are industrious creators and expanders, and while some hobgoblins certainty find themselves with a knack for inventing greater machines of war, a majority of what hobgoblin society has is built on the backs of the enslaved, and no hobgoblin would even allow a slave to take credit for their own ideas.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Most hobgoblins speak Goblin and Common, but may also be found speaking Alka, Ignan, Infernal, Orc or Terran.
Common Etiquette Rules
Hobgoblins often trade in political favors, and a hobgoblin who never haggles in a deal is viewed as a coward.
Common Dress Code
Hobgoblins dress in strict and tight uniforms when not on the battlefield. On the battlefield, most wear iron or steel sets of armor crafted to suit the hobgoblin war machine.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Many hobgoblins keep a "whipping slave" simply for the purpose of taking out anger and frustration on. Most hobgoblins will work their slaves to a state of near death, tossing them massive "garbage pits" of broken slaves when they are no longer useful. More economically frugal hobgoblins often keep their slaves in good health, preferring to utilize mental torture instead of physical to deal out punishments so that they may keep their slaves working for the maximum amount of time.
Common Taboos
Knowingly freeing slaves or deserting from the military is an instant death by Bugbear torture for a hobgoblin, and a hobgoblin who disobeys direct orders from a superior is likely to face extremely harsh punishment. Crafty hobgoblin soldiers often "misinterpret" an order in order to make their superior look bad to those even higher up, and thus hobgoblin generals must make their orders clear and the punishment for not following them even clearer.
Historical Figures
One of the members of the villainous Darkmoon Alliance, the group that brought about the Sundering, was a hobgoblin outcast named Okk.
Common Myths and Legends
A majority of hobgoblins worship their patron demigod and the leader of the Kuzon Imperialism, Hob, the Whiplasher.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Hobgoblins have a mixed and complicated relationship with the other races of the world. Their brutish nature and their tendency to enslave their neighbors leaves them few friends, but it is well known that their military power helps them fight back fiends from Urro trying to invade other realms. They have an excellent relationship with the Gnoll Alka, as together they form a massive slave trade that spreads throughout the world. The frequently raid Gemillion territory for tireless slaves, which sours any sort of diplomatic relationship. They view their smaller cousins as chaotic nusencies, and only treat them slightly better than other slaves. Despite being a more evilily-inclined race, hobgoblins detest Tieflings, killing any born to them as soon as they become apparent.
Racial Table - Hobgoblin: Hit Dice: D8; Class Skills: Climb, Craft, Handle Animal, Profession, Survival; Skill Ranks Per Level: 2 + Intelligence modifier; Weapon Proficiency: Martial, plus all types of flails and whips; Armor Proficiency: Medium
| Level | BAB | Fort | Reflex | Will | Abilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +0 | +2 | +0 | +0 | Authoritative, Sneaky |
| 2nd | +1 | +3 | +0 | +0 | Dazzling Display |
| 3rd | +2 | +3 | +1 | +1 | Intimidating |
| 4th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Fearmonger, +1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution |
| 5th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Master of Fear |
Random Starting Ages
| Adulthood | Intuitive1 | Self-Taught2 | Trained3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 years | +1d4 years (16 - 19) | +1d6 years (16 - 21) | +2d6 years (17 - 27) |
Random Height and Weight
| Gender | Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 4 ft. 2 in. | +2d8 in. (4 ft. 4 in. - 5 ft. 6 in.) | 165 lbs. | +(2d8x5 lbs.) (175 - 245 lbs.) |
| Female | 4 ft. | +2d8 in. (4 ft. 4 in. - 5 ft. 4 in.) | 145 lbs. | +(2d8x5 lbs.) (155 - 225 lbs.) |
Hobgoblin Aging Table
| Middle Age (-1 to Str, Dex, and Con, +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha) | Old (-2 to Str, Dex, and Con, +2 to Int, Wis, and Cha) | Venerable (-3 to Str, Dex, and Con, +3 to Int, Wis, and Cha) | Maximum Age (GM secretly decides maximum age) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 years | 45 years | 60 years | 60 + 2d10 years (62 - 80 years) |
Random Hobgoblin Homelands
| % Rolled | Homeland | Trait Gained |
|---|---|---|
| 01-60 | Hobgoblin Fortress | Armor Expert |
| 61-75 | Goblin Burrow | Flame-Touched |
| 76-85 | Wilds | Savage |
| 86-94 | Non-hobgoblin City or Village | Adopted or On Guard |
| 95-00 | Unusual Homeland | (Roll on Unusual Homeland table) |
Random Hobgoblin Families
| % Rolled | Parental Status |
|---|---|
| 01-30 | Only Mother is alive |
| 31-60 | Only Father is alive |
| 61-95 | Both of your parents are dead |
| 96-00 | Both of your parents are alive |
| % Rolled | # of Siblings |
|---|---|
| 01-60 | 1d2 Siblings |
| 61-00 | No siblings |
Lifespan
62 - 80 years; although it is rare for a hobgoblin not in the highest ranks of society to reach 45.
Average Height
4 ft 2 in. - 5 ft. 6 in.
Average Weight
155 - 245 lbs.
Average Physique
Hobgoblins are sturdy and fast creatures, able to work endlessly to perfect their bodies for war and conquest.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Most hobgoblins have grey skin, but sometimes their skin ranges from green to black.
Geographic Distribution
Hobgoblin
Type
Humanoid (Goblin)
Ability Score Modifier
+2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma. Hobgoblins are fast and hardy, but have sour dispositions.
Size
medium
Speed
Hobgoblins have a base speed of 30 feet.
Language
Hobgoblins begin play speaking Common (Ard or Urrok) and Goblin. Hobgoblins with a high intelligence score can pick from any of the following languages: Alka, Ignan, Infernal, Orc and Terran.
- Materil: Hobgoblins can be tied to either the Hate or Earth Materils, allowing them to become Hatecrafters or Earthbreakers.
- Darkvision: Hobgoblins can see perfectly in the dark up to 60 feet.
- Authoritative: Hobgoblins excel at demanding things of others. They gain a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy and Intimidate checks, and Diplomacy and Intimidate are always considered class skills for them. These bonuses increase by 1 for every two hit dice beyond the 1st the hobgoblin possesses.
- Sneaky: Hobgoblins gain a +4 racial bonus to Stealth checks. This bonus increases by 1 for every four hit dice beyond the 1st the hobgoblin possesses.
- Dazzling Display: At 2nd racial level, a hobgoblin gains Dazzling Display as a bonus feat. If the hobgoblin doesn't have Weapon Focus, they may only use Dazzling Display with flail and whip weapons. A hobgoblin adds its BAB and hobgoblin level together for the purposes of meeting the prerequisites for any feat that requires the Dazzling Display feat to take.
- Intimidating: At 3rd racial level, a hobgoblin gains Skill Focus (Intimidate) as a bonus feat.
- Fearmonger: At 4th racial level, whenever a hobgoblin causes a creature to become shaken, that creature gains a penalty equal to the hobgoblin total racial level instead of -2.
- Master of Fear: At 5th level, a hobgoblin becomes immune to all fear effects, and adds +1 to the DCs of any fear effects they generate.
Alternate Racial Traits
- Battle-Hardened: Incessant drills make defense a second nature to some hobgoblins. Hobgoblins with this trait receive a +1 racial bonus to their CMD. This bonus increases by 1 for every four hit dice beyond the 1st the hobgoblin possesses. This trait replaces Sneaky.
- Engineer: Some hobgoblins tinker endlessly with fire, explosives, and the engines of war. Hobgoblins with this trait gain a +2 racial bonus on Craft (Alchemy) checks and Knowledge (Engineering). These bonuses increase by 1 for every two hit dice beyond the 1st the hobgoblin possesses. This trait replaces Authoritative.
- Magehunter: Hobgoblins hate and fear magic. Hobgoblins with this trait gain a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against spellcasting creatures. These bonus increases by 1 for every four hit dice beyond the 1st the hobgoblin possesses. This bonus only applies against those that use spells, not spell-like abilities. This trait replaces Sneaky.
- Pit Boss: Slavey fuels hobgoblin society. Hobgoblins with this trait gain proficiency with whips and gain a +1 racial bonus on disarm or trip attempts with a whip. This bonus increases by 1 for every four hit dice beyond the 1st the hobgoblin possesses. This trait replaces Sneaky.
- Scarred: Some hobgoblins use fire to toughen their hides, gaining a mass of scars. Hobgoblins with this trait gain a +1 natural armor bonus to their AC. This trait replaces Darkvison, altering a hobgoblins senses.
- Slave Hunter: Hobgoblin slavers excel at hunting down escaped slaves, tracking them even through the filthiest conditions. Hobgoblins with this trait gain a +2 racial bonus on Survival checks to track and a +2 racial bonus on saves versus disease. These bonuses increase by 1 for every four hit dice beyond the 1st the hobgoblin possesses. This trait replaces Sneaky.
- Unfit: Hobgoblins that failed to secure a good position in the military hierarchy quickly learn how to curry favor with their superiors. Hobgoblins with this trait gain a +2 racial bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy checks. These bonus increase by 1 for every two hit dice beyond the 1st the hobgoblin possesses. This trait replaces Authoritative.
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