Ok, I'm getting a post up in a little bit here.  

Also, I did hear from Tann  - life is still a bit crazy but will hopefully be settling down a bit.  So SIlver will be back under his management shortly. 

That is two posts so far.  

Lets get some posts going - I'd love to update this Sunday!

With Dok finally stabilized and the group having reached the edge of the river, the time had come for a full-on retreat.  Silver moved over next to Hornet and the pair of them lifted the still unconscious dwarf and hauled him riverward.  They reached the shore and moved quickly out into the flowing water.  The water here didn’t get more than a couple feet deep at most, but that still meant they had to watch their step on the stones on the river’s bottom and try to keep the dwarf as much out of the water as possible.  They each stumbled a couple of times but managed to get the dwarf 30’ out into the water.  (45’ total move) If they remembered correctly, they were not yet halfway across but the fog around them was already extremely thick all around them – giving them visibility of not much over 10’ in any direction.  Boris called out when they were well out into the water, “Boris are you here?  We could use some help!”  Around him the fog swirled.

              Soledad and Thaoran also moved quickly into the water, but their intent was to try and distract the enemy and lead them in the wrong direction.  Soledad sent some dancing lights moving slowly downstream hoping to lure the goblins away. Thaoran attempted to add some realism to the lights with dark shadows in the same area.  He couldn’t make them move, but he could give the illusion of figures.  They were about 15-20’ out into the river and now stood looking to see if the newcomer, the dwarf who held the rear guard would make it out with them.  A second dwarven rescue would almost certainly kill them all.

               Gerdar found himself the last to stand against the enemy as his newfound comrades-in-arms were in full flight.  He would need to flee as well, but he was going to try and leave the bugbear with one last parting gift.  He swung his axe in a vicious arc and smote the creature across the chest while investing this blow with a divine smite.  The creature’s eyes bulged as blade and magic simultaneously struck.  It stumbled backwards into the goblins behind it and collapsed in a bloody mess on the ground.  Dead.  Gerdar looked up from his fallen foe to realize there were still two goblins directly in front of him, several more behind those and now emerging from the path up the gulley a pair of wounded but now very much awake gnolls.  Throw in a few archers and a half dozen more goblins now halfway through the brush wall and there was no way the dwarven paladin could hold this position for long.  He turned and ran towards the river. 

               The goblins screamed in glee at seeing the dwarf run.  The two closest to him swung their blades at the dwarf as he turned to leave, but only managed to clang their blades together in the place he used to occupy.  They ran after him and attempted to swing again as the group reached the river but again missed.  Two of the archers also shot, but still affected by the dwarf’s bane spell they also missed.  Goblins streamed out of the gulley after the party but nobody could see clearly how many there were or how quickly they followed.  The fog and fallen bugbear seemed to give them some pause. 

Overview

30’ in to the river – Hornet and Silver with Dok

15-20’ into the river – Thaoran and Soledad

10’ in to the river – Gerdar and two goblins

               They are still in melee

At the shore – Some unknown number of goblins

Further onshore – goblins of unknown numbers and 2 gnolls

               About 6 goblins with 1 more round before they get through the brush wall.

You can only see about 10 feet or so in the fog.  This means you can only see some of the other party members and many of you can’t see any of the goblins except maybe the 2 near Gerdar.  None of the goblins have yet had a chance to see the spells yet. 

Total Killed so far:

19 goblins

2 Gnolls

2 Bugbears

I'm working on my post right now.  

I hate assuming things about your characters . . .but I'm assuming Gerdar is retreating after his smiting swing since the rest of the party will be doing so.  

I have 4 posts so I should be able to post by the end of the day on Sunday.  Get any updates in.

Moving Dok requires your action.  Each player gets one action per turn.  (Plus a movement, plus a minor bonus action - but those are small.)  Moving Dok takes your action - so no spells on the same turn.

Thus your options are:

1.  Move Dok 30' and nothing else

2.  Move Dok 45' with someone else's help and nothing else

3.  Run 60' and do nothing else.

4.  Move 30' and do one other thing - like cast the spell.  You can do it at any point in your movement. (before, middle, after)

Also - you mentioned gnolls.  Two gnolls were injured but asleep when you started down the path towards the river.  But they were alive.

I'm not quite clear on what the problem is.  You edited yoiur last post (prior to my last update) and it went kinda weird.  But basically you stayed where you were and attacked.  I hope that was right.

Now we have moved on to the next posting and the team seems ready to move out.  What exactly do you need?  Did I get somethign wrong about what you wanted to do last turn?

FYI - Hornet yelling to the party or calling out to Boris does not count as an action.  Talking is a "bonus action."  So he can:

move 60',

fire an arrow and move 30'

help Thaoran haul Dok and move 45'

Please be very specific about how far you are moving.  

Normal movement is 30' (or 25' for a dwarf)

You can attack or take some other action and move 30' in one round.

If you forego your attack and dash you can move 60' in a round.

One person hauling a dwarf can go 30' and take no other action besides hauling Dok.  He is stable but still unconscious.

Two people can haul Dok 45' in a round.  

Fleeing melee for Gerdar likely provokes an attack of opportunity.  (Only from melee, not archers)  

So please be cleari if you are moving 30' or 60'  

Be clear about how many people are moving Dok. 

Dashing across the river could lead to falling (dex check) but it isn't likely.  (You know this as you have crossed here before.)

It is possible that two dragons could come down and carry you away.  Would that be to safety?  Interesting question.  Although I wouldn't recommend waiting around to find out as there don't seem to be any dragons in the vicinity.  

Current HP Totals

Thaoran   -18   out of 28    Current total:  5

Hornet    -18  out of 26      Current total:  8

Silver    -10  out of 21         Current total:   4       

Dok     -27  out of 30           Current total:  Negative    Death Saves:  +/-/-/+   Stabilized

Soledad    -11   out of 20    Current total:  9

Gerdar     -14 out of 21       Current total   7

The group had finally made it out of the gulley and behind the thin shelter of the wall of brush.  But the situation remained tenuous.  The newcomer, the dwarf Gerdar, stood like a rock in the opening in the brush wall, but he was being pressed by a bugbear and there were numerous goblins ready to pick up the fight – and shoot arrows at the stout dwarf.  Others seemed to be moving forward to push through the wall itself.  The group had shelter for now, but it didn’t look likely to last.

               Thaoran and Silver stood back a bit but sent shafts towards the bugbear towering over the dwarf.  Silver’s shot glanced off the creatures armor and flew past it into the vegetation beyond.  But Thaoran’s shaft found a new home it the creatures upraised arm, bringing a scream of pain as it struck home.  (-8 hp)  Behind those two Hornet worked quickly to try and stabilize the unconscious Dok.  They had spent so much time trying to bring the dwarf out he didn’t want to see him die now.  The dwarf was losing blood quickly, but the elf seemed to be able to slow his bleeding with some well-placed bandages.  Hornet was no Doc, but the dwarf’s breathing seemed to steady.  Hopefully they could now move out.  (Successful med. Check – Dok is stabilized.)  Pleased with his work Hornet looked up and noticed that the mist over the river was continuing to thicken.  It was almost a full-blown fog by now and he could barely see 15’ across the water.  The far side, or even the middle of the stream, was completely obscured.

               Soledad saw the crowded entry to the gulley and hesitated, concerned that she might hit an ally.  But with the bugbear towering above the dwarf she had a clear shot – and took it.  Her firebolt slammed into the shoulder of the bugbear and seared a blistering wound across it.  (-5hp)  The creature was bloodied and badly wounded.  But it was also angry and seemed intent to crush the dwarf with its morning star.  Before it could do so, however, the dwarf attempted to take it out at the knees with his axe.  But in the limited room of the doorway he couldn’t get a good swing and missed.

               The narrow confines of the entrance and continuing effects of the dwarf’s bane spell (It lasts one minute unless he loses concentration on it) also caused the beast trouble and it again missed with it’s attack.  He did some damage to the surrounding brush, but none to the dwarf.   Two goblins moved up next to the beast and also struck at the dwarf.  One missed, but the other did not.  (-5 hp)  (Gerdar made his concentration save to keep the Bane spell.)  Archers from the back lined up shots as well – 4 were in a position to do so.  Gerdar couldn’t understand how they could even see him to shoot and apparently, they couldn’t do so well as all four shots missed.  But two came extremely close and he grinned as he felt sure that he had been saved again by his bane spell.   Still other goblins moved up to the wall and started to work their way through the brush.  It was slow going – probably a couple of turns get all the way, but they had started the task. 

Overview

Gerdar stands alone in the entrance to the brush wall.  One badly injured bugbear and two goblins face him from the other side.  A couple of other melee fighters stood behind those.  There are archers behind those, but they can’t see much to shoot.   At least a half dozen are currently working their way through the wall.  It will likely take them two turns.  In the meantime, they are in the midst of the brush wall.  The brush gives them half cover from any ranged attacks.  A melee weapon with reach could get to them.  You don’t know total numbers remaining in the gulley.

               The rest of the party is about 10-15’ beyond the wall which puts them 5-10’ from the water.  The ford is directly behind you. 

               Current HP totals will be posted in the Q&A thread. 

I am still hoping to update this afternoon, but I'd like a bit of clarification on a few posts.  

Thaoran -  Attack or a protection spell?  Which one?  You can shoot an arrow through the opening if you wish.  If it is the spell - which spell?  I don't know what "protection spell" is - so unless I hear otherwise it will be the attack.

Soledad - the med check is fine, but I do want to be clear about the risks of friendly fire.  Unless you do something really dumb (or area of effect spells) there is little chance of hitting a friend with a miss.  A "1" on an attack roll with a firebolt won't hit an ally undere the current situation - but it might miss badly enough to light the brush on fire.  As usual, this isn't to change your choice, but you seemed to assume an attack could hit an ally and I wanted to be clear that it could not in all but the most extreme situations.  (Which this isn't.)  

Silver - I'm hoping real life allows us to get Tann back posting quickly.  In the mean time, barring a post from Tann, Silver will stand back but shoot an arrow.  

Go ahead and change your post if you want.

I hope to post on Sunday - early afternoon.

Holding an action is certainly an acceptable thing to do.  But in this case you are already in melee with the bugbear, so I'm not quite sure what good holding until someone comes into range will do.  You go before the bugbear and goblins in turn order so you can just attack the guy in front of you.  Or wait and potentially have your choice of goblins and bugbear.  Being in the entrance the bugbear and up to two others could potentially attack you at one time.  Take a step back and they have to come through one at a time, but it increases the chances that they break through.  

Dragon Soul - You get one action per turn.  So you can attack or cast a spell.  Not both.  Right now I have you attacking.  

Also, please note that if you move forward to make a melee attack you will also be within range of a melee attack and possibly arrows as well.  As usual, I'm not trying to sway your decision, but your comment about "protection on Gerder" seems to imply that you would be safe.  Not if you move up.  You could stay back and shoot anything in melee (currently only the bugbear) and not be exposed to attack unless they break past the dwarf.  You cna change the post up until I make my post if you want to do so.

Speaking of my post - I'd love to get one in before Thanksgiving if people can get something in.  

I do believe I have another player that will be joining us.  I don't think they will get here in time to help in the current situation, but if you make it out and decide to come back for round 2 the group may have grown.  

I actually thought I had put that in the previous note.  There is a strangely dropped sentence in the middle - where I say i might have commented on a medicine check but didn't.  Why?  Because there was never really a chance to do it.   You would all be dead had you tried.  So you are right.  But this gives Dok two chances - assuming you don't just get overun which is still very much on the table.

Shield of Faith - As long as you are within 60' of yourself, then yes, you can cast it on yourself.  And if you aren't within 60' of yourself we probably have other problems.  

Medical checks - the idea of doing the medicine check is to stabilize a character.  Right now Dok is at zero HP.  He is dying but isn't quite dead.  This means he has to make death saves.  If he fails three death saves before he makes three he will die.  If he makes three he stabilizes.  This means that he is unconscious but won't die immediately.  But he will if he doesn't get more significant healing soon.  I would have recommended that someone make such an attempt earlier (Since it seemed not everyone knows such details, I don't normally like making suggestions, but thisi s about knowing game mechanics.)  In this case it is a good thing that Hornet (the one doing the med check, I think) goes before Dok as he can try to stabilize him before Dok is forced to roll the critical "live or die" roll.  

Silver had done remarkably well last turn with her blades and continued to provide shelter for the group as they retreated, but this time her blades only skittered off of the bugbears armor.  Frustrated she continued to move back down the gulley with the others.  As she moved to step away, the bugbear swung its mighty morning star at her but missed. 

     Thaoran and Hornet also continued the retreat.  Already behind the others they quickly pushed through the opening in the brush and sought safety off to the side and out of easy targeting from the other side.  20’ further on they could see the waters of the river lapping at the shore.  The river was fairly wide here and obviously exposed.  But a fog was beginning to gather over the river.  The river was over 80’ wide and shallow, but it was getting harder and harder to see the far shore.

               While the two elves stared at the river the battle behind them continued.  As the bugbear charged towards the opening in the brush wall Soledad sent a firebolt hurtling towards its head.  Not even waiting to see it strike the creature squarely in the helm (-6hp) she turned and ducked out the opening and moved down towards the river.  Gerdar also saw the wisdom in moving on but left the goblinoid army a little gift as he moved.  He cast the spell Bane on the leading creatures, hoping to prevent them from overrunning himself and those the dwarf had chosen to aid.  It seemed to work.  He felt his magic sink into all three of his targets – the bugbear and the two leading goblin archers.  (It is a good thing goblins aren’t charming as two of the three would have made the saving throw without negative charisma modifiers.  Who knew bugbears were such brutes?) 

               At this point the entire group had escaped through the opening in the brush wall.  But it was unclear how much of an escape it was.  If the party could go through, so could the monsters.  But it did narrow their avenue of attack.  Only one at a time could come through the gate.  Others would eventually be able to force their way through the wall of vegetation, but it seemed likely to take at least two or three turns.  It wasn’t a solid barrier as it was meant more for concealment than as a fortification, but it was thick.  And shooting through it seemed very unlikely to work. 

               But that didn’t stop the bugbear from trying to come through.  He ran at the opening and swung his huge morning star at Gerdar who partially blocked the opening.  The dwarf grinned as the spiked ball smashed into the ground nearby.  That had been close.  So close, in fact, that he felt sure that the slight nudge of his bane spell may just have saved him form a nasty wound. 

               But the bugbear wasn’t alone.  Five goblins stood behind the beast and fired arrows at Gerdar.  The Bane spell again seemed to have saved him as one arrows struck him hard in the ribs but was barely deflected by his armor.  Several others went winging past as well, not missing by much.  But one arrow did find its target and the dwarf grunted as he was struck by the shaft.  (-5 hp)  These were not the only goblins, however.  There were others.  They seemed to be fanned out across the gulley – moving a bit more slowly due to the vegetation.  (Aside from the path, the gulley is filled with trees and brush – it is nowhere near as dense as the wall of vegetation at the bottom, but stills slows movement a little.)  Some of them appeared headed for the wall in an attempt to cut through new openings.  Another group behind the archers appeared ready to charge behind the bugbear if it was able to clear the opening.  Somewhere up the gully they could hear yelling and a loud growl. 

               Meanwhile Dane lay at the feet of the elves, bleeding from numerous wounds.  But he still held on.  (Death save made – Two plus and two negative.  Next round is critical.)

Overview of the Situation

The gulley you have been in is sort of like a canyon or wash – An eroded ditch that goes up the side of the ridge until it hits a solid rock wall and the door to the Vargolg.  From there down to the river it gradually widens out but remains steep sided and filled with vegetation except for a winding path.  At the bottom of this ditch/gulley a solid wall of vegetation blocks the exit out of the gully towards the river.  Think of it as a very thick hedge, just not nicely trimmed.  There is a door sized opening – with brush nearby that is normally used to hide the opening. 

The party is on the river side of the opening.  Everyone is a bit off to the side of the opening.  (I didn’t leave you straight in front of the door for easy targets) except for Gerdar who is more or less blocking the opening.  Note that this was not exactly what was posted, but given the possibility that everyone was staying just beyond the opening it made the most sense.  If he wishes he can effectively block the opening – but he would be exposed to attacks from the other side – bugbear and bows.  Potentially two goblins could attack with swords at the same time as the bugbear.  At the moment nobody else in the party is easily targeted by sword or bow.  That would change if anything gets through the opening or anything works their way through the hedge – which would likely take 2-3 rounds. 

Twenty feet behind the party is the river.  Soledad is actually near the river.  The ford is quite wade and pretty shallow – never more than about 18 inches deep or so.  But about 80’ wide. 

One bugbear blocks the entrance.  Five archers are in view of the gate and several other goblins are behind them.  There are some moving towards the hedge wall (not the opening) but with all the vegetation it is hard to tell how many.  And your pretty sure you hear more noise further up the gulley and back towards the Vargolg, but you can’t see anything because of the brush. 

I was about to post - am I reading this right that you want to go through the opening in the wall of vegetation and shelter on the far side, but NOT go all the way to the river?  I just want to check as the post doesn't really say and i would have assumed you kept going as "cross the river" had been said a few times.

Dragon Soul - You have the distances right.  You, Hornet and Dok are 10' from the river-sde end of the gulley.  But the downhill slope of a gulley doesn't typically have a wall across it.  It is an open wash that has eroded.  Across the bottom of this one is a very dense wall of vegetation.  There is a door like opening in it that leads out towards the river.  So it is a wall of vegetation, not stone.  

But it really doesn't change your post.  Technically someone could come through the wall but it would be very slow going.  Shooting through it is not really possible.  Someone could try and shoot up and over, but it would be a hard shot.

Also - if you are moving 30' per turn you will reach the rivers edge this turn if nothing else interferes.  Or, if two of you are jointly hauling Dok you can move 45' and could get 15' out into the river.  

Some times bravado works and other times it turns out you tried to bluff your way through an entire garrison.  

As for Thaoran's father, it is all possible.  We will see what comes of it all.  But first we need a few more posts so we can keep moving again.  I'll try to post regardless tomorrow since I know Tann is a bit overwhelmed right now and Dok is, well, silently praying.

Ultimately it is my call.  But I would take your desires into account onsomething like that as long as it fit with the broader story.  

Lets get some posts up folks!

This is D&D - when you take an 8 hour nap that massive axe blow to your head magically heals completely.  There are things that can be done.  Sometimes.   And sometimes the character is gone.  The player, however, does not die.  There is that nice little "restart" button you can push to restart the game.  Sort of.  

That is a long way of saying - you are always welcome in the game and if Thaoran does go meet his father in the long dark night, you can always make a new character.