What makes one creature a goblinoid, and another creature not a goblinoid?
Modern D&D and pathfinder draw a line around 3 main species, so that goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears are all goblinoids, but orcs, for example, are not.
Eberron changes much of goblinoid lore for the Dar of Dhakaan, but goblins and hobgoblins are still just as goblinoid.
Other fantasy games and older versions of D&D may include orcs and other monsters lumped together with the goblins. An extreme might be fighting fantasy, with gremlins, orcs, and trolls all stated to be related to goblins.
So what is it that makes a humanoid or monstrous humanoid goblinoid? If I wanted to, say, make dwarves, halflings, or humans goblinoid, how would they have to be changed? What could you remove from a goblin or bugbear or hobgoblin to make it not a goblinoid anymore?
What is the essence of goblinoid?
Modern D&D and pathfinder draw a line around 3 main species, so that goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears are all goblinoids, but orcs, for example, are not.
Eberron changes much of goblinoid lore for the Dar of Dhakaan, but goblins and hobgoblins are still just as goblinoid.
Other fantasy games and older versions of D&D may include orcs and other monsters lumped together with the goblins. An extreme might be fighting fantasy, with gremlins, orcs, and trolls all stated to be related to goblins.
So what is it that makes a humanoid or monstrous humanoid goblinoid? If I wanted to, say, make dwarves, halflings, or humans goblinoid, how would they have to be changed? What could you remove from a goblin or bugbear or hobgoblin to make it not a goblinoid anymore?
What is the essence of goblinoid?