Goblin Shrieker (Challenge Rating 1)
While they share common blood and ancestry, the goblin shrieker is not your average goblin, as many would-be adventurers have found out. They share many of the same characteristics as their kin, but they possess a savage ferocity and a lust for battle that sets them apart from their more cowardly kin. They wield wicked axes in combat, becoming dervishes of destruction as they hew through their foes.
Possessed by Rage. Goblin shriekers distinguish themselves at an early age. Like certain members of other races, these goblins are able to harness an inner rage into explosive power on the battlefield. While they aren’t quite able to manage a full berserk fury, they are more than able to use their abilities to their advantage, channeling it into a battle cry that can unnerve even the most battle-hardened veteran.
Ferocious Combatants. Goblin shriekers channel their abilities into being effective and deadly warriors. They find that they are often underestimated at first because of how they appear, and they use that to their advantage. Foes that survive an initial attack by a goblin shrieker are quick to respect the skill and tenacity that their opponent possesses, not to mention the courage (or insanity) it takes to throw oneself at an opponent when the rest of their kind are so quick to hide.
Shock Troops and Champions. When a goblin finds he has the abilities of a shrieker, he is given (or takes for himself) a special place in society to reflect his worth to the tribe. Those shriekers whose tribes are part of a more powerful creature’s armies find themselves put into specialized vanguard units to hit enemy defenses fast and hard to prepare the way for the rest of the forces behind them. Those that are part of independent tribes still find themselves elevated in the tribe, oftentimes treated as heroes and champions of the tribe. In either case, many find their stations a source of contention and jealousy from the more common goblins below them in the social hierarchy.
Below is the stat block for the Goblin Shrieker. The link above the image will take you to a PDF should you wish to download it for your own games.
Original art by ChangSung Bae. DND Monster Template by Colby Savell
Ben Erickson
