Why Did that Goblin Just Murder his Friend!!!??

[TaranTheWanderer]

I'm introducing some friends to D&D and, as an intro adventure to familiarize themselves with the rules, so I whipped together a quick encounter just to let them get accustomed to combat. I had a few 'wolves' (mastiffs) and a goblin as the encounter. I was busy so I hadn't really put much thought in to what I was prepping.

The PCs are going through a mountain pass and, as they approach the spot with the encounter, I randomly describe a horrible shriek of someone dying. It was impromptu. As they crest a hill, I described a dead goblin and wolf in the middle of the path, next to a camp-site, freshly murdered and mauled. The other goblin and wolves, having heard the pack mules, hid and waited to ambush. I ended the session after they finished the fight.

Because added the murder of the goblin last minute, I hadn't really thought about why the other goblin had chosen to kill him. Typical goblin backstabbing seems an obvious but I have a week to think of something interesting. I'm imagining the dead goblin has something in his possession that the other wanted...a mid to long-term plot hook would be neat.

Any ideas? I'm sure I can come up with something but it's always fun to hear what creative ideas the community can come up with.


((If it's helpful, they were on their way to Greenest to start Horde of the Dragon Queen but it doesn't have to be related to that at all.))

 

[Prakriti]

It was the goblin's birthday. The other goblin found a golden ring in the mud. The first goblin wanted it for a birthday present and killed the other goblin for it. (Later, the ring turns out to be a Ring of Invisibility.)

 

[Sadras]

It was the goblin's birthday. The other goblin found a golden ring in the mud. The first goblin wanted it for a birthday present and killed the other goblin for it. (Later, the ring turns out to be a Ring of Invisibility.)

This runs the risk of being too original, IME people prefer cliché.

 

[Ath-kethin]

I like your idea of the dead goblin having something another wanted. The Trinkets table in the PHB is a great source of minor little bits of treasure. Roll on that one or pick something from it.

Want to make the situation even more tragic? Have the death be an actual accident, and the goblin who killed the first one deeply regretful for it. You could even have that goblin flee and hide upon seeing the PCs then approach them later for help. That could be an unexpected twist.

 

[Shiroiken]

Goblins have no friends, only allies, so there are many possibilities. The easiest IMO would be to have them be warring tribes. The players could choose to pick a side, play both sides against each other, or get the heck outta Dodge since there's a LOT of goblins.

 

[Older Beholder]

The slain goblin had been possessed by a Nilbog (Volos guide to monsters), killed by the tribe in an attempt to rid themselves of what they had come to believe was a curse.

When the Nilbog finds a new host it will have developed an interest in the group that killed those that betrayed him and returns to offer his skills as a Jester to the adventurers. If they take up the offer they soon find his chaotic nature to be as much a curse as it was to his previous tribe.

 

[Dioltach]

If you still have a week to think about it, read the Jig the Goblin books by Jim C. Hines.

 

[Oofta]

Lot's of possibilities.

• The dead goblin was really a disguised/altered halfling or gnome that had been sent in as a spy.
• There's a power struggle amongst the goblins with a new dangerous leader taking control.
• The goblins have recently heard of a powerful item and the first one to find it will be greatly rewarded, goblins will soon be invading the settle lands looking for it.
• The two goblins are physically identical. Someone's been cloning them but one tried to strike out on their own.
• Similar to the nilbog idea, one of the goblins has a disease and went crazy
• They were competing for the hand of their lady love, a captured elven princess
• One of them had a treasure map, or each had a different part of a treasure map
• Instead of a treasure map, each goblin had part of a powerful magic item. When brought together they snap together and briefly glow with magic but you can tell they are just part of a bigger item.

 

[MarkB]

The dead goblin didn't have anything the others wanted. They killed him to attract the travellers' attention, and left his body on the trail to distract them.

 

[Blue]

The killed goblin was trying to stop the ambush - there are a faction of goblins that want to join the bigguns in "Siv ills ay shun" like the halflings and gnomes did - look how they prospered! This is just laying some pipe - a mystery that isn't to be solved now, but to provide an "ah-ha!" moment later.