Battlefield Notes: Goblin Scrum

Running 4E games couldn’t be easier. For the first time in years, Dungeon Mastering is a completely approachable pass-time. There are numerous guides and aides out there to ensure both players and DM are having a good time.

Unfortunately, the 4E mindset is still something that’s sinking in. Even a year after the games release, encounter builders are still thinking in that old 3E/2E mindset. Take this scrum of goblins above, the default load-out suggested for an encounter I ran. It’s a good mix of goblins, to be sure, with each of them having their own part to play in the fight. There were some Brutes, a soldier or two, a lurker, and a leader. A nice mix.

The problem? They’re all bloody goblins.

4E encounter design doesn’t just make it easy to mix-and-match monster types, it encourages it. The ease of swapping X monsters worth Y experience out for some comparable critters is laughable. Why, then, you’d feel shackled to an all-goblin encounter is a little bit beyond me.

Here’s what I ended up throwing at my players instead of the suggested default:

• 1 Warchief (Elite Soldier)
• 2 Goblin Spider-wranglers (Goblin Cutters, Minions)
• 2 Deathjump Spiders (Skirmisher)
• 1 Fireblast Goblin (Frost Goblin Hexer w/Fire substituted for Cold on powers, Elite Leader)
• 1 Imp (Lurker)

For the same budget in XP, I ended up with a much more interesting encounter than just a mixed-pack of goblins. Remember, never feel afraid to mix things up just because you’re in a particular territory.

Just because these are ‘goblin lands’ or the depths of a drow cave doesn’t mean other critters can’t be around. Intelligent creatures enslave, train, or befriend other monsters all the time. Make that next encounter a mixed-bag love connection, and you’ll see the fun come pouring from those dice.