DOes anyone else allow or use Goblins or Goblinoids as PC's and what are the most popular if you do? If not, why?
Wow this question is popular today. I think they make a lousy PC race. The basic goblin is an Ok PC race but the Pathfinder reinterpretation makes for a great villain but a lousy PC race. Their evil but their not noble. Ultimately cruelty and cowardice are defining characteristics.
Its not generally very much fun to play a character that always attacks those that are weaker then itself but fawns over and shows subservience to those stronger then itself.
Wow this question is popular today. I think they make a lousy PC race. The basic goblin is an Ok PC race but the Pathfinder reinterpretation makes for a great villain but a lousy PC race. Their evil but their not noble. Ultimately cruelty and cowardice are defining characteristics.
Its not generally very much fun to play a character that always attacks those that are weaker then itself but fawns over and shows subservience to those stronger then itself.
But see... you could have Dobby the kind-hearted, brave and noble goblin, the Drizzt of goblinkind. He could escape his tribe of evil meanies with the help of his figurine of wonderous power (a ferocious dire boar named Spam), and cautiously make his way in the world of humans with only his magical daggers "Eyepoke" and "Spleentap" as his trusty companions.
He could have issues with cooked food and pretty gnome girls, and he could develop a penchant for wearing lacy gentlemens' cravates. With a nice black topcoat.
Could work. =)
Wow this question is popular today. I think they make a lousy PC race. The basic goblin is an Ok PC race but the Pathfinder reinterpretation makes for a great villain but a lousy PC race. Their evil but their not noble. Ultimately cruelty and cowardice are defining characteristics.
Its not generally very much fun to play a character that always attacks those that are weaker then itself but fawns over and shows subservience to those stronger then itself.
Dude, it's not that bad. I've played four Kobolds, one goblin, one Uruk Hai (My wife's middle Earth game. Middle Earth setting with D&D rules) and a gnoll. Two of the Kobolds are from a Dungoen Module. I can't remember the name of the Module, but the Kobolds names are Raspit and His Teriblness Duke Chupo, Slayer of Rosie the Semstress. My wife ran the game with a group of about four, and asked me to run the two kobolds, giving me the basics of how the were supose to behave, and just told me to go nuts with them. It was almost like tag team Dming. But it made for some great play.
Dude, it's not that bad. I've played four Kobolds, one goblin, one Uruk Hai (My wife's middle Earth game. Middle Earth setting with D&D rules) and a gnoll. Two of the Kobolds are from a Dungoen Module. I can't remember the name of the Module, but the Kobolds names are Raspit and His Teriblness Duke Chupo, Slayer of Rosie the Semstress. My wife ran the game with a group of about four, and asked me to run the two kobolds, giving me the basics of how the were supose to behave, and just told me to go nuts with them. It was almost like tag team Dming. But it made for some great play.Wow this question is popular today. I think they make a lousy PC race. The basic goblin is an Ok PC race but the Pathfinder reinterpretation makes for a great villain but a lousy PC race. Their evil but their not noble. Ultimately cruelty and cowardice are defining characteristics.
Its not generally very much fun to play a character that always attacks those that are weaker then itself but fawns over and shows subservience to those stronger then itself.
I can see their use in a Co-DM situation but thats a whole different kettle of fish. Being the Slayer of Rosie the Seamstress (Richard Prett's work, yes?) is funny in a dark humour sort of way partly because only a pretty pathetic warrior takes pride in being able to slay a pretty helpless Seamstress, but no one generally wants to actually role play the murder of a near defenseless seamstress. There is not much one can take away from the table when your Goblin character actually managed to corner and butcher her.
Making them at all viable as a PC race means making them redeemable and highlighting their good qualities. Doing so damages their role as nasty, cowardly and ultimately pathetic little varmints. What makes them really cool in their villain role works in direct opposition to what makes for a good PC race - even an evil PC race. By the time we have finished reading about how their just misunderstood or something they are no longer such cool bad guys.
Have you checked out tbug's RotRL campaign?
Warning: major spoilers!
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Goblins: Scrounger Prestiege Class (allows the PC to add Appraise ranks to a Spot when scrounging) no other advantages but it allows your Goblin to realy keep his/her eyes open...spots key in distant lock down hallway, spots gem in dirt, spots steampistol amongst junkpile.
May not seem useful but it fits in with what goblins are: scroungers.
I modeled it on the OBSIDIAN SCROUNGERS OF KARA DAG - they used to scrounge for obsidian in the ash fields of extinct volcanoes in turkey and trade their product with the Community of Catal Huyuk some fifty miles distant.
I'm running an entire party of goblinoids through Rise of the Runelords, and we're having a great time. They're standard goblins (from the Birdcruncher band) with the half-giant (troll) template from the Advanced Bestiary.
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Currently running as a Goblin Druid 3, right in the middle of thistletop at the moment.
honestly, in 12 years of RPG playing, he is the most fun character i have ever played.
Sure, i would likely have been better off mechanically with a human, but c'mon, i get to be crazy AND a druid at the same time.
oh yeah, and i'm probably the most Good of the party...healing, feeding people, trying to get them not to kill things (ok, goblins and animals).
i love my little crazy Toki
-the hamster
Which goblin tribe is Toki from?
I'm running an entire party of goblinoids through Rise of the Runelords, and we're having a great time. They're standard goblins (from the Birdcruncher band) with the half-giant (troll) template from the Advanced Bestiary.
This is outstanding! I love playing goblins and Goblinkin. I ran a Kobold Paladin through SCAP and it was a blast! Reading you campaign log was great. Big props!
I can see their use in a Co-DM situation but thats a whole different kettle of fish. Being the Slayer of Rosie the Seamstress (Richard Prett's work, yes?) is funny in a dark humour sort of way partly because only a pretty pathetic warrior takes pride in being able to slay a pretty helpless Seamstress, but no one generally wants to actually role play the murder of a near defenseless seamstress.
Obviously you've never played with my group. I have several players, myself included who would find that funny.
Making them at all viable as a PC race means making them redeemable and highlighting their good qualities.
Who said that they have to have redeaming qualities? People play humans that are vicious and self centered all the time. Being vicious, self centered and even evil doesn't mean that a PC can't function in a group. It means that their motivation isn't as altruistic as a lawful good character, but greed and the idea of bettering your situation is a strong character motivator. Also the idea of having a character that can't fit in with society and has to deal with alot of prejudice makes for some interesting Roleplay.
... but no one generally wants to actually role play the murder of a near defenseless seamstress.Obviously you've never played with my group. I have several players, myself included who would find that funny.
To clarify: No, we would not roleplay out such an encounter. Having it as backstory, however, is funny. Many of our characters have things as backstory for a character development reason or quirk that we would NEVER roleplay out.
There are also times where things are stated (and possibly some die rolls happen) but not roleplayed for the same reason. Some of our players have PCs with dietary needs that none of us would enjoy roleplaying. So you state that you're meeting the need, roll some dice, and move on to the stuff we DO enjoy roleplaying.
Have you checked out tbug's RotRL campaign?
Warning: major spoilers!
I posted the same thing, but your post appeared between the time I wrote mine and the time mine showed up. Thanks for the plug!
If not, why?
Because goblins are evil and meant to be killed IMC. (A nice simple answer!)
