Sometimes I like to get lazy and just lift a stat block instead of making a sidekick character sheet for companions, especially when they are only going to stick around for a short time. Anyway, on to the next monster!
Barghest (VGtM)
Barghests are fiends created to hunt down and eat goblinoid Souls, due to a pact that was broken by Maglubiyet. This is notable because the goblinoid races were changed to be less tied to Maglubiyet. Keeping the old despite going for new things. Anyway, the Barghest are tasked with this grim feast so they can rank up before they return to the unnamed General of Gehenna (presumably some kind of yugoloth). To aid in this task they are given the ability to change their shape into that of a small goblin. While in this form they retain all of their fiendish powers and strengths, making their hunting that much easier.
A Barghest will use their goblin form to infiltrate a goblinoid society, or a society that has goblinoids. They may even use multiple different goblin forms to facilitate their infiltrations. In fact, a Barghest has almost no reason to ever revert to their true form, unless they need to make a quick escape, because all of their attacks and spells can be accessed while in goblin form. Such a “super-goblin” can make for a very shocking and confusing encounter. Speaking of their spells, their spell selection should prove far more helpful during the “stalking a goblinoid and convincing it to go somewhere alone” than in the middle of combat.
Charm Person might be a bit of a hard sell now that a significant number of goblinoids are resistant to it, but
Suggestion was always better if you just want someone to go into a dark alley all alone.
Pass Without Trace is obviously great for getting into or out of places they aren’t supposed to be, as is
Levitate.
Minor illusion can make a distraction, or perhaps a small box to hide inside.
Dimension Door, however, is their ace in the hole. Not only can they use it to make a nearly clean escape when used in conjunction with their other spells and powers, but it could also be used to take an unsuspecting victim (or a freshly dead one) to a secluded place, even when they are surrounded by allies. When they finally take down a target, and have a minute to sit down, they get to use their most gruesome power: Soul Feeding. Which will trap the victims soul inside the Barghest for 24 hours until it is digested. While digesting, resurrection type spells have a 50% chance to not work, and after the digestion is done, they will never work. Good news though, if you kill the Barghest, any undigested souls will escape.
The Barghest is a CR 4 fiend, with a slew of resistances and a couple of immunities that would actually matter in the first tier of the game. Despite these advantages, they have one glaring weakness, a bonfire of at least 10’ can instantly banish them, save or die style. Taking everything into consideration, their abilities should make for a fairly predictable combat routine. Separate the target from their friends, or wait until said friends are distracted by something (like say, another combatant). Make a swift kill using Multiattack, then run away with the dead body. If combat starts to go sour, they change shape into their true form for the added mobility and grapple strength, and make a run for it. Either way, using
Dimension Door is a good idea, if only to get a head start on all the running.
The Barghest is one of the creatures that was dramatically nerfed for their reprinting. Losing ⅓ of their hp, their resistance to fire, and even Keen Smell for some reason.
