goblin tricks
Goblins are insanely inventive when it comes to making traps. Pie throwers, covered pits, booby trapped toilets,they've done them all, and they come up with new traps all the time. This makes dealing with goblins hard, and evicting them from your neighborhood even harder. But the are some perennial favorite traps that come up more often than others, and knowing how to deal with them can make the difference between grabbing hold of an offending goblin and suffering the latest outrage from the snickering pest.
Pit traps and goblins are almost synonymous. Goblins dig these pits during the night, usually on busy roads or in front of outhouses. The pits are then covered with thin branches and then a layer of sod or thatch. The branches can support the weight of the thatch, but anything heavier goes right through. As an added insult, goblins like to leave nasty things in the pit for their victims to land on, like live skunks, moldy cabbage, spoiled milk, campaign literature or other noxious substances.
But goblins have come up with an improvement on the old design. They place a wide board across the pit, covering the rest with the usual branches and thatch. Both ends of the board are marked with something noticeable but not unusual, like an old corncob. The goblins then pull a prank that is sure to make the victim chase him. He leads the victim to the pit and runs cross the board, making the way look safe. But chances are good that the victim won't run across the board, and placing even one foot on the thatch is enough to send the poor fool into the pit.
Goblins generally want nothing to do with money, as they're not allowed in stores to spend it and other races would think nothing of beating them up to get the cash. But some goblins have found ways to use money to their advantage. The first is as a lure. They place a few coins on the center of a pit trap, and anyone trying to get the money falls in. Goblins also weave small pouches out of straw, filling them with coins and extra straw to keep the money from jingling. If the goblin is in danger he will rip open the pouch and scatter the coins behind him. He's counting on you stopping to pick up the money rather than chase him. If there are other people around they may go for the money as well, getting in the pursuer's way and letting the goblin escape.
Decoys are another goblin specialty. These are straw dummies dressed and armed to look like goblins, and are placed in bushes where they are hard, but not impossible, to see. Goblins fleeing enemies will run passed the decoys, and in the heat of the moment the decoys look like a goblin gang waiting in ambush. Victims generally attack the decoys or fall back until they realize that they aren't in danger. Either way the goblin has an opportunity to get away.
But some goblins take a different approach by making decoy people. These larger dummies are placed around corners or behind trees, and are dressed and armed like bandits, thieves, lawyers or soldiers from a neighboring kingdom. Goblins escaping enemies run for these decoys, and victims generally flee when they think they're facing an armed man. In extreme cases the goblins will make a dozen or more such decoys and place them in a phony camp, making them look like invading enemies or a bandit camp. When nearby people see this they will either flee if they're weak or attack if they're strong. Either response give the goblins a chance to make mischief when their enemies are busy.
While goblins can eat almost anything, they have an interest in spices that has nothing to do with food. Whenever possible they get their hands on black pepper, anise seed or other strong smelling spices, which they grind up and store in jars. When faced with knights or other armored foes they blow the spices into the enemys' faces. The cloud easily gets inside the armor, and knights aren't very dangerous when they're too busy sneezing and coughing to fight. If the knight is mounted his horse gets a sniff too, which panics the animal and sends it running away at full speed. The effects are temporary, but last long enough for the goblins to attack the helpless knights or flee for their lives.
Another favorite trick involves beer. The goblins of Other Place are immune to most poisons, including alcohol, so they can't get drunk. But they know that the other races can. Goblins will steal barrels of beer or wine, and before an attack will leave them where their victims are sure to find them. They try to make it look like the barrels fell off a wagon or were stolen and hidden in an abandoned building. The victims take the barrels home and get riotously drunk, and while they are incapacitated the goblins move in and cause mayhem. Oddly enough, many times the victims consider getting free booze worth the damage.
Pit traps and goblins are almost synonymous. Goblins dig these pits during the night, usually on busy roads or in front of outhouses. The pits are then covered with thin branches and then a layer of sod or thatch. The branches can support the weight of the thatch, but anything heavier goes right through. As an added insult, goblins like to leave nasty things in the pit for their victims to land on, like live skunks, moldy cabbage, spoiled milk, campaign literature or other noxious substances.
But goblins have come up with an improvement on the old design. They place a wide board across the pit, covering the rest with the usual branches and thatch. Both ends of the board are marked with something noticeable but not unusual, like an old corncob. The goblins then pull a prank that is sure to make the victim chase him. He leads the victim to the pit and runs cross the board, making the way look safe. But chances are good that the victim won't run across the board, and placing even one foot on the thatch is enough to send the poor fool into the pit.
Goblins generally want nothing to do with money, as they're not allowed in stores to spend it and other races would think nothing of beating them up to get the cash. But some goblins have found ways to use money to their advantage. The first is as a lure. They place a few coins on the center of a pit trap, and anyone trying to get the money falls in. Goblins also weave small pouches out of straw, filling them with coins and extra straw to keep the money from jingling. If the goblin is in danger he will rip open the pouch and scatter the coins behind him. He's counting on you stopping to pick up the money rather than chase him. If there are other people around they may go for the money as well, getting in the pursuer's way and letting the goblin escape.
Decoys are another goblin specialty. These are straw dummies dressed and armed to look like goblins, and are placed in bushes where they are hard, but not impossible, to see. Goblins fleeing enemies will run passed the decoys, and in the heat of the moment the decoys look like a goblin gang waiting in ambush. Victims generally attack the decoys or fall back until they realize that they aren't in danger. Either way the goblin has an opportunity to get away.
But some goblins take a different approach by making decoy people. These larger dummies are placed around corners or behind trees, and are dressed and armed like bandits, thieves, lawyers or soldiers from a neighboring kingdom. Goblins escaping enemies run for these decoys, and victims generally flee when they think they're facing an armed man. In extreme cases the goblins will make a dozen or more such decoys and place them in a phony camp, making them look like invading enemies or a bandit camp. When nearby people see this they will either flee if they're weak or attack if they're strong. Either response give the goblins a chance to make mischief when their enemies are busy.
While goblins can eat almost anything, they have an interest in spices that has nothing to do with food. Whenever possible they get their hands on black pepper, anise seed or other strong smelling spices, which they grind up and store in jars. When faced with knights or other armored foes they blow the spices into the enemys' faces. The cloud easily gets inside the armor, and knights aren't very dangerous when they're too busy sneezing and coughing to fight. If the knight is mounted his horse gets a sniff too, which panics the animal and sends it running away at full speed. The effects are temporary, but last long enough for the goblins to attack the helpless knights or flee for their lives.
Another favorite trick involves beer. The goblins of Other Place are immune to most poisons, including alcohol, so they can't get drunk. But they know that the other races can. Goblins will steal barrels of beer or wine, and before an attack will leave them where their victims are sure to find them. They try to make it look like the barrels fell off a wagon or were stolen and hidden in an abandoned building. The victims take the barrels home and get riotously drunk, and while they are incapacitated the goblins move in and cause mayhem. Oddly enough, many times the victims consider getting free booze worth the damage.
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