Hobgoblin Houndmaster
Medium • Fey (Goblinoid) • Lawful Evil
Armor Class 15
Hit Points 75 (10d8 + 30)
Speed 30 ft.
Initiative +5 (15)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 (+2) | 16 (+3) | 16 (+3) | 11 (+0) | 15 (+2) | 13 (+1) |
Skills Animal Handling +6, Perception +4, Survival +6
Gear dagger, longbow, studded leather
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Common, Goblin
CR 3 (XP 700, PB +2)
Beast Bond. The hobgoblin can communicate simple ideas and commands with Beasts.
Coordinated Pack. The allied Beasts within 30 feet of the hobgoblin have advantage on their initiative roll.
Pack Tactics. The hobgoblin has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the hobgoblin's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The hobgoblin makes two Dagger or Longbow attacks.
Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5, reach 5 ft or range 20/60 ft. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) piercing damage.
Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5, range 150/600 ft. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) piercing damage. Beasts have advantage on Wisdom (Perception or Survival) checks for 1 hour to locate the target.
Spellcasting. The hobgoblin casts one of the following spells, using Wisdom as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 12):
1/day: animal messenger, locate animals or plants, pass without trace
BONUS ACTIONS
Sic’ Em (Recharges after a Rest). The hobgoblin chooses a creature within 30 feet that it can see. Each allied Beast that can hear the hobgoblin can use their reaction to move up to its speed toward the target. Further, whenever a Beast hits the target with an attack, the target’s speed is cumulatively reduced by 10 feet until the end of its next turn.
Hobgoblin Houndmaster
Medium • Fey (Goblinoid) • Lawful Evil
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 26 (4d8 + 8)
Speed 30 ft.
Initiative +4 (14)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 (+1) | 15 (+2) | 14 (+2) | 10 (+0) | 13 (+1) | 11 (+0) |
Skills Animal Handling +5, Perception +3, Survival +5
Gear dagger, longbow, studded leather
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Common, Goblin
CR 1/2 (XP 100, PB +2)
Beast Bond. The hobgoblin can communicate simple ideas and commands with Beasts.
Coordinated Pack. The allied Beasts within 30 feet of the hobgoblin have advantage on their initiative roll.
Pack Tactics. The hobgoblin has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the hobgoblin's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
ACTIONS
Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4, reach 5 ft or range 20/60 ft. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.
Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5, range 150/600 ft. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
Spellcasting. The hobgoblin casts one of the following spells, using Wisdom as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 12):
1/day: animal messenger, locate animals or plants, pass without trace
BONUS ACTIONS
Sic’ Em (Recharges after a Rest). The hobgoblin chooses a creature within 30 feet that it can see. Each allied Beast that can hear the hobgoblin can use their reaction to move up to its speed toward the target. Further, whenever a Beast hits the target with an attack, the target’s speed is cumulatively reduced by 10 feet until the end of its next turn.
Hobgoblin Houndmaster
Medium • Fey (Goblinoid) • Lawful Evil
Armor Class 15
Hit Points 135 (18d8 + 54)
Speed 30 ft.
Initiative +6 (16)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 (+3) | 17 (+3) | 17 (+3) | 13 (+1) | 17 (+3) | 15 (+2) |
Saving Throws Dex +6, Wis +6
Skills Animal Handling +9, Perception +6, Survival +9
Gear dagger, longbow, studded leather
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages Common, Goblin
CR 6 (XP 2,300, PB +3)
Beast Bond. The hobgoblin can communicate simple ideas and commands with Beasts.
Coordinated Pack. The allied Beasts within 30 feet of the hobgoblin have advantage on their initiative roll.
Pack Tactics. The hobgoblin has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the hobgoblin's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The hobgoblin makes three Dagger or Longbow attacks.
Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +6, reach 5 ft or range 20/60 ft. Hit: 9 (2d4 + 3) piercing damage.
Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6, range 150/600 ft. Hit: 16 (3d8 + 3) piercing damage. Beasts have advantage on Wisdom (Perception or Survival) checks for 1 hour to locate the target.
Spellcasting. The hobgoblin casts one of the following spells, using Wisdom as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 14):
2/day: animal messenger, locate animals or plants, pass without trace
BONUS ACTIONS
Sic’ Em (Recharges 5-6). The hobgoblin chooses a creature within 60 feet that it can see. Each allied Beast that can hear the hobgoblin can use their reaction to move up to its speed toward the target. Further, whenever a Beast hits the target with an attack, the target’s speed is cumulatively reduced by 10 feet until the end of its next turn.
QUICK REFERENCE
USING MONSTER VARIANTS
Monster variants allow the GM to adjust encounters to better match the party’s strength, narrative needs, or world-building logic. A weaker variant may represent a juvenile, wounded, or lesser specimen, while a stronger variant can serve as a leader, champion, ancient creature, or apex predator.
Variants can be used to fine-tune difficulty without changing the core identity of the monster, making them ideal for scaling encounters, reinforcing hierarchy within a faction, or creating memorable boss-style enemies. You can even use the same stat block but different variants in the same encounter if you want.
Design Note. Each monster is primarily balanced around its normal version. Weaker and stronger variants are derived adjustments and may not always preserve every tactical nuance or “feel” of the original creature. GMs are encouraged to review variants carefully and adjust abilities or tactics as needed to best suit their table.