Broke: Three Kobolds In A Trench Coat.

1. How the Goblin Concept of the Afterlife May Influence Goblin Culture

A cursory glance around the 5th edition Monster Manual tells us that the most prevalent Goblin deity is Maglubiyet. Maglubiyet is...

“worshiped not out of adoration but fear. Goblins believe that when they die in battle, their spirits join the ranks of Maglubiyet’s army on the plane of Acheron. This is a privilege that most goblins dread”(Wizards of the Coast 165).

This quote should lead us to believe that Goblins, unlike Hobgoblins and Bugbears that share the Goblinoid category, do not enjoy war. Whereas Hobgoblins see serving Maglubiyet as an honor, Goblins outright fear it. Dying in battle must be avoided. Maglubiyet is a boogeyman to the Goblin people- almost designed to be a parable against engaging in violence. If you die in battle, hell awaits.

This faith system, leads me to believe that any Goblin community that believes in it would be aggressively peaceful. So how could that not be the case?

If you’re upset about Zac confirming Gorgug straight by this because you want mlm rep in the show a couple things to note:

Zac is not mlm. Do you really want a straight man playing a mlm character, if that was not his first instinct? It would have been manufactured and inauthentic. 

If you are claiming it’s because you want mlm rep in a popular show, why don’t you support shows that have actual mlm players, instead of hoping a straight man will play as mlm? Maybe the reason why mlm aren’t in popular D&D actual play shows is because fans don’t try to support D&D actual play shows that already exist and portray them?

Why are you begging at the feet of straight people for representation when lgbt creators are already putting themselves out there, waiting to be discovered?

How Gender Roles Form Out of Survival Strategies

If the goblins greatest asset is numbers, most goblin societies would encourage goblin woman (assuming goblin systems of reproduction are the same as humans) to have as many children as possible in order to keep the tribe safe. Though utilitarian, this idea isn’t so far-fetched, as we have seen something similar play out in human history. Before farming became automated part of the reason couples had so many children so regularly (aside from lack of birth control) was simply because more babies meant more farm hands down the line. Additionally, given that goblins are a constantly preyed upon group, having a lot of children because you know a few will die randomly, while a cut-throat concept, is not an illogical one.

Now, excessive reproduction as a tool for survival can result in a few things. A goddess of fertility could be created to represent an important process in their culture. The standard goblin relationship could be polyamorous, as more sexual partners means more children. Gender roles can be constructed to keep women devoted to rearing children and out of harm’s way.

As we have seen with humans though, these social constructs can be de-constructed. Maybe once goblins discover technology and craft tanks, lasers, and science-y stuff to defend themselves, strength in numbers will no longer be necessary and the average amount of children in a goblin household will shrink. Without the practical application, previously necessary gender roles will be merely tradition, and thus can be challenged.

In preparation for tonight I am officially declaring myself as #TeamAmetharNeedsToDie.

Sifting through DnD lore on any “evil” race is like handling primary documents circa 1900s reviewing the peoples of “the dark continent”. Turn on your sociology brain, question everything, and re-construct in a way that remembers morality is subjective and history is written by the victors.

DnD item (?)

Damned Spot

- The mark of a murderer. Appears dark and red while in the presence of other murderers.

For a new campaign I’m putting together called:

Oops! All goblins.

I will be dissecting goblin lore to recognize them as a species of civilized humanoids (because being a humanoid implies being able to create a civilization) who are not pre-destined to be “evil”, but have culturally and phenotypically found themselves in a state where they must be.

Join, comment, I’m not a sociology major but I’ve read a book or two.

Fungal themed forest gnome families at war: The RedCapulets and the Montashrooms.

Saw this on the Twitter and thought I would like to share.