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Message: <blockquote data-quote="OnlineDM" data-source="post: 5226268" data-attributes="member: 90804">If any of my players are reading this (unlikely, but you never know), please stop now!  Also, there are some spoilers for the Keep on the Shadowfell ahead.I'm a pretty new DM, and I'm running my party of three PCs through the Keep on the Shadowfell.  More details are on <a href="http://onlinedm.wordpress.com" target="_blank">my blog</a>, if you need back story for this party.  They're on the first level of the keep now, and they've been having a pretty easy time of things, frankly, which is great - but I know that both they and I are looking for SOME challenge.The party has cleared out all of the goblins on the first floor of the keep, as well as handling the ochre jelly and giant rats in the maze of caves.  After that last battle, they decided to take an extended rest.  Instead of heading back to Winterhaven, though, they decided to nap in Balgron the Fat's chamber.  They've left the doors open and their Eladrin trancing and keeping watch.  That's where things stand right now.Thinking in-world, if the party is not moving for six hours it seems possible (and even likely) that other denizens of the Keep might pass through the area on their way out to get supplies, empty the latrine, get some fresh air, etc.  I'm thinking that one of the hobgoblins from a lower level strolls out at some point during their rest and sees the bodies of the dead goblins everywhere.  A few different things could happen here:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The hobgoblin immediately cries out and raises the alarm, waking the players before they've finished their rest but alerting them that bad guys are coming.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The hobgoblin deduces that "someone's been sleeping in my bed, and THERE SHE IS!"  He figures out that the PCs are still in the dungeon, and he quietly brings the other hobgoblins up to ambush the players as soon as they leave Balgron's chamber (letting them get the extended rest benefits).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Splug (whom the players allowed to leave) turns out to be sneaking around, looking for loot from dead goblins or maybe from his secret hidey-hole.  HE discovers the players while they're sleeping and decides to warn them out of gratitude that taking a nap surrounded by dead goblins while the Keep has other inhabitants could end badly for them.</li> </ul>I don't like the first approach, frankly.  I want the players to get their extended rest, and a battle where they're awoken by a yell and then face uncertain silence as the hobgoblin goes to get help doesn't seem like much fun.I'm planning on the second approach at the moment.  I'll have the hobgoblins (but not the spider) from the second floor camped outside Balgron's room in ambush, half outside of the regular door and half outside of the secret door.  When the players try to leave, the hobgoblins start with a surprise round.  Vicious, but probably fair - and it may quite possibly send the players back to Winterhaven for another extended rest!The appeal of the third approach to me is that it brings Splug back.  He was a lot of fun, and I feel bad that I just had him run off when the battle with Balgron started.  But it feels a little forced, frankly.What do you think is the best approach?  I'm open to creative suggestions that I haven't thought of, too!</blockquote>

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