OK. this has been bouncing around my head for a few week, so I figured I’d toss it out there and see if anyone else likes the idea.
Goblin Guard
• Premise –
Inspired heavily by Goblins the comic, Goblin Guard is your stereotypical hack and slash fantasy world from the point of view of the goblins. PCs are members of a Goblin tribe/clan and must do what they can to protect and provide for the goblins of their village. In their worldview, goblins live in harmony with the natural world, and the other races whom they call Manz are defilers of the world. The goblin bands must do what the can to survive in a world where they are treated as fodder for Xp and forced to be minions to evil powers.
The concept should be treated mostly seriously, but light enough to allow quite a few tongue-in-cheek references to all the fantasy stereotypes and outside sources. Also, the goblins will be treated as the noble heroes of the story
• Missions –
-Raid Manz villages to liberate foodstuffs produced by their enslaved plants and animals.
-Destroy small caravans and rob travellers to reclaim Father Stone’s life blood and return it to him. (Loot gold gems and other metal objets and and hide them in caves.)
-Distract bands of Adventurers to lead them aware from our families.
Forage and hunt for food
-Rebuild villages and Stone Temples after the passing of Storms and Heroes.
• Conflicts –
Most conflicts in MG would translate straight into GG. Posible a new conflict type for raids and looting.
• Weapons –
Goblins and at one with Nature and as such will only used wooden and stone weapons. Any “unnatural” items such as those made with Forged metal or worked wood are destroyed or returned to Father Stone. Leather is ok though, As long as it’s not dyed or otherwise made to look unnatural.
• Overarching Conflict –
The Seasons and outdoor survival are still very important in Goblin Guard, but the biggest obstacle to survival in their world are Manz, and more specifically, Manz adventurers. They are as a force of Nature, from the lowest band of Adventurlings out to cut their teeth on a hapless band of Gobin foragers, to the Demi-Godlike Heroes that can wipe out whole villages single handedly. Goblins have no real hope of stopping these They can only seek to survive and rebuild/repopulate once the Manz Adventurer has moved on.
• Territories –
Don’t have a solid concept here yet, obviously a typical fantasy world, but I haven’t thought much on density and political structures etc. I think there will need to be larger goblinoid races to exploit the goblins and take the role of weasels in MG, but that should be limitted.
• Denizens –
-Goblins - The People. They are in tune with world around them and seek to cooperate with Nature to survive and flourish
-Animals - Many large animals and predators can cause problems for goblin tribes.
-Manz - Goblins make no distiction between elves and humans and other races. They are all demon spawned defilers of the land and are a bane to the goblin way of life.
Manz use arcane rituals to force plants to enslave plants and make them grow in straight lines. They tear the body of the Stone Father and rend the precious life bloods from his flesh and adorn themselves with the ichor of
their cruel rituals. They craft wicked devices from His blood that they use to slaughter the plants, animals and people of the land and rip at the body of Mother Dirt who lies atop Him.
They are evil incarnate, and it is every goblins duty to try to avoid them and survive in the world despite their foul blight.
-Other Goblinoids and “Monsters”
-Hobgoblins, bugbears, etc. - Larger cousins of goblins who no longer follow the “Old Ways” and are willing to use the weapons and other cruel devices of Manz. The Goblins hope that one day they will return to the right way of living. They are glad at least that their big “brothers” have not embraced the ways of the delifers and mostly use the evil artifacts to attack and kill the defilers themselves.
-Kobolds - Wretched vermin that would embrace the ways of Manz if they had the ability to even rub 2 thoughts together. They covet the artifacts of the defilers and will throw themselves into any opportunity to acquire the vile things. They often will be found in the service of larger “Monster” races and rarely take any initiative on their own. (Even goblins need someone to look down on right?)
• Skills –
Most skills in MG would translate well over to GG.
Many of the crafting skills would be lost.
Some new skills including:
-Sneaking (separated from Scouting)
-Groveling (Not a heroic skill but useful when dealing with the Larger Goblinoids)
-Playing dead (The adventurers just need to think they’re dead to get XP right?)
-Ambush (for waylaying travellers)
-Looting (OK, you’ve successfully snuck into the Wheat Slaver’s den and dispatched it and its brood, now who knows what we take and where it’s located?)
-Razing (Releasing enslaved and murdered plants from their bondage to the defilers.)
-Name-wise (some elders have a talent for knowing what to name young goblins.)
• Abilities – Come up with new obstacles for Circles and Resources for your game.
For the most part, Abilities would remain the same. Goblin Nature can be used for escaping, hinding, sneaking, and foraging. Circles might need to be reworked since Goblin society is not as civilized or stuctured as MG.
• Traits – These are easy to come up with!
Again lots from MG could be used. Also can prbably borrow ideas from goblins
• Recruitment –
Have lots of ideas here, but before I dig too deep, I wanted to get some feedback and see what others think of the setting.
For those not familiar (as if) see http://goblins.keenspot.com/d/20050626.html