I’ve always believed that goblins are just as diverse as orcs, humans, trolls, and pretty much every other race in the game.
But one thing that never really sat right with me was the idea that goblin shamans only enslave the elements. Not because I find it offensive or anything, but because it feels like a broad-strokes stereotype that oversimplifies their lore.
Why not have some goblins take a more savage or tribal approach to shamanism? Goblins are an ancient race, after all—they should have deep connections to elemental magic. That’s not to say that using machines to harness elemental power is a bad idea (it actually fits many goblins perfectly), but I like the idea that their approach could vary depending on personality.
It kind of dips into Warhammer Fantasy goblins, but honestly, WoW goblins already have a Warhammer 40K feel with their makeshift rockets and ramshackle tech—basically Ork Boyz with a bit more finesse.
Plus, goblins already have customization options that hint at a more tribal background. Their nose bone option is similar to trolls’, and I’ve seen some really cool transmogs where a resto shaman goblin rocks a mushroom-themed look, giving off a druidic, almost wild shaman vibe. There’s also a Cataclysm armor set covered in bones that some artists have used to depict goblins as savage, crazed, and in touch with nature in a completely different way than their usual tech-obsessed portrayal.
Even if tribal goblins made up less than 2% of the population, it’d be cool to see them represented. At the end of the day, I think a goblin could be either a high-tech elemental manipulator or a primal, nature-bound shaman, and neither would feel out of place or lore-breaking.
No? We have plenty of “savage” races already. I don’t see the value of throwing Goblins into that already overflowing bucket.
Goblins are not an ancient race, not really, either. They have apparently evolved, de-evolved, and re-evolved many times due to intermittent exposure to Kaja’mite. There’s no continuity of culture between the ones who helped Deathwing 10k years ago and the ones living in Undermine today. Undermine is a young city with a young culture and no real “traditions” to speak of.
What a strange question. I literally posted my explanation of why they’re not technically an ancient race just after that line. Did you just stop reading?
Undermine’s Goblins weren’t Goblins when the Trolls enslaved them. They only became Goblins while working in their mines. This all happened long, looong after the Shattering. Goblin Culture as it exists in the game world right now is very young.
Goblins only freed themselves from Zandalari enslavement 100 years before the Dark Portal opened. Before that, things like cartels, trade princes, and Undermine didn’t exist. It’s current 40-something ADP. What Gavik means is that while biologically they’ve been around for millennia, goblin culture and all it entails is less than 150 years old.
More to the point of the thread, there’s plenty of savage tribal races in the game as it is. The goblins have their own niche as the urban mercantile race, they don’t need to just become Short Orcs or whatever.
Also goblin shamans don’t enslave elementals, they make deals and contracts with them.
Then if goblin culture is only on the newer side then savage goblin isn’t out of the question. You’re kind of speaking and giving support to my idea. Goblins were basically a mongrol race until about 200 years ago, but they weren’t stupid like troggs. They just weren’t hyper intelligent.
Goblin slaves also built death wings armor and served deathwing as far back as WOTA because broxigar gets beat up by them actually. So the idea of primitive dirt magic goblins isn’t far fetched at all.
I say “don’t it make more sense if goblins were more savage and tribal”
and the the forum goes “well no because they’re not old, well actually they’re older than 10k years and super smart goblin culture is actually new so them being savage tribals makes no sense”
how does that make no sense, it’s contradicting my point and disagreeing with me for the sake of it? It’s like i’m speaking to an AI.
So, to make sense of what i’m hearing
“goblins aren’t old at all----- Just over 10k years and a native mongrol species of azeroth that’s all that’s not old! but also Undermine culture is 200 years old so they couldn’t be savage tribal goblins because--------”
Do i really have to say I don’t consider savage goblins an “evolution” or “a new way” to do things? If there race only freed themselves from the Zandilari recently shouldn’t they also have cultural influences as well?
I admit I just like this because I have a DnD character who is a semi-feral goblin who thinks everyone makes their lives worse by complicating it with technology.
She has a gorilla companion who is arguably smarter than she is.
Sidenote: Consider Sand/Voodoo Gnomes. They’re a species that started as robots, became gnomes (still highly intelligent) and have since become little desert gremlins with tiki masks who most think aren’t even real.
Please explain how a race that is a native species to the planet and existed before the sundering is “technically” not. What is “technical” about it?
You mean “They only became goblins -as we know them today-” Goblins weren’t a different race before they “got smart” I’m stunned so many lore nerds are agreeing with your takes because you’re just saying out right false information.
I’d like to know how if undermine culture is new how it contradicts that they could be a tribal race considering their history of enslavement at the hands of the trolls AND deathwing BEFORE the shattering.
They would have had to live at some point in a similar ways to the Orcs, Trolls and Tauren considering how primitive they were. So why is that an issue?
Oh, you are right. But they are the closest thing we have to such a thing naturally and not the product of just having their brains melted by faulty alchemy. The proto-goblins do not seem to exist anymore, though I guess they could add them in with the revamp of northrend somewhere underground or something.
I actually think the Cata gilblins could fill the niche pretty well—they seemed pretty aggressive, and they don’t look very “civilized” in terms of clothing, which is about all we have to judge them by. They could make a return and have their society fleshed out a bit, maybe.