Azurthite Bestiary: Hobgoblin

Art by Filip Cerovecki

In the Land of Azurth, hobgoblins are what comes from small folk or goblin warlocks who give themselves wholly over to some dark power. Exhorted to ever greater infamies in the name of arcane power, they barter their souls all at once or piecemeal, until they are dragged from this world to be fashioned into something more—and less—than what they had been. All hobgoblins are driven mad to one degree or another by their ordeal, but this only serves to increase their unpredictability and capacity for evil.

Hobgoblins have lairs in creepy locales, dark plots and sinister henchmen (villainous elves or dwarves, beast folk, clockwork monstrosities, minor demons or umber hulks are possibilities).

HOBGOBLIN
Small fiend, chaotic or neutral evil
AC 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points: 30 (7d6+6)
Speed: 30 ft., fly 60 ft.
STR 10(+0) DEX 14(+2) CON 12(+1) INT 14(+2) WIS 14(+2) CHA 16(+3)
Skills: Arcana +9, Intimidation +10
Damage Resistances cold, fire, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Damage Immunities poison
Conditioned Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft.
Languages Common, Goblinic, Infernal

Chilling Laugh. The cackle of the hobgoblin causes any creature within 300 ft. and able to hear it must succeed at a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute.
Spellcasting. The hobgoblin is (at least) a 7th level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (DC 18). It has a number of spells like a 7th level warlock.
Exploding Death. If reduced to 0 hit points, a hobgoblin explodes--messily. Any creature within 20 ft. must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or get slimed with hobgoblin ichor or be stunned for 1 turn.
Respawning. A destroyed hobgoblin will reform with full hit points by the next new moon unless their soul is found and destroyed.  Their souls are always kept hidden but generally are close by.  They have the appearance of insects or other crawling things molded from congealed shadow--inky black, confection-sticky,and unpleasant in texture. These souls can be destroyed by fire or magic, but possessing one affords a means to leverage a hobgoblin to do the possessors bidding.

Actions:
Claws. +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. Hit: 6 (2d4+1) slashing damage.