Goblin

Version 0.31: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

goblin g
HP	2-6
HD	1
XP	1
Speed	10
AC	0
EV	12
Will	None
Attack¹	1 (hit: plain)
Resistances	None
Vulnerabilities	None
Habitat	Land
Intelligence	Human
Uses	Weapons & armour Starting equipment Open doors
Holiness	Natural
Size	Small
Type	goblin, goblin
Flags	Speaks Warm-blooded

A short, impatient and unfriendly humanoid. Goblins first appeared only a few years ago, but are now remarkably numerous. Sadly, no number of raucous goblin parties will put them in a welcoming mood toward adventurers.

“Swish, smack! Whip crack!
Batter and beat! Yammer and bleat!
Work, work! Nor dare to shirk,
While Goblins quaff, and Goblins laugh,
Round and round far underground
Below, my lad!”
-J.R.R. Tolkien, _The Hobbit_

Useful Info

Goblins are one of the first humanoid monsters you can find. Fresh, D:1 characters may have problems against them. Goblins generate with either a club or dagger, though they can pick up other items from the ground. Starting from D:2, goblins have a 1/12 chance to spawn with a sling.

Tips & Tricks

Goblins are stronger than the likes of kobolds and rats. If you have a choice, avoid fighting a goblin as your first enemy - try to get XP from easier prey, first.
Pay attention to their equipment. A wandering goblin can pick up items that you haven't seen from the floor. They could be wielding a dagger of electrocution or a sling. Even the likes of scale mail can turn goblins into a much greater threat (for a D:1 enemy).
If you find a mass of goblins and hobgoblins on D:2-4, it's likely that Robin is around.

History

In 0.27, the hidden weapon penalties for monsters were removed, so all monsters now attack faster and hit harder with weapons. To compensate, goblins' base damage was nerfed (4 -> 1), though they always generate with a weapon.