Goblinoid
Encyclopedia
Goblinoids are a category of humanoid
Humanoid (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, humanoid is a type of creature, or "creature type". Humanoids are any creature shaped generally like a human , of Small or Medium size, with few or no supernatural or extraordinary abilities...
legendary creature
Legendary creature
A legendary creature is a mythological or folkloric creature.-Origin:Some mythical creatures have their origin in traditional mythology and have been believed to be real creatures, for example the dragon, the unicorn, and griffin...
s related to the goblin
Goblin
A goblin is a legendary evil or mischievous illiterate creature, a grotesquely evil or evil-like phantom.They are attributed with various abilities, temperaments and appearances depending on the story and country of origin. In some cases, goblins have been classified as constantly annoying little...
. The term originated in the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
, in which goblins and related creatures are a staple of random encounter
Random encounter
A random encounter is a feature commonly used in various role-playing games whereby encounters with non-player character enemies or other dangers occur sporadically and at random...
s. Goblinoids are typically barbaric
Barbarian
Barbarian and savage are terms used to refer to a person who is perceived to be uncivilized. The word is often used either in a general reference to a member of a nation or ethnos, typically a tribal society as seen by an urban civilization either viewed as inferior, or admired as a noble savage...
foes of the various human and "demihuman" races. Even though goblinoids in modern fantasy fiction are derived from J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's orcs
Orc (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Orcs or Orks are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains of The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings — Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman...
, in his Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
"orc" and "goblin" were names for the same race of creatures.
Occurrences in various fantasy worlds
- In DiabloDiablo (video game)Diablo is a dark fantasy-themed action role-playing game developed by Blizzard North and released by Blizzard Entertainment on December 31, 1996....
the goblinoid races are known as fallen ones. They are noisy, travel in large packs and are very cowardly as they flee at the sight of their comrades death. There are many types of fallen through the game such as fallen ones, carvers, dark ones and devilkins. The sequel Diablo II also introduced new types, the warped ones and shamans. The shamans had special skill to revive lesser rank fallen ones, but not other shamans. This, plus their spellcasting, often makes shamans the first target for many players. There were also some unique fallen one types through the game series that only appeared once in the game.
- In Dungeons & Dragons, the primary goblinoid races are (in order of increasing physical size and strength) goblinsGoblin (Dungeons & Dragons)In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, goblins are a very common and fairly weak race of evil humanoid monsters. Goblins and Kobolds are commonly non-human monsters that low-level player characters will face in combat. In D&D, goblins aren't smaller cousins of orcs, but are a part of...
, hobgoblinHobgoblin (Dungeons & Dragons)In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, hobgoblins are a larger, stronger, smarter and more menacing form of goblins. They are smaller and weaker than bugbears, but better organized. Hobgoblins are humanoids that stand nearly 6'6" tall on average, a little taller than orcs...
s and bugbearsBugbear (Dungeons & Dragons)The bugbear is a type of fictional monster for player characters to encounter in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.A bugbear is depicted as a massive humanoid distantly related to goblins and hobgoblins...
. All three are adept at sneaking around, although hobgoblins are more concerned with fighting. Later rules expansions and editions include many other variants. In editions prior to the third, orcsOrc (Dungeons & Dragons)In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, orcs are a primitive race of savage, bestial, barbaric humanoid.-Publication history:The orc was one of the earliest creatures introduced in the D&D game. The D&D orc is largely based upon the orcs appearing in the works of J.R.R...
were considered goblinoids as well, but are now considered significant enough to be in a category of their own. The 1st edition Forgotten Realms Campaign SetForgotten RealmsThe Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
said "The Goblin Races include all creatures such as Kobolds, Goblins, Orcs and Hobgoblins. Some sages extend the definition to Ogres, Bugbears, and Half-orcs." The definition has, since the third edition, been considerably narrowed.
- In the Warhammer FantasyWarhammer Fantasy (setting)Warhammer Fantasy is a fantasy setting, created by Games Workshop, which is used by many of the company's games. Some of the best-known games set in this world are: the table top wargame Warhammer Fantasy Battle, the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay pen-and-paper role-playing game, and the MMORPG...
setting, they are collectively known as greenskins. This term encompasses an entire spectrum of widely varying creatures from the tiny SnotlingSnotlingA Snotling is a fantasy creature from the universe of the Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 books and games.Snotlings are greenskins, and are cousins of Goblins and Orcs , smaller than the former and dumber than the latter, often used by them as cannon fodder, food or even cannon missiles...
s; through common goblinsGoblin (Warhammer)Goblins, also known as "Gobbos", are among the smallest of the goblinoid "greenskin" races in the Warhammer Fantasy setting.They are smaller than the Orcs and the Hobgoblins but larger than the Gnoblar race and Snotlings...
and the similar night goblinNight goblinNight Goblins are a subspecies of the Goblins in the Warhammer Fantasy fictional universe.Unlike their cousins, the Common Goblins, Night Goblins live in dark caves under the mountains and generally have a strong aversion to sunlight, so when they come out of their caves they wear dark robes which...
s; forest goblins; and gnoblars, who serve the Ogre Kingdoms in the east; hobgoblins; up to the orcs of all types including the powerfully built Black orcBlack OrcBlack Orcs are a fictional race, a sub-breed of Orc appearing in Warhammer Fantasy Battle & Warhammer Fantasy, created by Games Workshop's ....
s and the barbaric Savage Orcs; and at last up to the large, smelly, ugly and dimwitted Stone Trolls and River Trolls. There are also many other goblinoid-breeds in the Warhammer World, like the Swamp Orcs and Marsh Goblins in the Marshes of Madness and Hill Goblins and Kobolds in the wildernesses of the Badlands.
- In Warhammer 40,000Warhammer 40,000Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop, set in a dystopian science fantasy universe. Warhammer 40,000 was created by Rick Priestley in 1987 as the futuristic companion to Warhammer Fantasy Battle, sharing many game mechanics...
they are called orkoids, and include squigs, snotlings, "gretchin" (equivalent of Warhammer Fantasy goblins), and "orks".
- In The Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
, orcs and goblins are one race, except that goblins dwell in their masses beneath MoriaMoria (Middle-earth)In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Moria was the name given by the Eldar to an enormous underground complex in north-western Middle-earth, comprising a vast network of tunnels, chambers, mines and huge halls or 'mansions', that ran under and ultimately through the Misty Mountains...
and orcs garrison the towers of Cirith Ungol and Barad-dûrBarad-dûrBarad-dûr is the fortress of Sauron in the heart of the black land of Mordor and close to Mount Doom in the fantasy world of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings...
in MordorMordorIn J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Mordor or Morhdorh was the dwelling place of Sauron, in the southeast of northwestern Middle-earth to the East of Anduin, the great river. Orodruin, a volcano in Mordor, was the destination of the Fellowship of the Ring in the quest to...
. There are several other populations, such as the orcs of IsengardIsengardIn J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Isengard , a translation of the Sindarin Angrenost, was a large fortress. Both names mean "Iron fortress" In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Isengard , a translation of the Sindarin Angrenost, was a large fortress....
and the goblins of the Misty MountainsMisty MountainsIn J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earth, the Misty Mountains is a mountain range, running for 795 miles from north to south, between Eriador and the valley of the Great River, Anduin, and...
. Also, a strong, powerful race of orcs, created by SauronSauronSauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...
and later also by SarumanSarumanSaruman the White is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. He is leader of the Istari, wizards sent to Middle-earth in human form by the godlike Valar to challenge Sauron, the main antagonist of the tale, but later on aims at gaining...
, called Uruk-haiUruk-haiThe Uruk-hai are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth. They are introduced in The Lord of the Rings as an advanced breed or breeds of Orcs that serve Sauron and Saruman...
, roam Middle-earthMiddle-earthMiddle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
.
Types of Goblinoids in Dungeons & Dragons
Amitok: White-furred Arctic hobgoblins.Bakemono: (Originally a shape-shifting Obake
Obake
and are a class of yōkai, preternatural creatures in Japanese folklore. Literally, the terms mean a thing that changes, referring to a state of transformation or shapeshifting....
from Japanese folklore.) Bakemonos are the "goblins" of the Shadowlands—small, powerfully muscled humanoids with the intelligence and the temperament of vicious attack dogs.
Bhuka: Good-aligned consummate survivors, with many physical adaptations to help them thrive in the deserts.
Blue: A subrace of goblins with an innate knack for psionics. Their bluish skin sets them apart from other goblins.
Bugbear
Bugbear (Dungeons & Dragons)
The bugbear is a type of fictional monster for player characters to encounter in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.A bugbear is depicted as a massive humanoid distantly related to goblins and hobgoblins...
: The biggest and strongest of the goblinoids, bugbears are more aggressive than their smaller relatives.
Dekanter Goblin: Dekanter goblins are vicious, cunning opponents with large, rhinolike horns.
Forestkith Goblin: Nocturnal hunters, also known as kith.
Goblin
Goblin (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, goblins are a very common and fairly weak race of evil humanoid monsters. Goblins and Kobolds are commonly non-human monsters that low-level player characters will face in combat. In D&D, goblins aren't smaller cousins of orcs, but are a part of...
: The smallest, most common of the goblinoids.
Goblyn: Goblyns are created by curses, powerful evil magic items, and certain spells. The transformation causes them to forget their former lives, turn evil, and become slavishly devoted to their master.
Grodd Goblin: Offshoot goblins trapped in a demiplane who gained civilized ways and built a great city with the help of a dragon.
Hobgoblin
Hobgoblin (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, hobgoblins are a larger, stronger, smarter and more menacing form of goblins. They are smaller and weaker than bugbears, but better organized. Hobgoblins are humanoids that stand nearly 6'6" tall on average, a little taller than orcs...
: Larger, far more aggressive than goblins, they wage a perpetual war with other humanoids, particularly elves.
Koalinth: A marine species of hobgoblin, similar to the land dwelling one in many respects, but having gills and able to live in fresh or salt water.
Nilbogs: A race of magical goblinoids that are healed by receiving damage and are damaged by healing spells. The name is "goblin
Goblin
A goblin is a legendary evil or mischievous illiterate creature, a grotesquely evil or evil-like phantom.They are attributed with various abilities, temperaments and appearances depending on the story and country of origin. In some cases, goblins have been classified as constantly annoying little...
" spelled backward, a reference to this reversal of effects. The exact connection between the nilbog and the llort, which shares its power to heal by receiving damage, is unknown.
Norker: Short, gruff goblinoids who possess a thick segmented hide and long canine teeth.
Snow Goblin: Shaggy humanoids with large throat sacs that they use to call to one another over long distances.
Thoul: A strange merging of a hobgoblin, a troll, and a ghoul.
Varag: Faster, considerably stronger, and more primitive than typical goblins, these have merely a predatory cunning. They often find work as mercenary scouts and raiders for hobgoblin warbands. They stand about seven feet tall when fighting, but typically move and run on all fours.
Vril: A race bred by drow to act as soldiers. They have violet skin with tiger stripes and can produce and are immune to sonic attacks.
In Games Workshop publications
- Warhammer Fantasy
- Orc (Warhammer)Orc (Warhammer)Orcs are one of the races in Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy universe, and are related to goblins. The brutish orcs, though less intelligent, tend to dominate the meeker goblins...
covers all the larger including the primitive culturally Savage orcs and the powerful Black OrcBlack OrcBlack Orcs are a fictional race, a sub-breed of Orc appearing in Warhammer Fantasy Battle & Warhammer Fantasy, created by Games Workshop's ....
s - Goblin (Warhammer)Goblin (Warhammer)Goblins, also known as "Gobbos", are among the smallest of the goblinoid "greenskin" races in the Warhammer Fantasy setting.They are smaller than the Orcs and the Hobgoblins but larger than the Gnoblar race and Snotlings...
includes also the more primitive Forest Goblins of the Southlands and the subterranean Night Goblins. - Hobgoblin (Warhammer)Hobgoblin (Warhammer)Hobgoblins in the fictional Warhammer Fantasy are a large type of Goblin.-Description:They are found living on the Eastern Steppes of the Warhammer world where they are ruled over by the Khans, all of whom answer to the Hobgobla-khan, the greatest of the hobgoblin warlords.They are considered so...
- come from the East where various tribes live under the overall "Hobgobla Khan" - Gnoblars - come from the eastern Ogre Kingdoms, between goblins and snotlings in size but with darker/duller skin tone, large noses and drooping ears.
- SnotlingSnotlingA Snotling is a fantasy creature from the universe of the Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 books and games.Snotlings are greenskins, and are cousins of Goblins and Orcs , smaller than the former and dumber than the latter, often used by them as cannon fodder, food or even cannon missiles...
s are small and barely intelligent versions of Goblins
- Orc (Warhammer)
- Warhammer 40,000
- OrksOrk (Warhammer 40,000)The Orks are a race from the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe. They are described as being tall, muscular humanoids, with green skin and a penchant for violence. the orks live for war and constantly fight anything in sight, including each other...
- Gretchin
- SnotlingSnotlingA Snotling is a fantasy creature from the universe of the Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 books and games.Snotlings are greenskins, and are cousins of Goblins and Orcs , smaller than the former and dumber than the latter, often used by them as cannon fodder, food or even cannon missiles...
s
- Orks
- Squig - shortened form of "squiggly beast" are related animals and covered under the same topic but not humanoid in appearance.