- ReviewthegoblinstatblockinappendixB.Sincethe
goblinsarehiding,you’llneedtoknowtheirStealthskill
modifier:+6.
- Checktoseewho,ifanyone,issurprised.Thepartycan-
notsurprisethegoblins,butthegoblinsmightsurprise
someorallthecharacters.MakeaDexterity(Stealth)
checkforthegoblins,rollingonceforallofthem.Roll
ad20,addthegoblins’Stealthskillmodifier(+6)tothe
roll,andcomparetheresulttothecharacters’passive
Wisdom(Perception)scores.Anycharacterwhosescore
islowerthanthegoblins’checkresultissurprisedand
loseshisorherturnduringthefirstroundofcombat
(see“Surprise”intherulebook).
- Usetheinitiativerulesintherulebooktodeterminewho
actsfirst,second,third,andsoon.Keeptrackofevery-
one’sinitiativecountinthemarginsofthisbookorona
separatepieceofpaper.
- Whenthetimecomesforthegoblinstoact,twoofthem
rushforwardandmakemeleeattackswhiletwogoblins
stand 30 feetawayfromthepartyandmakeranged
attacks.Thegoblins’statblockcontainstheinformation
youneedtoresolvetheseattacks.Formoreinformation
onwhatthegoblinscandoontheirturn,seechapter2,
“Combat,”intherulebook.
- Whenthreegoblinsaredefeated,thelastgoblin
attemptstoflee,headingforthegoblintrail.
Developments
Intheunlikelyeventthatthegoblinsdefeatthe
adventurers,theyleavethemunconscious,lootthemand
thewagon,thenheadbacktotheCragmawhideout.The
characterscancontinueontoPhandalin,buynewgearat
Barthen’sProvisions,returntotheambushsite,andfind
thegoblins’trail.
Thecharactersmightcaptureoneormoregoblinsby
knockingthemunconsciousinsteadofkillingthem.A
charactercanuseanymeleeweapontoknockagoblin
unconscious,succeedingiftheattackdealsenough
damagetodropthegoblinto^0 hitpoints.Onceitregains
consciousnessafterafewminutes,acapturedgoblin
canbeconvincedtosharewhatitknows(seethe“What
theGoblinsKnow”sidebaronpage8).Agoblincanalso
bepersuadedtoleadthepartytotheCragmawhideout
whileavoidingtrapsalongtheway(seethe“Goblin
Trail”section).
Thecharactersmightnotfindthegoblintrail,orthey
coulddecidetocontinuetoPhandalin.Inthatcase,skip
aheadtopart2,“Phandalin.”ElmarBarthen(theowner
ofBarthen’sProvisions)seeksoutthecharactersand
informsthemthatGundrenRockseekerneverarrived.
Herecountsthegoblintroublesandsuggeststhatthe
charactersreturntotheambushsitetoinvestigatefurther
(aftertheyrest).BarthenalsotellsthepartythatLinene
GraywindoftheLionshieldCoster(seepage16)can
providemoreinformationonthegoblinattacks.
^
^
Rests
Thepartymightneedtorestafterthegoblinambush,
dependingonhowthebattleplaysout.Seetherulebookfor
moreinformationonshortrestsandlongrests.
^ -pr
GoblinTrail
Afterthecharactersdefeatthegoblins,anyinspectionofthe
arearevealsthatthecreatureshavebeenusingthisplace
tostageambushesforsometime.Atrailhiddenbehind
thicketsonthenorthsideoftheroadleadsnorthwest.A
characterwhosucceedsonaDC 10 Wisdom(Survival)
checkrecognizesthataboutadozengoblinshavecomeand
gonealongthetrail,aswellassignsoftwohuman-sized
bodiesbeinghauledawayfromtheambushsite.
Thepartycaneasilysteerthewagonawayfromtheroad
andtieofftheoxenwhilethegrouppursuesthegoblins.
Thetrailleadsfivemilesnorthwestandendsatthe
Cragmawhideout(seethatsection).Asktheplayersto
determinetheparty’smarchingorderasthecharacters
movedownthetrail.Theorderisimportant,becausethe
goblinshavesettwotrapstothwartpursuers.
Snare.About 10 minutesafterheadingdownthetrail,
apartyonthepathencountersahiddensnare.Ifthe
charactersaresearchingfortraps,thecharacterinthe
leadspotsthetrapautomaticallyifhisorherpassive
Wisdom(Perception)scoreis^12 orhigher.Otherwise,the
charactermustsucceedonaDC^12 Wisdom(Perception)
checktonoticethetrap.Ifthecharacterfailstonoticethe
trap,heorshetriggersthesnareandmustsucceedona
DC 10 Dexteritysavingthrow.Onafailure,thecharacter
issuspendedupsidedown^10 feetabovetheground.The
characterisrestraineduntil^1 ormoreslashingdamageis
dealttothesnare’scord.(Seetheappendixintherulebook
fortheeffectofbeingrestrained.)Acharacterwhoisn’t
carefullylowereddowntakesld6bludgeoningdamage
fromthefall.
Pit.Another 10 minutesdownthetrailisapitthe
goblinshavecamouflaged.Thepitis^6 feetwide,^10 feet
deep,andittriggerswhenacreaturemovesacrossit.The
characterintheleadspotsthehiddenpitautomatically
ifhisorherpassiveWisdom(Perception)scoreis^15 or
higher.Otherwise,thecharactermustsucceedonaDC
15 Wisdom(Perception)checktospotthehiddenpit.If
thetrapisn’tdetected,theleadcharactermustsucceed
onaDC 10 Dexteritysavingthroworfallin,takingld
bludgeoningdamage.Thepit’swallsarenotsteep,sono
abilitycheckisrequiredtoscrambleout.
AwardingExperiencePoints
DefeatingthegoblinambushersandfindingtheCragmaw
hideoutcompletesastorymilestone.Whentheparty
arrivesatthehideout,awardeachcharacter^75 XP.Make
suretheplayersrecordthisgainontheircharactersheets.
CragmawHideout
TheCragmawtribeofgoblinshasestablishedahideout
fromwhichitcaneasilyharassandplundertrafficmoving
alongtheTriboarTrailorthepathtoPhandalin.The
Cragmawtribeissonamedbecauseeachmemberofthe
tribesharpensitsteethsotheyappearfierceandjagged.
TheleaderoftheCragmawbanditslairinghereisa
bugbearnamedKlarg,whohasordersfromthechiefof
theCragmawstoplunderanypoorlydefendedcaravansor
travelersthatcomethisway.Afewdaysago,amessenger
fromCragmawCastlebroughtnewinstructions:Waylaythe
dwarfGundrenRockseekerandanyonetravelingwithhim.
PARTI:GOBLINARROWS
