Hey all! We’re back for another character sneak peek. Today, we’re unveiling two new friendly folks you will encounter in the new regions of Goblin Stone, as well as the creative process behind them. Let us introduce you to the Kobolds and Trolls of Goblin Stone!
KOBOLDS & TROLLS
If you read our previous devblog: The world of Goblin Stone at a Glance, you will learn that the Kobolds and Trolls, along with the menfolks, are the primary inhabitants of the Ettinfell regions. Kobolds are frog-like monsterfolk who live in the swampy areas while the Trolls, just like in most games, are described as the giants of the mountains.
The path to the home of the Kobolds.
Swamp Grandma was our very first Kobold concept design, and she was originally intended to be another merchant in the game. She quickly won the hearts of our Discord community, so we decided to rework the design and eventually created different Kobold variations.
The designs are not yet final and there might be changes in the future.
During the design process, we first created several versions of the Kobolds with features from real-life reptilian creatures such as frogs, axolotls, and salamanders to create the base look that we want for the Kobolds. We further simplified the design but stylized it to create a similar quirky look as the goblins.
Early sketches for the Kobold Character Design
Kobolds are about the same height as goblins, but much leaner with long, thin limbs. Instead of animal-like legs, we designed them to have human-like legs and a longer torso. We also wanted them to have friendly facial features, so we gave them larger, expressive eyes and a pointed smile.
Now, let’s talk about the Trolls. Despite being the largest creature (even bigger than the Orcs) in the Goblin Stone world, Trolls are known for their shy and gentle nature. Our initial idea for the Trolls is to give them a massive masked head decorated with natural elements like twigs and vines. We created the Trolls with triangular bodies and heads, similar to how Goblins have rounded heads and Orcs have trapezoid-shaped bodies.
As they are similarly large monsters to Orcs, we wanted them to stand out without taking away from the impact of the Orcs' appearance. We tried out different styles for the Trolls, just like we did for the Kobolds. Starting with the forearms, we made the Trolls to have much slimmer but longer limbs in contrast to the Orcs’s muscular arms. Let’s not forget to mention one of the features unique to the Trolls is their flat masks with a hole for their red nose to peek out of!
If you haven't noticed, we also have created female variations of the Kobolds and Trolls. While their designs may or may not appear in the final game, you will be able to see other female characters who will play significant roles in the story - but we’ll save that for another sneak peek!
Until then, see you on our next devblog. Please feel free to share Goblin Stone to your friends and invite them to wishlist and follow us on STEAM.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1521970/Goblin_Stone/