The recent thread on Pathfinder's Goblins pointed to Paizo's Reinventing The Wheel article, which included Ten Fun Facts About Goblins:
- Horse Hate
- Dog Hate
- Goblins Raid Junkyards
- ...
Trolls -- Hunch over and stomp their feet like sumo wrestlers before they attack.
Orcs -- Beat great drums before they go on a raid. These drums can be heard over a very long distance, making the villagers panic days in advance.
Goblins -- Insult humans in broken Common, make rude gestures, throw filth on them, etc. -- but only from out of reach. Break fences, steal livestock, etc. to extort cookies from human farmers.
Hobgoblins -- Goose step. Always march in order with magnificent battle standards and symbols of power. Shout a battle cry in unison before charging.
Gnolls -- Cackle eerily. Females dress like males, may be chieftains. Hate lions, even heraldric designs thereof.
Ogres -- Slam their clubs into the ground before battle (to challenge and scare the opponent). When charging, throw around stuff laying about (overturning tables, throwing pots and pans, etc.).
Minotaurs -- Throw their heads back, roaring in defiance. Before charging, scrape their hooves along the floor (like bulls). Chase their prey at leisure, their loud footsteps echoing through their mazelike lair -- since they dont have to rush; they already know where to turn.
Hill Giants -- Lick boulders before throwing them. Love to throw with their mates in waves. Wear multicoloured kilts. Clap their hands after hitting and holding up their fingers to give a rating of their throw.
Kobolds -- Never stand still (except when they're lying in ambush, of course). Even in melee combat, they're continually taking 5' steps at the very minimum.
Displacer Beasts -- Usually napping. Watch birds, squirrels, and other game. Try to scare off enemies after making a kill (to eat safely).
Giant Owls -- Eat Were-Rats and Ratmen. Regurgitate giant pellets (maybe with treasure). Always looking around -- turning their heads 180 degrees.
Treants -- (In tradition of Tolkien's Ents...) Live in geologic time. Speak slowly and laboriously, never succinctly. Remember ancient history.
Blink Dogs - Wag their tails before 'blinking'; like to stand on their hind legs; love to drive normal dogs crazy by blinking in and out.
Hags -- Offer tasty treats. Very maternal and sweet -- until upset. Hate beauty.
Celestials -- Speak in riddles. Only make formal declarations, no small talk. Look through people.
Centaurs -- Always talk in terms of astrology. View any suggestion of riding them as deserving death. Eat both horse and human food for their two stomachs.
Medusa -- Hire models to "pose for a statue", keep cages of mice to feed their hair, decorate their lair with real statues as well as victims.
Ettins -- Argue between heads. Play "good cop, bad cop" (if they parlay at all). Heads fight over food like two dogs.
Ratlings (Nezumi, Skaven, etc.) -- Always sniffing, especially in a new place. Gnaw on wooden objects (spear shafts, staves, etc.) when bored. Attracted to glittering objects.
Yuan-Ti -- Taste air with tongue. Stare -- without blinking -- at people. Bob their heads.
Troglodytes -- Move around a lot when angry or frightened; it helps spread the stench from their musk. If parlaying, attribute the most authority to the worst-smelling member of a group. Change skin color in order to express feelings.
Otyughs -- Willing to trade choice items from pile for disgusting pieces of trash. Cultivate fungi on self - such gardens often contain rare fungi unable to survive in the local area. Territorial but willing to share lair in symbiotic relationship (certain undead are a favorite as they tend not to consume their prey).
Kobolds -- Dart eyes about warily; wring fingers nervously; can't stand still.
Illithids -- Refer to all non-illithids as "food"; always dignified, never panic; secrete ink from tentacles.
Demons -- Laugh maniacallly as they play with their "food".
Rakshasha -- Condescend, even to kings. Surround themselves with fine silks, cushions, furs, etc., even in a cold, damp cave or basement hideaway.
Hags -- Obsessively knit intricate but grotesquely cabled or patterned shawls, scarves and caps. (Knitting needles equal daggers).
Frost Giants -- Wear ice jewelry and ornaments.
Lizardfolk -- Raise their frill when threatened. Don't move at all unless necessary; sun themselves on rocks. Leap in to battle from high points, like the trees of their swamp.
Archerai -- Peck at bright/shiny objects on the ground.
Shocker Lizards -- Run through tall grass to generate static electricity.
Orcs -- Celebrate victory with jumping Cossack dance.
Troglodytes -- Watch two different things at once with their chameleon-like eyes. Lick own eyeballs. Stand still when frightened.
Devils -- Take "Devil's Advocate" position. Only follow letter of law, not spirit; twist all contracts and agreements.
Bugbears -- Snicker to each other. Smack each other around. Collect skulls, as a hobby, for laughs.
Athaylatch -- Scratch belly with the extra arm. Mutter. Demand impossiblely large ransoms; satisfied with anything though.
Worgs -- Nip at their Goblin riders. Kill more than they can eat, but guard it jealously. Howl from one direction to drive their prey into the maws of their packmates on the other side.
Erinyes -- Dress in an alluring way, yet show as little of skin as possible; treat their charmed followers with undisguised contempt; are visibly disgusted by open displays of affection.
Nagas -- Speak in low, hissing voices, often repeating their sentences with minor but significant variations; spend time coiled together and admiring themselves in mirrors or reflecting pools; sway in an almost hypnotic fashion when angry or afraid.
Night hags -- Dress in tattered clothes made from human skins; frequently speak in riddles or in rhyme; when excited or angered, claw themselves and pull their hair.
Winter wolves -- Drive their prey onto slippery ice or into deep snow; eat their kills only after they have thoroughly cooled; sing eerie prayers to the full moon.
Manticores -- Follow their prey from afar, circling above, watching them before attacking; play with their food; store their kills by impaling them on broken tree branches or by wedging them in cracks in cliffsides.
Devourers -- Never speak or make a sound, even in combat; the victim being devoured will weep and moan, urging the characters to flee lest they suffer the same fate.
Retrievers (Demonic constructs) -- Make scary robot sounds. Intone, in Abyssal, along the lines of "Target acquired. Tracking... compensating... locked. Moving to engage." Walk dumbly towards their target, pausing only to engage anyone who gets in their way.
Vampires -- Don't bother to dodge attacks that won't hurt them. Prattle on about the gift/curse of their immortality.
Zombies -- Moan names of favorite edible organs ("Brains!"). Pause to pick up body parts that fall off and jam them back into place.
Ettins -- Bargain for "shinies".
Wood Elves -- Follow their commander's silent gestures.
Gnolls -- Laugh hyena-like as they approach their prey.
Hell Hounds -- Howl at the sun.
Ghouls -- Paralyze prey, then taunt them. Lie in wait along water's edge; drag paralyzed prey underwater to drown. Let poisonous "pets" crawl all over their body.
Troglodytes -- Do push-ups when threatened, or try to appear Bigger to scare off others. Bite at a male enemy's crotch if weaponless, desperate, or have superiority of numbers. Eat their enemies on the spot (if not in danger), and their severely wounded.
Orcs -- Beat great drums before they go on a raid. These drums can be heard over a very long distance, making the villagers panic days in advance.
Goblins -- Insult humans in broken Common, make rude gestures, throw filth on them, etc. -- but only from out of reach. Break fences, steal livestock, etc. to extort cookies from human farmers.
Hobgoblins -- Goose step. Always march in order with magnificent battle standards and symbols of power. Shout a battle cry in unison before charging.
Gnolls -- Cackle eerily. Females dress like males, may be chieftains. Hate lions, even heraldric designs thereof.
Ogres -- Slam their clubs into the ground before battle (to challenge and scare the opponent). When charging, throw around stuff laying about (overturning tables, throwing pots and pans, etc.).
Minotaurs -- Throw their heads back, roaring in defiance. Before charging, scrape their hooves along the floor (like bulls). Chase their prey at leisure, their loud footsteps echoing through their mazelike lair -- since they dont have to rush; they already know where to turn.
Hill Giants -- Lick boulders before throwing them. Love to throw with their mates in waves. Wear multicoloured kilts. Clap their hands after hitting and holding up their fingers to give a rating of their throw.
Kobolds -- Never stand still (except when they're lying in ambush, of course). Even in melee combat, they're continually taking 5' steps at the very minimum.
Displacer Beasts -- Usually napping. Watch birds, squirrels, and other game. Try to scare off enemies after making a kill (to eat safely).
Giant Owls -- Eat Were-Rats and Ratmen. Regurgitate giant pellets (maybe with treasure). Always looking around -- turning their heads 180 degrees.
Treants -- (In tradition of Tolkien's Ents...) Live in geologic time. Speak slowly and laboriously, never succinctly. Remember ancient history.
Blink Dogs - Wag their tails before 'blinking'; like to stand on their hind legs; love to drive normal dogs crazy by blinking in and out.
Hags -- Offer tasty treats. Very maternal and sweet -- until upset. Hate beauty.
Celestials -- Speak in riddles. Only make formal declarations, no small talk. Look through people.
Centaurs -- Always talk in terms of astrology. View any suggestion of riding them as deserving death. Eat both horse and human food for their two stomachs.
Medusa -- Hire models to "pose for a statue", keep cages of mice to feed their hair, decorate their lair with real statues as well as victims.
Ettins -- Argue between heads. Play "good cop, bad cop" (if they parlay at all). Heads fight over food like two dogs.
Ratlings (Nezumi, Skaven, etc.) -- Always sniffing, especially in a new place. Gnaw on wooden objects (spear shafts, staves, etc.) when bored. Attracted to glittering objects.
Yuan-Ti -- Taste air with tongue. Stare -- without blinking -- at people. Bob their heads.
Troglodytes -- Move around a lot when angry or frightened; it helps spread the stench from their musk. If parlaying, attribute the most authority to the worst-smelling member of a group. Change skin color in order to express feelings.
Otyughs -- Willing to trade choice items from pile for disgusting pieces of trash. Cultivate fungi on self - such gardens often contain rare fungi unable to survive in the local area. Territorial but willing to share lair in symbiotic relationship (certain undead are a favorite as they tend not to consume their prey).
Kobolds -- Dart eyes about warily; wring fingers nervously; can't stand still.
Illithids -- Refer to all non-illithids as "food"; always dignified, never panic; secrete ink from tentacles.
Demons -- Laugh maniacallly as they play with their "food".
Rakshasha -- Condescend, even to kings. Surround themselves with fine silks, cushions, furs, etc., even in a cold, damp cave or basement hideaway.
Hags -- Obsessively knit intricate but grotesquely cabled or patterned shawls, scarves and caps. (Knitting needles equal daggers).
Frost Giants -- Wear ice jewelry and ornaments.
Lizardfolk -- Raise their frill when threatened. Don't move at all unless necessary; sun themselves on rocks. Leap in to battle from high points, like the trees of their swamp.
Archerai -- Peck at bright/shiny objects on the ground.
Shocker Lizards -- Run through tall grass to generate static electricity.
Orcs -- Celebrate victory with jumping Cossack dance.
Troglodytes -- Watch two different things at once with their chameleon-like eyes. Lick own eyeballs. Stand still when frightened.
Devils -- Take "Devil's Advocate" position. Only follow letter of law, not spirit; twist all contracts and agreements.
Bugbears -- Snicker to each other. Smack each other around. Collect skulls, as a hobby, for laughs.
Athaylatch -- Scratch belly with the extra arm. Mutter. Demand impossiblely large ransoms; satisfied with anything though.
Worgs -- Nip at their Goblin riders. Kill more than they can eat, but guard it jealously. Howl from one direction to drive their prey into the maws of their packmates on the other side.
Erinyes -- Dress in an alluring way, yet show as little of skin as possible; treat their charmed followers with undisguised contempt; are visibly disgusted by open displays of affection.
Nagas -- Speak in low, hissing voices, often repeating their sentences with minor but significant variations; spend time coiled together and admiring themselves in mirrors or reflecting pools; sway in an almost hypnotic fashion when angry or afraid.
Night hags -- Dress in tattered clothes made from human skins; frequently speak in riddles or in rhyme; when excited or angered, claw themselves and pull their hair.
Winter wolves -- Drive their prey onto slippery ice or into deep snow; eat their kills only after they have thoroughly cooled; sing eerie prayers to the full moon.
Manticores -- Follow their prey from afar, circling above, watching them before attacking; play with their food; store their kills by impaling them on broken tree branches or by wedging them in cracks in cliffsides.
Devourers -- Never speak or make a sound, even in combat; the victim being devoured will weep and moan, urging the characters to flee lest they suffer the same fate.
Retrievers (Demonic constructs) -- Make scary robot sounds. Intone, in Abyssal, along the lines of "Target acquired. Tracking... compensating... locked. Moving to engage." Walk dumbly towards their target, pausing only to engage anyone who gets in their way.
Vampires -- Don't bother to dodge attacks that won't hurt them. Prattle on about the gift/curse of their immortality.
Zombies -- Moan names of favorite edible organs ("Brains!"). Pause to pick up body parts that fall off and jam them back into place.
Ettins -- Bargain for "shinies".
Wood Elves -- Follow their commander's silent gestures.
Gnolls -- Laugh hyena-like as they approach their prey.
Hell Hounds -- Howl at the sun.
Ghouls -- Paralyze prey, then taunt them. Lie in wait along water's edge; drag paralyzed prey underwater to drown. Let poisonous "pets" crawl all over their body.
Troglodytes -- Do push-ups when threatened, or try to appear Bigger to scare off others. Bite at a male enemy's crotch if weaponless, desperate, or have superiority of numbers. Eat their enemies on the spot (if not in danger), and their severely wounded.
