Goblin dog

In my personal opinion, goblin dogs belong to a niche of creatures that often gets ignored in modern adventures: good old set dressing.

Its abilities are cool and thematic, but pose no real threat to all but the lowliest of parties. I, personally, enjoy opportunities such creatures give me.

If you are a more tactically minded GM, you will be pleased to hear goblin dogs' abilities perfectly complement that of their masters, further enhancing the efficiency of their hit and run tactics and wild maneuvers.

Hook 1 (Max) - The Goodest Boy

"Ya just don't geddit, longshanks," exclaims the goblin in ritualistic garb, "Pampy's the goodest boy we've 'ere. Young 'uns love 'im, geddit? 'S'been couple-a days since he ran off, the ol' bugger. Beast can eat nigh anything, ya know, but there's lotta nasty things in da woods and truth be told I can' really be bothered stalking 'round the bushes. Ya bring 'im back home safe and sound and we might muster some sorta prize for y'all. We have ourselves a deal?"

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - The World's Worst Dog Show

A group of diplomats trying to befriend a local goblin chieftain ended up doing their job a bit a touch too well. As honoured guests, they are invited to become the guest judges in the annual inter-tribal goblin dog show.

Their duties include, but are absolutely not limited to:

- Testing how flammable the goblin dogs' scabs are
- Deciding whether the aromatic smells coming from the mouth and opposite end of the dog are too close
- Counting distinct breeds of fleas present in the dogs' mange-ridden fur

Inventing new criteria on the spot is, of course, part of goblin culture. Should one of the diplomats find one (or more!) criteria that will put the chieftain's own kennel in the lead, the negotiations could come to a swift, amicable, and mutually beneficial end.

Hook 3 (Reece) - Hounds of Huleminn

The crags of Hulevun are a rough land full of rough people. The Relendish Republic, constantly at war, requires a reliable source of metals to fuel their war machine. Hulevun is the center of the metals industry run primarily by The Ancient Hjurdmal Dwarven kingdom, a long-time Relendish vassal. While humans largely cooperate with the Hjurdmali, the local goblin population has become discontented with their abysmal working conditions as they are sent deeper into the sea tunnels below the city to mine.

An enterprising group among the goblins has secretly been breeding goblin dogs for the last ten years. A long term plan such as this is uncommon for the unpredictable goblins and, as such, it was doomed to be spoiled from the outset.

When the breeding grounds gates are broken open, the goblin dogs are unleashed across Hulevun, rather than being targeted at the Hjurdmali overlords. A race to both protect the common folk in addition to covering up the plot ensues thereafter.

Goblin (Commando, Pyro, War chanter & Warrior)

At this point, Goblins are essentially the tell-tale sign you're playing in Golarion. Paizo's rebranding of the creatures from "ork, but small" into the lovable sociopaths we've grown to love and appreciate was a historic move. It's no surprise that with the advent of Pathfinder 2nd Edition, they now come as a playable ancestry as well.

The bestiary gives us four variants to play with: the commando, pyro, war chanter and warrior. Each of the four showcase the goblins signature mix of bravado and oddly-misplaced self preservation instincts, mixed with their peculiar relationship with violence.

In combat, goblins are the master of swarming and hit and run tactics; with a plethora of distraction and mobility focused abilities, they make for extremely dynamic low-level combat. This makes them, among other things, a great way to teach new players about positioning, reactions, and creative use of scenery and terrain.

Hook 1 (Max) - The Gourmet Garbage Gang

The old sergeant looks tired and a touch bored, as if he's had this conversation a hundred times before.

"It's more of a nuisance than a real problem, honestly. Or rather, it was 'til the little buggers kidnapped someone's kid. The thing is, they apparently find people's garbage a premier delicacy and wreak a whole lotta havoc stealing it. Tried sending some of my boys after them, but lemme tell you, they ain't made for diving in trash. I reckon you lot might fare a little better. Still, I advise you get something to cover the smell, lest you have guts o' steel."

Hook 2 (TJ) - The Smokebelchers

The goblins of Uthen have made a name for themselves. Whether the name is positive or negative depends on who you ask, but it's a name nonetheless. Given the opportunity, the goblins have proven very skilled with machinery. While the dwarven clockwork and the gnomish magitech have both elegance and usefulness, the goblin smokebelchers have thrown out elegance in exchange for efficiency and speed.

Because of the rapid industrialization of the Midquarter of Dren, there have been fantastic leaps and bounds in availability of transportation, quality of life, and accessibility to gadgets and gizmos. The air quality and the blackened streaks along taller buildings as the smokebelchers live up to their name, however, has drawn the ire of those in the Lowquarter. Tharrum Platefury is looking for solutions, especially considering the reports of monsters in the smoke, stalking the streets in the darkness.

Hook 3 (Nemanja) - Plot of The Hidden King

Among sappers, there's a saying "Never trust a goblin, but always believe him". This is just a summary of how the little greenskins are seen amongst the Eveventh Kingdom's best engineers; pioneers of their craft that are too fickle and unreliable to work unsupervised, as for every genius idea one of them gets, another one gets blown up.

Indeed, at least seven wars and five covert campaigns have been fought between the Kingdoms of Mankind over the goblins' service. The goblins, for their part, don't seem to mind, working for whoever picks them up as long as they are given food to pickle and gunpowder to experiment with.

They didn't seem to mind, at least until a figure calling himself the Hidden King (in truth, a very cunning and powerful Barghest) comes forth with a list of demands. He claims there are hidden mines beneath every palace in the land, all ready to blow up as soon as he utters a magic word...

Gnoll (Cultist, Seregant, & Hunter)

Gnolls tend to have a rather unsavory reputation, most often deservedly so. Their relation to hyenas is made obvious not only in their appearance, but also their behavior - moving in packs, refusing to waste any meat (well, almost any), including that of their own fallen kin and, generally, steering towards bloodthirsty bouts of violence rather than fine arts.

As previously mentioned, they have some inkling of reverence towards remains of living creatures, albeit they display it in their own gruesome way.

By eating them.

Refusing to eat someone's corpse is, in a gnoll's eyes, a great slight toward the deceased. A thing to keep in mind in more social interactions, perhaps.
An interesting note about their physiology: females are bigger and stronger than the males to the point that it's typically them leading the packs of hunters or warriors to battle.

Despite their apparent lack of aptitude for matters considered practical by most of the civilized world, gnolls prove to be quite an efficient force in combat, particularly given their pack mentality. This is illustrated particularly by their Pack Attack ability, which can greatly improve the damage output of any group of gnolls the party could stumble upon. Once you consider that the gnoll deals extra damage if any two allies are within reach, and then realize that most of them have have access to Attack of Opportunity, you can set up one nasty surprise for your players.

Hook 1 (Max) - Betrayer of Blood

There is word of a pack of ravenous beasts rowing the nearby plains, leaving only devoured corpses of animals in their wake.

They are trailing one of their own, a traitor to their tribe in need of swift judgement. Not all of them are willing to disclose the exact nature of this crime. When pressured in the right way though, a few among them will describe the night when Khazrash poisoned their chieftain, the group leader's father, leading to a rupture in the clan. Terash now seeks revenge for her sire as doesn't have much else to lose, rage fueled by the betrayal of her once closest friend.

Hook 2 (TJ) - Tooth for a Tooth

In gnoll society, teeth are highly prized. A gnoll is not considered fit for the hunt until all of their milk teeth fall out and are fully replaced with their permanent teeth. The gnollish phrase "still got your milk teeth" is a reflection of this idea, and is commonly used to refer to inexperienced outsiders.

As the teeth are used primarily for capturing prey, gnolls who settle disputes with strength rely on hand-to-hand combat. Knocking an opponent's tooth out in a fight is the ultimate indicator of victory. Any tooth gained in this way is commonly kept as a proof of a favor owed, to be returned when the favor is cashed in. As a result, any gnoll who's "got all their teeth" is one who is both strong and above reproach in society.

This also led to a more unusual development; gnolls are considered the progenitors of modern dentistry. Gnoll physiology is more forgiving of infectious materials given their propensity for eating carrion. As such, they were able to develop techniques for dental work first and worry about sterilization later. These gnollish techniques for reinserting teeth or creating dentures are highly valuable to all of the surrounding peoples and has led to some gnolls adjusting to a lifestyle of nomadic, philanthropic, dentistry.

Hook 3 (Nemanja) - Dregs of the Imperium

In the hobgoblin-ruled Imperium Of The Perfect Life, every subject species has a role, even those once treated as barbaric. The recently conquered gnoll tribes, for example, are tasked with taking care of the ever-growing pile of bodies coming back from the Holy Conquest.

In times of relative peace, when not many soldiers fall to the Adversary, gnoll-adjacent neighbourhoods might occasionally report missing children or pets. The authorities are instructed to turn a blind eye, though, for the danger of another Undead Uprising is far greater than letting the occasional civilian get eaten.

Glabrezu(Treachery demon)

Glabrezus are the saying "Be careful what you wish for" made manifest. Despite being huge, hulking monsters with four arms, great maws and horns, they may take on appearance of other creatures, which greatly helps them trick mortals into their doom.

A Treachery Demon's modus operandi is quite simple - find a mortal yearning for something, make their desire come true and twist it in a way that invokes as much misery as possible, be it in the long or short term. This is mirrored by their Twisted Desires ability, which can be used for great narrative effect should your party be especially gullible.

In combat it is no pushover, though its Truth Vulnerability can be potentially exploited by a clever team. It boasts a good arsenal of innate spells that can be used either to disorient the party or make for a quick getaway. Glabrezu is a scary fellow in close quarters combat thanks to its Captive Rake that will, without a shadow of a doubt, turn any unfortunate PC's day sour. Given its faculty for forging pacts, however, it's not unreasonable to conclude it may have some form of backup, should it need any.

Hook 1 (Max) - Song of Ashes

At the crossroads in the Ashen Weald, the most beautiful song can be heard at midnight, drifting down from an ancient, toppled monolith. Thereupon sits a woman of fair features and adorned in ethereal white linens. There are no words in the hymn she hums, though the softness of her voice inevitably draws many to her, even in the darkest hours of the gloom.

Many say that should you catch a glimpse of her amber eyes, she may fulfill any earthly desire you harbor. Although there is a price, she does not ask for much in return.

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - The Speaker's Secret

A Glabrezu controlling the information trade in the thrice-damned city of Thorn has built his reputation on the idea that he is impossible to kill. Indeed, many have witnessed swords breaking, spears shattering, and halberds snapping in two against the demon's thick hide. The fiend simply laughed off the attacks even as he sent the would-be slayers to their death.

The reality, as is often the case with demons, could not be further from the truth. The Speaker, as the fiend calls himself, was in a brutal fight with one of the celestials - leaving him barely out of reach from death's door.

In actuality, all of the supposed attacks on The Speakers were illusions, organized by him and his closest allies to keep up appearances as the most dreaded force in the underworld. Secrecy is imperative, since even a whisper that he is close to death could be the final nail in the demon's coffin.

Hook 3 (TJ) - The Oxblood Regent

The howling of the gate to the Abyss drowned out the cries of those dying around him. As the demonic hordes poured forward into Rendford, the noble turned to the spindly man who had promised him a wish, fulfilled.

"Why is this happening? This isn't what I asked for! You said-"

"I said I would put you on the throne, and that the throne would have loyal subjects. This is what you agreed to."

The man's - no - the beast's smile stretched unnaturally as his form shifted. The noble was lifted off the ground as a pincer closed around his neck.

"Your face is a bit garish, but that's nothing a little taxidermy can't fix. It's really just a chair, anyway. I doubt I'll spend much time in it. Lots of work to do." The noble struggled briefly as the pincer closed tighter.

Then, he struggled no more.

Gimmerling

 The Gimmerling is a creature that sees use in many different ways. As with other creatures that have shape-changing capabilities, you may be drawn to use a gimmerling (or more than one) as a "gotcha" while your players are on some higher level adventure through the fey world. Unlike many other fey creatures, a gimmerling is threatening enough to serve as a final boss of sorts for lower level parties. Its battlefield control through Treacherous Aura and Trip Up can wreak havoc on melee characters.

Even against as a (-2) or more creature, the gimmerling can be employed with traps, snares and the like in order to take full advantage of Trickster's Step. and remain relevant after level 15. Their powerful handcrossbow attacks and jaw poison are great ways to harry a group down while always staying just far enough out of reach to remain a nuisance.

Although they are evil, they may serve as an equally interesting narrative counterpart as well. High Crafting, Deception, Stealth, and Thievery skills can make a gimmerling a crafty and devious foe. Should you find something sufficiently worth their interest, though, you could find yourself with a powerful (and more-than-likely dangerous) magical item or ally.

Hook 1 (Max) - Merchant's Trappings

Great treasure lays in the ruins of the nearby castle. Allegedly. A lot of people went after it and never came back, so there's probably at least their possessions to be taken. Most likely.

The merchant who talks of the riches sits in the local tavern, a hearty man of middling age, who wouldn't hurt a fly.

It seems.

He is, in fact, the reason why no one comes back from the ruins. Not that he dirties his hands, not directly. He just... Appears, typically as a scantily clad woman, baiting intrepid adventurers into a labyrinth of carefully lain traps that only he can navigate. There's a lot of traps there. A ridiculous amount, quite honestly. Most of them don't make any logical sense. Like, why would you fill a room with water every time someone steps into it? Or make a twelve lever puzzle that sends you into a spike pit after you solve it? Or a chasm that you can walk over, but only if you do it backwards while dancing, and the only reward on the other end is an invisible skeleton?

It could be that he just enjoys making traps. It is a strong possibility. Probably.

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - The Coward's Way

The Snickerjaws, a local tribe of Kobolds, have grown from a minor nuisance to one of the most prolific factions in the lawless Tricrown Hills area. The change wasn't a slow one either; it seemed to happen practically overnight.

The Snickerjaws were always regarded as good trappers. While they were once effective, their tactics became common knowledge among neighbouring people, at least until a recent dramatic increase in the quality and ingenuity of their traps. The reason for this is simple; The Snickerjaw chieftain entered a partnership with a gimmerling inventor. The gimmerling is a coward who enjoys the pain his complex and brutal traps cause, though he is afraid of going out into the warzone to set them up, as it is contested by at least five different factions, in addition to one very spiteful demigod. The kobolds, in turn, are well versed in setting traps right under their enemies' noses, so they are delighted to be given a new advantage in the unfolding conflict.

Hook 3 (Reece) - Devil's Conundrum

It is said that Fegerdal Fingermaster is one of the greatest magical smiths across any known plane. Even among his gimmerling kin, the blades he forges are imbued with powerful fey magicks. Though he is a master craftsman, he is equally prone to outbursts of anger which make him incredibly difficult to work with. Should one be able to enlist his services to forge a weapon, any small slight or misstep can result in Fegerdal deciding to forgo his end of the bargain, noting the contract for his service has been voided.

A dispute of this kind is what requires your express assistance. Shybrandila Shiver-Tongue, a contract devil of some importance, bartered on behalf of her lord for a new powerful blade. When the gimmerling smith took offense at some minor slight during the final transaction, Fegerdal stated their business was concluded and had his apprentices escort her from his realm.

Too embarrassed to tell her lord what has occurred, Shybrandila has asked for your help in retrieving the blade by any means necessary. Infiltrating the fey workshop could prove difficult, especially given Fegerdal's penchant for devious and murderous contraptions.

Gibbering mouther

Despite their countless mouths, it is nearly beyond a Gibbering Mouther's capability to form a comprehensive sentence. A soggy mound of flesh pierced through with eyes and maws, this incomprehensible creature is indeed a sight to behold, albeit not the nicest one.

Origins of gibbering mouthers remain shrouded in abject mystery, perhaps for the best. They are not completely mindless, though their true desires or purpose is anyone's guess. In spite of any inclination as to how these monstrosities reproduce, it remains a fact that they are omnipresent in all sorts of dungeons and underground complexes.

On its own a gibbering mouther may not appear to be a considerable threat, especially considering their lack of mobility. It makes up for this shortcoming with some wonderful abilities. The signature ability Gibbering spreads confusion among those that stray too close. Reactive Gnaws can deal considerable extra damage to close quarters combatants while Burn Eyes is an added benefit to the signature ranged attack that can really ruin someone's day. That's all fine and dandy, but let's suppose you add some other beastie to the mix, one that takes advantage of the mouther's aura. Now the battle becomes far more interesting. Because of its low speed, the gibbering mouther may as well (on land at least) serve as an immobile, though dangerous, piece of terrain that harasses your party. Or, if you're feeling especially funky, the entire terrain.

When running a gibbering mouther (or perhaps a few) take note that it is best suited to short bursts of comparatively quick speed, as Engulf can serve as both a tool for movement and an attack all wrapped up in two actions.

Hook 1 (Max) - The Gibbering One

People in need tend to turn to any source of hope they can find. Such is the case with people of Biada, a small mountainside village that has been struggling just to get by for generations. Recently something outstanding has happened; the deity of their shrine (arguably a bastardization of some major cult) has spoken. The populace of Biada took this as a sign of good fortune to come even thought they can't really understand the words their god is uttering, nor are they aware of the vast array of caves and natural tunnels beneath their village.

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - Mouth of Madness

On each of the four tallest peaks in the world of Veyleya there is a solitary gibbering mouther. While erratic and violent, the aberrations are not evil. Should anyone find a way to calm one down, the creatures will switch from the cacophonous gibberish they usually spout to monotonously and menacingly repeating a single word.

Certain books written by mad prophets of eons past claim that these four words, in the correct order, make up the incantation needed to close the Pulsating Portal at the Bottom of the World which would in turn stop the invading shoggoths and save humanity.

Hook 3 (Reece) - The Primordial Enemy

At the first sunrise, when mankind was first taking its tentative steps from the safety of The Divine Garden, the untamed wilds of the world help primordial dangers of immeasurable power. It is said in The First Song that aberrant creatures antithetical to all of life and creation crafted monstrosities to prey on mortal kind. These varied peoples were, in the eyes of these progenitors of chaos, invaders of the worst kind; creatures that sought to bring order to the wilds the aberrations lorded over.

The gibbering mouther was first among these aberrant creations sent to destroy humanity. They were served as some of the very first soldiers of chaos sent to sew madness and despair across budding civilizations as they took the eyes of watchful sentries and turned the first scholars into incoherent sycophants enslaved to the service of The Outsiders.

Giant Octopus

The Giant Octopus, not to be confused with its very real counterpart the giant squid, is a creature of myth. As long as humans have stared out into the depths of the ocean, dwellers of the deep have captured the collective imaginations of mankind. To that end, we often deploy creatures like the Giant Octopus in a similar manner to how one might use a Kraken; something in the seawater to be feared and talked about by sailors and fishmongers.

While I think there are plenty of reasons one might want to use a Giant Octopus in lieu of the much higher level Kraken, there are a number of things to consider when deploying this majestic creature at your table.

Mechanically, as a Neutral aligned Aquatic Animal, the Giant Octopus is primarily suited to living underwater (as it cannot breathe air) and its stats reflect that. Notably, its land speed and swim speeds (15 and 40 feet, respectively) allow it to act tactically similar to how a Roc might in that it can deploy hit and run tactics against land-bound targets. This is emphasized particularly with Jet, an ability that allows the Giant Octopus to move five times its speed with a single action.

Compression, which allows the Giant Octopus to squeeze through a comparatively small space, can very easily be utilized in a number of story mechanics. Giant Octopi that have made a habit of stealing into impossibly small spaces can make them difficult to find even with a highly determined group of heroes. Consider utilizing its superior aquatic mobility in addition to its Writhing Arms and Constrict abilities to simply drown the ill-prepared. It may be an animal, but the real world octopus is a crafty creature and any combat you run should reflect that.

Do note that the Giant Octopus is ultimately an Animal, and it's not necessarily a creature prone to fighting to the death; running (swimming?) away is an option too! Between its various martial abilities and the Giant Octopus Venom/Ink Cloud, it can be a challenging foe for 4th to 7th level parties, in addition to a potentially strong animal ally for an aquatically oriented game.

Hook 1 (Max) - Ocean's Avenger

The coastal town of Gambler's Wharf has seen better days. No ship has arrived at nor departed from the port for the better part of last two months. Inquired as to what might be the reason, they only respond with some permutation of a 'beast from the deep.'

The aforementioned beast does not like the connotation, instead preferring to think of itself as the Ocean's Avenger. How or why the enormous octopus gained sentience is anyone's guess, though the fact remains that it is intent on wreaking havoc upon those who have for generations hunted its marine kin.
Knowing full well the weaponry deployed by land monsters to be superior, Ocean's Avenger armed itself with an armor comprised of the hulls of ships it has sank in addition to wielding weapons and improvised armaments in each of its tentacles such as masts or harpoons found at the seafloor. Although its hatred burns bright, the only thing it really wants is for land dwelling folk to leave its ocean dwelling brethren alone.

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - Inherited Infestation

In merfolk culture, large octopi are treated in a similar way humans and dwarves treat dogs - they are selectively bred for highly specialized roles that support their masters. There are agile octopi that hunt in small packs, massive, heavyset octopi that move and manipulate large amounts of all kinds of material, long tentacled octopi who scour nooks and crannies of underwater cities for lost items, and dozens more.

When the entire population of the underwater Metropolis of Sitnaltas vanishes overnight, hundreds of now masterless octopi end up infesting the entire eastern coast of Akonos.

Hook 3 (Reece) - Familiar Quarrel

The fact that octopi are more intelligent than other animals is well known. When a particularly clever octopus comes in contact with pact magic of some sort, the resulting familiar is doubly so, to the benefit (or more often chagrin) of the mage that it serves.

In the case of Magus Lethem Ganthix, Assistant Professor of Marine Studies at the University of An'Zar, he needs his familiar far more than it needs him. The son of a fisherman, Lethem has surprised the world of academia by publishing accurate, comprehensive works on marine life and the influence of the aquatic ley lines with little in the way of credentials or formal training. While he may be hesitant to answer questions in person, his writings from his secluded office are magnificent.

Faculty have caught Lethem deep in conversation within his office, which is always empty save for his octopus, staring back from its tank. Some have reported that these discussions have recently been devolving into arguments, with Lethem sounding increasingly distraught at the "credit" and "authorship" that spearhead them.