This blog is part of the series I am writing for the A to Z Blogging Challenge. Those participating must write a blog that matches the letter of the day. I have decided to use this challenge as an opportunity to write about Diablo III (and the “universe” that it exists in). People who are participating in the challenge are using #AtoZ when posting their blogs on Twitter.

G is for Goblin. There isn’t very much lore behind these creatures. Their main purpose is to give players something to chase after in the hopes that it will drop some awesome loot. They are a unique type of creature that doesn’t cause any damage to players (well, not directly…).

There are many ways to play Diablo III – especially since the Reaper of Souls (RoS) expansion was released. Stay with Story Mode, or check out Adventure Mode. Pick a class, stick with it, and Paragon until then end of time. Or, try a bunch of classes, experience “alt-itis”, and enjoy the variety. Put together a specific build, or just go through the game randomly switching skills as needed. It’s all up to you.

You can play “soft core”, and bask in the knowledge that your character can “die” (but only temporarily). Or, play Hardcore, and know that one wrong move (or lag, or disconnect) will “kill” your character – forever. Are you a “runner”, who zooms through the game as fast as possible? Or, are you a “clearer” who likes to explore every little nook and cranny of each area before moving on to the next one? Do you intentionally try to earn achievements, or do you just play the game and let the achievements pop up as they may?

No matter how you play, one thing remains true. The instant that a Treasure Goblin appears – you drop everything and go after it! What kind of loot will he drop? Treasure Goblins are the Diablo version of an unscratched lottery ticket. There could be something really valuable in it!

So, you chase the Goblin. Meanwhile, the little monster laughs at you, drops a pittance of gold here and there, and attempts to lead you to your doom. He will run towards mobs of monsters, in an effort to slow you down, or get you killed, so he can escape. Nothing is more frustrating than almost killing a Treasure Goblin, only to have him jump through a portal at the last second. “Wheeee!”, he shouts as he flees.

There is very little lore about the Treasure Goblin. The only piece I can find comes from inside Diablo III:

Some devious little goblins have been robbing our merchants!  When pursued, they simply open portals and disappear with a most aggravating chuckle.  The peasantry seem to believe that the goblins serve a great demon lord known as Greed and, furthermore, that their portals lead to Greed’s domain!  A ludicrous notion, truly!   – Abd al-Hazir

I believe that the Treasure Goblin was added to the game just for fun.  Nobody cares about the lore behind the Treasure Goblins when they are chasing them.  They add a little excitement to the game, at random moments.  The coolest thing about them, though, isn’t the loot they drop.  Treasure Goblins provide a way to unite all players.   For a few, brief, moments – we are all playing the game the exact same way.

Posted in Diablo A to Z, Diablo IIITagged

0 comments

  1. Hi Christiana! Thank you for your comment. I played a lot of Diablo I back in the day, but entirely missed Diablo II due to computer issues and life changes. Even so, Diablo III was easy to jump into. If you ever decide to get into Diablo III, you won’t have any problems. 🙂

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