Goblins

This Blog is based on an article I wrote for Seaxe Magazine in 2013

Folklore, Fantasy & Fiction: Goblins

The adventurers creep steadily along the dark, dank corridor of the dark wizard’s castle, as they approach a large wooden door they call their thief forward to check the door for traps and to see if he can hear anything on the other side.  The door is old and the lock in poor condition it appears to the experienced dungeoneer that the lock has not been used in a very long time and that the door as a whole is free from traps. Content that the door itself offers him no harm the veteran rogue places his ear against the wood of the door and listens. Something lurks beyond, perhaps it is one of the necromancer’s apprentices, maybe some of his undead minions or maybe some terrifying beast summoned from beyond the void. The burglar steps back and quietly informs his adventuring companions of what he heard. Stepping aside he allows the parties warrior and cleric to come to the front taking a hold of the door’s pull ring the thief pulled the doors open allowing his companions to rush in only to face…

Goblins are often the stock minions of many dark wizards, evil warlords and frightful demons, not to mention Dungeon Masters and authors. In LARP, table top role-playing and even war gaming they are used time and time again to ware down players ready for their master or even bigger creatures to give the heroes a real challenge. This article is the first of a series which will look at a different creature from folklore, fantasy and fiction and examine how it can be used to much greater effect in our games and storytelling.

Each article will take a look first at the historical and folklore aspects of a creature in this case Goblins, it will then look at how they are used in role-playing and war gamming before taking a look at how they are portrayed in fiction. Each article will include ideas of how new life can be breathed into these traditional and often stock monsters.

In Folklore

Goblins have existed in Folklore from some of the very earliest oral traditions, often considered as a weaker, evil variety of fairy creature these short beasts are considered malicious and spiteful, willing to work harm against mortals as if it was part of their very nature. Goblins in folklore vary in size, shape and general appearance, this variety does not always only come about due to a change in location even goblins inhabiting the same town or village may be described with wildly different features and abilities. This may have something to do with their name which is Latin for uncertain origin.

Goblins may well be a different set of races all linked by their evil attitude to life and all things beautiful. However for the purpose of this article we are going to assume they are all of one race and that, that race is varied in appearance and ability.

For the most part goblins in folklore are commonly described as been either as short as a fairy, maybe as small as 15 centimetres or as tall as a gnome or dwarf or approaching one and a half metres.

One thing is universally common amongst almost all goblins and that is their mean spirited natures, goblins dislike anything of beauty and in folklore where often used to scare children into behaving. Goblins will harm household pets and livestock and are usually said to be carnivores although like many fairy folk they do not always have to eat instead they simply like the taste. They love to play tricks on others especially the old and the young and are not above killing people as part of their games.

Goblins will either live in packs in grottos and underground places away from the sun which either blinds them or kills them out right depending on the legend. Some goblins usually the solitary ones will attach themselves to a household and steal trinkets and cause poltergeist like activity to occur driving any decent family away. Many goblins where thought of as been nomadic but considering their fear of sun light and need to be out of the sun during the day light this might not be true especially today as opposed to when their where vast areas of untamed wilderness in Europe.

Goblins in folklore can be quite skilled at making things however due to their lazy natures they would rather steal what others had laboured to create.

Goblins are often attributed with the powers to sourer milk, cause farm animals to go lame and turn invisible so that mortals cannot see them.

It is said by some that Goblins originated in France but spread out across Europe. In this tradition they sprung from a cave in the Pyrenees Mountains where they had dug their way up from deep within the earth. In some legends they were said to have been created by Ghob the same being who created the Gnomes but where the gnomes where benign and caring the goblins where filled with malicious hatred for all other things.

In Fantasy

In Fantasy settings goblins are often have green coloured skin and sit at the bottom of the pile when it comes to other larger types of goblin such  as Hobgoblins and Orcs. Although quick and cunning they are rarely strong or intelligent and soon come under the sway of bigger types of goblin.

In most role-play games and war games they lack any special magical abilities although some may become shaman and whilst capable of making stuff for themselves they would rather be led than lead and rather steal goods from other races than make their own.

One reason they make excellent minions is their laziness, once employed they will stick around in order to dispose of food, waste and even the enemies of their master. If intimidated regularly by their master and given the odd gift or allowed to keep some of the spoils of war they will long serve their master.

In these settings goblins tend to use short one handed weapons or short bows which they can become extremely proficient in. Because of their cunning they often make good thieves and assassins it is only their greed and lack of discipline which causes them to fail in these areas.

In fantasy settings Goblins are often said to hold gnomes and dwarves in particular hatred and compete for land and treasure. Most fantasy settings give goblins a fixed size or appearance although there may be several sub races of goblin which have slightly different appearances and abilities.

In Fiction

Goblins become even more varied when you look at them in literature. They first shot to fame in J. R. R. Tolkien’s the Hobbit. It is often this depiction of them that is used in most fantasy role-play games and war games. Again here they lack any special powers other than been able to see in the dark and been good at making and setting traps. They do of course also have the ability to speak to and befriend wargs.

In more modern fiction J K Roweling portrays them as bank managers and treasure hoarders. They are also skilled silver smiths and much more intelligent than in other books. They appear to be able to hold their own against wizards and are able to construct elaborate traps and magical items.

Recently Goblins have been given a new lease of life in the books of David Melling and Philip Reeves. Melling introduces us to a different type of goblin in each of his books starting with Stone Goblins, whilst Reeves introduces us to a Goblin Hero and the goblin settlement of Clovenstone, in his books goblins come off as been likeable and even goes as far as making dwarves the villain of his second book.

Tips for making Goblins fun

With regards goblins it is far too easy to make them into disposable monsters who the players kill in their thousands. If goblins where not capable of looking after themselves with all the creatures which prey on them then they would have died out ages ago. If you want to make them more of a challenge for players borrow some ideas from folklore and give them the powers of invisibility just like Tony Diterlizzi and Holly Black did in the Spiderwick Chronicles. This one power will easily make the creature more dangerous and fun to use as will allowing them to dispense minor curses or jinx their opponents once or twice per day. Add to them the ability to set and use traps makes them a lot more formidable and interesting to use.

I did this with an npc goblin in one of my games that goes by the name of Snitch who uses skills as a 5^th level thief and has the innate abilities mentioned above: Invisibility three times per day and jinx once per day. He is also a skilled trap builder. He has become a henchman to the parties Fighter who intends to make him his squire and the two have become quite a duo. He is played as a grovelling and snivelling character who is keen to live and not put himself in to much danger. When people are not looking aspects of his evil alignment come out such a skilling subdued prisoners and steeling anything the party has not claimed. He is also sarcastic to players who annoy him and offers to kill them for his new lord and master who always replies with NO SNITCH!

Another goblin I had fun with was Nesk who was a throw away encounter on level one of under mountain. In my Forgotten realms campaign he became a Humanoid Bard from the Humanoids hand book. After he was captured rather than killed by the party. He started to watch the parties bard and rogue and soon started to progress in this area becoming one of the PC's henchman. His knowledge of his own people became very useful to the party and he earned more and more respect in the group even been given equal shares of any treasure they acquired. He finished the game as a 6th Level Humanoid Bard and has since been used as a npc and mentor for other groups and players in a whole range of systems. Next was played as a pretty intelligent goblin from the start and more than meets the eye sort of character this was evident in the way he used a npc Hobgoblin as his body guard.

Goblins really do not need to be throw away characters and can run a whole spectrum of personalities. Even as villains and as random encounters they can be fun and challenging. What's important is that you never let them get to stale or to predicatble.