Anything goblin-related in Dungeon?

[Brass Pigeon]

Hey all,

At the moment I'm trying to prepare a campaign for a goblin party. Starting out at a small scale, the players are worthless commoners and use the first session to "become" a somebody with a "job" that's more than standing guard all day, fish or shovel excess muck around (just muck is okay, it's just when it runs knee-deep in your lair you need some lowlife to shovel some of it out, right? Them small ones might drown...).

I'd like the party to slowly get more responsabilities in the tribe and get to explore the surroundings. I already have some ideas for the first few quests but like to keep it a bit freeform/roam-around.

So: Are there any Dungeon (or maybe Dragon?) Magazines I definately need to get a look at or which might contain anything relevant in this case? I've tried browsing through some of them and did a search on the forums here but didn't find anything.

[Brass Pigeon]

oh oops, I just noticed this thread and I actually have that last Dungeon (with a thematic list) I think. Hopefully I can find something useful in that list.
All input is welcome though :)

[Jeremy Mac Donald]

I'm unclear why the linked thread is relevant as I don't see any discussion about goblins on it.

In any case the only adventure I can think of off hand is Monster Quest from issue #10 (an excellent issue IMO).

[Brass Pigeon]

Jeremy Mac Donald wrote:

I'm unclear why the linked thread is relevant as I don't see any discussion about goblins on it.

In any case the only adventure I can think of off hand is Monster Quest from issue #10 (an excellent issue IMO).

Well I was hoping there would be a reference to monster campaigns in Dungeon magazines in that list but I just checked and there isn't.

But thanks for your tip, I'll check it out!

[Matt MacGregor]

Do you have the 2nd Edition adventure, Reverse Dungeon? That would be a good resource as well.

[Brass Pigeon]

Matt MacGregor wrote:

Do you have the 2nd Edition adventure, Reverse Dungeon? That would be a good resource as well.

no, never heard of it but it sounds like it makes sense.

Will look into that too, tnx!

[BV210]

You might be able to take some traditional goblin-centric adventures and turn them around. Two that come to mind are "Tallow's Deep" and "Juggernaut". Both are from the 1e days (I believe) but with a bit of work could be fun to turn around.

[Jeremy Mac Donald]

Tallow's Deep might work as a reverse dungeon though I have a hard time thinking about what the game involves when adventurers are not being slaughtered by its viscous traps also saying 'we release the boulders' might not really be all that satisfying to the players.

Juggernaut strikes me as an interesting place to start some kind of goblin themed adventure though I presume here there would be more focus on the fact that goblins are evil vermin and there is a reason why knights in shining Armour wander the land killing them.

[Rezdave]

Brass Pigeon wrote:

Are there any Dungeon (or maybe Dragon?) Magazines I definately need to get a look at or which might contain anything relevant in this case?

In addition to Reverse Dungeon you definitely want to check out the Gazetteer Orcs of Thar (GAZ 10), as it too is entirely about "playing the monsters" and includes many adventure hooks, basic plots, cultural info and so forth. They have a whole story arc about "joining the legion", and despite the title it covers all the goblinoid races.

Obviously, you must read the Goblins webcomic.

As for the magazines, check out the following (all from Dungeon):

Spoiler:

032 - Pearlman’s Curiosity - In this comic adventure, residents of the town of Grinley Crossing seem to have gone insane. Everything is upside-down, backwards or reversed. From the people to the animals no one is acting as they should ... usually the complete opposite. Investigate and put things right. Hint ... can you say “nilbog”?

033 - Alicorn - A goblin chieftain has fallen ill and only the horn of a unicorn can save him. They’ve already shot the local unicorn with an Arrow of Wounding, and without aid it is only a matter of time until the majestic creature dies.

033 - Seige of Kratys Freehold, The - When militia patrols are recalled to aid the city after a disastrous fire, outlying communities are left to fend for themselves. One bastion the orc hordes desire to see fall is the freehold of Terran Kratys, and it will take a healthy blend of inspired creativity and raw courage to withstand their siege.

034 - Euphoria Horrors - The cries of a distraught child ring through the woods as he searches for his lost play-companion “Drake”. The search for his missing friend leads to a tribe of tasloi who have become addicted to the Euphoria Gas breath-weapon of Drake, the faerie dragon.

036 - Troll Bridge - A Troll has recently taken residence beneath a small bridge, demanding that tolls be paid by any who would cross. But how vicious is that “troll” ... and did I really catch a glimpse of a gnome hiding nearby?

039 - Below Vulture Point - Merchants along the High Road have recently been plagued near Vulture Point by attacks from kobolds and trained, dive-bombing vultures. Rout the monsters from their lair and recover captured tradegoods.

041 - Way With Words, A - A gnome scholar seeks brutish but historically inclined adventurers to recover a tome of Gnomish poetry he believes was stolen by a pretty bard. But the bard herself has been the victim of robbery, having been waylain by a band of literate goblins who believe the tome of sappy love poems is a powerful spellbook.

045 - Rudwilla’s Stew - The Duke has a secret to keeping the Bugbear hordes from attacking. Every year he has the witch Rudwilla prepare a special stew as a “Birthday Tribute” for the chieftain. Now his birthday is only three days away, and the witch is short a few vital supplies, from hogroot to troll’s warts.

046 - Dovedale - The stream flowing by Dovedale has run dry, and the farmers blame the goblins. They’ve got the right culprits, but for the wrong reason. Put things right, and find out what the whole affair has to do with a goblin chief’s passion for fishing.

047 - Fraggart’s Contraption - When the gnome Fraggart was taken hostage his family quickly gathered and paid his ransom. But now he has sent a not claiming that he refuses to return home until he has finished with a recent “discovery”. A rescue is clearly in order.

048 - To Bite The Moon - Gnolls have been raiding the local traderoutes. Sneak into their cavern lair, but become the victims of an accidental “wish” that transforms the entire party into a band of gnolls themselves.

048 - Them Apples - The famed apple trees of Wistil are stricken with a disease and the halflings suspect sabotage. A delegation received an antidote from the local druids, but were then captured by a hill giant while returning home. Rescue the halflings, regain the antidote, and find out who caused the blight in the first place.

051 - Bandits of Bunglewood, The - Terrible monsters, possibly even monstrous spirits, have begun raiding travelers upon the highway through the Bunglewood. Put an end to these attacks, but keep focused on finding the real culprits rather than get distracted by a band of mere kobolds slinking about the forest.

051 - Ailamere’s Lair - A sage specializing in dragons has learned of a “spectral dragon” in the vicinity of a small village. Undertake a research expedition to learn the habit of this new species. Be aware, however, that the villagers want the monster dead, a situation the goblins hoping to invade the region wouldn’t mind either.

054 - Redcap's Rampage - Goblins are massing in the wilds, and the villagers need to repair the local keep for their defense. Unfortunately the keep seems to be haunted and the resident spirit has injured several workmen. Now it has followed the workers back to the village and has been systematically killing them in their homes.

058 - Flesh to Stone - A gnome “statue” stands (well, runs away) before the entrance to a mine. Follow the mine to a hidden vale and sort out the problems involving a Stone Giant couple, their free-range “evil chickens” and their recently acquired “statuary” in the form of “gnomish poachers”.

063 - Huzza’s Goblin O’War - Overcome a pirate ship captained by a Giant, and crewed by Goblins and Margoyles.

068 - One Winter’s Night - Rescue a woodsman trapped under a fallen tree on a snowy evening before nightfall and the arrival of worg-riding goblins.

077 - Visiting Tylwyth - The reclusive Uncle Tylwyth, an elven master woodcarver, has gone missing. Follow the trail of a pack of kobolds, and make certain that the local witch hasn’t done something nasty to the kindly whittler.

083 - Depths of Rage - A small town has lost its best warriors to a band of bezerking goblin barbarians. Track the goblins to their cavern lair and destroy them, but beware their howling rage and survive an earthquake that may seal the caves forever.

085 - Ever-Changing Fortunes - A kobold arrives at the gates of town pleading in the dwarven tongue for help rescuing “his people” from the “lizards” who have taken control of their mine.

092 - Swarm, The - A party of dwarves has returned to the site of an old battle to stake a claim to a rich iron mine. But the mountain is still the abode of an old enemy their father thought dead, and this old goblin has new allies.

100 - Old Embers Never Die - Two part adventure. In Part 1, a dragon-cult of powerful kobolds has animated the skeleton of a slain red dragon in their lair. In Part 2, that same dragon has been cloned by a githyanki wizard, and must be found and slain in his new lair.

109 - Devil Box, The - The kobolds have accidentally opened their “devil box” and released a very bitter kyton and three imps. They’ve hidden in a human town until they grow back to normal size (1 week), and the only kobold who can recapture them (a grotesquely fat moron) has been sold by the tribe to a Freak Show as the “reptile boy”.

115 - Sylvan Ambushes: Bleeding Destrider - Goblins use a “wounded unicorn” to lurk would-be heroes into an ambush

145 - Distraction, The - Badlands gnolls who once protected the borderlands overrun the remote provinces since the Lord demanded fealty and tribute. Refugees stream to Fort Chance but the gnoll army masses across the river and the spring floods will recede before the cavalry arrives to save the fort from certain destruction. Sneak across the river and behind gnoll lines to cause a distraction that slows them long enough for help to arrive.

150 - Kill Bargle - The evil wizard Bargle has fortified himself in a ruined keep, protected by a band of kobold, traps and assorted monsters. Old-school dungeon-crawl ... in the worse sense.

A few notes about the list:

1) I searched for adventures having to do primarily with goblins, kobolds and gnomes, plus cherry-picked a few specific ones that came to mind;

2) You could run many of the adventures "as is" with only minor substitutions, such as a goblin chieftain for a demi-human king or whatnot;

3) You can "reverse" the adventure and have the PCs play the "villains" against a party of adventurers;

4) You can deconstruct the module, take out the concept of "adventurers" entirely, and then make it a "quest" for the party of goblins to perform.

Here are some adaptation ideas:

Spoiler:

032 - Pearlman’s Curiosity - Rescue your captive kinsgoblin from the "evil wizard" who captured him.

033 - Alicorn - Find and slay a unicorn to save the chieftain, but don't attract the attention of any druids or rangers.

033 - Seige of Kratys Freehold, The - Besiege and destroy the humans who have invaded your lands and built a stronghold upon the sacred burial mound.

034 - Euphoria Horrors - Capture a faerie dragon for the chieftain, as a "gift" to a rival tribe you intend to conquer soon after, or find out why the neighbors have fallen out of contact.

036 - Troll Bridge - The chieftain wants money and the witch doctor has an idea.

039 - Below Vulture Point - Establish a fortress in Vulture Point, raid human traders and defend yourself from attack

041 - Way With Words, A - The chief wants a spellbook, so go get him one.

045 - Rudwilla’s Stew - The bugbears will attack and enslave the tribe if the chieftain doesn't get his stew.

046 - Dovedale - The chieftain is intent on capturing "the one that got away" when he was young, and its up to you to figure out how to make it happen, oversee the execution of the plan and keep away pesky adventurers long enough for him to land the fish.

047 - Fraggart’s Contraption - The chief is certain that a well-dressed gnome who travels this road will fetch a nice ransom.

048 - To Bite The Moon - Sneak into a gnoll lair. Alternately, there is a strange group of new goblins wandering through your caves.

048 - Them Apples - Haflings have invaded, cutting down the deep forest and driving away the hares that feed your worgs, then planting apple trees everywhere in a foul plot to annex your hunting grounds.

051 - Bandits of Bunglewood, The - Claim the Bunglewood for goblin-kind.

051 - Ailamere’s Lair - See if you can't "nudge the adventurer's along".

054 - Redcap's Rampage - Stop the humans from repairing their keep before the Great and Glorious Goblin Invasion begins.

058 - Flesh to Stone - Find out why raiding parties sent against a couple of giants have failed to return.

063 - Huzza’s Goblin O’War - A giant approaches the chieftain with an intriguing offer.

068 - One Winter’s Night - Woodsmen have been encroaching on your lands ... teach them a lesson.

077 - Visiting Tylwyth - Capture Tylwyth.

083 - Depths of Rage - A setting for the campaign; a rival band of goblins; a few goblins are talking about overthrowing the chief and want you to join them; escape the earthquake.

085 - Ever-Changing Fortunes - Dwarves have enslaved and mistreated your kin for too long; now it's time to turn the tables.

092 - Swarm, The - Beat a party of dwarves to the site of an old battle and hold them off to claim it for an old goblin hero.

100 - Old Embers Never Die - Bring back Ember and the tribe will be safe forever.

109 - Devil Box, The - Protect the box.

115 - Sylvan Ambushes: Bleeding Destrider - The chieftain has been saved, but now he has an idea about how to get rid of pesky druids, rangers and adventurers in his woods (see Alicorn above).

145 - Distraction, The - Hold off the gnolls until your orcish, hobgoblin and ogre allies can arrive. Alternately, pursue a band of adventurers trying to delay the invasion.

150 - Kill Bargle - Save and protect Bargle.

Sorry about the delay in posting this list ... been busy but wanted to help out before the weekend. Oh well.

HTH,

Rez

[Luna eladrin]

Check out Rank amateurs in dungeon 22, which certainly has the right atmosphere.

[Brass Pigeon]

thanks a lot guys! I will look into all of that (if possible of course).
That specific list is awesome.

[Kang]

One goblin-related Dungeon adventure not found on Rezdave's list is Unfamiliar Territory, from issue #119. The goblins are meant to be the villains (some of the villains, anyhow), but you could easily use their lair as a base for starting your own goblin campaign. Perhaps the skeletal dragon trapped in the basement and the insane imp which the band's leader has ensnared for her own malign purposes could provide some adventure fodder for your group's monstrous PC's.

I mention it only because it's the only goblin adventure I can remember running out of Dungeon, and because it wasn't on the list already given - not saying it's tailor made for a monster campaign or anything. But it was lots of fun to play through at any rate. Maybe worth a look, if you have access to the mag in question.

Good luck,

Kang

[Rezdave]

Kang wrote:

One goblin-related Dungeon adventure not found on Rezdave's list is Unfamiliar Territory, from issue #119.

Oops ... yes, that's a fantastic adventure that I've rolled into an early story-arc in my current campaign, too.

Excellent maps, BTW.

R.

[ericthecleric]

I'm pretty sure there was an adventure about goblins led by a human illusionist in one of the first three issues of Dungeon.

Edit: I had a look. It's Grakhirt's Lair, in issue 1. The humanoids involved are norkers, not goblins, but you could always change them if you wish!

[Brass Pigeon]

ah yes but getting my hands on a Dungeon #1 would be a bit too much hassle for this purpose. Got plenty of easier tips here, thanks though!

[Sharoth]

These are some VERY cool ideas! I will have to come back later and print them out.