On Hobgoblins and Hairpieces

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

We have stated in no uncertain terms that hobgoblins can't grow hair on their heads. Sometimes on the same page as an illustration of a hobgoblin with hair. But how can this be, you wonder? Surely this is a joke! Or maybe Paizo has screwed up yet again! Rest assured, loyal fan, that Paizo remains and lovable and infallible as ever with the release of the Ironfang Invasion Adventure Path. Those occasional hobgoblins you see with hair aren't mistakes, but rather part of a secret canon that we heretofore have not revealed for lack of page space and also because we didn't make it up until just now.

Hobgoblins must earn their hair!

Hair is important in hobgoblin culture, especially among warriors. Hair emulates the barghests and hero-gods that hobgoblins honor, and long, flowing hair is a resource that must be taken in battle—a hobgoblin can neither grow a mane of hair, nor skin hair—real hair—from animals in the hunt. Instead warriors strip a lock of hair from each human and elf they kill, and weave them into their hats or helms or else glue them to their own scalps. A proud soldier may show off his five or six locks—braided tightly to protect them—at social events or formal drills, while the most vicious warriors let their stolen hair flow free in battle, confidant they can replace anything lost with the coifs of their victims.

Not every hobgoblin follows this tradition, however. It is fundamentally bragging about one's skill as a warrior, inviting lesser subordinate to challenge the warrior to a kalech-mar honor duel for her position. Those hobgoblins especially lawfully-minded view the practice as a foolish excess and needless bravado, something that drives a wedge through unit cohesion with petty one-upmanship. Other simply seize too much hair in battle to wear it publicly.

So the only truly accurate summary is, if you see a hobgoblin with hair, run.

Illustrations by Mirco Paganessi, Maichol Quinto, Firat Solhan, and Valeria Lutfullina

And if you see a hobgoblin without hair, run faster.

Illustrations by Yigit Koroglu, Ilona Sopuch, Oksana Federova, and Firat Solhan

Of course, that's to say nothing of the minotaurs...

Crystal Frasier
Developer