Forestkith Goblin

Forestkith Goblins, also known as Kith, are, as their name suggests, a forest-dwelling species of goblinoid native to Dungeons & Dragons.

In a nutshell, kith can be considered D&D's attempt at embracing the idea of "Frazetta Man as a goblin": they look nothing so much as a weird hybrid of goblin and ape, with fur-covered bodies, arms longer than their legs necessitating a semi-quadrupedal form of walking, hand-like feet and viciously clawed digits contrasting a clearly goblin-like face.

Naturally averse to light, kith prefer the densest, darkest forests and jungles they can get, although they will settle anywhere that their natural adeptness for climbing trees gives them an edge. These primitive goblinoids have no sophisticated culture or written language; instead, like the apes they resemble, they exist in nomadic troops, which roam well-defined territories. Unlike most apes, kith are predominantly carnivorous in diet; the one tool that kith make with any regularity are nets for trapping prey, and the quality of these nets is well-regarded by hunters of other races.

Kith society occupies a point somewhere between tribal and anarchy. They can cooperate with a semblance of pack-like unity and coordination when executing ambushes or raids, but otherwise it's every goblinoid for itself. Political currency in kith society amounts to two things: food, and the ability to secure more food. In practice this tends to favor the wisest kith, as a troop will follow anyone, male or female, who can ensure the troop regularly eats well.

This makes fighting kith quite unnerving, as they wildly bound and leap about the battlefield with abandon, whooping and screaming at the top of their lungs - partly to intimidate foes and make them easier to subdue, mostly out of sheer maniacal bloodlust.

And make no mistake, kith are quite dangerous, because they'll eat anything that walks, crawls, swims or flies. Only creatures of at least horse-size are passed over when it comes to filling empty kith bellies; too stupid to recognize obvious signs of a superior foe of equal size, kith will attack anything that catches their attention, making themselves enemies even of other goblinoids and orcs as well as humans and demihumans. This suicidal over-confidence is one of the major factors that keeps kith numbers down, especially given their fondness for raiding humanoid frontier communities for food during lean times.

The most unusual trait of the kith is that they have the ability to assume the form of small trees, shrubs or large tree limbs. Fortunately, they're too stupid to use this as an offensive weapon; the kith version of tree-shaping only ends when night falls or the kith takes damage in this shape. It evolved as an easy way to take shelter from the hated sun; when dawn breaks, kith simply assume tree shape wherever they are, sleeping through the day until night falls and they are set free to resume their hunt.

Kith PCs

Amazingly, when they appeared in the Monster Manual 3 for D&D 3e, forestkith goblins actually had PC stats. Presumably, a kith PC is an unuaully intelligent social outcast who has cottoned onto the rest of the party as a replacement troop, or is following one of them as a "leader" due to their having fed it.

+2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence

Small

Humanoid (Goblinoid)

Base land speed 30 feet, Climb 20 feet

Darkvision 60 feet

+2 racial bonus on Jump checks.

+8 racial bonus on Climb checks, can always take 10 on Climb checks even when rushed or threatened.

+4 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently in Forested areas.

+4 racial bonus on Craft (Weaving) checks to create nets.

Weapon Familiarity: Nets are Martial Weapons to a Forestkith Goblin.

+1 Natural Armor Bonus

Discordant Frenzy (Ex): Creatures with 2 HD or fewer within 30 feet of at least three attacking kith become Shaken for 1d4 rounds unless they succed on a DC 9 Will save, in which case they are immune to this trait for 24 hours. This is a Charisma-based mind-affecting fear effect.

Light Sensitivity (Ex): Kith are Dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a Daylight spell.

Tree Shape (Su): A forestkith goblin can assume the form of a small tree, shrub or limb, equivalent to a Tree Shape spell cast by a 12th level Druid. A kith cannot dismiss this effect voluntarily; it remains in place until sunset or the kith takes damage.

Level Adjustment: +1

Favored Class: Barbarian