TBA
I — What Goblins Really Are
Goblins are not monsters but we not exactly civilized either.
We are problem-solvers who don't wait for permission.
A goblin mind runs on three things:
Curiosity
Opportunity
Survival
Where humans build systems, goblins build solutions.
Temporary ones. Loud ones. Sometimes explosive ones but solutions all the same.
II — The Shape of a Goblin
No two goblins look identical, but most share familiar traits:
Short, compact frames built for crawling through tight spaces
Large ears that catch whispers and danger
Sharp teeth made for tearing through almost anything
Quick hands that rarely stay still
Eyes that shine in low light
Skin tones vary wildly:
Moss green
Stone gray
Rust brown
Sickly yellow
Deep forest shades
Goblins often decorate themselves with the tools of their trade. Oil stains. Bone charms. Armor plates. Glowing wires.
Your work leaves marks on you, Goblins are proud of those marks!
III — The Three Goblin Paths
As goblins grow into adulthood, most drift toward a craft that shapes their place in the tribe. No one forces the choice but eventually your hands start reaching for the same kind of work.
🔧 Tinkerers — The Builders of Trouble
Tinkerers see possibility in broken things. A smashed radio becomes a signal scanner. Discarded drone becomes a scout. A broken generator becomes a very exciting accident waiting to happen.
Tinkerers thrive in places filled with forgotten technology:
scrapyards
repair shops
abandoned warehouses
subway tunnels full of wires
They specialize in:
salvaging electronics
building traps and gadgets
modifying weapons
turning junk into working machines
A tinkerer’s workshop is a dangerous place. Not because they’re careless. Because experiments are part of the process. If it explodes, the next version will explode less...Usually.
🔮 Shamans — The Listeners
Cities didn't kill the old magic, it just buried it. Deep beneath concrete and steel, strange spirits still linger. Shamans are the goblins who hear them.
They speak with:
sewer spirits
alley ghosts
forgotten household gods
rust spirits that haunt abandoned machines
A shaman’s power comes from negotiation, not control.
They offer:
food
strange tokens
whispered promises
little pieces of luck
In return they receive:
visions
protection
curses for enemies
guidance when the tribe is lost
Shamans also guard goblin traditions. They remember stories most goblins are too impatient to sit through. Which makes them surprisingly important.
🗡 Warriors — The Tribe’s Teeth
Every tribe needs someone who can solve problems the direct way.
Warriors are fast, brutal, and clever in a fight.
They don't charge into battle like heroes.
They prefer:
ambushes
traps
surprise attacks
fighting in groups
A goblin warrior wins fights by making sure the enemy never gets a fair one.
They protect:
tribe territory
supply routes
important goblins
Warriors are also the ones who deal with creatures that wander too close to the warren.
Sometimes those creatures are human.
Sometimes they’re far worse.
IV — Life in the Warren
A warren is a goblin settlement.
Usually hidden somewhere humans overlook:
beneath subway systems
inside abandoned malls
in storm drain networks
behind false walls in factories
A warren is rarely neat. But it is organized in a way goblins understand.
Paths twist and fork. Traps guard entrances. Rooms are stacked with scrap, tools, and stolen furniture.
The center of most warrens contains three important places:
the workshops
the spirit fire where shamans perform rituals
the scrap pile, where valuable junk is sorted
To outsiders it looks like chaos. To goblins it’s home.
V — Reputation and Standing
Goblins don’t care much about noble titles. What matters is what you've done.
Young goblins start with small jobs:
scavenging
lookout duty
running messages through tunnels
Eventually they prove themselves through skill and dedication to the tribe.
A goblin earns respect by:
inventing something useful
winning a dangerous fight
negotiating with a powerful spirit
discovering valuable salvage
Some goblins eventually rise to leadership roles. These leaders are often called Bosses. A boss doesn’t rule through ceremony. They rule because everyone agrees that following them is a good idea.
VI — Goblin Ingenuity
If humans are builders, goblins are improvisers.
Give a goblin a pile of junk and enough time and they will eventually create something useful. Or terrifying. Sometimes both.
Common goblin creations include:
motion-triggered traps
cobbled-together firearms
tiny mechanical scouts
chemical smoke bombs
scrap armor made from street signs and car parts
Goblins do not fear experimentation. Failure is just information with sparks.
VII — Goblin Magic
Goblin magic is messy. It isn’t elegant like wizard spells. It grows from ritual, instinct, and bargains with strange forces.
Shamans can:
ward territory against intruders
curse enemies with lingering bad luck
strengthen warriors before battle
speak with spirits bound to places or objects
Tinkerers can:
But magic always has a cost. Spirits are patient. They remember every favor.
VIII — Enemies of the Warrens
Goblins survive because they stay clever. But the world is full of things that threaten them.
Common dangers include:
organized monster hunters
creatures drawn to goblin magic
rival goblin tribes
corporations that discover hidden warrens
spirits angered by broken bargains
Most goblins prefer to avoid direct conflict.
But if their home is threatened…The warrens become very dangerous places to invade.
IX — When a Goblin Breaks
Goblins thrive in community. A goblin cut off from tribe and purpose often begins to unravel. They grow very erratic. Obsessive. And extremely dangerous.
Some become solitary inventors whose creations spiral out of control. Others fall too deep into spirit dealings and become something… different. These goblins are whispered about carefully. Because every goblin fears becoming one.
X — Playing a Goblin
Goblin roleplay thrives on creativity and adaptability.
A goblin character should lean into:
clever solutions
chaotic teamwork
strange inventions
unexpected bravery
humor in dangerous situations
Thievery and total chaos
Goblins rarely dominate a situation through raw power. They win by being smarter, sneakier, and faster than the problem.
XI — Final Words from the Warren
Humans believe the world belongs to them.
They build towers, they build roads. They throw away the pieces that break. But every discarded thing eventually finds its way to a goblin.
And goblins know something humans forget. Nothing is ever truly useless. Everything can be turned into something new.
Sometimes something wonderful. Sometimes something very dangerous.
Usually both. 🔧🔥