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Message: <blockquote data-quote="halfling rogue" data-source="post: 6505628" data-attributes="member: 6779182">Hot off the heels of our amazing swashbuckling battle vs the Redbrands, the kids set off to explore the last remnants of the Manor. They came across a room of bugbears degrading a goblin. Confident in their last deception they walked right in with their scarlet hoods and tried to pull one over on the bugbears. They were going to really have to earn it here. These bugbears weren’t going to take orders from some puny Redbrands. Amazingly enough the youngest (4) persuaded one of the bugbears that the wizard needed him with a natural 20. So he left the room, leaving it 2 bugbears vs 3 adventurers. I figured it would be a relatively easy battle. But things never go as I figure.On top of her success, the little one then proceeded to try and convince the bugbears to hand over the passed-out goblin so that she could throw him in prison (she made sure to tell me that she was just tricking the bugbears and she was really just wanting to get him out of the room…). Again, the bugbears weren’t going to be persuaded, again natural 20. So he threw the goblin at her in disgust and when I asked what she wanted to do, she said she was going to drag him out to the prison. So off she went leaving her two siblings in an awkward position.The eldest (10) felt the awkward tension and immediately attacked. After they rolled initiative and finished one round, I transitioned to the 4 year old dragging the goblin in another room. The bugbear she convinced to go see the wizard happened upon her on his way back (because there was no wizard to see…) seeing her dragging the goblin. Words were had, battle commenced. So I was running two separate fight scenes. We’d flip from one to the next after each round. Things were not pretty. Early on the 10 year old dropped with one massive hit from the bugbear leader, Mosk. Her brother (7) decided instead of helping to stabilize her, that he would be the hero and face two bugbears alone. Surprisingly he held his own and dealt some pretty decent damage, but he took some too. Thanks to some horrible rolls by me (two flippin natural 1s in a row!) he eventually had some time (and some sense) to stabilize and heal his sister. Good thing too because has soon as he finished healing her he was dropped with a critical hit.Meanwhile, the youngest was engaged in battle with the lone bugbear. The goblin still passed out. It seemed like she had the upper hand. She was dishing out lots of damage and he was missing constantly (no fudge either). Finally, he hit, and it was a big one and she dropped unconscious. The bugbear walked away when she fell and was heading towards the sound of the other battle, he gave the goblin a little kick as he walked passed. As soon as his back was turned the goblin (who had seen the girl drop and was feigning unconsciousness up to that point) jumped up, grabbed a javelin from the bugbear and BAM natural 20 dropped him (cheers from everyone! I was super hot and super cold all night). I had the little goblin stabilize and heal the 4year old. He said that because she saved him from the bugbears, he was trying to pay her back and save her. At this point, they too heard the battle taking place in the other room so she ran down the hall with the goblin close behind…As I said, the 7 year old dropped and the 10 year old just stood up and was not even close to full HP. On her turn she was able to finish off Mosk, but the other bugbear was ready to attack. Any hit would’ve taken her down again. But just in the nick of time, the 4 year old burst in. I asked what she wanted to do and her words were “I bust in. I kick him in the butt and then stab him with my sword!” So that’s what she did. She hit and the damage took the bugbear down to 1hp, but what the heck, I ruled that she got him. (cheers again!) And she had the biggest grin on her face for saving the day.They stabilized their brother, healing potions were passed around, and they got some useful information from Droop the goblin. Since they had been in every room (but one) within the manor I just ignored the Key that would open all the doors. Also, per the adventure it says the Bugbears know where Wave Echo Cave is but the goblin doesn’t. Also it says that the goblin isn’t quite sure how to get to Cragmaw Castle. The kids asked if he knew where the cave was and he said, “No. Only bugbears know. But…you killed them” The look on their faces was priceless. Aw man! They asked him if he knew how to get to Cragmaw Castle and I just couldn’t say no. I needed something to rope them in. So yep, of course he knew the way and would gladly show them for saving his life. He was tired of being their servants and cleaning up poop. “Clean up the poop, Droop” is all he ever heard and was ready to be free. My son gave him money because he felt bad for him. After they told Droop what they’ve done in the Manor, Droop figures there are only 2 more Redbrands left. I’m not quite sure what to do with them yet. I may just have them surrender or make a last stand. Not sure. I’m not keeping track of XP and am leveling them up at milestones so when they exit the Manor they will be at level 3.My plan is to have them go to Cragmaw Castle. I’ll probably make it a pretty quick trip and not worry too much about overland travel. I want them to meet up with Gundren because that seems to be their biggest concern, more so than the Wave Echo Cave.Once they meet up with Gundren and clear out the Castle I think I’m going to have to really redesign the campaign. I’ve mentioned before that they really want to explore their backstories and in the meantime I’ve written up a way in which all their backstories mesh. At some point I’m going to have them meet a wizard from their past (who they don’t know because they  were babies) who has been keeping an eye on all of them. Somehow they will encounter him and he will help lead/guide them on their next adventure, which involves a Temple that needs to be passed through to access a Hidden Kingdom, which will be guarded by a green dragon.This will be away from Phandalin. I’m not sure if they will have the patience to go through Wave Echo Cave. But I think I will use Venomfang as the dragon, and possibly Wave Echo Cave as the Temple, although I’d like it to contain more booby traps and tricks via Indiana Jones.</blockquote>

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