D&D 5E Starter Set Excerpt 5

[Patrick McGill]

I really like them, and I'm curious about the look of the other goblinoids considering what they said about creating a more uniform look between them, so that you can tell they are related.

 

[Thaumaturge]

I really like them, and I'm curious about the look of the other goblinoids considering what they said about creating a more uniform look between them, so that you can tell they are related.

Agreed. I think it's neat that they are tying the races together visually.

The 4e goblins look more orc-like than fitting in with bugbears. The big noses and skin tone, I'm guessing, will be a part of the goblinoid look.

I like that they look menacing instead of silly.

And this piece continues the trend of putting characters in a place. Are those the adventurers around a campfire that we saw in a different excerpt? I like to think they are.

Thaumaturge.

 

[JeffB]

Not digging the goblins, though I like the artists work.

They look like Shifters from Eberron.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Aren't they basically the same as 4e goblins?

EDIT - To be clear, this, and everything pretty much everyone was saying, is all opinion, aesthetics, taste, and so on, not statements of fact, so if anyone tries to argue with it like it's the latter, well, they're not going to get much of a response. It's totally subjective stuff.

Not for my money. Even ignoring the significant aesthetic differences (completely different shaped heads, different proportions, not green!), the key thing is the impression they give.

For me, goblins have always been scavengers, clad in left-overs and re-sized armour from other races, not manufacturing weapons like swords, merely re-using those from others, and generally being tribal little bastards. They're dangerous, not a joke, but they're not a "mini-orc", nor do they possess their own real culture/civilization. They're also a "real"-seeming species, not stylized or fancy. They talk and act bigger than they are, too, all threat display and then running away.

4E's goblins reflect that. All their stuff is roughly-made and doesn't speak of a strong culture or what-have-you. Further, their gender, if they have one, is non-obvious, which is cool (I think the one on the right might be intended to be female, but it's not certain). They're all showing off, but you feel like they might flee if shown serious resistance.

5E's, on the other hand, as I said, look simply like someone has seen Movie-LotR's Uruk-Hai, and said "What would it look like we made these guys 3-4' tall?". They have weapons of unique, non-D&D-style manufacture (total LotR inspiration there), their armour looks individually-made and is certainly made for goblins, specifically, and has impractical, very stylized spikes/hooks on it. Their heads, to me, do not look at all "goblin-y". And being brown, rather than green? That's downright un-goblin-y, and not a good direction (grey would have been better, if changing from green). On top of that, they all look pretty obviously male/masculine (again, this seems retrograde).

I get what 5E is trying to do, here. They want "D&D BRAND" goblins, which are market-able as a "D&D" thing, rather than goblins which reflect a broader fantasy tradition of goblins. I also understand the desire to link D&D's "Goblinoids" more closely together (though I don't really agree with it). I just think this is a really misguided approach to it, and I think it's lead to some goblins which don't look like they have sort of cruelty and weirdness and tribal nature I associate with goblins, but rather look, in all ways, like tiny Uruk-Hai from the LotR movies. They look smart, surly, like they'd have deep voices (rather than a proper goblin shriek), would be entirely un-fey (rather than slightly fey-ish), and like they'd form up into neat little military formations rather than being chaotic little beggars. They're probably brutal and mean-spirited, but it seems like they'd be so like nasty soldiers, not like... y'know... goblins.

They make sense for a specific D&D setting, where there is some kind of serious unified, ordered goblinoid empire, and where goblins aren't random tribes, but almost all part of this greater empire, which has manufacturies, standards, a consistent aesthetic, and so on, but as typical D&D goblins? Nah. Hope this isn't the same illustration as the MM, but rather a specific one with context and stuff, and that the MM has something broader and more classic.

PS - If this art wasn't for "goblins", but rather some new or setting-specific small humanoid, I'd like it. For "goblins", though? Nah.

EDIT - PPS I think we can safely say that, had Pathfinder not taken "flat-faced, green, tribal" goblins and run with it to the point of making it practically a brand, we wouldn't be seeing goblins like this. The whole think REEKS of branding imho.

 

[RichGreen]

I love those goblins - nasty looking!

Cheers


Rich

 

[Kobold Stew]

Even with their oversized blades, these goblins feel less cartoony (and more genuinely threatening) than any goblins I can think of seeing previously. I like it.

Two thumbs up.

 

[KirayaTiDrekan]

This is the first preview that has me less than giddy. Everything else about the starter set and 5th Edition in general has me excited as hell, but this art is not to my liking.

However, every edition has a few less than stellar pieces of art so this is far (very far) from being a deal breaker or anything like that.

 

[TwoSix]

I have to say, they did a pretty good job differentiating them from Pathfinder goblins. The jutting out jaws and narrow skull gives them a totally different silhouette than the bobblehead of the PF goblins. Add in olive skin tones compared to green, and the more human-like eyes compared to the red dots, and they pretty much moved the sliders as far in the other direction as possible while still staying in the range of "goblin".

Also, I can easily see how these creatures can be scaled up to look related to hobgoblins and bugbears. Make them human size and more muscular, you have hobgoblins. Large size and some extra fur, that's a bugbear.

 

[DMZ2112]

We've come a long way baby;

(image snipped)

No doubt, but surely you can see the common inspiration between these two images. My first thought upon seeing the new art was, "Oh, they're Trampier goblins!"

Aren't they basically the same as 4e goblins?

(image snipped)

What exactly do you see as the similarities? Different skin tone, different skull structure, different body type, and perhaps most importantly they are not jumping around like monkeys on meth.

Why, only one of them even has his mouth open, and he appears to be speaking quietly.

I really like them, and I'm curious about the look of the other goblinoids considering what they said about creating a more uniform look between them, so that you can tell they are related.

This look is remarkably similar to how I've always described my goblinoids. I'm really excited about these guys and definitely looking forward to seeing the hobs and bugbears. Goblinoids ftw!

EDIT - PPS I think we can safely say that, had Pathfinder not taken "flat-faced, green, tribal" goblins and run with it to the point of making it practically a brand, we wouldn't be seeing goblins like this. The whole think REEKS of branding imho.

Well, I am not complaining. Pathfinder wasted the goblin.

 

[Klaus]

Not a fan. They almost look more gremlin than goblin to me.

Considering Gremlins have long been considered goblinoids, this is entirely appropriate.

These (awesome) goblins are pretty much the same as the last concept art we've seen: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4dreye/20121010