Background:
Cruel, brutal, cowardly, sneaky, treacherous. All of these words have been used to describe Goblins in the past. And for a huge percentage of the population, all of them are true.
Goblins are small, scrawny creatures that have the same green-pigmented skin that Orcs and a few Ogres share. They are primarily creatures of evil, though they bear a certain neutrality that none of the other "evil" races share. Goblins for the most part are fairly intelligent, though in a selfish way - there are few to no Goblin astronomers, for example, but any Goblin could tell you the best way to slide a dagger into someone's neck, or how to hide when that person's friends came running. They are creatures of shadow, as the above example shows. They always prefer the flank to the front, and if possible the back to both.
As they are cowardly creatures, they rarely go into battle of their own accord. They do however feature prominently in raids and small-scale attacks on farmsteads and holdings on the outskirts of villages and towns. In some very rare occasions there have been Goblin attacks on full towns or villages.
Goblins prefer weapons such as knives, daggers, short swords and short bows, weapons which suit both their short stature and their need to hide in shadows. They are generally skilled with all of these weapons, although some have limited accuracy when hurling or firing ammunition.
Goblins are very skilled in setting traps, from simple trip-wires to elaborate pits and spikes or nets. They gain skills in this very quickly and most can use traps from the start of their quests.
Despite their cowardly nature, Goblins have been known to go to battle. Normally they have to be pushed and threatened every step of the way by Orcs, Trolls or Ogres. In battle they generally form their own regiments which are given massively exaggerated names - "Snakka's Bloodgrippers of Dhardaron" is one of the more famous from Goblin legend.
Goblin shamans are numerous. Due to their relatively weak constitutions, many die during the course of magical activity. Therefore a number must be brought into battle to have a noticable affect. Goblin shamans have many different methods to increase their chances of surviving the casting process - eating herbs and drugs are the most popular.
Role-playing:
Goblins are small, sneaky and cowardly. Usually travel in large numbers. Will attack all good races on sight, though will surrender and beg for clemency at any opportunity.
Advantages - bonuses to dexterity and speed. Increased thievery and hiding skills.
Disadvantages - penalties to strength and constitution. Cannot use large weapons very well.
Specialized Racial Class - Thief.
