Hobgoblin Scourge

Hobgoblin Scourge (CR 16)

Lawful Evil - Medium - Fey

Lore:	Know (Nature)
31		49
Basic DC		Full DC

Initiative

27

Perception:
38	+28
Passive	Active

Ambush:

10+

on a d20

Senses:

• Standard Senses
• Darkvision 60 ft.

Movement Types:

• Walk 30 ft.

Defense

AC

40

Man Def

40

Monster Health
475	237	31
Hit Points	Bloodied	Hit Dice

Saving Throws
Fort:	+18
Refl:	+13
Will:	+15

Strong Against:

Weak Against:

Offense

Size:	Medium
5 ft.		10 ft.
Space		Reach

To-Hit

+24

Man Off

+28

Action

0

Points

Standard Attack (Melee):

• 1x Slavers Whip +24 (3d8+18/19-20 x2)
  as slashing (physical, common)
  plus: Whipcrack

Full Attack (Melee):

• 3x Slavers Whip +24 (3d8+18/19-20 x2)
  as slashing (physical, common)
  plus: Whipcrack

Standard Attack (Ranged):

• 1x Hob Knob +24 (4d8+19/18-20 x2)
  as bludgeoning (physical, common)
  (Increment: 30 ft.; Max Range: 150 ft.)
  plus: Upon successful strike, once per round per struck foe, make Reflex save vs DC 27 or be Quelled

Full Attack (Ranged):

• 3x Hob Knob +24 (4d8+19/18-20 x2)
  as bludgeoning (physical, common)
  (Increment: 30 ft.; Max Range: 150 ft.)
  plus: Upon successful strike, once per round per struck foe, make Reflex save vs DC 27 or be Quelled

Siege Damage: Not siege capable

Statistics

18

STR

18

DEX

16

CON

14

INT

16

WIS

14

CHA

Skills:

• Bluff: 27
• Knowledge (Local): 27
• Perception: 28
• Sense Motive: 27
• All other skills: 22 (no ranks)

Languages: Awnsheghlien, Common

Feats:

• Combat Reflexes (EFFECT: Monsters with this feat make up to 4 attacks of opportunity per round instead of one.)

Special Abilities

Whipcrack (Su) Automatic 2/Rnd

Up to twice per round, a creature targeted by the Hobgoblin's Slavers Whip attack must make a FORT save versus a DC of 27. If they fail the save, they suffer 3d8+18 points of sonic (energy, common) damage, and gain the Secured condition until the start of the hobgoblin's next turn. If they succeed on the save, they are not secured and only take half the sonic damage. Note that the hobgoblin may choose to use this on the target of any Slavers Whip attack, whether it hits or misses, as it pops the whip close to the victim's sensory organs, causing a stunningly sharp jostling shock of sound. Hobgoblins don't want to KILL you, they want to CATCH you....

Tears of Pain (Sp) Standard Action 1/Rnd

Concentration: 1d20 + 19 vs. a DC of 31 (12 needed on the die) Once per round, as a standard action, a Hobgoblin Scourge may mime wiping a tear from its eye and 'flick' it toward victims of their choice. When doing so, it uses its twisted Fey magic to inflict terrible pain upon its enemies. This is a mind-affecting spell-like ability that targets a 3x3 square area anywhere within 100 feet of the Hobgoblin's square. The Hobgoblin must have line of sight and line of effect to the target square. When cast, Tears of Pain inflicts 3d8+18 of psychic (energy, uncommon) damage and inflicts the Baffled condition until the end of the encounter. Those who succeed on a Will save against a DC of 27 are able to reduce the damage by half and reduce the Baffled condition to Dazzled (which still lasts until the end of the encounter).

Enslave (Su) Out of Combat

When they catch slaves, Scourges enact a fearful ritual upon them to ensure their compliance. They take Cold Iron and very carefully craft it into chains, heating it in their red forges to denature the poisoned substance. They take the white hot metal and hammer it into slave shackles upon their victims. This breaks the creature's will to the hobgoblin's, and thus you will see cruelly chained and shackled monsters in hobgoblin encounters. Enslaved: This is a strong status condition that applies only to monsters with an INT score. The monster becomes subservient to the hobgoblins and will do whatever it is told. The reforged Cold Iron shackles give enslaved monsters DR/Cold Iron equal to their CR ÷ 2. Enslaved creatures grant 10% more XP and treasure to reflect their stronger combat stats. Enslaved can be cured only by casting Remove Curse (Cleric Spell), or using an ability with a comparable effect.

Hobgoblin Scourge

Hobgoblins are the cruelest and most common of the Low Fey. Although technically Outsiders, they live on the Prime material in large numbers, their enclaves generally isolated. By the measures of more 'normal' races, the Hobgoblins, like all fey, are quite insane. Their motives and reasoning are just-so-subtly...off.

For example. Hobgoblins are quite formidable beings. If they formed armies and marched on their neighbors, they could establish nations and empires easily enough. But they do not. They don't care about such things, being content to live in small towns and thorps, a few dozen here, a few hundred there.... That is all that they are interested in. Hobgoblins are far more interested in their byzantine social lives and the torment of their slaves than they are about worrying over living space, to be honest.

Hobgoblin Scourges are the 'hoity toity' members of hobgoblin society. They are not nobility by any stretch, but they're wealthy and well-fed, just a touch full of themselves, just a touch superior to the lesser sorts around them.

Scourges are better dressed, have more elaborate homes and lairs, and of course, have more slaves. Oddly enough, Scourges treat their slaves even more poorly than do lesser sorts of hobgoblins, and will almost always have a slave nearby to carry out their tyrannical orders, torment, and even casually torture as the whim strikes them.

Despite their airs, Hobgoblin Scourges are skilled combatants and more than a little skilled in cruel magics, that they use to good effect against their victims.

Scourges are less likely to roam afield than other Hobgoblins, although they are occasionally encountered working with some Deceivers for some other monstrous neighbor.

Combat Tactics

Hobgoblin Scourges are cruel, languid fiends who are quite willing to let Enslaved, or even other Hobgoblins, take the front ranks.

This does not make a Scourge any less dangerous in battle. Scourges lavish care and effort upon their throwing weapons, their characteristic Hob Knobs, and if they are allowed, they will stay at range, using their Hob Knobs to ruthless effect, picking away at the back ranks of their enemies until they close in and lay down a Secured status to gain a bit of sellable flesh.

If close to melee they will use their Slavers Whip attack, targeting melee enemies from the second rank of the combat using their reach, looking to lay Secured and damage from Whipcrack and knock out enemies quickly. Far more damaging, though, is their agonizing Tears of Pain attack, which they will target upon the soft rear ranks of their enemies, looking to inflict Baffled upon any spellcasters. Hobgoblins realize that Baffled is not a strong effect against a melee fighter, so they will target Tears of Pain upon soft targets and spellcasters first, then rely upon Slavers Whip and Whipcrack to take down any stubborn melee types.

If a battle is going poorly, Scourges will attempt to make a fighting withdrawal, moving away and casting Tears of Pain behind them to deter pursuit. If cornered, they will not hesitate to betray their comrades and attempt to work out surrender terms.

If forced into it, they will accept almost any terms of surrender that saves their lives: They have confidence they will turn the tables at a later date, and laugh last.

If surrender is not possible, they will fight savagely to the death.

Out of Combat

Hobgoblin Scourges are the high-society, educated hobgoblins, who have money and status. As such, they are usually found in roving 'work parties', looking to expand their slave coffles or gather up plunder to support their relaxed lifestyle.

Yes, Scourges are usually out roaming and ravaging as a hobby, rather than a profession.

No, that doesn't make them any less dangerous! Just because they are inclined to enjoy a bout of witty banter before a fight doesn't make them less monstrous, it makes them WORSE. Because Hobgoblins are really, truly nice, civilized beings, who just happen to feel that all other races exist to serve them as chattel, and nothing, NOTHING, will change their minds.

Well, except death....

Rewards

XP: 76,800

Treasure: Sellable Goods worth 43,125 gp.

Weight: 160 lbs.     Volume: 6.4 cu. ft.

Optional Treasure Rules: Roll a d20 on Table 1 below once per encounter (NOT per creature). Any items discovered are in addition to the normal treasure for the encounter.

Table 1: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 10	Nothing Found
11 - 14	1 Languid Remnant (tier 1)
15 - 17	1 Pale Remnant (tier 2)
18 - 19	1 Bright Remnant (tier 3)
20	Roll on Table 2
###	Nothing to see here!
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 2: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5	3 Languid Remnants (tier 1)
6 - 10	3 Pale Remnants (tier 2)
11 - 14	1 Intense Remnant (tier 4)
15 - 17	1 Blazing Remnant (tier 5)
18 - 19	1 Vital Remnant (tier 6)
20	Roll on Table 3
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 3: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5	3 Bright Remnants (tier 3)
6 - 8	3 Intense Remnants (tier 4)
9 - 11	3 Blazing Remnants (tier 5)
12 - 14	3 Vital Remnants (tier 6)
15 - 17	1 Prime Remnant (tier 7)
18 - 19	1 Mythic Remnant (tier 8)
20	1 Empyrean Remnant (tier 9)