As whelps of the Licktoad tribe just out of their swaddling cages, the goblins Chuffy, Mogmurch, Poog, and Reta must prove themselves by undergoing a series of challenges, from tying a string to a large spider and shouting insults with hot rocks in their mouths to facing off against a goblin bully and his dimwitted minions. As a final test of their mettle, they must make a dangerous (and smelly) trek to claim a toad from the nearby swamp and present it to the terrifying presence that lurks within the Cave of Darkfear, only after which can they truly call themselves goblins!
But as the goblins return to the Licktoad village, they come across a brightly colored, jingling human carrying a map to a small farm up the river where a family of halflings are celebrating a wedding—the perfect setup for a goblin raid! Will the heroes acquit themselves in the finest goblin fashion by wreaking havoc upon the nuptials? Or will they be bitten by ferocious dogs and smashed by frying pans?
We B4 Goblins is an adventure for four goblin characters just beginning their careers of mischief and mayhem, written for the award-winning Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. The adventure takes place in Brinestump Marsh and the surrounding areas of Varisia in the Pathfinder campaign setting, and serves as a prequel to We Be Goblins!, We Be Goblins Too!, and We Be Goblins Free!, Paizo's popular 2011, 2013, and 2015 Free RPG Day adventures!
Pregenerated Characters: This module include four 1st-level goblin characters: Chuffy Lickwound, Mogumurch, Poog, and Reta Bigbad. Download the pregenerated characters (666kb zip/PDF)
Release: This special 16-page Pathfinder Module was created for Free RPG Day on June 18, 2016. The print edition will be available for sale and a free download will be available on paizo.com beginning July 1, 2016.
Note: Due to the special nature of this product, it is NOT part of the Pathfinder Modules Subscription.
Other Resources: This product is also available on the following platforms:
I love goblins, so getting to play them, or in my case run the module, was amazing. My players have been through we b4 goblins and the first WBG and are having a blast! We be goblins too and free are next on our list. Great module and hope to see more of these goblin modules!
However, I had to take a star away due to forcing words on the players. Defiantly should have been burned and aan alternate route to the wedding found if players chose to burn the invite.
Not bad, but definitely not the best part of the series
I ran this module last weekend as part of a convention. Once more we got a glimpse of our beloved goblins, this time taking a trip down memory lane.
Just like the other instalments, you don’t have to worry about players not having fun. You’re playing a goblin after all. That alone makes it worth playing as players will think outside the box and come up many surprising ideas. The challenges at the start aren’t the most inventive, but they serve as a nice canvas for getting into character. I consider that to be the biggest strength of the whole series and in my opinion is also the highlight of the module. Up until showdown with Kettlehead players really get immersed in playing a goblin.
And then it stops. Magical Maggie is great, but all of a sudden our goblin friends are forced to read words. I know goblins are opposed to writing, but they likely would burn words on sight. Instead we now have to bring hated words to our village, which can be seen as a danger, and have our chief read them. From a ‘the show must go on’ - perspective I can see why this is necessary, but it doesn’t feel right at all. Surely a more clever solution can be found as it honestly breaks immersion. I noticed a clear difference in the way half of my table suddenly started playing their character (and it wasn’t just because of some alcohol).
Let me explain. So with some immersion lost, our brave goblins go to the final location to cause mayhem. It’s a real shame that a lot of the background of that place is completely lost to players. They’re just fighting a random soldier, a woman with a pan and a dog. Ok, they hate dogs, but a woman with a pan is just weird without proper context. Out of all the guests present there, why her? A huge portion of the story that ties it a bit together is lost. It's not on the same level of immersion as fighting a goblin cannibal like they did in part one of the series.
What’s worse is that because some of the immersion is lost, it’s hard to maintain Goblin composure and treat fights as such. It turns a bit too easily into a normal PFS series of encounters. There could, and possibly should, have been more silly things happening similar to the cake-incident. It helps to keep the immersion intact and even strengthen it. I tried to do so by describing what other goblins of the tribe were doing, but if run as written, it doesn’t feel like a full tribe raiding at all.
The callbacks to the other parts were nice, but can be missed and thus won't be appreciated, if you haven't played the other instalments. The challenges were fun, but the immersion just vanishes closer towards the end a little. Sure, it’s possible to stay in character, but the plot could have been better and easily avoided that situation in the first place. Had it been a normal PFS scenario, I’d have given it two stars as a result. However, as you’re playing goblins, you can easily go nuts and be creative. This means you’re guaranteed to have a great evening simply because you will laugh so much and that does bump up the final rating to three.
My players and I were laughing so hard that we were coughing and wearing out our voices. I even had to miss work the next day because I killed my voice!
A few people have complained about needing Bestiary 3 or mechanics they didn't like. I did not have this problem because I converted the adventure to another system. As such, my review only covers the plot, characters, and ideas.
However, all of those were an absolute blast!
Also, I'd love to see a We Be Goblins face card and item card set. I know that's not likely to happen, but I love this series.
I had a blast playing this - lots of great goblin love, interesting mechanics, and fairly tough fights. Even some real tactical options (though 'run in and wreak havoc' seems the gobliniest).
While technically the "lowest level", it might be good to start newbies off with the regular WBG, and follow that up with this as "do you want to know how they got all those strange things?"
Overall a great followup, that proves you don't have to add all sorts of strange powers to make things interesting and challenging.
I mean, its there. A fourth installment of the wbg series, making it 4/6 of the way to being a mini-campaign-like-thing. But each book starts the same. challenges, usually involving an obscene amount of skill checks, and a one-two location murder-hobo fest.
Its the same here, but for some reason, creatures that are young aren't
tiny-sized...
So a prequel? How's that work with We Be Goblins in terms of level and XP? I'd think if you play this first you're likely to be higher than 1st level afterwards. Will you be playing NPC class goblins who "convert" to 1st level PC classes or something?
I'd like to see a variation of Jade Regent where Scribbleface survives and hooks up with Ameiko to head north. Cue goblin PCs finding out and following them to finish the job.
So a prequel? How's that work with We Be Goblins in terms of level and XP? I'd think if you play this first you're likely to be higher than 1st level afterwards. Will you be playing NPC class goblins who "convert" to 1st level PC classes or something?
I too am quite curious how this will work out. Especially for PFS.
It's an interesting thing. On the one hand, the FRPGD celebration is supposed to suck in new gamers, ideally. So having this kind of "silly" adventure is ideal. On the other hand, many of us established players/DMs like the opportunity to run a one-shot that's silly too, so this is again ideal. On the gripping hand, there's you.
On the other hand, many of us established players/DMs like the opportunity to run a one-shot that's silly too, so this is again ideal. On the gripping hand, there's you.
So yeah, dunno.
On the third hand, since two were taken as if there was all there was, many of us established players/DMs don't want another goblin adventure which brings nothing to our game table. They said they would switch every/other year. That didn't happen.
An important point to remember is that one of the goals of Free RPG Day is to draw in new audiences to game stores. One gamer might be tired of goblins...but the next person that walks in the door might never have played a roleplaying game before, and might very well be intrigued by the idea of playing a pyromaniac goblin riding a pig to impress their friends.
We all begin gaming somewhere, and we should remember that just because we might not want a thing, doesn't mean somebody else doesn't, and that thing might bring in a new gamer into the fold. And then another. And another. Gaming is bigger than one person's set of desires.
I think this will be the last goblin adventure for a while.
As cool as they are/were we have reached the "Wolverine saturation" level - at least for me.
If this would have been a goblin pirate adventure with Ranzak or something with playing goblin vulture pilots - maybe that would have been different but the 4th adventure with the same gobos does not feel new and fresh anymore.
I think this will be the last goblin adventure for a while.
As cool as they are/were we have reached the "Wolverine saturation" level - at least for me.
If this would have been a goblin pirate adventure with Ranzak or something with playing goblin vulture pilots - maybe that would have been different but the 4th adventure with the same gobos does not feel new and fresh anymore.
It's an interesting thing. On the one hand, the FRPGD celebration is supposed to suck in new gamers, ideally. So having this kind of "silly" adventure is ideal.
Though if that newbie ends up in table where everyone else is complaining about being bored of free rpg goblin modules, their first impression will be sour <_<
It's an interesting thing. On the one hand, the FRPGD celebration is supposed to suck in new gamers, ideally. So having this kind of "silly" adventure is ideal.
Though if that newbie ends up in table where everyone else is complaining about being bored of free rpg goblin modules, their first impression will be sour <_<
Why don't you just help the newbie enjoy all the craziness Goblins can bring, since everyone else that already plays knows their craziness, and help expand our hobby, instead of complaining about a free module? Free RPG Day's goal is to bring new people into the hobby. Goblins have been a great way to bring new people into Pathfinder, judging by what I have seen at conventions and game stores.
It's an interesting thing. On the one hand, the FRPGD celebration is supposed to suck in new gamers, ideally. So having this kind of "silly" adventure is ideal.
Though if that newbie ends up in table where everyone else is complaining about being bored of free rpg goblin modules, their first impression will be sour <_<
Why don't you just help the newbie enjoy all the craziness Goblins can bring, since everyone else that already plays knows their craziness, and help expand our hobby, instead of complaining about a free module? Free RPG Day's goal is to bring new people into the hobby. Goblins have been a great way to bring new people into Pathfinder, judging by what I have seen at conventions and game stores.
It depends on how whiny they're being. If I was playing in a We Be Goblins game and was getting tired of it, I might comment, "Geez, there's a lot of these," but I certainly wouldn't complain enough to annoy other players. Gamers that poor-mannered are going to drive off new players no matter what they find to complain about. :P
An important point to remember is that one of the goals of Free RPG Day is to draw in new audiences to game stores. One gamer might be tired of goblins...but the next person that walks in the door might never have played a roleplaying game before, and might very well be intrigued by the idea of playing a pyromaniac goblin riding a pig to impress their friends.
We all begin gaming somewhere, and we should remember that just because we might not want a thing, doesn't mean somebody else doesn't, and that thing might bring in a new gamer into the fold. And then another. And another. Gaming is bigger than one person's set of desires.
I absolutely understand that, and appreciate that, but if I don't say anything at all, then how will you know.
I think this will be the last goblin adventure for a while.
As cool as they are/were we have reached the "Wolverine saturation" level - at least for me.
If this would have been a goblin pirate adventure with Ranzak or something with playing goblin vulture pilots - maybe that would have been different but the 4th adventure with the same gobos does not feel new and fresh anymore.
An important point to remember is that one of the goals of Free RPG Day is to draw in new audiences to game stores. One gamer might be tired of goblins...but the next person that walks in the door might never have played a roleplaying game before, and might very well be intrigued by the idea of playing a pyromaniac goblin riding a pig to impress their friends.
We all begin gaming somewhere, and we should remember that just because we might not want a thing, doesn't mean somebody else doesn't, and that thing might bring in a new gamer into the fold. And then another. And another. Gaming is bigger than one person's set of desires.
I absolutely understand that, and appreciate that, but if I don't say anything at all, then how will you know.
I was respectful and stated my opinion.
I agree with the Captain. It was a neat joke the first time, cute the second, tolerable the third, and now, well, it doesn't really evoke a smile. While I appreciate the idea of bringing in new people, there aren't other things we can intrigue them with in our game?
This is pretty unfortunate. I do enjoy the WBG series more than a lot of the long term players, but the every other year thing was really what I needed. Sure, the other FRPGD scenarios have been pretty horrible and pulling in new players, but at least it was something fresh every other year.
I'll enjoy it, but I am disappointed. It's too bad that there can't be an attempt to write something new in concept that pulls in the new players.
I for one love goblins, and always run one of the Goblin adventures at local events (we don't have that many down here, and definitely don't have mortar and brick hobby shops, but we manage :P), but I feel like a significant part of the kobold community has been neglected since the very beginning.
Hey folks! Thank you for posting your feedback about the selection for this year's Free RPG Day. I think it might be a better venue, though, to post any ideas about alternate adventures to our Pathfinder Modules subforum. Our product discussion threads really need to be centered on the specific product being discussed, and there are definitely nuggets of good discussion to be had here that I'm not sure quite fit.
An important point to remember is that one of the goals of Free RPG Day is to draw in new audiences to game stores. One gamer might be tired of goblins...but the next person that walks in the door might never have played a roleplaying game before, and might very well be intrigued by the idea of playing a pyromaniac goblin riding a pig to impress their friends.
We all begin gaming somewhere, and we should remember that just because we might not want a thing, doesn't mean somebody else doesn't, and that thing might bring in a new gamer into the fold. And then another. And another. Gaming is bigger than one person's set of desires.
I don't think it's really fair to those of us who don't like the Goblins series to say that we're not considering the preferences of others and implying that we're being selfish by expressing our opinions. I don't like silly games. Others do, and that's fine too. But it's vaguely patronizing to suggest that new audiences need to be targeted with silly non-serious games to hook them. If my first experience with Pathfinder had been We Be Goblins, I would not have come back, as that sort of play is not what I enjoy. The criticism in this thread should be considered feedback from experienced players as to what would have attracted them as a new player, not as antagonism towards new players or judgement against others' preferences.
I'm very much looking forward to this module. I have enjoyed all the other bits and this looks fun, too. Can I make a request? If we're going to run this at Free RPG day, could we get a list of monsters/minis that we may need prior to release? It'll make the prep a lot easier!
I'm very much looking forward to this module. I have enjoyed all the other bits and this looks fun, too. Can I make a request? If we're going to run this at Free RPG day, could we get a list of monsters/minis that we may need prior to release? It'll make the prep a lot easier!
Thanks!
Places that hold the games for FRPGD are supposed to receive the modules 1 week prior to the game. This gives you up to seven days to get read it and get the minis.
Hey folks! Thank you for posting your feedback about the selection for this year's Free RPG Day. I think it might be a better venue, though, to post any ideas about alternate adventures to our Pathfinder Modules subforum. Our product discussion threads really need to be centered on the specific product being discussed, and there are definitely nuggets of good discussion to be had here that I'm not sure quite fit.