What do hobgoblins use as mounts and draft animals?

[Da Beast]

Worgs aren't big enough to carry them and goblinoids in pathfinder don't like horses. Winter Wolves are an option but only in certain climates, so what do they use the rest of the time, dire wolves? That might work for a mount but it seems like a strange choice for pulling wagons and whatnot.

[Urpriest]

In 3.5 they explicitly use Dire Wolves.

Edit: Agreed it seems a little weird for pulling carts...most of these are warbeasts, though, I'm assuming hobgoblins use slaves for their agriculture. So if you're pulling a big siege weapon, elephants and rhinos are pretty common fantasy choices.

[Da Beast]

In 3.5 they explicitly use Dire Wolves.

Edit: Agreed it seems a little weird for pulling carts...most of these are warbeasts, though, I'm assuming hobgoblins use slaves for their agriculture. So if you're pulling a big siege weapon, elephants and rhinos are pretty common fantasy choices.

Elephants and Rhinos would be kind of out of place in Cheliax though so I think just oxen will have to do. That and Dire Wolves seem like solid choices for a hobgoblin caravan.

[DrMotives]

I don't know Pathfinder very well, but does it have stats for Auroch or Buffalo? An auroch is basically a dire cow, that should monster them up just enough. You could also go with dire boar, like the orcs ride in Warhammer.

[Psyren]

Dire Boars are also large and seem more suitable than wolves for pulling carts, siege weapons and the like. Being pigs, they're probably easier to breed than wolves too, and being omnivorous makes them easier to feed.

[Sayt]

The Monster Codex lists them as favouring BATTLE YAKS!

They don't seem to be on the PFSRD, but they're in Monster Codex, page 124.

Otherwise, Horses are probably used frquently, I expect.

[Florian]

Worgs aren't big enough to carry them and goblinoids in pathfinder don't like horses. Winter Wolves are an option but only in certain climates, so what do they use the rest of the time, dire wolves? That might work for a mount but it seems like a strange choice for pulling wagons and whatnot.

Habe you taken a look into Monster Codex? Hobgoblins are very Mongolian themed and preffer Yaks and Battle Yaks for mounts. In addition, they don't share the silly notions of Goblins regarding horses and dogs.

[Murk]

Hobgoblins use goblins as mounts, of course!

Three goblins closely working together can easily carry a hobgoblin. Ten goblins can pull a cart. I don't see any problem with it.

[DrMotives]

Hobgoblins use goblins as mounts, of course!

Three goblins closely working together can easily carry a hobgoblin. Ten goblins can pull a cart. I don't see any problem with it.

Would they carry the hobgoblin standing on a shield, like the chief in Asterisk the Gaul, or is this more of a sedan chair sort of thing? Or perhaps you envision a throng of wild goblin moshers pouring across the battlefield, with hobgoblins body surfing over them like the lead singer who's just jumped off stage?

[Âmesang]

The Goblin Centipede™?

[Elkad]

I always figured Hobgoblins are like the Roman Army. Marching everywhere is good enough.

If you need light cavalry/skirmishes, you enslave some Goblins on Worgs.
Leaders might ride a Dire Wolf, but that's about it.
More likely your Dire Wolves are reserved for your Bugbear elite scouts.

[Florian]

The Monster Codex lists them as favouring BATTLE YAKS!

They don't seem to be on the PFSRD, but they're in Monster Codex, page 124.

Otherwise, Horses are probably used frquently, I expect.

Yzobu: http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/monsterCodex/hobgoblins.html
Scroll down.

[Murk]

Or perhaps you envision a throng of wild goblin moshers pouring across the battlefield, with hobgoblins body surfing over them like the lead singer who's just jumped off stage?

I did not envision this, but now I do, and it is glorious.

[Milo v3]

1. Yzobu
2. Horses (Hobgoblins have no issue with horses, only goblins have those issues with dogs and horses).

[Sayt]

Yzobu: http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/monsterCodex/hobgoblins.html
Scroll down.

Hmm, okay, so they're on the PRD, but not on the PFSRD. Thanks!

[Nibbens]

I saw all the goblin shenanigans, and while silly, let's be honest for a moment.
Hobgoblins are extremely militaristic and not above using slaves for anything.
Sure, they ride battle yaks into battle (which, by the way, is an amazing touch for PF) But would a sadistic military force waste precious yaks on mundane labor like hauling carts when a slave could do just as well.

From that same page being tossed around here:


Viewing themselves as superior to all other humanoids (including other goblinoids), hobgoblins take members of other races as slaves; they treat such slaves cruelly and regard them as having less value than even a bent and rusted blade.

Anything bulky that needs transporting is gonna be hauled by goblin slaves with a Hobgoblin taskmaster using a whip on them if they don't pull fast enough. If a bunch die from exhaustion, then wonderful, the Hobgoblins don't need to feed the dead ones, and also, the dead ones are piled up on the cart and roasted over a fire once the company comes to a halt to rest.
The slaves work as forced labor, and when they die they become nourishment for the rest of the army. This sounds like a wonderfully simple and sadistic tactic which would work perfectly with the way Hobgobs work as a society.

[Âmesang]

"Looks like meat's back on the menu, boys!"

Though even for an evil-group I can't see that as being terribly efficient. The goblins pulling a cart, I mean. Unless battle yaks are better at brick laying and sewing than cart-pulling.

[Cirrylius]

Though even for an evil-group I can't see that as being terribly efficient. The goblins pulling a cart, I mean.

Why not? Just one goblin can be rendered down into quite a lot of axle grease.

[DrMotives]

Let's be honest. If you see rickshaws in D&D, who do you imagine pulling them? Goblins. No one else really fits. If your large city has rickshaw cabs, illiterate goblin immigrants are pulling them. If your hobgoblins have a problem with horses pulling their war machines and wants battle-rickshaws, who pulls it? Goblin slaves. Maybe in 3.0 and older you could say kobolds, but I think Races of the Dragon put a stop to that.

[Milo v3]

Goblins would be horrible at pulling people along... Their small size doesn't exactly make them amazing at pulling things. Hobgoblin and human slaves make much more sense.

[Florian]

Looking at PF Goblins, I'd say they are next to useless for most of the things that can be deemed as productive. Bugbears also had a change in fluff now and are not really fit for slave work, but they make great slavers and taksmasters now.

[Da Beast]

I saw all the goblin shenanigans, and while silly, let's be honest for a moment.
Hobgoblins are extremely militaristic and not above using slaves for anything.
Sure, they ride battle yaks into battle (which, by the way, is an amazing touch for PF) But would a sadistic military force waste precious yaks on mundane labor like hauling carts when a slave could do just as well.

From that same page being tossed around here:



Anything bulky that needs transporting is gonna be hauled by goblin slaves with a Hobgoblin taskmaster using a whip on them if they don't pull fast enough. If a bunch die from exhaustion, then wonderful, the Hobgoblins don't need to feed the dead ones, and also, the dead ones are piled up on the cart and roasted over a fire once the company comes to a halt to rest.
The slaves work as forced labor, and when they die they become nourishment for the rest of the army. This sounds like a wonderfully simple and sadistic tactic which would work perfectly with the way Hobgobs work as a society.

These aren't going to be typical hobgoblins though, the plot has a powerful hobgoblin warlord trying to build a powerful mercenary force and eventually even a hobgoblin nation. To that end he is trying to build a relationship with Cheliax and is doing the very un-hobgobliny thing of selling slaves to the ruling nobles of Ostenso instead of keeping them for himself. That way he can establish trade and mercenary contracts to fuel his ambitions. No point in letting valuable human slaves die pulling carts when less valuable draft animals will do it better in the first place, and goblins are too small and weak to pull a giant wagon cage full of humans.