Goblin Hordes

[Buttercup]

the first were the spider riders (detailed here). basically just like it sounds, they ride monstrous spiders into combat. can be really nasty for ambush attacks -- the spiders can climb anywhere and catch the PCs unawares. i used them mainly when my group was traveling through a dense forest -- the spider riders would swarm out of the canopy, down tree trunks and surprise the party.

Those are very cool. And your website is really nicely done! Thanks. As you say, the PCs are not high enough level to encounter Spider Riders yet, but perhaps in this long trek they'll gain a few levels.

 

[Hand of Evil]

A party of adventures could be an interesting weapon, a goblin leader could play nice with the PCs in the hopes that they would turn the tide in a battle. This smart goblin could either lead or direct (herd) the PC to the area of another goblin tribe and then cause trouble, shooting arrow from cover of the woods as the party meets them!

 

[hong]

How many hordes could the goblins hoard if the goblin hordes could hoard?

 

[mmadsen]

How would you defend your subterranean kingdom?

In How would you defend your subterranean kingdom?, we discussed (at length) how a Goblin King would defend his Underground Kingdom. The opening post:

Let's say you're a Goblin King ruling your Undermountain Kingdom. How would you defend it?

According to the Monster Manual, a Goblin Tribe comprises:

• 40-400 1st-level Warriors
• One 3rd-level Sergeant per 20 adults
• One or two Lieutenants of 4th or 5th level
• One Leader of 6th to 8th level
• 10-24 Worgs
• 2-4 Dire Wolves

With those resources and some good ol' Goblin "malicious ingenuity" -- but not much else -- how would you, as Goblin King, set up your Kingdom to make for easy raids on nearby highways and villages and easy defense against Men from Above?

 

[orangefruitbat]

Re: How would you defend your subterranean kingdom?

The Sword and Sorcery monster books ("Creature Collections") have some cool goblin variants.

My favorite are the spider goblins with compound eyes and multiple arms. Dual-wielding shortbows!

In How would you defend your subterranean kingdom?, we discussed (at length) how a Goblin King would defend his Underground Kingdom. The opening post:

 

[diaglo]

iirc, one of the 2ed books you might look at is

The Rod of Seven Parts or maybe it was Axe of the Dwarvish Lords.

i forget.


but it had some good goblin encounters.

 

[Liolel]

iirc, one of the 2ed books you might look at is

The Rod of Seven Parts or maybe it was Axe of the Dwarvish Lords.

i forget.


but it had some good goblin encounters.

It was the axe of the dwarfish lords I think. It had a whole stronghold filled with goblins. Beware though it was desinged for 10th level pcs and the encounters it you take them straight from the module may be to tough.

 

[Hand of Evil]

WFRP goblins used a lot of biological weapons, spoors mostly to create a spell effect.

So here is are some thoughts...

..Rotting Eggs (Stinking cloud) - the goblins take local eggs, soak with the glands from a shunk and some plants to produce a gernade that they hurl into combat.


..Shocker Fence (Electrical Fence) - the goblins run thin wire around their forts or in the woods, in areas they place a shock lizard in a box. The shock lizard has a coaler that the wire is hooked to, when the wire is pulled, the lizard releases its shock that travels down the wire and is delivered to the PC.

 

[MarauderX]

Night's Dark Terror

Check out that module for a good opening to an adventure featuring goblin clans and wiping them out. There is plenty of stuff to add, and is pretty detailed throughout with things like names and how to give info to the PCs so they can move on with the plot.

Oh, I should mention it's an original D&D module, like B10 or something like that, and will need some converting, but the numbers of goblins and such can stay the same. You will just need to modify certain things, like changing the goblins' wolves to 3E worgs, adjusting damage doors can take, etc.

It's my favorite module, and I have started 3 campaigns with it just because I usually have a similiar setting in my home brew. I am werking on converting it to 3E, and will post it when complete... if ever, as it is a super long module.

 

[Voadam]

It sounds like fun, I've always wanted to go into non-pc race areas and just deal with them in a non-slaughtering mode.

They could try going through the kingdoms as travellers and not get into trouble, but then these are evil goblins with slaves, so a paladin might not be able to "not get involved"

I would assume there would be lots of mines with slave labor, mostly goblins from rival kingdoms, but also other races.

There might be inquisitive goblin snoops at the bars listening in on the conversations of strangers, and if they hear about this map then there might be a rival goblin party coming after them to get the treasure map.

You might even want them to get side tracked, perhaps one goblin town is attacked by a rival kingdoms raiders while the PCs are there and they have to decide whether they will fight alongside the ones they are visiting.

If they do fight, do they later have to cross over that kingdoms territory or do they think to go around to the third kingdom?

Does anybody in the party speak goblin or do they need a guide? perhaps that half-goblin rat trapper.