FREQUENCY: Uncommon (nearly anywhere)
NO. APPEARING: 20-200
ARMOR CLASS: 5 (+)***
    <1. hide, 2. metal scale, 3.brigandine & shield, 4. chain mail>
MOVE: 9"
HIT DICE: 1 + 1
% IN LAIR: 25% (251 Hobgoblins: forest, TPL42:7th, REF3.48)
TREASURE TYPE: Individuals [J], [M], [D], [Q] (X 5) in lair
NO.OF AtTACKS: 1 ~ (18/16***)
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-8 or weapon
    <1. arrow (leaf head), 2. battle axe, 3. kau sin ke, 4. naginata, 5. ninja-to, 6. sang kauw, 7. sling (staff stone), 8. long sword, 9. tetsubo, 10. wakizashi>
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil (missile weapons)
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
STRENGTH: 15
INTELLIGENCE: Average
ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil <(bully)>
SIZE: M (6' tall)
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: I | 20 + 2
DEITY: Maglubiyet

    *** For guards && leaders.

SAVES: 14.15.16.17.17

Tribal bands of hobgoblins are likely to be encountered nearly anywhere
as these creatures are equally at home in sunlight || subterranean settings.
They fight well in full daylight and have infravision (60') so as to be able to
FIGHT in total darkness as well. Each tribe is jealous of its status, and if two <l=total darkness>
tribal bands of hobgoblins meet there will be at least catcalls && derision
(85%) and open fighting might break out (15%) unless a strong leader
such as a powerful monster || fighter || E.H.P., etc. is on hand to <l=DL>
control them. Similarly, the hobgoblins will bully nearby orcs || goblins
given the opportunity, and hobgoblin leaders are sometimes used in
bodies of goblins || orcish troops to keep them in order and drive them
into battle.

The better known (more infamous) hobgoblin tribes include: Rippers, Leg Breakers, Skull Smashers, Flesh Renders, Marrow Suckers, Flayers, and Slow Killers. <c>

* For every 20 hobgoblins in a group there is a leader (serjeant) and 2 assistants. These hobgoblins will have 9 HP each. <alt:j>
* If 100 or more hobgoblins are encountered there will be the following additional figures with the group:
a subchief (AC 3, 16 HP, and 1 + 2 damage (3-10 HPs). These additional hobgoblins fight as 3 HD monsters.
<added *, moved additional lair figures>

LAIR: Hobgoblin lairs are underground 80% of the time and above ground 20% of the time.
In the latter case the lair will be a village with a ditch, rampart, and palisade of stones, earth and logs.
There will be two gates and 3-6 guard towers.
The dwellings inside are usually a mixture of wood and stone.
As they seek to build on the ruins of human or other more sophisticated creatures,
a hobgoblin village may be of better construction than indicated, possibly having solid stone works, buildings or a keep. In
any event, hobgoblins will have 2 heavy catapults, 2 light catapults, and 1
ballista per 50 warriors. If the lair is underground, there is a 60% chance
that there will be from 2-12 carnivorous apes as guards.
* If hobgoblins are encountered in their lair there will also be, in addition, a chief and 5-20 bodyguards.
    Hobgoblin chiefs are AC 2, 22 HP, do 2-11 HP of damage, and fight as 4 HD monsters. Their bodyguards are the same as those of sub-chiefs.
* There are females and young in the lair equal to 150% and 300% respectively of the number of males.

Hobgoblins have the following typical weapon distribution.
<>
 

01-20	sword and composite bow	20%
21-30	sword and spear	10%
31-35	sword and morning star	5%
36-40	sword and whip	5%
41-70	pole arm	30%
71-80	spear	10%
81-00	morning star	20%

        <65% of swords are longswords, 20% (66-85) are broadswords, 5% (86-90) are falchion swords, 5% (91-95) are short (small) swords, 4% (96-99) are bastard swords,
        and 1% (00) are two-handed swords, unless the description of a specific item indicates otherwise. - UA.89, % numbers added>
        <pole-arms that do d8 damage : 1-2 = Bec de corbin (pole can opener), 3-4 = Fauchard-Fork (pole scythe + fork), 5-6 = Fork, Military>
        <A2 lists d8 damage for those hobgoblins, the only d8 weapon listed above would be the longsword>
        <composite bows can be composite short bows, or composite long bows>

Leaders will always bear two weapons. The tribal standard will be with a
sub-chief 20% of the time. It is always present with the chief. The tribal
standard causes hobgoblin warriors within 6" to fight harder, thus giving
them +1 on their attack dice rolls and +1 on morale (reaction) dice rolls.

If elves are nearby, hobgoblins will attack them in preference to any other
troops because of the great hatred they bear.

Hobgoblins are highly adept at mining, and they can detect new
construction, sloping passages, and even shifting walls 40% of the time.

Most hobgoblins speak goblin, orcish, and the rudimentary tongue of
carnivorous apes in addition to their racial and alignment languages. 20%
of hobgoblins can speak the common tongue as well.

Description: The hairy hides of hobgoblins range from dark reddish-brown
to gray-black. Their faces are bright red-orange to red. Large males will
have blue-red noses. Eyes are either yellowish or dark brown. Teeth are
yellowed white to dirty yellow. Hobgoblins favor bright, bloody colors and
black leather. They keep weapons well polished. Hobgoblins live for 60
years.

Tribal Spell Casters : Shamen (C7 maximum) OR witch doctors (C7 / MU4 maximum). Not recommended for random encounters.

<Sh5 = 150 + 6 XP>

FREQUENCY: Uncommon (nearly anywhere)

FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Dungeon Level I])

FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Cold Civilized Mountains], [Cold Civilized Hills], [Cold Civilized Swamp])
FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Cold Wilderness Mountains], [Cold Wilderness Hills], [Cold Wilderness Swamp])
FREQUENCY: Rare ([Cold Civilized Forest], [Cold Civilized Plains]), ([Cold Wilderness Forest], [Cold Wilderness Plains])
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Cold Civilized Desert], [Cold Wilderness Desert])

FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Temperate Civilized Mountains], [Temperate Civilized Hills], [Temperate Civilized Swamp])
FREQUENCY: Rare ([Temperate Civilized Forest], [Temperate Civilized Plains])
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Temperate Civilized Desert])

FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Temperate Wilderness Mountains], [Temperate Wilderness Hills],[Temperate Wilderness Swamp] )
FREQUENCY: Rare ([Temperate Wilderness Forest], [Temperate Wilderness Plains])
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Temperate Wilderness Desert])

FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Tropical Civilized Mountains], [Tropical Civilized Hills], [Tropical Civilized Forest], [Tropical Civilized Swamp], [Tropical Civilized Desert])
FREQUENCY: Rare ([Tropical Civilized Plains])

FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Tropical Wilderness Mountains], [Tropical Wilderness Hills], [Tropical Wilderness Swamp])
FREQUENCY: Rare ([Tropical Wilderness Forest], [Tropical Wilderness Plains])
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Tropical Wilderness Desert])

-
 

Koalinth (Marine Hobgoblin) (Water Hobgoblin):

<see gargoyle note1>
FREQUENCY: Uncommon

FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Cold Freshwater Surface])
FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Cold Freshwater Depths])
FREQUENCY: Very rare([Cold Saltwater Surface], [Cold Saltwater Depths])

FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Temperate Freshwater Surface])
FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Temperate Freshwater Depths])
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Temperate Saltwater Surface])
FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Temperate Saltwater Depths])

NO. APPEARING: 20-200
ARMOR CLASS: 5
MOVE: 9"
HIT DICE: 1 + 1
% IN LAIR: 25%
TREASURE TYPE: Individuals [J], [M], [D], [Q] (X 5) in lair
NO.OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-8 or by weapon
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Average
ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil
SIZE: M (6' tall)
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: I | 20 + 2
    by Steve Marsh

A marine species of hobgoblin with gills.
They are similar to their land-dwelling cousins in most respects.
They dwell in shallow water in caverns && sea caves.
They use spears && pole arms adapted to their marine environment. Koalinth speak only their racial language
(hobgoblin) and LE. They prey on any available creatures.
Koalinth are of lighter coloration, having green faces, and have webbed
hands and feet.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bloodstone Press
Hi Gary!

I was just reading your post in the "where did trolls come from" thread. I was wondering the same thing about hobgoblins. I plan to use them in an upcoming work, and I was researching them. I've read about Robin Goodfellow, but that made me wonder where the idea of them being militaristic came from (Robin isn't much of a soldier, he's more of a prankster, as I'm sure you know… ho, ho, ho!). 

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...98/roxbur.html
 

Salut!

After noting your sig, I have to say that as a 12-year-old "John Bloodstone" stories in pulp zines were very thrilling to me....

I took a good deal of literary license in creating monsters for the D&D game.
As I needed a humanoid tougher than a goblin but not as powerful as a gnoll, I simply used "hobgoblin",,,even though its name indicated a smaller sort of goblin.
In short, only the name was drawn from folklore, and the rest was made up out of whole cloth

Cheers,
Gary

P.S. I forgot to say, as to Robin Goodfellow, Puck it!
(And, BTW, we had a Joe Goodfellow in my old D&D group, but he wasn't in the least Puckish...)
 

uote:
Originally Posted by S'mon
& incidentally the big orcs in JRRT's The Hobbit are referred to as 'hobgoblins' (what are called Uruk Hai in LOTR), whereas the small orcs are called 'goblins' (LOTR's snagga orcs). Coincidence?
 

Ho S'mon 

I didn't know, or at least don't recall, JRRT using the term "hobgoblin" in his novels.

If he too called larger goblins "hobgoblins," I am quite surprised, as the "hob" prefix in folklore indicates a smaller version of something.

As I stated, I needed a name for a mumanoid larger than a goblin, that race having been detailed already, so I bit the bullet and used the namefor a smaller version of a goblin for a larger humanoid race in AD&D.
If tolkien did the same for whatever reasons he had, then it is coincidence.

Cheers,
Gary

Quote:
Originally Posted by S'mon
Hi Gary - sorry to be sceptical, but are you sure you didn't read The Hobbit and just don't remember? AIR hobgoblins are only mentioned in the Battle of Five Armies section, as forming the Goblin King's bodyguard.

As a matter of fact I don't recall reading nything about hobgoblins in The Hobbit, or I'd have said so.
As i have mentioned twice not, "hob" is a prefix indicating small or little, and disliked using it for the fourth in the humanoid races I was ranking
--kobolds, goblins, orcs, hobgoblins, gnolls, bugbears, ogres, trolls, giants--
but goblin state had been established before I set about that hierarchy.

Well, Dogbrain,

As someone who did cobbling work for a time, I can assure you that hobnails means not "tough" but "small".
were they regular, the one whose soles they were attached to would be walking on a permenant bed of nails.

In short, "hob" is a prefix indicating small, short, little, much as in "hob"-bit

And, being a Midwesterner myself, we all know that South Bend refers to a river, not the State of Indiana.

Heh,
Gary

Comments
<box>  Hobbits are small.

Hobgoblins I saw as apish in visage and build.