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[Goblin]

After spending roughly a whole day studying, I sat down and started designing monsters using the skill set I had developed.  The next thing I knew it was midnight, so I stopped :-P.  I think it gives an idea of how the skills can come together to produce a coherent strategy, and how different combinations can have vastly different flavours.  I have a general idea of how things *should* work here, and designed each of these monsters to use their skills towards a specific strategy.  Some of the skills listed below (particularly from the spellcraft domain) may have been changed since I last posted them in the skill brainstorming thread or never posted at all since I'm still tinkering with how they fit into the whole skill tree.  However, I used them in their current (non-finalized) version here just to get an idea of how they'd play out.  As you may notice, mirror image and flare are very popular selections since I discovered there isn't a lot of option at level 1 for general defensive spells and level 2 for general support spells.  In my next revision, I may well change that to diversify these levels a bit.

In the meantime, enjoy the list of monsters.  If you have any questions, post them and I'll elaborate:

(ps; my personal favourites are the barrow wight and wraith, in the undead section)


Goblin
size: small
behavior: feral, mob

Goblins are small, diminutive creatures often found in craves, swamps, or thick forests in rural regions.  They are parasites of mankind, addicted to the wealth and prosperity of humanity, but unable to replicate it themselves.  They usually resort to raiding and plundering for profit, but have little organization amongst themselves.  Goblins are easily frightened by displays of power, but are fickled and untrustworthy in general.  They are often quite sneaky, using their small stature to their advantage.

These creatures rely on sheer numbers to overtake opponents.  They are weak and straightforward foes, usually with very distinct roles and predictable strategies.  Individually, a goblin can be easily dispatched without having to use more than a few skills, but when a pack of them has you surrounded, quick thinking and strategy is crucial. 


goblin straggler:
level equivalent: 1
equipment:
   (high quality set) : short sword
   (medium quality set) : knife
   (low quality set) : club
skills: footwork, sneak I, maneuver
When larger goblin enclaves are broken up, stragglers can disperse over a large region.  These individuals offer little resistance to trained warriors, but can be deadly to common folk.  Stragglers may scramble to defend an encampment from attack if defenders fail to drive off intruders.

goblin raider:
level equivalent: 1
equipment:
   (high quality set) : short sword, small wooden shield, hide armour (small)
   (medium quality set) : knife, small wooden shield
   (low quality set) : club
skills: footwork, balance, maneuver, sneak I, dodge, throw
Goblins are surprisingly fleet of foot in combat, and prefer to rely on numbers rather than skill to overtake their foes.  Raiders can be rather pesky to deal with, as their small size combined with propensity to dodge makes them difficult to strike, but are only really dangerous in large numbers.  Goblins aren't afraid of taking a cheap shot at you by throwing some rocks.

goblin hunter:
level equivalent: 1
equipment:
   (high quality set) : short bow, knife, hide armour (small), arrows x10
   (medium quality set) : crude bow, knife, arrows x7
   (low quality set) : crude bow, club, arrows x5
skills: sneak I, steady aim, footwork, maneuver, dodge, utility mastery
Goblin hunters are better equipped and practiced at attacking prey from a distance.  Like their counterpart, the raiders, goblin hunters are effective only in large lumbers.  They will use staggered volleys of projectiles to pepper any intruder from a distance, but their lack of organization makes an approach easy enough.  Hunters are quick to use their side-weapon if caught in the melee.

goblin warrior
level equivalent: 2
equipment:
   (high quality set) : light mace, small shield, hide armour (small)
   (medium quality set) : short sword, small shield
   (low quality set) : knife, small shield
skills: sneak I, sneak II, footwork, balance, manoever, dodge, lunge, lunge attack
More experienced than common raiders, goblin warriors can be truly deadly in larger packs.  Although not soldiers by any extent, they work well as a team to surround and overpower foes, putting their lunge attack to good work.  They will often strike simultaneously, making it difficult to capitalize on the delay afterwards.  They're deadly foes, but a tad predictable.

goblin champion
level equivalent: 3
equipment:
   (high quality set) : longsword, chain mail (small)
   (medium quality set) : longsword, hide armour (small)
   (low quality set) : short sword, hide armour (small)
skills: sneak I, sneak II, maneuver, lunge, footwork, balance, impact, ready stance, lunge attack, parry II, successive strike, lateral strike, warcry, kick
These high level goblins are much more deadly than their weaker cohorts.  They will use the combination of ready stance and successive strike to produce a series of very quick blows against opponents.  They will use lunge attack, impact, kick and lateral strikes repetedly to soften up the chosen target.  They save their warcry for when it counts.  Goblin champions usually lead larger bands of warriors or raiders which back them up, making them truly dangerous opponents. 

goblin seer
level equivalent: 2
behavior: pack
equipment: staff
skills: energy bolt, destructive touch, restorative touch, incant, shield, barrier, mirror image, flash, power shaping, guardian aura, stealth I
Seers are goblins with magical capabilities.  They are leaders of their kind, and will use their spells with this role in mind.  They will produce tactical barriers to protect hunters and themselves, while casting energy bolt at exposed enemies.  When given the opportunity, they will use flash to blind opponents and provide opportunities for goblins who are in position.  They will normally avoid using restorative touch, saving this only for themselves or more powerful creatures like goblin champions.  If desperate, a seer may use flash, then attempt a destructive touch.

goblin blade
level equivalent: 2.5
equipment:
   (high quality set) : short sword, dagger, hide armour (small), knives x5
   (medium quality set) : short sword,  knives x5
   (low quality set) : dagger, knives x4
skills: Sneak I, Sneak II, Sneak III, dual wield, maneuver, balance, footwork, lunge, roll, dodge, feint, throw, quick shot
The goblin blade is more powerful than ordinary goblin warriors, but aren't at the same level as champions.  They form a particularly nasty variety of enemy that will wait for the ideal opportunity to strike.  They use their knives somewhat aggressively, and will venture out from their safe hiding places in order to acquire more knives or attack the enemy.  They will always ensure they have two weapons in hand for battle, and will never throw their best weapons away.




Undead
size: medium
behavior: fearless, solitary
special:
   undead fervor; all undead receive a +1 bonus to their hit class armour reduction
   tireless; all undead have infinite stamina
   reckless abandon; undead never flinch

The undead are the corpses of the once-living that have been animated by some unknown force.  Often mindless and violent, undead will seek to attack and slay any living creature they encounter.  Typical varieties of undead - the kind detailed here - have no intelligence of their own and merely roam abandoned graveyards and crypts, only moving when some external will implores them to.  They may have "figments" of memories from previous lives, enabling them knowledge of how to use weapons or battle techniques, but typically little more.  Undead are oblivious to group strategy, and will act as if they're the only individuals in the battle.  A few undead varieties, such as barrow wights, are slightly more aware of their surroundings and may take a leadership role.

Restless Remains
level equivalent: 1
equipment:
   (high quality set) : short sword
   (medium quality set) : club
   (low quality set) : bare fists
skills: brace, impact, guard stance
Restless remains are fairly straightforward enemies.  They simply approach enemies and attempt to attack them.  They will use their small selection of skills as appropriate to overcome opponents, but are otherwise simple fodder.  Restless remains come in two flavours: skeletons move faster but have less powerful attack, while the fleshy variety is slow but packs a heavier punch.

Skeleton Archer
level equivalent: 1
equipment:
   (high quality set) : longbow, short sword, small wooden shield, ragged armour, arrows x10
   (medium quality set) : short bow, dagger, small wooden shield, arrows x10
   (low quality set) : short bow, arrows x10
skills: guard stance, steady aim, brace
Having acquired the life memories of an archer, the skeletal remains takes on the bow and arrow once more to attack its foe.  They're very conservative about their ammunition, firing when they have a good shot.  If they run out of ammunition, they'll calmly use their side arm, or if they lack one attack with their bare fists.  If there is a source of ammunition nearby, however, they will attempt to find more ammunition before entering the brawl.

Skeletal Warrior
level equivalent: 2
equipment:
   (high quality set) : longsword, shield, ragged armour
   (medium quality set) : short sword, wooden shield, ragged armour
   (low quality set) : short sword, small wooden shield
skills: shield block, parry I, brace, shield guard, cleave, parry II, impact, shield bash
Skeleton warriors are more powerful than mere skeletal remains.  They use their shields remarkably effectively and their careful and deliberate attacks make them a true pain to take down.  They're not the most mobile of enemies, however, and are easily outmaneuvered on the battlefield.  Skeleton warriors are not afraid to use cleave, but they're very defensively oriented and usually cancel it to revert to shield guard rather than risk taking damage.  They're long-term combatants who seek to outlast opponents.

Tormentor
level equivalent: 2
equipment: none
skills: energy bolt, incant, pulse, barrier, shield, guardian aura, stealth I, stealth II, maneuver
special:   incorporeal; the tormentor gains a +3 bonus to its armour hit class reduction (does not stack with undead bonus)
   ghostly; the tormentor is considered invisible to all creatures more than eight meters away, and is visually obscured to all creatures more than four meters away.
   dim aura; the tormentor exudes an aura of darkness around itself, creating a black shadow that obscures the area around it.  Any creature within this aura views everything, even things outside the aura, as darkened and obscured.
The tormentor is a difficult foe to approach.  While his dim aura gives away his general position, he'll be sure to move quickly to evade your attacks, and once you're inside his aura you'll no longer perceive the movement of the aura.  His incorporeal nature and ghostly properties make him very difficult to attack both at a distance and at melee, even if his position can be pinpointed.  When an area is too cramped to move about freely, he will create barriers, but hide them inside his aura so as to trap you.  Strategically, the tormentor will pepper you with magical attacks from a distance, while trying to avoid giving you the opportunity to attack his very fragile body.

Wight
level equivalent: 2.5
equipment:
   (high quality set) : longsword, chain mail
   (medium quality set) : longsword, ragged armour
   (low quality set) : longsword
skills: destructive touch, destructive aura, shield, mirror image, spark weapon, impact, balance, cleave, brace, stealth I, footwork
special: negative aura; the wight steals mana from all living creatures trapped within its aura.
Wights are undead that have a greater propensity for magic.  They're not slow like other varieties of undead, and can pack a significant punch in the thick of combat.  Wights will attempt to outlast their opponent by employing their unique negative aura to sustain themselves, and using mirror image and shield to survive.  When attacking, they will use spark weapon to add magical properties to attacks, then cleave to extend the attack range.  They're also not afraid to attempt to use destructive touch if given the chance.

Barrow Wight
level equivalent: 3.5
behavior: mob
equipment:
   (high quality set) : enchanted longsword, chain mail, enchanted helmet
   (medium quality set) : enchanted longsword, chain mail
   (low quality set) : longsword, chain mail
skills: wight set, power shaping, tap reserves, revitalize, restorative aura, barrier, energy lash, razor's edge, footwork, sweeping blow, wide-arc slash
special: negative aura; the wight steals mana from all living creatures trapped within its aura.
   negative energy; the restorative aura and revitalize powers of the barrow wight will damage living creatures rather than heal them, and are more potent than the regular spell when targetting undead.
These more powerful wights are more aware of their surroundings than regular wights, and will actually take a leadership role amongst undead forces.  They use their healing powers to keep fellow undead at top fighting shape, while utilizing their aura to feed these powers.  Barrow Wights have spells and combat abilities that make them effective at all ranges, and as such are incredibly deadly foes.  At a short range, their wide arc slash combined with spark weapon and razor's edge gives them a potent melee attack, while their energy lash spell gives them a ranged attack that can draw enemies closer.  The best advice is to either stay out of range of their aura, or go for a quick kill.

Ghoul
level equivalent: 2
equipment: none
skills: lunge, maneuver, sneak I, acrobatics, footwork, tackle, impact, destructive touch, lunge attack
special: ghoul frenzy; a ghoul gains the benefit of the "successive strike" third level combat ability for free, but loses hit points every time he uses it.
   draining touch; whenever the ghoul attacks, it gains health equal to 33% of the damage it dealt.
Ghouls are reckless attackers that spring upon enemies with great speed.  They will attempt to use their initial stealth cover to perform a tackle, and then use this opportunity to perform destructive touch or employ ghoul frenzy to savage the target.  Ghouls rely on their ability to regenerate injuries by attacking; they will quickly die if they fail to deal damage.
   
Wraith
level equivalent: 4
equipment: none
skills: destructive touch, destructive aura, mirror image, guardian aura, wizard's armour, maneuver, footwork, stealth I, stealth II, stealth III
special: incorporeal; the wraith gains a +3 bonus to its armour hit class reduction (does not stack with undead bonus)
   sapping aura; enemies trapped within the wraith's aura have their stamina slowly drained
   ghostly; the wraith is considered invisible to all creatures more than eight meters away, and is visually obscured to all creatures more than four meters away.
Wraiths are ghostly foes that are exceedingly difficult to deal with.  Although actually vulnerable to physical weapons, attacking a wraith is like attacking leaves in a windstorm, and it's difficult to land even a glancing blow.  Beyond its incorporeal nature, the wraith also has a wide range of defensive spells that it will employ to keep itself alive, plus supernatural stealth capabilities.  Its primary strategy is straightforward; use its defensive properties to get close enough to use destructive touch.  Against pesky enemies, it will back off and allow its sapping aura to drain them dry before it moves in for the kill.  Wraiths are difficult, if not impossible to kill with martial skills alone due to their long list of powerful defensive spells.  Spellcasters and ranged attackers are not much better off, since wraiths can't even be detected at distances greater than eight meters.  When injured, wraiths switch from destructive aura to guardian aura.  A single wraith would be a significant challenge for a beginning adventurer.

Tomb Guardian
level equivalent: 3
behavior: pack
equipment:
   (high quality set) : bastard sword, large shield, light plate OR  war mace, light plate
   (medium quality set) : bastard sword, shield, chain mail   OR war mace, chain mail
   (low quality set): longsword, small shield, ragged armour OR war hammer, ragged armour
skills: shield block, impact, brace, parry I, cleave, shield guard, shield bash, balance, ready stance, successive strike, razor's edge, force impact
special: steadfast; while standing perfectly still, tomb guardians regenerate mana twice as quickly
This is as strong as regular undead warriors come; tomb guardians are powerful fighters who will use their force impact ability to break oncoming foes.  They will prefer to hold their position against an incoming enemy, and will only actively pursue if attacked from a range.  They're more aware of their surroundings than ordinary undead, and will work to avoid breaking rank while protecting ranged support.  Tomb Guardians were usually soldiers in life, and as such they retain the instincts of a soldier with regards to cooperation amongst each other.

[Kobold]

post was too large; splitting it up

Kobold
size: small
behavior: undisciplined, pack
special:
   disappear; kobolds are capable of disappearing spontaneously.  This invisibility lasts only a few seconds before fading.  The disappearance ability normally needs to be "cast" like a spell, but can be activated spontaneously if the kobold suffers damage.

An enigmatic race of creatures, Kobolds are natural magic users and frequently found near human encampments.  Individual kobolds may be found hiding in a commoner's cellar, while larger communities thrive in old mine shafts and tunnels beneath human settlements.  Though kobolds are greedy thieves, peasant folklore suggests they are harbringers of good luck.  For instance, a farmer might find his tax payment inexplicably returned to him the following morning.  Kobolds are intelligent creatures, and are aware that if they take without giving back to their patrons, there will eventually be nothing left to take.

When threatened, Kobolds can be vicious; they prefer to run and hide, but if their hiding place has been breached they can be tenacious threats.  Although usually not found in larger communities, when they do band together kobolds can form huge clans that operate over a wide territory, reporting back to a central lair with their ill gotten gains.  Kobolds are weaker than goblins physically, but even the most mundane varieties are capable of simple magic.

Invariably kobolds get compared to goblins, but they are much less aggressive and territorial, and their magical propensity makes them entirely different foes.  While both are quite stealthy by nature, kobolds do so magically while goblins are legitimately silent.  With few exceptions, Kobolds have some degree of illusionary skills and can employ the mirror image skill, meaning even the most mundane encounters will appear to be more numerous than they really are.


Kobold Thief
level equivalent: 1
equipment:
   (high quality set) : dagger
   (medium quality set) : knife
   (low quality set) : nothing
skills: sneak I, sneak II, maneuver, mirror image, incant, energy bolt
These kobolds are usually city-dwellers, relying on stealth and their innate disappearance ability to avoid conflict.  A kobold thief usually has no desire to fight, instead it will probably try to run away.  If cornered, it will use mirror image to defend itself while maneuvering and casting energy bolts.  Thieves are not warriors by any measure, but are capable of defending themselves if need be.  Although sometimes armed, thieves will prefer magical defenses to martial varieties.

Kobold Miner
level equivalent: 1
equipment:
   (high quality set) : handaxe, hide armour
   (medium quality set) : light hammer, hide armour
   (low quality set) : club, hide armour
skills: sneak I, sneak II, maneuver, footwork, guard stance, dodge, shield, pulse, throw
This variety of Kobold is usually found in underground passages.  Somewhat better equipped for melee battle than thieves, miners are prepared to defend their lairs against intruders.  They will use their stealth ability to get up behind a target, while other individuals distract them with their defensive combat skills.  Miners draw foundation skills from all domains, making them particularly versatile for a level 1 creature.  Although capable of using the pulse ability, they will not hesitate to throw rocks and conserve mana when appropriate.

Kobold Trickster
level equivalent: 2
equipment:
   (high quality set) : dagger
   (medium quality set) : knife
   (low quality set) : nothing
skills: sneak I, sneak II, maneuver, mirror image, flash, restorative touch, elemental biasing, barrier, dodge
Tricksters are usually found within larger groups of kobolds.  They prefer to allow their allies to do the damage to the enemies, and instead will focus on support roles.  They will use the flash and barrier abilities to disrupt an enemy's advance, and will use restorative touch to keep as many barriers operational at a time as possible. 

Kobold Protector
level equivalent: 2.5
equipment:
   (high quality set) : short sword x2, hide armour, protective charm
   (medium quality set) : short sword, dagger, hide armour
   (low quality set) : short sword, dagger
skills: sneak I, sneak II, maneuver, dodge, dual weild, spin attack, lunge, roll, acrobatics,  footwork, balance, mirror image, spark weapon, elemental biasing, flash, enegy bolt.
These kobolds are protectors of larger communities, and will seek to ward away intruders.  They eagerly employ spark weapon and mirror image at the start of any battle, and then proceed to use their finesse domain skills to outmaneuver the player.  When out-matched, they may withdraw by using flash.  Protectors won't crowd around a target, and instead some will stand back and use energy bolt at a distance.

Kobold Sorcerer
level equivalent: 3
equipment:  staff
skills: sneak I, sneak II, mirror image, flash, wizard's wake, impulse, incant, barrier, shockwave, energy bolt, restorative touch, power shaping, contingency, tap reserves, guardian aura
Sorcerers are dangerous foes who will use their natural kobold stealth combined with their brutal spellcasting repitoire to overcome opponents.  Sorcerers will primarily use the impulse skill fueled by tap reserves.  When drained dry, they will attempt to retreat rather than keep fighting.  They're extremely difficult to deal with in the melee because they keep running away, but at a range their only real defense is mirror image.

Kobold Rogue
level equivalent: 3
equipment:
   (high quality set) : short sword, knife x10, protective charm
   (medium quality set) : dagger, knife x10
   (low quality set) : knife x8
skills: sneak I, sneak II, sneak III, maneuver, steady aim, utility mastery, dodge, throw, quick shot, fan of blades, footwork, mirror image, shield, guardian aura, elemental biasing, spark weapon, wizard's armour
The rogue is a dangerous kobold who will throw knives rather than energy balls at you.  He uses spark weapon to imbue his knives before throwing them.  He's also keen to use fan of blades to unleash an entire volley at one time.  Defensively, he has both wizard's armour and guardian aura to keep him safe if spotted, but he prefers to rely on stealth as his first line of defence and his priority is to maintain it.

Kobold Scout
level equivalent: 2
equipment:
   (high quality set) : dagger, short bow, arrows x15, hide armour
   (medium quality set) : knife, short bow, arrows x10
   (low quality set) : knife, crude bow, arrows x10
skills: sneak I, sneak II, maneuver, steady aim, quick shot, utility mastery, mirror image, pulse, elemental biasing, shield, spark weapon
The Kobold Scout operates very similarly to the rogue, but at a lower level.  He attacks with a bow and arrow rather than knives, but otherwise his strategy is similar; use spark weapon to enhance his ranged attack while using his stealth to keep himself safe.  He lacks some of the high end abilities of the rogue, and if his stealth is broken his only defense is the shield spell and mirror image spell.