Goblin Ranger
Goblin Ranger — The Encounter
Steady-eyed bolt-slinger of the warband's edge · a boss your table can run with almost no prep. SRD 5.1-compatible.
Who Is Goblin Ranger
The Ranger is the eye of the warband, the goblin sent ahead to count the guards, sketch the walls, and put a bolt through whoever notices it doing so. Patience separates it from the rest of its howling kin; a Ranger will lie in a thornbrake from dusk to dawn for a single clean shot, and it tracks fleeing prey across broken ground that would lose a hound. It hunts by the rule of the mark, choosing one quarry and worrying it with bolt after bolt until the thing drops, then choosing the next. In a pitched fight the Ranger keeps to high ground and shadow, never where the swords are, peppering officers and casters and slipping away the instant anyone draws near. Caravan-masters and scouts hold these goblins in special dread, for an arrow from the dark is the only warning that the rest of the warband is already close enough to charge.
Run Goblin Ranger in Sixty Seconds
- Mark, then fire Round one bonus-action Marked Quarry on the most dangerous PC, then twin hand-crossbow shots with bonus damage.
- Hold range and cover Keep 30+ ft. away on high ground; use Skirmisher's Step and Nimble Escape to never be pinned in melee.
- Kill-priority: the caster The Ranger focuses one squishy target and stays on it bolt after bolt until it drops, then re-marks.
- When bloodied It Hides, breaks line of sight, and relocates to a new firing perch rather than trade blows.
- Three ways to run it Scout (counts the guards, fires the first shot), sniper (high-ground quarry hunter), or skirmisher (kites the back line beside a bigger threat).
Goblin Ranger
Small humanoid (goblinoid), neutral evil
CR 2 · 450 XP · GUIDELINENimble Escape. The ranger can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of its turns.
Marked Quarry. As a bonus action, the ranger marks one creature it can see within 60 ft. as its quarry. Its ranged attacks against that quarry deal an extra 4 (1d8) damage, and the ranger has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) and (Survival) checks to find it. The mark lasts until the quarry drops to 0 hit points or the ranger marks a new target. This is its signature hunting discipline.
Actions
Multiattack. The ranger makes two hand-crossbow attacks.
Hand Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) piercing damage.
Short Sword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) piercing damage.
Bonus Actions & Reactions
Skirmisher's Step. When a creature ends its turn within 5 ft. of the ranger, the ranger can move up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
A sharp-eared goblin levels a hand crossbow with surprising steadiness, a bandolier of bolts crossing its chest and a scarf pulled high against the dust.
Goblin Ranger, Bound
Companion · acts on your initiative
Bound · GUIDELINESpotter's Mark (signature). Once per short rest, Goblin Ranger points out a hidden or distant foe; an ally gains advantage on its next ranged attack against that creature, ignoring half and three-quarters cover.
Actions
Sling. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) bludgeoning damage.
Reactions
Fade Back. When a creature moves within 10 ft., Goblin Ranger uses its reaction to move up to 15 ft. away without provoking opportunity attacks.
A keen-eyed scout goblin who reads tracks, calls ranges, and keeps the bolts coming.
Guideline numbers — formula-tuned and read from the miniature's design, not yet table-proven. Tell us how it ran in the comments.
How It Fights — by Tier
Same creature, scaled threat. The traits never change; only the numbers move.
Open by marking the deadliest PC, then twin-shot it from cover. Use Skirmisher's Step and Nimble Escape to stay out of melee. Kill-priority is casters and healers. Pair it with raiders who screen it.
Hold high ground, mark a quarry, and pour bolts into it while skirmishing away from anyone who closes. Run it as the sniper of a goblin host, never the centerpiece.
Snipe key PCs from the lair's vantage points while minions tie up the front. Re-mark whenever a quarry falls. Field it beside a bigger threat; a lone ranger is easily run down by a party.
Put Goblin Ranger on the table
Download the presupported STL and run the fight tonight — the model, and the encounter that comes with it.
Get the STL on MyMiniFactory →Clay Cyanide Companion Rules v1
How a bound creature acts
- A companion acts on its owner's initiative, immediately after the owner.
- It uses the Companion block above — roughly ×0.6 HP and damage, no recharge abilities, and at most one reaction trait.
- It moves freely; it takes its Action only while its owner is conscious.
- At 0 HP a companion is broken, not dead — restored on a long rest unless your table rules otherwise.
Original Clay Cyanide material © Clay Cyanide LLC — explicitly not the non-SRD official sidekick rules.
Questions, Asked at the Table
What CR is Goblin Ranger?
It is a CR 2 add-on at its native Tier 1 (AC 14, HP 38). Tier 2 (~CR 6) and Tier 3 (~CR 11) versions are provided with identical traits and scaled numbers.
Can Goblin Ranger be a companion or ally?
Yes. A Ranger is an excellent scout and overwatch ally, tracking quarry and softening targets before the party engages. Use the bound companion Quill for a friendlier version, or run the Ranger itself as a wary, patient hireling who prizes the clean shot.
What makes it different from a goblin archer?
The Ranger is the tracker-sniper of the breed: higher Wisdom, real Survival and Stealth, and the Marked Quarry discipline that lets it focus and finish a single target. It hunts and relocates rather than volley-firing in a line.
Tell Us How It Ran
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 ("SRD 5.1") by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
Clay Cyanide Miniatures is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC. This content is compatible with the fifth edition of the world's most popular fantasy roleplaying game. Companion rules, lore, names, and original mechanics © Clay Cyanide LLC.
Technical Specifications
32mm, 75mm
STL, Pre-supported STL
Standard or ABS-like resin, 0.05mm layer height
Yes — ready to print, optimized supports included
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