Hobgoblin

War horns sound, and warmachines cobbled together from rusting metal and twisted wires thunder towards battle. Across the borderlands of civilization, hobgoblins build great fortresses and warmachines, creating a formidable resistance against anything that may claw its way out of the forebear ruins.

Hobgoblins have dark orange or red-orange skin, and hair ranging from dark red-brown to dark gray. Yellow or brown eyes peer out beneath a pair of stubby horns, and their wide mouths sport sharp teeth. A hobgoblin might have a large blue nose, which is seen as a symbol of power and strength among goblinkin. Hobgoblins can live as long as humans, though their dangerous lives in the outlands means few do.

Goblinoids
Hobgoblins are often found in the company of their cousins, bugbears and goblins. These three races have a symbiotic relationship, with the bugbears using their superior strength and size to protect the smaller goblins, while the hobgoblin’s advanced intellect and strategy helps them map safe hunting grounds and the goblin’s small size allow them to scout ahead and locate valuable treasure.

Martial Might
A hobgoblin measures virtue by physical strength and martial prowess, caring about nothing except the opportunity to demonstrate skill and cunning in battle. Hobgoblins of high military rank attain their positions by imposing their authority with confidence and unflinching certainty.

Hobgoblins train to fight with a variety of weapons, and have great skill at crafting arms, armor, siege engines, and other military devices. Organized and disciplined, they take exceptional care of their weapons, armor, and personal possessions. They favor the bold colors associated with their tribes, and trim their often-elaborate uniforms with blood-red piping and leather dyed black.

Military Legions
Hobgoblins organize themselves into tribal bands known as legions. In their martial society, every hobgoblin has a rank, from the powerful leaders and champions, to the rank-and-file foot soldiers, to the rather respected field medics. A legion is headed by a warlord with several captains serving under its command. A hobgoblin warlord must have an interest in military strategy, victory, glory, reputation and effectively leading their troops into battle.

As loyal and disciplined as hobgoblins are in their own legion, rival legions compete constantly for reputation and status. Meetings between legions erupt in violence if troops aren’t restrained, and it often comes down to exceptionally powerful leaders to force their legions to cooperate on the battlefield.

Strategic Thinkers
Hobgoblins have a strong grasp of tactics and discipline, and can carry out sophisticated battle plans under the direction of a strategically minded leader.

Legions often supplement their ranks with troops of other races, most commonly bugbears and goblins. The bugbear's superior strength makes them excellent foot soldiers, the goblin’s small size and ability to sneak around make them ideal scouts and spies. Some legions also contain the likes of orcs, humans, ogres, and giants, though they consider these troops more expendable then their own kind.

Beast Trainers
Hobgoblins have a long history of training animals to service. Like the other civilized races, they use oxen and horses to transport goods and weaponry over long distances. They communicate with each other using trained ravens, and keep wolves to guard prisoners and protect hobgoblin camps. Hobgoblin cavalry use trained worgs as steeds, in the same way goblins ride wolves. Some tribes even keep carnivorous apes as fighting beasts.

Conquer and Control
Inland civilizations may grow nervous watching the hobgoblins build their fortresses and war machines, and some come to believe that hobgoblins seek to conquer that lands of the feyborn or the beastfolk. For some legions this is true, they grow tired of the barren lands and dangerous ruins they call home, and turn their gaze towards resource rich civilizations. These legions are dangerous and sometimes cruel, and have contributed to a rather bad reputation for the goblinoids.

Most legions, however, believe the forebear-touched lands are theirs by right, and they seek to reclaim it by conquest. They test their might against monstrosities and aberrations, and occasionally conflict with other hobgoblin legions for particularly favorable reclaimed lands.

Hobgoblin Names
Hobgoblin names are guttural and melodic, especially when compared to their goblin cousins. Hobgoblin names are considered unisex. Some hobgoblins also have a surname or title of sorts. Names like Crush or the Shank.

Hobgoblin names: Grukvoven, Egod, Lalzac, Grundror, Gluduk, Loc Bully, Moldren The Marked, Zorduc Glare, Zror Vex, Ardar, Vondrur, Zraldrarz, Regun, Nol, Grarg Bleed, Odrivorg The Corrupt, Rag The Shiv, Shudrak Duel, Zrerg The Fury

Hobgoblin Characteristics
When creating a Hobgoblin character, you can use the suggested ability score increases or, as detailed in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, you can instead increase one ability score of your choice by 1 and one different ability score of your choice by 2.

(Con. +2; Int. +1)

Darkvision. 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.

Martial Training. You are proficient with two martial weapons of your choice and with light armor.

Saving Face. Hobgoblins are careful not to show weakness in front of their allies, for fear of losing status. If you miss an attack roll or fail an ability check or saving throw, you can gain a bonus to the roll equal to the number of allies you can see within 30ft of you (maximum bonus of +5). Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

Languages. You understand Common and Goblin.