The Tao of D&D

New to the blog? See here.

Friday, October 23, 2026

Are Goblins Evil?

https://www.patreon.com/u3015466/posts/are-goblins-evil-173202908

Posted by Alexis Smolensk at Friday, October 23, 2026

Email This BlogThis!Share to X Share to Facebook Share to Pinterest

Labels: Patreon

No comments:

About Me

Began playing Dungeons and Dragons at the age of 15, forty-seven years ago. I am a steadfast AD&D gamer, but I have made so many changes to the original system that my present model is something of a Frankenstein's monster of role-playing design. I continue to make new changes every day to my game's structure and function.

The Net has described me as a 'mad scientist of RPG blogging,' and a 'Quixotic bastard' ... and also 'the most gonzo - and the grouchiest - old school DM.'

Also on Patreon

Blog Archive

▼ 2026 (134)
- ▼ October (7)
- ► September (11)
- ► August (20)
- ► July (15)
- ► June (12)
- ► May (13)
- ► April (15)
- ► March (8)
- ► February (9)
- ► January (24)

► 2025 (158)
- ► December (11)
- ► November (16)
- ► October (24)
- ► September (6)
- ► August (8)
- ► July (11)
- ► June (12)
- ► May (19)
- ► April (20)
- ► March (13)
- ► February (13)
- ► January (5)

► 2024 (188)
- ► December (3)
- ► November (20)
- ► October (24)
- ► September (20)
- ► August (9)
- ► July (10)
- ► June (19)
- ► May (14)
- ► April (19)
- ► March (14)
- ► February (22)
- ► January (14)

► 2023 (178)
- ► December (18)
- ► November (13)
- ► October (15)
- ► September (17)
- ► August (16)
- ► July (14)
- ► June (13)
- ► May (12)
- ► April (12)
- ► March (18)
- ► February (13)
- ► January (17)

► 2022 (202)
- ► December (13)
- ► November (19)
- ► October (11)
- ► September (16)
- ► August (14)
- ► July (24)
- ► June (21)
- ► May (17)
- ► April (13)
- ► March (15)
- ► February (16)
- ► January (23)

► 2021 (207)
- ► December (17)
- ► November (19)
- ► October (22)
- ► September (26)
- ► August (16)
- ► July (14)
- ► June (13)
- ► May (16)
- ► April (16)
- ► March (18)
- ► February (16)
- ► January (14)

► 2020 (169)
- ► December (23)
- ► November (15)
- ► October (13)
- ► September (15)
- ► August (21)
- ► July (15)
- ► June (19)
- ► May (22)
- ► April (2)
- ► March (13)
- ► February (7)
- ► January (4)

► 2019 (235)
- ► December (5)
- ► November (5)
- ► October (8)
- ► September (8)
- ► August (5)
- ► July (6)
- ► June (32)
- ► May (35)
- ► April (30)
- ► March (38)
- ► February (34)
- ► January (29)

► 2018 (243)
- ► December (33)
- ► November (10)
- ► October (12)
- ► September (13)
- ► August (18)
- ► July (13)
- ► June (22)
- ► May (29)
- ► April (22)
- ► March (21)
- ► February (18)
- ► January (32)

► 2017 (278)
- ► December (31)
- ► November (23)
- ► October (17)
- ► September (25)
- ► August (29)
- ► July (38)
- ► June (15)
- ► May (18)
- ► April (24)
- ► March (26)
- ► February (14)
- ► January (18)

► 2016 (307)
- ► December (15)
- ► November (23)
- ► October (19)
- ► September (21)
- ► August (31)
- ► July (18)
- ► June (24)
- ► May (34)
- ► April (30)
- ► March (34)
- ► February (35)
- ► January (23)

► 2015 (348)
- ► December (37)
- ► November (31)
- ► October (11)
- ► September (15)
- ► August (28)
- ► July (29)
- ► June (24)
- ► May (20)
- ► April (47)
- ► March (42)
- ► February (33)
- ► January (31)

► 2014 (344)
- ► December (34)
- ► November (29)
- ► October (27)
- ► September (25)
- ► August (32)
- ► July (39)
- ► June (29)
- ► May (30)
- ► April (26)
- ► March (26)
- ► February (24)
- ► January (23)

► 2013 (258)
- ► December (20)
- ► October (21)
- ► September (23)
- ► August (23)
- ► July (19)
- ► June (24)
- ► May (29)
- ► April (25)
- ► March (25)
- ► February (27)
- ► January (22)

► 2012 (192)
- ► December (19)
- ► November (13)
- ► October (13)
- ► September (17)
- ► August (15)
- ► July (19)
- ► June (10)
- ► May (10)
- ► April (14)
- ► March (20)
- ► February (23)
- ► January (19)

► 2011 (292)
- ► December (17)
- ► November (21)
- ► October (28)
- ► September (21)
- ► August (32)
- ► July (39)
- ► June (26)
- ► May (21)
- ► April (19)
- ► March (23)
- ► February (21)
- ► January (24)

► 2010 (201)
- ► December (14)
- ► November (19)
- ► October (16)
- ► September (12)
- ► August (17)
- ► July (15)
- ► June (16)
- ► May (17)
- ► April (18)
- ► March (28)
- ► February (10)
- ► January (19)

► 2009 (211)
- ► December (11)
- ► November (13)
- ► October (19)
- ► September (14)
- ► August (14)
- ► July (17)
- ► June (11)
- ► May (12)
- ► April (24)
- ► March (29)
- ► February (32)
- ► January (15)

► 2008 (81)
- ► December (10)
- ► November (2)
- ► October (11)
- ► September (10)
- ► August (9)
- ► July (19)
- ► June (16)
- ► May (4)

How to Run

The Dungeon's Front Door

The Best Ten Posts, 2008-2016

How to Dungeon Master (the 10,000 Word Post). A discussion of narrative, momentum and goals in dungeon mastering a role-playing game.

How to Play a Character (the 10,000 Word Post). Discussion of strategies on how to increase one's involvement, focus, creativity and practical approach to role-playing games.

How to Start a Trading Town I, first of a series. How to organize and set up the fundamentals of a trading post in the game world.

The Trade Process, first of a series. Details how to build a trade framework that will vary equipment and services prices for a game world.

How to Tackle a Dungeon I - First Steps, first of a series. Strategies on approaching dungeon-delving with organized, rational planning.

8 Tips That Will Let Any Idiot Improve Their D&D Game. Wry, pragmatic discussion of basic matters pertaining to role-playing games and why they should not be overlooked.

24 Petards to Be Roasted Upon (or, How to Be a Player). A discussion of 24 motivations behind all human behavior and their use as motivations to determine a role-player's goals.

Art and Fall of Preparation, the. A frank discussion of problems and difficulties in planning and preparing games as a Dungeon Master.

Weather Generation Mark VI - Temperature, first of a series. A system designed to create weather effects in a game world.

Let's Try It From the Beginning Again. A primer for calculating the production value of goods and services in a game world.

Labels

'Actual Play' (1)
4th Edition (2)
4th Edition How to DM (20)
5th Edition (4)
5th Edition Players Handbook (11)
6-mile hexes (2)
AATC (3)
Ability Stats (12)
Accreditation (12)
AD&D (5)
Advanced Gameplay (2)
Adventure Building (28)
Adventurers' League (1)
Adventures (10)
Adventuring (79)
Advice (1)
AEC - Company (4)
AEC - Department (2)
Affordances (2)
Age (2)
Agency in RPGs (4)
Agile Design (5)
Aging (2)
Alchemy (3)
Alexis' World (11)
Alignment (5)
Anatomy (1)
Animals (1)
Anniversary (3)
Archery (2)
Arguing (8)
Armor (1)
Armour (1)
Arms (1)
Art (17)
Artists (7)
Artwork (2)
Artworks (1)
Assassination (1)
Astronomy (1)
Athletics (1)
Authentic Adventures Inc. (4)
Authentic Role-playing Podcast (21)
Authentic Wiki (68)
Background (2)
Bad Advice (7)
Bad DMing (2)
Bad Gaming (4)
Bard (13)
Bard Sage Abilities (3)
Bards (1)
Beastiary (2)
Beer (1)
Bestiary (40)
Biathlon (1)
Biology (1)
Blocks (2)
Blogging (135)
Blogging Schedule (2)
Boardgames (4)
Bonuses (1)
Book Launch (1)
Books (41)
British Television (2)
Building Blocks (6)
Business (51)
C.B.G. Book (2)
Campaign (5)
Campaign Forge (39)
Campaign Structure (2)
Campaign Video (1)
Campaign Vlogging (1)
Campaigners (16)
Canada (4)
Cantrips (1)
Castles (1)
Cats (1)
Censorship (3)
Character Class (11)
Character Creation (3)
Character Generation (18)
Characters (42)
Charisma (13)
Charts (1)
ChatGPT (9)
Cheating (3)
Checklists (1)
Children (2)
Christmas (5)
Cities (8)
Civilization Posts (82)
Class Training (2)
Cleric (2)
Clerical Sage (1)
Clerics (8)
Climate (1)
CLO (1)
Clothing (2)
Coins (2)
Cold Start (11)
Collectibles (1)
Combat (112)
Combat Simulation (8)
Comics (1)
Comments (3)
Commercialism (1)
Commodities (3)
Community Feedback (3)
Computers (3)
Conflict Cards (20)
Constitution (1)
Construction (3)
Contest (4)
Contests (2)
Conventions (2)
Cooking (6)
Copyreaders (1)
Corporate Marketing (3)
Cosplaying (3)
Cover Art (1)
Crash & Burn (2)
Creating a Campaign (1)
Creative Writing (12)
Creativity (20)
Critical Thinking (4)
Culture (16)
Current Events (1)
D&D (2)
D&D Culture (10)
D&D Products (4)
D&D's Development (4)
Dante (1)
David Wong (1)
Death (11)
Decay (2)
Dehydration (1)
Demographics (4)
Demons (1)
Description (1)
Deserts (1)
Design (14)
Design Fragments (5)
Design Strategies (4)
Designing (1)
Designing the Setting (10)
Dexterity (2)
Dice (13)
Discipline (1)
Discord (1)
Discord Campaign (16)
Disease (4)
DM Tutorials (11)
DM Workshop (11)
DMG (30)
Doctor (1)
Documentaries (10)
Donations (2)
Dragons (3)
Dreams (3)
Druid (2)
Druidical Sage (1)
Druids (1)
Dryad (1)
Dungeon (10)
Dungeon Mastering (227)
Dungeon's Front Door (12)
Dungeons (37)
Economics (5)
Economy (1)
Edition Wars (16)
Edmonton Expo (13)
Education (19)
Elves (1)
Encounters (20)
Encumbrance (3)
End Game (2)
Equipment (65)
Equipment Poster (6)
Equipment Table (2)
Estate Management (7)
Ethics (3)
Eurogames (1)
Exam (2)
Excellent Posts (1)
Experience (18)
Experiences (1)
Experiments (1)
Expo (6)
Facilities (12)
Falling (1)
Fallow (6)
Fame (3)
Family (1)
FanExpo (5)
Fantasy (3)
Farming (1)
Fashion (1)
Father's Table (1)
Fear (4)
Feedback (1)
Festivals (2)
Fiction (5)
Fighters (15)
Film (47)
Finding D&D in the Dark (10)
Fire (1)
First Worlds I Created (1)
Fish (1)
Flawed Rules (13)
Floorplans (2)
Followers (7)
Food (13)
Friday Dream (18)
Friends (1)
Fun (2)
Function (1)
Fundraising (4)
Future (3)
Gallimaufry (4)
Game Culture (37)
Game Design (141)
Game Mechanics (29)
Game Prep (7)
Game Rules (1)
Game Testing (1)
Game Theory (14)
Game Workshops (1)
GameCons (1)
Gamenight (1)
Gameplay (5)
Gameplay Deconstruction (6)
Games (11)
Gamesmanship (2)
Gaming (35)
Gaming Community (37)
Gaming Culture (21)
Gaming Design (2)
Gaming Philosophy (17)
Gems (2)
Gender Politics (1)
Generatio (1)
Generation (1)
Geography (3)
Geology (1)
Geomorphs (1)
George Phillies (1)
Global Warming (1)
Gods & Demigods (1)
Gold (1)
Golems (4)
Good Advice (1)
Goods Manufacturing (1)
GoogleEarth (2)
Grammar (1)
Great People (1)
Grimstone Hollow (2)
Groups (3)
Half-elf (1)
Halloween (2)
Hamlet (1)
Hamlets (1)
Harnia (1)
Health (3)
Henchmen (3)
Heroism (1)
Hex Generation (17)
Hex Generation 2.0 (6)
Higher Path (1)
Hirelings (6)
History (38)
Hit Points (16)
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1)
Holidays (1)
Home (1)
Horses (6)
House Rules (27)
How to DM (32)
How to Play and Other Essays (11)
How to Run (62)
Humanoid (1)
Humor (4)
Humour (9)
Illusionists (1)
Images (3)
Improvements (1)
Index (1)
Information Management (1)
Infrastructure (10)
Infrastructure-Development (22)
Infravision (1)
Injurious Gaming Advice (2)
Injury (2)
Innovation (1)
Instruction (1)
Intelligence (23)
Internet (12)
Intoxication (3)
Introducing Gameplay (6)
Investigating Rogaland (10)
James Gifford (2)
Jeffro & James BROSR (4)
Jewellery (1)
Journalism (4)
Jumpstarter (16)
Juvenis Adventure Wiki (3)
Juvenis Campaign (8)
Kickstarter (10)
Knowledge (11)
Knowledge & Worldbuilding (10)
Knowledge Graphs (5)
Landing Page (1)
Language (5)
Languages (1)
Leadership (4)
Learning (3)
Learning to Play (1)
Legitimacy in DMing (3)
Let's Play (1)
Life (31)
Links (1)
Literature (11)
Liveplay (1)
Love (4)
Lurkers Corner (10)
Lycanthropy (1)
Magic (33)
Magic Items (4)
Mainstreaming (1)
Make Art (2)
Male Privilege in Gaming (1)
Managing D&D (10)
Managing Players (7)
Manor Estate (10)
Mapmaking (75)
Mapping (1)
Maps (87)
Market (1)
Marketing (4)
Marriage (1)
Mass Combat (30)
Masterclass (1)
Mathematics (2)
Me (160)
Measurements (1)
Media (1)
Media Perspective (5)
Medicine (3)
Memory (1)
Mental Health (1)
Menu (1)
Method (1)
MeToo (1)
Module Design (1)
Modules (6)
Moldvay (3)
Money (2)
Monk (11)
Monsters (39)
Morale (2)
Motivation (1)
Mountains (2)
Movement (1)
Music (6)
My World (11)
Mysticism (1)
Mythology (7)
Name Level Campaigns (1)
Narrative (5)
Narratology (2)
Naval Combat (10)
Negotiation (1)
No. Appearing (1)
Nobility (2)
Non-Player Characters (6)
Noobs (10)
Norway (2)
Nostalgia (1)
Notes (1)
NPCs (9)
NTME (11)
Numismatics (1)
Nutrition (1)
Occultism (3)
Odd Places (1)
Official Game (2)
Offline Campaign (14)
Old Posts Index (3)
Old Posts Top Ten (3)
Online Campaign (93)
Online Games (1)
Orientation (3)
Original DnD (7)
OSRIC (1)
Outer Planes (2)
Outside the Community (3)
Paladin (1)
Paladin's Warhorse (1)
Paladins (3)
Parenthood (1)
Parley (2)
Patreon (68)
Patreon Supporters (3)
Performance (1)
Personal Memoir (9)
Pete's Garage (12)
Philosophy (68)
Physical Activity (1)
Places (3)
Planes of Existence (5)
Plants (1)
Player Agency (2)
Player Characters (18)
Player Confidence (2)
Player-vs-Player (6)
Player's Handbook (2)
Players (14)
Playing (119)
Podcast (16)
Poetry (3)
Poison (2)
Police (1)
Political Geography (3)
Politics (46)
Polls (2)
Pre-Sage Abilities (1)
Pregeneration (2)
Presentation (2)
Previews (1)
Probability (1)
Professions (2)
Progenitors (1)
Programming (2)
Projects (1)
Proofs (1)
Psychology (17)
Public Speaking (1)
Publishing (6)
Puffin Forrest (1)
Puzzles (1)
Q&A (1)
Quotes (4)
Races (10)
Racism (3)
Random Generation (8)
Ranger (1)
Ranger Sage (1)
Ranting (2)
Rants (2)
Reader Feedback (2)
Real World (9)
Recordings (1)
Reddit (1)
Relationships (1)
Religion (17)
Research (7)
Retainers (1)
Retinue (2)
Retirement (1)
Retrospectives (3)
Reviews (4)
River Crossings (1)
Role-playing (59)
Role-playing Theory (4)
RPG 201 (77)
RPG Cliches (17)
RPG Coursework (1)
RPG Trends (3)
Rule-Making (7)
Rulebooks (2)
Rulemaking (1)
Rules (65)
Rules Lawyering (1)
Sage Abilities (77)
Sailing (2)
Same Universe Wiki (23)
Sandbox DMing (2)
Satire (1)
Saturday Q&A (39)
Saving Throws (1)
Science (1)
Science Fiction (2)
Scouting (1)
Secondary Skills (5)
Self-help (1)
Self-play Tutorial (5)
Senex Campaign (6)
Series 2 (1)
Session Management 301 (9)
Session Zero (1)
Setting the Fare (2)
Settings (7)
Sex (8)
Shifting Sands (1)
Ship Combat (1)
Ship Routes (1)
Ships (1)
Siege Engines (7)
Slavery (2)
Social Justice (2)
Social Media (1)
Society (2)
Spell Research (1)
Spellcasting (4)
Spells (29)
Splatbooks (5)
Sports (2)
Star Jumper (1)
Statistics (1)
Stavanger 1237 AD (1)
Stavanger 892 AD (3)
Storytelling (3)
Strategy (2)
Streetvendor's Guide (21)
Strength (4)
Subscribers (12)
Substack (5)
Succubus (1)
Swimming (1)
Swordfighting (1)
Taiga (1)
Talking to NPCs (4)
Tao of D&D Wiki (8)
Tao's Masterclass (20)
Tao's Work (5)
Tarot (3)
Teaching the Game (9)
Tech System (12)
Tech-5 (2)
Tech-6 (3)
Technology (35)
Television (5)
Temperature (1)
Ternketh (17)
The Adventure (3)
The Beastiary (3)
The Cabin (1)
The Campaign (18)
The Campaigners (9)
The City (1)
The Community (92)
The Community Offline (1)
The Database (4)
The Fifth Man (17)
The Gaming Community (2)
The Higher Path (6)
The Killing Bequest (2)
The Lantern (24)
The Long Campaign (2)
The Menu (12)
The New Dungeon Master (13)
The Other D&D (17)
Theatre (4)
Thieves (11)
Thieving Abilities (1)
Time Travel (1)
Tolls (1)
Town Encounters (1)
Towns (2)
Trade (81)
Trade & Production (5)
Trade Commodities (5)
Trade Course (5)
Trade Prices (6)
Trade System (2)
Train (1)
Transgenderism (1)
Transport (1)
Transylvania (1)
Traps (4)
Trauma (1)
Travel (24)
Travels in Trosk (1)
Treasure (23)
Truck Simulator (1)
Tutoring (4)
Undead (7)
Underwater Adventures (3)
Unearthed Arcana (1)
Update (2)
Urban Adventures (6)
Vacation (2)
Vaudeville (1)
Video (3)
Video Games (3)
Village (2)
Vision (2)
Vlogging (5)
Vocal (7)
War (2)
War Stories (4)
Water (1)
Waterborne Adventuring (14)
Wealth (1)
Weapons (17)
Weather (26)
Webseries (2)
White Box Set (31)
Wiki (54)
Wikipedia (1)
Wilderness (13)
Winston Rowntree (7)
Wisdom (3)
Work (9)
World Building (1)
World Design (75)
Worldbuilding (72)
Worldbuilding Forge (2)
Worldbuilding Theory (5)
Worlds From Scratch (6)
WOTC (41)
Wowotu (5)
WPIIA (1)
Writing (93)
X.P. Rules (5)
Youtube (8)
Youtube Channel (1)

Travel theme. Powered by Blogger.

Friday, October 23, 2026

Are Goblins Evil?

No comments:

Post a Comment