Fillling Out Hobgoblin's +1 LA

[Andion Isurand]

HOBGOBLIN

# +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution
# Medium: As Medium creatures, hobgoblins have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
# Hobgoblin base land speed is 30 feet.
# Darkvision 60 ft.
# +4 racial bonus on Move Silently checks.
# Goblinoid subtype (Goblin Blood).
# Automatic Languages: Common and Goblin.
# Favored Class: Fighter. A multiclass hobgoblin’s fighter class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty.
# Level Adjustment: +1

How would you fill out the +1 LA?

Perhaps a bonus feat from the fighter list?
and/or +1 natural armor?

[Shpadoinkle]

I wouldn't. I'd just make them LA 0.

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

You can also make them LA+0 by taking away the DEX bonus.

[Lord Vukodlak]

Here's the hobgoblins I use in my campaign setting.

+2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution.
A hobgoblin’s base land speed is 30 feet.
Dark Vision out to 60 feet.
+4 racial bonus on Move Silently checks.
Automatic Languages: Common, Goblin. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Dwarven, Infernal, Giant, Orc

* Armor Training: Hobgoblins may sleep in medium without becoming fatigued. If they have the endurance feat they may sleep in heavy armor without problems.

*Cunning Flanker: A Hobgoblins are masters of cooperation in combat. While flanking they gain a +4 bonus on attack rolls instead of the usual +2.

[Lyndworm]

Increasing their base land speed to 40ft, giving them a small natural armor bonus, and/or giving them some sort of bonus on flanking would all help.

[Harperfan7]

Not what you asked for, but here are my homebrew hobgoblins.

+2 Constitution, -1 to will saves. Hobgoblins are disciplined and punished harshly since birth by a highly domineering society, developing tough bodies resistant to pain but lacking personal willpower and the mental ability to block influence. A hobgoblin instinctively follows commands and orders.
A hobgoblin’s base land speed is 30 feet.
+4 racial bonus on Move Silently checks.
+3 to Grapple checks
+2 to all Art of War checks (Bull Rush, Disarm, Feint, Overrun, Sunder, & Trip)
+2 vs. all Art of War checks (Bull Rush, Disarm, Feint, Overrun, Sunder, & Trip)
+2 to Knowledge (architecture & Engineering) & Proffession (Seige Engineer) checks and can use them untrained.
Any hobgoblin who is adjacent to an ally hobgoblin gains a +1 shield bonus to AC against melee attacks.

[Eldan]

I gave my hobgoblins +1 initiator level, to make up for the LA, and favoured class: Warblade. A few other things as well, but I don't remember them all.

[Darkxarth]

I am not sure that this will be my final version of Hobgoblins, but here is their current incarnation, at least.

Hobgoblin
+2 Dex, +2 Con
Medium Size Humanoid (Goblinoid)
Base Land Speed: 30 ft (6 squares)
Bonus Feat: At first level, hobgoblins can choose one feat from the following list (provided that they meet the prerequisites) as a bonus feat. This feat represents their specific style of combat training, but does not affect what classes or other feats they can take.

Spoiler

Show

Blind-Fight, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Endurance, Improved Unarmed Strike, Mounted Combat, Point Blank Shot, Power Attack, Quick Draw

Improved Flanking: Due to extensive combat formation training, hobgoblins are very effective at flanking opponents. They receive a +4 attack bonus when flanking instead of a +2 bonus.
Keen Vision*: A hobgoblin can see three times as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Military Training**: Hobgoblins automatically have proficiency in light & medium armor, shields (except tower shields), and the Polearms Weapon Group.
Dwarf Hatred: Like all Goblins, Hobgoblins and Dwarves have a relationship of hate and war. They gain a +1 racial attack bonus against Dwarves.

I removed the bonus to Move Silently, since it makes less sense for a Medium-sized warrior type than it does a Small-sized sneaky type. Obviously, flanking bonuses have come up as several suggestions in this thread; my Hobgoblin includes that as well, so I am thinking maybe it was an official suggestion in some book or online article?

* In my campaign world, Darkvision was a much rarer ability, only true monsters had it, not simply every monstrous humanoid and Dwarves.
** Armor and weapon proficiencies were a little different in my campaign, too. You could easily replace this with Endurance to grant that "sleep in Medium Armor without fatigue" ability. Plus, Diehard makes a great 1st level feat.

[Rowanomicon]

Given the nature of the name and that +4 Move Silently already in there you might want to add +4 to Hide as well and grant some sort of fear causing effect (perhaps linked to jumping out and surprising the victim).

[Cieyrin]

Given the nature of the name and that +4 Move Silently already in there you might want to add +4 to Hide as well and grant some sort of fear causing effect (perhaps linked to jumping out and surprising the victim).

Fear is more a Bugbear thing than Hob's. Hobs are tactically inclined sorts, hence the Flanking boost people keep suggesting.

[Rowanomicon]

I was referring more to this entry than the MM entry.

Yes, bugbear can be a source of fear as well.
I, personally would give them more powerful fear (just because they're a bigger, more powerful creature) than a Hobgoblin and something that will be a persistent thorn in the PCs' sides, like a wounding weapon, some hindrance or a debuff.

[ericgrau]

<Opens up fighter simulator>
Giving them a +2 to strength puts them slightly behind a human in a simple fight. Ditto for +2 natural armor. Giving them +0 LA makes them OP, but it's only a little worse than how UP they were. Looks like hobgoblins were a solid 0.5 LA race and it got rounded up.