All The Tips I Found For Drawing A Fantasy Map Are Like :) “here’s A Strategy To Draw The Land Masses!

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?

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

DnD item

A Foolish Wit

- A toy clown on a string. After writing the name of an npc on the clowns back, burn the clown to drop their wisdom to 2(-4) for the next 24 hours.

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

2. Maglubiyet: False Goblin God

The canonical assumed interpretation of the Maglubiyet myth is that rather than avoid combat, Goblins will just make sure not to die in combat. The fear of Maglubiyet makes them fight harder. The assumption however relies on the eugenic leaning idea that Goblins are too pre-disposed to violence to avoid it. We’re trying to deconstruct that though, so that interpretation has to be binned.

Fact is, the Goblins left alone, should be a peaceful species. In canon they are mostly subjugated however and act as war fodder for everything from liches to bugbears. From the point of view of an oppressor who uses Goblins as minions, Maglubiyet is a great god for the Goblins to have - for the reason explored above. It is my belief then that Maglubiyet did not originate as a Goblin deity but was forced upon them by another culture, perhaps Hibgoblins who view Maglubiyet more favorably.

Survival is Working Together

A goblin deity that makes far more sense is Bargrivyek, the Goblin god of co-operation and order. Although this god does not offer an afterlife option, it does serve as a means of promoting a certain social behavior that is incredibly valuable to the Goblins.

Given their size and physical might, Goblins, much like humans, could only have expanded and survived as a species with sophisticated strategies of co-operation. In the DnD canon, what goblins lack in power they make up for in numbers. Despite having challenge ratings of 1 or below, a pre-planned Goblin ambush or a well-organized Goblin den, can catch even mid-level adventurers off guard.

Given the necessity of co-operation for survival, it logically follows that a God would be created to positively reinforce its importance. I will be attributing co-operation as one of the central cultural values of Goblins. Not only are they good at it, they are probably better at it than most other species. They do not have the luxury of making enemies or trying to fend for themselves. Goblins have to be the best at pack tactics or they would have been driven to extinction by predators and other species. Establishing the cultural importance of co-operation will also key us into a few other features of Goblin society.

DnD item (?)

Damned Spot

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

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.