Goblinoid
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Goblinoids (or greenskins) are a category of humanoid legendary creatures related to the goblin. The term originated in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, in which goblins and related creatures are a staple of random encounters. Goblinoids are typically barbaric foes of the various human and "demihuman" races. Even though goblinoids in modern fantasy fiction are derived from J. R. R. Tolkien's orcs, in his Middle-earth "orc" and "goblin" were just names for the same race of creatures.
Occurrences in various fantasy worlds
- In Dungeons & Dragons, the primary goblinoid races are (in order of increasing physical size and strength) goblins, hobgoblins and bugbears. All three are adept at sneaking around, although hobgoblins are more concerned with fighting. Later rules expansions and editions include many other variants. In the original Dungeons & Dragons game, kobolds were also considered goblinoids, but have been depicted as reptilian humanoids since the release of the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. In editions prior to the third, orcs were considered goblinoids as well, but are now considered significant enough to be in a category of their own.
- In Warhammer Fantasy, they are known as greenskins. This term encompasses an entire race of widely varying creatures: tiny snotlings; common and night goblins; gnoblars, who serve the Ogre Kingdoms in the east; hobgoblins and orcs, both standard and black.
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