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"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."
Treasure Goblin Art2

A Treasure Goblin

Treasure Goblins are small demons that steal loot and everything that glitters, carrying said treasure in sacks over their shoulders. They are servants to the baroness Greed, and they enter her domain from the mortal realm through portals.

The Goblins do not fight, preferring to escape into their realm where no one can follow them (or at least so they think), and even if anyone manages to, the Sentries will protect the Goblin there.

Lore[]

"Old stories refer to these creatures as the Drunkard's Faerie because people dumbfounded with drink often see a small creature carrying a bag of gold out of the corner of their eye. Many historians believe they are a race of goblins that are native to our world, but that is not the case. They are demons."

- Adria(src)

Treasure Seeker

A Treasure Goblin

Treasure Goblins are ragged opportunists, sneering and scuttling amidst battles to collect the loot of the fallen. Mischievous scavengers, they have a hunched posture due to the weight of the treasures they carry over their backs, and possess grayish bodies and lizard-like heads. As quickly as they enter Sanctuary, they depart, disappearing into portals with their goods in tow.[1] Old stories refer to these creatures as the "Drunkard's Faerie," as intoxicated individuals often see a small creature carrying a bag of gold out of the corner of their eye.[2] A guarded species, if observed during one of their hunts, Treasure Goblins will retreat through these portals, utilizing a type of magic not unlike that of the kind the Horadrim employed to summon Town Portals and Waypoints.[1] This was done at the will of Greed, a demon that Treasure Goblins serve. She aimed to lure greedy adventurers into her realm to their doom in a sea of riches they would never spend.[2]

History[]

Treasure Goblin-BoA

Adria's sketch of a Treasure Goblin

Treasure Goblins are a more recent addition to Sanctuary's bestiary.[1] They gained a place in human folklore, and some scholars theorized they were an indigenous species of goblins. Before the Darkening of Tristram, Adria discovered the true nature of the Goblins, and how they served Greed, but apparently never shared her findings beyond the Coven.[2] Thus, to best knowledge, no mortal had ever followed a Treasure Goblin through its portal.[1]

Sightings of them increased shortly after the appearance of the Fallen Star. Little is known of the Goblins by Sanctuary's inhabitants bar the fact that they are not native to the mortal realm. After the Siege of Bastion's Keep, tales of Treasure Goblins scurrying about Kehjistan's battlefields have riddled Sanctuary’s taverns. At first believed to be frenzied grave robbers, the Goblins' true nature became known only once they were witnessed in broad daylight. Now, their appearance is recognizable to all but the most cloistered of citizens, and prove a welcome sight to powerful nephalem in search of easy loot. As their presence has become more common, so have rumors of their gold-filled "vault." It is said that beyond a goblin's portal untold riches await, as well as untold horrors.[1] In this, there was some truth, though Greed was killed by the Nephalem.[3]

In-game[]

Diablo Immortal[]

Treasure Goblin DIHB

A treasure goblin's sketch in the Horadric Bestiary

Treasure Goblins can be found in all zones, save Westmarch in Diablo Immortal. They don't attack, and always try to move to a safe location, dropping a trail of gold in their path. At a safe distance, they conjure a portal to escape. Attacking the Goblin disrupts their portal channeling. Killing them gives the player a lot of gold, some equipment and rarely, some gems.

Diablo III[]

"Treasure goblins are highly trained professionals, specializing in the transportation of valuable goods throughout the dangerous lands of Sanctuary. They are particularly skilled at engaging evasive maneuvers when avoiding the hostilities of local Nephalem. Though the reward may be great, one must be cautious in approaching the timid and excitable Treasure Goblin, lest you find yourself guided through a gauntlet of dangerous elite packs."

- Nevalistis in a joke post(src)

Treasure-goblin-01

Treasure Goblin in-game

Treasure Goblins are found throughout Diablo III. Five types of Treasure Goblin exist, each identified by color; the blue Treasure Pygmy, the green Treasure Goblin, the red Treasure Seeker, the Treasure Bandit, and the Rainbow Goblin. As of Patch 2.0., there is no difference between their loot tables. The unique Treasure Goblin (found in The Unknown Depths and other zones) is no different from them as well. A special breed of Goblins called Treasure Fiends can be found in the Treasure Realm, often hiding in the gold piles.

Treasure-goblin

A typical goblin in natural habitat

Treasure Goblins cannot attack the player, and remain idle until attacked. Upon taking hit, they stagger for a moment (suffering reduced damage for a few seconds, so it is impossible to kill them before they start running) and then flee with great speed away from the player, running towards other monsters if possible. As they take damage, they will drop gold, leaving a trail of coins to be traced easily. Killing them will spill their entire loot onto the floor, which typically includes potions, extra gold, gems, crafting materials, as well as magical and sometimes rare armor and weapons, with a chance for a legendary. 

From time to time, Goblins stop and start opening the portal. If not struck in 6 seconds, they escape, leaving no loot and awarding no credit for the kill. This can be interrupted (to set them fleeing again), Since patch 2.1.1 goblins Flee with a speed boost for about 2 seconds and with increased speed after the portal is interrupted the goblin gets faster the more times you interrupt the portal. Slowdown, Stun, and other similar crowd control tools have no effect on Treasure Goblins at all, but Freeze and some Knockback effects can be useful. Otherwise, only direct damage will suffice. Followers and pets do not attack idle Goblins until those are within 10 yards.

TREASURE GOBLIN CLAN1

The in-game model

There is a very small chance to encounter a Goblinfest in Nephalem Rifts. The Fest consists of 10-30 Treasure Goblins in one location, resting together. It may be a very good opportunity to obtain a huge portion of loot, provided player manages to kill them all in time.

Goblins cannot harm the player in any way. However, they will try to run into other enemies, who will make it significantly harder to chase the greedy mocking packrat.

Note that all Treasure Goblins, regardless of type, count as elites.

As of Patch 2.1, there is a very small chance that Treasure Goblin slain in Adventure Mode will leave an opened portal to the Treasure Realm, which the players can use. Treasure Goblins in Rifts and Campaign cannot open this portal. See main article for details. As of patch 2.6.5, there is also a chance for this portal to lead to somewhere udderly ridiculous.

Main article: The Vault
TG New Icon

Treasure Goblin minimap icon (pre-2.1.2)

Goblins-pack-mixed-map

New Goblin icons (type corresponds to color)

As of Patch 2.1.1, Goblins appear with a small minimap icon and show a portal before they are engaged. This is not a bug, but a trait designed to let players detect them easily. In patch 2.1.2, the icon was replaced with an actual image of the goblin on the map, which is really hard to miss.

Puzzle Rings can summon Treasure Goblin pets to exchange a player's white (common) loot for rares.

As of patch 2.3, Bandit Shrines spawn (very rarely) in game world. Activating a Bandit Shrine will summon 10-15 Treasure Goblins of random types.

Tips[]

  • Carefully sneak past the Goblin, killing nearby enemies without disturbing him.
  • Use direct damaging tactics. It matters little if respeccing is needed, so long as it helps to ensure victory over the goblin.
  • Obtain movement speed or relocation abilities.
  • Use the terrain of the map to your advantage. For example, attacking the Goblin from the side opposite the direction from whence you came can increase the chances of it running into sections of the map which have already been cleared. If available, forcing the goblin directly into a corner with little way out can give players the opportunity to inflict serious damage on it.

Variants[]

In Adventure Mode, special variants of Goblins can be encountered, distinguished by their color, that drop special rewards, amount increasing with difficulty.

Uniques[]

Cosmetic Pets[]

Development[]

The Treasure Goblin was a late addition to Diablo III's monster roster. When the sound team was presented with the creature's, there was some trepidation in the need to tackle "yet another bi-pedal monster." Its grin (as depicted in said artwork) was seen as a defining feature. In the recording studio, a series of of laughs, guttural giggles, and playful exclamations were made by Seph Lawrence. These became the basis for the creature's sound design, after which Michael Johnson raised the pitch.[4]

Diablo IV[]

Treasure Goblins return in Diablo IV.[5] They function similarly to their predecessors, but lack the many variations found in Diablo III. They can even cross zones as they flee from the player. If a player mounts while chasing a Treasure Goblin, it'll stop and become immune to all damage, and proceed to escape through their portal.

World of Warcraft[]

"Strange winds blow in from another world, and sightings of odd, bag-holding creatures spot the land. Find them and see what treasure they may hold!"

- Treasure Goblin event blurb(src)

Treasure goblin

WoW in-game Treasure Goblin pet

A World of Warcraft Treasure Goblin pet exists, awarded to players who also purchased the Collector's Edition of Reaper of Souls.

In World of Warcraft: Legion, the Treasure Demon was introduced which functions identically to Treasure Goblins (giving a reward if players kill them before their casting of an escape portal is complete).

During the 20th Diablo anniversary in World of Warcraft one could kill a Treasure Goblin to get access to a Warcraft variant of The Secret Cow Level.

From May 25-June 14, 2023, Treasure Goblins will appear across capital cities and Dragonflight zones in World of Warcraft as part of the A Greedy Emissary event. Similar to their Diablo counterparts, killing these goblins will grant players loot.[6]

Other[]

Treasure Goblins appeared in Heroes of the Storm for a limited time, where they could be killed for extra gold.[7]

A treasure goblin can be spotted in the mission "Into the Void" in StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void.

A Treasure Goblin prop for Xbox Live can be purchased for $5. It is referred to as the "king of bling."[8]

Trivia[]

WikiLogoSmall
This section contains facts and trivia relevant to this article.
TGoblinArt

Artwork

  • The idea of goblins within the Diablo setting existed as far back as the design document for Diablo I, namely the idea that "goblin caves" would be explored in an expansion.[9]
  • Blizzard Entertainment staff were gifted with Treasure Goblin statues in the 2012 holiday period. The statue was sculpted by former McFarlane Toys sculptor Brian Fay (currently Blizzard Entertainment Sculpting Lead), and sculptor/owner of Claymator Studios.[10]
  • Treasure Goblin laughter was recorded by Seph Lawrence with some heavy sound processing.[11]
  • Flavor lore for Diablo III varies significantly from that presented in Book of Adria. The former states that the Treasure Goblins are a recent addition to Sanctuary, that it was known they were not native to Sanctuary, and until the End of Days, none had ventured through their portals.[1] The latter states that Treasure Goblins were known to Sanctuary well before the Darkening of Tristram, were believed to be an indigenous species, and that numerous adventurers ventured through their portals.[2] The article has tried to incorporate both versions.
  • The Treasure Goblin in Diablo IV is nicknamed "Gary" by the developers.[5]
  • In the Overwatch season 6 gamemode "Trials of Sanctuary", a creature called "Loot Goblin", presented as a Junkbot Junkrat with a crown, serves a similar purpose.

Merchandise[]

  • Treasure Goblin plushies were available at the 2014 San Diego Comic Con—a standard one, and a Whimsyshire variant, as per it "going native." The standard variant will be available for purchase from the Blizzard store at a later date.[12]
  • A Treasure Goblin coin bank is on sale from ThinkGeek.[13]
  • A Treasure Goblin Funko Pop is available from Entertainment Earth.[14]

Images[]

Video[]

14_Treasure_Goblins_in_one_rift

14 Treasure Goblins in one rift

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 2014-08-13, PATCH 2.1.0 PREVIEW: THE VAULT. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 214-08-14
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Book of Adria: A Diablo Bestiary
  3. Diablo III, Adventure Mode
  4. 2016-06-16, DEVELOPER INSIGHTS: BEHIND THE GOBLIN GIGGLE. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2016-06-20
  5. 5.0 5.1 2019-11-02, Diablo 4 devs talk smashing bosses with stagger, customization with Legendaries, and the fate of the Auction House. Blizzard Watch, accessed on 2019-11-07
  6. 2023-05-25, World of Warcraft Pays Homage to Diablo with the Greedy Emissary Event. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2023-05-30
  7. 2015-06-17, E3 Expo 2015 – Heroes of the Storm: Eternal Conflict Expansion. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2015-06-23
  8. Treasure Goblin, Xbox Live. Accessed on 2013-10-01
  9. 2016-03-19, Original Diablo Pitch Document. Graybeard Games, accessed on 2016-03-23
  10. September, 2013, Blizzard Employee-Exclusive Diablo III Treasure Goblin Statue on eBay, Blizzplanet. Accessed on 2013-09-29
  11. DEVELOPER INSIGHTS: BEHIND THE GOBLIN GIGGLE Nevalistis 6/16/2016
  12. 2014-07-25, San Diego Comic Con 2014 – Blizzard Entertainment Announces Exclusive Merchandise. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2014-07-25
  13. 2015-04-20, Blizzard Diablo Goblin Bank with Sound. ThinkGeek, accessed on 2015-04-21
  14. 2023-08-23, Diablo 4 Gets a Funko Pop Loot Drop. Comic Book, accessed on 2023-08-27
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