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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sacrosanct" data-source="post: 7165501" data-attributes="member: 15700">DMing certainly can be tough, especially if you're got several encounters in a session that you are trying to be creative on.  It can be wearing actually, so you have my complete sympathy here.  I'm going to make a couple of assumptions here, if that's OK.  I'm assuming the goblins were in the forest unseen until the party was in the clearing, rather than suddenly be around the PCs in relatively close proximity right out in the open.Using 5e's mechanics, I would probably rely on passive perception here, unless the group specifically said they were searching.  As an aside, the first time a party gets ambushed because someone wasn't actively searching, it's a quick lesson the player's learn <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />   So there are two ways in which this can unfold:1. Player(s) detects goblins with passive perception"You feel a brief sense of reprieve when you entered the clearing, as you finally have an opportunity to walk normal; you aren't stumbling over hidden roots, or being slapped by the thick undergrowth as you walk past.  The sun hits you in the face and you gain a renewed sense of energy, lifting your spirits.  Suddenly, about mid way through, Kelgar seems to see an odd movement out of the corner of his eye.(wait for PC reaction, typically "I stop and look around.").  Off to the left, in the shadows of the forest hidden from the light, you think you see something move.  Now the rest of you also think you see something.  To the left.  To the right.  In front of you, and behind!  Roll  initiative, as your sudden stoppage has alerted the enemy you are on to them.Then I would have the goblins stay in the woods, peppering the party with arrows while using their ability to hide every round.  I would describe it as, "Another arrows flies from the shadows, hitting/missing (depends) you.  You got a brief glimpse of a small wiry humanoid, and hear a squeel of glee before you lose it again in the wooded shadows."Then it really depends on how they handle it.  Most likely, they have a sense of urgency from the hit and run, and are scrambling to find cover and/or charge into the woods out of desperation, rather than just "I move and attack."If the goblins want to capture them instead of attack, then I'd probably do this instead of initiative, "From the shadows, you hear a high pitched, heavily accented voice shout at you, 'You huuumans are surrounded!  Drop weapons.  Give up!  Give treasure!'  You can only see flitting shadows all around you, and can't pick out a particular target (unless one of them happens to beat the goblins stealth).2. Players do not detect the goblinsDepending on goblin's agenda, they either:   "Suddenly from the shadows of the forest around you, arrows fly forth and hit/miss you.  You can't see anything but flittering shadows at this point.  Roll initiative!"   "Suddenly from the shadows of the forest around you, you hear a high pitched, heavily accented voice shout at you, 'You huuumans are surrounded!  Drop weapons.  Give up!  Give treasure!'In both cases, if this is an ambush by the goblins, then there is a high chance of booby traps and snares to force the party into a particular funnel or direction.</blockquote>

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