In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, goblins are a common and fairly weak race of evil humanoid monsters. Goblins are non-human monsters that low-level player characters often face in combat.
Influences
Goblins in Dungeons & Dragons are based primarily on the goblins portrayed in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth. Goblins are presented as "evil" and "predisposed towards a society of brutal regimes where the strongest rule" in the game. In turn, D&D's goblins influenced later portrayals in games and fiction, such as the tabletop wargame Warhammer Fantasy Battle. They have also been compared to German kobolds. Unlike the goblins in Tolkien's works, the goblins of D&D are a separate race from orcs; instead, they are a part of the related species collectively referred to as goblinoids, which includes hobgoblins, bugbears, and others.
Publication history
The goblin first appeared in the fantasy supplement to the original "Chainmail" set, prior to appearing in the original Dungeons & Dragons game.
Dungeons & Dragons (1974–1976) The goblin was one of the first monsters introduced in the earliest edition of the game, the Dungeons & Dragons "white box" set (1974), where they were described simply as small monsters.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977–1988) The goblin appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977), where it is described as having a tribal society and dwelling in dismal surroundings.
The mythology and attitudes of the goblins are described in detail in Dragon #63 (July 1982), in Roger E. Moore's article, "The Humanoids."
In the article "Hey, Wanna Be a Kobold?" by Joseph Clay in Dragon #141 (January 1989), kobolds, xvarts, goblins, and orcs were presented as player character races along with two new character classes the "Shaman" and the "Witch Doctor".
Dungeons & Dragons (1977–1999) This edition of the D&D game included its own version of the goblin, in the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set (1977, 1981, 1983). The goblin was featured as a player character race in the gazetteer The Orcs of Thar (1989). Goblins were also later featured in the Dungeons & Dragons Game set (1991), the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991), the Classic Dungeons & Dragons Game set (1994), and the Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game set (1999).
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989–1999) The goblin appears first in the Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989), and is reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).
The goblin is detailed as a playable character race in The Complete Book of Humanoids (1993). The book notes that goblins cannot be wizards. The goblin is later presented as a playable character race again in Player's Option: Skills & Powers (1995), and in the module Reverse Dungeon (2000).
The goblyn, a related creature in the Ravenloft campaign setting, appeared in the module Feast of Goblyns (1990), and the Monstrous Compendium Ravenloft Appendix (1991).
The Cerilian goblin for the Birthright campaign setting appeared in the Birthright Campaign Setting set (1995), and was reprinted in Monstrous Compendium Annual Three (1996).
Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000–2002) The goblin appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2000).
Tactics for fighting goblins were described in "Vs. Goblins", by Bruce Cordell, in Dragon #275 (2000).
The Dekanter goblin was introduced in Monsters of Faerun (2000). Races of Faerûn (2003) presented the goblin and Dekanter goblin as player character races for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
The blue, a psionic relative of the goblin, appeared in the Psionics Handbook (2001).
The goblyn of Ravenloft appeared for this edition in Denizens of Darkness (2002).
Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003–2007) The goblin appears in the revised Monster Manual for this edition (2003).
The blue appeared in the Expanded Psionics Handbook (2004).
The air goblin, the aquatic goblin, the arctic goblin, the desert goblin, and the jungle goblin were all introduced in Unearthed Arcana (2004). Monster Manual III (2004) introduced the forestkith goblin. The snow goblin appeared in Frostburn: Mastering the Perils of Ice and Snow (2004). The dark goblin appeared in Tome of Magic (2006). The vril, and the goblin flesh-herder appeared in Drow of the Underdark (2007).
The goblyn of Ravenloft was updated to this edition in Denizens of Dread (2004), but also appeared again in the Campaign Classics feature in Dragon #339 (January 2006).