Fierce and militaristic, hobgoblins survive by conquest. The raw materials to fuel their war machines come from raids, their armaments and buildings from the toil of slaves worked to death. Naturally ambitious and envious, hobgoblins seek to better themselves at the expense of others of their kind, yet in battle they put aside petty differences and fight with discipline rivaling that of the finest soldiers. Hobgoblins have little love or trust for one another, and even less for outsiders. Life for these brutes consists of duty to those of higher station, domination of those below, and the rare opportunities to seize personal glory and elevate their status.
Description
Physical Description
Burly and muscled, hobgoblins stand a few inches shorter than the average human, and their long arms, thick torsos, and relatively short legs give them an almost apelike stature. Hobgoblins' skin is a sickly gray-green that darkens to mossy green after long exposure to the sun. Their eyes burn fiery orange or red, and their broad faces and sharply pointed ears give their features a somewhat feline cast. Hobgoblins lack facial hair, and even hobgoblin women are bald. Except for their size, hobgoblins bear a strong physical resemblance to their goblin cousins.
Society
Hobgoblins live in militaristic tyrannies, each community under the absolute rule of a hobgoblin general. Every hobgoblin in a settlement receives military training, with those who excel serving in the army and the rest left to serve more menial roles. Those deemed unfit for military service have little social status, barely rating above favored slaves. Despite this, hobgoblin society is egalitarian after a fashion. Gender and birth offer no barrier to advancement, which is determined almost solely by each individual's personal merit. Hobgoblins eschew strong attachments, even to their young. Matings are matters of convenience, and are almost always limited to hobgoblins of equal rank. Any resulting baby is taken from its mother and forcibly weaned after 3 weeks of age. Young mature quickly—most take no more than 6 months to learn to talk and care for themselves. Hobgoblins' childhoods last a scant 14 years, a mirthless span filled with brutal training in the art of war.
Relations
Hobgoblins view other races as nothing more than tools—implements to be enslaved, cowed, and put to work. Without slaves, hobgoblin society would collapse, so reliant is it on stolen labor. An injured, sickly, or defiant slave is like a broken tool, useless waste to be tossed out with the day's garbage. Not surprisingly, hobgoblin communities count no other races as their friends, and few as allies. Elves and dwarves earn special enmity, and are devilishly hard to break into proper slavery as both races hold blood feuds against goblinkind. Halflings and half-orcs make especially prized slaves—the former for their agile skills and the ease of breaking them to the collar, and the latter for their talent at thriving under the harshest of conditions. Hobgoblins have little love for the rest of goblinkind, though they typically treat goblinoid slaves better than they do other races.
Alignment and Religion
Hobgoblin life is nothing if not ordered and hierarchical, and hobgoblins lean strongly toward the lawful alignments. While not innately evil, the callous and brutal training that fills the too-short childhood of hobgoblins leaves most embittered and full of hate. Hobgoblins of good alignment number the fewest, and almost exclusively consist of individuals raised in other cultures. More numerous but still rare are hobgoblins of chaotic bent, most often exiles cast out by the despots of their homelands. Religion, like most non-militaristic pursuits, matters little to the majority of hobgoblins. Most pay lip-service to one or more gods and occasionally make offerings to curry favor or turn aside ill fortune. Those hobgoblins who feel a stronger religious calling venerate fearsome, tyrannical gods and devils.
Adventurers
Hobgoblin adventurers tend to be iconoclasts, loners who chafe under the strict hierarchy of military life. Others have fled or been exiled in disgrace for showing weakness or cowardice. Some harbor dreams of one day returning to the hobgoblin flock flush with wealth and tales of great deeds. A few serve farsighted hobgoblin generals, who send the most promising youths out into the world that they might someday return as mighty heroes for the hobgoblin cause. Hobgoblins lean toward martial classes, particularly cavaliers, fighters, monks, and rogues. The arcane arts are distrusted in hobgoblin society and consequently their practitioners are rare, save for alchemists, who gain grudging praise and admiration for their pyrotechnic talents.
Male Names
Aronok, Bankanir, Dorduken, Fentanas, Grur, Hagors, Kalmant, Malgroar, Slatark, Talogan.
Female Names
Arinet, Eloqi, Eskani, Horinnia, Korumun, Moranassa, Moritla, Nimanisi, Noranillim, Vortiga.
Hobgoblin Racial Traits
+2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution
Hobgoblins are fast and hardy.
Goblinoid
Hobgoblins are humanoids with the goblinoid subtype.
Medium
Hobgoblins are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Hobgoblins have a base speed of 30 feet.
Hobgoblins can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Hobgoblins receive a +4 racial bonus on Stealth checks.
Hobgoblins begin play speaking Common and Goblin. Hobgoblins with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Draconic, Dwarven, Infernal, Giant, and Orc.
Alternate Racial Traits
The following racial traits may be selected instead of existing hobgoblin racial traits. Consult your GM before selecting any of these new options.
Bandy-legged hobgoblins have an even more exaggerated stature than other hobgoblins, with bowed legs and massive shoulders. Hobgoblins with this racial trait gain a +2 racial bonus on Climb and Ride checks, and a +2 racial bonus to their CMD against bull rush or trip attempts while on solid ground. The base speed of bandy-legged hobgoblins is reduced to 20 feet.
Incessant drills make defense second nature to some hobgoblins. Hobgoblins with this racial trait gain a +1 bonus to CMD. This racial trait replaces sneaky.
Hobgoblin engineers tinker endlessly with fire, explosives, and the engines of war. Hobgoblins with this racial trait gain a +2 racial bonus on Craft (alchemy) and Knowledge (engineering) checks. This racial trait replaces sneaky.
Some hobgoblins scorn caution and subtlety for swagger and bluster. Hobgoblins with this racial trait gain a +4 racial bonus on Intimidate checks. This racial trait replaces sneaky.
Hobgoblins hate and fear arcane casters. A magehunter gains a +2 racial bonus on Spellcraft checks made to identify a spell being cast and a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against arcane spellcasters. He only gains this bonus against creatures that use spells, and not against those that only use spell-like abilities. This racial trait replaces sneaky.
Pit Boss
Slave blood fuels the hobgoblin war machine. Pit bosses extract the last breath of labor from their charges with a liberal touch of the lash. Hobgoblins with this racial trait gain proficiency with whips and a +1 racial bonus on combat maneuver checks made to disarm or trip with a whip. This racial trait replaces sneaky.
A hobgoblin can scar himself with both blade and fire to toughen his hide into a mass of horny scars. Hobgoblins with this racial trait gain a +1 natural armor bonus to Armor Class. However, the repeated exposure to fire permanently damages their eyes. This racial trait replaces the darkvision racial trait.
Hobgoblin slavers excel at tracking down runaway slaves and surviving in filthy conditions. Hobgoblins with this racial trait gain a +2 racial bonus on Survival checks and a +2 racial bonus on Fortitude saves against disease. This racial trait replaces sneaky.
Hobgoblins who failed to secure a position in the military hold the lowest status in hobgoblin society, and quickly learn the value of currying favor with their betters. Hobgoblins with this racial trait gain proficiency in a single martial weapon and +1 racial bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy checks. This racial trait replaces sneaky.
Favored Class Options
The following options are available to all hobgoblins who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the favored class reward.
Add +1/2 to the number of bombs per day the alchemist can create.
Add a +1/2 bonus on Intimidate checks and Ride checks.
Add +1/2 to negative energy spell damage, including inflict spells.
Add a +1/2 circumstance bonus on critical hit confirmation rolls with a weapon of the fighter's choice (maximum bonus +4). This bonus does not stack with Critical Focus.
Add +1/4 to the gunslinger's grit points.
Add a +1 bonus on concentration checks made to cast inquisitor spells.
Monk
Add a +1/4 bonus on combat maneuver checks made to grapple or trip.
Add +1/4 to a single existing favored enemy bonus (maximum bonus +1 per favored enemy).
Reduce the penalty for not being proficient with one weapon by 1. When the nonproficiency penalty for a weapon becomes 0 because of this ability, the rogue is treated as having the appropriate Martial or Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat for that weapon.
Racial Archetypes
The following racial archetypes are available to hobgoblins.
Fell Rider (Cavalier)
The fell rider rides a bestial steed, a mount mastered by him alone. He tramples his enemies down, leaving twisted bodies in his wake, and fear rides with him.
A fell rider's mount is unusually large and fierce. It gains a +2 bonus to Strength, but takes a –2 penalty to Dexterity. This otherwise works like the cavalier's mount ability and alters that ability.
At 3rd level, a fell rider gains Trample as a bonus feat. The fell rider receives a +2 bonus on overrun attempts made while mounted. In addition, his mount gains a +2 bonus on damage rolls when making hoof attacks or using the trample monster ability, even when not overrunning. This ability replaces cavalier's charge.
At 4th level, a fell rider gains a bonus equal to 1/2 his level on Intimidate checks made while mounted. Once per round as a free action, he can make an Intimidate check to demoralize a foe he has trampled or charged while mounted. This ability replaces expert trainer.
Fell Presence
At 5th level, a fell rider inspires dread while mounted. As long as the fell rider is mounted, all enemies within 60 feet receive a –2 penalty on savings throws against fear. At 10th level and every 5 levels thereafter, this penalty increases by –1. This ability replaces banner.
At 11th level, a mounted fell rider no longer provokes attacks of opportunity when he attempts to overrun a creature. He can make a single melee attack against the creature as a free action if the overrun attempt succeeds. This ability replaces mighty charge.
At 14th level, a fell rider can rear up his mount as a standard action, spreading terror among his enemies. Enemies within 60 feet who can see the fell rider must succeed at a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the fell rider's level + the fell rider's Charisma modifier) or be shaken for 1 round per level the fell rider possesses. Creatures with half or fewer Hit Dice than the fell rider become frightened instead. An opponent that succeeds at the saving throw is immune to that fell rider's terror ability for 24 hours. This ability is a mind-affecting fear effect, and replaces greater banner.
At 20th level, a mounted fell rider can overrun up to four creatures as part of a single overrun combat maneuver. Each attempt made against a creature after the first receives a cumulative –5 penalty (for example, the fourth overrun attempt would be at a –15 penalty). If any overrun attempt fails, the fell rider cannot make further overrun attempts that round. Attacks made by the fell rider or his mount as part of the overrun, such as those provided by the Trample feat or the deadly rampage ability, receive a +4 bonus to hit, and any critical threats from these attacks automatically confirm. This ability replaces supreme charge.
Ironskin Monk (Monk)
Through discipline and training, an ironskin monk hardens his body to withstand punishing blows. Though slow on his feet, his calloused hands and feet can shatter stone and stagger foes.
Iron Skin
At 1st level, an ironskin monk gains a +1 bonus to his natural armor. This bonus stacks with any existing natural armor the ironskin monk already has. At 4th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, this bonus increases by +1. This ability replaces the monk's AC bonus ability and the ability to add his Wisdom bonus to his AC.
At 1st level, an ironskin monk adds Power Attack to his list of bonus feats. At 6th level, he adds Improved Sunder to the list. At 10th level, he adds Greater Sunder to the list. These bonus feat choices replace Dodge, Mobility, and Spring Attack on his bonus feat list.
At 2nd level, an ironskin monk can shake off the physical effects of certain attacks. If he makes a Fortitude saving throw against an attack that has a reduced effect on a successful save, he instead avoids the effect entirely. This ability can be used only if the monk is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless monk does not gain the benefits of resilience. This ability replaces evasion.
Ki Pool
At 4th level, an ironskin monk can spend 1 point from his ki pool to gain a damage bonus equal to 1/2 his level against objects and constructs for 1 round. This replaces the ability to increase speed with ki.
New Racial Rules
The following options are available to hobgoblins. At the GM's discretion, other appropriate races may make use of some of these new rules.