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HOBGOBLIN

ANCESTRY

UNCOMMON

MEDIUM

GOBLIN

HUMANOID

Hit Points 8

Size Medium; Speed 25 feet

Ability Boosts Constitution, Intelligence, Free; Ability Flaw Wisdom

Languages Common, Goblin

Additional Languages equal to your Intelligence modifier (if it’s positive). Choose from Draconic, Dwarven, Gnoll, Jotun, Halfling, Orcish, and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent in your region).

Senses Darkvision

Taller and stronger than their goblin kin, hobgoblins are equals in strength and size to humans, with broad shoulders and long, powerful arms.

The reputation of hobgoblins in the Inner Sea region has been upended by Oprak, the hobgoblin nation established recently in the mountains between Nidal and Nirmathas. The Ironfang Legion that stormed through Molthune and Nirmathas only a few years ago made a calculated decision to cease fighting, claim Oprak as a new homeland, and seek peace with its neighbors. Now under strict orders to not start conflicts with other nations, the hobgoblins of Oprak have begun to cautiously investigate Avistan in the spirit of cooperation rather than conquest. Many people, especially those that suffered terrible cruelties under the Ironfang Legion, fear that this is simply a pause in aggression while Oprak gains enough strength to crush its rivals. Others hope these bold soldiers might prove to be allies against the endless hordes of the Whispering Tyrant.

You Might...

  • Seek out the most effective and practical solutions to any problem.
  • Encourage a clear chain of command among any group you travel with, following orders even if you disagree with them.
  • Look for opportune alliances with other creatures, even if you don’t fully understand or trust them.

Others Probably...

  • Consider you dangerous, due to your reputation and intimidating appearance.
  • Assume you hate magic and other mystical arts.
  • Recognize your incredible endurance, dedication, and discipline.

Physical Description

Hobgoblins stand nearly as tall as humans, though they tend to have shorter legs and longer arms and torsos. They have the bald, wide heads and beady eyes, and gray skin that becomes steely blue when tanned. Hobgoblins are remarkably hardy; they recover from illnesses quickly and are able to exert themselves for long periods of time with little difficulty.

Hobgoblins mature quickly, and most can walk, talk, and hold a weapon by the time they are 1 year old, reaching adolescence by the age of 8 to 12 and adulthood around 14. Hobgoblins typically live up to 70 years of age.

Society

Hobgoblins structure their society after military hierarchies. Even civilian groups such as farming collectives or trading houses organize into regiments, companies, and divisions. Most hobgoblins fixate on social status, and many constantly strive to advance their social position. Hobgoblin punishments are primarily social demotions, although execution or slavery are common for serious crimes, such as arson or desertion.

Hobgoblin veterans hold a high place in their society, usually becoming leaders or advisors. Magic is rarely practiced and often derided, as most hobgoblins don’t trust it over the strength of their own sword arms. Their arts tend to have a military bent; many hobgoblins consider stirring marches and weaponsmithing the only artistic endeavors worth pursuing, though Oprak’s enforced era of peace is beginning to change this.

Alignment and Religion

Though familiar with the chaos of war, most hobgoblins have orderly minds and prefer to live within established hierarchies. While many hobgoblins consider sentimentality weak, those with mild temperaments have recently found success in diplomacy and international outreach. As a result, hobgoblin adventurers are usually lawful neutral, with only those rejecting or raised outside of their militaristic society chaotic. Faith has little place in hobgoblin society, as many feel it is impractical, though religious hobgoblins can gain a begrudging modicum of acceptance due to their useful healing magic.

Names

Like goblins, hobgoblin names tend to be simple, though hobgoblin names usually sound more guttural and forceful. On rare occasions, hobgoblins will alter their names, keeping the core but adding aspects, usually in response to an extreme trauma or a life-altering event. Hobgoblins have no surnames, considering them both pointless and presumptuous; an individual’s merits and demerits are to be earned by their actions, not by an association with a particular lineage.

Sample Names

Aze, Druknar, Ghargam, Hathkren, Imakra, Kralaeng, Mazkol, Olzu, Rezal, Sivkrag, Volmak, Zornum

TABLE 1: HOBGOBLIN HERITAGES
Exclusive Heritages Description
elfbane hobgoblinLOCG Hobgoblins were engineered long ago from the unreliable and fecund goblins, to be used as an army against the elves.
runtboss hobgoblinLOCG You come from a long line of hobgoblins who commanded goblins.
shortshanks hobgoblinLOAG You have a longer torso and broader shoulders than most hobgoblins, making your legs seem short by comparison.
smokeworker hobgoblinLOCG Your family have been alchemists, engineers, and scientists for generations, on projects bringing smoke and fire to the field of battle.
steelskin hobgoblinLOAG When you are cut or burned, your body responds by forming tough but flexible callouses over the site of the injury.
warmarch hobgoblinLOCG You come from a line of wandering mercenaries, constantly on the march and scavenging food on the trail.
warrenbred hobgoblinLOCG Your ancestors lived underground.
Versatile Heritages Description
AasimarAPG You descend from celestials or were touched by the celestial realms, gaining an air of awe and grace, as well as features distinctive to your celestial forebears.
AphoriteLOAG You were born with a connection to Axis, the Plane of Law.
ArdandeRE Your elemental heritage is reflected in the oils and fragrances of plants, in tree resin that fossilizes into amber, or in the gentle smell of a flower.
BeastkinLOAG The blood of a beast flows through your veins, granting you the ferocity and might of animals.
ChangelingAPG Your mother was a hag.
DhampirAPG You are the scion of a vampire, half living and half undead, gifted with uncanny charm and grace, a bloodless pallor, and elongated incisors.
DuskwalkerAPG Thanks to an ancient bargain, your soul has been reborn as a duskwalker, a planar scion with a connection to psychopomps and the Boneyard.
GanziLOAG Your blood is touched by primal chaos.
IfritLOAG You descend from fire elementals or bear the mark of the Inner Spheres, and your features illustrate the influence that elemental fire has over you.
OreadLOAG An earth elemental ancestor has influenced your bloodline, and your features highlight this elemental planar connection.
ReflectionDA You were created as a duplicate of another creature, intentionally or accidentally, though you might not know of your origins.
SuliLOAG You are descended from a janni or otherwise embody a dichotomy of opposing elemental planar forces.
SylphLOAG You are descended from air elementals or were born under the element’s influence.
TalosRE Your physical features reflect the influence a zuhra or other metal elemental has had over your bloodline.
TieflingAPG You descend from fiends or bear the mark of the fiendish realms, manifesting as some unusual feature that belies your heritage, such as horns or a tail.
UndineLOAG A water elemental ancestor influences your bloodline.
draconic scionBAD You possess the power of dragons, whether you descended from dragons, learned from dragons, were transformed by exposure to draconic energy, or reincarnated from a past life as a dragon.
TABLE 2: HOBGOBLIN ANCESTRY FEATS
Level 1 Hobgoblin Feats Prerequisites Benefits
Alchemical ScholarLOCG — You learn formulas more easily.
Cantorian ReinforcementLOAG — The life energy that helped create the first hobgoblins is particularly potent in you, protecting you from ongoing maladies.
Hobgoblin LoreLOCG — You’ve studied traditional hobgoblin exercises and fieldcraft, all of which have a militaristic bent.
Hobgoblin Weapon FamiliarityLOCG — You are trained with composite longbows, composite shortbows, glaives, longbows, longswords, and shortbows.
Leech-ClipperLOCG — You are trained to capture deserters, or “leeches.
rLet’s Try That AgainSG-04 — You feel a sense of deja vu when you’ve made a mistake, almost as if you weren’t so careless in a past life and could certainly do better if given another chance.
rLike a RoachSG-04 — Living with the bare necessities isn’t terribly hard for someone who has defied death, and like a cockroach, you always know how to survive.
Remorseless LashLOCG — You’re skilled at beating a foe when their morale is already breaking.
SneakyLOAG — Stealth is an important tool in your arsenal.
Stone FaceLOAG — Through conditioning or experience, you’ve mastered the art of composure, even in the face of fear.
Vigorous HealthLOCG — Your physique is robust and can withstand blood loss startlingly well.
rWeight of ExperienceSG-04 — The experience you’ve accumulated over multiple lifetimes envelops you like a weighted blanket, providing comfort and bestowing confidence under pressure.
rWisdom From Another LifeSG-04 — You absorbed a wide variety of facts before you died, and your soul still remembers slivers of this precious knowledge.
Level 5 Hobgoblin Feats Prerequisites Benefits
Agonizing RebukeLOCG — When you terrorize your enemies, you also cause them painful mental distress.
rAnimal Soul SiblingsSG-04 — Your eyes have been opened to the spiritual essence suffusing the world.
rEmpathy IncarnateSG-04 — Reincarnation has given you a compassionate perspective and enabled you to relate to almost everyone you speak with, putting them at ease and quickly generating trust.
Expert Drill SergeantLOCG — You know how to get the most out of your allies.
rFey InfluenceLOIL — You have been exposed to powerful fey magic.
Formation TrainingLOCG trained in all martial weapons You know how to fight in formation with your brethren.
Hobgoblin Weapon DisciplineLOCG Hobgoblin Weapon Familiarity (page 50) You know how to efficiently utilize the weapons soldiers use in close quarters.
rI’Ve Had Many JobsSG-04 — Finding and excelling at odd jobs is child’s play to one who has worked many occupations during many lives.
Recognize AmbushLOAG — Your combat training has honed you to be ready for an attack at all times.
rReincarnated RidiculerSG-04 — You’ve practiced the art of taunting an enemy, ensuring they know death will only make you stronger.
RuntsageLOAG — Unlike most of your kind, who dismiss goblins as embarrassments or expendable annoyances, you have studied the methodology behind their irresponsible and incomprehensible actions.
rSleep of the RebornSG-04 — Philosophers compare the cycle of life, death, and rebirth to sleeping, dreaming, and waking.
Level 9 Hobgoblin Feats Prerequisites Benefits
Cantorian RejuvenationLOAG — The life-giving energy that flows in your blood revitalizes you.
rDrain EmotionLOIL Fey Influence You touch an adjacent creature and attempt to draw out its excess emotion.
Fell RiderLOAG animal companion You have trained with your animal companion to become a terrifying, unified juggernaut on the battlefield.
rFey AscensionLOIL Fey Influence The fey influence on your form and features grows even more powerful and notable.
rLingering EchoesSG-04 — Not everyone is reincarnated, and you feel a strong connection with the spiritual echoes of those who didn’t receive the same opportunity as you.
rPlant Soul SiblingsSG-04 Animal Soul Siblings You’re now able to connect with the spirits present in the greenery of the natural world.
Pride In ArmsLOCG — With a shout of triumph, you grant inspiration to an ally fight on.
rRapid RetrainingSG-04 — Some feel trapped by their choices and have a tough time reinventing themselves.
Squad TacticsLOAG — You are adept at working with your allies to surround a foe.
rYou Seem Somewhat FamiliarSG-04 — You fought hundreds of foes in your various past lives, and now and then, something about a new opponent tugs at your memory, almost as if you defeated their grandparent long ago.
Level 13 Hobgoblin Feats Prerequisites Benefits
rCannibalize MagicLOIL Fey Influence The fey magic inside of you is a vital part of your body, and you can steal other sources of magic to replenish yours.
Can’T Fall HereLOAG — You physically help an ally remain standing and encourage them to push through their pain against dire odds.
rClinging to LifeSG-04 — This life still holds much for you, and you aren’t ready to fall back into the River of Souls just yet.
rEldritch CalmLOIL Fey Influence Your fey heritage has altered your mindset to more resemble the uncanny perspective of the fey.
Formation MasterLOCG Formation Training (see above) You can assemble a formation even with members of ancestries that lack the hobgoblins’ military discipline, and you can extend these benefits to your hobgoblin allies.
rGlamourLOIL Fey Influence You unlock a new level of fey power and can manipulate the perceptions of others using a font of First World magic.
Hobgoblin Weapon ExpertiseLOCG Hobgoblin Weapon Familiarity (page 50) You increase your training in battlefield weapons.
rI Sense MalevolenceSG-04 — Your time in theRiver of Souls has given you deep insight into the machinations of those who refuse to move on.
rLinguistic RevivalSG-04 — You achieved fluency in different languages with each reincarnation, and your brain remembers much of the grammar, idioms, and obscenities that you spouted in old lives.
rPain Is TemporarySG-04 — Sangpotshi practitioners know that suffering is a fleeting sensation that ultimately strengthens the soul and prepares it for a new reincarnation.
rStone Soul SiblingsSG-04 Plant Soul Siblings Your connection with nature’s spirits has progressed to the point where you can even have casual conversation with pebbles and boulders.
rUnbreakable ResolveSG-04 — The experience of coming back after death has granted you a strong sense of resolve; devilish words, slick spells, and conniving trickery can’t easily catch you off guard.
War ConditioningLOAG — You have extensive training in remote environments, allowing you to move through these areas easily.
We March onLOAG — You make sure that your allies push themselves while traveling.
Level 17 Hobgoblin Feats Prerequisites Benefits
rAzaersi’s RoadsLOL — Azaersi has granted you limited access to the Stone Roads, attuning you to the tiniest sliver of the Onyx Key.
rBoneyard AcquaintanceSG-04 — Before your soul returned to the Material Plane, you interacted with a host of other souls on their way to the Boneyard.
Cantorian RestorationLOAG — The energy that flows in your blood can save a life in the direst of times.
rFey TranscendenceLOIL Fey Influence You become a powerful fey creature, gaining strengths tied to the First World but also some of the weakness against which all fey must contend.
rIndomitable SpiritSG-04 — Your soul has accumulated countless particles of quintessence over myriad deaths and rebirths, and for one moment, this raw material from the Great Beyond envelops you and your comrades.
Rallying CryLOAG — You call out to your allies and push them to give their all in combat.
rRelease the LightSG-04 — Many people report seeing a bright light before their death.
rSee You in HellSG-04 — You aren’t sure if you’ll be reincarnated again, so you might as well take this foe with you.
rThis Time, Bring the BodySG-04 — Death sends a soul into the River of Souls.