Save or Die Podcast Adventure #39: HobGoblins!
Save or Die is back with a new show, this show recorded before Gencon 2011, brings you, Vince, Mike, Liz and Chripsy as they talk about:
DM Fiat – Different types of Humanoids as classes
Randon Encounters – HobGoblins!
Products of your Imagination – A nice long review of Obuleitte Magazine #6
Sit back relax, enjoy and remember, you rule the game, not the other way around!
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Nice show. Hobgoblins as a class? I’d go with half-hobgoblin/half-human (as hobgoblin males are as likely to rape human females as orcs are) Ergo, just allow the character to be any class he/she wants. Add a bonus to STR or CON (wouldn’t suggest both) and subtract penalty from 2 of the remaining stats. If raised in a hobgoblin community at birth, character could speak the tongue naturally; until its human side started showing up, then the character would be banished. I’d rule that most half-hobgoblins can “pass” for human, though appearing deformed in some minor way (ears, nose, eyes, skin, etc) resulting in a penalty to all CH checks.
I have a wilderlands supplement for S&W that lists a whole slew of humanoid PC races. From goblins through a variety of Lizardman races.It also includes the enigmatic Veridians, a race of bad guys unique to the Wilderlands campaign setting. I might use them as NPCs or as a means to power-up the mindane humanoids by giving them class and level but I don’t think I’ll be using them as PC races.
Great show, as always.
Thank you very much for your Oubliette #6 review. The team really enjoyed listening to it. It’s quite a novelty actually hearing people discuss your work and it was a pleasure to hear you all chat about the articles and cartoons with such fondness. Certainly, I’ll never be able to draw the Kobold cartoon again without hearing Liz say “PupPIES!” in that sing-song way.
I can’t promise that the Goblin Quest will calm down. It’s based on a game (which Peter participated in as one of the goblins)that I witnessed at Con-quest, a role-playing games convention in Derby. The game was called “The Body in Question”, and the players were brilliantly maniacal, moronic and devious in turn. I drew sketches all the way through of the various happenings, which was quite difficult as I was laughing most of the time. What I can promise for the next installment are fatalities and a complete lack of heroism. I just hope I can keep it all anatomically correct when I draw it.
Thanks again.
“Certainly, I’ll never be able to draw the Kobold cartoon again without hearing Liz say “PupPIES!” in that sing-song way.”
My work here is done. 😀
You’re welcome. One thing about your magazine, is that from issue 1 to now 6, its still just as awesome. I’d love to one day, walk inside a newsrack store in the city and see your mag on the shelf.
A fine, fine show. I, like, liked it a lot. Do I have to take a drink when DM Vincent says, “Like?”
The only die I have left from my very early D&D days is a yellow d12 that is almost a sphere due to crumbling edges. I treasure that poor thing.
The half-giant race-class discussion made for great listening.
As for the hobgoblin or goblin as PC (looking at Moldvay Basic), I would be inclined to allow it – especially since they would not enjoy many advantages beyond normal humans. After all, what can monster goblins do besides have fewer than average hit points, see in the dark, have penalties in daylight, and fight dwarves? What PC goblin is going to benefit much from that template? As for hobgoblins, what benefit is there to playing that race, unless you give them a bonus +1 to hit dice? They have no advantages or disadvantages and are essentially ugly humans with Fighter saves.
DM Chrispy’s analysis of goblinoid appearance reminds me of a long-standing lament, and that is of the art in the Moldvay Basic book. With few exceptions, the monster illustrations tend to be for entries that don’t really need illustrations, while some monsters that really need illustrations are lacking. Do I need to have a drawing of a white ape? Or a sabre-tooth tiger? A giant bee? Some lizards? Even Medusa isn’t exactly an obscure image for most gamers. And they give us skeletons and spiders. While illustrations of bugbears, goblins, and hobgoblins would’ve been really useful.
All I really do with hobgoblins is to give them a Mongol-like culture where they are superior mounted fighters and archers. Their leaders are known as Khans, as opposed to Kings. And they obviously don’t live underground much.
Once again, I think we have Professor Tolkien to thank for D&D hobgoblins. In The Hobbit, the hobgoblin is a larger and stronger breed of goblin. Later, he changed that to the Uruk-hai.
Plate mail is pretty cheap in Basic-Expert (and RC), but it is also essentially just chainmail reinforced with a breastplate and greaves (for the most part) – as opposed to the classic suit of full knight’s plate. I assume the designers just took chainmail and bumped up the cost a bit to reflect the plates.