Goblin (Zendikar; Grotag Tribe)
Source: Plane Shift: Zendikar p. 17
- Ability Scores: Constitution +2
- Type: subrace
- Size: Small
- Speed: 25 ft.
Traits
Age
Goblins mature faster than humans, reaching adulthood at around age 12. They also age noticeably faster than humans, and even the most cautious goblins rarely live longer than 50 years.
Alignment
Most goblins are wildly chaotic, though they have no particular inclination toward good or evil.
Size
Goblins average about 3 feet tall and weigh about 40 pounds. Your size is Small.
Darkvision
Thanks to your heritage, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and Goblin.
Grit
You have resistance to fire damage and psychic damage. In addition, when you are wearing no armor, your AC is equal to 11 + your Dexterity modifier.
Grotag Tamer
You have proficiency in the Animal Handling skill.
Description
Smaller and weaker than their cousins, and with larger hands and feet, goblins of the Grotag tribe attempt to live by their wits—though seldom with much success. When a Grotag goblin has the bright idea of trying to tame fleshpiercer mites, at least a few others will be willing to follow that goblin into a nest—usually to predictably horrible results. But though the Grotag seem to have a never-ending supply of bad ideas, and a horrible ratio of bad ideas to good, the Grotag likewise seem to have a never-ending supply of Grotag. As such, by trial and error (and more error), these goblins have stumbled across a great deal of knowledge useful for surviving the deep places of Zendikar, and for dealing with the creatures that live there. The Grotag imagine themselves to have a sort of empathy with beasts, and they lose hundreds of goblins each year to ill-advised attempts at monster taming. But, every now and again, one of these efforts is successful.
Goblins are an inquisitive and adaptable race hampered by their small size, their natural cowardice, and a severe shortage of common sense. They eagerly explore areas that others hesitate to enter, and obsessively fiddle with magic that more sensible folk would take careful precautions with. They prize ancient artifacts not for their inherent value, but primarily as a mark of status—for a precious trophy proves that its owner survived a delve into a deep and dangerous ruin.
Goblins are associated with red mana. Their shamans are fond of spells that create or control fire and lightning to smite their foes, and they are quick to follow their impulses and passions into action without much forethought. Life to a goblin is an adventure full of new things to explore and experience.
Long Arms and Stony Skin
A typical goblin stands between three-and-a-half and five feet tall, with a slender, elongated build. Goblins’ arms are unusually long and spindly, making them adept at climbing cliffs and trees. Their skin has a stony texture, ranging in color from red-brown to moss green or gray. Their ears are large and swept back, their eyes are intensely red, and many sport heavy bone protrusions on their spines or elbows. Males have similar growths jutting from their chins, while females have heavier growths on their foreheads.
This distinctive appearance is a direct result of the goblins’ unusual diet. Before the Eldrazi’s rise, goblins supplemented their normal diet with a kind of rock they pounded into bits and called “grit.” The presence of the Eldrazi in Zendikar has poisoned this rock, so the goblins have taken to eating powdered hedrons instead. Eating this magic-infused stone has given the goblins resistance to the maddening psychic emanations of the Eldrazi. As an added benefit, it toughens their skin, protecting them from the elements and from physical dangers.