Today we have a two for one day. I just could not resist, The Bugbear; an icon of D&D. One of the oldest heavy hitters in the game at low levels.  And if facing off with one of these guys did not have your players shaking in their boots. Your DM was doing something wrong! As a DM whats not to love.. Seven feet of rippling muscle that can see in total darkness, And has a tendency to be Rouges or Barbarians …muhahah! And if you’re facing a Party and need to add a few levels to him.. Barbarian Rogue bugbear ? That is not what I want to to ever let get a sneak attack on me at the start of a combat, NOPE! And then it rages ! yeah thanks DM, you’re a jerk.

Then we have the Barghast. How many creatures are so foul in D&D that they give it a built-in advancement rules called Feed! What a great way to have an instant recurring bad buy NPC ! Holly cow Barry the Barghast is a lot tougher this go around.. Yeah cause he ate your friends ! For every three humanoids that a Barghast feeds on he gains a Hid dice. Add to the fact that Barghast can be encountered in packs of three to six. One all you can eat buffet of villagers later and your players could have some very huge trouble on their hands with a whole pack of Greater Berghast !

The party encounters ideas: My life for you !
The players encounter a group of vicious bugbear barbarians that have a number of goblins that are their slaves. They treat them very poorly. When the players attack the goblins scurry and cower. Some even cheer and assist the players in defeating the Bugbears. Then things take an interesting turn. When the battle is over the goblins drop to the ground and begin swearing life oaths to the party. unless restrained or killed they will follow the players taking servitude for the group. If well treated this could go on as long as the party alows it. Even then the goblins will hang back and attempt to bring food and other goods for the players when they are not paying attention for some time. But, traveling wight goblins brings its own difficulties.

I suggest running this next encounter idea like a mystery or adventure at first or a red hearing. The job is simple enough the local farms are being hit hard by packs of wolves and last night a farmer died trying to defend his sheep. When the players investigate they quickly find it’s not wolves its something far more deadly. Berghast. And if they do not get a handle on the situation quickly the beasts will outpace the party’s ability and they will go from the hunters to becoming the hunted.