Hobgoblin
General Appearance
Hobgoblins have a touch of the Fey about them, with skin ranged from a muddy brown colour to a crimson red. When Hobgoblins get emotionally charged their ears turn either a bright red or a dark purple depending on their skin colour and their hair is almost uniformly black. Male Hobgoblins are known for their elaborate facial hair, usually stemming from large sideburns but being known to grow out into long, lush beards to rival even the hairiest dwarf. Not having some form of facial hair is seen as a mark of shame amongst male Hobgoblins, though if you have a good scar or burn mark that will make up for it. Female Hobgoblins also sport some facial hair though not quite to the lengths of the males, preferring to trim theirs down to sharp lines along the bone ridges of their face.
Racial Attributes
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. Hobgoblins are between 5 and 6 feet tall and weigh between 150 and 200 pounds.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
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.
Fey Gift. 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, whether as a bonus action or an action:
- Hospitality. You and the target of your Help action each gain a number of temporary hit points equal to 1d6 plus your proficiency bonus.
- Passage. You and the target of your Help action each increase your walking speeds by 10 feet until the start of your next turn.
- Spite. Until the start of your next turn, the first time you or the target of your Help action hits a creature with an attack roll, that creature has disadvantage on the next attack roll that it makes within the next minute.
Fortune from the Many. If you miss with an attack roll or fail an ability check or a saving throw, you can draw on your bonds of reciprocity to gain a bonus to the roll equal to the number of allies you can see within 30 feet of you (maximum bonus of +5). You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses you finish a long rest.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Trade Basic as well as Goblin.
Hobgoblin Cultural Groups
Hobgoblins have a large variety in their cultural groups, stemming from a lifetime of nomadic travel.
Plainstalkers
Plainstalkers are the eternal nomads of the Hobgoblin tribes, following the Goblinoid Wars early on in their history, these Hobgoblins gave up fortified cities, preferring to travel the plains and savannahs to live a more free life, their camps are designed to be quick to take down and put up and they travel in relatively small groups, following sources of food or water while they travel. Where they do settle down, it's usually because they've found a place where the wild, the fey and the food and drink is plentiful. These settlements are not usually permanent.
Wolfstriders
Wolfstriders are the wildest of the Hobgoblins, the tribes following this lifestyle life in tune with animals as much as possible and have tamed wolves to serve as pets, companions, protectors and transportation. These Hobgoblin groups can be found nearer the mountains of Bashuk and live amongst the peaks and forests of that terrain. To be accepted amongst them requires the taming and riding of a wild wolf, and the leaders of these groups are often those who managed to tame Dire Wolves or Wargs.
Wildlings
Wildlings scare even other Hobgoblins, these Hobgoblins have taken the nomadic, wild lifestyle to it's maximum, preferring to not set up any camps or shelters, to wander the dry savannahs of Morn and hunt whatever they can eat (which sometimes includes other Hobgoblins). Wildlings are not generally accepted in any other Hobgoblin group or society, they live only to hunt and will hunt only the things they consider dangerous (especially if it's also food)
Outlanders
Outlanders are the settled Hobgoblins, despite the title, they are still seen as a good and necessary part of Hobgoblin society and it is in Outlander cities and settlements that Hobgoblins of all types will congregate to make decisions, form armies, trade deals or just work out any intertribal issue. When the time comes for war and all Hobgoblins are called to serve, it is Outlanders who lead these forces, Outlanders who take and control the cities they conquer and Outlanders who ensure they make the most out those skirmishes.
Deepdwellers
Down beneath the volcano at the centre of Morn live the Deepdwellers. No Hobgoblin is sure when they arrived there or how they survive down there, but every Hobgoblin knows that when it picks up a spear, an arrow or a sword that was crafted by the Deepdwellers, they are picking up a weapon that will last. These secretive hobgoblins do not allow strangers into their tunnels and the secrets of their forging are theirs alone. Rare are the trade caravans that creak out from the volcano, but they are heavily sought after.
Hobgoblin Society
Broad Overview
Hobgoblins are generally nomadic in nature, preferring to live in smaller family or tribal groups. While there are a few Hobgoblin cities of their own, the majority of Hobgoblin settlements are actually Orc cities captured during the many wars between the races. Hobgoblin tribal allegiance is fierce and sleights and blood feuds are remembered for generations and generations. Unlike Orcs, Hobgoblins do not keep a strong oral tradition, relying rather on pictographic histories on skin tapestries. Hobgoblins travel near constantly and this lack of structured life leads to there being less than expected but they make up for this in sheer cunning and being remarkably adept with the bow.
Nomadic People, Strict Laws
The nomadic tribes of Hobgoblins are eternal wandered, the plains and savannahs of Morn, the mountains and forests of Bashuk and the semi-desert of Shurkul have an endless supply of small groups of Hobgoblins travelling around them, and having done so far over 40000 years, these tribes know the lands better than anyone could imagine. In order to keep their groups safe and moving Hobgoblins have adopted a strict adherence to their laws, most punished by exile or death as it is seen to be harming the entire tribe when breaking any laws. Within the tribe, all resources are shared but overuse or frivolous wastage can have dire consequences and it is heavily controlled by the tribe as whole, revealing the tribes location to others, failure to perform the right rituals and so forth are also considered to be acts against the tribe.
War is Inevitable
Hobgoblin society always operates on the basis that another war is coming, and as such all members of Hobgoblin society are trained to be soldiers, even merchants and traders. In combat, there are no men, women or children, there are only Hobgoblins and they are always prepared. When travelling amongst them, one would be quick to notice that each carries a bow and a sword, club or dagger at all times, even when it would seem inconvenient.
The Effects of The Return
For the most part Hobgoblins were unaffected in great number by The Return, being plains dwellers and generally used to environment, when they arrived back to find their camps and supplies gone, the Hobgoblins set about rebuilding what they needed and continuing on their journeys.
The Outlanders saw a different opportunity though with The Return and it wasn't long before war was declared on the Orcs again and the tribes gathered and overtook the fortresses in Shurkul. This war is ongoing and the casualties are rising on both sides.
Hobgoblins whose tribes were decimated by The Return have taken it upon themselves to wander even further, those found in the wider world are more likely to be Plainstalkers or Wofstriders rather than Outlanders and certainly not Deepdwellers. If you encounter a Wildling, best to retreat as soon as possible.