Canyon Goblins - They Go Bang!

So thought I would also add to the already huge list of monsters out there - really - who can't use more monsters in their campaign. This is one that is a huge pest in the D&D Mine project that I am working on: Flaming Canyons of the Transfigured Dawn. They are in the first of many dungeons in the area - in the outskirts of the Burnished Tower of the Spell Throne - an Enochian Dungeon (more on them later - they replace Elves in D&D Mine). Between the market village and the actual dungeon is a wall with towers on it that was built sometime between the Star Empire and now. We don't know who actualy built it, but the stones don't have mortar and they fit perfectly, and has been standing for well over 200 years.

Inhabit ting this 'foyer' to the Dungeon are two different tribes of Canyon Goblins that go through wars, truces, and treaties on a frequent basis.

At the start of the game roll a D6 and consult the table below:
1 - Heated War with each other, attack on site, will assume all encountered are spies - all reaction rolls are immediately hostile. Heightened chance of wandering monster (guards/spies).
2- Wat - at war with each other, will be suspicious - normal encounter rolls.
3-4 Ceasefire - Used to be at war in the not so distant future, but currently not. Wouldn't take much to get one going
5- On trading terms with each other
6 -Thinking about joining the two tribes into one supertribe.

The other aspect of canyon goblins is that they go bang. They explode when killed (at least some of the time) That makes it fun, especially if the players aren't expecting it.

Note: in Flaming Canyons all Monster HD are d6. 

Canyon Goblins
AC: 6
HP: D6-1 (Fight as 1HD-1 Monsters)
Move: 60'
Attacks: 1 Weapon (usually a spear or crappy shortbow)
Damage: D6
No. Appearing: 2-8 (4-48 in Wilderness)
Save As: Normal Man
Morale: 7 / 9
Treasure Type: Q (Ind)/C (Wilderness)
Alignment: Chaotic

Canyon Goblins are chaotic small humanoids that frequently infest older ruins, abandoned settlements, any caves that would be worth turning into a hold or settlement, and some of the deeper darkest forests on the mountain sides. They stand between 3-4' tall, have bright green skin with deep beady red eyes. They can see 90' in darkness, and suffer a -1 to initiative and to hit when in sunlight. They come out between dusk and dawn.   They usually wear whatever they can find, but dye it pitch black, and wear funny floppy pointed caps. Different tribes trim their raggy clothes and patchwork armor with different colors of hideous orange, yellow, or red. They fight with cruddy shortbows (will usually only work for about 1 or 2 shots at most before they break or are rendered useless).

They frequently raid other settlements, and have a fondness for eating pork and sheep. Groups (tribes) of 15 or more will have a "Boss". The boss has 10 hitpoints and fights as a 2HD monster. The Boss will generally fight with a two handed weapon of some sort (giving +1 to hit against armored opponents). In the wilderness, there is a 1 in 4 chance that there are D6 gobbler herders amongst the tribe. For each 2 herders there will be one gobbler.

They have a fondness for cheap strong beer. Some communities have been able to bribe some tribes 'protection' to leave them alone by supplying a steady supply of cheap beer and pork products. These communities are often frowned upon by neighboring communities for encouraging such pesky infestations.

Canyon Goblins are sometimes known as Bang Goblins or Bomb Goblins. When a Canyon Goblins is reduced to 0 hitpoints they die like any other creature. But they also blow up. Anyone in a nearby radius - such as those engaged in hand-to-hand combat suffer 0-4 points of damage (D6-2). If the die roll is odd then any items that are easily flammable on those affected by the blast catch on fire, if the die is even they do not or someone managed to stamp it out. Characters can spend a round to put out a fire, otherwise they continue to take 1D6 damage for one more round from the object being on fire. When a canyon goblin explodes there is a loud bang noise, which tends to be head many tens of feet away unless muffled by thick stone walls and heavy doors. Out in the canyons the explosion tends to echo very loudly. Once a goblin explodes there will be left a steaming pile of sulfourous smelling pile of wet ash. If left alone, in about 7 days 1D4 goblin pups will grown out of the pile. They mature in a mere month. Goblin pups have 1 HP and don't attack. They can be raised as (unreliable) followers, but most communities will run you out with their pitchforks for bringing one into their community.

Canyon Goblins speak Goblin, and pigdin form of Common, and a brutally mashed up version of Dwarvish limited to insults, taunts, and pleading for mercy.

Some evil overlords have been known to keep stables of canyon goblins and load them into catapults all tied together to make a missle that usually kills the goblins on impact and results in a pretty decent explosion. Of course the goblins don't like this, and will generally check anyone hiring the tribe has a catapult or other siege type engine.

Dwarves hate Canyon Goblins and vice verse, they usually attack each other on sight, fighting first and asking questions later.