[D&D] The Lost Mines of Phandelver

[twietee]

Now, a question: Can I use the Sleep spell twice (...) ?

Yes, you can.

I like that plan. I believe we all have some longe range weaponry at hand, I would use my cantrip ot not lose an axe, so once I've "enlightened" the rail we would all have a good shot at the goblin. I would think that in reality we'd all shoot at the same time more or less, so no idea how this is handeled in D&D context but I belive a surprise attack should include the whole party. Let's just hope our dice rolls are more fortunate this time and that there is nobody else around.

The sleep speel would be the most elegant and sneaky approach by far though. Since you can use it twice I think I would go that route. Would redeem us a little after the disaster that was our last engagement.
[doublepost=1457883305][/doublepost]

just a clarification, the goblin appears to be on the bridge

Yes, he would have to run to one end and try cutting it loose twice. No idea how thick the ropes are but I would assume that would be two turns.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

just a clarification, the goblin appears to be on the bridge

Yes, I gathered as much.

How far from us is he? (In other words, ranged spells or cantrips - or, indeed, arrows and spears, for that matter, - need to have some sense of the distance required in order to the able to cast them - or throw them - or fire them - accurately).
[doublepost=1457883531][/doublepost]

Yes, you can.

I like that plan. I believe we all have some longe range weaponry at hand, I would use my cantrip ot not lose an axe, so once I've "enlightened" the rail we would all have a good shot at the goblin. I would think that in reality we'd all shoot at the same time more or less, so no idea how this is handeled in D&D context but I belive a surprise attack should include the whole party. Let's just hope our dice rolls are more fortunate this time and that there is nobody else around.

The sleep speel would be the most elegant and sneaky approach by far though. Since you can use it twice I think I would go that route. Would redeem us a little after the disaster that was our last engagement.
[doublepost=1457883305][/doublepost]

Yes, he would have to run to one end and try cutting it loose twice. No idea how thick the ropes are but I would assume that would be two turns.

That is a lot of power - and spell expenditure - to remove one goblin.

Thus far, we have needed an awful lot of effort and energy to successfully complete relatively small tasks - the goblin ambush from the forest (which really tested us), not to mention the wolves. The only thing which went relatively easily was the attack on the cave or cavern mouth, when we killed the two goblins, without taking damage ourselves.

 

[twietee]

I could use my command spell, but it is more vital that I am able to cure as many wounds as possible, while your approach, ss, would keep us save from any surprises and still undetected - which could be quite important as well.
[doublepost=1457884187][/doublepost]I really don't understand the point made by Pluto that only ss and I should discuss this btw.

to ss: if you don't want to use your slot it's fine.

to everybody: get into postion and your gear ready: I'll cast light on the railing of the bridge.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I could use my command spell, but it is more vital that I am able to cure as many wounds as possible, while your approach, ss, would keep us save from any surprises and still undetected - which could be quite important as well.

Agreed re the considerable need for your cure and healing spells. Absolutely.

We didn't exactly distinguish ourselves, or cover ourselves in glory when ambushed by a few goblins, or trying to subdue three chained wolves. I will readily confess to some slight concern about our capabilities when faced with a greater number of armed, and experienced, bloodthirsty, and doubtless vengeful foes.

However, what about exploring @Don't panic's excellent idea of a co-ordinated set of ranged cantrip attack spells between us? Would there be any merit in the pair of us discussing it, and seeing what we could come up with?

 

[ravenvii]

>>> a coordinated surprise attack is definitely doable. Remember, the goblins did exactly the same thing when they ambushed the caravan.

Here's an extremely crude drawing of your surroundings to clear things up. Veit is where the X is. There is another, intersecting, path that the bridge connects, 20 feet above.

Veit is approximately 20 feet away from the bridge, which is approximately 20 feet high, so Veit is approximately 30 feet from the goblin in a direct line.

 

[twietee]

Thx raven! Extremely helpful - I mean it!

How wide is the stream? I'll take a good glance at the tunnel to the left: anything of interest?

Note to myself: gotta buy binoculars for our next trip.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

>>> a coordinated surprise attack is definitely doable. Remember, the goblins did exactly the same thing when they ambushed the caravan.

Here's an extremely crude drawing of your surroundings to clear things up. Veit is where the X is. There is another, intersecting, path that the bridge connects, 20 feet above.

Veit is approximately 20 feet away from the bridge, which is approximately 20 feet high, so Veit is approximately 30 feet from the goblin in a direct line.

Very helpful and useful, thanks for that, much appreciated.

Thx raven! Extremely helpful - I mean it!

How wide is the stream? I'll take a good glance at the tunnel to the left: anything of interest?

Note to myself: gotta buy binoculars for our next trip.

Yes, a nice telescope wouldn't go amiss, agreed.

 

[ravenvii]

Thx raven! Extremely helpful - I mean it!

How wide is the stream? I'll take a good glance at the tunnel to the left: anything of interest?

Note to myself: gotta buy binoculars for our next trip.

>>> A little less than 5 feet wide. Yeah, the cave isn't epic or what you'd envision Frodo stomping through or something, but it's your first dungeon, after all

 

[twietee]

Thanks.

> Am I wrong in assuming that we could all jump over the stream then? Or could we even walk through?

If yes, I have an alternative idea/proposition: I could use one of my cantrips to raise the attention of the goblin to the northern (map is north-oriented, right?) part so that we could use the distraction to cross the stream.

Oh, and last question: what's the noise level like?

 

[Don't panic]

alright, until farther notice, i put away the scimitar and get the javelin ready.
then, guided by Veit whispers (which i can barely hear above the noisy waters), I very carefully make my way next to Veit, flush to the east wall, and i ready to throw the javelin at the goblin Veit told us about, whenever it will become visible to me.

at this point it would be good to undo the magic light on master fletcher's blade, so it won't alert the goblin when he gets within range, and be ready to cast it on the bridge's rail
[doublepost=1457896051][/doublepost]i was back a couple of messages.

if we want to go explore the other passage, that is also ok by me.
to reply to a previous question by Syllin, i doubt we can take the goblin without some use of magic, either to attack or distract.
one possibility would be to brazenly try to con the goblin into believing we are emissaries of this Black Spider and that we need to talk to his boss, but we need a good plan to pull that off, and i am not sure we have enough intel to do that (or accurate enough intel)

but we should decide.

options
1. ranged ambush on goblin on bridge
2. sleep on goblin
3. explore other tunnel
4. talk to goblin
5. other

 

[ravenvii]

Thanks.

> Am I wrong in assuming that we could all jump over the stream then? Or could we even walk through?

If yes, I have an alternative idea/proposition: I could use one of my cantrips to raise the attention of the goblin to the northern (map is north-oriented, right?) part so that we could use the distraction to cross the stream.

Oh, and last question: what's the noise level like?

FYI, the goblin is looking in the other direction. So unless you shout and splash around or swing around a source of light, I won't even roll a dice to see if you can sneak by. And walk across the stream? You walked right across it when you went to kill the two goblins at the beginning, remember?

And the level is noise is what you'd imagine a relatively strong stream to sound like.

 

[twietee]

I'm lost. We went backwards from the wolves?

Let me recap as I understood it: we entered the cave with an entrance to the right and a tunnel to the left (I think). We proceeded into the tunnel and reached the wolves. From there on we tried the hole, and finally walked along the stream, I didn't kow we went back from where we came from.

If I understand you correctly, we don't know where the southern entrance / tunnel (in your drawing, from my position) leads us to, right? If yes, I will carefully sneak that way and look around the corner.

 

[Don't panic]

I'm lost. We went backwards from the wolves?

Let me recap as I understood it: we entered the cave with an entrance to the right and a tunnel to the left (I think). We proceeded into the tunnel and reached the wolves. From there on we tried the hole, and finally walked along the stream, I didn't kow we went back from where we came from.

If I understand you correctly, we don't know where the southern entrance / tunnel (in your drawing, from my position) leads us to, right? If yes, I will carefully sneak that way and look around the corner.

I filled in ravenvii amazing map

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I filled in ravenvii amazing map
View attachment 621002

What a beautifully sketched map. And, to scale, too. Thank you - this does serve to make matters somewhat clearer...

 

[Don't panic]

What a beautifully sketched map. And, to scale, too. Thank you - this does serve to make matters somewhat clearer...

in truth , it was a bit of crumpled parchment i had in my pocket, which i had used priorly to suppress a sneeze.
I believe it must have been Tymora who guided my snot...

 

[twietee]

Thanks, DP.

But then we didn't cross the stream and can go explore further west (assuming the map is north-oriented) and totally ignore the goblin.

edit: or was the plan to access to bridge from below? That could be a handy shortcut (but could mean we get caught in the middle, so to say).

I'm game for everything. How do we decide? I guess DP doesn't want to push too much since he knows the cave inside out already

 

[Don't panic]

we had crossed the stream when we were outside, before coming in, to reach the two now dead goblin who were guarding the entrance

 

[twietee]

we had crossed the stream when we were outside, before coming in, to reach the two now dead goblin who were guarding the entrance

Gotcha.
[doublepost=1457907831][/doublepost]Ok, Goblin is looking into the other direction: I say we enlighten the rail in front of him and use all our firepower to "convince" him to let us pass. Alright?

 

[Don't panic]

Gotcha.
[doublepost=1457907831][/doublepost]Ok, Goblin is looking into the other direction: I say we enlighten the rail in front of him and use all our firepower to "convince" him to let us pass. Alright?

I am ready.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

in truth , it was a bit of crumpled parchment i had in my pocket, which i had used priorly to suppress a sneeze.
I believe it must have been Tymora who guided my snot...

Aloud: Draws breath and heaves a sigh. To myself: Ah, yes. Oftenimes, it is necessary to hold one's tongue, no matter how much one may desire to offer an entirely justified reproof.

I tend to overlook just how uncouth and lacking in culture and manners some of our declassé nobility actually are. But, I am not certain that he has sufficient learning to know that he casually insults both Master Veit and - more distantly - myself, with that foul suggestion about Tymora. Perhaps he does, deliberately, - either to goad us, or heedless of our possible discomfort, in a manner befitting of oblivious noblemen since the dawn of time.

Unfortunately, now is not the time to embark upon what may become contentious disputes by expressing justified reproofs concerning the causal affronts to some of our respected deities. Not least because we will be facing common enemies.

 

[twietee]

I am ready.

Good. We just assume everybody is ready, right? If yes, I'll cast a strong curse reverse spell on Pluto's sword and cast Light on the rail in front of the goblin (the side farther away from us so that his silhoutte would be visible for us + he's blinded and would need a while to realize what's happening).

After that I have no clue who is first and so but I'd use my flaming cantrip to "convince" him.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Gotcha.
[doublepost=1457907831][/doublepost]Ok, Goblin is looking into the other direction: I say we enlighten the rail in front of him and use all our firepower to "convince" him to let us pass. Alright?

Do you have in mind that we use magical power, such as cantrips, jointly? Or, is what you have in mind more corporeal in nature, taking the form of precisely thrown javelins, bows, arrows and the like?

 

[twietee]

Do you have in mind that we use magical power, such as cantrips, jointly? Or, is what you have in mind more corporeal in nature, taking the form of precisely thrown javelins, bows, arrows and the like?

I will use my cantrip since I fear losing one of my two most precious handaxes in the river. I guess you could/should use one of your cantrips as well. The more the merrier.
The others will have to use less cultivated and more barbaric means to convince our littel friend over there.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I will use my cantrip since I fear losing one of my two most precious handaxes in the river. I guess you could/should use one of your cantrips as well. The more the merrier.
The others will have to use less cultivated and more babaric means to convince our littel friend over there.

Actually, I suspect that use of the cantrips available to me require me to be closer to the goblin than we are - one of the two actually appears to require that I be able to touch the target.

 

[Don't panic]

Aloud: Draws breath and heaves a sigh. To myself: Ah, yes. Oftenimes, it is necessary to hold one's tongue, no matter how much one may desire to offer an entirely justified reproof.

I tend to overlook just how uncouth and lacking in culture and manners some of our declassé nobility actually are. But, I am not certain that he has sufficient learning to know that he casually insults both Master Veit and - more distantly - myself, with that foul suggestion about Tymora. Perhaps he does, deliberately, - either to goad us, or heedless of our possible discomfort, in a manner befitting of oblivious noblemen since the dawn of time.

Unfortunately, now is not the time to embark upon what may become contentious disputes by expressing justified reproofs concerning the causal affronts to some of our respected deities. Not least because we will be facing common enemies.

raising an eyebrow at syllin's obvious look of disapproval
> why? aren't you an acolyte of his seriousness Oghma the wise? you should know then that gifting a map drawn in snot is exactly how Lady Luck might choose to show her divine support. Isn't it Portia?
[doublepost=1457909237][/doublepost]

I will use my cantrip since I fear losing one of my two most precious handaxes in the river. I guess you could/should use one of your cantrips as well. The more the merrier.
The others will have to use less cultivated and more barbaric means to convince our littel friend over there.

Wait, aren't you using the light cantrip, so we can properly barbarize the little bugger? Syllin's Iceray is more than adequate. if our archers come over and get ready, then the poor sap will never know what hit him.

don't forget to turn off Master fletcher's blazing sword, or i daresay our surprise party will end a tad spoiled