Goblins

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This is where I'll be developing the Goblin Stock.

Goblins!

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Merchants

Sellers of Stuff! The rich, ruling class, because they can afford to have the most stuff.

Lifepath Time Res Stat Leads

Born Merchant 6 yrs 10 — Machers, Movers, Toilers, Pariah

Skills: 3 pts: General; 2 pts: Mark-Kraft

Traits: 2 pts: Mark of Merit

Underling 4 yrs 5 — Movers, Toilers, Pariah

Skills: 4 pts: Etiquette, Merchant-wise, Inconspicuous, 1 wise (player choice)

Traits: 1 pt: Self-effacing, Subservient

Hawker 5 yrs 10 +1 M Movers, Toilers, Pariah, Heroes

Skills: 4 pts: Conspicuous, Haggling, Inconspicuous, Falsehood

Traits: 1 pt: Sly

Trader¹ 8 yrs 25 +1 M Movers, Toilers, Pariah

Skills: 6 pts: Slippery Bargaining*, Intimidation, Deal-wise, Criticize*

Traits: 2 pts: Impatient with others, Merciless to Your Lessers

Accountant² 8 yrs 25 +1 M Machers, Movers, Toilers

Skills: 4 pts: Accounting, Administration, Money-wise

Traits: 1 pt: Organized, Penny-wise

Notary² 5 yrs 10 +1 M Movers, Toilers, Pariah

Skills: 4 pts: Rule of Law, Calligraphy, Illuminations, Calligraphy

Traits: 1 pts: Seal of the High Hobb

Burgher³ 8 yrs 30 +1 M Movers, Toilers, Pariah

Skills: 4 pts: Guild-wise, Administration, Rhetoric, Investment-wise

Traits: 2 pts: Esteemed, Oppressive

Burgher Meister⁴ 10 yrs 50 +1 M Movers, Toilers, Pariah

Skills: 2 pts: General; 2 pts: Oratory, Extortion

Traits: 2 pts: Cruel, Feared, Pompous

MERCHANTS NOTES:
1: Requires Hawker 2: Requires Underling 3: Requires Trader, Accountant or Macher 4: Requires Burgher, MeisterMacher or Shipping Magnate

Machers

Creators of Stuff! The other ruling class, because they hold the honored secrets of making stuff.

Lifepath Time Res Stat Leads

Born Macher 7 yrs 8 — Merchants, Movers, Toilers, Heroes, Pariah

Skills: 4 pts: General; 2 pt: Mark-Kraft, Haggling

Traits: 2 pts: Mark of the Macher

Apprentice 6 yrs 10 +1 P Merchants, Movers, Toilers, Heroes, Pariah

Skills: 4 pts: Mending, Blacksmith, Carpentry, Tanner, Potter, Cooper

Traits: 2 pts: Broken-In, Back-Breaking Labor

Macher¹ 6 yrs 15 +1 M Toilers, Pariah

Skills: 8 pts: Geometry Training, Machers-wise, Materials-wise, Tools-wise, White-smithing, Social-Squirming*

Traits: 2 pts: Machenhanden

MeisterMacher² 10 yrs 40 +1 M/P Merchants, Movers, Toilers, Pariah

Skills: 7 pts: Engineer, Intimidation, Mason, Criticize*, Clockwork-Kraft*

Traits: 2 pts: Exalted, Contempt for Lessers

Warkrafter² 6 yrs 20 +1 M/P Merchants, Toilers, Heroes

Skills: 5 pts: Attiliator, Armorer, Weaponsmith, Carpentry, Etching

Traits: 2 pts: Sadistic

Shipkrafter² 8 yrs 30 +1 M Toilers, Pariah

Skills: 4 pts: Shipkraft, Sail-making, Sea-wise

Traits: 1 pts: -

Inventor³ 8 yrs 30 +1 M Toilers, Pariah

Skills: 4 pts: Invention*, Ugly Truth

Traits: 3 pts: Warped, Tinkerer

MACHERS NOTES:
1: Requires Apprentice 2: Requires Macher 3: Requires MeisterMacher

Movers

Stuff can’t just sit around. These guys see to that. Caravaneers, shippers, haulers, etc.

Lifepath Time Res Stat Leads

Born on the Move 4 yrs 5 — Machers, Toilers, Pariah

Skills: 4 pts: General; 1 pt: Haggling

Traits: 2 pts: Mark of the Mover

Courier 3 yrs 5 +1 P; Toilers, Heroes, Pariah

Skills: 4 pts: Sprinting Training, Streetwise, Inconspicuous,

Traits: 1 pt: “Don’t shoot the messenger!”, Fleet of Foot

Grunter 6 yrs 8 +1 P Toilers, Heroes, Pariah

Skills: 3 pts: Wagon-wise, Cargo-wise, Road-wise

Traits: 1 pt: Lifting Heavy Things, Sweaty

Driver¹ 6 yrs 8 +1 M/P Toilers, Heroes, Pariah

Skills: 3 pts: Driving, Animal Husbandry, Beast of Burden-wise

Traits: 1 pts: Screaming, Foul-mouthed

Caravaneer² 10 yrs 25 +1 M Merchants, Toilers, Pariah

Skills: 5 pts: Orienteering, Caravan-wise, Intimidation, Haggling, Trade Route-wise

Traits: 2 pts: Impatient

Seahobb 5 yrs 5 +1 P Toilers, Heroes, Pariah

Skills: 3 pts: Rigging, Seamanship, Sea-wise

Traits: 2 pts: Sea Legs

Ship's Captain³ 12 yrs 20 +1 M Merchants, Toilers, Pariah

Skills: 3 pts: Command, Navigation, Port-wise, Pirate-wise,

Traits: 2 pts: Protective of Cargo, Discreet

Shipping Magnate⁴ 15 yrs 45 +1 M Merchants, Toilers

Skills: 3 pts: Trade Route-wise, Appraisal, Cargo-wise

Traits: 1 pts: Shrewd, Uncompassionate

MOVERS NOTES:
1: Requires Grunter or Underling 2: Requires Driver or Accountant 3: Requires Seahobb 4: Requires Burgher, Shipkrafter or Ship's Captain

Toilers

When your merit is in the red, the Amercers indenture you until you can work it off. Toilers produce nothing, sell nothing, have nothing. All they do is toil on others’ behalf.

Lifepath Time Res Stat Leads

Born to Toil 8 yrs 3 -1 M/P Movers, Pariah

Skills: 3 pts: General

Traits: 2 pts: Broken, Tasting the Lash

Dirt Farmer 8 yrs 3 +1 M Movers, Pariah

Skills: 2 pts: Farming, Mending

Traits: 2 pts: Gruel Eater, Sick of Gruel

Salt 8 yrs 3 +1 P Movers, Pariah

Skills: 2 pts: Rowing, Seamanship

Traits: 1 pts: Tasting the Lash, Cowering, Whinging

Beast-Tender 8 yrs 3 +1 M Movers, Pariah

Skills: 4 pts: Animal Husbandry, Herd-wise, Climbing, Singing or Musical Instrument

Traits: 1 pts: -

Digger 4 yrs 3 +1 P Movers, Pariah

Skills: 2 pts: Ditch Digging

Traits: 1 pts: Grumbler, Back Breaking Labor

Miner¹ 6 yrs 3 +1 P Movers, Heroes, Pariah

Skills: 3 pts: Mining, Tunnel-wise, Climbing

Traits: 2 pt: Tasting the Lash, Dust in the Lungs, Enjoys Tight Spaces or Claustrophobic

Servant 4 yrs 4 +1 M Merchants, Machers, Pariah

Skills: 2 pts: Inconspicuous, Etiquette, Soothing Platitudes

Traits: 1 pts: Mind-Numbing Work, Speak Only When Spoken To

Trapper 5 yrs 3 +1 M/P Machers, Movers, Pariah

Skills: 4 pts: Trap-kraft*, Prey-wise, Stealthy, Tracking

Traits: 1 pt: -

TOILERS NOTES:'
1: Requires Grunter or Digger

Heroes

The mighty, unstoppable, indefatigable goblin warriors! And guardsmen.

Lifepath Time Res Stat Leads

Shieldbearer 3 yrs 5 +1 M Merchants, Movers, Toilers, Pariah

Skills: 5 pts: Conspicuous, Intimidation, Shield Training, Heraldry

Traits: 1 pt: Self-important

Phalanx¹ 5 yrs 7 +1 P Merchants, Movers, Toilers, Pariah

Skills: 5 pts: Spear, Falsehood, Formation Fighting, Dancing

Traits: 1 pt: Running (Away)

Crossbowman 6 yrs 7 +1 P Machers, Toilers, Pariah

Skills: 4 pts: Stealthy, Ambush-wise, Crossbow, Mending

Traits: 1 pt: Alert

Plunderer 4 yrs 12 +1 M Movers, Toilers, Pariah

Skills: 3 pts: Scavenging, Plunder-wise, Foraging

Traits: 2 pts: Merciless, Stubborn

Bounder 7 yrs 6 +1 P Movers, Toilers, Pariah

Skills: 6 pts: Riding, Borderlands-wise, Spear, Hunting, Foraging, Stealthy

Traits: 2 pts: Discretion (is the better part of valor), Keen Eyes

Hornblower² 6 yrs 10 +1 M Merchants, Toilers, Pariah

Skills: 4 pts: Horn, Poetry, Oratory, Riding

Traits: 1 pt: Pompous

Taskmaster³ 6 yrs 10 +1 M/P Movers, Toilers, Pariah

Skills: 3 pts: Intimidation, Whip, Toiler-wise, Torture, Ugly Truth

Traits: 1 pt: Where There's A Whip, Schadenfreude

Order-keeper 6 yrs 10 +1 P Movers, Toilers, Pariah

Skills: 8 pts: Intimidation, Graft-wise, Brawling, Interrogation, Burgh-wise, Spear, Armor Training

Traits: 2 pts: Scowling, Strength in Numbers

Amercer⁴ 10 yrs 25 +1 M Merchants, Toilers, Pariah

Skills: 5 pts: Rule of Law, Amercement, Appraisal, Ugly Truth, Extortion

Traits: 2 pts: Tenacious Trader, Amenable to Other Options

SETTING NAME NOTES:
1: Requires Shieldbearer, Underling or Apprentice 2: Requires Shieldbearer or Seahobb 3: Requires Digger or any two Toiler or Hero LPs 4: Requires Order-keeper or Notary

Pariahs

Those with positive merit who don’t serve any stuff-based purpose. Philosophers, performers and the heretical Altruists.

Lifepath Time Res Stat Leads

Philosopher¹ 15 yrs 5 +1 M Any

Skills: 1 pt: General; 5 pts: Philosophy, Strategy Games, History, 1 Craftsman skill, 1 Wise

Traits: 2 pts: Well-read, Befuddled, Pipe-smoker

Author 8 yrs 3 &mdash Mover, Toiler

Skills: 5 pts: Mark-kraft*, Composition, Poetry, Playwright

Traits: 2 pts: Tolerated, Tall Tale Teller

Actor 8 yrs 3 &mdash Mover, Toiler

Skills: 3 pts: Acting, Mending, Falsehood

Traits: 1 pts: Dramatic

Fortune-Teller 10 yrs 7 +1 M Merchant, Mover, Toiler

Skills: 4 pts: Fortune-Telling, Astrology, Ugly Truth, Falsehood

Traits: 2 pts: Superstitious, Mysterious, The Sight

Altruist³ 5 yrs 10 +1 M Merchant, Mover, Toiler

Skills: 3 pts: General; 1 pt: Needy-wise,

Traits: 2 pts: Altruist, Kind

Gods-Bringer 6 yrs 6 +1 M Mover, Toiler

Skills: 6 pts: Doctrine, Suasion, Ritual, Soothing Platitudes, Ugly Truth, Gods-wise

Traits: 2 pts: Divinely Inspired, Barely Tolerated, Faithful

Auslander 6 yrs 10 +1 M,P Any

Skills: 2 pts: General; 5 pts: Foreign Languages, Outlands-wise, Foreign History, Etiquette

Traits: 2 pts: Auslander, Sensible

SETTING NAME NOTES:
1: May not be second lifepath. 2: Requires the character has 60 or more RPs from previous LPs

Traits

Common Traits

Short, Green & Knobbly - Of diminutive stature, with a healthy green skin tone, goblins are far from the human ideal of beauty. Their features are exaggerated – disproportionately long limbs, big feet and pointy parts which are half comical and half macabre.
Cunning – Char – Goblins don’t value might or even moral correctness so much as raw guile. Tricking someone is deeply pleasurable for a Goblin in its own right.
Mercenary – DT – Goblins society, more explicitly than most, is based on trade. Unlike Dwarves who want stuff for the sake of having it, goblins enjoy the getting just as much as the having. Besides, more stuff means you’re better than others, and being better is about the only security one can hope for. And of course, one doesn’t get stuff by being passive. Add a 4th belief: Always Haggle.
Bad Taste – Char – Just because they’re acquisitive doesn’t mean they have any style. Goblins prefer ostentation to nuance. Bling, bling!
Bravado – C-O – Goblins talk a good game, but when it comes down to it, they’re wormy little jerks who will turtle if pushed. This is a call-on for Intimidation, Haggling and Conspicuous, but it also increases Hesitation due to Fear by 1.
Sniveling – Char – It would be wrong to say there’s no shame in begging in goblin society. Indeed, invoking and displaying shame is precisely the point. It says, “I have less merit than you! Please don’t squish me like the cockroach I am!” Begging and crying in the face of your superiors is just good form, as any goblin-mother will tell you.
Clever-Kraft – DT – Goblins create some of the oddest, yet also oddly impressive items around. If Dwarves consider their works Art, Goblins seem to think theirs no less for being Kraft. This trait gives them access to a number of special goblin skills.
Atravieso – DT – from the CharBu.

Lifepath Traits

Machenhanden – DT – Round up skill roots for Craftsman skills.
Tenacious Trader – DT – As the Tenacious trait (from the CharBu) but only for Haggling.
Impatient with Others – Char – This goblin has no time for you. You’re a distraction, and you ought to go away, unless you can prove you’re somehow worth his time. But you can’t. So just go away already.
Tinkerer – DT – as the Dwarf trait.
Broken-In – DT – CharBu again.
Near-Sighted – DT – Used to working with miniscule gears and cogs, clockworkers lose a bit of their distance vision. +2 Ob for Perception tests beyond a few paces. (Of course, the goblins make a fine array of spectacles and stranger ocular devices, if you can afford them.)
Ingrained Methods – C-O – Goblin kraftsmen train ceaselessly at their chosen kraft. This is a call-on for one Craftsman skill of your choice.
Scavenger – C-O – CharBu.
Merciless to Your Lessers – Char - Sort of like Humility Before Your Betters, but the other way around.
Mark of ... (Char/DT) - Goblin society, while quite chaotic is also strangely rigid. It's cetainly not unheard of for a Merchant to become a Mover or vice versa, but their original lot in life is readily apparent to other goblins they meet. This grants a 1D reputation with the group into which the goblin was born.
Sly (C-O) - A true merchant knows that people only buy stuff after they've already bought your story. This trait is a call-on for Falsehood when trying to convince a prospective buyer of the "true" worth of your wares.
Exalted (DT) - Earning the title of MeisterMacher is no small thing. Indeed, your seal will appear on everything that comes out of your workshop (provided your idiotic apprentices remember to stamp it on!). This trait grants a 1D reputation in a group that would typically purchase your krafts.
Feared (DT) - The Burgher Meisters rule with iron fists, and the rattle of their displeasure can be felt for leagues. They gain a free 2D Infamous reputation in their Burgh.
Screaming (C-O) - Rage-filled drivers learn very quickly that kicking their beasts is a bad idea, because, usually, the animal is worth more than they are. Yet, they must find some way to vocalize their dissatisfaction with a headstrong team of beasts, and vocalize they do. This is a call-on for Conspicuous or Intimidation.
Shrewd (DT) -
Gruel Eater (DT) - As Iron Stomach.
Schadenfreude (DT) - As Dreadful.
Strength In Numbers (DT) - Goblins are cowards to the last, but they don't like to admit it, least of all to each other. When in the presence of two or more allies, this trait negates the Hesitation penalty from the Bravado trait.
Well-read (C-O) - Philosophers are bibliophiles by nature, and there's almost no limit to the facts and details that fill their minds to brimming. This is a call-on for Research and one knowledge skill of the player's choice.

Skills

Clockwork-Kraft* – The knowledge of manufacturing devices that operate on clockwork. While clocks themselves are most common, all manner of contraptions can be devised using the mechanics of cogs, wheels, gears and springs.
Slippery Bargaining* – Goblins are vicious traders. Being just about impossible to pin down, they can give even the most stentorious Dwarf a run for his money. Acts like Haggling.
Criticize* – Nothing drives down value like harsh criticism. Whether it’s, “You call that a horse?! Its hooves are cracked, its back is bowed…it’s just glue waiting to happen!” or something a little more personal (“You lousy excuse for an apprentice!”), the Criticize skill does the duties of Appraisal and Ugly Truth.
Mark-Kraft – This is the Goblin art of reading/writing.
Social-Squirming* – Exploiting those lesser while sucking up to your betters. This is the wriggly technique of Goblin Etiquette, Soothing Platitudes, Intimidation and Extortion.
Invention* – The madness of Goblin inventors is near-legendary. Using this skill, they create designs of Byzantine detail, from which they can produce all the widgets, gadgets and wonders of Goblindom.

Merit

Goblin civilization, inasmuch as it is civilized, is built on the peculiar concept of Merit. The short version that outsiders can understand is that Merit is a measure of social status, based on wealth. Some have gone so far as to call it a plutocracy, and, while not entirely false, it doesn't give the whole picture.

Amongst goblins themselves, Merit reflects not only how much stuff you have, but also how much potential for stuff-having you have and, furthermore, to what degree you can convince others of both. Deceit, after all, is a cardinal virtue amongst hobbs. As long as one's Merit remains in the black, all is well. They are considered productive members of society who can go on licking boots and kicking their inferiors. Should one's Merit slide into the red however, the Amercers and Order-keepers will shortly be knocking on one's door. Ceremoniously, they cite the offender's debts and summarily carry him off to join the Toilers, where he will be given the chance to rehabilitate his Merit through indentured servitude. In theory, anyway.

Beginning Merit is equal to 1/2 the Resources Exponent, rounded down. This number is modified through the following:

Add one for each die of Affiliation and Reputation related to trade.
Does the goblin have a Haggling or Slippery Bargaining Exponent of 5 or more? Add one.
Add one if any of the following lifepaths have been taken: Trader, Caravaneer, Shipwright, Amercer.
Add one for each of the following lifepaths: Burgher Meister, MeisterMacher, Shipping Magnate.
Subtract one for each of the following lifepaths: Altruist and Auslander.
Subtract one if the character has spent any time as a Toiler.

By spending a Fate Point, a goblin may FoRK his Merit into Circles, Resources or Haggling tests.

(More to come on Merit later. This is a rough sketch of where I'm going with it.)