Hobgoblins

Fierce and militaristic, hobgoblins survive by conquest. The raw materials to fuel their war machines come from raids, their armaments and buildings from the toil of slaves worked to death. Naturally ambitious and envious, hobgoblins seek to better themselves at the expense of others of their kind, yet in battle, they put aside petty differences and fight with discipline rivaling that of the finest soldiers. Hobgoblins have little love or trust for one another and even less for outsiders. Life for these brutes consists of duty to those of higher station, domination of those below, and the rare opportunities to seize personal glory and elevate their status.
Physical Description: Burly and muscled, hobgoblins stand a few inches shorter than the average human, and their long arms, thick torsos, and relatively short legs give them an almost apelike stature. Hobgoblins’ skin is a sickly gray-green that darkens to mossy green after long exposure to the sun. Their eyes burn fiery orange or red, and their broad faces and sharply pointed ears give their features a somewhat feline cast. Hobgoblins lack facial hair, and even hobgoblin women are bald. Except for their size, hobgoblins bear a strong physical resemblance to their goblin cousins.
Society: Hobgoblins live in militaristic tyrannies, each community under the absolute rule of a hobgoblin general. Every hobgoblin in a settlement receives military training, with those who excel serving in the army and the rest left to serve more menial roles. Those deemed unfit for military service have little social status, barely rating above favored slaves. Despite this, hobgoblin society is egalitarian after a fashion. Gender and birth offer no barrier to advancement, which is determined almost solely by each individual’s personal merit. Hobgoblins eschew strong attachments, even to their young. Matings are matters of convenience and are almost always limited to hobgoblins of equal rank. Any resulting baby is taken from its mother and forcibly weaned after 3 weeks of age. Young mature quickly—most take no more than 6 months to learn to talk and care for themselves. Hobgoblins’ childhoods last a scant 14 years, a mirthless span filled with brutal training in the art of war.
Relations: Hobgoblins view other races as nothing more than tools—implements to be enslaved, cowed, and put to work. Without slaves, hobgoblin society would collapse, so reliant is it on stolen labor. An injured, sickly, or defiant slave is like a broken tool, useless waste to be tossed out with the day’s garbage. Not surprisingly, hobgoblin communities count no other races as their friends, and few as allies.

Starting Ages

Adulthood	Intuitive	Self-Taught	Trained
15 years	+1d4 years (16 – 19 years)	+1d6 years (16 – 21 years)	+2d6 years (17 – 27 years)

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.	+(2d8×5 lbs.) (175 – 245 lbs.)
Female	4 ft. 0 in.	+2d8 in. (4 ft. 2 in. – 5 ft. 4 in.)	145 lbs.	+(2d8×5 lbs.) (155 – 225 lbs.)

Standard Racial Traits

• Ability Score Modifiers: Hobgoblins are fast and hardy. They gain +2 Dexterity, and +2 Constitution.
• Type: Hobgoblins are humanoids with the goblinoid subtype.
• Size: Hobgoblins are Medium creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Base Speed: Hobgoblins have a base speed of 30 feet.
• Languages: Hobgoblins begin play speaking Common and Goblin. Hobgoblins with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Draconic, Dwarven, Infernal, Giant, and Orc. See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.

Feat and Skill Racial Traits

• Sneaky: Hobgoblins receive a +4 racial bonus on Stealth checks.

Senses Racial Traits

• Darkvision: Hobgoblins can see perfectly in the dark up to 60 feet.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Humans

Origin/Ancestry

First Crossing

Lifespan

70