What is a Goblin?

Goblins fall under the Goblinoids family; this family is closely related to humanoids in both external and internal body structures. The family is made up of a number of subraces including but not limited to Goblins, Hobgoblins, Bugbears, and Dekanter goblins. All Goblinoids have dark vision and their native tongue is… you guessed it “Goblin”.

What do Goblins look like?

If you’re looking for a visual reputation of what a goblin looks like in terms of appearance check out our D&D Goblin Miniatures range, we have a number of Miniatures that use cross-references from both fantasy and folklore.

If you are looking for a text-based description then, DnD Goblins have a number of key features these include flat faces, broad noses, pointed ears, and small but sharp fangs, with a typically green or dark brown hue to the skin however skin tones can also be off shades of yellow and even red depending on the tribe or clan the goblin is from.  The traits of a DnD goblin are lewd, cruel, sadistic, and power-hungry. Goblins are normally seen as being aggressive and short-tempered yet social inside their own circles. While it has become somewhat popular belief (mainly from the Tolkien universe) that goblins are both evil and stupid, this is simply not the case most goblins are in fact natural and most goblins share the same level of intelligence you find in other hominoid races.     

So Goblins come from DnD?

Not exactly the term Goblinoid originated in the DnD universe, however the word Goblin dates much further back, all the way back to the middle ages where it was first documented. The term goblin is used to describe a certain type of creature in European folklore. These creatures are made up of conflicting abilities and appearances depending on the country the folktale originated in but there are an overall consensus and common ground that all goblins fall into. For example, all goblin’s are described as small and mischievous with hideous features and normally have global traits such as green and mischief.