In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, goblins are a common and fairly weak race of evil humanoid monsters. Goblins are non-human monsters that low-level player characters often face in combat. Influences Goblins in Dungeons & Dragons are based primarily on the goblins portrayed in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth. Goblins are presented as "evil" and "predisposed towards a society of brutal regimes where the strongest rule" in the game. In turn, D&D's goblins influenced later portrayals in games and fiction, such as the tabletop wargame Warhammer Fantasy Battle. They have also been compared to German kobolds. Unlike the goblins in Tolkien's works, the goblins of D&D are a separate race from orcs; instead, they are a part of the related species collectively referred to as goblinoids, which includes hobgoblins, bugbears, and others. Publication history The goblin first appeared in the fantasy supplement to the original "Chainmail" set, prior to appearing in the original Dungeons & Dragons game. Dungeons & Dragons (1974–1976) The goblin was one of the first monsters introduced in the earliest edition of the game, the Dungeons & Dragons "white box" set (1974), where they were described simply as small monsters. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977–1988) The goblin appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977), where it is described as having a tribal society and dwelling in dismal surroundings. The mythology and attitudes of the goblins are described in detail in Dragon #63 (July 1982), in Roger E. Moore's article, "The Humanoids." In the article "Hey, Wanna Be a Kobold?" by Joseph Clay in Dragon #141 (January 1989), kobolds, xvarts, goblins, and orcs were presented as player character races along with two new character classes the "Shaman" and the "Witch Doctor". Dungeons & Dragons (1977–1999) This edition of the D&D game included its own version of the goblin, in the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set (1977, 1981, 1983). The goblin was featured as a player character race in the gazetteer The Orcs of Thar (1989). Goblins were also later featured in the Dungeons & Dragons Game set (1991), the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991), the Classic Dungeons & Dragons Game set (1994), and the Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game set (1999). Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989–1999) The goblin appears first in the Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989), and is reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993). The goblin is detailed as a playable