Dregg 5E Tactics

These loathsome subterranean creatures are quite mysterious, with little extended lore on their society other than their descriptions in the various bestiaries and to date only one significant adventure scenario. I think they're quite under developed to date and always wonder how they interact with the similarly subterranean Cephalyx who seem to otherwise dominate the poorly developed "UnderCaen" region...

Dregg bursting forth...

I can't really think of an accurate non Iron Kingdoms correlate for these guys, but these crazy critters always remind me of derro from a lore perspective, although perhaps the similarities are mainly superficial as their ability contour is quite different and they lack the magic resistance and spellcasting leaders characteristic of those degenerate dwarf like beings. Come to think of it, they also remind me somewhat of Skyrim's Falmer, although the only statistics I've found for those are homebrewed. 

So there are two variants of dregg provided to date (MN:5E pages 59-60), the base creature and the champion-like pain monger, but the latter has only one additional trait and is otherwise mechanically *identical* in terms of lowish AC, same hit dice, and unchanged movement despite the lore suggesting otherwise. I'll deal with the base creature and comment on the minor change for the higher CR variant separately. All comments below deal with the base dregg unless specifically noted.    

Unlike the gorax or gatorman that I've already analysed, a dregg does not have the ability contour of a brute, rather it is a humanoid shock attacker, favouring stealth and big-damage sneak attacks due to its high STR and DEX, although admittedly it is a passable auxiliary sniper. This style leverages their darkvision and Stealth proficiency but it is their Sunlight Sensitivity that decides this - they will actively avoid sunlight consistent with their lore that it "causes them to actively sicken and die". 

So they are night time ambushers and subterranean skirmish foes to a fault. 

Horrid ones at that. The whole skin of their upper face curling back to expose bone is damn creepy.

Lets start with Multiattack then, which specifies the attacks as a bite and then a choice of either claws or forearm blades in combination. It's worth noting that the scavenged rifle ranged attack consumes a whole action, so this is likely only used when striking initially from ambush, if the individual dregg is unable to close into melee, or to pick off fleeing foes. Their bite is pretty uncomplicated and is one of the obligate choices, so lets look at the alternating arm based options.

Forearm blades are fairly basic and somewhat redundant compared to claws, which although they inflict 1 less point of average damage have the same chance of success and impose the grappled and restrained conditions if successful so there is really no argument here - a dregg will use its claws unless it has a reason not to such as being at range or if it is attacked by a creature other than the one it has grappled. Oddly, the creature can't use its *claws* against another opponent if it has grappled a victim but *can* use its forearm blades while maintaining the grapple (recall, continuing a grapple does not use up an action, its breaking a grapple that does). Not sure how exactly that makes sense or whether it is intentional unless you consider its claws a combination of both its hands and feet, which the images and artwork imply to an extent. Technically you could read it as a dregg could attack different opponents with its claws initially. and if successful with both attacks could restrain two opponents but this seems unlikely and the intent is that it can only grapple one creature at a time so lets leave it.

The final trait, Masochist, provides advantage to the dregg, but only when they are down to *half* hit points (26 or less). Normally, Keith's method would suggest uses any technique that gives it advantage by preference but I don't think that translates into them injuring themselves despite the theme or each other intentionally. To me this says they are persistent and keep launching themselves back into combat with a degree of recklessness and abandon bordering on insanity.

I'd note that he suggests most creatures with reasonable WIS scores that aren't fanatics or intelligent enough to know they will be killed if captured don't fight to the death and choose to flee when at 30% hit points - this is 15 or less for these horrors. Dregg are definitely not the smartest creatures, and I would say their masochist natures drives them towards the former so I'd suggest they instead fight to 10% (5 hp or less) before attempting to flee so they can survive to feel that glorious pain or whatever another day once healed. 

Pain Monger "variant"

These minor variants are intended as champions but as they only have one different trait and the same stat block, they essentially have the same strategy and tactics. Their Inflict Suffering trait simply adds the poisoned condition to a *critical* hit on a failed DC 12 CON save - this is not that unlikely but is uncommon enough for it to be only a minor consideration and seems hardly enough to justify an increase in CR (Challenge Rating). 

It will be interesting to see if more dregg variants crop up in future supplements, there is definitely a niche not being filled here by the fairly bland current option of the pain monger.

Other Variant Suggestions

Dregg don't really seem like a race to have shamans, and there's no real suggestion they use any warbeasts so a warlock seems out of place. I'd like to think a bespoke junker warjack is an option given their tendency to salvage technology perhaps, so maybe a mechanik (jack marshall) or weird salvaged steam armoured warcaster. I've also always wondered about a connection between dregg and cephalyx given the are both subterranean, but there's nothing established in the lore yet connecting the two races.

Summary

So in the end dregg are pretty simple - the variant pain monger is somewhat disappointing as it provides minimal variety to an otherwise fairly standard nocturnal / subterranean skirmisher style opponent. Like a lot of creatures of Immoren, it's the lore and thematic elements that make the difference and the lore is somewhat lacking in the MN:5E despite the "two" variants. 

Note: there's a bit more in the original d20 Monsternomicon (pages 58-59) and the IKRPG Monsternomicon (pages 36-37) if you can get your hands on one or the other - the flavour text is actually very similar and seems to be basically carried through between systems like many of the classic Immorese creatures. I prefer the original black and white style and art, but either is a good option to fill in the blanks and generate some more ideas. 

Addit: there's a FMF/2D6 module with dregg as the main antagonists somewhere as well but I can't for the life of me remember where... it's "Down in the Dreggs" by Daniel Marthaler.