The Goblinoid reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Jul-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Goblinoid

Goblinoids 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 "demi-human" 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.

Occurences in various fantasy worlds

• In Dungeons & Dragons, the primary goblinoid races are (in order of physical size and strength) goblins, orcs, hobgoblinss and bugbears. Later rules expansions and editions include many other variants.
• In Warhammer Fantasy, they include snotlings (which are even smaller than goblins), goblins, hobgoblins, and orcs.
• In Warhammer 40,000 they are called orkoids, and include snotlings, gretchins (equivalent of Warhammer Fantasy goblins) and orks.

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