Dungeons & Dragons: Hobgoblin Species Guide

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• History of The Hobgoblins

• Hobgoblin Features

• Best Hobgoblin Class Choices

For the longest time, hobgoblins were considered a larger, more capable foe than your typical goblinoid. But then Dungeons & Dragons 5E flipped the script for hobgoblins, turning them into a potential ally. With a militant fey background (an odd combination for anyone with fey ancestry), hobgoblins make ideal foot soldiers and the perfect companion to round out an adventuring party.

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If you want to give a little to get a little, hobgoblins are the ideal species to make your next D&D character. Read on to learn more about the hobgoblin's past, abilities, and what classes make the best hobgoblin characters.

We're using the hobgoblin info found in Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse.

History of The Hobgoblins

Like the bugbears, hobgoblins were brought to the Material Plane by the conquering god Maglubiyet, who used hobgoblins as his rank-and-file soldiers. And just like the bugbears, hobgoblins soon fell out of favor with Maglubiyet as they adjusted to their new lives on the Material Planr, but they never entirely forgot their fey ancestry.

Hobgoblins still strictly adhere to the Feywild's rule of reciprocity, which has led them to form tight-knit communities. The magic that governs this rule also flows through the hobgoblins to this day, instilling a mystical bond between the giver and receiver of gifts.

Hobgoblins are much larger than goblins, but not as large as bugbears. They're typically red-skinned with long, pointed ears, although that skin can turn blue depending on their emotions.

Hobgoblins are medium-sized creatures considered humanoid and goblinoid for any prerequisites or spell effects. They have a walking speed of 30 feet. Upon choosing the hobgoblin for your character, you may increase one ability score by two points and another by one point.

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Hobgoblin Features

• Darkvision

• You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.

Most goblinoids have it, and hobgoblins are no exception. With darkvision, you can see up to 60 feet in darkness, allowing you to see in shades of gray. This can save you a cantrip or the cost of a few torches and is ideal for characters that want to be sneaky.

• Fey Ancestry

• You have advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the charmed condition on yourself.

Resistance to being charmed makes hobgoblins a great choice for martial characters with low wisdom or charisma scores.

• Fey Gift

• You can use this trait to take the Help action as a bonus action, and you can do so a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Starting at third level, choose one of the options below each time you take the Help action with this trait:

  • Hospitality. You and the creature you help each gain a number of temporary hit points equal to 1d6 plus your proficiency bonus.
  • Passage. You and the creature you help each increase your walking speeds by 10 feet until the start of your next turn.
  • Spite. Until the start of your next turn, the first time the creature you help hits a target with an attack roll, that target has disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes within the next minute.

This is where the magic of reciprocity sets hobgoblins apart from other species. As a hobgoblin, you'll want to be spending your bonus action as often as possible to help your allies.

Using the help action in combat means being within five feet of the creature you want to help an ally in defeating. This means hobgoblin players should consider melee-based classes above all others in order to get the most out of Fey Gift.

• Fortune of the Many

• If you miss with an attack roll or fail an ability check or a saving throw, you can draw on your bonds of reciprocity to gain a bonus to the roll equal to the number of allies you can see within 30 feet of you (maximum bonus of +3). You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Getting the most out of Fortune of the Many will depend on your adventuring party's composition. If you're a team of largely melee-based fighters, then you'll want your hobgoblin to play close to the front lines. If your team is full of ranged attackers, then you'll want to hang back with your team to keep getting that bonus to your rolls.

A mixed party of ranged and melee characters are easiest for a hobgoblin to fit into since you'll usually be within at least 30 feet of two or more allies.

Best Hobgoblin Class Choices

As with all species, you can play your hobgoblin as however class you wish. However, you'll likely get the most out of playing a melee-based combat character that doesn't already have its bonus actions taken in order to maximize the benefit provided by Fey Gift and Fortune of the Many.

Here are a few suggested classes for your Hobgoblin character:

Fighter

Fighters are typically in the thick of the fighting where a hobgoblin can use the help action and receive the greatest benefit from Fey Gift and Fortune of the Many. They also have few other uses for their bonus action outside of Second Wind.

Except for the Battlemaster, which uses its bonus action frequently for maneuvers. Best avoid the Battlemaster subclass when playing as a Hobgoblin.

Barbarian

Light fighters, barbarians are great melee characters that have free bonus actions to help out wherever they can, making them ideal for both Fey Gift and Fortune of the Many.

Avoid the Path of Berserker subclass as they typically use their bonus actions for additional damage.

Paladin

Paladins sometimes require their bonus actions to channel specific subclass features, but generally, you'll be able to weave a few help actions into combat to trigger Fey Gift.

Bard

Bards already like giving away their bonus actions to Bardic Inspiration, but when they're not singing their hearts out, hobgoblin bards can help out in non-musical ways.

Best choose a melee-based subclass such as College of Valor or College of Swords when playing a hobgoblin Bard.

Warlock - Hexblade

Warlocks typically hang back and fling Eldritch Blasts for damage, but the Hexblade likes to mix it up with a cursed sword. That makes them good fits with Hobgoblins who like to be in the thick of the fighting.

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