Goblinoid

Goblinoids are a category of humanoid legendary creatures related to the goblin. The term originated in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game,[1] in which goblins and related creatures are a staple of random encounters. Goblinoids are typically barbaric foes of the various human and "demihuman" races. Even though goblinoids in modern fantasy fiction are derived from J. R. R. Tolkien's orcs, in his Middle-earth "orc" and "goblin" were names for the same race of creatures.

Occurrences in various fantasy worlds

Types of Goblinoids in Dungeons & Dragons

Amitok: White-furred Arctic hobgoblins.

Bakemono: (Originally a shape-shifting Obake from Japanese folklore.) Bakemonos are the "goblins" of the Shadowlands—small, powerfully muscled humanoids with the intelligence and the temperament of vicious attack dogs.

Bhuka: Good-aligned consummate survivors, with many physical adaptations to help them thrive in the deserts.

Blue: A subrace of goblins with an innate knack for psionics. Their bluish skin sets them apart from other goblins.

Bugbear: The biggest and strongest of the goblinoids, bugbears are more aggressive than their smaller relatives.

Dekanter Goblin: Dekanter goblins are vicious, cunning opponents with large, rhinolike horns.

Forestkith Goblin: Nocturnal hunters, also known as kith.

Goblin: The smallest, most common of the goblinoids.

Goblyn: Goblyns are created by curses, powerful evil magic items, and certain spells. The transformation causes them to forget their former lives, turn evil, and become slavishly devoted to their master.

Grodd Goblin: Offshoot goblins trapped in a demiplane who gained civilized ways and built a great city with the help of a dragon.

Hobgoblin: Larger, far more aggressive than goblins, they wage a perpetual war with other humanoids, particularly elves.

Koalinth: A marine species of hobgoblin, similar to the land dwelling one in many respects, but having gills and able to live in fresh or salt water.

Nilbogs: A race of magical goblinoids that are healed by receiving damage and are damaged by healing spells. The name is "goblin" spelled backward, a reference to this reversal of effects. The exact connection between the nilbog and the llort, which shares its power to heal by receiving damage, is unknown.

Norker: Short, gruff goblinoids who possess a thick segmented hide and long canine teeth.

Snow Goblin: Shaggy humanoids with large throat sacs that they use to call to one another over long distances.

Thoul: A strange merging of a hobgoblin, a troll, and a ghoul.

Varag: Faster, considerably stronger, and more primitive than typical goblins, these have merely a predatory cunning. They often find work as mercenary scouts and raiders for hobgoblin warbands. They stand about seven feet tall when fighting, but typically move and run on all fours.

Vril: A race bred by drow to act as soldiers. They have violet skin with tiger stripes and can produce and are immune to sonic attacks.

In Games Workshop publications

Main article: Orc & Goblin

References

  1. Weinstock, Jeffrey (2014). The Ashgate Encyclopedia of Literary and Cinematic Monsters. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 9781409425625.

Further reading

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