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You can use the SWARM template to create a swarm of any kind of creature.
Some of the rules are confusing but maybe this helps.
this.
true... but there are only so many attacks of opportunity and many more goblins.
also... like i said. I am not looking for a guarantee of victory. just the mechanical possibility of it happening. what is that mechanical possibility?
IF the goblins can trip > grapple > pin > tie-up > coup de grace they win no matter what the level of the fighter, mechanically speaking IF they can get the rolls its possible for the hoard of low levels to defeat the high level.
the end.
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magic missile. wands thereof, en mass. lethal to anyone who doesn't have the spell shield.
oh wow, 16 level 1 evocation wizard goblins, they'll get three magic missiles each if they use their bonded items, assuming the fighter can kill one each round and wins initiative that'll be 189 damage average over the three rounds.
if the fighter has a broach of shielding (although the gobos will break the broach if they try hard enough) or has the shield spell up somehow the gobos could just cast ray of frost at the fighter, +5 touch isn't to bad, and with each one hitting for 1d3+1 they should get him down in the end.
Even with true strike the fighter will be free on round 2. He either takes a full attack against the goblin or just escapes depending on what weapon he is using.
The OP was trying to use the goblin from the bestiary which I think is an expert or warrior. If class levels are added that is a different thing altogether.
PS:If the subject changed from using the bestiary goblin to any goblin with any 1 class level then I apologize.
Goblin CMD 12, +5 for being in a grapple is 17, meaning the fighter with (+4 ST, +7 BAB) needs to roll a 6 or better to break the grapple.
You're misunderstanding the basic Grapple rules. Nothing in the rules says the bolded part happens, nothing affects CMD in this way, what the rules actually say is:
...Which is only an attack bonus (i.e. +CMB) to the 'controller' of the Grapple if their target doesn't escape, and it only applies to Maintains in subsequent rounds (so if you have Greater Grapple and could potentially Initiate and also Maintain a Grapple in one round with a Standard + Move Action, the +5 doesn't apply per RAW since it's still the same round).
...Besides the stuff you describe, masses of Goblins who wish to Grapple a Fighter can also take the approach of NOT using Aid Another to aid each other's CMB/Grapple attack, but of each one in turn just attacking (with Flanking from opposite Goblins) and hoping for a high roll/ Nat 20. If the Fighter smacks them down dead, that just allows another Goblin to step into that square before attempting another Grapple. Once a Grapple is established any more Goblins COULD choose to Aid Another to increase their buddy's CMD (i.e. to prevent the Fighter escaping) or do anything else like Ready Grapple attacks if the Fighter reverses the Grapple and tries to move away, or whatever. Eventually the Fighter will get Pinned, at which point he can be Coup de Graced by everybody threatening him (AFAIK...?) During all of this, even when only Grappled and not Pinned, nobody can do things using 2 hands, so 2-Handed Fighters (and Spell Combat Magus'?) can't utilize their optimized schtick and will likely be effectively reduced to Warriors unless they have invested in 2ndary schticks that are usable when Grappled.
also... like i said. I am not looking for a guarantee of victory. just the mechanical possibility of it happening. what is that mechanical possibility?
if you are some obsessive-compulsive numbers freak, you can find the exact mechanical chances for a specific group of opponents given a specific setting and tactics used by them all. anything else, and the mechanical chance is going to vary.
my 2c: get on with playing the game.
acualy i wasnt using ANY goblins i was just using them as an abstract to question the mechanics. however if I was doing some kind of encounters a sufficient amount of shamen and chiefs would greatly effect the battle.
As to the original question as to how to mitigate this "feature" (or fault, if you like) of the rule set, I see only a few options:1. You can't, so don't. Don't include situations where a horde of weak monsters takes on one high-level character.
2. Use a loaded d20 or start fudging the dice rolls. Just be warned that you will start messing with suspension of disbelief (aka ruin the game experience) once the players catch on.
3. Go off the reservation and use an abstract, non-Pathfinder method of resolving the encounter. Take a page from 1st edition-style play where there was much more "role-ing" and far less "rolling".
ah... relax dude... seriously... it will be ok.