Presented players with a Goblin torture shrine... and things went dark real quick.

I've always liked this Goblinpunch blog post on orc religion and use it with all goblins and orcs in my games. This evening was the first time my group have encountered greenskins of any sort, and damn did it turn into a harrowing encounter...

The party was lost in a cursed forest and sought refuge in a cave originally occupied by a family, but found instead it had been invaded and occupied by local thieves guild brigands. The family are bound and held hostage. The brigand leader accomodates the PCs in the cave, and tries to manipulate them into exploring the nearby goblin-infested ruin on his behalf, hinting that he'll spare the family's life if they do this (also there's a chance of gaining access to treasure-filled dwarf tunnels that lead out of the forest to freedom: with most of the party being neutral or evil, they respond better to this incentive).

The brigand explains to them the philosophy of the goblin: that the greenskins' whole existence is geared around pain and suffering. Causing it, or enduring it; they live solely to bring pain into the world for the amusement of their sadistic gods. This, he says, may be objectionable to some... but it also makes them rational, predictable beings. He proposes a plan: that the PCs ingratiate themselves to the goblin chief with a display of torture that will win his respect. Maybe then they can just walk through the tunnels unmolested?

When the PCs ask who is to be tortured for this plan to work, the brigand's gaze falls on the family. "There's three of em. You only need to take one."

It's not long before the only good PC, furious with disgust at these callous men, launches herself at the brigands and attacks. The cave erupts in brutal and bloody violence in which the PCs win out, managing to slaughter all of the brigands... save one. The leader, hamstrung, is captured before he can crawl away into the forest.

They end up venturing into the goblin caves, dragging the bound, gagged and bleeding brigand leader behind them. Within a minute they're noticed and the alarm raised, and they're encompassed by a tide of stinking, spear-toting monstrosities, all chanting and baying to skin them alive. The brigand, terrified at first, begins to cackle bitterly: at least he'll get to see his attackers flayed and dismembered alongside him.

His laughter stops though as the PCs shove his hand in hot coals, give him a Joker smile and scalp him. The goblins erupt in manic howls, and stay their attack. As long as the brigand screams in agony, the PCs are safe from the monstrous horde. Turns out it was a good plan after all.

They eventually made it through the goblin tunnels. The brigand leader didn't. And now they know how to survive against the greenskins: as long as they have someone to torture, they'll be safe.

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Everyone was left pretty harrowed by what they'd done to get past the goblin horde, with even the evil PCs feeling they'd gone to horrid extremes that left them feeling rattled. I'm really happy with this result as rather than seeing goblins as trivial grunts bordering on comic relief, they genuinely fear them as an evil force in the world - and they've not even met any orcs yet!

Big thanks to Goblinpunch for such a potent idea. I highly recommend checking out that blog, it's got so many seemingly little ideas that can have really profound effects in your game.