Hobgoblin

Hobgoblin

Species	humanoid (goblinish)
No. Appearing	3–30
Behaviour	clan
Range	alpine, barrens, taiga, tundra
Size	6 ft. 6 in. tall
Weight	225 lbs.
Intelligence	10–11
Armour Class	7 (natural)
Hit Dice	1+1
Action Points	5
Max. Stride	8
THAC0	20
Hp/Die	d8
Attack Forms	1: claw or by weapon type
Damage	1–8, varies
Special Attacks	infravision, tribal standard

Hobgoblins are tall, slender humanoids with stiff, leathery hides sparsely covered in thin black hair. Their facial features suggest an Oriental appearance, likely influenced by an ancient mingling with human Asian populations. It is believed that hobgoblins interbred with the Tunguskic peoples, who were entirely supplanted thousands of years ago. Highly intelligent and rigidly hierarchical, hobgoblins rule over a vast expanse of north-central Asia known as the Vostoch Empire.

Hobgoblins dwell in the unforgiving cold of north-central Asia, where winters are long and temperatures plunge well below freezing. Their stiff, leathery hides provide natural insulation and their bodies are highly efficient at conserving heat, allowing them to endure conditions that would cripple lesser beings. Their metabolism is adapted to harsh climates, enabling them to subsist on preserved meats, dried fish and whatever game they can hunt in the frozen forests. Unlike many creatures, hobgoblins are largely unaffected by prolonged exposure to subzero temperatures, capable of marching for days across snow-laden terrain with little need for shelter. Their settlements are fortified against the elements, built low to the ground with thick walls of timber and stone, often incorporating underground chambers to protect against the worst of the winter storms.

The heartland of hobgoblin civilisation lies along the Angara and Yenisey Rivers, deep in the dense, frigid forests of what is now known as Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk. These lands, dominated by vast taiga, frozen marshes and mountain valleys, provide them with both natural protection and ample resources. The thick forests offer cover for their movements and a steady supply of game, while the great rivers serve as vital arteries for trade, war and communication. Despite the brutal climate, hobgoblins have established a thriving empire in this desolate landscape, their mastery of survival rivaled only by their rigid military discipline. Their warriors, trained from youth to endure extreme hardship, are accustomed to fighting in deep snow, tracking foes across icy tundra and striking from the dense cover of frostbitten woodlands.

History

According to the Baykal Stele, a 73-foot monument erected east of Vosba-Limma on the shores of Lake Baykal, a group known as the Fifty Tribes emerged from the Kodar Gate in a single migration, traveling southeast until reaching the land where the Ankara River leaves Lake Baykal. Though their numbers were only 7,500, they gradually spread throughout the Paleolithic period, occupying the lowlands of the Yenisey, Ankara and upper Lena valleys.

Conflicts between the hobgoblins and the dwarves of Altslok stretch back beyond written or even oral history. Hobgoblins waged aggressive wars against other migrants from Kodar, clashing with norkers and xvarts in the east and with orcs, haruchai and ogres in the south. However, they brokered truces with the bugbears who settled in Nissi An to the north and the gnolls of Samoyadia. Their ranks always included thousands of enslaved goblins, many of whom later escaped westward to the lands of Magloshkagok. When kobolds from the south attempted to settle in hobgoblin territory, they were eradicated and nearly wiped out.

Surviving Tunguskic humans were driven south and east, where they became the Jurchen people, who would later form the Jin dynasty and, eventually, the Manchus. It has long been speculated that the Manchus may have hobgoblin ancestry, though even attempts at verification through divination remain inconclusive. While hobgoblins are widely disliked by their neighbours, they are also respected for their military prowess, organisational discipline and wartime efficiency. Their war machine is unmatched among their rivals, except for the dwarves, who remain their most hated enemy.

Biology

Hobgoblins are able to produce healthy offspring through incestral practices, so that the practice of marrying siblings or near cousins is institutionalised. Children are raised and trained by every member of the tribe, ensuring a hive-minded ideal with regards to obedience and philosophy. Hobgoblins carry the eggs of their young up until a week before they are hatched, at which time a single egg is brought forth. Hobgoblins require 6-7 years to mature as combatants and are able to mate one year later. The hobgoblin's lifespan is about 35 years. They possess infravision and make good use of their olfactory senses as well as their sight. They are well-suited to the extremely cold climate of their homeland, which produces some of the coldest weather anywhere on Earth.

Behaviour

Hobgoblins are a collective people, preferring to inhabit areas as a tribe and maintaining continuous, close contact with their kin. They hold a deep respect for hierarchical status and adhere to a strong belief in the collective good of their people. This sense of unity is what binds them together as a formidable force and makes them a dangerous enemy. Individually, they may not possess the raw strength of some of their rivals, but their discipline and cohesion in battle have repeatedly proven their superiority over less organised foes.

For this reason, hobgoblins dwell in tightly knit agrarian villages that are heavily fortified and well-patrolled. It is rare to find an isolated clan of these humanoids. When first encountered, they are usually seen in clan-sized scouting parties under a single leader, gathering intelligence for a much larger war band or a migrating tribe. In times of conflict, entire chiefdoms will abandon their settlements following a harvest, marching en masse with the intent of driving off enemies or launching strategic raids. The lands of northern Asia tell of hobgoblin forces numbering in the thousands, appearing suddenly on the horizon like an omen of destruction.

Large hobgoblin cities, such as Vosba-Limma, Jaxalla or Yaxjasso, are protected by immense stone walls, some over a thousand years old, which have never been successfully breached. Though war is frequent, hobgoblins are pragmatic; they rarely hold grudges and will engage in trade during peacetime. While they are always prepared for war, they recognise the value of diplomacy, strategic alliances and mercantilism as means to expand their strength and influence. Those few travelers who have entered their lands have found hobgoblins to be intelligent, disciplined and highly capable. They take great pride in constructing monumental stone structures of immense size, though their motivation is not religious or sentimental. It is the act of building, of leaving a mark upon the world, that drives them rather than any mystical devotion.

Unlike their smaller goblin kin, hobgoblins are not subterranean creatures, despite common assumptions to the contrary. They prefer the open lands, where they can farm, build and defend their holdings with clear strategic vision.

Fighting

Common Hobgoblins are proficient with two weapons: a spear and a wooden club. They receive training in using spears as both a ranged and melee weapon, hurling them in formation before closing the distance with clubs. Hobgoblins possess a naturally high armour class, which allows them to keep their equipment light. They typically wear leather armour (AC 3) and do not carry shields. Before battle, they will plant two extra spears into the ground behind their formation, providing fallback weapons should they need to retreat.

Leaders & Sub-chiefs possess basic knowledge of motivation and have amateur sage abilities in this field. Under their command, common hobgoblins will fight with discipline, obeying orders without hesitation, sacrificing themselves when necessary and focusing attacks on the most dangerous threats on the battlefield. There is a 1 in 4 chance that a leader will be accompanied by a common bugbear as a personal guard, while for sub-chiefs, this chance increases to 1 in 3. When either a leader or sub-chief is present, hobgoblins will carry a tribal standard, granting them a +1 bonus on their attack rolls and +1 to their morale.

Leaders and sub-chiefs are proficient in three weapons. They favour a two-handed bastard sword or a mace, with a third weapon choice being either a short bow (2 in 3 chance) or a glaive (1 in 3 chance). Leaders wear studded leather armour (AC 2), while sub-chiefs wear scale mail (AC 1). Only 1 in 8 will carry a shield.

Chieftains hold authority-status knowledge of motivation, increasing the morale boost granted by a tribal standard to +2. They also possess additional sage abilities. A chieftain is always accompanied by 1-3 bugbears as personal attendants. They are proficient in the bastard sword, mace, bow and glaive and are armoured in scale mail with a shield (AC 0). Most chieftains have an intelligence of 14 or higher and approach combat with tactical skill, careful preparation and strategic adaptability. They do not treat their warriors as a single mass but instead employ calculated maneuvers and coordinated attacks designed to secure victory.

See Bestiary