D&D 5E 5e Hobgoblin stat block

[SkidAce]

The difference is between formation and guerrilla warfare. Hobgoblins murder you in formation, so you are wiser NOT to play their game and instead opt for skirmish.

Remathilis "The Dessert Fox"

Rommel would like to invite you over for cake.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle, page 158, "Knock Down" action. A few lines underneath the "Improvising An Action" sidebar.

I take it that's only available for real money?

That's why the Fighter pushed a hobgoblin away from the other (either through a Strength contest, or by grappling the hobgoblin and moving it).

Presumably dragging after a grapple requires a further test of some kind, or is it just that easy?

 

[Klaus]

I take it that's only available for real money?

You'd have to check dndclassics.com for it (or one of the recent adventures that have a shortened (1-10) version of the last public playtest, like Vault of the Dracolich.

Presumably dragging after a grapple requires a further test of some kind, or is it just that easy?

Once you're grappling a creature, you can move it with you automatically during your turn (only cost is every 5 feet of movement cost another 5 feet of your speed).

Again, I'm quoting GoDSC because is the open playtest version I have near me right now.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Also, you didn't discuss the CR issue, which is an actual design issue.

Both CR and XP are relevant to encounter-building. You can't dress it up differently. There is no confusion.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Both CR and XP are relevant to encounter-building. You can't dress it up differently. There is no confusion.

I'm not "dressing it up differently", they cover distinct aspects of encounter-building, but if that's the way you want to argue, that's okay.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

You'd have to check dndclassics.com for it (or one of the recent adventures that have a shortened (1-10) version of the last public playtest, like Vault of the Dracolich.

Once you're grappling a creature, you can move it with you automatically during your turn (only cost is every 5 feet of movement cost another 5 feet of your speed).

Again, I'm quoting GoDSC because is the open playtest version I have near me right now.

I'll have a glance, thank you!

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

I still have a problem with the any ally adjacent text. A goblin spotter hiding in a bush next to a player qualifies. Would an animal companion (or familiar) hiding in a bush qualify?

I can understand that many (or some) don't think that should work. That says to me the text should be changed.

Myself, I think the ability should be 1d6 and only work with an ally that has the same ability who is engaged in melee with the same opponent.

Thx!

TomB

I'm not sure how I'd write this as a rule at the moment, but when running the hobgoblin, I'd run it so that the ability works with any intelligent ally with which the goblin has had the opportunity to train with, and who is in a position to fight in formation. So, a Hobgoblin and his two goblin underlings, but not his pet, and not a goblin hiding in the bushes.

 

[Remathilis]

Rommel would like to invite you over for cake.

I claim to be no expert on warfare. Cake, on the other hand...

 

[Grazzt]

Rommel would like to invite you over for cake.

German chocolate cake by chance?

 

[pemerton]

The difference is between formation and guerrilla warfare. Hobgoblins murder you in formation, so you are wiser NOT to play their game and instead opt for skirmish.

A military challenge requires good strategy and tactical choices.

RW tactics. I find destroying stuff before they can stick me with pointy things being the best solution.

Not fantasy narratively dramatic or fair to melee characters

As SkidAce suggested, my mileage does vary.

I guess I also have some trouble working out what is happening in the fiction.

Here is a diagram- the hobgoblins are numbers, the PCs letters.

1 2 3
A B C

As I understand it, each of hobgoblins 1, 2 and 3 gets a very hefty damage buff against each of PCs A, B and C even if A, B and C are shield-using fighters or clerics armed with spears or swords and themselves fighting in a reasonably tight formation. It's not clear to me why.

If the hobgoblins outnumbered the defenders, I could understand it - the defenders are harried by the tight ranks of the hobgoblins. Or if the hobgoblins were getting a defensive buff, I could understand it - they have formed a shield wall. Or if the hobgoblins could push forward if two of the three hit, I could understand that too - they are maintaining their formation and driving the PCs back.

But why do they become such heavy hitters when they are in formation? How does the formation help them hit harder or more accurately, even when their allies in the formation are fighting their own opponents?

As I said, I don't quite understand it, and I don't like the vibe that it is a mistake to try and meet a hobgoblin phalanx by drawing up your own ranks. That seems somewhat counter-intuitive and definitely counter-genre.