Should/Could goblins be added as a playable race?

[Yaelle]

   I’m writing this as a person that has always enjoyed the many ways in which the goblin race has been depicted as. Known as small, greedy, grotesque etc. Seeing a goblin on the server as a mob on the server has always brought me great joy, since for the longest time I didn’t even know they were a possible encounter.
   The few times I’ve managed to run into them, a question would arise in my mind: ”Why can’t you apply to play a goblin?”. There are templates that would allow that to happen, so why hasn’t it been implemented so far?
   One could argue the fact that the goblins would be killed on sight by both outlanders and locals, but the same could be applied for calibans and some of the familiars (which is a completely different topic). So lets say that the goblin player would assume, upon creating the character, the hostility that most PCs will have towards them.
   Another argument could be the low stats such a creature could have, but I would bring into the discussion the tiny forest gnomes that could literally be eaten alive by any bird or cat in the Vallaki Village.
The race certainly would have downfalls and would force, more or less, a certain direction in the roleplay, but that could be applied for a lot of things in this game. The closest thing that would resemble a goblin would be a shapeshifter kobold form, but I wouldn’t think that roleplaying a kobold as a goblin would be appropriate.
   I would, personally, find it amusing to have people creating goblin characters, running around and causing mischief (and the idea of seeing a goblin with a tiny book in its hands or wearing a top hat). For me, the goblin playable race would only add further to the amazing atmosphere that this server already creates, and would certainly make a great addition for the possibility of creating a gold hungry rogue.
I’m writing this hoping to start a conversation regarding the pros and cons of implementing such a race, and to perhaps get some more opinions on what other creatures could be added.

   Thank you for reading!

[slash]

Personally I think goblins could be fun (though I think that there is more interest in seeing kobolds added). Goblins are native to Ravenloft in Tepest at least, and I think that the fact that goblins can produce calibans who frequently rise to leadership positions in society very interesting.

[inkcorvid]

Goblyns are native to Tepest and Forlorn (where they make up the majority of the population), but they're not actually Goblins. They're something else: former humans twisted into this shape by dark magic, their minds broken and set in thrall to whoever or whatever created them. They don't sleep, or even feel tiredness, and they have little independent will of their own, but they are very, very sadistic and cruel. It might actually make a good MPC template, since there's the horror of "was once a person".

One can also find true goblin-goblins in the hobgoblin caves, and in various other places.

[slash]

Goblyns are native to Tepest and Forlorn (where they make up the majority of the population), but they're not actually Goblins. They're something else: former humans twisted into this shape by dark magic, their minds broken and set in thrall to whoever or whatever created them. They don't sleep, or even feel tiredness, and they have little independent will of their own, but they are very, very sadistic and cruel. It might actually make a good MPC template, since there's the horror of "was once a person".

One can also find true goblin-goblins in the hobgoblin caves, and in various other places.

I thought the same thing, but I did some digging and lo and behold:

Wrong, goblins do exist in Ravenloft, and always have. Check Gazetteer V's chapter on Tepest and the module "Servants of Darkness" if you don't believe me

[Lucasnoskin]

I could see goblins as a player character being very fun too play, as well as adding some interesting roleplay.
A very different flavour of MPC to usual, for the outcast (and then some) experience.

[zDark Shadowz]

Gobl*y*ns and Meenlocks with a higher henchman limit but a heavy level cap so it's effectively a "Swarm" type MPC sure.

[krakose]

Would definitely add a new flavor and new possibilities of enriching role-playing and interactions with other players.

[mccarthy00]

Goblins are in the same category as forest gnomes to me, If you allow one you may as well allow the other, both are a bit of a meme but those who do play them seriously are very run to RP with. A Goblin would face even harder challenges than a runt however and if a player picks to go down that path they should be warned that they may be killed on sight if they don't approach the situation carefully. (Like dressing up to seem like a halfling or a gnome)

They would be faced with suspicion from outlanders and locals alike as Goblins are a very common thing in most worlds.

[foxtale]

I think the niche of goblin PCs is already covered by playing a Caliban runt, who I believe would have exactly the same themes and character struggles sans the pressure to be defined by certain traits as a race, which imo have never much helped to make goblin PCs multidimensional. One can always choose to play a greedy runt as well - and one who struggles with their greed and tries to overcome it.

[Desordre]

I do not think that this argument necessarily excludes them from the roster. There are countless other races that are very similar, yet still hold a place in POTM, such as the plethora of elven races and subraces.

My argument for them would rather be the depth of culture and characters that may exist in other dnd settings that, by the same logic as any other race existing here, should also exist. One example would be the goblinoid races of Eberron which both contribute significantly to the overall setting and make up a large population of the world. This "niche" can not be filled by Caliban runts, yet also takes into account a much larger scope - making playable races for Hobgoblins, Bugbears, and Goblins. While I would love to play a Dhakaani Hobgoblin I can also see how it might not fit well with the setting. I therefore see it more an argument of cost-benefit. "Playable races" has always felt contentious in D&D. Despite all of this I still feel content with 'monstrous races' in the setting being those that most contribute to serverwide RP. These are my thoughts. :shrug:

[BahamutZ3RO]

I feel like goblins fall into the same trap that a lot of 3E 'bad guy' races are stuck in, they're very two-dimensional.

[Lucifron]

I have to agree with some of the points above, while Goblinoids are monstrous, they're really not the type of monstrous that fits in with Ravenloft.

Tanarukks and Tieflings, while monstrous have that devilish look that the Natives are so terrified off. I'd expect the Barovians to just think Goblins are ugly Fey/Elves

[EO]

Goblins (and kobolds), while present in the setting, don't really fit as playable characters.

[PrimetheGrime]

I could see them as mpcs, but definitely not playable characters

[mooner]

Even as MPCs, I think they'd struggle. Maybe as a kind of 'summoner' archetype, sharing the highest amount of henchmen with a certain other type of MPC - but even then, the henchmen are pretty much useless when it comes to actual fighting against anyone who isn't low level or morbidly unprepared. I imagine they'd lack survivability, any kind of meaningful escape - and this is a terrible combination when you think that they'd be among the worst of the templates for going unnoticed, besides stealthing. All it would take is one good spotter class who doesn't want to hold back and your character is gone.