Eberron: An All-Goblin Campaign?

[Spatula]

Great responses!

I didn't realize there was a level adjustment for goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears in 3x, probably because I just ignored it.

3e goblins don't have one. Hobbos are +1 LA (which is kinda questionable given their general lack of racial abilities, as others noted), and bugbears have 3HD and a LA on top of that.

Eberron's Darguun is a pretty good take on goblinoids, but lately I've been using the skorne cultural write-up from Privateer Press's Monsternomicon Vol. II as the fluff text for my hobgoblins.

"They have learned to subsist on little, to trust no one, and to expect that life will be brutal, short, and filled with pain. The only joy they take is in tormenting their rivals and gaining enough power to bask in the adoration of their subjugated vassals."? (from here)

To me, it only seems natural that the militaristic and well-organized hobgoblins would be nearly as successful as humans at controlling territory and building empires.

Yes, definitely. Most of the various "evil" humanoid races have human-level mental capabilities (orcs being the big exception), but are usually played as being on the stupid, bumbling side. One of the things I like about Eberron is how those races are treated - humans may have supplanted them for the time being, but they have had greatness in the past and may have it again in the future...

I had the idea that maybe in goblinoid society other classes played a much more prominent role; maybe the goblinoids have shugenjas for their magic, for instance. Maybe their front line of warriors are sohei or hexblades, or something.

I got the feeling from a lot of Keith Baker's Dragonshards columns that the ancient goblins (and thus also the latter-day Dhakaani clan) would make use of some of the OA classes. Hobgoblin samurai (instead of paladins), goblin ninjas, etc. For normal goblins I was picturing warlocks replacing wizards and artificers but hadn't given it much thought beyond that. Hexblades are a very good fit, I think.

I'd have characters such as the city Goblin that's born and raised in the Goblin Ghetto of Sharn. Very much human in culture in outlook despite attempts to connect to his goblin heritage. He's from a very different world than the rest of his Goblin kin, but is more than valuable to the nation due to his skill in wizardry and insight in things unfamiliar.

Man, I didn't even think of that as a possible background. Good idea.

Another would be a Hobgoblin Paladin of Dol Arrah, as part of Llesh Haruuc's diplomatic mission to reach out to the human nations. Bringing about a Hobgoblin spin on the sect of the human God of Honour, and reconnecting with the ancient, forgotten Sovereign Host religious practices of the Dhaakani.

Well, "officially" the Dhakaani were atheists, which I always thought made them rather interesting as a D&D culture. But I agree, a goblinoid is likely to view the Sovereign Host gods in a different manner than a citizen of the five nations would... Even if they're not evil, their upbringing has been decidedly different.

 

[Khur]

I'm a huge fan of D&D goblins (as a three-tiered race) and Eberron's take on goblins. I think you'll have great success with such a campaign, and it'll be fun. Looks like you're on track with your ideas.

In an Eberron game Dave Noonan ran, the goblin rogue was awesome. It was cool to see the racial abilities in the hands of a player.

Tell us how it goes.

 

[Wik]

Okay, I hate to nitpick, but this:

Until, that is, their final king died his final death, and his children fell to fighting over the throne.

That's a pretty awkward sentence, though I do like the use of repetition. Might I suggest final king breathed his final breath as a substitute?

That aside, it sounds like a fun campaign!

 

[Andor]

I got the feeling from a lot of Keith Baker's Dragonshards columns that the ancient goblins (and thus also the latter-day Dhakaani clan) would make use of some of the OA classes. Hobgoblin samurai (instead of paladins), goblin ninjas, etc. For normal goblins I was picturing warlocks replacing wizards and artificers but hadn't given it much thought beyond that. Hexblades are a very good fit, I think.

I think you're spot on there. They didn't make a big deal of it, but that was definitely a part of the goblinoid vibe in eberron.

If you like the Bo9S then Hobgoblin warblades and goblin swordsage/ninjas are also good matches.

It could also be fun to explore the friction between the 'new school' classes supported by the warlord like paladins and clerics and the 'old school' classes like samurai and sohei.

BTW the OA samurai is most excellent. The complete warrior Samurai makes good emergency TP.

 

[Spatula]

That's a pretty awkward sentence, though I do like the use of repetition. Might I suggest final king breathed his final breath as a substitute?

Well it is a D&D world... death is not neccessarily final. "breath" sounds a bit more natural, though.

I don't know that I'll actually ever get to run the campaign, unfortunately.

 

[Herobizkit]

If you feel up to running a PBEM or PbP here on EnWorld, I'll be first in line to sign up.

 

[garyh]

If you feel up to running a ... PbP here on EnWorld, I'll be first in line to sign up.

Me too! Or, I guess I'll be second in line.

Anyway, I enjoy Eberron AND goblinoids.

 

[drothgery]

If you feel up to running a PBEM or PbP here on EnWorld, I'll be first in line to sign up.

If I weren't skipping town in a few months (hence the plug in Spatula's signature looking for new players), this would look interesting.

 

[Herobizkit]

I could make a goblin-sized Warforged...

 

[Derro]

I could make a goblin-sized Warforged...

The warforged scout is small and built for stealth like a goblin.

I've played several goblin games. One was really low power. The early adventures were mostly about stealing chickens. This eventually evolved into a divided tribal war over who would replace the chieftain that had just died of a wasting disease. He was slated to return as a vengeful ghost ala Hamlet but the game never made it that far.

There was a pretty good game set in the Underdark that involved a lot of goblins. It was set up somewhat like Ars Magica in that there were different tiers of play. At the top were drow overlords and a secret illithid, companions were lower ranking drow and other assorted low-lifes, and at the bottom were grogs that were mostly goblins and hobgoblins and a troll if I recall. Good fun.