The Batiri are scores of independent goblin tribes native to Chult’s jungles. They function as one of the region’s known native peoples, though few non-natives venture far enough beyond Port Nyanzaru to encounter them regularly.
Organization and Leadership
Each Batiri tribe is ruled by a queen (using goblin boss statistics). When a queen dies, violent succession battles erupt until a new queen proves victorious and claims leadership. This matriarchal system keeps the tribes fractured and independent rather than unified.
Culture and Behavior
The Batiri share typical goblin traits—they are superstitious, cruel, suspicious of outsiders, and fractious among themselves. However, they possess unique cultural elements that distinguish them from other goblin populations. They are as likely to torture and eat other humanoids as to trade with them, displaying both sadism and creativity in their tortures. A favored method involves binding victims to trees, covering them in honey, and leaving them to be devoured by insects over several days (or by larger predators).
War Masks
Batiri warriors wear oversized wooden war masks in combat. Each goblin personally paints and decorates their mask to maximize its fearsome appearance. Beyond intimidation, these masks serve the same heraldic function as noble coats of arms in Faerûn—identities like “Snarling Crocodile” or “Fanged Ape” become recognizable across opposing tribes, even when the goblin’s actual name is unknown.
Combat Tactics
Battle Stacks
The Batiri invented a distinctive formation called a “battle stack”—goblins stacked on each other’s shoulders, reaching up to nine goblins tall. This formation was developed to combat larger creatures and reach enemies in trees, while also making the diminutive goblins appear taller and more fearsome.
Mechanics:
- Each goblin tracks hit points individually, but the stack functions as one creature for movement, ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws
- Only the topmost goblin can attack; only the bottom goblin can move (carrying all others)
- The top goblin makes all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma checks/saves
- The bottom goblin makes all Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution checks/saves
- Cannot jump but can grapple, shove, swing from vines, and use Dash, Disengage, Dodge, and Hide actions
- Has advantage on melee attacks due to built-in “pack tactics” (multiple goblins waving spears, though only one strikes)
- When a goblin drops to 0 HP, it’s thrown from the stack; DC 10 Dexterity save determines if the stack remains intact (failure causes total collapse, all goblins fall prone in 5-foot square)
- Forming/joining a stack requires an action from a willing goblin within 5 feet; leaving a stack also costs an action
Battle stacks are ineffective against other ground-based threats, since all but the topmost goblin sacrifice their attacks and mobility to participate.
Presence in the Adventure
Batiri can be encountered throughout Chult’s jungle. Individual tribe members occasionally become separated from their people—one prisoner named Mung is captured by yuan-ti while foraging in the jungle and held in the Fane of the Night Serpent, suffering from malnourishment and 3 levels of exhaustion.