Batiri (Goblins)

Chult is home to scores of independent goblin tribes collectively known as the Batiri. A Batiri tribe is ruled by a queen (use the goblin boss statistics). When a queen dies, fighting ensues until a new queen emerges victorious and proclaims herself ruler of the tribe. While the Batiri have many cultural and mythical aspects that make them unique, they behave essentially like other goblins; they are superstitious, cruel, suspicious of outsiders, fractious among themselves, and just as likely to torture and eat other humanoids as they are to trade with them. They are not only sadistic but highly creative in their tortures. For example, they enjoy tying enemies to trees, dousing them in honey, and leaving them to be devoured by insects over the course of several days, if a larger predator doesn't finish them off first.

War Masks. Batiri warriors wear oversized wooden war masks into combat. Each goblin paints and decorates its own mask to make it look as fearsome as possible. Aside from intimidating enemies, these masks serve the same purpose among the Batiri as coats of arms among noble knights ofFaerOn. Batiri of opposing tribes might not know an enemy's given name, but they'll know Snarling Crocodile or Fanged Ape.

Battle Stacks. Batiri warriors sometimes ride on each other's shoulders in battle, in a formation known as a battle stack. These can be up to nine goblins tall. Each goblin tracks its hit points individually, but the stack moves and makes ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws as one creature. Only the goblin at the top of the stack can attack, and only the goblin at the bottom can move (all goblins stacked on its shoulders move with it). The goblin at the top makes all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma ability checks and saving throws for the stack. The goblin at the bottom makes all Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution ability checks and saving throws for the stack. A battle stack can't jump, but it can grapple or shove another creature, swing from vines, and use the Dash, Disengage, Dodge, and Hide actions. The stack has advantage on melee attacks because of its built-in "pack tactics" effect; all the goblins are waving spears at the enemy, even if only one can hit. When a goblin in the stack drops to 0 hit points, it is thrown from the stack. If the stack succeeds on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, it remains intact (albeit one goblin shorter). On a failed save, the stack collapses and all the goblins fall prone in a 5-foot-square space. To form a new battle stack, a goblin must use its action to climb onto the shoulders of another willing goblin within 5 feet of it. Other goblins can join an existing battle stack in the same way. A goblin can use its action to remove itself from a battle stack, landing in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the bottom of the stack. The Batiri invented battle stacks as a way to combat creatures much larger than themselves as well as a way to reach enemies in trees. The battle stack formation has the added effect of making the puny goblins appear taller and more fearsome to their larger enemies. Battle stacks are not effective against other ground-based threats, since all but the topmost goblin give up their attacks and mobility to be part of the stack.

Related Locations

• Kingdom of Chult