Fleuri
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Joined: Tue 29 May 2018, 12:32

How to make social gameplay viable for goblins?

Sat 29 Dec 2018, 19:25

In my campaign starting next month three of five players are playing goblins.
Now to my understanding majority of Ravenland's denizens are humans of various background and goblins are met with prejudice. The other two players are playing a dwarf and a wolfkin, so the party composition is quite bizarre (but very cool, IMO) in the setting.

Now I don't want to disregard the social aspects of the game but the non-human-mostly-goblins party might make that challenging to approach and I want the party composition to have a meaning as racial prejudices are key elements in the Forbidden Lands lore.

Any ideas how to approach goblins' social interaction with majority population is appreciated! 
 
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Arnold
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Re: How to make social gameplay viable for goblins?

Sat 29 Dec 2018, 22:39

You could include a halfing NPC, which all of the goblins believe their live is connected to. So the three have a good reason to protect the halfling and form a group with him. Perhaps this halfling is a peddlar and pays the wolfkin as mercenary and the dwarf ...?

In social interaction, they could sent halfling forward and stay behind him ...
 
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The1TrueFredrix
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Re: How to make social gameplay viable for goblins?

Sun 30 Dec 2018, 09:03

The prejudices are there, but you don’t need to make them disrupt enjoyment for players. After all “Goblins are known for their cunning and adaptability and are often  hired by orcs or humans to track, act as couriers, or hunt” (GG p71). You can’t hire goblins if you don’t socially interact with them. 
Effekt - A fan podcast celebrating Swedish RPGs including, but not limited to: Alien; Coriolis; Forbidden Lands; Symbaroum; and Tales from the Loop. Featuring discussion magazine episodes and Actual Play recordings. https://effektpodcast.org/
 
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andarp
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Re: How to make social gameplay viable for goblins?

Sat 05 Jan 2019, 10:40

The books do a great job at including well-reasoned exceptions to most of the racial prejudice and conflict.

First off, my take on goblins is that they don't really dislike anyone. Disorderly, selfish and uncaring of others, perhaps - but not strictly disliking. This makes it easy for the goblin PCs to not be forced into picking fights all the time. For example, even though the halflings seem to dislike and be ashamed of the goblins, the goblins still (begrudgingly) protect them. So perhaps goblins aren't as ill-mannered and mean-spirited as one could be led to believe?

For the wolfkin, it says some individuals dislike the tribal forest life and look for hire as guards and trackers. Perhaps trying to live out a more """human""" life? Perhaps this wolf seeks to become more civilized and has a strong dislike for his ferocious and barbaric kin? Obviously, the more rural folk will be prejudiced against him, but with three goblins, a big wolf and a dwarf - they might prefer to keep their distance instead of picking a fight.

Now when it comes to the dwarf... I read FbL dwarves as being above all pragmatic. The dwarf might look down upon the rest of his party, or he might like them, or be completely neutral. Either way there is something that he wants done, so one could assume he will do his best to make the group work. Perhaps the dwarf will be the face of the party ( :D ) when interacting with people skeptical of them and simply wave their worries away in a sort of "Yeah, yeah, you don't like goblins and wolves. Neither do I. But here we are, so what can you do about it, eh?" kind of way.

Have you thought about how the group will initially come together?
 
Fleuri
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Re: How to make social gameplay viable for goblins?

Tue 22 Jan 2019, 22:19

Hey, thanks for all the replies! They are great! I can use these in my campaign starting tomorrow. Sorry for the absence though.

We have decided that the PC's have grown up together and are from the same village, most likely in the south-east of the map where Wolfkins and Goblins dwell. I'm probably making their home village 'The Hollows' but introducing it as a bit more diverse place with many kins living in relative peace.
 
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andarp
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Re: How to make social gameplay viable for goblins?

Wed 23 Jan 2019, 10:44

Hey, thanks for all the replies! They are great! I can use these in my campaign starting tomorrow. Sorry for the absence though.

We have decided that the PC's have grown up together and are from the same village, most likely in the south-east of the map where Wolfkins and Goblins dwell. I'm probably making their home village 'The Hollows' but introducing it as a bit more diverse place with many kins living in relative peace.
That's a neat idea - it would be interesting if the village was relatively unique in comparison to the rest of the world. E.g. if you come to another village that you haven't been able to visit during the blood mist goblins and wolfkin will hate each other at first sight - which will be unusual for people who have lived in The Hollows all their lives.

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