Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse is arriving on May 16 and with it comes over 30 playable races! These races have been collected from across the multiverse—from the Feywild's harengon to Theros' satyr—and have been tweaked to make them setting-agnostic.
In this article, we're going to examine a few of the all-time greats when it comes to monstrous races: the goblin, hobgoblin, and kobold. We'll discuss what's changed for these races since their original appearance in Volo's Guide to Monsters and show how to build characters around them.
Ability score Increases and Languages
Newer Dungeons & Dragons races don't come with set ability score increases. Instead, players will get to choose one of the following options at character creation:
- Increase one score by 2 and increase a different score by 1
- Increase three different scores by 1
Instead of preset language proficiencies, you'll learn Common and one other language of your choice (with your DM's approval).
Goblin
To enable more diversified goblin characters, the updates in Monsters of the Multiverse present goblins in a more positive light than previous sources. As made apparent by adding the Fey Ancestry trait, Monsters of the Multiverse focuses on how goblins originated in the Feywild and were later conquered by the god Maglubiyet when they crossed into the Material Plane.
Goblin Traits
In Monsters of the Multiverse, goblins retain all of the traits from their previous version, with slight tweaks. They are still Small creatures that are exceptionally good at hiding, escaping danger, and taking down foes that are larger than them. Their trademark ability, Fury of the Small, is slightly changed to deal damage equal to your proficiency modifier and can be used a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier per long rest. They are also granted the Fey Ancestry trait, which provides them advantage on saving throws made to avoid and end the charmed condition.
The most significant change comes from the ability to choose your ability score array, rather than having to work with a set +2 Dexterity, +1 Constitution. While this previous array was incredible for stealthy rogues, Charisma-focused bards or Intelligence-focused wizards would overlook the goblin as a viable race. Now, you could easily make a Strength-focused goblin Battle Master who wears heavy armor for defense and can use their Nimble Escape to move around the battlefield while using Fury of the Small to pump up damage.
Hobgoblin
Hobgoblins receive quite the glow-up from their grim depiction in Volo's Guide to Monsters. In Monsters of the Multiverse, hobgoblins are described as charismatic leaders who form deep bonds with their comrades. Like the treatment goblins received, Monsters of the Multiverse focuses on the hobgoblin's origins in the Feywild and ties that into their new racial features.
Hobgoblin Traits
In exchange for their martial weapon and light armor proficiencies, hobgoblins now receive an interesting racial feature called Fey Gift in Monsters of the Multiverse. It allows them to take the Help action as a bonus action a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest. Starting at 3rd level, when you take the Help action in this way, you also benefit in other ways:
- You and the creature you help gain temporary hit points.
- You and the creature you help temporarily increase your walking speeds.
- When the creature you help hits a target with an attack roll, that target gets disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes within the next minute.
Being able to take the Help action as a bonus action is already a strong ability because it grants a party member advantage on their next attack or ability check. Getting to also debuff an enemy or gain some temporary hit points make this an even more stellar resource in combat.
Previously, hobgoblins came with a set +2 Constitution, +1 Intelligence array, which provided a solid base for a tank wizard when combined with the race's light armor proficiency. The addition of the Fey Gift feature from Monsters of the Multiverse opens up the door for new builds. Combine Fey Gift with the Fortune from the Many trait—a reskinned Saving Face feature from the hobgoblin's previous appearance—and you have a solid support-focused martial class that works excellently with other martial party members. But while Fey Gift makes good use of an empty bonus action slot, builds that already have a use for their bonus action, like bards, rogues, and two-weapon fighters, might want to look elsewhere in order to maximize their action economy.
Kobold
The kobolds of Volo's Guide to Monsters is the only race to receive two ability score increases instead of the typical three. They also have Sunlight Sensitivity, which can be a challenging setback in campaigns that tend to spend more time above ground than not. In Monsters of the Multiverse, the kobold's racial traits offer a more level playing field plus abilities from their draconic ancestors.
Kobold Traits
The new version of the kobold introduces the Draconic Cry feature, which replaces the previous version's Pact Tactics. This new feature functions fairly similar in that it is a reliable source of advantage on attacks. However, it is an expendable resource, costing a bonus action and only being usable a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier per long rest. In exchange, Draconic Cry also offers allies advantage on their attacks and doesn't require an ally to be within 5 feet of you to activate it.
In place of the Grovel, Cower, and Beg racial trait, kobolds are given a new feature called Kobold Legacy. This new trait allows you to choose between a skill proficiency in Arcana, Investigation, Medicine, Sleight of Hand, or Survival, getting advantage on saving throws against the frightened condition, or a sorcerer cantrip.
Like Pack Tactics, the Draconic Cry racial trait lends itself to a martial build as it can give you advantage on attacks against enemies within melee range. This can be an excellent way to ensure you can reliably sneak attack as a rogue or when you just need to land that smite as a paladin. These martial builds will be able to make good use of either the advantage against being frightened or the sorcerer cantrip granted through Kobold Legacy. The frightened condition can be a tough one to overcome for builds lacking proficiency in Wisdom saves, and the sorcerer cantrip could be a great way to snag green-flame blade or booming blade.
A Multiverse Worth of Options Awaits
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse allows players to choose from over 30 races, each of which can be viable in any number of new and exciting builds. Players will have to be careful, however. The book also contains over 250 monster stat blocks that Dungeon Masters will undoubtedly use to put your new characters to the test!
Mike Bernier (@arcane_eye) is the founder of Arcane Eye, a site focused on providing useful tips and tricks to all those involved in the world of D&D. Outside of writing for Arcane Eye, Mike spends most of his time playing games, hiking with his girlfriend, and tending the veritable jungle of houseplants that have invaded his house.
Goblin dexadin named Hulk FTW
I have most often run Goblins in my setting similar to that of Azeroth. They like to make things that spark and go BOOM!
I'm excited for this new take on one of my most beloved fantasy races.
I honestly don’t enjoy that they gave every race the Tasha’s ASIs. It just forces an optional rule and reduces the uniqueness of characters built post-Tasha’s release. To be honest, I don’t even mind the optional rule on its own. But to just put it on every race and not even give a suggestion as to what ability scores are typically increased by that race… eh.
I'm in agreement MilestoGo. Species are species - they SHOULD have some species-specific advantages and disadvantages to abilities. They can be overcome with some decisions and great roleplaying. Now they are are a bit generic as if uniqueness of a race is a bad thing.
I love that this will pigeon hole me less with making characters but it's yet to be seen how many new race features fit. Like I usually give kobolds a tunneling speed as no other race has it and it fits with the race, so I'll have to see the new kobold in action before I decide if I like the new features. Also as far as I'm aware you can still go for the normal ASI from each race as an option, and I'm sure most DM's would allow them more so than the new features.
It would be nice to have the 'racial default' still listed and then give PCs the option to choose the Tasha's options. Kobolds et al have to be known for something, and what's wrong with the traditional stats as at least an option?
Racial default ASI are a boring way to distingue races, and i much more prefer them getting actual features they are know for and taken instead of every barbarian being a half orc because their ASI fits
The previous stats aren't going away, according to previous statements. These are being added as new variants and will be labeled as such.
I wonder how to fit the fey ancestry of the new goblinoids into settings like Exandria, where they have such a unique, established origin story already.
This'll have interesting implications for the Eberron setting. The Dhakaani don't seem even remotely fey like. I don't mind the change for other settings, goblins are from European folklore and were associated with the fey.
Crazy how now goblins is more fey than elves.
I find it interesting how nobody has pointed out the absolute trash heap that is Draconic Cry, let's face it, the change was made because removing sunlight sensitivity made Pact Tactics too strong, and since they already decided they were going to remove the negative they had to cripple what Kobolds had going for them so it is only good for a select set of martial classes that don't make sense for tiny weak Kobolds to take, rather than the full casters, rangers and rogues that loved the permanent advantage Pact Tactics provided.
I don't get it, the Underdark subraces I get, they got nothing in exchange for sunlight sensitivity, getting rid of it from them was warranted, Kobolds?
You would not notice the disadvantage since pact tactics overrides it, and when it's not there you have advantage? Getting rid of G,C,B I'm all for, but getting rid of Pact Tactics? Why?
I'll never not agree with this. All races at my table will have species-specific ASI. I'm glad my table is cool with that because they aren't optimizers.
Holy crap y'all are a bunch of whiners.
"I don't like the new stat flexibility, wah!" ... Then don't pick them! Why the heck would anybody complain about having more options and customization features built in?
Y'all realized people could change the stats of the races whenever they wanted to before? Now it's just built-in to make it more convenient for people.
Want to keep the same original stat buffs in your games? Then go for it! But to go and complain about players having more choices when deciding races for different character builds? Y'all wild and just want to find something to be mad about, I guess.
Maybe I just need to read through the book proper but kind of think I prefer Volo’s kobolds. Playing as one who is a battle smith and really like the various ways he and his steel defender have of monkeying around with advantage/disadvantage, almost as if he’s tinkering with the rules of the game themselves. Maybe I’ll read the newer one and be inspired by a completely different kind of character but definitely be sticking with Volos for that one
Seriously, I laugh every time I see people claim it makes races less unique or is only for optimizers/minmaxers.
I don't even use the optional rules that often, but they make much more sense overall.
Which is the only way it'd make sense as being some racially defined thing.
Since everyone caps out at 20 (barring magical items or class specific stuff) then the only way your +2 to STR is defining your Orc more than any other fighter, is if he's a Dex based fighter who has 8 STR instead of the 6 you rolled.
To the people dumping on Tasha's ASIs in favour of Standard ASIs: who said that Tasha's ASIs don't allow you to give your half-orc +2 STR and +1 CON, like the standard ASIs gave?
It's adding the option to choose your ASIs, not taking away the option to keep the standard ASIs.
"It's only for min-maxers!" Only if you choose to min-max. You can choose to put Tasha's ASIs in literally any score. Nothing's stopping you from putting them in scores that don't benefit your class. You can still give your half-orc rogue +2 STR and +1 CON.
Tasha's ASIs emphasise addition. It's not taking away any features. It's adding more in.
That's not true. If they still listed the old TSIs as optional, then great, everyone is happy, but they won't be doing that even. So sure I can use old TSIs, but in order to do so, I have to drag out the old books to remember.
It's better to be the hero at the table and tell my players, "yeah you can ignore the TSIs given with a good reason," than it is to be the villain saying, "yeah I know it's not in the book, but it's in these old ones and that's how I'm ruling it, so go buy those books too."
So at the end of the day, it's a shame they couldn't listen to such a tiny request and still list "general TSIs" for each race. *shrug*
The issue isn't that Tasha's rules give a half-orc whatever stats they like.
The issue is that harengon, owlin, faerie, and every race that is yet to come (presumably) have no default ASIs, so the optional rule is forced on you (and on the DM) if you want to play one of those races.
They (WotC) are pushing that rule to the point of trying to reduce choice (whether or not to use it), rather than use it to increase choice.
I am not a fan of this change, and I don't even use the tasha's ASI in my games. I want each race to feel as distinct as possible, I feel that it makes playing against type more meaningful, and it makes playing into type feel like it is fulfilling your birthright. This new wave of every playable race has custom stat options feels lazy and less thematic.