Okay, I finally got some time to set up the map for the current encounter. To see it, click on "Game Map" in the main menu at the top of the page, then scroll down and select "Map/Image for group 0" from the drop-down list. You should see a map titled "Road to Phandalin", with tokens for each character arranged in their current positions.

Once you've had a moment to check out the map, please let me know what you want to do. As far as your character can tell, the creatures hiding on the embankments above the horses are not yet aware that you've spotted them. You can safely assume that they've seen your party and are watching you, though.

I'm not very aggressive so I'm going to wait for someone else to take the lead/make the first move.

Very good. I agree that this is the proper way to roleplay your character. However, generally you will still need to say that, since you are the only player so the action is still going to be centered around you.

The first combat of the campaign has begun! And, since you critted your initiative roll, you get to go first.

Please check out the current tactical situation by looking at the updated group 0 map, and then let me know what you want to do. You might need to clear your browser's image file cache if you load the map and it doesn't look like it has changed. This site has a lot of problems with file caching of this sort, so you might need to do this often. Please let me know if you have any problems.

Okay, the first round of combat is over. Please check out the updated group 0 map. Your character is up next. Only one goblin is left alive, and your character is the only party member who has taken damage, but it's quite a bit of damage.

Please be aware that if you want to keep the last goblin alive, then you can try to just knock him out with a melee attack, rather than kill him (see "Knocking a Creature Out", PHB p.198). That's up to you, though.

Would my God want me to perform a ceremony of some sort for these goblins or can I silently agree to leave them be?   I want to thoroughly search the horses,  the map case,  and the surrounding ground for any signs of the two riders (blood and/or foot trails etc.) and then vainly attempt to move the carcasses.

Istishia, like all the primordial elemental lords, is aligned true neutral and doesn't really care about the concerns of mortals. He would not care one way or the other if you showed any particular respect, or lack thereof, for the corpses of these goblins.

For this reason, the church of Istishia doesn't have a lot of rites and rituals pertaining to ordinary life. There's no particular reason your character would feel compelled to administer funeral rites for these goblins, or anyone else for that matter. This ties in with the church's generally passive stance on most things.

The only reason Istishia happens to have blessed your character with an affinity for healing is because the life-giving nature of water is just one of his many aspects. Another Istishian priest would just as likely specialize in the destructive nature of water, since all of its qualities are equally important to him.

Source: http://www.nj-pbem.com/data/Go...mangods/Istishia.htm
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:06, Wed 02 Dec 2015.

If you want to leave any of your equipment behind in the wagon for this mission, then let me know. For example, the other characters are dumping all their rations except for one day's worth, to lighten the load of their packs. Steamknuckle is also leaving behind his tinker's tools. If there's anything similarly non-essential that your character would not want to bring, then indicate that here.

Also, please let me know if you have any special preference for your character's place in the marching order. This is more significant here since the trail is narrow and the group will be walking single file. If you don't have a preference, then it will be Willow, you, Steamknuckle, and then Rudo in the rear.

As always, if you have any questions, then that's what this thread is for.

Check out the group 0 map. I've updated it to reflect the new scene.

Please let me know what your character wants to do.

By the way, you've earned 75 XP for achieving the first story milestone. Congratulations.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:04, Fri 04 Dec 2015.

The map has been updated.

It's your turn now. If you choose to follow Rudo and Burgess through the briar thicket to take a swing at the goblin, then crossing through the thicket counts as difficult terrain (PHB p.182). However, since you're already pretty close, you can still close that distance in one turn.

Also, since the dog successfully knocked the goblin prone with its bite attack, you will have advantage on any melee attack you make against him (PHB p.292).
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:25, Sat 05 Dec 2015.

The group 0 map has been updated again.

Please let me know if there's anything you want to do before the party enters the cave: cast spells, prepare gear, search the area more thoroughly, whatever. Just let me know.

Also, I took some liberty in arranging the group's marching order. You can see it on the current map. Rudo has already agreed to lead, and it would make sense to put Willow in the middle of the order since she can't see in the dark. That really just leaves you to take up the rear, since you are a somewhat combat-oriented type and Steamknuckle is too weak to be all the way in the back. Please let me know if you have a problem with this order.

Sounds good.   I will cast light.

On what exactly?

On my hammer.

I should clarify.

If you have any questions for me, about the current game situation or environment, then you should ask those here in this thread. This is how you gather information to inform your character's next action.

However, if you've already decided what you want your character to do next, then you should just go ahead and post that in the in-character thread. You don't have to say it here.

On the other hand, if you have any role-playing questions, not for me but for your character to ask one of the other characters, then you should do that in the in-character thread as well.

Also, you get to decide what color the light is when you cast the Light spell.

White

I guess you ignored my second-to-last post. Allow me to clarify even more.

When you are ready to take an action, please post it in the IC thread. Not here.

Please feel free to think outside the box to try to solve problems that come up in the game. You have lots of attributes and skills that you can roll against. If there's something you want to try, or if you have any questions about what you can do, then please ask. Even suggesting things that other characters might be able to do can be useful.

But if you just can't think of anything, then that's fine too. This game is really all for your benefit, so please do whatever is most fun.

I should have done more research but I didn't know that Steamknuckle could see through the eyes of his pet.  He should be shooting the whole cave.   Willow didn't have to climb up that shaft if pass could just fly up it.  Can he tell pass to move quietly and even walk if needed?

Well, her name is Peas, not Pass. But yes, it would have been smart to use the owl to scout things out from the start. That is one of the main benefits to having a familiar in this game. However, to be honest, this did not occur to me until a few days ago.

Besides, since you are the only human player, I generally try to let you do most of the strategic thinking and decision-making for the party. If I do too much of that myself, then it becomes less of a game for you and more of just a slightly interactive work of fiction. So I encourage you to come up with your best ideas for how to tackle the party's problems. However, when you are busy or can't come up with anything, I don't mind occasionally stepping in to move the story forward.

To answer your question, yes, Steamknuckle has a telepathic link with his familiar, and can command her to do whatever he wishes (as long as they stay within 100 feet of each other). And yes, she can walk to be even more stealthy, although her walking speed is only 5 feet per round (as opposed to her flying speed of 60 feet per round). Since she's an owl, and owls can't really run very fast.

Autocorrect and no time to proofread/edit.

I like the choose your own adventure books.  You write very well and seem to be motivated to do so and practise is always a good thing.

Yes, it is true that I appreciate the opportunity to practice my writing. But what's also true is that I'm running a published adventure, with pre-written details to which only I am privy, and secrets that I don't want to just dole out to you on a silver platter.

It's not exactly a meaningful exercise in creativity for me to roll secret Intelligence checks for my NPCs to see if they can think of a solution that I, as the real-life DM, already know. However,  what is interesting is for you to try to challenge yourself to come up with these solutions on your own, without the insider knowledge that I possess.

Sorry for the long delay. I've been pretty busy with all the holiday stuff going on. I will try to post an update sometime tonight, but I can't make any promises.

Thanks for the quick response.

However, just to be clear, there is only one goblin standing on the bridge. If you carefully read Steamknuckle's two summary posts (messages 145 and 149 in the IC thread) then you'll see that only one goblin is mentioned standing there.

You are welcome to revise your character's statement accordingly, if you wish.