Hobgoblins with style

[ramrod]

Hi guys,


Using lots of hobgoblins in an upcoming campaign and want to throw lots of mooks, to some unique hobgoblins. Will be a group of 5 level 5s. I have looked at mm5 for some ideas, but was wondering if there were any other sources of monsters with levels, or even better a tool online where you can take a standard monster and simply add levels?

[Grod_The_Giant]

Hobgoblins are humanoids, and they've got a "hobgoblins as characters" section in the MMI/SRD. Making a "hobgoblin with levels" is literally identical to making a PC. I think there are some NPC compendiums out there, though, and I believe that there are a bunch in Cityscape.

[Jergmo]

I've found in my own campaigns the best sources for monsters with levels are:

-Wordpad/Notebook paper
-The Monster Manual
-The Player's Handbook

Given enough time designing your own classy monsters, I think you'd find it will become increasingly quick and easy. I create lists of characters of different classes at different levels, and simply apply bonuses or penalties from race and/or change spellbooks, copying the basic template.

[Urpriest]

In general, making monsters with levels is one of the more fun aspects of DMing, and you'll enjoy the game more if you do it yourself. :smallsmile:

Plus, as pointed out, hobgoblins with class levels don't even have a racial CR boost, they're just like making a PC race NPC.

[ramrod]

I will be making my own centrepiece hobgoblins, I have some nice ideas for them. But just wanted to be able to quickly generate lots of different mooks, the adventure areas has lots of different flavours, there are melee weapons masters, archery ranges, library's, temples, crypt, even the kitchens will have unique mobs :)

Most of the mooks I just want flavour change, but each area will have unique ones made by myself :)

I have found the dingle games site which looks to be pretty awesome at generating custom mobs, can add classes, templates, items etc http://www.dinglesgames.com/tools/MonsterGenerator/dnd35/ I think this covers all that I need for speedy creation :)

[Vanitas]

Hobgoblin Warblades. Use hobgoblin warblades.

[fishyfishyfishy]

Hobgoblin Warblades. Use hobgoblin warblades.

This. The Iron Heart school is fluffed to have been pioneered by Hobgoblins. My favorite classes to use on Hobgoblins are warblade, duskblade, and warmage.

[ramrod]

Oh yeah, I was pointed to the dusk blades etc in mm5. Very cool, but can't use too many of them, particularly at the beginning of the adventure, starting with level 5. So will toss in some other ones, of different level.

[BWR]

In an abandoned homerew setting I had hobgoblins as a Roman expy. Aggressively expansionistic, bureaucratic and sticklers for details (a bit less artistic and corrupt). Hobgoblin legionnaires were Fighters with various feats that supported formation fighting and leather armor, heavy shields, short swords and javelins.

[Gwendol]

Formation fighters with warblade or crusader commanders using White Raven Tactic maneuvers.

[hemming]

I will be making my own centrepiece hobgoblins, I have some nice ideas for them. But just wanted to be able to quickly generate lots of different mooks, the adventure areas has lots of different flavours, there are melee weapons masters, archery ranges, library's, temples, crypt, even the kitchens will have unique mobs :)

Most of the mooks I just want flavour change, but each area will have unique ones made by myself :)

I have found the dingle games site which looks to be pretty awesome at generating custom mobs, can add classes, templates, items etc http://www.dinglesgames.com/tools/MonsterGenerator/dnd35/ I think this covers all that I need for speedy creation :)

Using the premade tables of core classes for NPCs in the DMG and amending for hobgoblin should be pretty quick - if they are casters, just whittle down the suggested spell list for one of the premade NPC examples in this section to fit the level of the NPC (starting around page 115 in DMG I think)

Probably not the answer you are looking for, but its a quick dirty way to stat up a lot of NPCs

[Joe the Rat]

In an abandoned homerew setting I had hobgoblins as a Roman expy. Aggressively expansionistic, bureaucratic and sticklers for details (a bit less artistic and corrupt). Hobgoblin legionnaires were Fighters with various feats that supported formation fighting and leather armor, heavy shields, short swords and javelins.

Did you do Goblins as plebians? Please tell me you did Goblins as plebians.
(I never got mine going either)

[BWR]

Did you do Goblins as plebians? Please tell me you did Goblins as plebians.
(I never got mine going either)

Didn't get quite that far, sadly. And I would have loved to come up with that idea on my own.

[Urpriest]

In general, if you just want a bunch of pregenerated NPCs, Enemies and Allies had a good range. It's a 3.0 book, but a lot of the NPC classes didn't change much.

[stack]

I like putting them in pike and shot formation or musket squares, but that works better with pf gun rules and the troop subtype (like a swarm, but for bigger creatures).

Theoretically anyhow, haven't tried it in play yet.

[Urpriest]

I like putting them in pike and shot formation or musket squares, but that works better with pf gun rules and the troop subtype (like a swarm, but for bigger creatures).

Theoretically anyhow, haven't tried it in play yet.

In 3.5 the Mob template works for swarms of medium creatures, though it's not great for modeling martial competence.

[Ellowryn]

I like putting them in pike and shot formation or musket squares, but that works better with pf gun rules and the troop subtype (like a swarm, but for bigger creatures).

Troop subtype? Where is that?

[LibraryOgre]

A few years ago decade ago (holy hell has it been fifteeen years) when 3.0 was new, I ran a game where an empire of hobgoblins took over Neverwinter woods. Rather than make a huge number of individual NPCs, I wound up creating a number of NPC types... standard soldiers, light cavalry (who I crunched as rangers with a mount-based fighting style), scouts, etc. I left a few skills points unspent so I could rearrange people as needed, but mostly left them alone.

Then the party said "Screw it, we're going to Waterdeep and ignoring this." So I blew up Waterdeep. Then they blew up Waterdeep, and set it on fire. Because players.

[stack]

Troop Subtype (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/rules-for-monsters/creature-types#subtype-troop)

The troop subtype represents an organized group of trained soldiers that act as a unit, rather than as individuals. A troop is something of an abstraction, in that the component creatures that make up the troop are mostly irrelevant; only the troop as a whole matters for the purposes of combat. A troop is similar to a swarm, but is normally composed of Small or Medium creatures. Large groups of Tiny or smaller creatures should use the normal swarm rules.

Traits: A troop is not subject to flanking, but it is subject to critical hits and sneak attacks if its component creatures are subject to such attacks. Reducing a troop to 0 hit points or fewer causes it to break up, effectively destroying the troop, though the damage taken until that point does not degrade its ability to attack or resist attack.

All troops gain the following traits.

Troop Subtype: A troop is a collection of creatures that acts as a single creature, similar to a swarm, but typically as part of a military unit. A troop has the characteristics of its type, except as noted here. A troop has a single pool of Hit Dice and hit points, a single initiative modifier, a single speed, and a single armor class. A troop makes saving throws as a single creature. A single troop occupies a 20-foot-by-20-foot square, equal in size to a Gargantuan creature, though the actual size category of the troop is the same as that of the component creatures. The area occupied by a troop is completely shape-able, though the troop must remain in contiguous squares to accurately reflect the teamwork of trained military units. A troop has a reach equal to that of the component creatures based on size or armament. A troop can move through squares occupied by enemies and vice versa without impediment, although the troop provokes an attack of opportunity if it does so. A troop can move through any area large enough for its component creatures. The exact number of a troop's component creatures varies, but in general, a troop of Small or Medium creatures consists of approximately 12 to 30 creatures. Larger creatures can form troops, but the area occupied by such a troop should increase proportionally according to the size of the component creatures.
A troop is never staggered or reduced to a dying state by damage.
Immunity to being Tripped or Bull Rushed: A troop cannot be tripped, grappled, or bull rushed, except by area effects that include such effects. A troop can grapple an opponent.
Immunity to Single Target Spells: A troop is immune to any spell or effect that targets a specific number of creatures (including single-target spells such as disintegrate and multiple target spells such as haste), though it is affected by spells or effects that target an area or a nonspecific number of creatures (such as fireball or mass hold monster).
Vulnerable to Area Effect Spells: A troop takes half again as much damage (+50%) from spells or effects that affect an area. If a troop is rendered unconscious by means of nonlethal damage, it disperses and does not reform until its hit points exceed its nonlethal damage.
Troop Attack: Creatures with the troop subtype don't make standard melee attacks. Instead, they deal automatic damage to any creature within reach or whose space they occupy at the end of their move, with no attack roll needed. A troop's stat block has “troop” in its Melee entry with no attack bonus given. The amount of damage a troop deals is based on its Hit Dice. Unless stated otherwise, a troop's attacks are non-magical. Damage Reduction sufficient to reduce a troop attack's damage to 0 or other special abilities can give a creature immunity (or at least resistance) to the troop's attacks. Some troops also have other special attacks in addition to normal damage. Troops threaten all creatures within their reach or within their area, and attempt attacks of opportunity as normal with their troop attack.
Chaos of Combat: Because of the chaos of combat, spellcasting or concentrating on spells within the area of a troop or within its reach requires a caster level check (DC 20 + spell level). Using skills that involve patience and concentration requires a successful DC 20 Will save.

Looting Troops Although troops are composed of a number of individual creatures, the chaos and destruction of battle means that not all of these creatures' equipment survives the rigors of combat. As a result, parties who wish to claim usable gear or treasure from slain foes treat a troop as a single creature for the purposes of looting.

[ace rooster]

I like putting them in pike and shot formation or musket squares, but that works better with pf gun rules and the troop subtype (like a swarm, but for bigger creatures).

Theoretically anyhow, haven't tried it in play yet.

At level 5, just as the wizard gets fireball? Dense formations are a massacare waiting to happen. Military hobgoblins would be well aware of this.
At least in part because of the recent monk thread, I am going to suggest a level 3 monk with a repeating heavy crossbow, who refuses to go within 200ft of any man in a dress or carrying a big stick, (on religious grounds of course) and prefers to be much further. Stunning fist is used if he is forced into combat, but mostly to give him time to run away. Deflect arrows, wisdom to touch ac, and good saves keep him safe. He is backed up by his team of heavy crossbow warrior skirmishers, who are also not above running away from a losing fight, or even one where winning later would be easier. They use their darkvision to move at night without lights, and specialise on attacking campfires at night.

[VoxRationis]

Yeah, but the military hobgoblins ALSO know that the people on these forums hate the fireball spell, so they know it won't be used.:smallwink:

Actually, what would happen is that hobgoblins would normally fight in tight clusters (a cohesive formation IS the best way to fight in most medieval combats) and just be trained to scatter if they see someone too obviously a mage. (Which would mean that there would be some interesting battles in history where a force of light cavalry faced with overwhelming numbers dressed some random guys up in robes, gave them staves, and stood them on a hill, the hobgoblins scattered, and then the cavalry crushed them.) Ideally, they would use that racial Move Silently bonus to sneak a scout into the enemy camp ahead of time and predict whether mages would be involved. That would also give them the opportunity to foil any planar binding stuff the mage would be doing; summon monster doesn't mean much on a battlefield scale, at least not before the mage is so high level, the whole army doesn't mean much.