Runebearer Goblin Racebook(1), Podreczniki RPG, Runebearer

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Goblin
When tribes do make war on each other, it is usually due
to a grudge between rival Garngpaki. Most Garngpaki
have little feel for diplomacy and are quick to escalate
personal disputes into tribal warfare. In addition, wars of
conquest occur when one tribe grows more prosperous
than its neighbors, or when a particularly strong and
clever chief (or shaman) comes into power.
Description
Goblins are lanky humanoids between 5-6 feet tall.
However, they are stooped, and so look much shorter
when compared to humans. Goblins have lean bodies.
Their limbs are spindly, but have strong, knotted muscles
and knobby joints. They carry almost all of their fat in
their waistlines. Thus, many goblins have pronounced
potbellies. Goblin skin ranges from gray to olive with
varying tones of green or yellow.
This is not to say that goblins never form alliances with
one another. Most tribal alliances are temporary responses
to a threat
or opportunity. Weaker tribes form alliances to counter
the attacks of stronger ones. Also tribes might join to raid
bigger, richer, and better-defended settlements. A few
long-standing alliances exist, forged by the most
intelligent and forward-thinking Garngpaki. These
alliances are often sealed by elaborate rituals and oaths.
Lands
Goblins are versatile and thrive in nearly any
environment. Thus, they are found throughout the land of
Bostonia, as well as in
Borakki and Cobrat lands. However, there are also a large
number of tribes that live in the woods and hills between
Bostonia and Cobrat lands. This region is generally
considered "goblin territory," though no formal borders
are recognized.
In addition to the relationships that tribes keep, shamans
maintain their own network of allies and enemies.
Shamans often meet in secret and make agreements
despite the wills of the Garngpaki involved. Shaman of
rival tribes might try to arrange a temporary peace, or
agree to not attack or cast spells on one another during a
coming battle. In a more sinister vein, they might try to
arrange for one tribe to defeat the other to bring a less
intelligent (and more easily manipulated) chief to power.
Government
Goblins live in tribes ranging in population between 50-
2500 members. There are dozens of tribes in the lands
south of Bostonia. Each tribe is ruled by a War Chief called
a Garngpak (GARN – pok). The Garngpak is the strongest,
most able warrior. He acquires his position by defeating
all of his rivals in combat or other trials of strength and he
must face all challengers to keep his throne. The
Garngpak's word is law. He rules with an iron fist and
backs up his authority with his axe. He takes council from
his shield man, and his shaman.
External Relations
Because of their warlike nature, and their cultural
traditions of cannibalism, goblins are generally reviled by
the other races. Many southern Bostonians view goblins as
heathen savages worthy of contempt and hatred. This
opinion is somewhat muted to the north where goblins do
not pose a daily threat to security.
Shamans act as healers, mages, and wise men for their
tribes. They are respected, and often the most cunning and
powerful members of the tribe. However, goblin traditions
do not allow non-warriors to rule and thus, they are
relegated to the role of taking orders from their Garngpak.
A few exceptions exist. Years ago, Bostonian missionaries
attempted to convert several nearby goblin tribes. Most of
the missionaries never returned, but two tribes – The
Redeemed, and The Bright Burning Flame – converted to
the Bostonian faith.
This situation galls many shamans, who feel that their
superior intelligence entitles them to rule. This leads to
tension between the chiefs and their shamans. Shamans
tend to be a rebellious lot, continuously scheming for their
own benefit. The chiefs are suspicious, and sometimes
even fearful, of the shamans, but keep them close by for
their invaluable healing and magic skills.
The Redeemed are a tiny tribe bordering southwestern
Bostonia. They trade, and maintain relations with, Fort
Talon and Jamestown. The Bright Burning Flame was
recently wiped out by their rivals. The refugees of that
tribe now live in a small, rundown section of Fort Talon.
Internal Relations
Goblin traditions value strength, courage, skill in battle,
and the art of making war. For this reason, most goblin
tribes exist in a constant state of war. Tribes raid their
neighbors continuously to obtain wealth, weapons,
finished goods, and exotic foodstuffs and if no non-goblin
settlements are nearby, another goblin tribe will become
the target. All out wars are rare, but skirmishes occur as
quickly as the warriors can heal from previous wounds.
Cobrats also dislike goblin kind. Cobrat city-states that
border goblin territory organize large hunting parties to
destroy nearby tribes. In addition, where slavery is
practiced, goblins are taken en masse and sold on the
slave market.
1
For this reason, goblins often eat their dead, especially
those that were strong, smart, or had a useful skill when
they lived. Garngpaki and shamans are always eaten,
usually by the individual who is to succeed them in their
position. The bodies of respected or feared enemies are
taken back to the tribe so that the goblin warriors can
become more fearsome.
Family
In most goblin tribes, the males and females live in
separate groups. One dormitory houses all of the males
that have come of age. Male dormitories are rowdy places
where warriors train and create weapons in preparation
for the next raid. At night, the place fills with loud boasts,
challenges, and contests.
Language
The written language of goblins is terribly primitive,
consisting of a limited set of symbols to represent concepts
such as danger, food, and territorial boundaries. This
writing is used to make signs, but never for
correspondence, information, or histor y. Goblins maintain
all of their culture and history through oral traditions.
The spoken language of goblins reflects these traditions.
Words in the language gain meaning over the years based
on their use. At one time, a name might be just that, a way
to represent an individual. However, as the individual’s
deeds become known, their name will come to tell their
story – all of the events in their life are told by a single
word. Finally, after many years, their name comes to
represent the “meaning” of the story, as opposed to
representing a sequence of events.
Some of the effects of this linguistic paradigm are as
follows:
Female dormitories house females and their young. In this
dormitory, the work is endless. Females are responsible
for gathering and preparing food, making clothes and
armor, and tending the young.
There is very little day-to-day contact between the
members of the dormitories and so there are no “families”
of which to speak. Lineage is important to goblins though,
since a young goblin’s place in the pecking order is
initially determined by who his parents are. Likewise,
social groups are important as well. Males close to the
Garngpak, as well as females that mate with him, have a
high status among the tribe.
Food and Drink
Due to their unique digestive system, goblins will eat
almost anything. They prefer to eat “normal” foods like
nuts, berries, and meat, since those taste the best.
However, when those foods are unavailable, goblins can
still find something to fill their bellies.
•
A word’s meaning can differ from place to place. Two
different tribes might have two different versions of
the same event. The stories behind that event, the
meanings taken from that event, and thus the
meaning of the word, will differ.
Most of the smaller goblin tribes are hunter-gatherers.
They migrate to follow the Felsen, or Stub Cattle upon
which they feed, and supplement their diet with nuts,
berries, and mushrooms gathered by the females of the
tribe. Raids provide the tribes with hard to get foods such
as grains, smoked and canned goods, and alcoholic
beverages.
•
A word’s meaning will evolve over time. As a story is
told, retold, distorted, and forgotten, the words and
meanings surrounding that story will change.
•
Knowledge of goblin history is essential to speak
“good” goblin. The meanings of words are dependent
on the course of history and legends. A character
could know goblin vocabulary, but may find himself
misunderstood unless he knows the history of the
goblins with which he was speaking.
Eating is an important part of goblin life, and to many
outsiders, goblins seem to spend much of their time
finding new and interesting things to eat. Male goblins
engage in ritual contests, called calgooda (CAL – gud –
eh), where the two contestants take turns devising the
most foul -tasting concoction for the other to consume. The
first one to refuse, to get sick, or to be unable to finish the
“meal” loses the co ntest.
•
Names are meaningful to goblins – more so than any
other race. Naming a child associates hundreds of
years of history and meaning to that child. Goblins
believe that naming a child affects his destiny. Names
are given to children by their tribe and only after
reaching young adulthood.
Cannibalism is another goblin ritual that stems from their
obsession with eating. Goblins believe that eating
something causes you to take on its characteristics. When
the meal consists of plants, or dumb animals, the effect is
minimal. However, when the food is prepared from the
flesh of an intelligent being, then the goblins that partake
in the meal will gain some of that being’s power.
2
Ulcanus’ favorites are raised by wolves and become
alphas. However, there are a few individuals to whom
Ulcanus gives the special gift of Barktoungue – the ability
to speak to wolves.
Religion
Goblins lack the fine distinctions between supernatural
beings that other races have. Spirits, elementals, demons,
ghosts, and some types of powerful undead are all
considered gods by goblins. Because of this, goblins have
no organized religion, and instead worship a confusing
array of over a hundred gods. Some of these gods
recognized by all goblin kind and have legends rivaling
that of Stratus and Heshahsthalan. Others are tribal
ancestors or spirits that are worshipped by only one or
two tribes. The stories and deeds of these beings
intertwine in a convoluted fashion that only a goblin can
truly appreciate.
Hirroot (HUR – root): The Earth Spirit
Hirroot is a powerful earth elemental that resides in a
remote southwest corner of goblin lands. Hirroot
dominates the tribes Poisoned Blade and Children of the
Dirt. Both tribes worship him as a god, and compete for
his favor. Sacrifices to Hirroot consist of valuable jewels
and gems, or the blood of a tribal enemy. Hirroot prefers
the taste of cobrat and both tribes raid cobrat lands to
slake his thirst.
Goblin worship typically consists of a prayer for a boon
(or forgiveness if the god is angry) and a sacrifice of food,
valuables, or enemies. Because they are the wisest
members of the tribe, shamans are often asked to aid in
the prayer, and are given a small percentage of the
sacrifice as a payment. However, shamans do not hold
services, and generally, do not actively promote worship
of the gods.
Hirroot teaches his followers the arcane spells he knows.
These include: Consume Stone (new), Farscrye, Grow,
Invisible Servant, Lighten Burden, Repel Liquid, Sense
Gems (new), and Stone Armor (new).
Uldpak (OOLD – pok): The Old Warlord
Many years ago, Uldpak was the war chief of the Grunigar
(GRUN – eh -- gar) tribe. His intelligence and ferocity in
battle was renown. Goblin lore keepers say that Uldpak
led an expedition deep into the western mountains. There
he found an ancient ruin and in it, a powerful magic axe.
This discovery inspired Uldpak to unite the goblin tribes
against their enemies. Through diplomacy and conquest,
he almost did so. However, he was stopped short of his
goal by the blade of an assassin.
Goblins that are lucky enough to gain the favor of their
gods are called Thugraa (thoo – GRAH). Thugraa are
considered blessed, and often possess uncanny abilities.
Some of the more im portant goblin gods are listed below.
The Wretched One
The Wretched One brings disease, sorrow, and death to
goblinkind. He is portrayed as an old, withered goblin
covered in sores and weeping boils. Everywhere he goes,
pestilence follows. Tribes worship The Wretched One in
hopes that he will leave them alone. Offerings to The
Wretched One can involve leaving meat to rot, fouling
enemy food and water supplies, or exposing prisoners to
diseases.
Garngpaki who seek insight or excellence in battle pay
homage to Uldpak. Typically, this sacrifice will take the
form of a raid on a powerful enemy in which all the lives
lost are dedicated to the god. Another favored sacrifice
(but one that is rarely performed) is that of magic artifacts.
Favorites of Uldpak gain wisdom and cunning in battle. In
addition, it is rumored that Uldpak’s Bonecleaver still
exists and that once Uldpak finds a champion, he will lead
him to the weapon.
Thugraa of The Wretched One are notorious carriers of
disease, but they are immune. Most of them bind The
Wretched One’s Mark to further spread his “favor” among
their fellows.
Tog: The Thin One
Tog is a small, wretched creature, despised by all right-
thinking goblins. He is the master of stealth, obfuscation,
and silent killing. Tog’s followers, called Togi, exist on the
fringes of goblin society. They form a small group of
assassins and spies who will work for anyone willing to
pay their fees.
Ulcanus (ool – CANE – is): The Wolf Spirit
Ulcanus is a nature spirit that takes the form of a huge
gray wolf. He is the father of all wolves and because he
favors goblin kind, he has created a special bond between
the two species. Goblins believe that Ulcanus led wolves
to the goblin territories and taught goblins how to track
and care for the creatures.
Outside of his cult, Tog is rarely worshipped.
Occasionally, a goblin fearing his wrath, or the blade of an
assassin will offer a sacrifice to Tog by performing acts of
kindness to weaker goblins.
Goblins sacrifice to Ulcanus when trying to find a wolf
pack to use as mounts and guard dogs. Also, sacrifices are
made when an Alpha is born, or when a tribe’s wolves
have a disease. Sacrifices to this god take the form of
burning wolfsweed, or large game animals killed and left
for a pack of wild canines to find.
A gift from Tog gives the thugraa protection from
assassination and the ability to detect someone sneaking
up on him.
3
•
Poison and Disease Resistance:
Goblins are immune
to poisons and diseases that are contracted by
ingestion. Pathogens and toxins that attack through
the skin, through cuts, or by being breathed can affect
goblins, but they are resistant to these as well.
Anytime a poison or a disease affects a goblin (he is
exposed and fails his save), he gets a 40% resistance
check. If he succeeds, he ignores the poison or disease
for that exposure. Other exposures will cause the
goblin character to save again, and get another
resistance check.
Chagaa (SHA – ga): Wisened Woman
Chagaa is a protector of female goblins. In a society where
many females are treated like slaves, Chagaa protects her
followers from the most hideous excesses of the males. In
many tribes, sacrifices to Chagaa are done in secret
because open worship of this goddess angers the males.
The most common sacrifice is a small amount of menstrual
blood. However, certain favors require more drastic
measures such as the petitioner exiling herself from the
tribe, or subjecting herself to a horrible beating from the
other females.
•
Rune Eater:
Goblins have the remarkable ability to
acquire the runes of people whose flesh they eat. The
chance of this happening depends on the rune, the
goblin doing the eating, and the race of the poor sod
being eaten.
Thug raa of Chagaa secretly bear her rune and act as her
servants among the tribes.
Oppengrull (OP – pen – grol): The Nattering Skull
Base Chance of Gaining Rune
5%
Oppengrull is depicted as a floating skull, sitting on a
shaman’s shoulders, continuously talking into his ear.
Oppengrull fills his worshippers with dreams of
grandeur, and goads them into scheming and plotting
against their fellows in an attempt to gain power. Shamans
sacrifice to Oppengrull to gain his favor. The offering is
usually something dear to the shaman – a prized obje ct, or
a small part of his intelligence.
Rune is of "Goblin Origin"
+15%
Rune Eater Already Has a Rune
+10%
Flesh is Goblin
+10%
Consumed Mage is 1
st
Circle
-10%
Mage is 2
nd
Circle
-5%
Mage is 4
th
Circle
+5%
In addition, there are rituals that can be performed to
increase this chance.
Templates
Thugraa of Oppengrull gain a Nattering Skull as a
familiar. The skull provides the shaman with a boost in
magical power, as well as advice on how to defeat his
enemies. However, the skull’s constant chattering,
goading, and berating of the goblin often drives him
insane.
Alpha
Alpha Male
Animal Handler +1
+1 Base Move
Combat: Axe or Sword
Combat: Spear
Combat: Shield
Kn: Rival Tribes Tactics
Kn: Tribal History
Kn: Tribal Pecking Order
Riding +1
Tactics, Personal
+25 Buy Points
Rules
Stat Modifiers
•
STR +1
•
AGI -1
•
DEX +1
•
SPD -1
•
TOU +4
•
INT -1
•
WIL -3
Description
Alphas are a manifestation of the living bond between
goblins and wolves. Shamans pick young goblins from the
dormitory and pl ace them in the care of a she-wolf. The
she-wolf treats the newcomer as one of her pups and lives
his early life as a wolf. When he comes of age, the wolf-
goblin will assert his dominance over the pack by
defeating the lead male. He will then lead the pack back to
his tribe where they will be trained as mounts.
Racial Traits
•
Goblin Stomach:
Goblins can eat and get sustenance
from almost any organic substance. Goblins can
survive on material that other species find inedible, or
even poisonous. Goblins can eat wood, carrion, bark,
bugs, clothing, and even rich soil.
Suggested Attributes:
STR, DEX, AGI, TOU, PER
Suggested Limitations
4
Arehgut (Fixing Woman)
Chageen
Ancient Knowledge
Combat: Choose
Craft: Armorer +2
Craft (choose) +1
Craft (choose)
Kn: Ancient Materials +2
Kn: Tribal History
Kn: Tribal Pecking Order
Navigate
Repair +2
Survival: Scavenger +1
Trade
+20 Buy Points
Combat: Unarmed +1
Conceal
Converse
Craft: Cook
Craft: Seamstress
Fast Talk
Herbalism
Kn: Tribal History
Kn: Tribal Pecking Order +1
Magic: Chagraa’s Secret
Medical
Persuade
Seduce
+20 Buy Points
Description
Arehgut (ar – eh – GOOT) are skilled female smiths that
create the armor and weapons worn by the goblin
warriors. Their skills at creating and fixing tools are
unsurpassed. However, they are especially sought after
for their uncanny ability to find useful bits of material
from the many ancient ruins that can be found in goblin
territory.
Description
Chageen are the chosen of Chagraa. They lurk in their
tribes, promoting goodwill among the females, and
silently dispensing justice against those that harm them.
Because worship of their goddess is outlawed in most
tribes, they learn to play the “model” femal e, and to act in
secret.
Suggested Attributes:
INT, PER, WIL, CHA
Arehgut are skilled craftswomen and navigators. They
learn the stories of the ancient wizards from their masters
and sometimes, the tribal shaman. Most importantly, they
learn the properties of ancient construction materials.
Suggested Limitations
Lore Keeper
Suggested Attributes:
INT, PER, SPI
Ancient Knowledge +1
Artifacts +1
Carouse
Craft: Storyteller +2
Kn: Goblin History +2
Kn: Tribal History +2
Kn: Tribal Pecking Order
Lang: Choose (level 2)
Literate
Orate
Theology
+24 Buy Points
Suggested Limitations
Belcher
Alchemy +2
Belching
Combat: Thrown
Craft: Cooking +2
Kn: Animal Reagents +1
Kn: Mineral Reagents +1
Kn: Plant Reagents +1
Kn: Tribal Pecking Order
Kn: Tribal History
+28 Buy Points
Description
Lore keepers are tribal historians. Because of goblins’ lack
of an advanced written language, lore keepers are charged
with being a living record of the tribe’s knowledge and
deeds. During the day, they educate the tribe’s children
and at night, they entertain the adults with stories.
In addition to the duty of compiling knowledge about
goblins, lore keepers are also tasked with learning as
much as possible about nearby races. To facilitate this,
they often try to learn the language of at least one other
race – either by spending time among that race, or by
talking to prisoners.
Suggested Attributes:
INT, PER, CHA
Suggested Limitations
Description
Belchers are a special type of alchemist unique to the
goblin race. Belchers have an extra sensitive sense of taste
and have even more resilient digestive systems than do
normal goblins. This allows them to take alchemical
ingredients, swallow them, and then vomit up a potion a
day or so later.
Suggested Attributes:
INT, PER, SPI
Suggested Limitations
5
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Runebearer Goblin Racebook(1), Podreczniki RPG, Runebearer

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