As the party watches, two hobgoblin with spears, come from the shelter, then head off to the west.

.    ______
.   /      \
.  |        |
.  |        |
.  | Tent   |
.  |        |
.  |        |       h h
.  |        |
.  |        |
.  |        |
.   \______/




    Party

This message was last edited by the GM at 12:26, Thu 29 Apr 2021.

Wist freezes when the hobgoblins appear.

He whispers to the group, "I don't think we should approach the tent. Not until we know how many more are in there."

His eyes glint as he adds, "But we could circle around that way," he points to the right, "and see if we can't ambush those two on their own.

What do you think?"

The tent and what's underneath may hold many hobgoblins John thought. He nodded to Wist "aye let's follow the pair westward, we might get the drop on them" he agreed.

"What if they're just a decoy? I'd hate to have them on both sides of us. With two less enemies in the tent I say now's the time to check it out, if Kadira has prepared a spell of slumber."

Following them up the hill a bit Kadira doesn't get any closer to the tent than the others but does take a look at what they are watching.
"I have never had the opportunity to learn that particular spell, but if you do find someone who knows it perhaps I will be able to learn it some day,  I am afraid we will need to fight them the normal way."

"Friar Kerwich you are wise, Wist elflord you are clever" John shook his head "I know not who to follow" John waited for a decision and would go with the party decision.

"But they will surround us in both cases! And if those two are a decoy, then they will likely only move a short way into the woods before turning back to attack us from that side.

If we can catch them unaware in the woods we may be able to defeat them without those in the tent knowing what happened.

That is my thoughts...I will go with the majority."

Just watching the camp while she puts her book away Kadira takes a while to think it over.
"It is unlikely that they are going to go very far from the camp, if we can take them out quietly it might help, but any kind of loud noise will just bring the whole camp down on us anyways."

Bow in hand John nodded to Kadira "we should be able to do it quietly with some quick shooting" the archer was looking forward to proving his archery skills after losing in their competition on their last journey.

He then set out to follow Wist's plan to follow the hobgoblins and shoot them.

Kerwich follows John and readies his sling.

Wist nocks an arrow, and prepares to follow John.

"I know a spell that will cause the grass and trees to grab hold of creatures, completely binding them or at least slowing them. It was effective against a group of orcs I met on my way to Helmsbreach, it might be useful here, so don't rush in to engage the hobgobs."

"Aye" John confirmed the plan with Wist and prepared to shoot the hobgoblins.

Leaving the horses picketed with Kadira, Wist, John and Kerwich start out stalking the hobgoblin pair. Paralleling their movements, they spot the pair.  They are scanning the woods, but do not seem to notice the party.

They are about 100' away.

A check of the wind with his finger and a nod to Wist then John began his shooting. John's broad shoulders and brawny arms bulged as he bent his longbow and fired his arrow at the hobgoblin.

OOC Hit AC 3 for 3 damage.

Not quite as accurate as a bow at this distance Kadira's sling none the less does a good job of remaining on target and at least hits the hobgoblin, how effective a stone is against their armor is another question entirely.

Kerwich keeps an eye on the tent while the others focus on the two hobgoblins.

Wist moves closer to the hobgoblins and then casts his Entangle spell.

---

Duration: 1 turn Range: 80 ft
Grasses, weeds, bushes, and even trees wrap, twist, and entwine about creatures in a 40 ft diameter area or those that enter the designated area, holding them fast and causing them to become entangled.

A creature may move half its normal movement if it succeeds in a saving throw versus spells.

The hobgoblin are surprised, and yelp in panic as the grass springs up to ensare them.  They seem oblivious to the party until the arrow hits, but they are unable to do anything about it, except to call out what must be curses, since none understand their tongue.  Their spears can not reach this distance, even if they could untangle them to throw.

Kerwich can not see the tent from this distance, but nothing seems out of the ordinary.

Actions?  The party can easily slay them from here if they choose.  They don't have missile weapons.

They are AC 4 with 5/8 and 8/8 HP. you can roll until you kill them.

It seemed rather unsporting to shoot the hobgoblins whilst they were so trapped but John knew what must be done. He closed to a better range of seventy foot and poked six arrows into the turf.

Then he fired the six arrows but to his dismay only struck his target to penetrate its armour once.

OOC 6 arrows fired and 3 damage inflicted.

Following John's example Kadira keeps slinging stones at the same one she hit before, hitting it several times, not all of which bounce off the armor.

Wist mimics John, sending a half-dozen arrow toward the helpless hobgoblins. Four of them sink into the creatures.

---

Damage of 8, 1, 3, and 5.

After an embarrassing number of attempts, he hobgoblin lie dead, and the grass returns to its natural inert state.  A search of the hobgoblins reveals no treasure, just some skinning knives, and rope, and smoked meat.  Their spears seem usable.

Nothing comes from the way of the camp, and the woods seem quiet.

"I'll throw these in my pack, if no one wants one now," Wist says in regards to the knives.

"And rope is always handy to have." He attaches a coil to the outside of his pack, and will stow the other if no one else wants to carry it.

"Shall take a closer look at the tent?"

---

Presumably we are now to the right side of the tent, as opposed to the bottom (based on the previous sketch).

The hobgoblins defeated John was underwhelmed. His performance of archery was less than good. The archer packed away his bow without this usual cheery proclamations of victory.

With Wist he went to investigate the corpses of the hobgoblins. He looked around for his arrows to see if any were fit to be used again. He turned his nose up at the meat, unsure from what creature or person it may have come from. The spears examined John deemed their worthy and tied the pair of them to his pack.

"Aye" John nodded to Wist and drew his sword Stormblade.

OOC Can fired arrows be recovered or are they lost?

Kerwich makes sure his mace is ready, and prepares to bring up the rear as the party approaches the tent. He nods his assent to Wist, and looks to John to move out.