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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Loonook" data-source="post: 3976511" data-attributes="member: 1861">Good Gaming: Goblins, Gewgaws, and Glorious Generalities Pt. 2: The Introduction of Abigail and Norman and Goblins: What Are They Good For? Well, as we will be discussing certain issues near and dear to my heart, let me introduce you to two people who are very close to me; Abigail and Norman Corey.  These two… oh, the tales they could tell.  You see, Abigail is the smartest member of her family, and Norman… well, he is really special.  Their family, however, is a strange one, as they somehow got a hold on this obscure Human variant in some out-of-the-way third party manual.  Abigail, being the youngest child, seems to have gotten the best of it (I think her parents updated at 3.5) and Norman… well, as we said, Norman is a special child.  To whit, as they gain levels, each follows a strange path.  Their variant class and race combination allows them to gain 1 point in every skill.  However, Abigail has really milked it for all it is worth; Abby does the same with attribute bumps, making her attributes creep higher and higher, and seems to have a very elite set of attributes to start with: all 15s.  Norman, being a kinder and gentler soul, has 10s in all of his attributes… he is not so good at maximizing his potential, and gets confused by the rules sometimes.  Norman puts all of his attribute bumps into Comeliness; he’s a stalwart man when it comes to a system, and he just won’t let this little part of his upbringing be thrown to the wayside.  Thus, whenever his stats remain 10s across the board.  Though he is quite handsome, Norman never gets any fun toys or special feats (he’s sticking with toughness, his excuse being he wants to be ‘a tough stud’ when he finally meets his wife-to-be) and Abby is the apple of her parent’s eye.  She gets all the great feats that she can qualify for, and she’s the best at everything she does.  However, when it comes down to it, the Corey household is located far and away from most things; that special source book they found was the only non-core material they have available to them, though Abby really stretches her wings whenever possible.I know, I don’t like either of them that much either, but the Corey family is like that.  You should see their house. . . can’t walk anywhere without tripping over an elite array awakened dog or a cloak of Elvenkind.Anyways, Abby and Norm are here to demonstrate their talents in regards to our noble friend, the Goblin.  Being medium-sized creatures they find the Goblin cute and cuddly, ever willing to please.  However, we don’t really have time to explore their love for these green beasties; we have an article to get through.So, what makes the goblin different than our friends Abby and Norm?  Well, naturally, the Goblin family has some great genes.  They are weaker on average, a little ugly and meek, but they make up for both by being quite nimble.  They also enjoy the benefits of being a Small creature; those AC, Hide, and attack bonuses do come in handy.  However, they also suffer the issues of being Small, mainly they cannot carry as much as a Medium sized creature of equal Strength, and they can’t even think of grappling anyone who isn’t their size or smaller without some issues.  They have darkvision of 60’, and happen to gain racial bonuses to Ride AND Move Silently.  Not too shabby…Now, let’s compare a normal 1st level goblin with our friends Abby and Norm.  Oh, memories . . . back when Abby and Norm were young, just starting out their lives.  Abby always teasing Norm… it was fun to watch.  Now, Abby and Norm run into our Goblin, Boblin.  Abby, Bob, and Norm start to compare notes;Abby has a +6 to all of the checks that Bob would be interested in, or a +8 if she happened to spend her feats to raise her skill (as she always does).Norm has a +4 to all of the checks that Bob would be interested in, and a much higher HP.Boblin has a +5 to Hide and Move Silently, a +5 to Ride, and a +2 to Spot and Listen.  Alertness saves the day, giving him those boosts to Spot and Listen.Now, Boblin the Goblin is going to have some issues Hiding and Moving Silently around Abby, and will have a slight edge over Norm.  As we can see, the BoB-BoA=D-AA(Bonus of Bob – Bonus of Abby = Difference – Advantage Abby) of +3 (15%) with Hide and Move Silently.  These differences are even more apparent in other areas; Abby is far better at Hiding and Moving Silently than Bob is at Listening or Spotting (+6, or 30%).  Of course, even Norm would edge out Boblin on hiding and moving silently (BoN-BoB= D-AN of +2 vs BoB-BoN = D-AB of +1).  That means that, letting Norm remain his bubbly self and getting 10s, Bob will have a 5% advantage of sneaking by Norm, while Norm will have the advantage of 10% of sneaking by Boblin.  Abby has the advantage both ways; +3 in the opposed check vs. Bob’s hide, and +6 (!) when Hiding or Moving Silently around Boblin.Now, Boblin has a distinct disadvantage, being that Boblin has been made to take his highest ability in Strength rather than Dexterity, and takes Alertness (a feat which won’t even serve him against his own kind, much less any sort of person who has even rudimentary Hide/Move Silent skills or a 16 or above Dexterity).  Now, if Boblin could have invested his choices better, he would have a better chance.  Goblins deserve better skill and feat selection; it just may allow them to survive to the dawn.Now, Boblin could play to his natural strengths.  There is an established reason for such; Boblin is a small creature, horribly out-gunned by these nasty devils, and he’s going to have to fight tooth-and-nail to get anywhere against them.  He is a Warrior 1, which is sort of sad but we’ll get back to it.  He’s using the Normal Array, which is also sad, but to be expected; not all challengers can be Elite, and Bob will work on his buffs at a later date.  Bob isn’t dumb; he has a 10 Int., but he’s a little foolish, so he has a 9 Wisdom.  So, he tried to train around it; he gave himself cross-class skills to boost up his Spot and Listen.  As a warrior, Spot and Listen can be quite useful.  I will admit they are good skills.  But why should Bob, and all of his compatriots, suffer under the tyranny of poor selection?  Not all Bob’s buddies are as slow on the draw, but they all are statted out to be.  Therefore, I present to you, a better Boblin The Goblin.  Let’s call him Bob 2.0.B2.0 uses the advantages granted to him.  While his stats aren’t the greatest, he could be in worse straits.  He has new choices ahead of him, and he’s happy about it.Bob 2.0 leaves the need to be pretty to diplomats and Kobolds.  He gets beaten up too often for it to really be a viable plan, and to be honest he’s still a little afraid when he leaves the Warren.  Bob is faster than your average Goblin, but this speed has come at the expense of being as hearty.  He’s a little more brighter, but he is also a little weaker.  He needs some assistance in some areas, but he’s going to pull through this.Bob 2.0, Goblin Redefined:Goblin Warrior Lvl. 1Beginning Stats: Str 9, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8.Adjusted: Str: 7, Dex: 15, Con: 11, Int: 10, Wis: 12, Cha: 6.Skills: Hide: +6, Listen: +3 (?), Move Silently: +6, Ride: +10, Spot: +3 (?).Now, I know, this may sound crazy to start out with.  He’s going to be carrying 18 lbs. as a light load?  Well, we can reduce his equipment’s weight; he will maintain a similar AC by still using Leather Armor, and he will not require his shield.  Also, Bob 2.0 will be far better at hunting game after being able to spend those additional skill points on something other than his Spot and Listen checks.  That small bump to Hide and Move Silently will really help him in his levels, but the real benefit will come from another skill.Yes, Bob 2.0 now can afford to put 4 ranks into Ride.  That +10 will give him a 100% chance to succeed at those pesky fight with mount checks.  While Boblin will have trouble until he achieves Mounted Archery, he’s dealing with a solid base for other skills.  He’s worthless in melee combat, but from ambush (getting possibly 2-3 shots on your average party) or riding (taking the penalty and letting him fire on-the-run at -1) Boblin serves as a competent ranged cavalry warrior.  Elite versions of Boblin are even better; the ability to use the floating 13 to bump his Strength to an acceptable 11, and his Dexterity to a nice 17, Boblin is a force on the field, and can then use his war dog or worg to his advantage.  The war dog is integral to Bob 2.0’s survival; the beastie helps him carry home game he catches in the wild, serves as an efficient ‘foot stool’ to throw ropes for tree ambushes, and even provides for a good assistant in the hunt and chase. Bob 2.0, combined with Bob 1.0, provide for an interestingly dangerous encounter for a party.  Elite versions of Bob 2.0 liberally sprinkled in ambush or riding along are definitely terrors to behold.  Imagine, if you will, an  elite Bob 2.0 who is CR: 1 (warrior level 3).  With Mounted Combat and Archery, our friend Bob 2.0 is firing arrows at targets on the run with ruthless efficiency, and can still ride and fire at 80 ft/rd. with a -2 penalty (overall bonus of +4).  Indeed, the combination of rider and his noble dog/steed makes Boblin and his mounted archer friends quite dangerous, even if only accompanied by a few lesser goblins along the way.I hope that listening to Abby and Norm, along with Boblin’s development, you’ve seen a new possible horizon.  Next, we’ll deal with some other benefits.  With mounted archers, warriors, and a culture of violence, how exactly do Goblins improve their space in the world?Thought Experiment #1:  Now, we’re going to have some of these from time to time; today’s thought experiment has to do with a more Modern sensibility for our Goblin friends.  Considering what we know about Goblins (their oppression by their former masters, their close knit family groups, their bellicose nature) what kind of music would Goblins listen to in our world?  What kind of neighborhoods would they live in?  What would their niche be in our society, with all of the benefits they have?  How could they improve themselves with the modern conveniences that surround us?  If you get ideas, just email them to me at author at <a href="http://www.yahoo.com" target="_blank">yaaaaahhhhhhhhhhooooooooooo! dot com</a> .  Please head them with the title of this article, or Thought Experiment #1 Response.Good Gaming,Slainte,-Loonook.EDIT: Due to a nice given by someone who was paying more attention than I did before submission, the numbers have been tweaked (namely Bob's Ride check).  This is, of course, another example of not trying to write while half asleep.  Next article coming shortly</blockquote>

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