D&D 5E Ranger vs. goblins: making the most of 5e rules

[Jason Campbell]

I've been running a new campaign with 5e and enjoying the new rule set so far. I've got a ranger in my party and they'll be running up against a pack of goblins in some forest ruins.

I want to make sure I'm using the goblins' special feature (hide or disengage as a bonus action) to its fullest.

For the sake of demonstration, let's say the ranger is in his favored terrain (forest) but that the goblins are not his favored enemy.

I'd love some help thinking through round-by-round tactics, both for the goblins and the ranger (armed with a bow and a quarterstaff). How would you see this playing out?

 

[Sacrosanct]

firstly, welcome! Also, I was just gaming in Sherwood yesterday, so small world I guess.

for your question, a very effective goblin tactic I ran into a while ago when playing Phandelver was that they would be spread apart all around the group when launching an ambush. They would fire, move out of sight, and hide. Just when you thought you had a bead on one, it would hide and you'd get shot from the other side of the battlefield by another. Rinse and repeat

 

[Jason Campbell]

Sacrosanct, thanks for the reply!

Once they've gone hidden again, assuming they are among the foliage, can they move locations? Need more Stealth checks?

 

[Sacrosanct]

You can break up your movement any way you want. So let's say the goblin attacks from stealth (at advantage), then moves to a place where they can't be seen (total cover), and then they get a bonus action to hide. So even if you get to the place where you think the goblin is, unless you successfully detect them with a perception check, they are hidden. Boom, now you got hit by an arrow from another goblin behind you. Do you keep searching for the hidden goblin where you're at, or do you try to attack the goblin who just shot you and moved to cover itself?

Also, the goblin could say move 10ft to attack, move 10ft again to get behind cover, bonus action to hide, and finish their 10ft move somewhere else. So even that big boulder where you're sure they hid behind might not result in them actually being there by the end of their turn.

If goblins have room to maneuver, and plenty of cover to hide behind, they are a GIANT pain in the ass.

 

[WitchyD]

Don't forget, too, that they can drop prone and grant ranged attackers disadvantage. Also, three-quarters cover grants +5 to AC and Dex saves. You can have your nasty little goblins fire, hide, and drop prone for the next attack, and even if they don't hide on the same turn, are still going to be a pain to hit.

 

[Nebulous]

dang, you guys are good. I haven't run enough combats in 5e to get even this simple combat strategies down yet. My guys fought 4 goblins in the first encounter of Lost Mine, and very nearly TPKed. The gobs didn't need additional strategy!

 

[Sacrosanct]

dang, you guys are good. I haven't run enough combats in 5e to get even this simple combat strategies down yet. My guys fought 4 goblins in the first encounter of Lost Mine, and very nearly TPKed. The gobs didn't need additional strategy!

That Phandelver game I mentioned earlier? We did TPK lol. Level 1 tempest cleric, rogue, barbarian, sorcerer, and fighter. Wolves were easy. But getting hit from both sides of the waterway? With advantages for them of high ground (bridge) and tunnels? Brutal.