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Hello. I've been having an idea to make one more goblin tribe that would be a threat to Sandpoint-even though this tribe won't join Nualia, they will decide to attack the town shortly after Nualia's defeat.
The tribe is called Bloodblade, named after the fact that all of the goblins don't use the traditional horsechoppers or dogslicers, but coveted swords from "longshanks". They are a relatively young tribe, being found around 10 years ago by a young female hobgoblin named Raekora-a hunter of humans, wielding a longsword and shortsword with deadly accuracy. What is the most odd about this tribe is their worship to a mainly unknown deity in goblin society-Asmodeus.
Raekora's tribe will include mainly goblin warriors, goblin warchanters, and a couple of goblin commandos (though each of them will have their weapons changed to shortswords or shortbows), as well as goblin dogs and (if the PCs are around 5th level, perhaps an advanced tatzylwyrm).
Regardless, Raekora is a ranger, with her two weapons on hand, two-weapon fighting as her combat style, and humans as her favored enemy. She will also have the hobgoblin alternate racial trait magehunter.
Any advice/ideas for an encounter with Raekora and her Bloodblade goblins will be very helpful.
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Why wouldn't Raekora and the Bloodblades join Nualia? Moreover, if they refuse to join, why wouldn't Nualia kill Raekora for her audacious refusal, and take over the Bloodblades once there's a power vacuum? I suspect it's because Raekora converted them to Asmodeus, but I feel like goblins would be easily swayed by the aasimar blossoming into full demonhood, once Raekora's out of the picture.
Well I'm gonna make some assumptions.
Raekora, a hobgoblin, has taken over a band of goblins and over the last few years has been collecting useful outcasts from other goblin tribes - probably a number of Mosswood goblins as they have low (even by goblin standards) central leadership. Sounds like this is a good place for a goblin wizard/sorcerer.
She has refused Naulia's call to the goblins to invade the town, and maintained control of her group.
Waiting until after the initial attack on the town to start her own attacks implies that she is being an opportunist - launching attacks when the focus of most people is on defending the town. Seems like a good target for her would be to hit the outlying farms, gather supplies and make a play to be the next big player in the area. To fill the void that Naulia is leaving.
Attacking the outlying farms, particularly at first allows you to introduce people like the Hambleys.
It will be a good time to show a different side of goblins too, the sneaky-bad-news-not-really-funny-at-all side. Ambushing, hiding.
I see Raekora's goal as (in fitting with her patron) gathering power.
She's not really trying to provoke an attack on her until she's ready, and would rather fight a battle on her own terms rather than the PCs.
She'll want to have a place were its hard to get at her, and there is lots of traps and places for her goblins to attack with ranged weapons where it is difficult to get to so that the goblins dont get stuck in melee.
Goblins aren't very suited to LE, but the thing that would attract them to Asmodeus above all else is FIRE. So Raekora should go big on that, with at least one decent magic item to impress them. A flaming sword is obvious; a wand of burning hands or flaming sphere would do OK, though she (as a ranger) couldn't use it by RAW. Handing out this kit means you may hit WBL issues here if she goes down too easily.
As an alternative to a lone hobgoblin, these goblins could be led by a group of Asmodean Chelish agents working to undermine Varisian power and regain their empire. Said group could include one or more hobgoblins. There would naturally be a spy in Sandpoint telling them when it's safe to attack.
Why wouldn't Raekora and the Bloodblades join Nualia?
Why would they? Even the Thistletop stinkers only side with Nualia half because their leader has a borderline crush on her (and the other goblins are mostly only with Thistletop because what Thistletop wants, Thistletop gets). Even then, some, such as Mokmurt, aren't inclined to respect the authority of some random longshanks.
Goblins, at least, are dumb enough to follow just about anybody with charisma. But why would a hobgoblin go, "Sure, I'd be happy to cede my independence and authority to kneel before a human who employs half-elves and wizards!"? Hobgoblins aren't morons, nor are they easily controlled.
Perhaps Nualia failed to show the proper regard for Raekora when making overtures. Perhaps she cautiously put off meeting the hobgoblin, thus offending her. Perhaps she's been unwilling to make palatable offers of alliance because the Bloodblades are unpopular with the other tribes; sort of the Eagleton/vegetable vendor/Ben Wyatt of goblin communities, easily mocked in order to score points with other constituents. Or perhaps Raekora just doesn't care for Nualia for the basic reasons outlined above.
Wow, thank you guys so much for the suggestions!
I have the idea that Nualia wouldn't even ask for Raekora's assistance in the first place. Why? Because she thinks the barghest is more than enough for her army-even though Tsuto thinks that having a hobgoblin would work wonders.
Her gear would include a flaming longsword (and maybe even a flaming shortsword); would this make her close to a lv 7th character? I want her to be encountered sometime after the Thistletop encounter, but before the assault on the ghouls in the farms. I also want to include a different enemy-one that the Advance Bestiary will come in handy. A ghoulish tatzylwyrm.
Basically, Raekora would have a "pet" tatzylwyrm that she called Elf-Eater-mainly because she sends captured elves and half elves-alive-into it's pit (but the remains of other prisoners or even goblins who she never had any good opinions over will be consumed by the worm dragon).
Regardless, her lair was under attack from a few ghouls who followed the scent of blood soaked goblins. Only four goblins were killed before the ghouls were taken care of, but Raekora just simply burned the corpses and gave them to the Elf-Eater; what she didn't realize was that the flesh of the burned goblins still retained a trace of ghoul fever-one that made the tatzylwyrm die within a few days. When a goblin went to check on it, he turned to report to the others-only for the beast to scream back to life, mutilating any goblin that was unlucky enough to escape.
In this scenario, Raekora will most likely seek out the PCs to help-although she would've never met them, she would've taken in a few surviving Thistletop goblins that fled once the PCs have finished that part of the campaign. Once she's found the PCs, she's wounded, but thankfully not from the ghoulish tatzylwyrm-rather from a skirmish with wild animals; she'll reveal the situation, and deliver a deal-if the PCs can kill Elf-Eater, she'll make sure that she and her remaining goblins stay away from any "longshank" settlement near Sandpoint. Despite being LE, she is true to her word-although she does attack other farms within 20 miles from Sandpoint, she makes sure that she and her goblin minions stay away from that town.
What do you guys think?
I think that by just having Raekora directly try to reach out to the PCs, you are missing the chance to introduce NPCs before they become bodies.
Have Raekora do something to give the PCs SOME reason to trust her.
Have her finish off one of the other goblin tribes, rescuing and releasing a human to deliver her message, that human is Junior Grump/a Hambley/Foxglove's butler/Tarch Mortwell/Banny Harker.
I like a Hambley or Banny Harker, just so you can give them a speaking part to interact with the NPC before the start of Skinsaw.
@KenderKin-Yes, I'll be getting the statistics for this tribe soon
@the Lorax-Hmm...You're right. Maybe put her in Thistletop (somewhere) and like the druid goblin (forgot his name), she'll surrender if reduced to a number of hit points-in this case, she'll probably be a ranger 3/fighter 2 (or at the least a ranger 3/fighter 1/rogue 1, or a full on ranger 5 with a wolf animal companion for her hunter's bond). I'm not quite sure where the best spot for her would be...I'll have to think on that.
BUMP
Got the stats for the Elf Eater up. Here's what Raekora's previous pet would be against the PCs:
CR 7
advanced giant unique ghoul tatzylwyrm (Bestiary 3)
CE Large undead
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft, low-light vision; Perception +12
DEFENSE
AC 22, touch 14, ff 17 (+5 Dex, +8 natural, -1 size)
hp 40 (3d8 + 24 (Cha modifier) + 3 (Toughness)
Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +9
Defensive Abilities channel resistance +2, undead traits
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft, climb 30 ft
Melee bite +10 (1d10 + 7/19-20 plus ghoul fever, grab, and paralysis) and 2 claws +4 (1d6 + 3 plus paralysis)
Space 10 ft; Reach 10 ft
Special Attacks specialized hunter (elves)*, paralysis (elves immune), ghoul fever, poison gasp (DC 16), overmaw*, ghoul breath*
*-See Below
STATISTICS
Str 24, Dex 21, Con -/-, Int 11, Wis 22, Cha 17
Base ATK +3; CMB +11 (+15 to grapple); CMD 26 (can't be tripped)
Feats Stealthy, Toughness, Weapon Focus (bite) [bonus]
Skills Climb +17, Escape Artist +8, Intimidate +7, Perception +12, Stealth +9 (+15 in dense vegetation); Racial Modifiers +6 Stealth in dense vegetation
Languages Draconic
SPECIAL
GHOUL BREATH: Once per day, when the Elf Eater uses its poison gasp ability,, it uses ghoul fever (DC 16) instead of the tatzylwyrm's usual poison. (Replaces the tatzylwyrm's usual poison, the pounce attack, and the rake attack)
OVVERMAW: The Elf Eater has large jaws, even for his kind; as a result, his bite attack increases by one damage step (to 1d10), and gains Weapon Focus (bite) as a bonus feat. In addition, whenever it rolls to confirm a critical hit with its bite attack, the critical hit is successful if the dice lands on a natural 19 or 20. However, he has stunted claws; his claw attacks deal one damage die lower (to 1d6). (+2 to CR)
SPECIALIZED HUNTER: Before its ghoulish revival, the Elf Eater lived up to its name by hunting, slaying, and consuming elves. As a result, it's lifetime of learning elven ways gives it a +1 bonus to attack and damage roles against humanoids with the elf subtype. (+1 CR)
I don't know if this thing will be too powerful for the beginning of Book 2; let me know what I can do to improve.