When a PC goblin is assured of having at least double their hit points it sticks out as a glaring problem. They need more hitpoints.
Likewise you'd want goblins to benefit from sneak attacks because they're sneaky and creepy and can see in the dark. Plus they should be able to set impromtu traps for PCs--at least some caltrops or something. It would be nice if any time goblins knew the PCs were coming they had a chance to rig some kind of awful trap for them, throwing beehives on them or setting up rusty beartraps to swing down on a rope and hit them in the face when they come around a corner. It doesn't have to do a lot of damage--just show that they are cruel and inventive creatures with hearts full of black comedy.
Also goblins chatter a lot. Goblins that don't know there are enemies about should be noisy.
I also like the idea that they can hide in places that aren't technically spaces on the map, squeezing into partial squares or climbing into small alcoves.
Just some things to think about to up the gobliney flavor of goblins.
When a PC goblin is assured of having at least double their hit points it sticks out as a glaring problem. They need more hitpoints.
Likewise you'd want goblins to benefit from sneak attacks because they're sneaky and creepy and can see in the dark. Plus they should be able to set impromtu traps for PCs--at least some caltrops or something. It would be nice if any time goblins knew the PCs were coming they had a chance to rig some kind of awful trap for them, throwing beehives on them or setting up rusty beartraps to swing down on a rope and hit them in the face when they come around a corner. It doesn't have to do a lot of damage--just show that they are cruel and inventive creatures with hearts full of black comedy.
Also goblins chatter a lot. Goblins that don't know there are enemies about should be noisy.
I also like the idea that they can hide in places that aren't technically spaces on the map, squeezing into partial squares or climbing into small alcoves.
Just some things to think about to up the gobliney flavor of goblins.
Have you read or played through Doomsday Dawn yet? I can assure you a good chunk of your suggestions are in full effect there. It just isn't stuff you can really fit into a bestiary statblock that's already got so many monsters in it.
As for the base goblin only having 6 HP, I rather like it. The basic goblin warrior never actually picked up a class level, so he just has his 6 ancestry HP plus CON mod. The Goblin Commando took a level in Fighter and 10 those, plus raised his CON mod.
Have you read or played through Doomsday Dawn yet? I can assure you a good chunk of your suggestions are in full effect there. It just isn't stuff you can really fit into a bestiary statblock that's already got so many monsters in it.
As for the base goblin only having 6 HP, I rather like it. The basic goblin warrior never actually picked up a class level, so he just has his 6 ancestry HP plus CON mod. The Goblin Commando took a level in Fighter and 10 those, plus raised his CON mod.
We're about halfway through the adventure. The PCs just blazed through it. I have my playtest notes here if you're interested to give it a glance. The goblin staging is fun, but it felt like what made them fun sort of didn't translate into their tactics or mechanics at all. Once you are in the fight with them they could just as easily be giant rats or skeletons or whatever and you'd never be able to tell. I tried to amp this up in our playthrough but there was nothing in the writeup of the goblin statblock to back me up on it.
I'd argue that if the statblock doesn't result in a monster that's any more fun or different than any other and the only differences are numerical values being higher or lower--it'd be better to make room to add flavorful mechanics. That's the sort of thing that makes folks remember adventures. In the end, what resistances a creature has or the difference between its fortitude and reflex save are somewhat incidental.
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Have you read or played through Doomsday Dawn yet? I can assure you a good chunk of your suggestions are in full effect there. It just isn't stuff you can really fit into a bestiary statblock that's already got so many monsters in it.
As for the base goblin only having 6 HP, I rather like it. The basic goblin warrior never actually picked up a class level, so he just has his 6 ancestry HP plus CON mod. The Goblin Commando took a level in Fighter and 10 those, plus raised his CON mod.
We're about halfway through the adventure. The PCs just blazed through it. I have my playtest notes here if you're interested to give it a glance. The goblin staging is fun, but it felt like what made them fun sort of didn't translate into their tactics or mechanics at all. Once you are in the fight with them they could just as easily be giant rats or skeletons or whatever and you'd never be able to tell. I tried to amp this up in our playthrough but there was nothing in the writeup of the goblin statblock to back me up on it.
I'd argue that if the statblock doesn't result in a monster that's any more fun or different than any other and the only differences are numerical values being higher or lower--it'd be better to make room to add flavorful mechanics. That's the sort of thing that makes folks remember adventures. In the end, what resistances a creature has or the difference between its fortitude and reflex save are somewhat incidental.
Oh I can assure you, me (when I'm playing) and my players always remember the times Resistances come up.
As for blazing through the Adventure, it is the very first one for 1st level characters, I don't think it's supposed to be hard.