Hobgoblin Warbeast

The Monster’s Handbook (2002) was an early d20 supplement written by a then up-and-coming freelancer named Mike Mearls. It was a handy guide to tweaking and enhancing monsters with feats, prestige classes, templates, and other mechanisms. The hobgoblin warbeast was a prestige class that appeared in a web supplement for the book. While interesting and flavorful, a prestige class probably wasn’t the best mechanic to model the concept.

Meanwhile, the Monster Manual II contained a warbeast template based on warhorses and riding dogs; this simple template models the training and breeding needed to create a mount capable of riding into battle and is probably the best mechanic to use here. Although closed content, the basics can be easily reverse-engineered out of Open Game Content in the SRD.

The following template, then is loosely inspired by the hobgoblin warbeast class and is Open Game Content:

Hobgoblin Warbeast Template

When the grim legions of the hobgoblin kings march to war, they commonly enter battle alongside terrifying creatures they have captured, mercilessly trained, and broken to their needs. The techniques used by hobgoblins leave the creatures scarred for life. Under the harsh care of a hobgoblin trainer, the warbeast slowly transforms into a disciplined marauder. Driven by the pain and torment, warbeasts launch themselves into battle with a vicious abandon.

Creating a Hobgoblin Warbeast

“Hobgoblin Warbeast” is an acquired template that can be added to any animal of Large size or smaller and 8 Hit Dice or less (referred to hereafter as the base creature).

A hobgoblin warbeast uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature + 1.

Armor Class: Natural armor improves by +1.

Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +2, Con +4, Wis +2.

Feats: All hobgoblin warbeasts gain Iron Will. Hobgoblin warbeasts with 2 or more Hit Dice also get a second bonus feat chosen from the following: Alertness, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, or Toughness.

Special Qualities: A hobgoblin warbeast retains all the special qualities of the base creature and gains one extraordinary ability from the following list:

• Fast Movement: The hobgoblin warbeast’s land speed increases by +10 feet.
• Improved Attack: The damage for one of the hobgoblin warbeast’s natural attack forms increases as if the creature had taken the Improved Natural Attack feat.
• Ferocity: The hobgoblin warbeast is such a tenacious combatant that it continues to fight without penalty even while disabled or dying.

Hobgoblin Training (Ex): A hobgoblin warbeast is proficient with light, medium, and heavy armor. A warbeast can utilize hobgoblin augments (see below). Unlike other animals, the DC of a Handle Animal check does not increase if the warbeast is wounded or has taken any nonlethal damage or ability score damage. A warbeast is trained to attack all creatures (including such unnatural creatures as undead and aberrations). If feasible, a warbeast can be trained for combat riding while in battle. Such a warbeast can fight while carrying a rider, but the rider cannot also attack unless he or she succeeds on a Ride check.

Hobgoblin Augments

Hobgoblins are ingenious at devising equipment that can augment the natural attacks of their warbeasts. These range from wickedly spiked gauntlets, iron overlays for fangs, or bladed metal caps for tusks. An augment can only improve one of the warbeast’s natural attack forms. When worn, the augment changes the natural attack to do both piercing and slashing damage and increases the critical threat range of the attack by +1. Only animals with the hobgoblin warbeast template can effectively use a hobgoblin augment. An augment weights 1/2 pound for every HD possessed by the warbeast and costs 20 gp for every HD.

Sample Hobgoblin Warbeasts

A hobgoblin war-ape uses an ape as the base creature.

Hobgoblin War-Ape CR 3

Always N Large animal

Init +6; Senses low-light vision, scent; Listen +7, Spot +7

Defense

AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 16
(+3 armor, +2 Dex, +4 natural, -1 size)

hp 37 (4 HD)

Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +5

Offense

Spd 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

Melee 2 claws +8 (1d6+6/19–20), bite +3 (1d6+3)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Statistics

Str 23, Dex 15, Con 18, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 7

Base Atk +3; Grp +13

Feats Alertness, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Toughness

Skills Climb +14, Listen +7, Spot +7

SQ ferocity, hobgoblin training

Gear studded leather armor, hobgoblin augment (claws)

Special Abilities

Ferocity (Ex) The war-ape is such a tenacious combatant that it continues to fight without penalty even while disabled or dying.

Skills War-apes have a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened.

A hobgoblin warpig uses a boar as the base creature.

Hobgoblin Warpig CR 3

Always N Medium animal

Init +0; Senses low-light vision, scent; Listen +8, Spot +6

Defense

AC 20, touch 10, flat-footed 20
(+3 armor, +7 natural)

hp 31 (3 HD)

Fort +10, Ref +3, Will +5

Offense

Spd 40 ft.

Melee gore +5 (2d6+4/19–20)

Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.

Statistics

Str 17, Dex 10, Con 21, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 4

Base Atk +2; Grp +5

Feats Alertness, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Toughness

Skills Listen +8, Spot +6

SQ ferocity, hobgoblin training

Gear studded leather armor, hobgoblin augment (gore)

Special Abilities

Ferocity (Ex) A warpig is such a tenacious combatant that it continues to fight without penalty even while disabled or dying.

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