D&D General What would you do? (Example from my game)

[Koloth]

Already betrayed by the gnoll. If reading correctly, some goblins left alive after the parley session. What are the chances one seeks profit by informing on the party? Seems staying in the dungeon risks encounter during any rest in the dungeon, either from something a goblin brings by, a totally random encounter, or a search party looking for whatever killed its friends. Use remaining healing that can be replaced by rest to get all party members to a point where one minor hit won't drop someone. Put away the worst of the clank clank armor and other noisy things and try to sneak/stealth out of the dungeon and get to the rest camp. Any spells or such that can improve stealth should be used or at least ready.

If successful in getting the rest, then decide what to do. If not, further planning probably moot.

 

[el-remmen]

If reading correctly, some goblins left alive after the parley session

Yes, that is correct. But for whatever it is worth, the PCs have reason to believe letting these goblins (and one bugbear still loyal to the one who sent them) go will not bite them in the butt, while for the gnoll they knew it was riskier.

 

[Bayushi_seikuro]

Personally, I like the escape back to get a full rest outside, and come back in, prepared for stiffer resistance. Or, an option that will allow the group to find a place to hunker down and get that full rest relatively safely.

Yes, you may have put the compound on full alert, but, realistically, the place has a finite amount of NPCs - many are dead. There are factions who assume this might be the work of other factions possibly and would rather secure their area than to push out scouts. Even if they heard talk about these 'outsiders', who's to say it's not to cover up for interfaction fighting.

Either way, the party cannot push forward really without a full rest somehow. People are fully out of HD to spend on healing, and are going to start having issues dropping multiple times in combat going forward.

 

[Artamo]

So just out of curiosity, did something come up that made you ask the question here? Or is it just to spot check if you get a good variety of answers versus one obvious choice?

 

[el-remmen]

So just out of curiosity, did something come up that made you ask the question here? Or is it just to spot check if you get a good variety of answers versus one obvious choice?

I was just curious and had a free minute to post the thread (nearly didn’t b/c weekend last can be so slow here).

There are so many “white room” arguments here, I thought a discussion of options/strategies/schemes based on actual play might be a refreshing change.

 

[Maxperson]

I would try to get out and then rest away from, but not terribly far from the dungeon. Then rest. Sitting on your rear in what seems like a busy dungeon for an hour is by my thinking more risky than trying to get out of Dodge.

 

[Shiroiken]

It's really if they want to push on and face the master or not. Trying to long rest in the crypts would likely be suicide, because the goblins are certainly going to discover the incursion by the PC and go looking for them before that finishes. Unless they have some information on what the master is, they're probably better off fleeing and dealing with a fortified defense than taking on an unknown opponent while on extremely low resources (a mage would wreck their world, for example). As far as trying to short rest, I think it's worthwhile to try.

 

[Bayushi_seikuro]

It's really if they want to push on and face the master or not. Trying to long rest in the crypts would likely be suicide, because the goblins are certainly going to discover the incursion by the PC and go looking for them before that finishes. Unless they have some information on what the master is, they're probably better off fleeing and dealing with a fortified defense than taking on an unknown opponent while on extremely low resources (a mage would wreck their world, for example). As far as trying to short rest, I think it's worthwhile to try.

I'd agree - a short rest is a worthwhile gamble, unless that time could be used better to get out of the complex.

The resource they're lowest on might not just be HP, but information: where the Master is, what the Master is, number and disposition of remaining minions (hell, some may have seen what happened and decided, unless some how forced, to amscray out of there to safer pickings).

I don't think it's been revealed what the Master is, or how it is exactly they maintain control over the various forces - who apparently also are indifferent/antagonistic to each other. I'm reminded of the old AD&D 1e DMG discussing various races being used for digging - and kobolds were garbage... UNLESS they were strictly watched and had strong leadership, and then they were pretty much dwarven like in their ability to dig.

 

[el-remmen]

Unless they have some information on what the master is

where the Master is, what the Master is, number and disposition of remaining minions

The PCs know the Master is a human cult leader. Some of the humanoids the PCs have encountered are just allies (for complex and flexible reasons - they are the ones who fled when given the chance) and some are true believers.

The Master is said to have a handful of other cultists with him at all times and has an unknown number (but not more than 12) of recruited bandits who were given better armor and a larger share of treasure (their leader, who the PCs know is not present) is also a true believer.

 

[Blue]

Not reading responses yet so not to be biased by others good ideas:

A big question for me is what counts as "natural" for the halfling's bow's pass without trace. Is this a cave system, or is perhaps one of the exit paths a cave system, where it could be used? Does the ice caves count?

I really think they need to get a long rest ASAP. And a short rest seems too fraught with the chance of an encounter that they couldn't take.

If nearby is "natural", they might even consider taking TWO long rests. "What?!", I hear you cry. One long rest for everyone except the halfling, who stays on watch the entire time and if anyone comes close wakes the rest of the party and uses pass without trace until they leave. They can do this up to three times. Then another long rest for the halfling with everyone else in fighting trim where they can be defensive if foes come.

Thinking more, I wouldn't explore the ice caves even if I though they might count. Both for chances of additional encounters plus sleeping there might have environmental damage issues.

Alternately, the long and secret way in they took might be a good place to take a long rest. It's got "secret" right in the description, it's the least likely place they know of that's close by where they would be undisturbed by patrols or wandering foes.