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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ECMO3" data-source="post: 9251734" data-attributes="member: 7030563">If Sarah backed away after Shocking Grasp and the Troll was frightened it should not have been able to move closer to Sarah unless Sarah and Warren totally botched their positioning.  Cause Fear is one of the best 1st level control spells and if you land it in melee (not sure Warren was in melee) you should take an AOO and back away trading one AOO for 3 regular attacks.Until it made its save against Cause Fear, the party should have had it at Range, hitting it at will.While  I think it is going to be very difficult for any characters of 1st level to down a Troll, this party demonstrated no cooperation at all.  Also why is Warren using TTD instead of Chill Touch?1. Faerie Fire is a waste in this situation IMO, you need to control its movement.2. Sarah should have some kind of first level spell. With a 16 AC shield maybe.3. I think either THL or Cause Fear were both good options on round 1, if you were going flee.  Using both is dumb, and using THL if you are going to attack is really dumb as it puts him on the ground where you are getting disadvantage.If you are going to fight (which is not smart), the best spells you have for this combat are Cause Fear, Dissonant Whispers, Firebolt, Chill Touch, Produce Flame, Entangle, and Tasha's hideous Laughter in that order.    If your Dwarf speaks Giant add Command in there after Cause Fear.  You need to leverage those spells to maximum effect.In the situation you describe; here is how this should have played out (trying to use the same rolls you did in the first round).  Iam also giving Wiz a familiar:Round 1:1. Barry (barry could use either VM or DM, but since he is not frightened yet we will go with VM).  Troll saves2. Troll runs up next to Sarah and Will3. Sarah uses Shocking Grasp and backs away (troll down 2 points)4. Warren: casts cause fear. Troll fails5. Wiz backs away (Troll has no reaction with shocking grasp), casts firebolt and misses.5a. Wiz Owl Familiar - Uses help/flyby to give Drew advantage6. Drew: backs up and casts produce flame  with advantage. Misses.7. Clary: casts toll of the dead. Troll takes 6 points damage.Round 2:1. Barry: Casts Dissonant whispers, troll saves, takes 6 damage.2. Troll: Regenerates all damage, no one is within reach and can't move closer.  Troll dodges.  Fails save on Cause Fear.  Troll has 84hps3. Sarah: Cast's Firebolt with disadvantage (misses), backs up 30 feet4. Warren: casts Chill  Touch (with disadvantage) - hits for 2 damage, backs up 30 feet5. Wiz: casts Ray of Frost with disadvantage - misses, backs up 30 feet5a. Wiz Owl Familiar -  uses help/flyby to give Drew advantage6. Drew: Uses Crossbow straight up (dodge+help). Misses. backs up 30 feet7. Clary: Casts Toll the Dead.  Troll Makes save. Backs up 30 feetRound 3:1. Barry: Casts Dissonant whispers, troll fails save, takes 11 damage, moves 30 feet.  Barry also backs up 30 feet.  Troll is now 70 feet from closest PC.2. Troll: Does not Regenerate because he was hit with Chill Touch.  Dodges again.  Troll at 71 hps.  Makes save against Cause Fear (no longer frightened).3. Sarah: Casts Firebolt with disadvantage, misses backs up 30 feet (now 100 feet away)4. Warren: Readies action to cast Cause Fear if Troll gets within 60 feet. (Warren 70 feet away)5. Wiz: casts Firebolt with disadvantage - misses, backs up 30 feet (Wiz 100 feet away)5a. Wiz Familiar - uses help/flyby to give Drew advantage6. Drew: Casts produce flame straight up. Hits for 4 damage.  Backs up (Drew 100 feet away)7. Clary: Readies action to cast Toll the Dead if Troll gets within 60 feet.Round 4:1. Barry readies VM if Troll gets within 60 feet.2. Troll does not regenerate because hit with flame.  Troll dashes.  It moves 10 feet and triggers all reactions.  Fails save against Cause Fear (stopping movement).   Fails save against TTD taking 7 damage.  Fails save against VM taking 1 damage.  Troll at 59 hps.  DM decides since he only moved 10 feet he did not take the dash action and instead readies an action to attack the familiar if it does flyby again.  Save again against Cause Fear at end of turn.3. Sarah: Casts Firebolt hits for 54. Warren: Fires crossbow hits for 5, backs up 30 feet5. Wiz: Moves up, uses crossbow misses5a. Wiz  Familiar - uses help with flyby to give Drew advantage, but gets hit and killed by the Troll from redied action6. Drew: Moves up, uses crossbow. Misses7. Clary: Casts Toll the Dead.  Troll fails save takes 12 damageRound 4:1. Barry casts VM for 32. Troll does not regenerate because hit flame.  Troll dodges.  Troll at 35 hit points.  Troll fails save at end of turn.3. Sarah: Casts Firebolt misses4. Warren: Casts Chill Touch misses5. Wiz: casts Firebolt misses6. Drew: Casts produce flame. Hits for 2 damage.7. Clary: Casts Toll the Dead.  Troll fails save takes 8 damageOk here we are 4 rounds in, the party has taken no damage, used less than half its leveled spells and the Troll is at about 30% of its hit points.  The party is going to get at least 70 feet away from the troll once he makes his save against CF and then continue moving away, giving them 3 rounds before they are attacked minimum. When the Troll finally makes his save against Cause Fear he is going to get hit with Entangle and THL and this is without the Dwarf being able to use command.  With the initiative order the way it is Wiz can use Ray of Frost if Warren hits with Chill Touch and kills regeneration.  This will rob the Troll of 10 move giving it even more limited mobility on a hit.Limfacs:  With one PC having Chill Touch and 3 more having fire cantrips, the Troll is not going to regenerate often and the party will probably eventually overwhelm it even if only doing 6 DPR or so.  Also Clary, Sarah and Warren have subclass abilities and while Sorc and Cleric subclasses are mostly not particularly useful in this whiteroom, most Warlock subclasses would be very helpful even at level 1.  Feylock or Undead for example would really put the Troll in a hurt locker giving the party even more control.  Also we did not consider Bardic inspiration in this whiteroom.If the party could not back up this would change it a lot, but a smart party with healing word and many more 1st level slots left is probably still going to win this combat eventually ..... probably with some dead PCs, but they will still probably win.</blockquote>

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