Topic: Adding Goblins, Hobgoblins and Orcs

Although the Tolkein races exist in the game already, I am surprised to see that the typical villain ones are missing. It might actually be a good thing. Perhaps more depth could be given to them in a world where they are expected to exist, but have not been dropped in as mindless bags of hit points to pop without remorse. Rather than adding stats first, I would rather start first by proposing ideas and then working out how they would be best expressed.

Goblins
There are legends of small, creepy little people who live deep with the depths of the forest. They look almost as much beast as man, hiding away in the shadows. Some times they sneak their way into villages, sometimes to be helpful for a price-- but all too often to steal. There are even stories of them stealing away human children for some surely nefarious purpose. When they are encountered, their reactions can be anything from vicious throat-slashing monsters to mischievous traders and con-artists. They never seem to be entirely altruistic, although there are those who claim to have befriended them, or were helped out of the woods when they were lost by one or that they have stolen back the money from greedy lords and returned it to those who have shown them kindness in the past. But even in doing good, they seem to interject trickery. Some have tried to claim there is a division in the race between the evil "goblins" and the good "lutin", but the division seems entirely in the imagination of humans and the actual creatures are so unpredictable and chaotic that one really never knows how one is going to act. Perhaps it is merely in their odd shadowy faerie nature.
They are masters of disappearing and entering into houses without being invited. In fact, they excel in these skills to such a degree that many claim they are using magic or glamour to accomplish these deeds. There really is no where safe from goblins if they get angry at you-- and if you anger one, often a whole pack will react. In their own terrain, they are masters. Not only of vanishing and navigating the woods, finding food and making shelters that are all but invisible to others, but they also have an uncanny mastery of the beasts within it. Wolves, bears, spiders and bats that would rip a man apart seem to respond to these small, weak little demi-humans with the obedience of a dog to its master-- quickly fighting to protect their master.

Hobgoblins
Making their homes primarily on isolated islands, Hobgoblins are a relatively civilized demi-human race that seems to have quite a bit of nobility to them. They are physically imposing, towering over all but the tallest of humans, with agile, tough bodies like those of predators. They build their societies in a highly ordered way, with those who have managed to get to the top having considerable more wealth, freedom and power than those who serve as peasants. Everyone has their place and they seem to take pride in fulfilling the duties of their place in the order. They live by a strict code of honor in their conduct, always keeping their word, always loyal to their clan and allies and always preferring a direct, fair fight whenever they can.
However, they are also a very violent, war-like people who are quick to test their mettle against any new opponent they may find and have hearts that have no room for mercy or kindness for the weak or cowardly. They don't allow and inch, for themselves or others, and are known to fight a battle against impossible odds to the death or, sometimes, even take their own life when it is clear that they have completely failed and there is no other recourse.
Their societies are strictly traditional, with artistic expression being rigid and disciplined rather than wild and creative. They have an appreciation for the passage of time, particularly focusing on the taste of each season. They do not adapt well to new ideas, even choosing to use old, time-tested, traditional architecture, weaponry, social structures and economic forms. Even when writing they choose to use old pictographic forms rather than phonographic ones, meaning that reading something written by a hobgoblin can require knowing a few thousand different symbols. Their inability to adjust with the times comes at a great cost as they cannot really stand as nations against those of humans and while they are quick to start a war, they inevitably lose them. Remaining members of broken tribes sometimes roam the lands, moving from place to place and doing what they can to live a proper, honorable life. These hobgoblins, unless of great skill and prestige, tend to never find a new clan to join as those who failed to protect their masters are considered shameful and bad luck to have around.
They seem to care neither for the gods in particular, most adhering to a code of conduct rather than a religion, nor for the great secrets one can unlock delving deep into studies of the arcane, seeing both practices as a terrible waste of one's life. In fact, they almost seem to be the product of generations of rebelling against their own mystical ancestry. For they clearly have some sort of shadowy faerie origins, although the only traces of it left are their bestial features, their ability to walk without making noise and the fact that they are as content in the dead of night as they are in the day.


Orcs
They live out in the worst places in the world. Whether in the steamiest desert, or the most desolate, wind-swept tundra-- they make their homes in places where few humans would dare to go. They seem to lack the ability to process or adapt to the changing world at all, remaining trapped at a civilization level thousands of years behind the times. They live in scattered tribes, thriving only because of their great toughness and unmatched physical power. They are able to overcome just about any challenge with raw brutality, a bottomless well of rage and unbreakable perseverance in the face of defeat. They can and will eat almost anything and can survive almost anything nature can throw at them.
They are very aggressive, angry and quick to react to any perceived threat or frustrating situation with violence. This stems from their warrior culture where they constantly pit themselves against one another, seeing to it that only the strongest, bravest, toughest and best survive and then can go on to have many, many children. As a result, one can insult a Orc's appearance, manners, and intelligence and they often won't care-- but saying anything that could be perceived as questioning their abilities as a warrior is a quick way to get an axe to the skull.
There is something admirable about the way Orcs live in harmony with the earth. They believe everything in nature have spirits and generally show respect for these spirits, particularly those of the animals they hunt and kill knowing that if the animals were to disappear, they would too. That being said, they also take great pride in being the warrior who took down the biggest, most frightening beast and bringing it home to the tribe for a feast. They see the earth itself as their mother, saying that they rose up from her womb and one day when their bodies give out, their spirits will disappear back into the earth where they will partake in great feasts in between epic battles led by the greatest warriors in all of history.
Orcs have no written language, communicating orally. However, they do have a rich story telling tradition that records events of their tribes for thousands of years. They entertain themselves every day by learning these stories and even a young Orc can recall dozens of them. This means that they make wonderful storytellers. Those who survive their wild youth as warriors often take their place as the tribe storyteller in their old age. Survival to old age is so rare that there is almost never competition for the position.


So what sort of abilities could these demi-human races receive (both as monsters and as PCs) that would allow the mechanics to fit this sort of view?

Re: Adding Goblins, Hobgoblins and Orcs

To start breaking things down mechanically

Goblins
Hit Die - Likely d6s, toughness and staying power really isn't their thing.
Saves - They focus more on being swift and dodgy than tough. Their saves would likely match up with those of the specialist closer than anything else.
Spells - None. Although they may be stealthy enough to SEEM magical, they are not magical.
Alignment - Always Chaotic.
Size - small, so they can only use small weapons and medium weapons two-handed.
Other skills-
They can see in the dark.
They have the stealth skill like the specialist.
They can hire monstrous animals as retainers.
Other possibilities - Climbing, Searching, Slight of Hand and Sneak attack all seem like possibilities.

In fact, a version of the Specialist that gives up Finding Traps, Tinkering and Languages, has their size reduced to small but can see in the dark and can hire monstrous animals (probably limited to 1/2 their level in hit die) would make for a nearly perfect goblin. In which case their experience points per level would likely be similar to the Specialist-- maybe 1400 experience for level 2 and increasing there after.

Hobgoblin
Hit die - d10s
Saves - They are tough and agile, noticeably resilient-- but perhaps not on the same level as the Dwarf. The Fighter save tables would likely be appropriate.
Spells - None. They have rebelled against being magical.
Alignment - Always Lawful
Size - Taller than humans, but not by a great degree.
Other skills -
They can see in the dark.
They are stealthy, so they should get the stealth skill of the specialist, but none of the others.
They are good at commanding others even though they aren't otherwise particularly socially advanced. Because of this perhaps their Charisma bonus should be considered 1 point higher when it comes to hiring or making morale checks for retainers. At least the hobgoblin and goblin sort.
Anything else? Nothing else really sticks out.

So basically they just end up being a pretty vanilla Fighter who can see in the dark, has a stealth skill and could get a bonus to keeping and using retainers. After all that, perhaps their experience points for level 2 ought to be about 2300 and continue past there.

Orcs
Hit Die - D12s. They are the toughest SOBs around.
Saves - They are tough as nails and never give up no matter what hits them. The Dwarf saves seem most appropriate for them.
Spells- None.
Alignment - Always Chaotic.
Size - Although heavier than humans, they aren't larger enough to make a big difference.
Other skills -
They can see in the dark.
They unquestionably have the Hunting & Foraging skill, likely starting at a pretty high level with the caveat that the food they find likely isn't edible by others.
They get angry when hurt and that is the real source of their power-- maybe after being reduced to 1/2 hit points, they gain +1 to their damage rolls for 1d6 rounds.

The Orcs would all in all be pretty strong. Perhaps they would require 2500 experience for level 2 and increase after that.