Hobgoblin Deceiver
Hobgoblin Deceiver (CR 10)
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 Deceivers are an example of what a 'normal' hobgoblin is like...if there can be anything normal about a Fey-spawned monstrosity.
Deceivers are clever, sly things, interested in tricks and traps and cruel pranks of all sorts. Their social life and their status is all they truly care about, that and having 'fun' at the expense of those weaker than themselves. Deceivers are respectable Hobgoblins, even though they seem to have no useful skills or add any worth to their community. They do, however, own many slaves, although they usually keep those slaves tucked out of harms way. It wouldn't do to mess up the torments they've planned for them with somebody else's cruelty.
Deceivers tend to be quite active outside the community, for Hobgoblins, and they can often be seen working for other monstrous races, for cash, for fame, for ideas of cruel pranks to play, for access to victims, for many twisted reasons.
General
CR 10 Hit Dice 15
XP 9,600
LE, Medium, Fey
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 feet, Perception +15
Defense
AC 30, touch 19, flat-footed 25 (+6 armor, +5 dex, +5 natural, +4 deflection)
hp 175
Fort +13, Ref +10, Will +12
Aura: -
SR: -
Special Defenses: -
Immunities: -
Weaknesses: Vulnerability to Cold Iron
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Space / Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Single Melee Cleaving Sword +16 (2d8+10/19-20x3) + Uncanny Feint
Full Melee 2x Cleaving Sword +16 (2d8+10/19-20x3) + Uncanny Feint
Ranged Bladed Bolas +16 (2d8+10/x2) + Uncanny Feint Range Increment 30 feet
Special Attacks Bladed Bolas, Uncanny Feint
Action Points 0
Statistics
Str 17, Dex 17, Con 20, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 11
Base Atk +10; CMB +16; CMD 26
Feats Combat Reflexes EFFECT: Up to 4 Attacks of Opportunity per round.
Uncanny Feint EFFECT: May roll a Bluff check to feint in combat as a swift action.
Skills Bluff +15
Languages Common, Awnshelghi
Special Abilities
- Bladed Bolas
Once per encounter, as a standard action, Hobgoblin Deceivers may throw a Bladed Bola at an opponent. They may use their Uncanny Feint ability with this attack if they wish. If they successfully hit with the Bladed Bola, the target takes the listed damage (2d8+10x2) and are Entangled. Removing the Entangled condition requires a standard action.
- Uncanny Feint
Hobgoblins can bend and move in a fluidly repulsive, unnatural way, which makes predicting when and where they are going to attack exceedingly difficult. As a result, as a swift action, the Hobgoblin can use Bluff to feint in combat, causing its opponent to be denied his Dexterity bonus to his AC against that hobgoblin's attacks until the beginning of his next turn. The DC of this check is equal to 10 + the target’s base attack bonus + the target’s Wisdom modifier. If the target is trained in Sense Motive, the DC is instead equal to 10 + the target’s Sense Motive bonus, if higher.
Treasure
sell value of approximately 5,000 gp
Combat Tactics
Hobgoblin Deceivers are as cruel and cold as all other Hobgoblins. Hobgoblins want to catch you as a slave, not kill you, and as a result they will use their Bladed Bolas early in a battle to tie up their foes and then wade in.
If they cannot over run a battle quickly with a wave of Bola entangles, they will fight cautiously, back away with five foot steps when possible to force foes to close in and suffer attacks of opportunity. Agile foes will be hit with Uncanny Feint and attacked first, in an effort to thin the numbers of their enemies, and heavily armored foes will be left for last if possible. If there is a heavily armored foe, one Deceiver will engage them and fight defensively, with Uncanny Feint, while the rest of the Hobgoblins attack softer opponents.
If the battle goes badly for them, Deceivers will steadily back away with five foot steps, seeking to inflict enough damage with opportunity attacks and Uncanny Feints to force a withdrawal. Hobgoblins are disciplined sorts: If they cannot force a break in the fighting to withdraw in an orderly fashion, they will fight to the death, drawing out the battle as long as possible to inflict the most damage they can before their end.