Saturday 19 October 2019

Goblin variants

Image from Wikimedia.org
I'm slowly and painfully thinking through a dungeon populated by goblins. In order to keep it interesting and justify what I hope are some genuinely underhanded tactics, I'd like to introduce a bit of variety into the inhabitants.

Ranked in order of toughness:

Goblin runt

The smallest and scrawniest of the goblins, they've had to be quick and smart to survive among their bigger kin.

AC 6, HD 1-2 (2hp), Att 1 × weapon (1d6 or by weapon), THAC0 19, MV 80’ (40’), SV D14 W15 P16 B17 S18 (NH), ML 7 (9 with king), AL Chaotic, XP 5, NA 2d4 (6d10), TT R (C)

Snot flick - a goblin with hayfever is never unarmed. Instead of attacking, a runt can flick a blob of mucus with pinpoint accuracy to a range of 10'. No damage, -2 to next attack roll.

Goblin bootlicker

These disgustingly obsequious toadies hang around with goblin pit bosses and champions, yelling warnings and throwing them extra ammo when called for.

AC 6, HD 1-2 (2hp), Att 1 × weapon (1d6 or by weapon), THAC0 19, MV 60’ (20’), SV D14 W15 P16 B17 S18 (NH), ML 7 (9 with king), AL Chaotic, XP 5, NA 2d4 (6d10), TT R (C)

Has a satchel containing (1d6):
  1. dried rat meat. (1 ration)
  2. goblin brew. Tastes like a bugbear's loincloth. Burns with a blue flame. Might sterilise a wound then infect it with something different.
  3. part of a halfling.
  4. 1d4 tallow candles.
  5. 1d2 doses of berserker mead.
  6. 2d6 teeth.

Goblin bomber

Easily recognised by the cooking pots they wear as helmets and the slow-matches they tuck under the brim, even goblin bullies leave these guys alone. Bombers are runts who've taken an interest in chemistry. Madder than a soup-fork and half as useful, they make bombs by packing black powder into pottery, wooden tubs, skulls, anything they can find.

AC 5, HD 1-2 (2hp), Att 1 × weapon (1d6 or by weapon), THAC0 19, MV 60’ (20’), SV D14 W15 P16 B17 S18 (NH), ML 7 (9 with king), AL Chaotic, XP 5, NA 2d4 (6d10), TT R (C)

Fire in the hole - a bomber carries 1d4 black powder grenades. Every second round they can throw one with a 15' range. On detonation, 1d6 damage to the square it lands in and 1d4 to adjacent squares. on 1-in-6 the bomb explodes while the goblin is still holding it.

Goblin shaman

Shamans typically know a few low-level spells and prepare the beserker mead that drives a few goblin warriors into a killing rage.

AC 7, HD 1-1 (3hp), Att 1 × weapon (1d6 or by weapon), THAC0 19, MV 40’ (15’), SV D14 W15 P16 B17 S18 (NH), ML 7 (9 with king), AL Chaotic, XP 5, NA 2d4 (6d10), TT R (C)

Spells known (one of): Remove Fear, Cure Light Wounds, Darkness.

1d3 pots of berserker mead: +2 Att and damage, +2 AC. Save vs poison to stop fighting.

Goblin regular

A bog-standard goblin as described in the monster manual.

AC 6, HD 1-1 (3hp), Att 1 × weapon (1d6 or by weapon), THAC0 19, MV 60’ (20’), SV D14 W15 P16 B17 S18 (NH), ML 7 (9 with king), AL Chaotic, XP 5, NA 2d4 (6d10), TT R (C)

Goblin bully

Bigger than an ordinary goblin, and meaner too. Everything they have, they've taken from someone smaller.

AC 6, HD 1 (4hp), Att 1 × weapon (1d6 or by weapon), THAC0 19, MV 60’ (20’), SV D14 W15 P16 B17 S18 (NH), ML 7 (9 with king), AL Chaotic, XP 5, NA 2d4 (6d10), TT R (C)

Gimme dat - if disarmed or jealous, a bully can take a weapon from a goblin in an adjacent square as a free action.

Goblin berserker

Frothing at the mouth, biting their own ears and attacking with no regard for an enemy's relative strength.

AC 8, HD 1 (4hp), Att 1 × weapon (+2, 1d6+2 or by weapon+2), THAC0 19, MV 60’ (20’), SV D14 W15 P16 B17 S18 (NH), ML 7 (9 with king), AL Chaotic, XP 5, NA 2d4 (6d10), TT R (C)

Goblin pit boss

Pit bosses have years of experience at not dying to adventurers. With a pit boss bellowing orders and enforcing them with kicks and punches, goblins will function like (semi-) disciplined fighters.

AC 5, HD 1+1 (5hp), Att 1 × weapon (1d6 or by weapon), THAC0 19, MV 60’ (20’), SV D14 W15 P16 B17 S18 (NH), ML 7 (9 with king), AL Chaotic, XP 10, NA 2d4 (6d10), TT R (C)

Tactics - if a pit boss has bombers, bullies will form up in front of them as a protective line while they throw bombs. If the pit boss has runts, they'll flank adventurers while the bigger goblins keep them tied up in melee. Pit bosses count as kings for morale checks.

Goblin champion

Champions have been round the block a few times, and collected a couple of souvenirs on the way. Each champion will have a minor magic item (1d6):
  1. Wand of Cold, 1d6 charges.
  2. +1 sword.
  3. Ring of Control Animals.
  4. Potion of ESP.
  5. Potion of Heroism.
  6. Wand of Fear.
AC 4, HD 1+2 (6hp), Att 1 × weapon (1d6 or by weapon), THAC0 19, MV 60’ (20’), SV D14 W15 P16 B17 S18 (NH), ML 7 (9 with king), AL Chaotic, XP 10, NA 2d4 (6d10), TT R (C)

Tactics - as pit boss.

Champions count as kings for morale checks.

Goblin hound

Inbred, abused and semi-feral mongrels who've had to fight for every scrap of food. On 1-in-6, they attempt to eat the closest runt instead of attacking the adventurers.

AC 7, HD 2+2 (11hp), Att 1 × bite (1d6), THAC0 17, MV 180’ (60’), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (F1), ML 6 (8 in larger packs), AL Neutral, XP 25, NA 2d6 (3d6), TT None

Boom - sometimes bombers like to strap canisters full of powder and nails with a short fuse to hounds.

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