What monster would you like me to cover next? I'm thinking something undead like Skeletons or Zombies so let me know! It's super cool that we've almost hit 500 subscribers. Thanks guys!
A great source of inspiration on how to use goblins in almost any D&D is the Goblin Slayer franchise. The manga, especially, is quite descriptive about how those little pests can be extremely deadly if underestimated. And since the story was basically from an old 2nd edition campaign run by the writer, it's perfectly OK to use such ideas for 5th edition too. On a personal note, I too use goblins as team combatants, albeit very, very unorthodox ones. Traps, feints, lures, ranged weapons and poisons are their way to go against invaders of their lair. Melee is the last resort, especially against larger creatures. In this latter case, they prefer to use spears, to even the size gap, flanking and team tactics. And they always flee when endangered. This in my games means you only get 20% of xps if they do, because they will come back to seek revenge and that will endanger the small communities around their lair. If the players rout them again without eliminating a sufficient number of them, then no xps for them. Only when a lair will not pose a threat to the surrounding land I will grant the full reward.
I like running goblins like the ones from Little Nemo. They are the manifestations of childhood fears and nightmares that lurk in dark places waiting for opportunities to terrorize. I guess I always felt like there were too many "small weak monster tribes".
A few days ago I was going to start a new town and you made a video about towns. Tomorrow I have a goblin lair encounter and you release this video. Both videos I got some great nuggets of knowledge. You’re 2 for 2. Let’s go!!!
Very cool insights! In my game Goblins and Hobgoblins are wolf-riding nomads, akin to the Huns and Mongols. They mostly pepper their enemies with arrows from afar, employing hit and run tactics, only charging in when the enemy is disorganized or fleeing. This makes them a nightmare to fight against for disorganized groups who lack any ranged capability. They have low morale though, so simply slaying a warchief could be enough to leave the war party scattering.
Hahaha warg-riders! I love that; I've been wanting to do a "Goblin-King"-type adventure, so maybe I'll run warg riders and stuff for an adventure like that. I think only larger goblin factions with power projection could really have wargs, so that's the only way I'd use it I think. Thanks for the comment.
Great video! I always play Goblins as not terribly smart, but cunning, sneaky, and able to find lots of ways to cause mischief. Kind of like jackals on the savanna in Africa. The lions chase them off, but they don't go far, and they'll be back to get their share when they can. Loving the Swarm idea. Thanks for sharing!
I was preparing a goblin lair for my players and after watching this video I'm going to dumb it down to just a raiding party on roads lol They're new players and although I want to give them enough of a challenge I don't want to put them in lethal danger...yet. So much fun to scheme the end of the tutorial
I like this idea for goblins. In my game worlds I tend to take the faerie tale background of Goblins into account by having different "types"?, "breeds"?, of Goblins so that they are almost magical in the different types that there are. Ones near Human kingdoms might look like imitations of those kingdoms with Goblin knights on weird mounts & a Goblin King on a fancy chair with a gaudy crown. Ones that are in the "bad part of town" might set themselves up like mini gangsters with a Goblin boss dressed as a fancy Thieves Guild/Godfather with Goblin butlers & maids in a "fancy" hidden mansion. Goblin thugs working the protection racket. In another area you have "Cave Goblins" using bone & stone weapons. On a mountain top, Goblins in their magnificent flying machines! One group, the males are orange to red skinned & weird looking, but the females look like short green skinned nymphs with a vicious streak. One group are born from a magical plant bulbs.
The goblins in my games are feared strictly to their mastery of a wide variety of Virulent poisons. From debilitating to fatal and they coat their arrows and weapons and employ spears and halberds, bilhooks and swords and other longer weapons tipped with poisons. Attacked from flanks in corridors cornering the enemy in a claustrophobic position to inflict terror and panic. I feel like the idea of them being decent archers and swarming like in the lord of the rings scene in Moria. And some tribes have learn to forge their own style of Armor. The use of orcish Black iron.
Excellent article! I agree 100% that Goblins can be used very effectively by just giving them a but more thought. Simple traps, barricades, dead-ends and such can be hours of frustrating fun. Attrition is the key, as you say. I am not so sure about your suggestion they would be at a disadvantage outside though. In the right terrain a large group split into small patrols with missile weapons could take it in turns to attack a party from all directions, reducing the effect of aoe spells too. I would suggest anyone considering this checkout The Warren by Dunromin University Press, it's mechanics are OSR but the plot, traps, society and general ideas can easily be modded using the stats you suggest in your vid. Low level monsters properly handled can mince even much higher level parties.
Remember that they have stealth and the PCs will need to sleep. I’ve wiped out an entire party using 5 wolves, 4 goblins and a 3rd level goblin rogue. A tribe of 35-70 can wipe a 15th level party.
I think of them a bit like the Minions of Despicable Me. They can be funny, but they also can be quite dangerous (often to themselves and their "master" as well as anyone around them).
Just found this channel. Subbed! I really liked the story of the party in your game and what happened. More of that. I’d love more tutorials on other races. However, one item of feedback: the white text you are adding in the upper right of the video is often not legible against the white sky in that background. I recommend black or a darker blue to stand out.
Interestingly enough, I always run goblins as anarchic and matriarchic tribal cultures. Females being the bigger ones in general that can choose with which goblin they want to reproduce, etc.
Staying with the Goblinoid theme, possibly could we explore how a tribe of goblins with several hobgoblin overlords would interact and add extra excitement and challenges for a party?
Nice video. You may want to change the text color to red maybe. It's hard to see white text in front of the sky and black text may have the same problem over the trees. Thanx
One in five goblins is going to have levels. That’s where they really become dangerous. If it’s just five of them, the leader will be a rogue of 1st to 3rd level. They never stick around for a fight. They’ll hit as quick as possible if they have surprise, trying to kill of maim anyone without armor or any horses before running off. After running off, they’ll double back and track the PCs until they camp. They like to attack PCs when half of them are sleeping. My players hate goblins. A goblin ambush usually results in a TPK, just spread out over multiple combats. Five goblins mounted on wolves will TPK a party of up to 5th level, especially if they don’t have the perception to spot the incoming goblins at night after the initial ambush. If your goblins aren’t dangerous, you’re using them wrong. They have stealth for a reason.
Just found your channel a couple days ago. Have you read Goblin Slayer or seen the anime? The first episode really drives home how clever and sadistic goblins can be. It also illustrates the unique dangers of cave settings.
@@LokisLair It deals with some pretty extreme subject matter in the first episode (the goblins do more than just kill the party), but once you're past that episode, it's schlocky over-the-top rpg-themed fun.
Green skinned creatures are tricky at the best of times! Especially if you’re a novice player. You’ve managed to explain goblins in a positive light instead of relying on the obvious fantasy tropes used to demean them as a race. Very commendable. Will you go onto explore green elves, trolls and ogres in this series?
I agree that anything with an intelligence score of even 1 is going to have a sense of self preservation. Survive and reproduce is the most basic drives there are. They should not be treated like mindless video game monster who will stick in a fight no matter what.
I'm yiur regard to the challenge rating of goblins being wrong because they frequently escape, this is already accounted for and the rules specify that exp can be rewarded for besting an enemy without killing them including if the enemy flees or is knocked Unconscious or for other reasons. Full or partial exp can be rewarded.
What map is that? It looks like the art from one page dungeon. Was this a randomly generated dungeon or did you craft it? Because it looks like it served your needs perfectly.
How did you make your map? I love this cleaned up classic look. I don’t love the pressure I put on myself to have a detailed map. But when they are simple like this I find it very freeing. I can describe it how I want in the moment, I don’t have to make it look a specific way.
I used to make really detailed maps and it was a massive time sink. I use dungeon scrawl now which is a free online tool. I’ll make a video soon on Dungeonscrawl so if you’re subscribed you should get the notification.
I flavour my campaigns towards, Dark Fantasy. Yes I play D&D, but it is not the High Fantasy power gaming of 5E. My Goblins are a humanoid pest species, they are used as front-line fodder and inexpensive manual labour. They are either put to some kind of use, or exterminated with righteous prejudice. By everyone. When they do govern themselves; they are tribal in structure and self interested, in regards to self preservation- even among familial units and clans. They are prolific breeders and only consider 4-1, as a favourable condition against medium sized creatures. They use traps, environmental bottlenecks and use hit and fade ambush tactics, pre-dawn and dusk, or at night, or in poor weather, fog, driving rain, snow flurries etc. Anything that limits the visibility of the defenses and obfuscates their true numbers. If they suffer 50% in casualties, they will almost certainly break ranks and flee. Especially if it is apparent that their enemy is not breaking down significantly. These numbers may vary; in that if they are held together, by a strong enough bully of a leader. If that leader dies, they may flee or surrender quicker.
What monster would you like me to cover next? I'm thinking something undead like Skeletons or Zombies so let me know! It's super cool that we've almost hit 500 subscribers. Thanks guys!
My vote is skeletons, not enough love is given to the boneheads❤
I vote for skeletons. I guess the scene from the 1980s Black Cauldron animated movie with skeleton warriors really made an impression on me as a kid.
That's an impeccable mindset for running the opposition. They want to survive, and they know how.
Fighting goblins should either be a terrifying death struggle with tiny murderous monstrosities or wacky Muppets shenanigans.
Warhammer: Why not both?
LOL the comment on “in contrast, I make my undead dumb as fuck unless they’re being controlled” is brilliant :)
Cheers.
A great source of inspiration on how to use goblins in almost any D&D is the Goblin Slayer franchise. The manga, especially, is quite descriptive about how those little pests can be extremely deadly if underestimated. And since the story was basically from an old 2nd edition campaign run by the writer, it's perfectly OK to use such ideas for 5th edition too.
On a personal note, I too use goblins as team combatants, albeit very, very unorthodox ones. Traps, feints, lures, ranged weapons and poisons are their way to go against invaders of their lair. Melee is the last resort, especially against larger creatures. In this latter case, they prefer to use spears, to even the size gap, flanking and team tactics.
And they always flee when endangered. This in my games means you only get 20% of xps if they do, because they will come back to seek revenge and that will endanger the small communities around their lair. If the players rout them again without eliminating a sufficient number of them, then no xps for them. Only when a lair will not pose a threat to the surrounding land I will grant the full reward.
I like running goblins like the ones from Little Nemo. They are the manifestations of childhood fears and nightmares that lurk in dark places waiting for opportunities to terrorize.
I guess I always felt like there were too many "small weak monster tribes".
A few days ago I was going to start a new town and you made a video about towns. Tomorrow I have a goblin lair encounter and you release this video. Both videos I got some great nuggets of knowledge. You’re 2 for 2. Let’s go!!!
Very cool insights! In my game Goblins and Hobgoblins are wolf-riding nomads, akin to the Huns and Mongols. They mostly pepper their enemies with arrows from afar, employing hit and run tactics, only charging in when the enemy is disorganized or fleeing. This makes them a nightmare to fight against for disorganized groups who lack any ranged capability. They have low morale though, so simply slaying a warchief could be enough to leave the war party scattering.
Hahaha warg-riders! I love that; I've been wanting to do a "Goblin-King"-type adventure, so maybe I'll run warg riders and stuff for an adventure like that. I think only larger goblin factions with power projection could really have wargs, so that's the only way I'd use it I think. Thanks for the comment.
Using the Goblin's natural abilities and ranged weapons makes for challenging and exciting encounters!
Great video! I always play Goblins as not terribly smart, but cunning, sneaky, and able to find lots of ways to cause mischief. Kind of like jackals on the savanna in Africa. The lions chase them off, but they don't go far, and they'll be back to get their share when they can. Loving the Swarm idea. Thanks for sharing!
Ok 30 sec in and I have to say I love your voice and narration.
Thank you!
You already have 500 subscribers and I got to say you great video
When I made this video the other day we were at 400, but now we're at 500! It's crazy! Thanks for the kind words.
I was preparing a goblin lair for my players and after watching this video I'm going to dumb it down to just a raiding party on roads lol They're new players and although I want to give them enough of a challenge I don't want to put them in lethal danger...yet. So much fun to scheme the end of the tutorial
raiding parties are fantastic, especially because they can lead to a lair or dungeon in the future, good luck thomaz!
I like this idea for goblins. In my game worlds I tend to take the faerie tale background of Goblins into account by having different "types"?, "breeds"?, of Goblins so that they are almost magical in the different types that there are.
Ones near Human kingdoms might look like imitations of those kingdoms with Goblin knights on weird mounts & a Goblin King on a fancy chair with a gaudy crown.
Ones that are in the "bad part of town" might set themselves up like mini gangsters with a Goblin boss dressed as a fancy Thieves Guild/Godfather with Goblin butlers & maids in a "fancy" hidden mansion. Goblin thugs working the protection racket.
In another area you have "Cave Goblins" using bone & stone weapons.
On a mountain top, Goblins in their magnificent flying machines!
One group, the males are orange to red skinned & weird looking, but the females look like short green skinned nymphs with a vicious streak.
One group are born from a magical plant bulbs.
That Swarm action os brilliant. It makes the buggers way more dangerous.
Yeah it costs an action for them to do it but boy does it overwhelm players. It’s brilliant.
Another great tutorial video Loki. Looking forward to the next instalment!
The goblins in my games are feared strictly to their mastery of a wide variety of Virulent poisons. From debilitating to fatal and they coat their arrows and weapons and employ spears and halberds, bilhooks and swords and other longer weapons tipped with poisons. Attacked from flanks in corridors cornering the enemy in a claustrophobic position to inflict terror and panic. I feel like the idea of them being decent archers and swarming like in the lord of the rings scene in Moria. And some tribes have learn to forge their own style of Armor. The use of orcish Black iron.
Just subscribed and already loving this content. Definitely will keep up with your videos!
Excellent article! I agree 100% that Goblins can be used very effectively by just giving them a but more thought. Simple traps, barricades, dead-ends and such can be hours of frustrating fun. Attrition is the key, as you say. I am not so sure about your suggestion they would be at a disadvantage outside though. In the right terrain a large group split into small patrols with missile weapons could take it in turns to attack a party from all directions, reducing the effect of aoe spells too. I would suggest anyone considering this checkout The Warren by Dunromin University Press, it's mechanics are OSR but the plot, traps, society and general ideas can easily be modded using the stats you suggest in your vid. Low level monsters properly handled can mince even much higher level parties.
How to use Goblins in OSR/D&D. In large numbers. Lots of them.
Remember that they have stealth and the PCs will need to sleep. I’ve wiped out an entire party using 5 wolves, 4 goblins and a 3rd level goblin rogue. A tribe of 35-70 can wipe a 15th level party.
Great ecology video. I've been watching your backlog, loving it. Looking forward to more content!
Thanks Ryan. I'm probably going to make updated versions of those old videos, but in much better quality. I appreciate the comment.
I would really enjoy seeing a video on the undead (particularly skeletons)!
I think of them a bit like the Minions of Despicable Me. They can be funny, but they also can be quite dangerous (often to themselves and their "master" as well as anyone around them).
Just found this channel. Subbed! I really liked the story of the party in your game and what happened. More of that. I’d love more tutorials on other races.
However, one item of feedback: the white text you are adding in the upper right of the video is often not legible against the white sky in that background. I recommend black or a darker blue to stand out.
Yeah my bad. I forgot to outline the text this time but hopefully it’s not too bad. Thanks for the feedback.
Interestingly enough, I always run goblins as anarchic and matriarchic tribal cultures. Females being the bigger ones in general that can choose with which goblin they want to reproduce, etc.
Great video Loki! Can’t wait for the Thursday game this video got me even more hyped! 🤩
Liked and Subscribed! ❤ for Goblins and playing them right!
Staying with the Goblinoid theme, possibly could we explore how a tribe of goblins with several hobgoblin overlords would interact and add extra excitement and challenges for a party?
Nice video. You may want to change the text color to red maybe. It's hard to see white text in front of the sky and black text may have the same problem over the trees. Thanx
One in five goblins is going to have levels. That’s where they really become dangerous. If it’s just five of them, the leader will be a rogue of 1st to 3rd level.
They never stick around for a fight. They’ll hit as quick as possible if they have surprise, trying to kill of maim anyone without armor or any horses before running off. After running off, they’ll double back and track the PCs until they camp. They like to attack PCs when half of them are sleeping.
My players hate goblins. A goblin ambush usually results in a TPK, just spread out over multiple combats. Five goblins mounted on wolves will TPK a party of up to 5th level, especially if they don’t have the perception to spot the incoming goblins at night after the initial ambush.
If your goblins aren’t dangerous, you’re using them wrong. They have stealth for a reason.
I play Dungeon Crawl Classics, 2 of these goblins would wipe out a 1st party quick. So many hit points and to hit bonuses wow.
Just found your channel a couple days ago. Have you read Goblin Slayer or seen the anime? The first episode really drives home how clever and sadistic goblins can be. It also illustrates the unique dangers of cave settings.
Heard a lot about it but never watched it.
@@LokisLair It deals with some pretty extreme subject matter in the first episode (the goblins do more than just kill the party), but once you're past that episode, it's schlocky over-the-top rpg-themed fun.
Another great video.
Green skinned creatures are tricky at the best of times! Especially if you’re a novice player. You’ve managed to explain goblins in a positive light instead of relying on the obvious fantasy tropes used to demean them as a race. Very commendable. Will you go onto explore green elves, trolls and ogres in this series?
Thanks man! I’m doing trolls this week. I’m pretty excited as I’ve tweaked them for play.
I agree that anything with an intelligence score of even 1 is going to have a sense of self preservation. Survive and reproduce is the most basic drives there are. They should not be treated like mindless video game monster who will stick in a fight no matter what.
I'm yiur regard to the challenge rating of goblins being wrong because they frequently escape, this is already accounted for and the rules specify that exp can be rewarded for besting an enemy without killing them including if the enemy flees or is knocked Unconscious or for other reasons. Full or partial exp can be rewarded.
I don't think they're quite so cooperative, but otherwise I love everything else.
The only use for goblin is a dead goblin
I think a lot of GM's do not know what a Traditional Fairy Tale Goblin is? They are tainted by Tolkien and video games.
Gobos are the best villains! Where is that map from?
I made it using Dungeonscrawl. Neat huh?
@@LokisLair indeed! Reminds me of a Dyson Logos joint! Care to share it with us? ;)
@@LokisLair Also Dungeon Scrawl is awesome! How did I not hear about this before today!?!?!?
Is that the soundtrack of Exiled Kingdoms?
What map is that? It looks like the art from one page dungeon. Was this a randomly generated dungeon or did you craft it? Because it looks like it served your needs perfectly.
Thanks man! Yeah I made it myself; I'm not too shabby at making maps, and I had a decent enough idea in mind.
How did you make your map? I love this cleaned up classic look. I don’t love the pressure I put on myself to have a detailed map. But when they are simple like this I find it very freeing. I can describe it how I want in the moment, I don’t have to make it look a specific way.
I used to make really detailed maps and it was a massive time sink. I use dungeon scrawl now which is a free online tool. I’ll make a video soon on Dungeonscrawl so if you’re subscribed you should get the notification.
I flavour my campaigns towards, Dark Fantasy. Yes I play D&D, but it is not the High Fantasy power gaming of 5E.
My Goblins are a humanoid pest species, they are used as front-line fodder and inexpensive manual labour. They are either put to some kind of use, or exterminated with righteous prejudice. By everyone. When they do govern themselves; they are tribal in structure and self interested, in regards to self preservation- even among familial units and clans. They are prolific breeders and only consider 4-1, as a favourable condition against medium sized creatures.
They use traps, environmental bottlenecks and use hit and fade ambush tactics, pre-dawn and dusk, or at night, or in poor weather, fog, driving rain, snow flurries etc. Anything that limits the visibility of the defenses and obfuscates their true numbers. If they suffer 50% in casualties, they will almost certainly break ranks and flee. Especially if it is apparent that their enemy is not breaking down significantly. These numbers may vary; in that if they are held together, by a strong enough bully of a leader. If that leader dies, they may flee or surrender quicker.
👺
Those goblins sound awfully like the Chinese. 🤔