12 Goblin Subcultures

Goblin, Goblin, Badger, Goblin
So a few different goblinoid cultures to use and mix up as they might mix a bit or have had phases in their history as slaves to different cults and masters. Ive done way too much stuff on goblins already but here you go they are addictive critters.

d12 Goblin Tribal History Table

1 Forest Elf Thralls 
Bred to be: serfs and vassals on borders of enemies who outbreed elves
Provide: elves with personal servants, labour and spearmen
Expert: gardeners grow crops, trees, living weapons, fighting plants and thorn hedge walls
Found: in new growth forests around old elven woods as a barrier to humans
Magicians tend to be druidic powers of nature, plants and beasts
Warrior Arms: hand axe, short bow, dart, spear
Warrior Armour: small wood shield, bark armour, pointy leather cap, leaf cloak
Specialist: skirmishers supporting druids sometimes with mobile plants

2 Dark Elf Thralls
Bred to be: serfs and vassals on borders of enemies who outbreed elves
Provide: elves with personal servants, farmers, labour, spearmen and petfood
Found: beneath the earth and cursed forests
Expertise: domestic bats, beetles, worms and magical fungus
Magicians: priests of dark elf cults and a few wizards and shaman
Warrior Arms: includes short sword, short bow, dart, spear,
Warrior Armour: small shroom cap shield, lizard skin armour, toadstool cap
Specialist: spider and bat riders sometimes with a magician

3 Orc Slaves
Bred to be: slaves and property of stronger orcs
Provide: peon farmers and crafters, skirmishers, baggage handlers
Found: wherever orcs live
Expertise: metalwork and mining
Magicians: priests of goblin or orc gods or of darkness
Warrior Arms: dagger, club, dart, short bow
Warrior Armour: round wood and bronze shield, chainmail, iron pot helm
Specialists: heavy goblin infantry, goblin sappers, goblin tunnel fighters, wolf riders

4 Goblin Barbarians
Bred to be: warrior hordes and herders who seek own kingdoms and thralls
Provide: mercenaries, herders
Found: hills and grasslands beyond the frontier
Expertise: swine herding, wagons, dungeon building, monster taming
Magicians: various tribal cults using priests, shaman or wizards
Warrior Arms: battleaxe, scimitar, spear, hand axe
Warrior Armour: chainmail or scalemail, small, triangle shields, horned helmets
Specialists: boar archers, boar chariots, hobgoblin axemen, and bugbear berserks

5 Goblin Ferals
Bred to be: escaped or abandoned in out of the way places by forgotten masters
Provide: trade furs and ivory and animal products
Found: caves, mountains, rocky deserts, swamps, wastelands, some nomadsExpertise: skirmishers, hunters, scouts, stone age weapons, poison use
Magicians: druids and shamen mostly often worship ancestors
Warrior Arms: sling, dart, club, hand axe (some have thrown rock or blowpipe)Warrior Armour: animal hide leathers, small diamond or oval shields, pot helm
Specialists: goblin scouts, norkers (prehistoric throwbacks from inbreeding)

6 Hobgoblin Thralls
Bred to be: serfs of hobgoblin thanelords who use them to soften enemies up
Provide: slaves, skirmishers, light spearmen, archers, farmers
Found: wherever hobgoblins live 
Expertise: keep hideous goblin warhounds 
Magicians: Priests of goblin gods
Warrior Arms: mace, spear, short bow, hand axe (farm tools often too) Warrior Armour: leather, small round wood and hide shield, pot helm 
Specialists: hobgoblin officers, very disciplined troops, warhounds & handlers


7 Bugbear Thralls
Bred to be: serfs and occasionally food
Provide: slaves, archers and skirmishers, crafted metal goods, farmers
Found: wherever bugbears are near#
Expertise: domestic badgers, moles and giant rats
Magicians: priests of goblin gods
Warrior Arms: hand axe, mace, shortbow, flail
Warrior Armour: Scalemail, round wooden and iron shield, pot helm
Specialists: badger riders, sappers, tunnel fighters, bugbears lead skirmishers

8 Darkness Thralls
Bred to be: thralls and slaves of demon and darkness cults
Provide: slaves, sacrifices, temple guards, crafters, fanatics and slavers
Found: hidden away in caves, dungeons and ruins on the frontier
Expertise: black magic, breeding dungeon monsters 
Magicians: mostly priests but some evil wizards
Warrior Arms: sword, mace, spear, short bow Warrior Armour: chainmail, round wood and iron shield, full helms often horned  
Specialists: goblin templars, hobgoblin templars and bugbear templars led by priests


9 Wizard Thralls
Bred to be: Slaves and soldiers of wizards
Provide: Slaves, farmers, Soldiers
Found: Isolated places on the frontier 
Expertise: wizardry, alchemy, gunpowder, monster breeding 
Magicians: wizards but some shamen among commoners
Warrior Arms: spear, short bow, dagger, shortsword 
Warrior Armour:  leather, wooden shield, leather caps
Specialists: suicide bombers, grenadiers, musketmen, cannon, monster handlers, balloon spotter goblins 


10 Sea Thralls
Bred to be amphibious slaves, food and breeding stock by sea elves and fish folk
Provide: sailors, marines, fishers, dock workers, spies
Found:  anywhere near natural water
Expertise:  sailing, boats, breeding sea monsters
Magicians: priests mostly and some druids and wizards
Warrior Arms: trident, net, scimitar, dagger 
Warrior Armour: fish scale leather, small bronze and wood shield, full helmet marine design 
Specialists: goblin marines, goblin pirates, water breathing hybrid goblin troops  


11 Goblin Nomads
Bred to be: wild goblins who ran away from thralldom with pets
Provide: animal products, mounted archers,
Found: Deserts, wastes, great plains 
Expertise: reindeer, gazelle, goats, cassowary (small to medium herd beast)
Magicians: mostly shamen but some have priests and even monks
Warrior Arms:  shortbow, lasso, hatchet, dart
Warrior Armour:  leather armour, hide or wicker shield, leather cap
Specialists: ski and sled troops,  cassowary cavalry, deer archers

12 High Goblin
Bred to be: civilised independent goblinoids with a glorious caste system and history
Provide: merchants, crafters, farmers, scholars, monster breeding, markets
Found:  in isolated valleys, caverns and islands, wherever goblins need help
Expertise: a literate advanced civilisation with longer lifespans, use cave lizards 
Magicians: Priests, shamen, wizards, witches, druids and monks
Warrior Arms: shortsword, mace, spear, shortbow 
Warrior Armour:  chainmail or scalemail, iron and wood shield, brush topped full helms 
Specialists: utilise wide variety of goblinoid types and specialist troops often using mercenaries from other goblin peoples, also magical troop types