Hobgoblin (Uncommon)

About Uncommon Ancestries

While humans, dwarves, elves, gnomes, goblins, and halflings can be found in most locales, some ancestries are still unusual sights outside of specific environments. As a result, although these peoples may be well known or even dominant in various regions of the world, they are not commonly found in all parts region. This ancestry is therefore uncommon for adventurers. This rarity trait applies specifically to the rules to play a member of this ancestry, and it is separate from the monster rarity that determines how obscure information about a creature is.

While this ancestry is uncommon in the same way a magic item, a feat, or a spell is, an ancestry is something you choose at the beginning of the campaign. Specific campaigns might provide a list of uncommon ancestries that are particularly appropriate for that setting, such as hobgoblins in a campaign set near Oprak, or lizardfolk for a campaign in the Mwangi Expanse, and grant access to those ancestries. In other games, these ancestries are as available as your group desires them to be.

Brutally efficient in their outlook and society, hobgoblins brook no mercy for those they consider weak or useless.

They value merit over age, gender, or family connections, and the only limits to how high a hobgoblin can rise in the hobgoblin hierarchy are their ability, ruthlessness, and personal drive. Most peoples consider hobgoblins to be unrepentant monsters and assume they are hostile on sight, making them unlikely visitors to human nations.

Taller and stronger than their goblin kin, hobgoblins are equals in strength and size to humans, with broad shoulders and long, powerful arms.

You Might…

• Seek out the most effective and practical solutions to any problem.
• Encourage a clear chain of command among any group you travel with, following orders even if you disagree with them.
• Look for opportune alliances with other creatures, even if you don’t fully understand or trust them.

Others Probably…

• Consider you dangerous, due to your reputation and intimidating appearance.
• Assume you hate magic and other mystical arts.
• Recognize your incredible endurance, dedication, and discipline.

Physical Description

Hobgoblins stand nearly as tall as humans, though they tend to have shorter legs and longer arms and torsos. They have the bald, wide heads and beady eyes, and gray skin that becomes steely blue when tanned. Hobgoblins are remarkably hardy; they recover from illnesses quickly and are able to exert themselves for long periods of time with little difficulty.

Hobgoblins mature quickly, and most can walk, talk, and hold a weapon by the time they are 1 year old, reaching adolescence by the age of 8 to 12 and adulthood around 14. Hobgoblins typically live up to 70 years of age.

Society

Hobgoblins structure their society after military hierarchies. Even civilian groups such as farming collectives or trading houses organize into regiments, companies, and divisions. Most hobgoblins fixate on social status, and many constantly strive to advance their social position. Hobgoblin punishments are primarily social demotions, although execution or slavery are common for serious crimes, such as arson or desertion.

Hobgoblin veterans hold a high place in their society, usually becoming leaders or advisors. Magic is rarely practiced and often derided, as most hobgoblins don’t trust it over the strength of their own sword arms.

Their arts tend to have a military bent; many hobgoblins consider stirring marches and weaponsmithing the only artistic endeavors worth pursuing.

Alignment and Religion

Though familiar with the chaos of war, most hobgoblins have orderly minds and prefer to live within established hierarchies. While many hobgoblins consider sentimentality weak, those with mild temperaments have recently found success in diplomacy and international outreach.

Adventurers

Hobgoblin society’s rigid militaristic hierarchy produces excellent adventurers, as hobgoblins reach adulthood trained for combat. Due to their upbringing, many hobgoblins have the warrior background. The laborer, martial disciple, miner, and scout backgrounds are also common.

Hobgoblins raised away from their people often have the criminal, hermit, or nomad backgrounds instead.

Hobgoblins are most often fighters, rangers, or rogues, although hobgoblin rogues approach their class with a disciplined mindset. Hobgoblins hold an ancestral grudge against elves and a distrust of arcane magic, which they call “elf magic.” Hobgoblin practitioners of arcane magic are exceedingly rare and usually shunned by other hobgoblins. Particularly clever hobgoblins usually become alchemists.

As a result, hobgoblin adventurers are usually lawful neutral, with only those rejecting or raised outside of their militaristic society chaotic. Faith has little place in hobgoblin society, as many feel it is impractical, though religious hobgoblins can gain a begrudging modicum of acceptance due to their useful healing magic.

Names

Like goblins, hobgoblin names tend to be simple, though hobgoblin names usually sound more guttural and forceful. On rare occasions, hobgoblins will alter their names, keeping the core but adding aspects, usually in response to an extreme trauma or a life-altering event. Hobgoblins have no surnames, considering them both pointless and presumptuous; an individual’s merits and demerits are to be earned by their actions, not by an association with a particular lineage.

Sample Names Aze, Druknar, Ghargam, Hathkren, Imakra, Kralaeng, Mazkol, Olzu, Rezal, Sivkrag, Volmak, Zornum

Hobgoblin Heritages

Hobgoblins have a wide range of physiological differences based primarily on their family lineage. Choose one of the following hobgoblin heritages at 1st level.

Elfbane Hobgoblin

Source PLOCG

Hobgoblins were engineered long ago from the unreliable and fecund goblins, to be used as an army against the elves. Although the elves ultimately freed the hobgoblins from their bondage, some hobgoblins retain ancestral resistance to magic, which they refer to as “elf magic.” You gain the Resist Elf Magic reaction.

Resist Elf Magic [reaction]

Trigger You attempt a saving throw against a magical effect but haven’t rolled yet.

Your ancestral resistance to magic protects you. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to the triggering saving throw. If the triggering effect is arcane, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus instead.

Runtboss Hobgoblin

Source PLOCG

You come from a long line of hobgoblins who commanded goblins. You are smaller than other hobgoblins, but goblins still listen to any commands you bellow. You gain the Group Coercion skill feat. If you roll a success on an Intimidation check to Coerce a goblin (but not other creatures with the goblin trait), you get a critical success instead; if you roll a critical failure, you get a failure instead.

Smokeworker Hobgoblin

Source PLOCG

Your family have been alchemists, engineers, and scientists for generations, on projects bringing smoke and fire to the field of battle. You gain fire resistance equal to half your level (minimum 1). You automatically succeed at the DC 5 flat check to target a concealed creature if that creature is concealed only by smoke.

Warmarch Hobgoblin

Source PLOCG

You come from a line of wandering mercenaries, constantly on the march and scavenging food on the trail. If you fail, but not critically fail, to Subsist in the wilderness, you can still keep yourself fed with poor meals. When exploring, you can Hustle twice as long before you have to stop.

Warrenbred Hobgoblin

Source PLOCG

Your ancestors lived underground. Your ears are larger than those of other hobgoblins and sensitive to echoes.

When you are underground, you can use the Seek action to sense undetected creatures within a 30-foot burst instead of a 15-foot burst. In addition, if you roll a success on an Acrobatics check to Squeeze, you get a critical success instead.

Hobgoblin Ancestry Feats

At 1st level, you gain one ancestry feat, and you gain an additional ancestry feat every 4 levels thereafter (at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th levels). As a hobgoblin, you choose from among the following ancestry feats.

1st Level

Alchemical Scholar Feat 1

Source PLOCG

Hobgoblin

You learn formulas more easily. You gain four common 1st-level alchemical formulas when you take this feat, and each time you gain a level, you gain a common alchemical formula of that level. You still need Alchemical Crafting to Craft alchemical items.

Special: You can take this feat only at 1st level, and you can’t retrain into or out of this feat.

Hobgoblin Lore Feat 1

Source PLOCG

Hobgoblin

You’ve studied traditional hobgoblin exercises and fieldcraft, all of which have a militaristic bent. You become trained in Athletics and Crafting. For each of these skills in which you were already trained, you become trained in a skill of your choice. You also become trained in Hobgoblin Lore.

Hobgoblin Weapon Familiarity Feat 1

Source PLOCG

Hobgoblin

You are trained with composite longbows, composite shortbows, glaives, halberds, longbows, longspears, longswords, shortbows, and spears.

In addition, you gain access to all uncommon hobgoblin weapons. For the purpose of determining your proficiency, martial hobgoblin weapons are simple weapons and advanced hobgoblin weapons are martial weapons.

Leech-Clipper Feat 1

Source PLOCG

Hobgoblin

You are trained to capture deserters, or “leeches.” If you critically hit a foe with a weapon from the flail weapon group, you can wrap the weapon around the target’s legs and then drop it, causing the foe to take a –10-foot circumstance penalty to their Speeds until they or their allies disentangle the weapon, which takes a total of 2 Interact actions.

Remorseless Lash Feat 1

Source PLOCG

Hobgoblin

You’re skilled at beating a foe when their morale is already breaking.

When you succeed at a melee weapon Strike against a frightened foe, that foe can’t reduce their frightened condition below 1 until the beginning of your next turn.

Vigorous Health Feat 1

Source PLOCG

Hobgoblin

Your physique is robust and can withstand blood loss startlingly well.

Whenever you would gain the drained condition, you can attempt a DC 17 flat check. On a success, you don’t gain the drained condition.

5th Level

Agonizing Rebuke Feat 5

Source PLOCG

Hobgoblin

When you terrorize your enemies, you also cause them painful mental distress.

When you successfully Demoralize a foe, that foe takes 1d4 mental damage at the start of each of its turns as long as it remains frightened and continues to engage in combat with you. If you have master proficiency in Intimidation, the damage increases to 2d4, and if you have legendary proficiency, the damage increases to 3d4.

Expert Drill Sergeant Feat 5

Source PLOCG

Hobgoblin

You know how to get the most out of your allies.

While exploring, when you are leading and allies are Following the Expert, you grant a +3 circumstance bonus instead of +2 if you’re an expert in the applicable skill, and a +4 circumstance bonus if you’re a master.

Formation Training Feat 5

Source PLOCG

Hobgoblin

Prerequisite(s): trained in all martial weapons

You know how to fight in formation with your brethren.

When you are adjacent to at least two hobgoblin allies, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to AC and saving throws. This bonus increases to +2 on Reflex saves against area effects.

Hobgoblin Weapon Discipline Feat 5

Source PLOCG

Hobgoblin

Prerequisite(s): Hobgoblin Weapon Familiarity

You know how to efficiently utilize the weapons soldiers use in close quarters.

Whenever you score a critical hit using a weapon of the polearm, spear, or sword group, you apply the weapon’s critical specialization effect.

9th Level

Pride In Arms [reaction] Feat 9

Source PLOCG

Hobgoblin

Trigger An ally within 30 feet brings a foe to 0 Hit Points.

With a shout of triumph, you grant inspiration to an ally fight on.

The triggering ally gains temporary Hit Points equal to their Constitution modifier until the end of their next turn.

13th Level

Formation Master Feat 13

Source PLOCG

Hobgoblin

Prerequisite(s): Formation Training (see above)

You can assemble a formation even with members of ancestries that lack the hobgoblins’ military discipline, and you can extend these benefits to your hobgoblin allies.

When you are adjacent to at least two humanoid allies, you gain the benefits of Formation Training, even if they aren’t hobgoblin allies. Hobgoblin allies adjacent to you and at least one other hobgoblin ally also gain the bonuses from your Formation Training feat.

Hobgoblin Weapon Expertise Feat 13

Source PLOCG

Hobgoblin

Prerequisite(s): Hobgoblin Weapon Familiarity

You increase your training in battlefield weapons.

Whenever you gain a class feature that grants you expert or greater proficiency in certain weapons, you also gain that proficiency rank in all weapons you are trained in from Hobgoblin Weapon Familiarity.