[Petals & Thrones] Session 3.5: Goblin Ambush & How It Happened

Session III + 1/2

This has been a short session due to the alignment of real-life responsibilities, so we didn't get much done.

After having paid for the hirelings and set out for the sahuagin forces Sir Caspar spoke of, they didn't get far before running into an ambush of three bugbears and at least half a dozen goblins. It was a brutal fight. Both Selpora & Ribbles were fully taken down, and while the bugbears were ultimately taken down, every single goblin escaped with their hides intact. What helped was that for that entire fight, which the goblins entered and exited from Stealth at least twice each, I rolled an average of 16 on their checks. Worried, they went ahead and took a short rest to get everyone standing again and assess the situation.

Addendum

Now, for those who have experience with 5E, it has been commented that there are no concrete rules for handling Stealth on the whole. Sure, there's the skill check for it, Perception, and Passive Perception. But there's precious little in the way of when the check can be made, what can be expected to modify the results, etc. For that, I have been using the following rules:

Perception

Passive Perception 10 + Wis mod, max 10 unless proficient in Perception

Alert Status - If you designate yourself as Alert, you must designate what you are specifically keeping an eye out for; enemies, secret doors, strange behavior in a crowd, etc. Any time you roll Perception, you are guaranteed a minimum result. To remain Alert, you must not engage in activities that require concentration; conversation (quick battle shouts are fine), fighting, casting, maintaining concentration on spells, etc.

•     Low Alert 10 + Wis mod + proficiency (if applicable)
•     High Alert 10 + Wis mod + proficiency modifier (even if not proficient)

Low Alert is only applicable if you don't expect an immediate threat, such as being on guard duty. High Alert is when it's known that your target is afoot, such as hostile goblins receding back into the underbrush.

Complementary senses that aid in detection, such as tremorsense, increase all of these minimum values by +3. Effects that grant (dis)advantage adjusts these minimums by +/-5 as usual.

Stealth

To perform a Hide action, you must have some amount of cover or be within an area that is obscured, relative to the creature(s) you are hiding from. If you do not know the creature is there, then your check is made at disadvantage. If you are invisible, you may forgo movement to gain advantage on Stealth checks, and have the option to hold your breath to add your Proficiency as a stacking bonus to your Stealth check for the round.

Cover If you have cover, you enjoy a minimum Stealth result. Effects that grand (dis)advantage adjust this value by +/-5 accordingly; such as loud sounds or the enemy is able to be directed by someone else that can see you.

• Half Cover 8
• 3/4 Cover 12
• Total Cover 16

Credit: Grit & Glory. I cannot take credit for designing these rules. I found them online through an outside source and have applied them here. The resource is handy for ideas, though I feel the product as a whole can be overly detailed and difficult on an adventuring party.