The Eternal Noob

[Kakarat]

For example, lets say the heart of this goblin cave is a dragon. Dragons are very rare and very badass and the odds of you and your 20 friends managing to kill it are slim, because you've never fought one before. However, you could put the call out that you want to hire some dragon slayers -- people who have spent a lot of time wandering the world looking for dragons to kill because that's just how they like to play the game. They aren't really interested in the politics or the "intended gameplay" but they like to wander around killing dragons. These aren't really "high level players" -- they actually aren't that good at killing goblins, so you'll have to help them get to the dragon but once there, the 3 of them can kill the dragon. (Of course, you'd help, and thereby become slightly better at killing dragons yourselves, so that next time you encounter one it might not be so hard.)

That right there is a system that would work great for the first little while. What happens when everyone is great at killing goblins?... Is there some sort of diminishing returns towards goblins.

Example you fight Goblins and become their bane. Then for some reason you choose to move to another area and don't see a goblin for a month. Are these goblins going to remember you?I would say yes, are they going to run away? Most likely, Are your skills as equally good at fighting them before that month of not fighting them? No, but you have an advantage. Fear. But on the other hand of things. Because you have been their bane at one point, your skills for fighting goblins will return much faster than the first time you became their bane.