Why is Redcloak Medium size?

[HUMVEE Driver]

I apologize if this has been covered before; I took a quick look through the threads and couldn't find anything.

I've been wondering for a while now... Goblins are Small (Belkar) size. Redcloak is a Goblin. So why is Redcloak Medium size?

[Jayabalard]

Goblins are Small (Belkar) size.Not a true statement in the OoTS world.

[tyckspoon]

Because Rich's Goblins Are Different. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OurWerewolvesAreDifferent) They're all Medium in the comic, no special reason.

[Ghastly Epigram]

Well, let us all be honest with ourselves; would we REALLY see Redcloak in the same light if he was Belkar's size?

[mikeejimbo]

I'd like to think I would... in fact, maybe we'd start to feel even sorrier for him, earlier.

[Remirach]

I cannot say for sure of the hypothetical, but I think that even if he were still likable the perception might be slightly off. There's something innately comical about short little creatures, and I think this would detract rather than help from the idea that the goblins are persecuted as monsters. It could possibly be worked around, but a comic is such a strongly visual medium I think it makes sense to "promote" the goblins up a size.

[Phase]

It was so that Rich could portray them better. If Redcloak and his minions are medium sized, they're much easier to draw.

[Darakonis]

Haven't goblins seemed Medium size as of the first strip in this comic? If not, a couple strips thereafter.

The reason certainly has nothing to do with RC or his minions.

[warmachine]

It's a plot requirement. Small people aren't taken seriously, especially in a military-based, evil society, like hobgoblins, where strength is vital. It's a hardwired, childhandling instinct kind of thing. He wouldn't even be an honoury hobgoblin. Otherwise no one would take his orders seriously and he'd have to hurt people to get anything done. Then the hobgoblins would hate him, still not respect him and the entire thing would fall apart.

[d'Bwobsling]

It was so that Rich could portray them better. If Redcloak and his minions are medium sized, they're much easier to draw.

That's true, but if he made them small sized than it would look like they had more detail to them

[Roderick_BR]

I see the OoTS goblins more like LotR goblins than D&D goblins.

Good luck translating that.

[NerfTW]

Easy.

Medium size creatures are easier to fit into the frame. Look at Belkar. Whenever there's a closeup, only his head is shown. Once again, it's so that the comic looks better, so that Xykon and Redcloak can be shown in closeup without looking awkward.

[Morty]

I see the OoTS goblins more like LotR goblins than D&D goblins.

Good luck translating that.

Out of curiosity, what makes OoTS goblins more alike to LoTR goblins than D&D goblins, aside from size?

[Qov]

I've been thinking that OotS hobgoblins are about like LotR orcs. And goblins are just a less militarized hobgoblin.

[Iamyourking]

OOTS hobgoblins are probably closer to Uruk-Hai then orcs, they are disciplined and superior to the human soldiers 1v1

[Nerd-o-rama]

Let me answer your question with a question:

How do you type with boxing gloves on?

[Mando Knight]

Let me answer your question with a question:

How do you type with boxing gloves on?

What? How'd that get in there?

DELETED!! (http://www.hrwiki.org/index.php/DELETED)

[Mauve Shirt]

I'd like to think I would... in fact, maybe we'd start to feel even sorrier for him, earlier.

He's EVIL though, we can't feel TOO sorry for him.

Man, that would be pretty traumatic, the events of SoD AND a short man complex

[Querzis]

I apologize if this has been covered before; I took a quick look through the threads and couldn't find anything.

I've been wondering for a while now... Goblins are Small (Belkar) size. Redcloak is a Goblin. So why is Redcloak Medium size?

You answered your own question with your edited image of Redcloak in your sig. Seriously, goblins of that size would just look ridiculous. Especially since they have been fighting humans since the very first strip. Just imagine this comic but with goblins of Belkar size:

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0001.html

The OOTS would look more like bullies then heroes.

Beside every DM can change any rules he want so I dont see why it bother people. Goblins could be of Large size if Rich would want to.

[mikeejimbo]

He's EVIL though, we can't feel TOO sorry for him.

Maybe you can't, but it makes me feel even sorrier for him. He was created specifically to be evil, he can't help it.

OK, maybe you can argue that he could help it, but then again, I see Redcloak as being the difference between subjective and objective alignment systems. In Redcloak's mind, being Evil is just as 'correct' a choice as being Good.

[wgabrie]

The answer its in the eyes, the EYES! The :redcloak: goblins in the OOTS comic always have one eye that is smaller than the other. I always take this as a sign that they are distorted in size.

[Nonanonymous]

Because small sized characters just don't look that serious in this comic, and it's really hard to make them seem that intimidating at all.

[Paragon Badger]

The answer its in the eyes, the EYES! The :redcloak: goblins in the OOTS comic always have one eye that is smaller than the other. I always take this as a sign that they are distorted in size.

All Oots character have similiar occular oddities.

[Ghastly Epigram]

Yeah, the picture in the OP's sig proves it spectacularly. And amusingly. :smallamused:

Also, another problem would be that if they were all that size, it would be harder to distinguish goblin children/teenagers, which is inconceivable!

[Qov]

OOTS hobgoblins are probably closer to Uruk-Hai then orcs.

Shows what I know. I figured "orc" was an anglicization of "Uruk." Rolls off the tongue better. Show me an orc, and tell me it's an orc, then show me something else and tell me it's an Uruk-hai, and I'm going to tell my adventuring buddies I saw an orc and a high orc. A couple of orcs, anyway. Let's go kill 'em. To an ignorant human with no training in the taxonomy of monsters, orcs, Uruk-Hai, mountain orcs, forest orcs, high orcs, low orcs, cave orcs and disco orcs are all going to seem about the same.

You can tell the disco orcs by their special sparkly armour, actually.

[TheElfLord]

I believe one of the times this has been mentioned before it was brought up that Rich made them bigger to make them more intimating. The group spends large amounts of the early strip running from goblins, and he wanted to make them look like something worth running from.

[Iamyourking]

Uruk does mean orc, but Uruk-Hai or Orc-Men is used to refer to the elite troops with the armor and falchions.

[Mauve Shirt]

Maybe you can't, but it makes me feel even sorrier for him. He was created specifically to be evil, he can't help it.

OK, maybe you can argue that he could help it, but then again, I see Redcloak as being the difference between subjective and objective alignment systems. In Redcloak's mind, being Evil is just as 'correct' a choice as being Good.

I mean, I DO feel sorry for him, I've read SoD and he's a very sympathetic character, but he IS the villian. We aren't technically supposed to cheer for him.

[ImpFireball]

Goblins are more the size of dwarves than anything.

[NikkTheTrick]

I mean, I DO feel sorry for him, I've read SoD and he's a very sympathetic character, but he IS the villian. We aren't technically supposed to cheer for him.
Aren't we? At least the way I see it, OotS stays away from cliche villains that one is supposed to hate. Redcloak is a much more interesting case: he is evil alright, but his goal is sympathetic. In fact, if I was a goblin in OotS universe, I'd fight and die for him willingly (not if I was a human though :smalltongue: ).

[mikeejimbo]

I mean, I DO feel sorry for him, I've read SoD and he's a very sympathetic character, but he IS the villian. We aren't technically supposed to cheer for him.

We're not 'supposed' to do anything, in my view. We can do whatever we like, and I choose to support Redcloak. :smallwink: Not Xykon, though.

[Devils_Advocate]

Because Rich's Goblins Are Different. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OurWerewolvesAreDifferent) They're all Medium in the comic, no special reason.
The generic one is Our Monsters Are Different (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OurMonstersAreDifferent).

It really sort of makes more sense for goblins to be the same size category as hobgoblins and bugbears, since they're all supposed to be related. Kobolds are still there to fill the small, weak humanoid monster role.