I'm running the Starter Set adventure with six players (five of them are using the pregens and one a Human Wizard who is really not much of a combatant) and so far they're having an easy time with every encounter up to Redbrands Hideout (which they'll assault next session). I've read about the adventure being quite lethal and people ragequitting the game after being TPKed by goblins on the first encounter, so I'm at a loss to know if I'm doing something wrong as the DM or they are playing really smart and/or having a lot of luck.
This is an example of how combat went for the first encounter:
The Rogue and the Archer Fighter were patrolling the area way ahead of the party. The Rogue spotted a goblin in the bushes and signaled to the Archer, who positioned himself at a safe distance to shot with his longbow the first goblin that came out of the briars, then went back to inform the rest of the group.
The Noble Fighter and Cleric advanced to a safe distance, staying just out of sight at the turn of the road and ready to Dash. The Elf Mage casted Mage Armor on himself and acted as a bait. Two goblins came out of hiding and shot him, but he casted Shield as a reaction and both attacks failed. Then the Rogue and Archer snipped the two goblin archers, one of whom was wiped instantly (the Rogue failed her attack).
Three more goblins jumped on the Wizard when the Cleric and Fighter rushed to his defense to make themselves into their targets, but only the Fighter was mildly damaged by one of them. Next turn the Rogue was ambushed by the goblin she failed to kill and was damaged, but again the goblin mildly damaged her, and the Human Wizard (who until this moment stayed guarding the supplies) Frosted him with a superb damage roll. The Cleric obliterated his first opponent using Inflict Wounds, and then both Fighters made a quick work of the two remaining goblins in the next two rounds (one was knocked unconscious instead of killed to lead the way).
Most combats went like this, with the Rogue scouting ahead and noticing most threats in advance so that the rest of the party could prepare and come up with a plan. So far she failed her Stealth roll only once (against the Redbrand Ruffians in the Sleeping Giant). The Archer then snipped most goblin standing guard from far away, or the Wizard Magic Missile'd the ones he couldn't target because of vision constraints (such as the one standing guard on the bridge).
No single character was dropped through the course of the adventure, although many enemies concentrated their attacks against the first rank of PCs (Cleric and the Noble Fighter) or the Wizards (who thanks to MA and Shield were really difficult to hit, and only used other Lvl 1 spells when they were sure the combat was all but won).
Thoughts? Are the players being really smart (or lucky) or am I giving them an easy time somehow?
PS: I've added two goblins to each encounter on Part 1 with less than five of them on Cragmaw Hideout (except Area 8 and the goblin ambush), to which I added just one, to compensate for the extra player. I also changed the Redbrand Ruffians encounter to be six vs six on the dusty street at sunset for a western vibe.
This is an example of how combat went for the first encounter:
The Rogue and the Archer Fighter were patrolling the area way ahead of the party. The Rogue spotted a goblin in the bushes and signaled to the Archer, who positioned himself at a safe distance to shot with his longbow the first goblin that came out of the briars, then went back to inform the rest of the group.
The Noble Fighter and Cleric advanced to a safe distance, staying just out of sight at the turn of the road and ready to Dash. The Elf Mage casted Mage Armor on himself and acted as a bait. Two goblins came out of hiding and shot him, but he casted Shield as a reaction and both attacks failed. Then the Rogue and Archer snipped the two goblin archers, one of whom was wiped instantly (the Rogue failed her attack).
Three more goblins jumped on the Wizard when the Cleric and Fighter rushed to his defense to make themselves into their targets, but only the Fighter was mildly damaged by one of them. Next turn the Rogue was ambushed by the goblin she failed to kill and was damaged, but again the goblin mildly damaged her, and the Human Wizard (who until this moment stayed guarding the supplies) Frosted him with a superb damage roll. The Cleric obliterated his first opponent using Inflict Wounds, and then both Fighters made a quick work of the two remaining goblins in the next two rounds (one was knocked unconscious instead of killed to lead the way).
Most combats went like this, with the Rogue scouting ahead and noticing most threats in advance so that the rest of the party could prepare and come up with a plan. So far she failed her Stealth roll only once (against the Redbrand Ruffians in the Sleeping Giant). The Archer then snipped most goblin standing guard from far away, or the Wizard Magic Missile'd the ones he couldn't target because of vision constraints (such as the one standing guard on the bridge).
No single character was dropped through the course of the adventure, although many enemies concentrated their attacks against the first rank of PCs (Cleric and the Noble Fighter) or the Wizards (who thanks to MA and Shield were really difficult to hit, and only used other Lvl 1 spells when they were sure the combat was all but won).
Thoughts? Are the players being really smart (or lucky) or am I giving them an easy time somehow?
PS: I've added two goblins to each encounter on Part 1 with less than five of them on Cragmaw Hideout (except Area 8 and the goblin ambush), to which I added just one, to compensate for the extra player. I also changed the Redbrand Ruffians encounter to be six vs six on the dusty street at sunset for a western vibe.
