Rippers are
bugbears trained as elite assassins. They are notoriously deadly foes employed by the
Cragmaw Tribe to guard important individuals or take out particularly problematic targets.
History
The
Hat Gang encountered bugbear rippers at
Wave Echo Cave. One such ripper was one of the
Black Spider's elite guards, who devastated the party, downing several members before he was put down by
Elarnya.
The other ambushed them as they attempted to explore more of the cave.
Evil Boston fought the ripper under the effects of magical
darkness. Unable to see, the bugbear was at an immense disadvantage and was killed by the
warlock.
Skills
Bugbear rippers are trained in stealth yet remain surprisingly brutish. They typically wield longswords, a blow from which can be devastating. At range, they attack with their heavy crossbows. Although not nearly as deadly as their melee attacks, a ripper knows how best to exploit the weaknesses of their foes.
They also tend to wear heavy armour and carry shields, meaning even if their victims spot them, they can prove quite hard to hit.
