Hobgoblin PC

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http://community.wizards.com/forum/product-and-general-dd-discussions/threads/4111421

Just looking for opinions or suggested tweaks for this homebrew race. They seem to get a lot of advantage to different rolls, and I'm not sure if this is too much (I do like the intimidation racial though)

If I'm not mistaken this write up may have been balanced for d&d next playtest which handed out advantage abilities, so it would be nice to bring it in line with the current racials, while maintaining the hobgoblin flavour that the author created.

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Aside from them getting advantage on a lot of their skill checks, I was wondering about the bonus to initiative? Is this out of place as a racial? Adding your proficiency to your initiative seems pretty powerful. If anything it should be maybe a flat +2?

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Here is what I have so far. Feel free to critique or add any suggestions.

Hobgoblin Traits

Ability Score Increase
Your Constitution Score is increased by 2.

Age
Hobgoblins age at roughly the same rate as humans. They reach full maturity around the age of 16 and are usually considered to be full adults then. Because of their violent and aggressive lives, they usually die in battle once their bodies begin failing them.

Alignment
Most hobgoblins are extremely disciplined and honorable, seeking to enforce the order with which they live their lives onto the world making them strictly Lawful. They are often extremely brutal, cruel and cold with their means as well, making them solidly evil.

Size
Hobgoblins have a similar physical build as Humans,
standing an average of 6 feet, and an average weight of around
200 pounds. You are considered medium-sized.

Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Languages
You can speak, read and write Common and (High) Goblin. Hobgoblins speak Goblin, although their dialect is considerably different from their smaller cousins. They insist on using an ancient pictographic script with over 2000 characters and rare is the hobgoblin who knows them all. This means hobgoblins often need scribes to read and write their messages for them.

Darkvision: You are descended from predatory ancestors with keen night vision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were in bright light and in darkness as if it were in tim light. You can't discern colors in darkness, only shades of black and white.

Born to war: Hobgoblins are trained in weaponry from a very young age. You are proficient with all martial weapons.

Martial Advantage: You can deal an extra 2d6 damage to a creature that you hit with a melee attack if that creature is within 5 feet of an ally that isn't incapacitated. You cannot use martial advantage again until you have completed a short or long rest.

Always Prepared: You have a +2 bonus to your Initiative rolls.

Hobgoblin Subraces

Hobgoblin have a number of subraces. Choose one of the following Hobgoblin subraces.

Crimson Hobgoblin
As a crimson hobgoblin, you are a paragon of stalwart resilience and perseverance. Your ability to face down even the largest and strongest of foes, to be able to take a hit and keep pushing forward can win you the respect and support of even the most brutal and fearsome of allies.
Crimson hobgoblins are generally more primitive than the other kind, but are also often found working with or even controlling orcs, ogres, gnolls and other seemingly uncontrollable forces. They are very physical and often larger than other hobgoblins. They are also known for their red skin and unique blue-colored noses.

Ability Score Adjustment: Your Dexterity Score is increased by 1.

Leading the Charge: On the first round of combat (or both the first and the surprise round if your allies gain a surprise round), allies who start their turn within 10ft of you gain advantage on their attack rolls. Vou can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Dominating: You gain proficieney in the Intimidation skill. You can choose either strength or charisma when making a check.

Gamboge Hobgoblin
As a gamboge hobgoblin, you are a disciplined member the most militarized society in the world. Trained since you could walk in the ways of war, you are an expert on taking command on the battlefield and whipping the troops into order.

Gamboge hobgoblins are a primarily civilizing force in the world, if brutal at that. They often forge fiefdoms along the border of human lands and keep an uneasy peace with the most evil of human civilizations. They are the ones most commonly found working as hired muscle in human cities. They tend to be marginally closer to human size and tend towards having yellow-orange skin.

Ability Score Adjustment: Your Charisma Score is increased by 1.

Phalanx Training: When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you,you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. Vou can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Stalwart: You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

[eleazzaar]

I'd say the crimson is a bit overpowered, It isn't any one thing-- it just gets a bunch of pretty good stuff. The Gamboge is pretty powerful but not more so than the best PHB races.

The reason for the difference is that "Leading the Charger" is much better than "Phalanx Training." "Leading the Charge" could give everyone on the team advantage for two attacks, while "Planax" never gives more than disadvantage on one roll.


As a crimson hobgoblin, you are a paragon of stalwart resilience and perseverance.

Which is why they get a dex bonus??


Aside from them getting advantage on a lot of their skill checks, I was wondering about the bonus to initiative? Is this out of place as a racial? Adding your proficiency to your initiative seems pretty powerful. If anything it should be maybe a flat +2?

5e does away with small numerical racial bonuses-- and good riddance. Instead it give advantage under very specific circumstances, or it gives you a special ability. Instead of giving the Lightfoot halfling a +2 to hiding, for instance it allows them to hide when others couldn't (when behind a medium character).

Also I'm really not convinced by the subrace desciptions. A lot of it is saying pretty much the same thing with different words. And the traits they get don't seem strongly connected to the description.

Which leads me to believe that you and/or the original author don't have a very clear idea how these subraces are different.

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Well the original author had +1 Strength for the Crimson, which would probably also work. However almost every entry related to hobgoblin's has given them + con and + dex. both 3.5 and 4e both had con and dex.

Here is a quote from an article on hobgoblins in dragon magazine #309

"Hobgoblins are born predators, and this heritage is apparent in their physical shape. A typical hobgoblin is lean and tall, averaging 6 1/2ft in height and 200 pounds in weight. The muscles of his lithe frame are designed more for agility then strength, enabling him to move with an almost feline grace. Like a tiger, a hobgoblin excels at moving unheard".........

It goes on to talk about scars and tattoos.

So now I have justified Con, and Dex, and I had to give another ability to the more militaristic Gamboge. So I stuck with Cha, which seemed a good fit for military leaders?

So yes I do disagree with the original author about giving a strength bonus instead of dex. I may try to reword the description of the crimson slightly to better reflect this.