D&D 5E Starter Set Excerpt 5

[Bugleyman]

Every piece of art we've seen is like this. What relief after years of cartoony action scenes from the 2 big RPGs. Standing ovation for the art director from this guy.

Seconded!

 

[Klaus]

To me goblins are vermin. Scrawny, malicious scavengers and thieves who rely on sneaking and trickery to get what they want.

So... kobolds?

 

[Klaus]

5E's, on the other hand, as I said, look simply like someone has seen Movie-LotR's Uruk-Hai, and said "What would it look like we made these guys 3-4' tall?". They have weapons of unique, non-D&D-style manufacture (total LotR inspiration there), their armour looks individually-made and is certainly made for goblins, specifically, and has impractical, very stylized spikes/hooks on it. Their heads, to me, do not look at all "goblin-y". And being brown, rather than green? That's downright un-goblin-y, and not a good direction (grey would have been better, if changing from green). On top of that, they all look pretty obviously male/masculine (again, this seems retrograde).

Goblins have been yellow or red since 1e (with hobgoblins being orange and bugbears being yellow). The one thing they never were is green. Gray or gray-green is for orcs, in D&D.

I attached a compilation I did a while back of the looks of goblinoids from 1e to 4e. D&D goblins have always made their own weapons, or successfully adapted those of similar races (really, it's not like goblins couldn't just scavenge dwarven, gnomish or halfling armor/weapons). In 1e and 2e they were stockier, 3e went for a lankier look, and 4e found a middle ground.

 

[Thaumaturge]

So... kobolds?

I thought he meant svirfneblin.

Thaumaturge.

 

[Remathilis]

Goblins have been yellow or red since 1e (with hobgoblins being orange and bugbears being yellow). The one thing they never were is green. Gray or gray-green is for orcs, in D&D.

I attached a compilation I did a while back of the looks of goblinoids from 1e to 4e. D&D goblins have always made their own weapons, or successfully adapted those of similar races (really, it's not like goblins couldn't just scavenge dwarven, gnomish or halfling armor/weapons). In 1e and 2e they were stockier, 3e went for a lankier look, and 4e found a middle ground.

Not sure where you found that Monstrous Manual. The one in my copy of 2e looks like this

 

[Dausuul]

It's interesting to me that most of the negative reactions here are falling into the camp of "It's a fine bit of art, but these don't match my vision of what GOBLINS should be like!"

Funny, my response is the opposite. I like the goblin look, but the artistic style just doesn't do it for me. Still too cartoony, though better than most 4E art.

 

[Klaus]

Not sure where you found that Monstrous Manual. The one in my copy of 2e looks like this

View attachment 62257

That was in the Monstrous Manual entry, but TonyD's goblin was in the index in the back.

 

[doctorhook]

So... kobolds?

Kobold literally means goblin in German. YMMV.

 

[Wrathamon]

what I think of as a D&D Goblin

 

[Agamon]

Kobold literally means goblin in German. YMMV.

D&D's mileage does indeed vary.

Folklore: Kobold = Goblin

D&D: Kobold =/= Goblin