Oona, Redcloak and the MitD discuss relations between goblinoid species.
Cast[]
Transcript[]
- Panel 1
Oona: If bone man is not here, what of little bald man in red cape? He is ready? Is already dusk!
Monster in the Darkness: I think so. He's preparing his magical spells for the night.
Oona; Preparing faster, then, yes?
- Panel 2
Oona: Time for doing! Less talky-talking with Dark One!
Redcloak: It's not really "talking" per se. More of a nonverbal spiritual link.
- Panel 3
Redcloak: I'm done now anyway. Don't your people have edicts against disturbing a priest during meditation?
Oona: No, which is why bugbear shamans get preparing done super-fast!
- Panel 4
Oona: Also, in bugbear culture, Dark One no big whoop.
Oona: Nice for weddings and funerals, otherwise can take or leave.
- Panel 5
Demon-Roach #1: Wait, so bugbears are just big hairy goblins? I thought they were weird wizard experiments that combined insects and bears.
Demon-Roach #2: You're thinking of owlbears.
Demon-Roach #1: Why would owlbears be half insect?
- Panel 6
Oona: Dark One, he is only caring about skinny little goblins and hobgoblins anyway. So little love for bugbears!
Redcloak: That's not true. Bugbears have always had an equal place in our society.
MitD: In theory, sure, but they mostly just get name-dropped to bolster an appealing but ultimately specious pan-goblinoid narrative that probably arose to elide historic sectarian divisions between goblins and hobgoblins.
MitD: ...is a thing I totally overheard some guy say.
Demon-Roach: Quick, kids: figure out which monsters have "trenchant political analysis" as a Special Attack!
- Panel 7
Oona: Some guy he overhears is true. Bugbears shiver alone in cold with soup, all forgotten.
Oona: And don't even get Oona started on norkers and nilbogs, who are getting even shorter end of stick!
Demon Cockroach: Probably-not-existing is a totally raw deal.
- Panel 8
Redcloak: Look, when the Plan succeeds, we'll strengthen economic and cultural ties between goblinoid settlements around the world.
Redcloak: I am sure when this is over, we can work out some sort of trade deal between your colony here and Gobbotopia then.
- Panel 9
Oona: Ha ha! Okie dokie! That is sounding good to Oona!!
Redcloak: Ahhh! Ok, um—wow.
Redcloak: I was not expecting a head rub.
Greyview: Should always expect head rub. Safer that way.
- Panel 10
Oona: Aww, you should be celebration, Greyview! Soon you are getting fancy treats from warm places!
Greyview: See? Grim specter of noogie hangs like shroud over us all.
D&D Context[]
- The cockroaches have pointed out that MitD is intelligent. Astute readers could cross-reference the Monster Manual to narrow down the possibilities of what type of monster he is.
- In D&D, bugbears have historically received far less focus than goblins and hobgoblins. This is largely thanks to the fact that bugbears suffer somewhat from an overlapping niche; while goblins are a classical low-level encounter and hobgoblins can represent a more militaristic threat, bugbears share their thematic role as brutish and powerful Chaotic Evil humanoids with a number of other creatures, including orcs, gnolls, and troglodytes. Additionally, thanks to their greater racial hit dice and level adjustment, bugbears are far less effective as player characters under 3rd Edition rules.
- Norkers and Nilbogs are obscure goblinoid types in D&D, debuting in the 1st Edition Fiend Folio. As the Demon Roach implies, in 3rd Edition, the Norker only received stats in a setting-specific magazine article, and the Nilbog never received stats at all.
Trivia[]
- The Owlbear is a cross between an owl and a bear, made from magical experiments. A Bugbear is a type of goblin. The "bug" in bugbear is etymologically distinct from "bug" as an insect, being derived from the Middle English word "bugge", a frightening thing. The word is akin to the English "bogeyman".