Awesome. Welcome to the team, acrb! Now, I had some questions for you lot:

1) Do any of you know where I could upload an image that I could update periodically? In this case, it would be a map of Cyrodil, and I'd like to be able to add markers to indicate progress without having to reupload the image and break links.

2) Is a point system desired to give people a clear indication of what to use? If yes, does anyone want to help me devise it?

I'll help devise a "point" system, if neccessary. What's the target tribe size?

You could try photobucket; I believe it is free, and saves your pictures as long as you log in every 30 days. That point system you described earlier sounds awesome, if you're up for the task. It will be complicated to make, but a great balancing tool if you do. I'm up for helping, as well.

For a rough starting number, we'll say 20 goblins for swarm-tribes that use full basic goblins. That allows for the number to scale down if you opt for more specialised units. Lets make a private conversation for the messy rough-work, then we can post the results here. Anyone else who wants to help, just give the word and I'll add you in too.

Oh, and I'm claiming the Sharp Tooth tribe.

We have 6 interested players now. One more, and we'll have met the target of the 7 original tribes. From there, we can get involved in all the interesting warring over neutral goblins and such.

EDIT: Can people actually be added to private conversations?

Since we're claiming tribes, I would like to call the Bloody Hand Tribe. I'm up to help if needed, as well.

I'm interested. just to let you know. this would be my first RP ever, so don't expect pro writing.

i'm also very interested in the point system. what are more specialised units ? skirmishers and berserkers ?

Yup. It would be a trade-off between numbers, and their combat proficiency / equipment. Alternately, you could choose to invest in Chefs or Rat Farmers to make your tribe's resources go further - this would make you less combat capable, but also less likely to starve, which could be just as bad, if not worse. Don't worry about how many group role-plays you've done either. This is my first one here too, just I chose to jump in at the deep end.

Your role-play is just as good as your imagination, so don't let that worry you.

If you want to take part, I'll add you to the list in the first post. Feel free to pick from one of the remaining 7 goblin tribes. I'll record your choice next to your name.

Also, I found a http://www.random.org/dice/?num=1 that works for dice. I'm sure we could use that for something. Perhaps for generating random events once we have a structure for this built.

ight add me to your goblin help group btw with the exception of goblin jim i found all shamans are female and they are the only females soooo..... idk if its lore or not but i find that interesting sorta like the queen ant

... I was expecting somewhere between 40 and 80 goblins per tribe... 20 isn't even an extended family!

ok, add me to the list. i would like to pick the Three Feather Tribe. (i like the name) i suppose we only give personality to the story important goblins?

edit: i found a list of different types of goblin units on UESP maybe we can use something like that. http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Bestiary_G
and apperently they can reach from 3 feet to 8 feet tall. so something like a giant goblin is allowed ?

According to the Oblivion USEP on Goblins, 20 was above average. The lowest had 9, and the largest 26.

I noticed an interesting role-play opportunity with the Bitterfish "tribe". It says they're not really a tribe. But perhaps an RPer could attempt to unite them? According the USEP page, there are Bittferfish Shamans, but they respawn in game.

Thoughts Luggage?

Yup. All the shamans have briasts. I guess that's where they store all the extra magic.

Anyway, the only female goblins you ever see are shamans, so it stands to reason that female goblins are exceedingly rare. So, like you said - queen ants. Unfortunately, I don't know how to start private conversations with more than one person. If it can be done, feel free to make one with me, you, Scow and acrb.


Bear in mind that this is just the starting number for when the roleplay starts. There will be plenty of opportunities for enslaving / recruiting / absorbing neutral 'tribes' as the thread progresses. The more attention you pay to your group, the larger it will become. Think of it as gobbo empire building. If you're familiar with the tabletop game Necromunda, it's a similar concept. You start small, then level your gang up to notoriety.

Besides, 20 is a rough number of the Oblivion goblin tribes. They range between nine and twenty-three as it is.


Good point on the Bitterfish. The player who takes them on would have an interesting job indeed. The first act I'd make as GM would be to have them find a Totem shard, in order to be able to unite. The player could then role play the unification of their tribe as they wished. One of the more ambitious angles, to be sure. Another point about the Bitterfish, is whether or not they are mutants, adapted to aquatic / amphibious life (because of the scales, and other slight differences), or whether they just carry the scales as talismans that reflect their tribal identity? Oblivion isn't exactly clear on the matter. At least, don't think it is. I could be wrong.

I remember those numbers in Oblivion being the home guard. I figure the tribe's numbers would be double that, accounting for foragers, scouts (Generally between 3-5 goblins per party), active raiding parties, and other goblins away from the base.

we will need a map! to show exactly were each tribe is located i believe we should be allowed to move those tribes too if we see fit. im actually getting excited about this cant wait to start. i have plenty of time too friggen dragon slayers s moving at the pace of a snail

Okay, I've added your claim to the main page. As for the size differences, feel free to write based on that. The game goblins you meet in Oblivion all had to be the same size anyway, simply because most of them use the same model. Lack of height variation can be written of as a game mechanic. You're more than welcome to have a bit of size difference in your tribe.

One thing to bear in mind however, is that massive goblins - the eight footers - they would be the most vicious survivors out there. So basically, your Warlord. The others would probably be a little smaller. Goblin children, which I've taken to calling broodlings, would probably be the little 3 foot ones mentioned.

Name whoever and whatever you want really. You could name every single goblin in your tribe if the fancy struck you, but it would be hard for you to keep track of consistently. Name as many as you feel necessary, for it would give your group personality and depth.


Well, that's what this thread is for. Discussion. I was going to base the number on the amount found in the tribes in Oblivion, but that can be subject to change depending on the whims of the players involved. I do want to keep this small at first though. This will be about clan development. Sixty to eighty is a lot higher than I'd be willing to start at, given that that would pretty much constitute a goblin army, which no doubt would get noticed pretty quickly by the actual human Empire.

How does twenty-five to thirty sound?


I was planning on addressing that later, but seeing as you've brought up tribal migrations, I might as well throw my ideas out in the open.

I'm going to place completely made-up caves on a http://www.imperial-library.info/sites/default/files/gallery_files/cyrodiil_ingame.jpg, in order to distribute the tribes around more evenly. I'm also going to place a population limit on each cave, in simulate how big or small they are. Basically, when a goblin tribe reaches the capacity of its cave / fort, bad things start to happen. Things like disease, or famine, as the area can't provide enough for all of them to eat. So the solution is to have half of the current clan move into a new cave, while retaining loyalty to the clan as a whole, and the tribe totem. Basically, it's goblin empire-building.

If you capture enough neutral tribes, or gain enough recruits through as of yet undecided and unspecified means, you'll find your dominion actually growing, which in turn increases your influence, and the range of your raiding parties. Sounds good, ey?

i can work with what ever my i plan on going hunting for tribeless grobi as soon as we start up!! oh yeh all about the defense baby

twenty-five to thirty sounds perfect for me. goblin hunting !!! "we want YOU to join our tribe!!" :-p my warlord would order to make posters to place on trees and rocks for other goblins to find.

If we're claiming, I'll take the Dust Eater Tribe.

We eat dust apparently.

Oh dear. I can see a Command and Conquer style Tiberium rush on the tribeless from the get-go.


Sort of http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm77/Jammi_93/UncleSkreetchWantsYou.png?


Claim logged. As if by compensation, the Dust Eaters do have the coolest logo.

And now I'm heading off for the night. It's pretty late here, after all. For all the rest of you international or insomniac writers, feel free to keep commenting. I'll get to everything tomorrow. It'd be good to know who else is interested and who has suggestions. If you've an idea you think would be good here, I definitely want to hear it.

Alright, I'll get on creating a point-buy system for a tribe of 25 appropriately leveled and equipped Goblins.
I love crunch-based systems, so I might get a bit obsessive converting Oblivion's system to an RP, then un-abstracting it to RP-friendly stats.

Here's the "Basic" tribe, at minimum level for each character:
Level 20 Warchief x1
Level 15 Shaman x1
Level 10 Berzerker x3
Level 6 Skirmisher x7
Level 1 Goblin x13

The cost of any given goblin will only be based on its level (All Goblins level 1-5 are Goblins, all between 6-9 are Skirmishers, and between 10-14 are Berzerkers. However, each class has a minimum Wargear loadout, which will have to be purchased seperately. The Warlord and Shaman have no level caps.

It may take me a while to come up with the costs and abilities of each.

sounds good now can we make our grobi have good gear? because ill have m lads raid cropsford no way they can stand before 25 goblins

Not if I beat you to it. ;p

War!!!! my fatties will kick your butt! lol jk or am i! :swear:

However, there were just over 192 people in the imperial city, which is described in lore as having millions. I'd love it if there were around 100 goblins in each tribe.

Also, if you still need help, I'm good at coming up with systems like the point-cost thing you want.

EDIT: and i'll claim the sharp-tooth

sound sgood and of course the game had to reduce the number and size of things common knowledge it be far too massive to have even one city with hat many npcs in it it be cray also the imperial city is supposed to be huge!!! like massive and well it aint lol cuz everything had to sadly be reduced down. honestly if even one city had the population and size it should have well you could spend over half the game there and not get too bored lmao. honestly i wish they could do something more realistic but its understandable what they had to do and that was simplify and minimize

btw i mean this with the most respect possible lol im not being a jerk