Exemplars of Evil

that protrude from its surface are cords that hold fingers and
toes of his previous victims.
Madness-inducing visions fill the bugbear’s mind, but his
insanity does not interfere with his cunning in battle. He is
a shrewd strategist, and his crew owes much of their success
to his brilliant maneuvers. Once invested in a fight, Gnash
loathes leaving it; thus, he never attacks unless he can be
assured of victory.
His crew has one standing order: Always take thirteen
prisoners from any attack or raid. Gnash feeds these living
captives to a terrifying creature that he keeps in the ship’s
hold. He believes that the sacrifices placate the horror
and ensure that it will continue to grant him the “dark
blessings” he endures when he sleeps. (Gnash does not
know it, but the creature is a kython; for details, see tactical
encounter 4–3, page 78. In truth, it has nothing to do
with his nightmares, but he nonetheless considers it to be
Shothotugg’s emissary.) Crew members that fail to deliver
the required sacrifices are fed to the beast instead; thus,
the goblinoids almost always comply with their disturbed
captain’s wishes.
Captain Gnash CR 9
hp 72 (10 HD)
Male bugbear rogue 5/dread pirate CAd 2
CE Medium humanoid (goblinoid)
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Listen +4, Spot +9
Languages Common, Goblin, Orc
AC 26, touch 16, flat-footed 21; uncanny dodge
(+5 Dex, +5 armor, +2 shield, +1 deflection, +3 natural)
Resist evasion
Fort +6, Ref +16, Will +6
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee +1 rapier +13/+8 (1d6+5/18–20) or
Melee +1 rapier +10/+5 (1d6+5/18–20) and
+1 spiked light steel shield +9 (1d4+2)
Ranged mwk light crossbow +13 (1d8/19–20)
Base Atk +7; Grp +11
Atk Options Maiming Strike, Quick Draw, sneak attack +3d6
Combat Gear 2 flasks alchemist’s fi re, potion of blur, potion
of cure light wounds, potion of cure moderate wounds, 5
smokesticks, 2 tanglefoot bags
Abilities Str 18, Dex 20, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 13
SQ seamanship, trap sense +1, trapfi nding
Feats Evil Brand B (see page 24), Iron Will, Maiming Strike
(see page 25), Quick Draw, Two-Weapon Fighting B ,
Weapon Finesse
Skills Appraise +11, Bluff +6, Climb +11, Diplomacy +3 (+5
evil creatures), Disguise +1 (+3 acting), Hide +8, Intimidate
+8 (+10 evil creatures), Jump +7, Knowledge (geography)
+3, Listen +4, Move Silently +12, Profession (sailor)
+11, Search +6, Spot +9, Survival +1 (+3 following tracks),
Swim +10, Tumble +8, Use Rope +9
Possessions combat gear plus +2 studded leather, +1 spiked
light steel shield, +1 rapier, masterwork light crossbow
with 20 bolts, ring of protection +1, cloak of resistance +1,
1 gp
Seamanship (Ex) Gnash gains a +2 insight bonus on Profession
(sailor) checks. The bonus extends to all allies within
his sight or hearing.
FECAR THE UNCLEAN
“At first, Gnash seemed mad. I was certain that whatever he found
in that city had shattered his mind. Over the last few years, though,
I found myself coming to share his vision, and now I look forward
to the day when the World Eater arrives.”
—Fecar the Unclean
From the beginning, Fecar the Unclean has been one of
Captain Gnash’s most loyal allies. The two were fast friends
for years, setting aside the natural rivalry that exists between
bugbears and hobgoblins, and spending long nights swilling
ale and playing cards. When Gnash took charge of the
remnants of the ogre’s marauders, Fecar followed. In return
for his loyalty, Gnash named him first mate.
GOALS
Although Captain Gnash counts Fecar as one of his most
trusted minions, the hobgoblin has plans of his own. Fecar
rightly believes that Gnash will eventually expend every
member of his crew in his mad quest to find his coveted lost
island, discarding carelessly those who die along the way.
Fecar agrees that finding the island is paramount, but he
has no intention of being sacrificed with the others. Instead,
he looks for an opportunity to kill his comrade and take
command himself.
Aware of the dangers of leading a mutiny, Fecar has been
slow to recruit other crew members in case they reveal his
treachery. He watches and waits, listening to the grumbles
of the pseudonatural goblins. If one expresses dissatisfaction
with the captain, Fecar plucks him from the crew and
tortures him until he is convinced that the goblin is on his
side. These interrogations are often fatal, and only reinforce
Gnash’s belief that Fecar is his staunchest supporter—because
the captain wrongfully believes that Fecar is discovering and
dispatching mutinous soldiers, The goblinoids that survive
Fecar’s abuse are horribly scarred, but they become unwaveringly
loyal to the first mate.
Fecar knows that if he does manage to murder Gnash
and take command, he will still have to deal with what
the crew calls “the thing in the hold.” The monster is loyal
to the captain and considers the bugbear to be its mother.
To gain the thing’s trust and affection, Fecar volunteered
for the dangerous task of feeding captives to the monster.
Again, Gnash misinterpreted this action as proof of the
hobgoblin’s allegiance. Now, after weeks of taking its meals
from Fecar, the kython has begun to come around, occasionally
favoring the first mate with a few splashes of its
slippery mucus.
USING FECAR
When the Much Kill sails into port, Fecar and a hand-picked
team of goblinoids scout the community and search for clues
about the lost city or anything else that will help them. As
they nose around, they also steal food, weapons, and other
equipment before returning to the ship to report their
findings. In ports that are particularly hostile to goblins,
the Much Kill drops anchor in a nearby cove, and the spies
infiltrate the city under the cover of darkness. Since Captain
Gnash uses this tactic to judge a city’s strength before he
gives the order to attack, the PCs are likely to encounter
CHAPTER 4
CAPTAIN
GNASH
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