Hobgoblin (Dungeons & Dragons)

Hobgoblin
Characteristics
Alignment Usually Lawful Evil
Type Humanoid (Goblinoid)
Image Wizards.com image
Stats Open Game License stats
Publication history
Mythological origins Hobgoblin

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, hobgoblins are a larger, stronger, smarter and more menacing form of goblins. They are smaller and weaker than bugbears, but better organized. Hobgoblins are humanoids that stand nearly 6'6" tall on average, a little taller than orcs. Smarter than other goblinoid races, they are renowned for their brutality and military skill.

By contrast, hobgoblins in folklore are usually benevolent or merely mischievous.

Publication history

The hobgoblin was one of the earliest creatures introduced in the D&D game.

Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)

The hobgoblin was one of the first monsters introduced in the earliest edition of the game, in the Dungeons & Dragons "white box" set (1974), where they were described as large and fearless goblins.[1]

The koalinth, or aquatic hobgoblin, is introduced in Supplement II: Blackmoor (1975).[2]

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)

The hobgoblin appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977), where it is described as a tribal lawful evil creature found nearly anywhere.[3]

The mythology and attitudes of the hobgoblins are described in detail in Dragon #63 (July 1982), in Roger E. Moore's article, "The Humanoids."[4]

The koalinth returns in Dragon #68 (December 1982).

Dungeons & Dragons (1977-1999)

This edition of the D&D game included its own version of the hobgoblin, in the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set (1977, 1981, 1983).[5][6][7] The hobgoblin was featured as a player character race in the gazetteer The Orcs of Thar (1989). Hobgoblins were also later featured in the Dungeons & Dragons Game set (1991), the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991),[8] the Classic Dungeons & Dragons Game set (1994), the Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game set (1999),[9] and the Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game set (2000).

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)

The hobgoblin and koalinth appear first in the Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989),[10] and are reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).[11]

The hobgoblin of the Dragonlance campaign setting appeared in the Tales of the Lance boxed set, in the "World Book of Ansalon" booklet (1992).[12]

The hobgoblin is detailed as a playable character race in The Complete Book of Humanoids (1993).[13] The hobgoblin is later presented as a playable character race again in Player's Option: Skills & Powers (1995).[14]

Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)

The hobgoblin appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2000).[15]

Races of Faerûn (2003) presented the hobgoblin as a player character race for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.[16]

Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)

The hobgoblin appears in the revised Monster Manual for this edition (2003).

The hobgoblin was detailed in Dragon #309 (July 2003), in the "Ecology of the Hobgoblin", with the hobgoblin presented as a player character race.[17]

The fire hobgoblin appears in Unearthed Arcana (2004), as a player character race.[18] The sunscorch hobgoblins appear in Dragon Magic (2006).

The varag appeared in the Monster Manual IV (2006).[19] The hobgoblin duskblade, the hobgoblin spellscourge, and the hobgoblin warsoul appear in Monster Manual V (2007).

Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)

The hobgoblin appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2008), under the goblin entry, including the hobgoblin grunt, the hobgoblin warrior, the hobgoblin archer, the hobgoblin soldier, the hobgoblin warcaster, the hobgoblin commander, and the hobgoblin hand of Bane.[20]

Religion

Maglubiyet, the god of war and rulership, is the chief deity of both goblins and hobgoblins. However, Nomog-Geaya, the deity of war and authority, is considered the patron deity of hobgoblins specifically. The goblinoid god Bargrivyek encourages cooperation between the goblin races.[21]

Hobgoblin subraces

An aquatic form of hobgoblin, the koalinth, is a feared predator beneath the seas. They have light green skin, webbed hands and feet, and gills. They are sleeker than their hobgoblin kin. They dwell in shallow fresh or salt water in caves. They detest aquatic elves with the same intensity that hobgoblins hate terrestrial elves.

Another related species is the norker, found in the original Fiend Folio.

Hobgoblins in Greyhawk

Hobgoblins are known as hoch jebline or "high goblins" in the Flan tongue and hochebi in the Suloise language. Many hobgoblins dwell in the western Empire of Iuz, Warfields, Redhand, and the Bone March.

History

Hobgoblins were among the armies of the Fiery Kings around 3114 SD (-2400 CY). They were hired along with orcs and goblins as mercenaries by both sides of the Baklunish-Suloise Wars. They fought against elves and dwarves in the Hateful Wars. They rallied to the cause of Iuz and played a significant role in overrunning the Bone March and the Pomarj.

Other publishers

The hobgoblin is fully detailed in Paizo Publishing's book Classic Monsters Revisited (2008), on pages 22–27.[22]

References

  1. ↑ Gygax, Gary, and Dave Arneson. Dungeons & Dragons (3-Volume Set) (TSR, 1974)
  2. ↑ Arneson, Dave. Blackmoor (TSR, 1975)
  3. ↑ Gygax, Gary. Monster Manual (TSR, 1977)
  4. ↑ Moore, Roger E. "The Humanoids." Dragon #63 (TSR, 1982)
  5. ↑ Gygax, Gary, and Dave Arneson [1974], edited by J. Eric Holmes. Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set (TSR, 1977)
  6. ↑ Gygax, Gary, and Dave Arneson [1974], edited by Tom Moldvay. Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set (TSR, 1981)
  7. ↑ Gygax, Gary, and Dave Arneson [1974], edited by Frank Mentzer. Dungeons & Dragons Set 1: Basic Rules (TSR, 1983)
  8. ↑ Allston, Aaron, Steven E. Schend, Jon Pickens, and Dori Watry. Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (TSR, 1991)
  9. ↑ Slavicsek, Bill. Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game (TSR, 1999)
  10. ↑ Cook, David, et al. Monstrous Compendium Volume One (TSR, 1989)
  11. ↑ Stewart, Doug, ed. Monstrous Manual (TSR, 1993)
  12. ↑ Johnson, Harold, John Terra, J. Robert King, Wolfgang Baur, Colin McComb, Jean Rabe, Norm Ritchie, Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, Jeff Grubb, Doug Niles, and Michael Williams. Tales of the Lance (TSR, 1992)
  13. ↑ Slavicsek, Bill. The Complete Book of Humanoids (TSR, 1993)
  14. ↑ Niles, Douglas and Dale Donovan. Player's Option: Skills & Powers (TSR, 1995)
  15. ↑ Cook, Monte, Jonathan Tweet, and Skip Williams. Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2000)
  16. ↑ Reynolds, Sean K., Forbeck, Matt, Jacobs, James, Boyd, Erik L. Races of Faerûn (Wizards of the Coast, 2003)
  17. ↑ Edwards, Terry. "Paragons of War: The Ecology of the Hobgoblin." Dragon #309 (Paizo Publishing, 2003)
  18. ↑ Collins, Andy, Jesse Decker, David Noonan, and Rich Redman. Unearthed Arcana (Wizards of the Coast, 2004)
  19. ↑ Kestral, Gwendolyn. Monster Manual IV. (Wizards of the Coast, 2006)
  20. ↑ Mearls, Mike, Stephen Schubert, and James Wyatt. Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2008)
  21. ↑ Sargent, Carl. Monster Mythology (TSR, 1992)
  22. ↑ Baur, Wolfgang, Jason Bulmahn, Joshua J. Frost, James Jacobs, Nicolas Logue, Mike McArtor, James L. Sutter, Greg A. Vaughan, Jeremy Walker. Classic Monsters Revisited (Paizo, 2008)

Additional reading


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