Human Sized Goblins?

[xroads]

I've always wanted to know this, why are goblins the same size as humans?

Thanks,
XRoads

[Forikroder]

I've always wanted to know this, why are goblins the same size as humans?

Thanks,
XRoads

so you can look them in the eye while choking the life out of them

[SaintRidley]

Probably ease of drawing and to make them seem a more credible threat.

[Pokonic]

Presumably, Red Cloak would be much less threatening if he was as tall as Belkar.

[Octopusapult]

OotS isn't specifically following the rules of D&D. I mean Final Fantasy is in there somewhere. So Goblins don't specifically have to be the same as they are in D&D.

If that doesn't work for you, then maybe it's because people in OotS don't go by size in meters or feet. They're simply Medium, Small, or Large, so these goblins are just big enough to be considered Medium, and all Medium creatures are drawn the same.

Alternatively if that doesn't work, then it's because Xykon is only taking the biggest and strongest goblins.

And if that won't work for you, then it's magic. It's just flippin' magic...

[Bird]

As SaintRidley said, I do recall that it was to make them a more credible threat, since the Order had to run away from them in the early strips.

For what it's worth, in Spring's "A Monster For Every Season" Kickstarter PDF, which provides paper miniatures for gaming use, the goblins are size small.

[xroads]

OotS isn't specifically following the rules of D&D. I mean Final Fantasy is in there somewhere. So Goblins don't specifically have to be the same as they are in D&D.

If that doesn't work for you...

They all work for me. I was just curios if Rich had ever stated an official reason.

Thanks all!
~XRoads

[ZerglingOne]

They could still be small sized, even if they're of what would normally be medium height. For all we know, goblins could be exceedingly skinny, but tall in the OotS world(like dwarves being medium, but short in stature)

[thisisnotspam]

They all work for me. I was just curios if Rich had ever stated an official reason.



i think he once mentioned the ease of drawing them medium sized but i can't find you the sorce and quote

[Reathin]

Early in his divine career, the Dark One experimented with a far less radical Plan to bring about the equality of the goblinoid races. With the help of his High Cleric, a bugbear named Bluecloak, he enacted an epic ritual that retroactively refashioned the golblins back to the very beginning of their existence so they'd be a few feet taller. By taking them out of the same mental space as jolly halflings and silly gnomes, the Dark One hoped his people would get a bit more respect.

Nope.

When questioned why he didn't just retroactively rewrite the goblins into positions of respect rather than sending what was essentially a curse upon all goblinoid tailors, the new deity was about to respond when at that very moment he discovered the gates and came up with the Plan part 2.

That's my theory anyway.

[KillianHawkeye]

The same reason they are green instead of yellow.

[The Pilgrim]

The goblins are small size. It's the damn humans who are too small.

[Xelbiuj]

I dunno, they're too similar to orcs imo.

[Rogar Demonblud]

One of the main reasons I don't use orcs in my games when I run them. Well, that and the LOTR baggage.

[Fale]

They're not the only monsters in this world that are bigger then their Greyhawk counterparts. Sylphs, like Celia, are small sized creatures as well.

[Zmeoaice]

For some reason I view the goblins in OOTs to be smaller than humans, even though they're the same size. Although I guess they would be Durkon sixed if they were actuall smaller, but not too small.

[CletusMusashi]

It's evolution. Enough generations of being hunted down by human paladins and having to fight them off is going to give you bigger, tougher goblins. Either that or way more cunning goblins. The warrior phenotype seems to be the strain that won out.

[R. Malcovitch]

It's evolution. Enough generations of being hunted down by human paladins and having to fight them off is going to give you bigger, tougher goblins. Either that or way more cunning goblins. The warrior phenotype seems to be the strain that won out.

Generally that's represented in the goblin/hobgoblin split. Hobgoblins are the ones who evolved to be tougher, and goblins are the ones who evolved to be more cunning/stealthy.

The small size is an evolutionary adaptation: bonuses to hide checks.

[NerdyKris]

It's evolution. Enough generations of being hunted down by human paladins and having to fight them off is going to give you bigger, tougher goblins. Either that or way more cunning goblins. The warrior phenotype seems to be the strain that won out.

You're overthinking it.

They're medium sized because they just are in this world. Not everything has to slavishly follow the monster manual. Also, we clearly see them being created medium sized in Start of Darkness, although that's second hand from Redcloak.

As for the artistic reason, as pointed out, Rich has said before that it was to make them a more credible threat to the Order in the begining.

[Tragak]

As for the artistic reason, as pointed out, Rich has said before that it was to make them a more credible threat to the Order in the begining. But that makes too much sense, we can't go with that :smallbiggrin:

[Gift Jeraff]

For some reason I view the goblins in OOTs to be smaller than humans, even though they're the same size. Although I guess they would be Durkon sixed if they were actuall smaller, but not too small.

This is what I figure, but not shorter by a significant amount. I mean, it would make sense for orcs to be taller than half-orcs, who would be taller than humans, yet they're all drawn the same way.

[Olinser]

I've always wanted to know this, why are goblins the same size as humans?

Thanks,
XRoads

The same reason Fairies and Sylphs are the same size as humans.

Roy even lampshaded it in this strip:

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0617.html

"Inexplicably Medium-sized"