Hobgoblin

They break before our shields, they fall beneath our blades; Their home is ours to conquer, their children our slaves. Acheron! Acheron! Victory is ours! ” — The translation of a hobgoblin war chant

Hobgoblins are a formidable and cunning goblinoid species native to the continent of Naghron, known for their warlike nature and advanced martial abilities. Standing at an average height of six feet tall, with muscular builds and sharp, angular features, hobgoblins are an intimidating sight to behold. Their skin is typically a deep shade of red or brown, and their eyes are typically yellow, green, or orange in color. They have long, pointed ears, sharp teeth, and bushy eyebrows that often give them a perpetually angry or stern expression. Hobgoblins are a highly organized society, with a rigid caste system based on merit and combat prowess. They are fiercely loyal to their leaders and will stop at nothing to achieve victory in battle. Their military tactics are highly advanced, and they are well-known for their use of siege engines and other forms of heavy weaponry. While hobgoblins are feared and reviled by many, they are not without their own sense of honor and morality. They value loyalty, bravery, and strength above all else, and those who demonstrate these qualities are often rewarded with high status and influence within their society.
Despite their warlike nature, hobgoblins are capable of forming alliances and working with other species when it suits their purposes. However, they are always on the lookout for opportunities to gain an advantage over their rivals and expand their territory and influence. Standing in the way of a hobgoblin is not for the faint of heart, as they are skilled warriors and tacticians who will not hesitate to use their formidable abilities to achieve their goals. Those who dare to challenge them should be prepared for a fierce and unforgiving battle.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Hobgoblins are typically taller and more muscular than their goblin counterparts, standing between 5 and 6 feet tall. They have an elongated, angular face with a prominent jawline and sharp, pointed ears. Their skin is usually a deep, reddish-brown color and they often have dark, beady eyes that gleam with intelligence and cunning. In addition to their skin color, hobgoblins may also have a variety of markings or patterns on their skin. These markings may be symmetrical or asymmetrical, and can take the form of stripes, dots, or other shapes. The markings are often seen as a source of pride and may be used to denote status within the clan.
Hobgoblins also frequently adorn their skin with tattoos or scarification, which can be used to accentuate their natural markings, or to commemorate important events in their lives. These tattoos may take the form of intricate patterns, symbols, or images, and may be used to signify accomplishments, status, or allegiance to a particular clan or leader.
Their physique is well-muscled, with broad shoulders and powerful arms and legs. Their hands and feet are also larger and more dexterous than those of goblins, with elongated fingers and toes that are capable of precise movements.

Additional Information

Average Intelligence

Hobgoblins are an intelligent race, with an average intelligence level similar to that of humans. They have a natural aptitude for strategic thinking, planning, and organization, which reflects their disciplined and orderly nature. In addition to their natural intelligence, hobgoblins also place a great deal of value on education and training. They view knowledge as a powerful tool that can be used to gain an advantage in combat, and are often eager to learn new skills and techniques that can help them to become more effective warriors. 
Hobgoblins are also known for their ability to think critically and creatively in a variety of situations. They are skilled problem-solvers and are able to quickly adapt to changing circumstances, which allows them to maintain their advantage in combat and other situations.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Hobgoblins have highly developed sensory abilities that allow them to navigate their environments and detect potential threats with great precision. Their eyesight is particularly acute, with the ability to detect fine details and subtle movements even in low light conditions. In addition to their visual acuity, hobgoblins also possess highly sensitive hearing and olfactory senses. Their large, pointed ears can detect even the faintest sounds, allowing them to pinpoint the location of potential threats or prey. Their sense of smell is also highly developed, allowing them to detect the presence of other creatures from a great distance.
Some hobgoblins are rumored to possess limited precognitive abilities, allowing them to sense danger before it happens or predict the outcomes of future events. Others are said to have the ability to manipulate or influence the emotions of other creatures, allowing them to sway the opinions of potential allies or intimidate their enemies.

Civilization and Culture

Beauty Ideals

For hobgoblins, physical strength and performance are considered to be highly desirable qualities in both men and women. Hobgoblins admire those who are able to demonstrate their strength and discipline through physical activities such as combat, hunting, and athletics. In addition to physical strength, hobgoblin beauty ideals also place a strong emphasis on symmetrical markings on the skin. These markings may take the form of tattoos, scars, or natural pigmentation patterns, and are considered to be highly desirable if they are symmetrical and well-defined.
For men, battle scars are also considered to be attractive and desirable. These scars are seen as a sign of martial prowess and bravery, and may be earned in combat or through other physically demanding activities. For women, complex beaded braid patterns are considered to be highly desirable. These braids are often intricately woven and may include beads, feathers, or other decorative elements. The ability to create these braids is seen as a sign of skill and craftsmanship, and is highly valued within hobgoblin society.

Average Technological Level

Hobgoblins are a technologically advanced society, with a focus on practical and efficient technologies that support their military, industrial, and agricultural needs. Some of the major technologies used by hobgoblins include:

• Metalworking: Hobgoblins have a deep understanding of metallurgy, and are skilled in the smelting, forging, and shaping of metal. They use metal to create weapons, armor, tools, and other useful items.

• Engineering: Hobgoblins are skilled engineers, and have developed advanced technologies for building fortifications, siege engines, and other military structures. They also use engineering to support their agricultural and industrial activities, building aqueducts, irrigation systems, and other structures to support their crops and livestock.

• Archery: Hobgoblins are known for their skill in archery, and have developed advanced technologies for creating and using bows, arrows, and other ranged weapons. They also use archery in their hunting and military activities.

• Agriculture: Hobgoblins are skilled farmers, and have developed advanced technologies for cultivating crops and raising livestock. They use irrigation systems, plows, and other tools to support their agricultural activities, and have a deep understanding of crop rotation and other techniques for maximizing yield.

• Medicine: Hobgoblins have a deep understanding of herbalism and medicine, and have developed advanced techniques for treating injuries and illnesses. They use a variety of herbs and other natural remedies, as well as more advanced medical technologies such as sutures, bandages, and antiseptics.

Common Dress Code

The dress and garb of hobgoblins is utilitarian and functional, reflecting the society's emphasis on discipline, order, and martial prowess. Hobgoblins are not known for their creativity or individuality in clothing, and tend to wear practical and durable garments that are suited for their daily activities and military duties. In terms of clothing, hobgoblins typically wear tunics or shirts made from rough, durable fabrics such as wool or leather. These garments are often dyed in muted earth tones such as brown, green, or gray, in order to provide camouflage and blend in with their surroundings.
Hobgoblins also wear pants or leggings made from similar materials, which are designed to protect their legs and provide ease of movement during physical activity. Footwear is typically heavy and sturdy, with hobnail boots being a popular choice.
In addition to clothing, hobgoblins also wear a variety of armor and protective gear. This may include leather or chainmail armor, helmets, and shields. The design of these items is often simple and functional, with a focus on providing maximum protection while minimizing weight and bulk.
Hobgoblins also wear a variety of accessories and adornments, which may include belts, sashes, and jewelry made from bone or metal. These items often have symbolic or cultural significance, and are often passed down from generation to generation within the family.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Hobgoblins have a rich and varied culture, with many customs and traditions that reflect their values of discipline, order, and martial prowess. Some of the most important hobgoblin customs and traditions include:

• Clan Loyalty: Hobgoblins place a strong emphasis on clan loyalty, and believe that the needs of the clan are more important than the needs of the individual. They work together as a cohesive unit to achieve their goals and support the clan in all aspects of life.

• Rites of Passage: Hobgoblins have a variety of rites of passage that mark important milestones in a hobgoblin's life. These may include initiation into the clan, completion of military training, or reaching a certain age or level of achievement.

• Storytelling: Hobgoblins use stories to teach important lessons and pass down cultural traditions from generation to generation. Storytelling is also an important way for hobgoblins to bond and strengthen their clan identity.

• Honor and Respect: Hobgoblins place a strong emphasis on honor and respect, both for themselves and for others. They expect others to show them the same level of respect that they show to others, and are quick to take offense if they feel that their honor has been slighted.

• Martial Prowess: Hobgoblins value martial prowess, and are always seeking to improve their skills in combat and other physical activities. They admire those who are able to demonstrate their strength and discipline, and often compete with each other in physical contests.

• Discipline and Order: Hobgoblins believe that a well-ordered society is essential for success. They value punctuality, cleanliness, and other traits that contribute to a disciplined and orderly lifestyle.

• Honour Duels: Hobgoblins have a tradition of honour duels, in which two individuals fight to the death to resolve a dispute or restore honour. These duels are conducted according to strict rules and are viewed as an important way to uphold the society's values of honour and martial prowess.

Common Taboos

Hobgoblin society is governed by a strict code of cultural taboos and expectations, which are designed to maintain order and discipline within the community. Violations of these taboos can result in social ostracism or even expulsion from the clan. One of the most important taboos in hobgoblin society is disobedience to authority. Hobgoblins are expected to follow orders without question, and failure to do so can result in punishment or even expulsion from the clan. This expectation extends to all levels of society, from military officers to family patriarchs.
Another important taboo in hobgoblin society is cowardice. Hobgoblins value courage and bravery in the face of danger, and those who are perceived as weak or cowardly may be viewed with suspicion or even contempt.
Hobgoblins also have strict expectations regarding gender roles and behavior. Females are expected to be submissive and deferential to males, and failure to do so can result in social ostracism or even violence. Males, on the other hand, are expected to be dominant and assertive, and failure to exhibit these traits can result in loss of social status.
Finally, hobgoblins also have strict expectations regarding loyalty and honor. Betrayal or disloyalty to the clan or family is considered a grave offense, and can result in severe punishment or even expulsion from the community.

Average Height

5‒6 ft (1.5‒1.8 m)

Average Weight

150‒200 lb (68‒91 kg)

Geographic Distribution

• Ashad/Khondwanaq
• Djerad Sikta
• Domilia
• Euron
• Mekisr Altiui
• Naghron
• Raihun Wastes
• Sea of Sabres
• Ternosear
• The Wobbly Goblin
• Thrakos

Related Organizations

• The Crowned Chiefdom of Fionmagh
• The Duryadi Imperial Army
• The Imperial Qyzharate of Duryad

Related Ethnicities

• Duryadi | Durish
• Fiergish
• Preuman | Preumish

Homebrew

Hobgoblin

War is the lifeblood of hobgoblins. Its glories are the dreams that inspire them. Its horrors don’t feature in their nightmares. Cowardice is more terrible to hobgoblins than dying, for they carry their living acts into the afterlife. A hero in death becomes a hero eternal.
Young hobgoblins start soldiering when they can walk and heed the mustering call as soon as they can wield their weapons capably. Every legion in the hobgoblins’ entire society forever stands prepared for war.

Brutal Civility

Hobgoblins hold themselves to high standards of military honor. The race has a long history of shared traditions, recorded and retold to keep the knowledge fresh for new generations. When hobgoblins aren’t waging war, they farm, they build, and they practice both martial and arcane arts.
These trappings of civil society do little to conceal an underlying brutality that hobgoblins practice on each other and perfect upon other races. Punishment for infractions of hobgoblin law are swift and merciless. Beauty is something hobgoblins associate only with images of conflict and warfare.
The iron grip their philosophy holds on their hearts blinds hobgoblins to the accomplishments of other peoples. Hobgoblins have little appreciation or patience for art. They leave little space for joy or leisure in their lives, and thus have no reserves of faith to call upon when in dire straits.

Implacable Gods

Hobgoblins revere two gods unique to their race, the only survivors of a pantheon that was decimated by Maglubiyet so long ago that hobgoblins don’t remember the names of the fallen. Nomog-Geaya is the greater of the two and the more frequently honored. He is seen as a stoic, cold-blooded, and tyrannical leader, and hobgoblins believe he expects the same behavior from them. Bargrivyek is a god of duty, unity, and discipline, and he is thought to be pleased by displays of those principles.
In the stories that hobgoblins tell one another, Bargrivyek serves as Nomog-Geaya’s second in command. Nomog-Geaya would prefer the position were filled by someone more like himself, but Bargrivyek was all he was left with after Maglubiyet’s conquest. Although both deities are ultimately beholden to Maglubiyet, the greater god allows them to retain a measure of their influence over the hobgoblins because their philosophies are in line with his own.
Hobgoblins don’t build temples to their gods, lest they displease Maglubiyet, but the few priests among them do tend small shrines and interpret the body of legends about their gods. Nomog-Geaya’s priests always wield his favored weapons, a longsword and a handaxe. They are responsible for martial training as well as instruction in strategy and battlefield tactics. Bargrivyek’s priests wield his symbol, a flail with a head dipped in white paint. They work as a police force in hobgoblin society, making judgments about honor, mediating disputes, and otherwise enforcing discipline.

Rank, Status, and Title

As in any strict military hierarchy, every hobgoblin in a legion has a rank, from the warlord down through a cadre of officers to the soldiers that make up most of its number. These ranks, using the titles most often applied to them, are as follows:
1st rank: Warlord
2nd rank: General
3rd rank: Captain
4th rank: Fatal Axe
5th rank: Spear
6th rank: Fist
7th rank: Soldier
A legion is organized into units called banners, each one made up of a group of interrelated families. Members of a banner live, work, and fight together, and each banner has a separate status within the legion that is reflected in the power of its officers. For instance, the captains of the highest-ranking banners can expect their orders to be followed by the captains of any banners of lower rank.
Rank and responsibility aren’t necessarily commensurate from one legion to another or even between banners in the same legion. A phalanx of foot soldiers led by a captain in one legion might be two hundred strong, while in another such a force numbers just twenty. One banner might have four warriors mounted on worgs led by a fist, while a fist in another banner of the same legion might lead ten mounted warriors. If any rank doesn’t serve a purpose in the legion, the warlord eliminates it from the hierarchy to maximize efficiency.

Honor Bound, By Glory Crowned

Advancement in rank comes as a result of attaining glory, but for the achievement to mean anything, a hobgoblin must abide by the race’s code of honor in doing so.
Glory can be earned by discovery of great resources (such as finding a new vein of iron or a powerful magic item), by fine performances (writing and performing a great ballad about the legion), by designing and constructing a great defense or monument, and through other means. But the greatest respect is reserved for those who earn their glory in battle. In theory, the fortunes of war can elevate the lowest-ranking banner in a legion to the highest status. In practice, warlords are careful to position themselves and their banners to claim the greatest victories in any conflict, and they portion out opportunities and responsibilities to other banners as politics dictate.
Each hobgoblin legion has a distinct code of honor and law, but all follow a few general precepts that are at the heart of the hobgoblin honor system.
Follow Orders . Carrying out orders without question is critical on the battlefield, and hobgoblins follow this dictum in peaceful times as well in order to maintain stability in their society. Hobgoblins don’t shrink from following orders that they know will result in death if the act will bring glory to the banner or the legion.
Honor the Gods. Hobgoblins give regular recognition to the deities left to them after Maglubiyet’s conquest. Idols of Nomog-Geaya, as well as standards and flags with his image or symbol, receive a bow or salute at all times except emergencies. Bargrivyek’s peacemakers receive due deference regardless of rank or banner status. Of course, Maglubiyet’s call to conquest is always answered.
Suffer nor Give Insult. As befits their warlike nature, hobgoblins believe that any insult demands a response. Suitably (and somewhat ironically), the outward politeness and civility that they demonstrate among each other enables them to avoid conflicts in daily life. This same form of “courtesy” is often extended to other races the hobgoblins have dealings with, much to the outsiders’ surprise. When such respect isn’t reciprocated, though, relations can swiftly deteriorate.
Reward Glorious Action. Hobgoblins never deny advancement in status to a banner that has earned it, nor do they withhold higher rank from a deserving individual. If a banner attains great glory in battle but is nearly destroyed, the handful of members who remain are welcomed into another banner, taking their banner’s name and colors along with them, and assuming places of leadership in the group.
Uphold the Legion. Hobgoblins care more for the survival of their legion than they do for others of their own kind. Two legions might battle over territory, resources, or power, or out of simple pride. Such a feud can continue over generations in an ongoing cycle of retribution. Each legion has a list of grievances against any others it knows about, and any legions meeting for the first time view each other with immediate hostility. Only a truly great warlord can force legions to work together as an army if Maglubiyet has not called forth a host.

ability score increase: Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Intelligence score increases by 1.

age: Hobgoblins mature at the same rate as humans and have lifespans similar in length to theirs.

Size: Medium

speed: 30

Languages: You can speak, read, and write Goblin and Common. If your character does not speak Common, they might speak other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for the character. The Player’s Handbook offers a list of languages to choose from in addition to those of this homebrew setting. The DM is free to modify that list for a campaign.

race features:

Darkvision

You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.

Fey Ancestry

You have advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the charmed condition on yourself.

Uphold the Legion

Hobgoblins adhere to a strict doctrine that dictates that even the slightest gap in their defence puts the entire legion’s survival at risk and are thus extremely cautious to never expose any weakness or vulnerability. If you miss with an attack roll or fail an ability check or a saving throw, you can gain a bonus to the roll equal to the number of allies you can see within 30 feet of you (maximum bonus of +5). Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Militant Tactics

You can use this trait to take the Help action as a bonus action, and you can do so a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Starting at 3rd level, choose one of the options below each time you take the Help action with this trait:

• Bolster Morale. You and the creature you help each gain a number of temporary hit points equal to 1d6 plus your proficiency bonus.

• Unshakable March. You and the creature you help each increase your walking speeds by 10 feet until the start of your next turn.

• Reinforce the Ranks. Until the start of your next turn, the first time the creature you help hits a target with an attack roll, that target has disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes within the next minute.

Art of War

You are the result of generations of honourboud martial tutelage devoted for the preparaation of war. Hobgoblin spend years honing their minds with board games, recreational reinactment of sieges and battles past and competitive duels of honour. You have proficiency in Dragonchess and you have advantage on Intelligence checks that relate to battle strategy and tactics.

Militant Discipline

Because of your training since birth, you are proficient with a martial weapon of your choice and one Fighting Style.