Gatorman Bokor and Soul Slave 5E Tactics

The Gatorman and variants are detailed in MN:5E, page 73-75, this is the second post - for the earlier post detailing the basic gatorman and the undead husk see here.

A Bokor (Shaman)

Gatorman Bokor

As opposed to being based on a druid like a lizardfolk shaman, a gatorman bokor has more in common with a priest (MM, pxx). Apart from an extra 4 HD and higher hit points, the bokor has the same physical characteristics, armour class, proficiencies, and attacks as the common gatorman, but lacks Multiattack. The bokor has the same ability contour except for the higher WIS 15, which implies it will choose battles carefully and only fight when it is assured it and its allies can win.

It seems a given that bokor are always accompanied by either other gatormen, husks, soul slaves (see below), or a combination of the three, so let us interpret its tactics in that context and say it seeks to withdraw once reduced to 26 hit points (30% of starting total).

If we assume that spellcasting is not the preferred option (see below), then melee combat becomes a choice between the standard gatorman bite (and Death Roll, see prior post) and the highly thematic sacral blade, which inflicts greater damage than the standard gatorman glaive (when including necrotic damage) but lacks the triggering of the grappled and restrained conditions of the bite and the setup for the Death Roll. Blade use is therefore likely to be restricted to melee opponents immune or resistant to standard physical damage or particularly susceptible to necrotic damage (such as the various trolls, who can't regenerate necrotic damage).

Of course, the bokor is foremost a spellcaster (a support caster in fact given their high CON), and this is where things get interesting (and complex - I can see why Keith says spellcasters with large repertoires can be a pain to analyze and need to be worked out spell by spell for combat tactics). So let's go through the spells and see how they shape up as the selection is similar but somewhat different to a standard priest - we're measuring against the opportunity cost of a bite attack and potential subsequent Death Roll as the default unless there is an overall tactical benefit to the group.

• Animate dead is true to the theme but requires corpses within 10 ft. and the bokor's action to invoke, so as the bokor also has access to spiritual weapon as noted in the mummy lord's tactics, it will prefer to use the latter and save its action for another spell or melee attack. Optionally, if you allow the bokor to raise a husk instead of just a normal zombie this may be more worthwhile but that seems more of a non-combat ritual option even in lore. 
• Bestow curse is touch range, only affects a single opponent and requires concentration so it only has a look in if spiritual guardians fails and then can't be recast.
• Feign death has little utility in combat, even as a potential escape option - it can be used as a ritual in any case for plot purposes and doesn't need to be considered further.
• Spirit guardians is considered the default opening move for a priest according to Keith's analysis due to its protective effect inflicting passive necrotic damage against multiple enemies within 15 feet or closing into melee as long as Concentration can be maintained, so it makes sense for the bokor to lead with the same gambit unless fighting a single opponent.
• Spiritual weapon is the obvious choice of 2nd level spell to use as a bonus action in the next round (combined with a cantrip or melee attack), setting up a sacral blade-shaped force additional attack using a bonus action each subsequent round. Overcasting this at 3rd level has no additional effect however, as damage only increases if cast using a 4th level slot which the bokor lacks.
• The other 2nd level spells are situational, invoked against specific opponents threatening the bokor or its cause. Blindness/deafness and hold person are used at range against single individuals (CON and DEX save respectively unless overcast to affect a second creature), a higher level guiding bolt inflicts 5d6 radiant damage to a single opponent and imposes advantage to the next attack against it, overcasting inflict wounds causes 4d10 necrotic damage in melee, whereas spike growth is of use against multiple opponents as a barrier (no save). These can all be used while the spiritual weapon attacks using a bonus action and are generally all preferable in damage output to the sacral blade attack.
• Neither animal friendship nor speak with animals has an immediate combat use, so 1st level spell slots if needed will be used for guiding bolt (ranged, 4d6) or inflict wounds (melee, 3d10).
• Of the three cantrips available, guidance and spare the dying both require the bokor to touch allies to benefit and the former requires concentration, although they may be useful when using a bonus action to trigger spiritual weapon if concentration is not needed for spirit guardians. Thaumaturgy really has an only thematic effect and could be considered to be cast if the bokor has time to prepare for an encounter or is in the middle of a speech or ritual when encountered. 

Bokor Summary

Putting it all together, a bokor is smart enough to avoid direct combat where possible and like a priest starts with spirit guardians initially choosing its allies to be unaffected, maintaining concentration for subsequent rounds then invokes spiritual weapon as a bonus action in the 2nd round while optimally positioning itself. Each round thereafter it uses its bonus action to attack the most threatening foe, adding to that by using its 2nd level spell slots, saving its 3rd level spell slot for a recast of spirit guardians or a last-ditch overcast 2nd or 1st level spell depending on what the gatormen are facing. 

Although no slouch, a bokor will hang back from melee using its spells unless direly pressed at which point it will try and Disengage, relying on its other gatorman allies to distract would-be pursuers while it seeks to return with reinforcements to protect the tribe's territory.

Gatorman Soul Slave

An accompanying Soul Slave

By itself, a soul slave is an unusual undead version of the base gatorman created from a dead spellcaster. Whereas a husk provides support to its living gatorman warrior allies, a soul slave is the correlated assistant to a spellcasting bokor. In fact it is more likely to be encountered paired with the bokor that created it, so it makes sense to not only analyse the stat block alone but also to analyse it working in conjunction with the gatorman shaman. Its role seems to be to effectively increase a gatorman spellcaster's action economy by increasing the number of spells that can be deployed in a combat.

For a start, its base physical characteristics, armour class, hit points and movement options are identical to a gatorman. It lacks Hold Breath (being undead this is unnecessary) but otherwise has the same Swamp Camouflage, limited darkvision, and proficiencies in Athletics and Stealth that set it up to be a low light level amphibious ambusher. In terms of melee options, the soul slave has notably lost Multiattack but still has the usual gatorman bite, sadly without the subsequent Death Roll.

Interestingly, the soul slave's mental characteristics are also the same as a gatorman - it is therefore not just a mindless thrall like the husk but instead has sufficient intelligence to act independently but not discriminate in choosing its targets unless directed and only able to change its approach to a limited extent - it preferably acts in coordination with a bokor or similar gatorman caster (see below).

We can assume this means that a soul slave's combat tactics are initially similar to its living kin (see the previous post) but likely less efficient - the lack of Multiattack makes the shove to prone / grapple less effective, as the special melee attacks must be split across subsequent rounds. A successful grapple causing zero movement followed by a successful shove to prone still pins the restrained opponent in place but the lack of Death Roll makes this more of a battlefield control than a damaging option.

However, this assumption changes when the various magical abilities of the soul slave are considered.

Mental Force is the only valid use a soul slave has for a bonus action and grants advantage to its attack which would suggest the creature favours using this according to Keith's base premise that a creature with a feature that gives advantage will seek to use it whenever it can. However, given it comes at the cost of 7 (2d6) necrotic damage, this is an expensive way to gain only a temporary single attack benefit. Against an opponent restrained (and potentially pinned down) by its bite or those of its living cousins, this option is completely unnecessary. It is very thematic to be sure, but likely only has a value at the start of an encounter to assist with the initial grapple or shove against an opponent. 

Its innate spellcasting needs to be looked at closely.

• Inflict wounds (at will) as a melee spell attack is formidable, dealing 16 (3d10) necrotic damage which is superior in average damage output to the bite even with a slightly lower chance to hit. Sure, there is no chance to grapple and restrain, but without the option Death Roll follow-up, inflict wounds becomes the default melee option for damaging an opponent, so unless there is a strategic reason for the soul slave to pin its opponent it will choose this attack. 
• Vampiric touch (3/day) is a lasting effect, requiring concentration and inflicting lesser damage of 10 (3d6) necrotic damage compared to inflict wounds above but importantly restores 5 hit points on a successful attack. This doesn't quite offset the cost of using Mental Force but if the soul slave has time to prepare, activating this at the *start* of combat makes sense to provide this option to increase its staying power. 

So if encountered alone or with other living gatormen, a soul slave invokes vampiric touch before combat or while closing if it can and then relies on inflict wounds preferably against already pinned opponents unless there is a strategic reason to pin down a nearby victim such as a spellcaster. It may alternate with vampiric touch attacks if already wounded when finishing off a weakened opponent it already has advantage on attacks. Once combat has begun, first losing its concentration and then finding a lull in the melee is required for it to be worth reactivating a second use, otherwise it relies solely on inflict wounds. 

However, as noted above, a soul slave is usually paired with a gatorman spellcaster.

Bokor and Soul Slave Combination

Staying within 30 feet of each other is key to this combination as this allows for the best synergies and lets Mystical Aid kick in (grants advantage to concentration checks for the gatorman spellcaster). Within 15 feet is even better, as the soul slave is then protected by the edge of spirit guardians setup by the bokor - this is effectively the two standing one behind the other (base to base) with the spellcaster's hand literally on its accomplice's shoulder, the soul slave acting as a defensive "linebacker" to the bokor's "quarterback", shielding it from opponents seeking to close to melee range with the spellcaster and setting up potential opportunity attacks.

It's important to note that the implied "3rd level spell slots" used for vampiric touch can also be used to trigger the Spell Slave feature if a bokor or other friendly gatorman caster is present. For this to function, the gatorman caster must be within 30 feet, which is the same range for the passive Mystical Aid feature  This doesn't just allow the gatorman spellcaster to ignore the cover and line of sight implications of having an ally in front of it, it effectively allows another spell to be cast each round by the bokor while the soul slave acts as a Gatorman "meat shield".  

In this setup, there is little role for having vampiric touch active as the soul slave is acting as a medium for additional spell attacks and will not likely use the healing option. The benefit of foregoing this is up to three extra guiding bolt, inflict wounds, or a battlefield control option spell (see above) without the expenditure of the bokor's own spell slots. Unfortunately, it is implied these spells can't be overcast so activate at base level but the addition to spellcaster action economy is considerable.

Once its three extra spell options are expended, the soul slave reverts to using its inflict wounds attacks unless it is advantageous to pin an opponent down that would otherwise attack its paired bokor.

Summary

A bokor is really very different to a lizardfolk shaman, not just due to its physical abilities, but also the spell profile and interaction with the soul slave effectively acting as an auxiliary caster.