Hobgoblin Monster Card art by Nate Marcel

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Hobgoblin Culture, Psychology, & Lore

by Jason Hine

“We scrapped with them Hobs for hours but couldn’a make ‘em budge. They grouped up tight in a big ol’ clot, spears a bristlin’ as our dead piled up. I’m about to pull the lads back, but then our mage, Xanthra-whatever comes down to the front. Chants up somethin’ real nasty. Starts belching fire down on them Hobs. Even that don’t make ‘em flinch. They stay put in their neat lines ‘til they’re good an’ cooked.”

– Mercenary Captain Jhonas Brass, on the Retaking of Sterling Mines

History

In the early days of the realm, Hobgoblin hordes controlled not only caves and mines within the Undermere, but large swaths of open land on the surface. These tyrannical hordes sought to subjugate other races with their unyielding armies and superior discipline. Although initially successful, Hobgoblins met firm resistance from the Elven nations.

Decades of warfare between Hobgoblins and Elves weakened both empires. Although long-lived, neither race reproduced quickly enough to recover from their losses. Seeking an advantage, Hobgoblins experimented with selective breeding and with magical manipulation of their young while in the womb. ¹ This proved to be their undoing.

Initially, accelerated breeding provided Hobgoblins with laborers and shock troops needed to overwhelm Elven defenses. Unfortunately for Hobgoblins, these experiments eventually led to dire consequences. The new fast-bred Hobgoblin slave classes were just as single-minded and hard-bitten as their first-blood Hobgoblin masters. They chafed under the yoke and soon the Hobgoblin empire reeled from an enemy within.

The slave revolts decimated the largest of the Hobgoblin clans, and Elvish forces rushed in to overwhelm the remainders. In the Battle of 874 ² and the twin Battles of Angcormagg and Flint Hills the following year, Hobgoblin towns were sacked, their armies driven to the wastelands, and their race pushed back underground.

Today, the Hobgoblin race has inbred with itself, and there is but a waning distinction between First-Blood and Fast-Bred. Most Hobgoblins now reproduce quickly, and on the whole they are shorter-lived than Humans, averaging less than 50 years. The race has lost none of its toughness however, and they plot underground, scheming their return to power, and denying the inclinations of Elves that would relegate them to obscurity.

Culture & Psychology

Although less numerous than their Goblin cousins, Hobgoblins still inhabit many lands. Hobgoblins prefer to build their communities, called enclaves, in hilly, mineral rich areas. Most Hobgoblin enclaves have token structures above ground, but extend deep below ground. Hobgoblins excavate in an orderly fashion. They don’t possess the stone working expertise of Dwarves, but their tunnels and underground halls are clean and functional, and cave-ins are minimal. Established enclaves include extensive underground mining networks. The largest often contain one or more ghettos, occupied by Goblins or other slaves. These filthy, raucous slums are only lightly-patrolled by Hobgoblin guards.

A Hobgoblin grouping is called a company. Companies may number as few as several dozen Hobs, or as many as several thousand who inhabit neighboring enclaves.

Hobgoblin Baron-Kings are despotic rulers who sternly enforce their company’s laws. Baron-Kings invariably rise to power with their skills in negotiation and battle. Younger Barons retain both skillsets, while the older ones tend to lose the latter as they grow immensely fat. Barons oversee day-to-day operations and lead their troops on the battlefield. The sight of an elderly Baron-King being carted around the front by a six-mule team has caused a chuckle for more than one opposing general.

Each Hobgoblin company chisels a Bondslate inscribed with their laws and imbued with hexes. Hobgoblins who break their own laws, and anyone who defaces a Bondslate, will suffer from a Hobgoblin hex (see below).

Larger companies elect Strategos to organize their community and generate battle plans when the company is at war. Hobgoblin Obligators settle disputes, form laws, and ensure that the Bondslate’s commitments are upheld.

A lifetime of military service is expected from every Hobgoblin—with one exception: Pregnant females are forbidden from warfare. Most pregnant Hobgoblins are reluctant to surrender their place in the battle formation, and continue to fight from the deep ranks until they begin to show. Fast-bred Hobgoblins give birth to large litters, and the entire company will fight to protect its enclave’s nursery.

This sense of national pride does not extend to Hobgoblin racial identity as a whole. Hobgoblins gleefully accept contracts that pit one company against another. Strategos who outwit their rivals in other companies are bathed in glory.

Hobgoblins celebrate several unique holidays. Perhaps the best known is the Hunt of the Shriekhowl Moon. On the longest day of summer, Hobgoblins harken back to a time before the Bondslates were carved, and revel in the savagery of their ancestors. They hold aloft pitch-torches, take to wargback, and hunt a hated foe, such as Troglodytes, Bugbears, Orcs, or a lone Ogre or Owlbear. Once captured, they flay their enemy alive, shrieking along with their death-howl in the light of the red moon. A night of heavy drinking follows. The next morning, the company’s Obligators determine an appropriate period of penance for the most successful hunters. These punishments are mostly ceremonial.

The Knot of Bloodhost is another Hobgoblin holiday. Occurring once every 28 years, the Knot is said to commemorate the sacking of Eliandar, a High-Elven capitol inhabited during the latter part of the Elder Age. During the Knot, the mightiest Hobgoblin enclave hosts companies from across the realm. Their Strategos forge alliances and compete for status in complex wargames. Violence between companies during the Knot is expressly forbidden, and punishable by exile. The Knot of Bloodhost is typically followed by several years of warfare and expansion. Freshly allied Hobgoblin companies seek to conquer new lands. Companies who did not forge new alliances often wage war on each other, over perceived insults incurred during the Knot.

Hobgoblins have been known to trade fairly with Dwarves, Gnomes, Halflings, Dragonborn, and Humans. They can also make dependable mercenaries once a deal has been struck, so long as their employers keep their word. They have a long-standing hatred of Elves, but are not otherwise particular about who they deal with. More prosperous Hobgoblin companies sometimes engage in commerce with Human cities. Although Hobgoblins produce serviceable arms and armor, they rarely sell them to others. Hobgoblins prefer to trade raw ore and gemstones for livestock and slaves—especially slaves experienced in agriculture, a skill in which most Hobgoblins are deficient.

Hobgoblins occasionally integrate into Human cities, but most are loathe to leave their companies. Common professions for Hobgoblins in Human cities include: Guardsman, bouncer, and pitfighter (in the case of Ringblades). Hobgoblins without a company often find comfort serving as traveling mercenaries or as hired muscle for public officials.

Special Tactics

Hobgoblins prefer to outline battle plans before engaging in combat. In larger engagements, Strategos issue commands to their formations from behind the front lines. These commands are relayed to individual troops by horns, drums, and banners. Hobgoblins like to make use of elevated terrain and enjoy creating bottlenecks in narrow mine tunnels and mountain passes.

Hobgoblins regularly employ auxiliary troops in battle: Bugbear infantry, Troll siege-rollers, Goblin skirmishers, and Hobgoblin light cavalry. Hobgoblins do not entrust the core of their armies to these auxiliary units. That place of honor is reserved for their Immortal infantry and foot soldiers with heavy spears. Bugbears or Trolls are used to secure the main formation’s flanks. Goblin skirmishers are ostensibly used to distract or to draw in the enemy force, but their true purpose is to act as arrow catchers. This allows the main Hobgoblin force to engage in melee with fewer casualties.

Hobgoblins are effective siege attackers. Their engineers are familiar with an array of lethal engines for breaching fortified positions. The scorpion spear thrower, the burning pitch catapult, and the housed battering ram are all commonly employed in Hobgoblin armies.

Qualities

Letter of the Law. Hobgoblins follow their laws and agreements to the letter. To a Hobgoblin, there is no such thing as the “spirit” of a law or agreement. Many poorly-worded agreements have led to disappointment for those seeking to employ a Hobgoblin company, only to discover they had left some unintended loophole in the contract.

Cruel Masters. Hobgoblins expect those they govern to follow their laws. They apply these laws mercilessly to those who reside within their territory. Flogging is a common punishment for first offenders, and public execution is a certainty for a second violation. At first glance, this may not seem far out of line with most human cities, but Hobgoblins have so many laws (many of which seem arbitrary to outsiders) that tourism to their enclaves is widely discouraged.

Disciplined Foe. Hobgoblins are a steadfast and reliable lot compared to their Goblinoid cousins. They take great stock in personal honor, and do not retreat from the battlefield. They will not betray their masters unless loopholes can be found in the contract. They almost never betray their companies.

Give Me a Reason. Hobgoblins love to fight and look for provocation everywhere. Young Hobgoblins are especially easy to goad and often feign offence over minor trespasses in order to spark a brawl.

Weaponry

Melee 1. Dory Spear and Shield. (Dory spear, 1d8 Piercing, 10 Reach). Dory spears are longer than a standard spear, but are still intended for use with one hand. Cumbersome against opponents who can slip inside their guard, these spears are positioned to keep foes at distance.

Melee 2. Falchion and Shield. These kits are reserved for Hobgoblins on guard duty, or for relief forces held in reserve.

Ranged 1. Crossbow and Tower Shield. Slow moving formations of Hobgoblin crossbowmen harass the enemy through slits in their tower shields. The second rank of Hobs (or their indentured Goblin servants) crank and reload crossbows to increase firing rates.

Light Cavalry 1. Cockatrice Mount, Composite Bow, and Falchion. Hobgoblin Cockatrice archers are skilled at wheeling, firing, and withdrawing to a safe distance. To reduce falling deaths, most Hobgoblins clip their Cockatrices’ wings. The monstrous birds run along the ground like ostriches.

Light Cavalry 2. Warg Mount, Spear, Net, and Shield. Highly maneuverable Warg cavalry is typically employed behind enemy lines to capture slaves or burn villages.

Special Units

Stratego. Commands the Hobgoblin Company in battle. Strategos are prideful to the extreme, but are forced to share power with the company’s Obligators outside of battle. In larger companies, a Stratego’s command staff will include 2d6 Siege Engineers, and 2d6 Quartermaster/Storedens, responsible for maintaining the Company’s supplies and war machines.

Immortal. Elite Hobgoblin heavy infantry. Armored columns of Immortals move a synchronized unit. Immortals gain +2 AC for each of their flanks that are secured. This means that the center Immortals in a formation fight at AC 20, while those on the edge fight at AC 18. Immortals wear masks imbued with enchantments that block Fear, and other psychological effects such as Charm. They almost never retreat from battle once engaged.

Obligator. Arguably the most important members of every company. Obligators are Clerics, who ratify every pact the company enters into. In addition, Obligators maintain the company’s Bondslate, an enchanted stone tablet inscribed with the company’s laws and dictates. Obligators are responsible for crafting these laws, and for ensuring that all promises sworn upon the Bondslate are upheld.

If a promise made upon a Bondslate is broken, the offender faces a number of physical maladies (see Hobgoblin Hex below).

Ringblade. Hobgoblins who dedicate themselves to mastering individual combat are called Ringblades. Each time a Ringblade defeats an opponent in single combat, they pierce their batlike ears and add another ring. Ringblades often leave their company for months, or even years at a time. When traveling, they can be found in arenas, fighting pits, and dueling grounds.

When Ringblades have run out of room for new piercings, they return to their company and take up positions as Weapon Masters. These Masters are rare and disinclined to take the field themselves. Companies hosting a Ringblade Master gain +1 to hit on their attacks. This is the cumulative effect of the Master’s many lessons.

The greatest Master Ringblades have survived many battles and fight as 10th-level Fighters. They are slower to anger than the rest of their kin, and will fight only a sufficiently experienced foe outside of self-defense.

Outrider. Mounted Hobgoblin Outriders are light cavalry used to harass larger enemy forces, disrupt supply lines, capture routing foes, or eliminate dangerous spellcasters.

Battlemage. Hobgoblin Battlemages excel at combat casting and primarily select their spells from two schools of magic:

Evocation magic, used to burn, blast, or freeze enemies to death.
Enchantment magic, used to buff weapons, armor, or mounts.

Despite possessing a reasonable aptitude for magic, it is rare to see Hobgoblin Battlemages over 5th level. All Battlemages are expected to fight in melee combat, and most are Fighter or Monk multiclass.

Special Abilities

Drilled Formation. Hobgoblin youth are drilled in formation from the time they can walk. When moving in groups of eight or more, Hobgoblins equipped with a dory spear and shield are able to perform the following formations:

Block. Hobgoblin Blocks move at normal speed. The second rank gains +4 AC and is able to attack with their dory spears at -2 to hit.
Brace. Bracing Hobgoblins may not move. When armed with dory spears, they gain Attack of Opportunity against any size Large or greater foes who charge them (this includes all mounted foes).
Tortoise. Hobgoblin Tortoises move at slow speed. They use their interlocking shields to Gain +4 AC vs. missile attacks.

Note: To gain bonuses, Hobgoblin formations must remain in ranks four wide and two deep at a minimum.

Fighting Withdrawal. When fighting in formation, Hobgoblins can change ranks and disengage from combat without triggering Attacks of Opportunity.

Hobgoblin Hex. When Hobgoblins break the laws of their Bondslate, or when anyone, including PCs, defaces a Bondslate, they permanently suffer -2 CHA and gain one of the following hexes (roll d6):

Ears shrivel to the texture and color of morel mushrooms. Hearing becomes excellent, like a fox’s.
Nose becomes long and hooked like an Ibis. Sense of smell becomes excellent, like a hound’s.
Fingers double in length. +1 to DEX.
Feet double in size and become webbed. Swimming speed increases to normal speed.
Arms become encrusted with warts and curly, dark hairs. +1 STR.
The pupils of the eyes become vertical, like a snakes, and the irises turn bright yellow. The creature gains Darkvision 60′. If they already had Darkvision, it increases to 120′.

Assess Battlefield. Every company of 12 or more Hobgoblins is directed by a Captain with military experience. Once per combat, this leader may assess the battlefield to direct and calm their troops, if needed. This action directs the company toward the Measured Aggression Level by +10% or -10%, whatever is needed.

Movement

Run. Poor. Although individual Hobgoblins can move quickly when alone, they prefer to keep a steady pace and march in tight formation.

Climb. Good. Hobgoblins are accustomed to life on hillsides and in the mines.

Swim. Poor. Hobgoblins rarely find occasion to swim, and are usually too weighed down by armor to do anything but sink. Rumors persist of an amphibious subspecies of Hobgoblin (dubbed the Koalinth) that is proficient at swimming, however. It is said (by Hobgoblins) that the Koalinth are an accident of the same breeding experiments that created Goblins and Bugbears.

Burrow. Good. Hobgoblins are industrious excavators, surpassed only by Dwarves and native burrowers like Umber Hulks.

Fly. n/a

Grudges

Hobgoblins hold an ancestral grudge against the Elven races. They blame them for the collapse of their empires, and their current diminished state in the world.

Hobgoblins also feud with Orcs. As the Elven nations waned and were replaced by Humans, Hobgoblins surrendered territory to fast-breeding Orcish warbands. While Hobgoblins and Orcs may be pressed into the same army, Hobgoblins’ love of order and Orcs’ gleeful anarchy are sure to cause their commander headaches.

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According to Hobgoblin legend (and to no one else), these experimentations gave rise not only to quicker-gestating Hobgoblins, but to the races of Goblins and Bugbears.
Also known as the Battle of Vassili, a reference to Count Vassili, an Elvish warlord who impaled Lurdmoth Trollshaker, Baron-King of the Cutgold Hobgoblins, upon his pike, and raised him over the battlefield for all to see.