Goblin (Zendikar; Lavastep 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.
Lavastep Grit
You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in rocky or subterranean environments.
Description
The Lavastep tribe is the most industrious of the goblin tribes, and possesses much hard-won knowledge of the geothermal activity in Akoum. More so than members of the other tribes, the Lavastep goblins build surprisingly effective equipment out of the crystal shards and veins of strange metals that occasionally boil up to the surface. The most warlike of their kind, Lavastep goblins frequently harass the kor, elves, and humans of Akoum.
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.