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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Loonook" data-source="post: 3976386" data-attributes="member: 1861">Good Gaming: Goblins, Gewgaws, and Glorious Generalities Pt. 1: A Newly Defined Goblin.Ahh, the noble goblin.  Rather, the noble possibilities of the Goblin.  These little buggers are the largest body of slave labor in most D&D campaigns; dark forces love to keep the little ones down.  Even the halfling, with his limberness and quick throwing, pales in comparison to the gaming opportunities presented by our little forgotten friends.  Goblins make great possibilities for your average character, and can become quite extraordinary if only given the chance to shine.  Goblins are also some of my favorite creatures to show the process of gamethought with; they are some of the most maligned creatures, rare to run across past the first 10 levels, and even then they're usually just short-lived fodder, filler encounters for the new heroes.  Let us examine these humble, tiny creatures a bit, and really get to know our alleged lessers.  First, let us observe some of the information available at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goblin" target="_blank">our friendly neighborhood wikipedia</a>.  Now, we see a bevy of possibilities for goblins; they are both evil and somewhat benevolent, tricky, capricious, but sometimes advising, and they take on many different forms and ideas depending on local myth and folklore.  Now, we can look at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goblin_%28Dungeons_%26_Dragons%29" target="_blank">D&D idea of goblins</a>.  Feels a bit limiting, doesn’t it?  Now, there are some pretty basic things which make the ideas present seem a bit odd.  We know that goblins are a good, solid breeding race; if we reference <a href="http://enworld.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=12195&it=1" target="_blank">The Book of Erotic Fantasy</a> (a great source for pretty solidly thought out information on sexuality and reproduction amongst common D&D races) we see that Goblins tend to have high yield births as a norm and a certain amount of protection for mothers:Although not noted for kindess, goblin communities instinctively protect pregnant mothers with a remarkable ferocity.  Sadly, this protective streak ends shortly after birth – only one in three goblin children survive their first year, owing to the violent, dangerous nature of the warren.  Multiple births are extremely common, with twins being the norm . . . . <a href="http://enworld.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=12195&it=1" target="_blank">(BoEF p. 30-31)</a> .Now we’re getting somewhere.  We have a group which produces a large stock, which with proper care could grow to large numbers.  Mothers typically produce twins, and “may become pregnant again within only a month of their last pregnancy.” <a href="http://enworld.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=12195&it=1" target="_blank">(ibid).</a> . So, let’s assume that according to a maturity of 10 years, a lifespan approaching 55, and a gestation period of 4 months… we could have little goblin babies running around our feet at an alarming rate.  Given that goblin females most likely are only going to be breeding for an average of 20-25 years, we have a pretty good idea of how many children can be produced by a good-sized warren, or even a smaller confederacy.So, we now see that goblins could outbreed and outrun most other races after a few generations; but we also see a built-in possibility for a lower number of surviving infants.  A group of 10 females produces let’s say 23 children, of which only 8 will survive their first year.  Given that out of these 8 we may be averaging between 4 and 5 females in a group, we will also see a maturity overlap; breeding females will be present in two and possibly three generations at a time.  A 10 female breeding cycle assuming our 23 living goblin babes per cycle, 8 which reach their first year, minimal loss beyond that, and 3 successful birthing cycles every 2 years, we could be averaging 9-12 viable breeding females per 2 year cycle, with 36-48 viable breeding females being produced in a six year period.  Out of these, 9-12 will be available to breed in each cycle after the fifth, producing more and more goblin children to go through the harsh life they lead.Now, why don’t we see even more goblins about?  Is it a case of outside attrition due to hunting, wanton slaughter by adventurers, and all sorts of other effects?  Of course not.  What we see in goblins is a perfect cultural enticement.  They breed rapidly, they produce literal litters of goblin babes, yet they do not play well with each other.  Tribal struggles, vendetta, overpowering violence.  We have goblins who are really hitting their stride when it comes to self imposed depopulation.  Even so, we’re still looking at a large, able-bodied force of individuals who can grow, and grow, and grow. . . But all of the factors above would lead to a tight-knit, if dangerous to live in, community.  The tribe itself would turn itself inwards, out of protection, mutual benefit, and fear/revulsion at the outside world.  Thus, Goblins serve as a good possible example of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omert%C3%A0" target="_blank">Omertà </a> in any setting.  No, I am not suggesting that goblin leaders will be making your PCs offers they can’t refuse.  Rather, I suggest that the goblin race, as presented in D&D and to a lesser extent in d20 Modern and other similar sources, is highly suspicious of outsiders, can act autonomously in an extralegal environment, and takes care of its own.  In these ways, the goblin race fits perfectly with the definition of the idea of Omertà presented by Rick Porrello (quoted in the article): Whoever appeals to the law against his fellow man is either a fool or a coward. Whoever cannot take care of himself without police protection is both. It is as cowardly to betray an offender to justice, even though his offences be against yourself, as it is not to avenge an injury by violence. It is dastardly and contemptible in a wounded man to betray the name of his assailant, because if he recovers, he must naturally expect to take vengeance himself.Goblins seem to be a group which would not turn in another of their own kind, but would be willing to seek vengeance from those who wronged them.  <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redcloak" target="_blank">Redcloak</a> from <a href="http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0422.html" target="_blank">The Order of the Stick</a>  is a perfect example of this goblin ideology.  He uses whatever means necessary to out at the paladins of the Sapphire Guild who decimated his warren.  He has a respect for his mother and his family which supersedes his own life and wellbeing.  He has a reason for serving in his place, and has gained the tools from this service which will bring about an end to his goals.In the next article, we’ll be discussing the skills and abilities which make Goblins worth their salt, and the possibilities of Goblins as something more than simple low-level encounters.Good Gaming,Slainte,-Loonook.Citations:<a href="http://Wikipedia.org" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>  (always a useful little box of knowledge for simple explanations of things)<a href="http://giantitp.com" target="_blank">Order of the Stick</a> (Something interesting to read if you haven't read them all as of yet).<a href="http://enworld.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=12195&it=1" target="_blank">Book of Erotic Fantasy</a> Adult's Only, of course . . . but a great resource for verisimilitudilicious information on pregnancy, gestation, and sexuality.Note: Rick Porrello, from whom the definition for the code of silence comes, has some great books on the Cleveland Mafia.  His book on Daniel Greene <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0966250885/rickporrellosame" target="_blank">To Kill the Irishman</a> is recommended reading to anyone who is interested in the East Coast and Midwest criminal syndicates of the early 1960s to mid 1970s.  Not the best writer, but one of the few true crime amateurs who is both a good read and a good thinking project.  Having seen one of his articles while visiting family in OH a few years ago, I started getting more intrigued by the world of organized crime.  Perhaps we'll discuss the formation of realistic thieves guilds in a later article <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />.</blockquote>

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