So I built some NPC stat blocks for my upcoming campaign. Afterwords, I compared their stats to the "benchmarks" for effective monsters, and compared that CR to the CR the guide suggests for heroic NPCs. Didn't quite match up. To make things weirder, since the NPCs are essentially naked cannibals, despite having essentially no gear... they're still a little high for their CR. I tried to make up for their apparent strength by making them starving naked cannibals (fatigued, subdual damage) to bring them down to CR 1/2 benchmarks (because CR should be 2 (from level) - 1 (basic adjustment for NPC) - 1 (equiptmentless)).
Anyway... I'm making this post because I'm curious as to whether or not I've assigned CR approperately. Here's the stat blocks:
The Corpsewolf tribe is falling on difficult times. Descended from a Vodoni crew that crashed in the New Lands four goblin-generations ago, the barghest captain's blood has been passed down on to all surviving goblins, creating a unique breed of tiefling. This tribe is weakened by starvation and canableism, but still should pose a threat to the anmesiac PCs.
Lesser Barghest-spawn Tiefling
+2 Dex, +2 Con, -2 Cha
small outsider (native)
+1 natural armor
death knell 1/day
darkvision 60 ft.
+2 intimidate +2 stealth
Famished Corpsewolf Maneater (Barghest-spawn Tiefling True Primative-Barbarian 2) - CR 1/2
XP 200
CE Small Outsider (native)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +6
-defense-
AC 13, touch 12, flat-footed 12 (+1 natural, +1 Dex, +1 size)
hp 8/19 (2d12+6)
Fort +5, Ref +1, Will +1
uncanny dodge
-offense-
Speed 30 ft.
Melee unarmed +3 (1d2+1)
Ranged improvised thrown +2 (1d2+2, 10 ft.)
Spell-Like Abiltiies (CL 1st)
1/day death knell (DC 10)
Favored Terrain (forested island, +2 init, knowledge geography, perception, stealth, survival, included)
-statistics-
Str 13 Dex 13 Con 16 Int 10 Wis 12 Cha 6
Base Atk +2; CMB +2; CMD 13
Starving: is fatigued (and cannot rage), and has suffered 11 points of subdual damage, (included)
Feats Improved Unarmed Strike
Skills perception +8, stealth +11, intimidate +3, knowledge (geogrpahy) +2, survival +8
Languages Goblin, Infernal, illiterate
Equiptment: none
Corpsewolf Maneater (Barghest-spawn Tiefling True Primative-Barbarian 2) - CR 1
XP 200
CE Small Outsider (native)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +6
-defense-
AC 12, touch 11, flat-footed 10 (+1 natural, +2 Dex, +1 size, -2 morale)
hp 23 (2d12+10)
Fort +8, Ref +2, Will +3
uncanny dodge
-offense-
Speed 30 ft.
Melee unarmed +6 (1d2+4) and bite +1 (1d3+2)
Ranged improvised thrown +2 (1d2+2, 10 ft.)
Spell-Like Abiltiies (CL 1st)
1/day death knell (DC 10)
Rage 8 rounds (+4 Str, +4 Con, -2 AC, +2 Will, animal rage rage power, included in stats)
Favored Terrain (forested island, +2 init, knowledge geography, perception, stealth, survival, included)
-statistics-
Str 19 Dex 15 Con 20 Int 10 Wis 12 Cha 6
Base Atk +2; CMB +5; CMD 17
Feats Improved Unarmed Strike
Skills perception +8, stealth +12, intimidate +3, knowledge (geogrpahy) +2, survival +8
Languages Goblin, Infernal, illiterate
Equiptment: none
Corpsewolf Chief - CR 1 (400 xp) or CR 2 (600)
same stats except CR 1 famished, CR 2 healthy
4 extra hp, +4 AC, CMD, +2 attack, damage, CMB, DC, 1/day bull's strength instead of death knell
(The story is that the spelljammer timeline progressed in the time periods coverd in the 3.0/5e rules which let me play with recent history, where the Vodoni loyalists, desperate, made some deals with fiends to aquire goblin soldiers and ships, as well as diobolic support, to create a new Vodoni/Goblin/Devil evil force... and anyway, one such ship of this fleet crash-landed on the PCs home planet, providing them with a helm and also the descendants of the Vodoni ship to serve as the PCs first oposition. The canables are varint tieflings, a tribe of goblins with barghest blood.)