#2

Goblinville Gazette
MONSTERS
& MAZES
Contents
DISPATCHES
3 The Last Die in the Marching Order
Setting, Tone, and Cooperation
4 Dangers: Choosing your Details
5 Dangers in Depth
6 Supplies
Twists in Depth
Dropping the Hammer: The Timeline
7 Timeline Pacing
Armor
8 Goblin Crime and Goblin Punishment
Following the Fiction in Conflicts
9 Armor
10 Magic Items

MONSTERS
12 Writing Monster Moves
13 Bigger Bestiary

MAZES
18 The Riven Stone
24 The Unyielding Fist
30 The Lost Patrol

Dispatches
Goblinville Gazette Issue 2 provides support,
resources, monsters, and adventures to
keep your games going strong. Drive your
campaign forward with interesting locations
for your goblins to explore and treasure worth
risking their necks for!
This issue also contains essays and
editorials on topics we've come across in our
ongoing exploration of the game, and from
questions and experiences we've gotten from
players and GMs out there.
The Last Die in
the Marching Order
The moment when a turn has almost passed and
there is one die left in the marching order has
sometimes tripped up new GMs. If the GM looks
to the player and says “well I guess now you have
to do something” then the marching order system
starts to show strain. Often the player least eager
to jump into describing a risky action is that last
one left. Lingering on that can feel a little awkward.
Similarly, if the GM describes a wide-open situation,
other players might want to jump in and therefore
feel like they’re having to wait. There is a solid fix for
both of these.
When there is only one die left in the marching
order, the ball is in the GM’s court. This is a moment
to turn to the remaining player and escalate the
current crisis. If they are being stalked, the creature
pounces on them. If there is a conflict, it’s likely the
monsters have been reacting to the goblins’ actions;
now is the perfect time to make the monsters strike.
Give the remaining player something concrete to
act on, an urgent situation that impacts them most
directly. Since their goblin will be acting next, it
helps to frame the fiction to support that.
If there is less pressure on the situation, instead
follow up on what their goblin was doing last. If
they were investigating something, give more detail
and ask what they do about it. Put the spotlight on
them and be as specific as possible. “What now?”
doesn’t give them a lot to work with. Describing the
magic item getting hot to the touch and glowing
gives them a much richer prompt. The GM in Gob-
linville is often responsive to the players, following
their interests, and seeing what they do. The last
die in the marching order is a good opportunity to
reverse this, and take control of the game’s momen-
tum more directly.
If all the immediate problems are dealt with, re-
mind them of the opportunity to camp or head back
to town. Direct the strategic decision right at that
player, and if they want to confer with the rest of the
group, they will. If they choose to press on into a
new room or situation, keep the focus on them until
there is a risky situation to resolve. If other players
want to jump in, either pause what they are doing to
have it resolved next turn or suggest that they offer
help on the acting player’s roll. Players always have
the option to remove their die from the marching
order, so they can do this and the turn passes, which
shifts the focus to the new first player in marching
order. However, this should rarely be the most ap-
pealing option. If the GM keeps the momentum up
on that last goblin, the player will be eager to take
action. ~MDOC
Setting, Tone, and Cooperation
The general first take we’ve seen on Goblinville is
that it’s a funny game. It's definitely lighter than a
lot of dungeon delving games. It’s definitely jaunty,
scrappy, and hopeful. But, at least for me, Goblin-
ville is anything but a silly game. I don’t mean that
it’s a serious game. We are here to have fun, after all.
But you will be surprised what happens when you
take it seriously. It is much more satisfying in play,
and the tone is better supported by the mechanics.
If you start with a silly tone, it can end up being
jarring when consequences hit hard and survival
is at stake. Your goblins are out there in life-and-
death situations for the good of their town. Their
adventures are fun, over-the-top and exciting, but
the consequences are real. Play this game like they’re
real people in real dangerous situations!
Goblinville doesn’t include any hard-and-fast lore
about goblin society. We establish that goblins live
in a town, have jobs, need light to see, and go on
adventures. We take the common belief that they’re
evil right out of the equation, but we leave the other
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details to you, so they emerge in play as your world
develops. You are free to decide what your goblins
are like in your world. This isn’t Middle Earth. This
isn’t any of the D&D settings. Your world may be
inspired by those settings, but use this opportunity
to make it truly yours. Do interesting takes on other
fantasy races and monsters and break free from the
done-to-death fantasy grind. You have no creative
responsibility to anyone except the people in your
group.
And on the topic of responsibility to the others
in your group: Goblinville is about teamwork.
Most RPGs are about a balanced group of people
working as a team, but so often those teams are
made up of disparate individuals created separately
and then crammed together. In Goblinville, all of
the characters know each other. You might not be
good friends, but you’re all the town’s got and when
you embark with the party, you’re all undertaking a
perilous journey for glory and the survival of Gob-
linville. Of course everyone has their own reasons
and motivations, but the rules are built to keep
everyone relevant, everyone engaged, and everyone
pulling everyone else’s ass out of the fire!
Teamwork is about knowing when to lead and
knowing when to follow. When someone is speak-
ing or interacting with the GM, try not to interrupt
unless it’s absolutely necessary. Let them lead. Avoid
“or you could...” and try “Yeah, let's do that!” The
marching order literally organizes the order the
goblins are in, but it’s also a spotlight-passing tool.
The more you play Goblinville, the more natural the
flow of the Marching order will become as a narra-
tive tool. As the dice are pulled off of the marching
order, tension rises as the spotlight focuses on the
last goblins in the line until the last one breaks
that tension and the rest of the team comes back
in. If you’ve had your Action in the turn, sit back
and enjoy the other players’ narration. Chime in to
offer helping Twists or encouragement, but you’re a
follower now. You did your thing and now it’s time
to enjoy the other goblins doing theirs.
Now a note on mischief. Goblins are mischie-
vous! And there’s always one player in the group
who thrives on that, often to the detriment of the
group’s experience. Try to avoid needless mischief,
or schemes that involve just yourself or a single
other player. Face directly into the swirling, hum-
ming ball of story in the middle of the table! Selfish,
needlessly mischievous characters die quickly, and
if you died for something silly, that lets down your
team. The Goblin Master will bring you plenty of
trouble and drama; you don’t have to make your
own. Hijinks and mischief are part and parcel of a
game about goblins, but make sure that mischief is
in service to the story. ~ES
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Headlong into Danger!
One of the rhythms that groups develop over time is
how to determine appropriate Dangers and Twists for
a given Action. I wrote up some context and examples
to make that learning curve a little easier. ~MDOC
Dangers:
Choosing your Details
The main reason that a GM always states the
Danger before a roll is that it helps develop a shared
sense of what’s at risk and prevents frustration
when a dire consequence hits. There are also
dramatic benefits of stating the Danger before a roll
that might be less obvious. When the players are
constantly hearing what could go wrong, it provides
a sense of foreshadowing and lets the game feel dra-
matic even when the players are succeeding: it’s nice
to succeed on an action but it’s much more exciting
to know that you could have lost a hand but didn’t.
Stating a Danger before a roll also helps the
GM introduce more dire consequences without it
feeling arbitrary. It can be tempting as a GM to pull
the punch on a consequence after a roll has already
failed. It’s somewhat easier to state the logical con-
sequence (however dire) for each roll and then see
where the dice take it.
Stating consequences up front also keeps the
GM from unintentionally moving goal posts. If
the player had a good idea to secure their satchel
to their torso with a length of rope, then dropping
their satchel is not an appropriate Danger for their
Action. If this comes up before the roll, the player
has the opportunity to remind the table of their
good idea, so that the GM can pick a Danger that
better aligns to the player’s approach. If this has to
happen after the roll, it can feel a lot less smooth.
These are all reasons that specifying the Danger
before a roll is baked into the system. However, a
creative GM can also be selectively vague about
what exactly the Danger is: not saying what kind of
monster stalks the goblins, saying that a structure
becomes unstable without specifying what that
means, etc. This allows the GM to surprise the
players more often, or make more dramatic reveals,
without blindsiding them. Slightly cryptic Dangers
tend to pique players’ interest. They will want to
know what’s on their tracks, what the statue’s curse
does, and what are the long-term effects of bog
muck...
 Dangers in Depth
What’s at stake? If you can’t think of something interesting, or the situation doesn’t have any tension or un-
certainty, don’t force it; the goblins achieve their task. If the situation changed, describe how. Listen to what
they do next. When something is at stake, tell them the Danger.
A NOTE ON HARM: Only introduce Harm to a roll when the risk of injury is imminent: when goblins are
actively engaging with a threat or hazard. Examples include:
• A perilous fall • Being crushed by rocks • An enemy attack
• Something sharp, hot, toxic, or freezing cold • An enemy spell
It is helpful to determine whether Harm is at stake before you present the Danger. If Harm is on the table,
then the Danger you present should be as distinct as possible. It can be challenging to think of two things
that could go wrong, but it keeps situations dynamic and gives the players more interesting choices.
Harm is not the only way goblins gain conditions. For more context, see the Conditions section below.

Inventory loss Escalating existing threats

• The tool you are using breaks • A monster follows its moves to take a goblin out
• Your pack or satchel is torn of the conflict
• Your pack or satchel falls off • A monster follows its moves to put the goblins in
• You lose your grip on what you’re holding a worse position:
• Armor is damaged or degraded - Getting above or behind them
• A piece of salvage is damaged (-2 Scratch value) - Disarming them
• Something gets crushed from a fall - Binding them
- The item on the bottom - Taking a hostage
- The most delicate item - Knocking them into water, rubble, webs, etc.
- The item 1D6 from the top - Ensorcelling an ally
• Something of limited quantity is used up • A monster follows its moves to make the envi-
- Arrows, nails, ink, etc ronment less stable
• The particular environment effects your equipment • A tenuous truce breaks
- Liquids freeze • Another party enters the conflict
- Metal corrodes • A monster uses a finishing move to inflict a
- Wood and cloth burn condition (in addition to the Harm roll)
- Torches become too damp to burn • A monster uses a finishing move to kill a goblin
Time instantly
• It takes a long time (advance the counter by a • A goblin becomes cursed (by a sorcerous mon-
full turn). ster or item)
• A window of opportunity is lost Environment
• The sun sets • A structure becomes unstable
• The temperature changes over time - A rope bridge breaks
• The weather changes over time - A landslide starts
Relationships - The ceiling collapses
• Someone resents your actions or takes offense - The doorway is blocked
• A wary monster becomes aggressive • You fall
• An aggressive monster is thrown into a rage - Into water
• A friendly monster flees - Into a chasm
• Your hirelings retreat - Into another chamber
• An ally decides you owe them a favor • You are trapped
• A trading partner asks a higher price than you - In quicksand
offered or demands an additional concession - In a web
• A potential informant is less inclined to talk with - underwater
you • You are collectively lost
• A mercenary wants to be paid up front • One of you is separated from the group.

Introducing new threats Conditions

• A nearby monster hears you
• A hunting monster follows your tracks
• A waiting monster springs an ambush
Conditions are at the bottom of this list for a reason.
They are gained from monster moves and Twists.
Introducing them for every Danger can slow the
game down and reduce the opportunities for in-
teresting, context-specific Dangers. Conditions are
a good Danger for camp rolls. Injury is to be used

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especially sparingly, as the risk of injury is typically
covered by the Harm roll. Because conditions
escalate (if already injured, a roll that inflicts injury
kills you), goblins are at risk of death even if the GM
never makes that the Danger for a roll. As a result, it
is best reserved for the most dangerous monstrous
threats or for actions that the goblins willingly
undertake, knowing it involves lethal risk.
• You are Exhausted
- From arduous travel
- From physical exertion
• You Panic
- From terrifying perils
- From isolation/ confinement
• You are Injured
- From traumatic force
- From environmental hazards
• You are Sick
- From poison or toxins
- From sorcerous effects
• You Die
- From an exceptionally dangerous monster
- From throwing yourself off a cliff
Supplies
Supplies are special items that can be made in
camp. They add a die to a single roll, and take
up 1 inventory slot. Players can come up with
their own supplies as long as it:
• Provides an advantage to a specific Action
• Is spent or used to perform that Action
• Can be made with available materials
Some suggestions for supplies:
• Leather strips for repairing helmets and
armor
• A whetstone for repairing weapons
• Nails for construction and carpentry
• Warpaint for combat
• Healing herbs or bandages for tending to
wounds
• Grease for picking locks or operating gears
• A lure for hunting
• Warg treats for warg riding
• Repurposed twine for making traps and
repairing packs
• Chalk for marking paths or climbing
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Twists in Depth
HELP
When you want to help someone accomplish some-
thing, say how you can help and what you’re willing
to risk. Expect the GM to determine whether the
risk is commensurate to the task. They might ask
you to put more on the line if you’re not in a posi-
tion to help without substantial danger.
Conditions
• Risk exhaustion to help with a physical task
• Risk panic to help with a stressful task
• Risk injury to help save someone from harm or
attack a dangerous monster
• Risk sickness to brave hostile environments or
aid in sorcery
• Risk death to save another goblin’s life
Inventory
• Risk breaking a weapon to help in an attack
• Risk damaging armor to take a blow for someone
• Risk damaging or losing tools to help in a tech-
nical task
IF I WAS THE GM...
If you can imagine something that could go wrong
in a situation that the GM hasn’t already covered
in the Danger or Harm, you can offer it as a Twist.
It’s important to hold off on suggesting this kind of
Twist until after the GM has committed to a Danger
and Harm. This is a bit like adding a second Danger,
so look to “Dangers in Depth” for suggestions. The
GM might suggest something more dire or reject
the suggestion if it doesn’t seem plausible to them.
They might have context about the present Dangers
that you don’t. On the other hand, if the Twist is
too severe, the acting player may choose not to
incorporate it. Especially for folks who like to GM,
introducing Twists that are interesting to the rest of
the table can be very satisfying.
Dropping the Hammer:
The Timeline
As a gamemaster, I still have trouble knowing
when to drop certain events, or enforce certain
consequences on the group. It’s very easy to feel like
railroading when events don't have a clear cause
and effect, for both the GM and the players. You
want planned events to feel organic, and you want
to know when it’s okay to drop the hammer. The
timeline is included just for that.
This is a game about very immediate, punchy
events surrounding the goblins’ exploration.
Combine that with our adventure writing ethics –
that there’s always something else happening in the
dungeon, moving regardless of the goblins– and
you have a two sided story, burning from both ends.
 Timeline Pacing
Here is a framework to use when creating your own timeline.
1: Nothing. Give the goblins time to travel to the location and look around.
2–3: Foreshadowing or events offscreen. If goblins are in the right place, they might get some impres-
sion of what’s dynamic about this situation.
4–5: Escalation. Introduce the problem and show how it’s getting worse. As the crisis approaches, the
goblins should have more obvious (and risky) ways to intervene.
6–7: Crisis. Whatever might happen, happens. This is the point at which remaining in the dungeon
might start to become untenable.
8–9: Catastrophe. Not all timelines should escalate to this extent, but if they do, consider how they
might impact the wider world. Whatever problem this dungeon contained starts to get out.

This makes for great drama, but can be hard to run.

We took one of our core mechanics, the turn, and
combined it with a way to keep your background
stuff moving and on track.
How Goblinville uses turns can take some getting
used to, especially if you’re coming from games
where a turn is a specific amount of time. Once you
get into turns measuring a relative amount of ac-
tivity and progress, you can allow your background
elements to move in step with that progress. Each of
our adventures includes a timeline, with events of
increasing importance occurring every turn. These
events happen at the end of the turn. Since players
have to grab their dice and reroll the marching
order, there is a built-in pause for the GM to check
the timeline and either hint at the new event (if it's
happening off screen) or hit hard with it, targeting
the first goblin in marching order.
In general, these will happen regardless of the
goblins actions. In the beginning of the adventure
the goblins will most likely be unaware of the first
couple of events but as the two ends of the candle
burn closer, the goblins will be moved toward a
natural climax in the adventure. Timeline items
can be triggered or delayed by the goblins’ actions
as well. They may get to the site of a prescribed
accident and prevent it before it happens, or they
may walk out onto the crumbling stone roof and
cause its collapse before it collapsed on its own. As
the GM you are allowed to skip events if you feel the
situation demands it, and you may cause something
to trigger before it’s planned to, but try to avoid
arbitrary changes. Remember, you’re just the guide,
so let the chips fall where they may and enjoy the
ride! ~ES
Armor
Goblins and monsters can both wear armor, but
how it works for the two groups is a bit different,
because players are rolling and the monsters are not.
For Goblins
When a goblin is wearing armor, they are able to
introduce "armor damaged" as a Twist whenever
they are facing harm. This is an asset, since they
are gaining a die without escalating a threat. The
strength of a piece of armor determines how many
times it can be damaged before it’s useless. Leather
armor can be damaged once, chainmail can be
damaged twice, and platemail can be damaged three
times. The number of times armor can be damaged
is equal to the number of torso slots it takes up in
your inventory. The easiest way to track this is to put
a box in each inventory line of the armor and check
off a box when the armor is damaged. It’s worth
noting that plate armor takes up three inventory
slots, so any goblin in full plate can’t carry a pack or
satchel (goblins in chainmail have room for a satchel
but not a pack). Hopefully their ability to hold up
in a fight is worth someone else having to lug their
gear around.
For Monsters
When monsters have armor, the GM crosses out
uses of the armor before they start crossing out
monster moves. The number of uses is the same for
monsters as it is for goblins. Leather has one use,
chain has two, plate has three. Monsters with armor
can stay in a fight longer, but they often have shorter
move lists, making them more predictable. Unlike

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goblins, not all the armor that monsters have is
literal. Monsters sometimes have natural defenses:
tough hide might work like leather, dragon scales
are as tough as platemail. Normal armor can be
used by goblins if its looted, while natural defenses
cannot (though they might be valuable).
The other source of armor for monsters is from
numbers. If there is more than one of a monster,
they gain one Armor. If the monsters outnumber
the goblins, they gain an additional Armor. So if
eight kobolds in leather armor are facing four gob-
lins, the kobolds have three Armor in total (leather
+ multiple + superior numbers). In this case, the
GM still uses the stat block for a single monster and
adds boxes to cross out for the additional armor.
This allows the goblin to fight multiple monsters
without it being a slog from having to cross off too
many monster moves. Adjusting positioning and
adding Armor for when the goblins are outnum-
bered adds some difficulty without slowing the
game down. ~MDOC
Goblin Crime
and Goblin Punishment
There are two responses to lawbreaking in Goblin-
ville: fighting and the brig. Anything that ticks off
a particular goblin is going to lead to a fight with
them; anything that breaks the established order
of Goblinville gets you tossed in the brig (either
by guards or by a mob). As GM, if the goblins are
stirring up trouble in town that seems like it would
have consequences, these are reasonable dangers to
present. The presence of town guards and a brig are
built into the rules, but players are (intentionally)
not given control of these things, so that they can
remain under the control of the GM.
Getting thrown in the brig means that player
hands over their character sheet. They can make
a new character (on the spot or next time you all
play) and work on paying the bail to get their other
character out. 1–6 Scratch is a reasonable rate for
bail. It’s better to choose based on the severity of the
crime than roll for it. If the goblins get on the wrong
side of a particular boss, sending a gang of cronies
after them is a fine alternative. In either case, these
should provide consequences that are interesting
without derailing the whole campaign (paying bail
or setting things right with an angry boss are great
adventure hooks).
The other question that can come up in play is
what thieves do in Goblinville. This is a reasonable
area to give players some leeway on: maybe the
goblins have highly structured graft, maybe they
venture into human settlements for heists. There are
implicit details like this in a lot of the goblin jobs:
who are the spear carriers carrying their spears
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against? You can find out collectively in play and the
GM can design adventures that build on the details
that are most interesting to the players. Ideally, the
parts of jobs that don’t tie back into adventures can
be abstracted. If players start putting a lot of time
and resources into crimes against other goblins, the
best solution is to pause play and talk as a group.
Goblinville doesn’t provide a lot of support to make
criminal intrigues interesting, so you’re going to
get more out of the system by keeping the focus on
adventuring. ~MDOC
Following the Fiction in Conflicts
Something noticeable in Goblinville is the absence
of a “combat system”. Also noticeable is the absence
of classes, skills, or stats referring to combat ability.
This is by design. We want everything in Goblinville
to feel real, immediate, and intimately based on
what your characters would do. That goes for Action
rolls while adventuring as well as what characters do
in battle. Traits, titles, and other descriptors (even
down to the stuff in a goblin’s pack) make who they
are the same thing as what they can do. Monsters
are built in a similar way. Their system of moves is
superimposed onto the main Action roll mechanic
to keep action as close to the narrative as possible,
with positioning and the marching order underpin-
ning the flow of the scene.
We’ve had lots of players tell us “wow, combat
was actually fun!” That’s by design too. We were
tired of fight scenes essentially being a party lining
up to deal damage to something until it dies. We
were inspired by systems that make action scenes
outcome-based rather than based on delivering
damage. From the ground up, we try to instill that
monsters aren’t just obstacles between the goblins
and the treasure. There are way more interesting
ways to interact with creatures than just stabbing
them: Make a deal. Scare them off. Capture them.
But sometimes you DO just have to go toe-to-toe
with a beastie, and that has to be fun and exciting,
not just a necessary task to slog through.
Enter the Monster Moves.
Monsters are made up of a set of moves telling us
their instincts, offensive and defensive tactics, weap-
ons and other details. Just like all of the rules and
tools in Goblinville, these are for the GM and the
players alike to use to create awesome stories. Moves
are a list of the things a monster is going to try to do
when you’re messing with it, but they’re also a gauge
 So, I now directly address the next goblin on the
of its power. When you make successful actions
marching order: “The burning herbs disoriented
against it—of any kind—its moves are crossed off.
him, but he’s opening his mouth and getting ready
That can be physical harm from a sword. It can be
to yell to his guards. What do you do?”
intimidation. It can be outmaneuvering. Whatever
She’s ready. She says her goblin leaps onto the
it is, you’re taking their power away and pressing
dwarf 's back to cover his mouth. The Action is that
toward the outcome you’re hoping for.
she silences him, failure means she doesn’t and the
It is important that players understand that their
lord gets off a cry for help. Since there isn’t a specific
actions against monsters have a direct effect on what
offensive move the dwarf is doing, the Danger is
the monsters can continue to do in the conflict.
that the dwarf shrugs her away and throws her to
Paired with the Positioning and Effectiveness rules,
the ground which threatens to put the goblins into
conflicts become exciting, dynamic, teamwork
a bad position. She succeeds on the Action and
experiences where everyone gets a shot at doing
the Danger Doesn’t Happen. He’s muffled and he’s
something useful and potentially epic.
grasping at her, and not able to get to his weapon,
Here’s an example.
so I mark off Hammer Blow. Theoretically, he could
Our goblins are trying to find their way out of
still get to his hammer at some point, but that
an old dwarven ruin and mine. They thought it was
doesn’t matter right now, and right now is all that
abandoned, but they encounter a group of dwarves
matters when you’re jamming toward your goal in
that have returned to the place. There is a dwarf
a conflict!
lord walking up a tunnel, and he’s sent his cronies
Now here’s where it gets fun. Some monsters
up ahead. Luckily the goblins haven’t been seen yet.
have finishing moves which they can only bring to
They’ve extinguished their torch. This would nor-
bear when the goblins are in bad position. These
mally put them in a bad position, but the dwarves
always risk harm, and they will take a goblin out of
have torches and the tunnel is lit, so I let their
the conflict. But just like any other monster move,
position stay at standard. However, the dwarves are
they can be removed.
walking away, so the goblins must stay relatively
The next goblin in line has noticed a big, shiny
close to stay in light.
warhammer on the dwarf ’s belt. He’s decided that
The goblins talk amongst themselves and agree
it’s time to loot this guy before the fight even ends!
that these dwarves must be expelled; this is their
He wants to run up and unclip the warhammer
mine now! They know they probably can’t take on
from its sling, so he reaches for his Action die. I
the dwarves in a full-on fight so they have to try
stop him—his mates have the dwarf pretty well in
something else. They want to take down their leader
hand and there isn’t another clear threat, so I let him
and… um… go from there! (tip: try not to think too
simply walk up and take the hammer. This seems
far ahead! Cut to the action and see where it goes!)
“too easy”, right? Well, I judged the situation at hand
The first goblin in the marching order decides
and ruled that he was safe. This shouldn’t happen
to set his useful herbs on fire, sneak up behind the
all the time, but just like most things in this game,
lord, and throw the herbs in his face. The Action
situations are judged case-by-case. Besides, it’s my
is getting the herbs in the dwarf ’s face to disorient
job as GM to be the goblins’ biggest fan, so hell yes I
him, and the Danger is that the dwarf grabs the
want them to steal this dwarf blowhard’s hammer!
goblin. He succeeds on the Action, but the Danger
The dwarf lord has a finishing move called Wal-
Happens. So the goblin sneaks up behind the dwarf,
lop—a hefty strike with his warhammer but now, he
gets around front of him and tosses the burning
doesn’t have a warhammer to Wallop with. Knowing
herbs in his face! I cross off a move: Bind in ropes.
that goblins can target a monster’s specific tools,
It’s not a completely relevant move but it represents
movements and capabilities adds a very direct and
the dwarf ’s staying power as a whole. So it’s gone.
dynamic element to fighting.
He won’t be tying anyone up any time soon. But the
This brings up some interesting, useful, but
Danger Happens, so the dwarf lunges forward and
potentially confusing features of Goblinville’s rules.
grabs the goblin by his shoulders.
Game states like monster moves, positioning and
The dwarf now knows the goblins are there, but
conditions are changed by mechanical outcomes
his guards don’t. Yet. With a face full of rage (and
in the rules. This is also how we determine how
burning, acrid herbs), he takes a breath and looks
ready to bellow for help—signifying a new, emer- things unfold in the fiction. But it works the other
way around, too! The GM can change the goblins'
gent threat. This is an example of the Action roll sys-
position if something is particularly good or bad,
tem being both proactive and reactive. The previous
regardless of how the dice fell. And a monster move
action with the herbs was proactive. But at any time
(even a finisher) can be removed by something
the narrative demands, the GM points a direct event
happening solely in narration!
at the goblins (often the 1st in the marching order)
We hope your fight scenes are as dynamic, crazy
and they must react.
and creative as our rules want them to be! ~ES

9
 issue  snea Trait-based
k preview
Magic Items ! Some magic items have a spirit, personality or
essence of their own that the user can tap into, and
Magic items in Goblinville can have a few types of can be used just like normal traits once per session.
benefits. When we create magic items, they'll fall The goblin must act in accordance with the trait be-
roughly into one of these categories. In Issue 4 we ing tapped for the rest of the session for it to work.
will dive a little deeper into ways to give items of
Authority. A tall spear with ribbons tied around it
power and mystery even more depth in your games.
with the trait “inspiring command”.
Descriptive
Some magic items have a descriptive effect that
interacts more with the fictional situation than with False Friend. A small, curved knife with the trait:
a specific rule or resource on the character sheet. “Blackhearted Traitor”.
The Conch of Truth. If you listen The Bulwark. A heater shield, worn and corroded
through the hollow hole in with the trait “Undying Loyalty”.
this conch, you can hear
Straw Sandals. Sandals made of simple fibers with
when someone is lying.
the trait “Patient Under Duress”.
Dying Ember. A sword that
Wool Cap. A musky wool cap with the trait: “Warm
knows the way back to the last fire it was sub-
Blooded”.
merged in. The side nearest to the memory of the
flame glows faintly. Rule-replacing
Dry Stone Grapnel. Rope with a stone tied to the Some magic items mimic another benefit in the
end. The stone holds fast to any surface it touch- rules, or add a new rule of their own.
es. When the stone becomes damp, it releases its Glove of Light. A glove that
hold. glows as bright as a torch.
Ever-boiling Bucket. Whatever liquid is placed in After 1 turn, it gets hot
this bucket will heat up until it evaporates. enough to Exhaust The
wearer. In 2 turns they're
Buoyant Pebble. When held in the mouth, the user
Panicked as it gets hotter.
cannot sink. If dropped into water, the Pebble
After the third turn they're
sinks like a normal stone.
Injured. After the fourth
Rule-breaking turn, the glove goes dark.
Some magic items interact with specific rules or Restful Ribbon. Tying this ribbon around another
resources on the character sheet, allowing the rules goblin’s hand instantly grants them the benefit
to be bent or broken. There should be a drawback of a good night’s sleep. The ribbon must stay on
of some sort. the whole session, and cannot be bestowed to
Magic Spool. A wooden disc with a yourself.
hole in the center. Wind 50 feet of Mystery Cage. Set this cage undisturbed for a turn
rope around it and it only takes and make a Grim Favor roll. There will be an an-
up 1 inventory. imal in it native to the the area. The roll indicates
Pouch of Endless Stock. Once per how it feels about being trapped.
session, makes a stock that can turn one ration Skeletal guardian. Can be commanded to attack
into three rations of soup. with its rusted weapons. Works like a hireling but
Unwrinkled Tunic. A tight shirt that allows the crumbles to dust on a 1–3.
wearer to ignore the penalty of being Panicked. Bright Red Potion. Can be consumed to attempt
(Panicked must still be recovered as normal) recovery from injury or sickness outside of camp.
Ragged Bandage. Apply to the body (and use up)
when a scar result must be taken. The result is MAGIC ITEMS (1D20)
changed to No Scar. 1. Dying Ember 11. False Friend
The One Ton Hammer. Requires both hands to 2. Dry Stone Grapnel 12. The Bulwark
carry or wield. Ignores all armor. 3. Hot Bucket 13. Straw Sandals
Syphon Skull. The wielder may lock eyes with a 4. Buoyant Pebble 14. Wool Cap
monster and mark as many conditions as they 5. Conch of Truth 15. Authority
choose. The monster must cross off an equal 6. Pouch of Endless Stock 16. Restful Ribbon
number of moves. 7. Magic Spool 17. Mystery Cage
8. Ragged Bandage 18. Glove of Light
9. One Ton Hammer 19. Skeletal Guardian
10 Syphon Skull 20. Bright Red Potion
10

Fire Elemental
Monsters
WRITING MONSTER MOVES
Here we'll take a closer look at how to write monster
moves and guidance on how to use them.
Approach
The first move is a good cue to the GM as to what
the monsters does when first encountered. This can
be direct, like charging into the fray, or throwing
a javelin. It can also be stage-setting, like an eerie
howl or a threat called out from the shadows. This
first move should give a clear first impression of
the monster. The first move is also the least likely
to present a danger to the goblins. Direct opening
moves are likely to put the goblins in danger and
force them to react. However, even hearing a howl
from the shadows is going to change what the
goblins do. Maybe they form up and draw their
weapons. Even indirect moves impact the course of
the game.
Maneuver or Recovery
During the course of a conflict, goblins often do
things to put themselves in a good position. That
makes things better for them and worse for the
monsters. The monsters should be responsive to
this; they want to survive. In addition to direct
attacks, monsters should have moves that degrade
the positioning of the goblins. The more subtle the
monster, the more moves of this type it will have.
This can be things like disarming, catching in webs
or nets, any effect that would slow the goblins,
swarming, tackling, or climbing a wall to get a better
vantage, etc.
12
Follow-up
These moves tend to be the most direct. It could
be an attack with horns or claws, a vicious bite, the
use of a weapon, or any other method a monster
might have. If a monster seems like it wouldn’t
directly attack at all, consider how they might inflict
conditions on the goblins, through curses, traps, or
environmental hazards.
Finishing Moves
If a monster is a real threat, the worst they can do
should be tied into their finishing move. This is
where a kraken can rip a goblin in two, a minotaur
can tear off limbs, and a giant spider can wrap up
her next meal. These stand out because in addition
to a harm roll, there is a risk of a condition, being
taken out of the fight completely, or a permanent
consequence. If you have a tough monster, think
about the worst thing it can do, and make that a
finishing move. The core idea is that players are
usually going to have to choose between two very
bad things: the Harm (which is descriptively tied
to however this monster attacks) and a Danger that
that will impair their ability to fight on.
The finishing move also makes the flow of fights
feel less arbitrary. General moves, that are not fin-
ishing moves, cannot take a goblin out of the fight
completely or inflict a condition and do harm in the
same roll. Things spiral downwards quickly when
goblins are marking two conditions on a single roll,
or getting knocked out so they can no longer help
their allies. If players know these consequences are
only on the table when they are in a bad position,
then the positioning system becomes much more
meaningful to them.
LOOT AND INVENTORY
By default, most loot will take up 1 inventory slot. If
it is larger (or smaller), it will be noted. See Goblin-
ville: Rules of Play for the basic guidelines for loot.
MONSTERS (1D20)
1. Goblin Revenant 11. Centaurs
2. Gremlin 12. Saw-wire Vine
3. Wolfman 13. Bog Gnomes
4. Hellhound 14. Shrike Fly
5. Shadow Eater 15. Golem
6. Demon Crow 16. Mimic Slime
7. Orc 17. Vampire Dog
8. Garotte Serpent 18. Drake
9. Stone Eaters 19. Elemental
10 Flaming bats 20. Ogre
 BIGGER BESTIARY
Bog Gnomes
number appearing: d
The reclusive, semi-aquatic cousins to the forest
gnomes. They construct complex homes in aban-
doned beaver dams and heron nests. They can talk
to and summon aquatic creatures like fish and frogs.
They are deft, fast swimmers due to webbed fingers
and toes. They aren't malicious, but will play pranks
on humanoids to keep them out of their bogs.
Dive, Summon, Swim, Hide
Engulfing trap
Engulfing trap: Engulfed goblins are lost under the
surface and made Exhausted or Sick.
Bog gnomes will always outnumber the goblins and
are very hard to catch.
Tiny house (2 inventory, 2 Scratch), Tiny tools
and weapons (useless to big folk but shiny. 1/2
inventory, 1 Scratch)
Centaurs
number appearing: -
Intelligent creatures with bodies like horses. They live
in nomadic groups and trade with other settlements.
They wear leather vests on their human-like torso.
Circle, Trample, Throw javelin, Kick, Stab
Lasso drag
Leather armor
Lasso drag: Harm + Captured
Leather vest, javelin, silver coins (2 Scratch)
Demon Crow
number appearing: -
Winged creatures from another plane of existence.
They only interfere with goblins on another’s behalf;
defeat their master and they will disappear into wisps
of dry ash.
Inflict Curse, Caw, Swarm
Corrosive talon
Corrosive Talon: Harm + item in hands turns to ash
Demon ash
Drake
number appearing: 
A small cousin of the dragon, with a long neck and
tail. It has two hind legs, and its forelimbs are wings.
They are intelligent, and can take the form of a hu-
man. They will align to an element that will influence
their appearance— fire, water, earth, air, ice, etc.
Swoop, Tail lash, Spit [element], Fly
Engulf, Tear apart
Scales like chain mail
Engulf: Injured + Incapacitated as the goblin is
enveloped the the drake's element.
Tear apart: Injured + lost limb
Fine clothing (inventory 2, 3 Scratch), Drake
skin (can be used to make armor equivalent to
chainmail)
Elemental
number appearing: usually 
The combination of a spirit sentience and a raw
source of energy or material. They come into being
by the summonings of a magician, but they can also
manifest themselves where an element is strong and
the barrier between worlds is thin. They exist to obey
their summoner's command, or if they are indepen-
dent, revel in the nature of their element.
Swirl, Project, Confuse, Surround
Cause disaster
Cannot be harmed by conventional means, only
magic or things that would counter or reduce the
spirit's element.
Project and Surround moves reflect the spirit's
element and may or may not cause Harm.
Cause disaster: Panicked + Extreme environmental
event (whirlwind, conflagration, avalanche, blizzard,
etc.)
Flaming Bats
number appearing: -
Like bats, but on fire.
Swarm, Burn cloth, Bite
Perfectly cooked bat meat (1 ration)
13
Garotte Serpent
number appearing: 
Enormous snake that strangles its prey, rather than
biting it. Hangs among vines that match its mottled
brown and green coloration. Will retreat if a meal
turns out to be more trouble than it’s worth.
Drop from above, Tighten, Tighten
Constrict
Tighten puts goblins in a worse position but doesn’t
harm them.
Constrict: Harm + Death
Fine snakeskin (1 Scratch per inventory slot)
Goblin Revenant
number appearing: -
A goblin dragged back to the land of the living from
beyond. There are rituals that relieve them of their
curse. A blow to the head also works.
Shuffle, Attack from range, Attack up close, Bite
Torch, random starting item and weapon.
Golem
number appearing: usually 
A humanoid being constructed by a magician and
animated by a strange ritual. Golems carry out basic
tasks for their masters. They can be constructed from
nearly any material, but it must have joints to be able
to move, and it cannot do anything that defies the
physics of its materials (like fly). Contained within
its body is its "heart"– if removed its animation will
cease.
Lurch, Doggedly obey, [Function], [Function]
Golems will only do what they were created to do by
their master.
Armor based on the golem's main material: wood or
clay: 2, stone or metal: 3
Golem heart (3 Scratch, 6 to a witch)
Gremlin
number appearing: -
Tiny creatures that delight in breaking precious
things. Will not engage in any conflict or negotiate.
All they want is to make a bit of mischief before
slipping away.
Break gear, Cackle, Snuff light, Disappear
Handful of gem dust
14
Hellhound
number appearing: -
Dog-like spirits sent from another plane to stalk
the living. They stink of sulfur and their hide is like
burning coal. They use the thick plumes of smoke
they produce to hide their movements.
Howl without echo, Burning bite, Hide in smoke,
Pounce
Drag to the Deadlands
Drag to the deadlands: Harm + goblin is dragged
into smoke, seemingly gone.
Returning a goblin from the deadlands is an adven-
ture unto itself.
Demon ash
Mimic Slime
number appearing: 
This sentient ooze has the ability to assume the exact
appearance, texture and solidity of any object it is
near. It has an alien intelligence that it uses simply to
consume nutrients. Prey, most often humanoids, will
pick up a mimicked object only for their hand to sink
in and become stuck, or a mimicked piece of clothing
to be put on only for the slime to trap the victim.
Mimic form, Ooze, Congeal, Dissolve
Envelop and dissolve
This creature begins roughly the size of an Inventory
3 object, with 3 Armor. It can only be truly harmed
with magic or fire. Fire damages and reduces its size.
Hitting it with blades cuts a piece off that imme-
diately assumes the form of an Inventory 1-sized
object. If the main body is cut again, the same thing
happens and now there are 3 small slimes.
Loot relevant to the area. 1-in-6 chance that a
piece of loot is a small piece of Mimic Slime.
Ogre
Ogre
number appearing: -
The hulking forms and sloping brows of these
massive humanoids give them an air of unintelligent
brutishness, but in truth they are simple folk that just
want to keep to themselves. They live in small family
groups, subsisting on hunting, gathering, raising crops
and livestock. Their tempers can be fiery when they
are encroached upon, and it's made all the worse
since their language and mannerisms are so different
than other cultures, including goblins.
Thrash, Stomp, Bellow, Throw
Body-slam, Fling
Body-slam: Injured + unconscious as the goblin is
grabbed and thwacked into the ground
Fling: Panicked + separated, thrown into a tree or
other dangerous place.
Pumpkins (2 inventory, 2 rations each), Huge
club (8 inventory, too big to wield but nicely deco-
rated, 4 Scratch)
Orc
number appearing: -
Large, intelligent creatures hardened by generations
of war. Most often seen as mercenaries or in inde-
pendant war bands. Reasonable, when their material
interests are considered. Otherwise, merciless fighters.
Ambush, Bash, Take hostage, Encircle
Make an example, Bind in manacles
Orcs wear leather armor. Particularly important or
experienced orcs might wear chainmail.
Make an example: Harm + Arm torn clean off
Bind in manacles: Harm + Captured
Captured goblins will be taken back to the war
camp to be ransomed off or executed.
Axe, leather armor, silver coins (2 Scratch), One
Good Weapon each.
Saw-Wire Vine
This plant appears to be a normal mass of hardy
vines you might see on a raspberry bush. However,
they're always waving slightly, as if in a light breeze,
toward warmth. They catch small animals which
they catch and roll in toward the "mouth" at the roots
of the plant, sawing into them to water their roots
with blood. Usually of no real threat to humanoids,
they can still cause injury when they get their thorn
covered vines around a goblin's limb an, sawing
through flesh down to the bone...
Lash, Grasp, Coil, Lacerate
Constrict and Saw
If a goblin's foot or hand is Coiled, the vine will
Constrict and Saw: Injured and cut down to the
bone (scar on hand or foot)
Possibly the bones or skins of small animals.
Shrike Fly
number appearing: 
The body of this flying insect is as long (and narrow)
as a goblin's arm. It is capable of deft and surprising-
ly forceful flight. It will hang around broken fences,
masses of thorns, battlefields, anywhere full of long,
sharp or tangling features. It hunts birds and small
animals by picking them up and dropping them
on something sharp, or flying in such a way as to
maneuver their prey to impale themselves. Then they
dine on the still living body.
Fly, Buzz, Chase, Maneuver
Impale and eat
An Impaled goblin can do nothing until they are
freed from the spike or entanglement, and they are
Injured as the fly begins feasting with its mandibles.
Possibly a spear or barbed wire. The fly's cara-
pace is hard and shiny. 2 Scratch, 2 inventory.
15
Shadow-Eater
number appearing: -
An invisible creature that devours shadows bite by
bite. When the shadow is gone, they replace it, and
take its place. Eventually the shadow can mimic the
goblin, taking on all the benefits of its inventory and
traits.
Eat shadow, Replace shadow, Distract, Strangle
Duplicate
Duplicate: Harm + Shadowy copy of targeted goblin
appears

Wolfman
number appearing: -
Human cursed with intermittent lupine form.
Attacks with anything but silver weapons are made
from a bad position. Enraged and confused by the
sight of humans they recognize. Everything else is
just food.
Howl, Stalk, Pounce, Rend with claws, Drag into
brush
Contagious bite
Stone-Eater Hide like leather armor
number appearing: - Cursed Bite: Harm + Gain lycanthropy
Large, slow creatures with skin like solid stone. Slow Lycanthropic goblins can only stalk prey, pounce,
to anger but powerful. and attack with claws. Improve their position by
one degree while doing these things. They cannot
Bellow, Smash
engage in any other activity until cured. When
Devour whole cured, they must mark a condition for every Action
Stone skin like plate mail they took while cursed.
All attacks are from a bad position until their Armor Any goblin may attempt to cure a thoroughly
is crossed off. restrained lycanthrope. The Danger for the ritual
A goblin devoured whole cannot act until freed and is spell sickness (mark Sick). A wolfman’s tooth or
must mark a condition for every Action taken. useful herbs provide supplies (+1D for this roll).
Gemstones (4 Scratch) Totem (2 Scratch), Broken manacle, picture of
a loved one
Vampire Dog
number appearing: d
Skinny, emaciated canines that haunt ruined places.
They are nearly hairless, their skin is black, brown,
grey and white, patchy and blotchy. Their lips are
frozen back from their long, needle-like teeth in a
terrifying grin, tongues often lolling out. They drain
the blood of anything they catch, hunting in packs to
harry their prey. They are not undead, but have an
aversion to sunlight and are unusually tough. Their
large, milky eyes glow in the dark.
Whine unnervingly, Circle, Harry, Single out, Bite
Drain
Drain: Singled Out goblins will be clamped onto
by one or more dogs (incapacitated) and drained
(made Exhausted). If the next Action is not made to
free the goblin, they're made Sick, then Injured.
1D6 Scratch in coins from humanoid victims. A
Good weapon (1 in 6 chance)
16
MAYBE WE...
 The Riven Stone
SECRET BACKSTORY
Two dwarves, Froedi and Agirni, have set off on a
quest for a queen’s axe. There is a dispute over an
inheritance in their dwarven hold and they think
that holding their houses’ most legendary icon
would secure their claim. Froedi and Agirni both
have their house’s sigil on their shields and cloak-
pins: a heavy axe, with a ragged bearded blade. They
followed rumors to an abandoned iron mine to
seek out Falla’s Axe. Upon arriving, they discovered
that the mine was far from abandoned. Goblins
had taken it over and were mining it for their own
wicked purposes. Froedi and Agirni at first thought
to attack the goblins. Their kobold guide Takna
suggested an alternate approach: collapse the mines
with explosives, crushing the goblins and possibly
exposing the hidden route to Falla’s tomb.
What the dwarves don’t know is that the axe they
seek is horribly cursed. It almost brought ruin upon
their house long ago and would surely carry a dark
fate into any settlement it enters.
1 mine is under attack!
N
4
5 3
MAP KEY
1. The Iron Vein (starting room)
2. The Hall of Carts
3. The Cave Entrance
4. A Pool of Silt
5. Subterranean River
6. Falla's Tomb
18
STORY HOOKS
Town location: If the Hall of Carts isn't totally de-
stroyed, the goblins can add Iron Mine to their town
sheet if they don't already have it.
Keystone : If the curse is lifted from Falla's Axe, it will act
as the barracks Keystone, bolstering the town's war efforts.
Adventure: Rumors of Dwarven treasure could lure the
goblins, as could the simple payday of some magnetic ore.
Twist: If the goblins end up lost underground in anoth-
er adventure, they could find this location through the
Subterranean River.
SPECIAL SET-UP
This adventure starts in media res, with the goblins
just finishing a day's worth of mining, when the first
bomb goes off. Each goblin starts in the Iron Vein
with as much magnetic iron ore as they can fit in
their inventory.
Having passed through the Caven Entrance and
the Hall of Carts, they will have access to those parts
of the map. The rest of the mine complex is un-
known to them. The player handout map is available
at www.narrativedynamicspress.com.
WHAT THE GOBLINS KNOW
The iron mines of the North were, until today, a qui-
et place to earn a day’s wage. Hauling a full satchel
of iron ore back to town nets 2 Scratch. Today, their
luck’s not so good. Just as they fill their packs to
the brim, they hear a massive explosion
from near the mine entrance. The
2
6
HOW THE GOBLINS CAN
LEARN MORE
TIMELINE: TAKNA’S BOMBS
At the end of every turn, one of Takna’s bombs
They could talk to the dwarves. Froedi is obsessed goes off in Room 2. A bomb may also go off
with the axe, driven more by greed than reason, early as a Danger. Each time, roll 1D6. If a
and will almost certainly not cease his pursuit of repeat, choose the next higher result.
it. Agirni is here for the symbol, and for the good
of her house. If she learns of the axe’s true nature, 1. An enormous hole is burst in the floor,
she might call off the raid. blocking passage between Rooms 1 and 2.
They could talk to Takna. She is somewhat loyal 2. The ceiling starts to collapse. Goblins must
to the dwarves, as they have given her supplies get clear or be injured.
to make good quality bombs. After this job, she 3. The explosion reveals a submerged water
plans to take her payment and some explosives source. The room begins to flood (up to 2
and go take over her own kobold den. feet of water).
Falla’s ghost haunts her tomb. They might be able 4. Room 2 is full of blinding smoke.
to speak with her about what really happened. 5. The cave entrance between rooms 2 and 3
The tomb is inscribed with ancient dwarven po- is sealed.
ems. If they can be translated, they offer a dwarf 6. The hidden mine shaft between rooms 2
undone by greed. and 4 is revealed.
Sigils. There is a disparity between the
axe in Falla’s coffin and the sigil
on Froedi and Agirni’s garb. The
axe in the coffin has a narrow
double blade of smooth, polished
steel. The sigil is of a heavy
bearded axe with a rag-
ged edge. This could
suggest that the axe in
the coffin is not Falla’s
true axe.

1. The Iron Vein

This is a large mine chamber with a wide vein of good quality iron, with reddish
bands throughout. The iron is here is unusually magnetic, especially when gathered
in large quantities. A set of three cart rails leads South toward the entrance. The rails
also lead West down a steep shaft and end at a loose, crumbling wall: the site of the
most recent excavations. In this shaft, the ceiling is crowded with Piercers, strange
crustaceans that appear to be stalactites.
DANGERS
Dizzying bad air, slippery clay floor and steep mine shaft
MONSTERS
Piercers

LOOT
The main treasure is the full satchel of magnetite iron
each goblin already carries. Piercers
CONNECTIONS number appearing: d
- South the the Hall of Carts. Conical crustaceans that appear to be stalactites.
- West through broken wall to Pool of Silt. They cling to the ceiling, waiting for prey to fall on.
Drop from ceiling, bore into flesh
Piercer shell (2 inventory)
19
 2. The Hall of Carts
A series of honeycombed tunnels carved in the rock, criss-crossed with six sets of
mine cart tracks. Takna the kobold mercenary is in here setting up bombs. Froedi,
the hardened dwarven fighter is relentlessly searching for possible passages to Falla’s
tomb. The soldiers are obviously looking for something important, given their num-
bers and equipment. If they spot the goblins, they will attack them seeking treasure
and answers.
DANGERS MINE CARTS
Getting lost in the twisting corridors When the goblins (or anyone else) start riding a
Getting spotted by a dwarf patrol mine cart: Roll 1D6. If a repeat, choose the next
Falling in a pit, or hit by crumbling stone higher result.
1. Drops into a 30’ chasm. Dwarven skeleton at the
MONSTERS
bottom is wearing a fine helmet and has a sturdy
Takna, kobold mercenary
dagger between its ribs.
Froedi, dwarf
2. Stops in a pile of loose rocks, a cart that hits
Dwarven guards them will skid wildly off the rails. A set of iron
LOOT greaves stick out from beneath the rocks (Provide
Dependent on which cart path the goblins follow. armor when worn on legs).
3. Tracks covered in loose clay. The cart slowly
CONNECTIONS
comes to a stop and becomes thoroughly stuck.
- North the the Iron Vein
If searched, the clay conceals a handful of ancient
- West to the River. dwarven gold coins, marked with an axe and
- South to the cave entrance. serpent on either side.
4. A perfect loop. Runs the perimeter of the tunnel
and returns to its point of origin. Any riders will
have a good sense of what’s going on in the other
passages.
5. Leads out of the entrance of the mine at an un-
wisely steep slope. If a cart reaches the end of the
tracks at full speed, its contents are sent flying.
6. Passes through a hidden mine shaft into room 4.

Takna, kobold mercenary

Froedi, dwarf
Ambitious warrior thane. Sigil of a ragged axe on
shield and cloak pin.
Ambush, Hammer blow, Bind in Ropes
Wallop (harm and a head scar)
Warhammer, leather armor, cloak pin, shield, coins
Takna is a grizzled kobold mercenary. She's not fond
of dwarves, but they pay well.
Threaten, throw bomb
Trigger hidden bomb
2 Scratch worth of gems and a bomb
Dwarven Guards
These dwarven soldiers are loyal to Froedi.
Protect Noble, Cleave, Shieldbash
Leather armor, some have swords and shields,
some have hand axes.

20
3. The Cave Entrance
Base camp for Agirni’s 6 Dwarven mercenaries. She is watching the door and
waiting for the goblins to emerge. She will assume that the goblin’s packs are full of
goods robbed from Falla’s tomb and will pursue them
furiously.
DANGERS
Net trap at the cave entrance to catch escaping goblins.
MONSTERS
Agirni, dwarf
Dwarven mercenaries

LOOT
Good dwarven field tent. Barrel of fine ale (counts as 6
quaffs of grog). Roasted boar (4 rations).
CONNECTIONS
- North to the Hall of Carts.
- South to Goblinville.

Agirni, dwarf
Dour warrior and historian. Sigil of a ragged axe on
Dwarven Mercenaries shield and cloak pin.
The loyalty of these warriors goes only as far as Talk down, Strike, Sunder armor
Agirni's coin.
Coup de Grace
Cleave, Shieldbash, Rush
If the goblins refuse to surrender, Coup de Grace
Leather armor, some have swords and shields, will knock them out and harm
some have hand axes.armor, cloak pin, shield, coins
Mace, leather armor, cloak pin, shield, coins

4. A Pool of Silt
A warm natural cave with rounded walls. The floor is loose and damp, it's center
dominated by a pool of gray silt. Stalagmites stick up through the silt, which is
dotted with lumps under the surface.

DANGERS
Calf-deep silt can suck shoes off feet
SEARCHING THE SILT
When the goblins search the damp silt, roll 1D6 and remove them
Easy to get stuck when trying to from marching order (no Action roll):
move fast 1. A cloud of foul air, become sick.
The young salamanders could get 2. Animal bones. Lots of them.
spooked
3. A goblin skeleton with several gold teeth on a wire necklace.
MONSTERS 4. A goblin skeleton with a gilded eyepatch and a small hammer.
Great Salamander 5. A halfling skeleton with leather armor and a glowing sword.
LOOT 6. A human skeleton with a handful of gems and a magnetic iron
The silt contains nearly-whole corps- staff.
es, fully attired. See table at right. Young Salamanders (3)
CONNECTIONS Barely larger than a goblin and naturally
- South to outside through subterra- curious, but fierce when threatened.
nean river.
Slither, Bite
-East through broken wall to Iron
Vein. Loot is in the Searching the Silt Table

21
 5. Subterranean River
A strip of smooth stones lines the edge of a coursing subterranean river. The river
appears to be dwarven-made, a subterranean stone aqueduct. This area was built as
a dock to receive Falla's funeral boat for her funeral rites. A natural passage leads
north to a dark cavern. Ornate dwarven stonework decorates the southern half of
this passage but has suffered from neglect and disuse. Stout stone steps lead down
and South, deeper underground than even the river flows.
DANGERS
The ground here is slippery, and a push could force
you into the fast-paced water.
Froedi and 6 mercenaries track you and kill you for
trespassing in Falla’s tomb
MONSTERS
Great Salamander

LOOT Great Salamander

Two copper sconces, the torches burned out long
ago (1 Scratch each).
CONNECTIONS
- North to Pool of Silt
- East through a hidden passage to Hall of Carts
- South down stone stairs to Falla’s Tomb
-River current (North) to other side of mountain
The enormous salamander has small crystalline
growths in its skin. These are magnetite, giving the
salamander a precise sense of the magnetic field
around its body.
Slide, Crush, Toss, Pull metal
Crushing magnetic field
Magnetic field destroys all metal and causes harm
2 chunks of crystallized magnetic iron (1 inven-
tory, 3 Scratch each)

6. Falla's Tomb
An ancient copper statue of a noble Dwarven warrior stands over a wide (and short)
stone tomb. The statue has a rounded helm, a shield, and a copper axe that looks
ragged and corroded with age.

DANGERS
If aggravated, Falla will collapse the tomb, flooding
it completely with water and stone.
MONSTERS
Falla's Ghost
LOOT
Falla’s copper statue (20 inventory / 20 Scratch)
Falla's axe, in the statue's hand
The double-bladed axe in Falla’s coffin is good
quality (but is not the real axe)
CONNECTIONS
- North up stone stairs to Subterranean River
Falla's Ghost
Falla's earthbound spirit is as regal as it is terrifying.
Paralyzing gaze, Collapse pillars, Rend walls
Possess
If a goblin becomes Possesed by Falla, the GM adds
a Twist to every roll that goblin makes, reflecting the
destructive whims of the blindly vengeful ghost.
Steel axe, copper statue, Falla's axe
FALLA’S AXE
The wide bearded axe blade is worn, jagged
copper flecked with green. It is bracingly
cold to the touch. The axe has one trait: Vile
Hatred. The wielder may use the axe’s trait
as if it were their own. Of course, they must
embody this trait in their behavior. When a
goblin enters town carrying the axe, add one
crisis to the town events roll.

22
COMING SOON

Goblinville Gazette #4

ARMS+ARCANA
The final issue of the Gazette will include
essays, new rules, and random tables for:
Weapons, action and fighting
The manifold manifestations of magic, includ-
ing more goblin sorcery, wizardly and monster
magic, and magic items.
Not to mention six more adventures, more
monsters, and some other stuff we won't
name just yet!

We dare you not to freak out!

 The Unyielding Fist
SECRET BACKSTORY
A goblin clan fled their plague-stricken hometown
into the mountains and found an abandoned hu-
man village. Spectres linger here, what appear to be
the restless dead of this village, and the goblins have
shaped their lives around a tenuous coexistence.
This peace is on the verge of breaking: an order of
human clerics has set out to destroy the ghosts and
reclaim ancient relics left here. The Clerics are of
the Order of Placid Silence and they are committed
to fighting necromancy in all its forms. What they
do not know is that these spectres are not actually
ghosts, they are the projections of stored memories,
emitted in from a crystalline artifact hidden in the
village crypts.
WHAT THE GOBLINS KNOW
The Unyielding Fist are a cult of goblins who are
well-renowned for their fighting skills. The village
they have settled in the Granite Pass is gaining a
reputation as the best place to train as a fighter. The
Unyielding Fist fight without weapons and are said
to be capable of fighting even the dead.
4
MAP KEY
1. The Granite Pass
2. A Ruinous Town Square
3. The Ghost Garden
4. The Stone Temple
5. The Ancient Crypts (un-
derground between 3 and 4)
6. The Narrow Trails
24
STORY HOOKS
Town Location: Recruit a Boss to open a Fighting Pit.
Keystone: An Elder could be convinced to act as book-
ie for the Fighting Pits the goblins already have.
Adventure: The goblins could pursue legends of the
Unyielding Fist's fighting techniques, or rumors of a
spell that restores life to the recently deceased. Maybe a
fighter from home has gone missing and ended up here.
Twist: A party lost in the mountains could find their
way in the granite pass. The high walls offer a good
wind break in winter.
HOW THE GOBLINS MIGHT
LEARN MORE
Questioning the clerics: This would likely require
convincing the clerics to justify themselves in
writing and then translating that writing. The
clerics do not speak and have no interest in
collaborating with goblins. They are patently un-
interested in solving the mysteries of this place.
The have come to silence the dead and that is all.
Questioning the Unyielding Fist: The cult is
not friendly to outsiders. They will fight and
attempt to drive out any intruders. If the goblins
3
2
1
N
 prove themselves in a fight without resorting to
murder, then the Unyielding Fist will offer the
rite of initiation. Initiates will be treated well and
have all their questions answered. The cultists
mistakenly assume the ghosts are just ghosts and
they are disinclined to disturb the Wyrm
in the Temple. When the Clerics
arrive, they will hide until forced to
fight, and then are unlikely to prevail
without help.
Questioning the ghosts: The ghosts
have no real sense of self or memory
of life before this. They go through
rituals they performed while living:
mostly reading, writing, gardening,
and painting. They can be redirected
to other activities through suggestion
(put an easel in front of them and they will paint)
but direct attempts to interrupt or interrogate
them make them agitated; they are likely to
lash out when confused.
Exploring the library: The library is full
of mouldering books. Each recounts
the most mundane details of a per-
son’s life: mending clothes, preparing
meals, talking with neighbors. The
traditional details of biography are
lacking (names, dates, places, great
events). Reading through these might
give goblins a hint at the greater
purpose of this place.
Inspecting the Stone: The Memory
Stone itself might reveal the true na-
ture of these ghosts, if the goblins are
asking the right questions, they might
discover the nature of the “ghosts” as
projected memories.
MAGIC IN THIS ADVENTURE
NPC Spells
NPC spells work generally like goblin magic, but
instead of rolling a sorcery die, cross off a move
each time a spell is used to account for the toll of
spell sickness.
Ritual: The Unyielding Fist
This is the ritual that the cult uses to become such
powerful unarmed fighters. Fighters place their
hand in a pot that carries molten minerals and met-
als (in a secret combination). If their hand emerges
whole, it is coated in an Unyielding Fist.
- Action: Gain an Unyielding Fist.
- Danger: Lose the inventory slot for that hand.
- Harm: The hot metal burns horribly.
Goblins with an Unyielding Fist are never consid-
ered unarmed and may attack even incorporeal
beings (though this comes with its own substantial
risks.)
Spell: The Unspooling Thread
This is an ancient spell, forbidden to most human
societies and unknown to goblins. It breaks the rules
of life and death, and thus breaks the rules of spell
casting. No pixie would aid in such an endeavor,
so the goblin takes the full force of the spell upon
themselves. The ritual requires the caster to
enter a trance and draw up the the spell’s
target from the land of the dead.
Requirements: They target must be some-
one the caster knows well, as a dear friend, or
long-time enemy.
- Action: Revive the dead.
- Danger: The caster dies, putting all their
life energy into the spell.
- Sorcery: Effects of spell sickness.
- Twist (Optional): The target or caster is
Cursed for defying the Fates.
Titles and Traits and can be added as usual.
Any goblin revived this way crosses out an
appearance or personality trait permanently.
Leave the trait on your sheet, but put a heavy
line through it. This trait can never be used
or changed. This property is gone, and its
absence marks the goblin as somehow dif-
ferent from the living. A once garrulous
goblin might now be stoic and sullen. A
huge goblin might return withered. The
spell can never be used more than once
on the same goblin.
Magic Item: The Memory Stone
An ancient artifact, the finest treasure of
this long-ruined temple of remembrance.
The stone absorbs the memories of those
around it, preserving them in its crystal-
line structure and recreating whole beings
as ghost-like projections. The projections it creates
can move, speak, and act upon the world but they
become unstable when broken from the patterns set
for them within the stone.
Once, a grand library
stood in this village. People
writing and reading the
memories in the books made
them available to the Stone.
The library has long since
been destroyed, and with
no one writing or reading its
books, the projections from the
Stone are becoming garbled and
strange.
25
 TIMELINE
The primary time pressure in this adventure is from the Clerics of Placid Silence. They have come to
destroy all evidence that this town existed. This timeline assumes no interference from the party. The
party may interfere, pushing this timeline back a turn.
Turn 3: A single scout cleric arrives. Goblins may spot them spying from the pass above, or they
will ambush a lone goblin if possible.
Turn 4: The clerics arrive in the town square. They will kill all goblins on sight.
Turn 5: The clerics fight their way past the Grave Wyrm, taking 1D4 losses. (If injured by previous
conflict with the party, they take 1D6 losses instead). Cross out one of the Grave Wyrm’s moves.
Turn 6: They set magically fueled fire to the crypts, burning everything within.
Turn 7: The heat from the fire bursts the Memory Stone. Millions of confused memories burst
forth like a river. (Add Panic as a GM-Twist to every roll made in town).

THE UNYIELDING FIST THE PLACID SILENCE

A series of tragedies and conflicts have left the
members of the Unyielding Fist wary of outsiders.
They believe that their insular, mutualist culture is
what has kept them alive. They will stalk and watch
the goblin party around the town and attack as
soon as they have an upper hand. They will attack
in hopes of driving the party out of their home, but
will not kill unless their hand is forced. They will
employ similar tactics against the clerics.
If the goblins make a significant show of good
faith, it is possible to parlay with members of the
Unyielding Fist. They are not interested in teaching
their technique or giving up any of their members,
but they can be convinced to help if they believe it is
in the best interest of their community. They would
see any looting of the town as a grave offense and
they have a tense, but protective relationship with
the spirits of the town.
Brawler
number appearing:  total
Goblin fighters with one fist coated in steel and stone.
Nice enough once you get to know them.
Disarm weapon, Knock into wall, Staggering punch
Knock out cold
Old coins, totems
Elder
number appearing:  total
The elders tend to observe outsiders cautiously and
strike decisively.
Flying leap, Disarm weapon, Knock into wall,
Staggering punch
Knock out cold
Old coins, totems
These mute clerics have a singular commitment:
eradicating necromancy and all its practitioners.
The Wordless Council, after much determination,
found the human town in Granite Pass guilty of
necromancy. The cleric have been dispatched to
destroy the town and all it harbors. Nothing can
deter them from this task.
The adventure timeline is mostly about the
movement of the clerics through the town. They
can be slowed or hastened by the party’s actions but
there is little that would change their course.
Cleric of Silence
number appearing:  total
Clerics of silence have taken a vow and will never
speak. They hate all forms of undeath and will
attempt to destroy this village completely.
Mace smash, Shield bash, Kneecap
1 Armor (leather)
Leather armor, Mace, Shield
High Cleric of Silence
number appearing:  total
An order was given: the temple of remembrance
committed an act of necromancy and must be utterly
destroyed. Death is preferable to failure.
Cast silence, Cast Fiery Gaze, Mace smash,
Kneecap
Knock out cold
1 Armor (leather)
Leather armor, mace, shield, icon of chained
tongue, bottle of firestarter

26
1. The Granite Pass
Tall granite peaks loom overhead, the winds whip through this pass causing a high
pitched whistle. Every word spoken echoes back at you at least once. When rocks
snap loose, they clatter loudly and the echoing sound is like a cup full of dice. A
large rock could block passage completely.

DANGERS
Falling rocks from landslides.
MONSTERS
Rock troll hidden among a heap of stones.
LOOT
1D6 Rare mountain flowers. Very valuable if potted.
The die quickly (next camp or town visit) when
cut. 2 Scratch each. 2 flowers per inventory slot.
Rock Troll
Rock trolls are slow-moving and disinclined to
fight, but once aggravated, they pursue their quarry
relentlessly.
Throw stone, Smash with fists
Skin like stone (3 armor)
Gemstones (2 inventory, 5 Scratch)

CONNECTIONS
North to Town Square
Northeast to Narrow Trails

2. A Ruinous Town Square

An ancient human village. Crumbling walls, the rotted remains of timbers burned
long ago. The ground is littered with rubble, loose mortar, and hearty mountain
shrubs that have grown up through the cobblestones. A fountain sits in the middle
of the square, with a statue of a human head at its center. Ruins of a vast library
litter the square, one of the only physical remnants of the knowledge once stored
here.
DANGERS Exploring the Square
Towers are so frail that they might collapse if a Most buildings are in a state of extreme neglect. If
goblin climbs one. goblins inspect a particular building, roll 1D6.
Potential ambush from a Stone Hand Elder with a 1. Empty barn repurposed into fighting ring
party of 1D6 fighters. They never fight to kill. 2. Home turned into a granary, tidy and recently
MONSTERS organized.
1D6 Restless human ghosts. Irritated at the disrup- 3. Collapsed hall, scraps of broken instruments.
tion and lashing out 4. Human dwelling. Sodden, rotting books rendered
illegible. Birds nesting in collapsed roofbeams.
LOOT
Statue of human head, stone with windows into the 5. Cobwebbed galleries. Moldy paintings of mun-
brain. Inside are smaller statues with windows dane scenes, washing, sewing, etc.
into their brains (16 Inventory, 20 Scratch to an 6. Small stage with rows of rotted benches. Cluttered
interested buyer). and disused.
CONNECTIONS
South to Granite Pass North to Stone Temple
East to Ghost Garden Ghost Villagers
Figures of flitting light going about mundane tasks.
Fearsome if disturbed.
Hum warningly, Shred, Dizzying shriek

27
 3. The Ghost Garden
A quiet garden at the Western edge of the village. Neat rows of vegetables are idly
tended by ghosts. A clay stone smelter sits at the edge of the garden, smoking from
recent use. The smelter is used in the secret ritual of the Unyielding Fist.

Ghost Villagers
DANGERS Figures of flitting light going
Ghosts attack wildly if disrupted. about mundane tasks. Fear-
some if disturbed.
MONSTERS
1D3 Ghosts tending to the plants and singing word- Hum warningly, Shred, Dizzy-
ing shriek
lessly. Their voices hum like tuning forks.

LOOT
Potatoes, onions, squash, beans, wheat. There are
2D6 Rations here, but the Unyielding Fist needs
them.
CONNECTIONS
East to Town Square Down to Ancient Crypts

4. The Stone Temple

High, vaulted ceiling held up by mossy timbers. Walls of round, ivy covered stones.
Great rusted pipe organ. Huge, gaunt wyrm coiled among the pews. Pollen floats in
light colored by the stained glass windows (depicting reading, writing, painting, and
song). Behind an unadorned altar (stacked with records of lives from the library)
stairs lead down into the darkness below.

DANGERS
Falling pillars could crush a goblin, bringing injury
or broken gear.
MONSTERS
The Grave Wyrm, half-starved and furious

LOOT
A massive organ in terrible disrepair (20 inventory,
15 Scratch, double that if repaired.)
4 Stained glass windows (unbroken sections are 4
Inventory, 6 Scratch).
CONNECTIONS
South to Town Square Southeast to Narrow Trail
Down to Ancient Crypts
Grave Wyrm
Massive, pale creature that feeds upon ghosts. It
has been attempting to feed on the projections
of the memory stone and has become gaunt and
undernourished.
Devour, Ccollapse pillar, Bite, Claw, Tail whip
Bind and suffocate
Has eaten 6 inventory worth of temple salvage:
bronze candlesticks, censers, offering dishes

28
5. The Ancient Crypts
Mouldering human crypts. Each has a human figure carved in stone as if laying atop
the tombs. The figures hold an icon of their method of remembrance: a lyre, a book
of records, quilting needles, a paint brush, a book of songs, a book of folktales.

DANGERS
The ceiling could collapse if the rotting wood tim-
bers are disturbed.
The Memory Stone will explode with a burst of light
and energy if dropped.
MONSTERS
None

LOOT
The Memory Stone
CONNECTIONS
Up to Stone Temple
Up to Ghost Garden through buried trap door

6. Narrow Trails
A thin stip of traversable trail cut into the edge of the Granite Pass. In some places,
the path becomes so narrow that a goblin must cling to the rock face and shuffle
sideways. The ibex chewing on dense tufts of dry grass with attempt a charge if
approached.

DANGERS
The trail becomes so narrow near its highest point,
that a goblin must hold fast to the rock on either
side. It’s a long drop into the village below.
MONSTERS
None. The cliff sides are quiet and serene.

LOOT
An old and wizened ibex. If caught and trained,
they can carry 4 inventory of loot. Ibex can graze
for themselves quite effectively.
CONNECTIONS
Southwest to Mountain Pass
Northwest to Stone Temple

29
 The Lost Patrol
SECRET BACKSTORY
It’s been a month since the scout patrol left Goblin-
ville to explore the western forest. They planned to
be back two weeks ago, but it’s not uncommon for
goblins to get sidetracked, especially when mapping
routes to valuable resources. They set up camp in
the forest, near a network of deep ravines. One night
while they were cooking, a huge form swooped
down from the trees above, carrying off one of the
goblin scouts. In the aftermath, some goblins said
they saw wings, some saw a bear’s body, others saw
the razor sharp beak of an owl. All agreed it was
really, really, big and incredibly fast. It was the fabled
Owlbear, and he swallowed that goblin whole.
The next morning they set out to search for
the beast and their abducted comrade. The forest
was dense, and the fog thick. The great beast took
another victim. But something else was lurking in
the fog and striking from the periphery. One by one,
ravine elves were using poisoned blowgun darts to
sedate and drag off goblins. The scout patrol, num-
bers dwindling, thought that there was more than
one great beast striking when they least expected.
Separated, terrified and outwitted, the scout patrol
was lost to the foggy forest, either into the Owlbear's
gullet or to the ravine.
WHAT THE GOBLINS KNOW
They have heard that the scout patrol hasn’t come
back, and people are worrying. The goblins will
know they’re headed to the Deep Forest, but beyond
that, they will know little until they get there.
HOW THE GOBLINS CAN
LEARN MORE
Investigating tracks. There are huge, bear-like foot-
prints in the camp, but they don’t lead anywhere.
There are also small tracks crisscrossing the camp
from small, barefoot humanoids. These small
prints lead into the Ravine. When a good print
(in mud, etc.) is examined, the feet that made
them appear similar to goblins’ but are longer,
with longer toes. Footprints that are definitely
goblin lead from the camp into the Hunting
Grounds, where they disperse.
Animal signs. In the Hunting Grounds the goblins
will see great trees with shredded bark, some
leaning, some broken over. These are from the
Owlbear training its claws and marking its
territory.
30
STORY HOOKS
Town Location: The forest provides an endless wood
source for a Sawmill
Keystone: If the goblins recover the Tapestry of Paths,
the ravine elves will give them a cache of maps that can
unlock the Scout Camp's keystone ability.
Adventure: The scout in their group may have been
commanded to form a search party. The goblins might
pursue a beast to hunt (not knowing what they seek),
legends of elven lore, or a steady supply of lumber.
Twist: A party lost in the woods might stumble upon
the abandoned hut.
Owlbear Pellets. There are strange spherical objects
strewn about, clotted masses of fur and feathers
containing bones and other indigestible items
that the Owlbear expels from it’s gizzard after
consuming prey whole. Most of them contain
animal bones and horns ranging from raccoons
to small deer, but a few of them contain the
remains of scout patrol goblins. Don't be afraid
to reveal this grisly clue if the goblins investigate
the hunting grounds.
Talking to the Ravine Elves. A goblin may be
captured, or the elves may be encountered in the
Ravine or at the edge of the Hunting Grounds.
If they are not driven off or killed, the elves will
explain the situation and explain that they have
several goblins in their custody. Their leader, who
offers no name, will tell them of the Owlbear, and
that it has their Tapestry.
Finding Murg and Gakko: Murg and Gakko are
members of the Scout Patrol that have not been
killed by the Owlbear or abducted by the elves.
They may be found hiding somewhere, huddled
together, nearly catatonic with fear. They only
saw the beast the first night it attacked. Murg in-
sists he only saw the body of a giant bear. Gakko
insists he saw wings and massive beak. They both
insist that the other is wrong and crazy.
 THE OWLBEAR
The ravine-elves call the Owlbear Usambara, King
of the Forest. Living in a huge nest-cave high above
the forest floor, he presides as absolute master of his
hunting grounds, hunting and devouring anything he
can take down and swallow—which is most things.

THE TAPESTRY OF PATHS
While verging too close to the Owlbear’s domain,
ravine elves transporting the invaluable Tapestry
of Paths were attacked. They fled, but had to leave
the tapestry and some of their gear behind. The
tapestry is now a part of the Owlbear’s ever-growing
nest-cave.
A long scroll of sorts, patched together of many
materials: cloth, skin, parchment, leaves, and embla-
zoned with generations of elven maps that are both
spacial and linear, showing both geography and the
passage of time. Only elves have the kind of sight to
interpret them, so they must be transcribed to be of
any use to others.
3 4
THE RAVINE-ELVES
These small, slight elves are the masters of the low-
lands, thriving in the ravines that gouge the region.
They exist in an uneasy truce with Usambara. They
stay out of his hunting grounds, and he stays out of
the difficult, low terrain of the ravines. Just before
the arrival of the goblin scout patrol, the Tapestry
of Paths was taken by the Owlbear. The elves began
capturing the scout patrol in hope of gaining allies
in getting their artifact back, and expelling them if
they don't comply.
MAP KEY
1 The Abandoned Camp
2. The Hunting Grounds
3. The Forlorn Shack
4. The Nest-Cave
5. The Deep Ravine
6. Ravine-elf Dwelling

2
N

1
6
5

31
 TIMELINE
Turn 2: Ravine elves who have been watching from the fog begin to track the goblins. Add “Last
goblin in the marching order is hit with a poisoned dart” to the Dangers wherever the goblins are.
Turn 3: The sound of a couple goblins screaming in terror splits the air and can be heard in all areas ex-
cept the Ravine Elf Dwelling. Roll on the Hiding Spots table to determine where Murg and Gakko are.
Turn 4: If the Owlbear hasn’t been directly encountered, it will be actively hunting in the Hunting
Grounds.

1. The Deserted Camp

In a small clearing, the scouts’ camp lays deserted. Fog obscures the surrounding
forest. There are two large tents around a central fire pit, with cooking equipment
and other gear sitting undisturbed. Huge bear-like footprints surround the only
sign of struggle—a large puddle of goblin blood near the edge of the camp. Other
footprints crisscross the sandy earth: Small, barefoot humanoid prints lead into the
trees to the north, and more goblin-like prints lead into the trees to the west.
DANGERS Exploring the camp
Getting tangled in the string-and-cookware alarm- Lots of the scouts' gear is still here, although one
lines surrounding the camp pack is infested with pack moths and if the goblins
Digging around in the camp may expose the goblins aren't careful, they'll infest their luggage too.
to Pack Moths This area can be used as a relatively safe camp if
the circumstances are good (not being stalked by
MONSTERS
ravine elves or torn apart by the Owlbear).
Pack Moths

LOOT
Camping supplies
1D6 torches, 1D6 rations
A spear
CONNECTIONS
South to the Ravine
West back to the road to Goblinville
East into the Hunting Grounds Big Badger
This beast wants nothing more than to lay in his
burrow and while away the hours between foraging
Pack Moths times. He is not friendly when woken up.
Small, dusty moths that infest packs, eat cloth and Charge, Bite, Tackle, Tear
rations, and are damn hard to get out. Clamp down and throttle
Flutter, Infest, Infest, Chew Clamp down and throttle: Harm + clothing torn to
Armor 1. shreds

Rattlesnake Noisy Birds

A big, poisonous snake, with a rattle on its tail to
warn larger creatures of its presence.
Coil, Rattle, Slither, Dart
Strike with fangs
Strike: Sick and incapacitated until camp
Snakeskin (1 Scratch), Rattle (1/2 inventory, 1
Scratch)
These small, black and white birds absolutely infest
this small stand of trees. The owlbear ignores them,
but would take notice if they were alarmed.
Chatter, Investigate shiny objects, Peck, Fly
Burst into Flight
Burst into Flight: Panicked + Owlbear descends
Tasty little eggs (1 ration, must be carried)

32
2. The Hunting Grounds
The evergreen trees in this area are very tall. Branches and leaves do not start grow-
ing until at least 20 feet up. The forest floor is mostly clear, carpeted with fallen pine
needles and dotted with short underbrush. Areas of thicket come out of nowhere in
the thick fog that hangs throughout this area. Most smaller trees have been knocked
down or their bark shredded, marks of Usambara's mastery of this place.

DANGERS
It is perpetually foggy here. It’s easy to get separated. HIDING SPOTS
The underbrush is thick, it’s easy to make too much When searching for Murg and Gakko, or when
noise. trying to find a place to hide, choose or roll 1D6.
The safe place they find is...
The Owlbear is sleeping but will rouse any minute...
1. Under the roots of a partially uprooted tree,
MONSTERS that is the nest of a rattlesnake.
The Owlbear, if threatened or though a Twist or 2. Up a tree, thick with tangled foliage overhang-
Danger. ing the ravine.
A badger, birds, and/or a rattlesnake, see Hiding 3. A small stand of short, bushy trees, home to a
Places flock of irritable, noisy birds.
LOOT 4. In the burrow of another large ground animal,
Bunches of different plants that have medicinal home to a napping badger.
effect. 5. Under a pile of owlbear pellets, too close to the
Nest-Cave for comfort.
CONNECTIONS
West to the Deserted Campground 6. In a dense patch of tall grass, that is foul-smell-
ing and extremely irritating to goblin skin—pos-
South into the Deep Ravine
sibility of a curse: Horribly Itchy.
Up to the Owlbear’s Nest-cave
South-east to the Ravine-elf Dwelling via the secret
path.

4. The Owlbear’s Nest-cave

A massive nest built high in the shared branches of several big trees, at the eastern
end of the Hunting Grounds. Enclosed, like a cave made of woven branches and
collected forest detritus. There is a large opening functioning as the mouth of the
cave, and around the perimeter there are several windowlike openings. At the base
of the trees is where the pellets are most numerous, piled high against the trunks
and spreading out in all directions.
DANGERS
Pellets are piled high but aren't stable to climb on
Usambara, King of the Forest
A massive bear, but with the head of an owl, and an
No cover from a swooping owlbear attack owl’s wings replacing the forelimbs. Terrifying black
MONSTERS talons extend from the toes on its huge rear paws. It
The Owlbear is nearly silent when it descends. It can take off into
flight quickly, even after consuming a large creature.
LOOT
The Tapestry of Paths Charge, Swoop, Claw, Knock down, Rend, Screech,
Snap, Fly
1D6 Owlbear talons
Consume whole
1D6 Owlbear feathers
Consume whole: Injured + swallowed
CONNECTIONS
Owlbear claws, pelt
Down into the Hunting Grounds

33
 3. Forlorn Shack
There is a long-overgrown trail on the edge of the Hunting Grounds, leading to a
dilapidated shack. It will be apparent that it was used for hunting, as the tiny cabin
is inundated with moss and clinging vines. It appears empty, but signs of another
presence are quickly noticed. Inside the shack is a cot, a rack of rusted and neglected
tools, a small table and a chair complete with the last hunter’s shriveled corpse
sitting in it.
DANGERS SURPRISE AT THE SHACK
The shack is rotting and can collapse inward The hunting shack at first appears deserted and safe,
but nothing is that easy in the wilderness. Roll or
MONSTERS
choose who has found the shack first.
See Surprise at the Shack
1. Jogan, a human big game hunter, hoping to
LOOT bag the fabled Owl-Bear (and will try to use the
Inside the shack: Rusted snap trap (1 inventory, 2 goblins as bait)
Scratch), Bottle of really old wine (2 inventory, 3 2. Orc warriors, battered and separated from their
Scratch), Old but finely crafted hunting bow warband (who don't want a fight, just to loot)
CONNECTIONS 3. Plark, a goblin fugitive wanted back home (who
South to the Hunting Grounds will do anything to stay free)
4. The corpse of the old hunter isn't dead (and will
try to kill anyone who intrudes)
5. Lost warg pup (he bites)
6. Tevis, a human treasure hunter, seeking the
Jogan, Big Game Hunter Tapestry of Paths (but will lie about his motives)
Grizzled, fiery eyed and addicted to the thrill of the
hunt. Driven by the delusion that he can kill the
Owlbear. Revenant Hunter
The shriveled corpse of the hunter that drank himself
Stalk, Shoot, Distract, Stab
to death isn't totally dead. He rises when his cabin is
Trigger Trap entered, and will try to kill anyone who wants to steal
Trigger Trap: Jogan maneuvers a goblin into one of his prized bow.
his traps. Injured + immobilized until freed. Shamble, Bite, Grapple
Huge crossbow (inventory 4, 6 Scratch, ignores Strangle
armor), Long fur coat (3 Scratch), Hunting knife Strangle: Harm + Unconscious
(Good weapon, 2 Scratch)
See the shack's Loot

Orc Warriors
1D6 orcs, separated from their warband after a Warg Pup
skirmish. They just want to grab some loot without A very young warg who wandered too far astray. Will
any trouble. be attracted to a warg keeper, but he or she is on the
verge of going feral and taming will be a challenge.
Warcry, Slash, Grab hostage, Bash
Dismember Howl, Track, Play rough, Bite
Dismember: Harm + Lose an arm
Sword, hand-axe, 1D6 rations
Tevis, Treasure Hunter
A wiry, pointy-bearded treasure hunter, on the trail
of the Tapestry of Paths. He came from the north,
Plark and is unaware of the Owlbear.
A goblin on the run from crimes he most definitely Lie, Evade, Mislead, Bargain, Stab
committed.
Hidden daggers (2 to 1 inventory slot, 2
Lie, Plead, Stab, Flee Scratch), Pouch of coins (2 Scratch), Map to an
Backstab adventure site 2 days away (2 Scratch)
Backstab: Harm + Unconscious
Knife, 1 ration

34
5. The Deep Ravine
The sandy soil suddenly gives way to a steep-banked ravine. Hardy trees cling
tenaciously to the slopes. It is mostly open, but fog, shadow and knots of foliage
obscure the small stream winding along the ravine’s bottom. Thick shelves of black
slate jut from the banks. They can't be seen, but the ravine elves are hiding, stalking
whomever enters this area.

DANGERS Eyes Everywhere

Loose earth and tree roots on the steep banks are If the goblins are unaware of the elves yet, move the
easy to stumble on positioning marker to bad, and tell the goblins that
Ravine elves are nearly impossible to see in their they feel like they are being watched.
territory and can sneak up on a goblin
MONSTERS
Ravine elves Ravine Elf
Small, thin humanoids with slight, pointy features.
LOOT They have light skin, with shifting tones like the
Mushrooms that the elves’ poison is derived from dappling of sunlight through leaves. They live in
An elven needle trap (2 Scratch) ravines, and have elongated toes to help them climb
A high quality metal canteen and traverse any terrain. They are nearly impossible
to see when they hide in their own territory, using
CONNECTIONS
blowguns with poison darts to tranquilize and
North to the Deserted Camp
remove intruders.
North to the Hunting Grounds
Sneak, Hide, Shoot dart, Disorient
East to the Ravine Elf Dwelling
Tranquilize and drag away
LEAF CLOAK Tranquilize and drag away: Sick + incapacitated,
A sort of half-cape with a hood, with the appearance and taken to the Ravine Elf Dwelling
of leaves of all sizes and colors. When worn, the Blowgun (2 inventory, 3 Scratch), Darts (6 per
wearer will blend into their surroundings but only Inventory slot, 2 Scratch, knife
when perfectly still.

6. Ravine Elf Dwelling

Just like the ravine elves, their dwellings are nearly impossible to spot. Built under
the gnarled, exposed roots of trees in the ravine banks, these burrows serve as
perfect hiding spots, lookout posts, and firing blinds. This one is in a crook in
the ravine. It is a small compound of connected burrows. There are 4 scout patrol
goblins here.
DANGERS
The ravine elves are naturally jumpy
THE GOBLIN SCOUT PATROL
They are recuperating from the action of the last few days (and
when around other folk and can be
the elves’ potent tranquilizer). When the group finds them here,
accidentally provoked
roll or choose the survivors' disposition: 1–2: Vengeful—they
It would be easy to spring any of the want to go after Usambara. 3–4: Melancholy—they want to stay
many traps around the dwelling with the elves. 6: Fearful—they want to return to Goblinville
MONSTERS immediately.
Ravine elves They have had a lot of time to consider their goals, and con-
LOOT vincing them to do otherwise will be difficult.
Blow gun and darts, Trapping supplies, The elves will tell the goblins of Usambara, King of the Forest,
Leaf Cloak and that it is he who killed their kin. They will also tell them an
important artifact, the Tapestry of Paths, was lost in the Hunting
Grounds and taken by the King to add to his Nest-cave.
If the goblins would retrieve it, the elves would happily tran-
scribe some of the maps, which would act as the Scout Camp's
CONNECTIONS Keystone.
Any direction to the Deep Ravine
Northeast to the Hunting Grounds via the
secret path. 35
 Colophon
Core concept, design, writing Michael Dunn-O'Connor
Editing, development, writing, Eric Swanson
illustration, layout
Typefaces Avera Sans TC
Eight Days A Week
IM Fell DW Pica
Minion Pro
Pokoljaro

©2019