D&D 5E Seeking feedback on homebrew monsters

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm running the Banewarrens currently for my long-running play-by-post Ptolus campaign (since 2006!).

We're relatively early in the Banewarrens storyline, but the group has just encountered a group of five enemies in one of the signature dungeons of Ptolus. They're members of a secretive faction that wants to exterminate all humans and, thus, there's going to be a fight.

The problem, though, is that there are eight level 9 PCs in this encounter and the monsters, per the adventure, are three goblins, a minotaur and a lamia. Per even the 2024 Monster Manual or ToV's Monster Vault, these guys will be dead in a single round. (At the moment, the monsters only think there are four or five PCs.)

So, for this encounter, I'm not going to change the number of monsters (so it's likely they'll still get action economied to death), but I am using Forge of Foes to build higher level versions of each. Specifically, the encounter will be three CR 2 goblins, a CR 7 minotaur and a CR 7 lamia.

For future encounters, I'll probably also increase the number of monsters as well, but for this time around, I'm taking that option off the table and seeing what I can do to make these monsters scary to a group of eight level nine characters. (Two fighters, a druid/barbarian, two rangers, a bard, a wizard and a paladin.)

I'm also not looking for lore critiques today, particularly on the goblins, but am interested in help with the math and monster design. Thanks.

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Goblin Redcap
Giggling sadists.
Habitat: Forest, Grassland, Hill, Planar (Acheron, Feywild), Underdark, Treasure: Implements, Individual
The goblins that scare other goblins, redcaps wear hats soaked in the blood of their victims and delight in torture and murder, slaughtering innocents in their homes if they cannot find a battle.

GOBLIN REDCAP
Small fey (goblinoid), Chaotic Evil

AC: 13
Initiative: +3 (13)
HP: 42 (6d6 + 6)
Speed: 30 ft.

STR 14 MOD +2 SAVE +2
DEX 16 MOD +3 SAVE +3
CON 16 MOD +3 SAVE +3
INT 10 MOD +0 SAVE +0
WIS 10 MOD +0 SAVE +0
CHA 10 MOD +0 SAVE +0

Skills Acrobatics +8, Stealth +8
Gear Cap, Caltrops, Cleaver
Senses Darkvision 60 ft.; Passive Perception X
Languages Common, Goblin
CR 2 (XP 450; PB +5)

Traits
Tumbling Acrobatics. The goblin can move through the space of any ally but cannot stop in the same space.

Blood Frenzy. The goblin recap has Advantage on attack rolls against any creature that doesn’t have all its Hit Points.

Actions
Multiattack. The goblin redcap makes two Cleaver attacks.
Cleaver. Melee Attack Roll: +7, reach 5 ft., Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) Slashing damage.

Bonus Actions
Nimble Escape. The goblin takes the Disengage or Hide action.

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Minotaur Manhunter
A minotaur dedicated to the slaughter of humans.
Habitat: Underdark, Treasure: Armaments
Minotaurs who have studied the art of waging war on humans, which they do with grim enthusiasm.

MINOTAUR MANHUNTER
Large Monstrosity, Chaotic Evil

AC: 15
Initiative: +0 (10)
HP: 127 (15d10 + 3)
Speed: 30 ft.

STR 18 MOD +4 SAVE +4
DEX 11 MOD +0 SAVE +0
CON 16 MOD +3 SAVE +3
INT 10 MOD +0 SAVE +0
WIS 16 MOD +3 SAVE +3
CHA 10 MOD +0 SAVE +0

Skills Perception +10, Survival +10
Gear Two-handed sword
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 20
Languages Common
CR 7 (XP 2,900; PB +7)

Traits
Hunter of Men. Minotaur manhunters have advantage on all damage rolls made against humans and have Advantage on any Wisdom (Perception or Survival) check they make to find one.

Actions
Two-handed sword. Melee Attack Roll: +11, reach 10 ft. Hit: 20 (3d10 + 4) Slashing damage
Gore (Recharge 5–6). Melee Attack Roll: +11, reach 5 ft. Hit: 18 (4d6 + 4) Piercing damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature and the minotaur moved 10+ feet straight toward it immediately before the hit, the target takes an extra 10 (3d6) Piercing damage and has the Prone condition.

Reactions
Vengeance. Trigger: A creature in melee range damages the minotaur manhunter in combat. Response: The minotaur manhunter makes a gore attack on the creature that damaged it.

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Lamia Deceiver
Magical manipulators, delighting in ruin.
Habitat: Desert, Underdark, Treasure: Arcana
Lamia deceivers seek to bring individuals, families and whole civilizations to ruin through manipulation and treachery.

LAMIA DECEIVER
Large Fiend, Chaotic Evil

AC: 15
Initiative: +3 (13)
HP: 137 (15d10 + 45)
Speed: 40 ft.

STR 16 MOD +3 SAVE +3
DEX 16 MOD +3 SAVE +3
CON 16 MOD +3 SAVE +3
INT 14 MOD +2 SAVE +2
WIS 14 MOD +2 SAVE +2
CHA 18 MOD +4 SAVE +4

Skills Deception X, Insight X, Stealth X
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception X
Languages Abyssal, Common
CR 7 (XP 2,900; PB +7)

Actions
Multiattack. The lamia makes two Claw attacks and one use of Corrupting Touch.
Claw. Melee Attack Roll: +10, reach 5 ft. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) Slashing damage plus 8 (3d4) Psychic damage.
Corrupting Touch. Wisdom Saving Throw: DC 19, one creature the lamia can see within 5 feet. Failure: 18 (4d8) Psychic damage, and the target is cursed for 1 hour. Until the curse ends, the target has the Charmed and Poisoned conditions.
Spellcasting. The lamia casts one of the following spells, requiring no Material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 19):
At Will: Charm Person, Crown of Madness, Disguise Self (can appear as a Large or Medium biped), Silent Image
1/Day Each: Dream, Geas, Major Image, Mirror Image, Scrying

Reactions
Leap. The lamia jumps up to 30 feet by spending 10 feet of movement.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The intended synergy here is that the minotaur manhunter charges into melee, intending to get swarmed by melee combatants, which will lead to him giving a gore attack to anyone who strikes him. The goblin redcaps tumble in, slashing with advantage at anyone wounded and then tumbling back out of danger. Meanwhile, the lamia deceiver hangs back and turns the PCs on each other with Crown of Madness. When things start to go poorly, the lamia will use Mirror Image and make a run for it, while the goblin redcaps throw down caltrops in an attempt to slow pursuers.

Of course, with this many PCs, it's entirely likely they get ganked in the first or second round.

 

[Quickleaf]

The intended synergy here is that the minotaur manhunter charges into melee, intending to get swarmed by melee combatants, which will lead to him giving a gore attack to anyone who strikes him. The goblin redcaps tumble in, slashing with advantage at anyone wounded and then tumbling back out of danger. Meanwhile, the lamia deceiver hangs back and turns the PCs on each other with Crown of Madness. When things start to go poorly, the lamia will use Mirror Image and make a run for it, while the goblin redcaps throw down caltrops in an attempt to slow pursuers.

Of course, with this many PCs, it's entirely likely they get ganked in the first or second round.

Goblins could drop caltrops in tandem with Nimble Escape.

Minotaur's Vengeance doesn't give players enough ways to creatively avoid (10' reach). "Vengeance's" narrative is weak. As a trait, can limit it 1/player's turn (e.g. 2014 Sneak Attack) instead of opp attack.

Might be cool if lamia creates hallucinatory terrain? Maybe trigger Vengeance if moving out of difficult terrain (e.g. caltrops)?