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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jaelommiss" data-source="post: 6488851" data-attributes="member: 6775925">Run the adventure at the speed that the players clear the content. If they progress slowly then take more than one session per part. If they find a way to get what they need/want from that part in the first five minutes, be ready to let them move on. Ultimately your players will decide on how fast you go through the adventure.There is nothing wrong with letting them climb up and take on the 'boss'. I think that the module gives you advice on what checks the players need to succeed on to climb up. Make sure that they remember that they are (most likely) not there to kill the goblins, but to find out what happened to Gundran and Sildar, and rescue them if possible. Only Sildar is in the cave, and he's as far away from room 8 as it is possible to get, so climbing up doesn't really help them achieve their goal (not that they know this). The goblin is there because it makes sense for the goblins to have a sentry posted. This isn't a video game where monsters are only placed in predetermined groups for players to kill, but instead a world that you as a DM need to bring to life. Giving goblins a degree of self preservation and taking actions to protect themselves is how the module helps you acomplish this. If the goblin escapes, then they set off a trap to get rid of the intruders. When the intruders come back they do it again. If they come back a third time, I imagine that they would let the other goblins in the cave know and set up ambushes.In any case, the cave is dark and only those with Darkvision will be able to see the goblin on the bridge at a distance. By the time players get close enough with a torch the goblin will have run off. I think there is also a Perception check mentioned in the module. Anyone scouting ahead would get to make this check. I agree with you that asking for a roll tips them off that there is something to look for. One way to avoid this is to have all the players roll five perception checks before the cave, write down their results, and then use those numbers without telling them that they are making the check.My only advice is don't use maps if you don't want to. If the players want a map, let them create it themselves based off of your descriptions. Since they are coming from WoW it would be a good idea to let them know that they will get butchered if they try to fight their way through everything. Sitting in a goblin cave for an hour (short rest) is almost certainly to get them discovered. Sleeping outside the cave (long rest) without moving a distance away and hiding is probably going to have the same result. Ultimately they will ignore you and learn the hard way, but its still a good idea to give them a chance.Something else I would suggest is avoid having intelligent creatures make obviously suicidal actions. A goblin will not run in to attack the armouerd dwarf with a massive axe if she can instead hide in the trees and shoot arrows in relative safety. After seeing his friends slaughtered, the last goblin will try to run away or surrender instead of fighting to the death. If given a chance, he might later try to escape his bonds and run home to warn his family. Keep the creatures' goals in mind when you make them act. The goblins want to steal supplies, so they might damage the wagon before running off. A smashed wheel should suffice. They'll come back later to steal everything when its dark. If the players left to get help, take it all. If they stayed to guard the wagon, stage an ambush, possibly even capture them. Give them a way to escape from inside the goblin cave. Show them that the world is inhabited by real creatures instead of faceless monsters and your players will be drawn in.</blockquote>

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