In anticipation of their first encounter with the denizens of the Blacktooth Ridge the group quickly took up their positions.  Two hid behind the hut while the Tortle moved a bit off to the side of the road attempting to conceal himself while readying a spell.  

The group coming down the path made no attempt to be quiet and didn't seem to be afraid of attack.  Rather they marched and laughed amongst themselves. When they rounded the far corner they didn't even pause to look in the empty stone hut at that corner, a mirror to the one the group had just been resting in.  As expected, they were goblins.  Eight goblins.  You can see swords at their belts and bows in their hands.  They march down the path kicking something round ahead of them as they come and laughing.  As they head towards the hut the group was hidden behind they don't seem to have noticed anything out of the ordinary and continue to march along talking and laughing in their now clear goblin voices.  

(The goblins do not seem to have seen you.  They are 200' away when they round the far corner and are moving towards you at about 40' per round - fairly quickly, but not running.  If they don't notice you, you will have a chance to act before they can respond.  Ghiberti - I do need to know how far off the path you are.  My guess is you are about 50' off the path on the down slope side since that is where you would first find enough cover to have an improved chance to hide, but if you want to say closer and rely more on your Tortle hiding as you indicated let me know.  Down slope as it would be a lot harder to hide on the uphill slope because it rises fairly quickly to the next level of the path.) 

Loradove saw the goblins pass and observed the weapons they were carrying. It was clear they were up to no good. She thought of all the villagers she had met, especially poor Mrs. Molkin, and fumed at how cheerful these goblins were as they marched along. NOT ON MY WATCH, she thought to herself.

After the goblins had passed and were about 30 feet away, Loradove glanced at Galydan and nodded, then fired an arrow at the nearest goblin, trusting that her companions were ready to back her up.

Galydan nodded back at her and let the firebolt fly aiming at the same goblin hoping to take it out immediately.

Ghiberti readies Entangle. When he sees Loradove shoot an arrow, he tries to entangle the back group of goblins.

The goblins came around the distant corner and laughed and marched their way towards you kicking an object along as they came. As they reached the hut a pair of you were hiding behind, they headed down the path and towards the bridge not even glancing in your direction.

Loradove lined up a shot and fired when they were about 50’ down the path. It should have been easy with their back turned but just as her perfectly aimed shot was about to implant itself in the little creature it bent over to pick up something from the ground and her arrow flew straight over its head. The goblin looked up startled and started to turn, but before he could even begin to snarl he was struck between the eyes by a mote of flame hurled by Galydan. The whole creature seemed to burst into flame at once. Whatever luck it had possessed had been used up in evading the arrow as the burned husk that collapsed to the ground would have no need of luck in the future.

Seeing his companions attack the goblins Ghiberti cast entangle from his hiding spot. Quickly vegetation leaped up to entangle the back 6 goblins in the group. (5 actually, since this would include the burned corpse of one goblin.) 3 of those failed their saves and were held by the encircling vines. The remaining two were stuck in the middle of difficult terrain.

**********************************

*That is the end of round one. The goblins had no idea you were there so you go one round of free action. The goblins are on the road about 50’ down hill from the hut. They are also about 50’ from where Ghiberti is hiding. Originally there were 8 goblins:
1- Dead
2, 3 and 4 – entangled.
5 and 6 – in difficult terrain, but not entangled.
7 and 8 – Had been at the front of the group and are the furthest away from the hut.

5-8 appear to be grabbing arrows to put to their bows. Currently the hut you are hiding behind gives you full cover. However, if you poke your head out to do something (shoot, cast a spell) it will be partial cover. Clearly, they know where the arrow and firebolt came from, but it is unclear if they know Ghiberti’s location.

*I don’t specifically identify initiative order for this as you wouldn’t really know it anyway were you there. Just tell me what you want to do and I will take care of events as they happen. This can result in doubling up on actions. For example, had Loradove killed the goblin with her arrow, Galydan would have then fried a corpse.

Galydan watched as some of the goblins became entangled. As he watched he steadied himself and aimed at goblin 6 who was loading an arrow. He focused and released two magic missiles watching them streak towards the goblin...

Ghilberti again casts entangle attempting to hit the group of goblins with bows

Disappointed by the previous goblin's great luck at bending over just as her arrow was about to strike, Loradove was pleased to see Galydan's spell catch it before it had a chance to fight back. She noticed that some of the other goblins were readying their own arrows and quickly prepared another of her own. She took aim at Goblin 8 and fired an arrow, hoping this one would hit its target before the goblin could fire back.

Loradove, irritated at the bad luck that had denied her a hit with her first arrow, lined up a shot on goblin #8, and fired from her place partially behind the hut.  This time her arrow flew true and struck the goblin in the chest.  The beast nearly dropped its bow and went down to one knee, clearly badly hurt, but not dead.

Galydan decided this time he would use magic missile and aimed his three at goblins 5 and 6, the two that were in the area of the entangle spell but not entangled.  The closer to him, the first to die, was the philosophy that guided his choice of targets.  Goblin #5 took two lowing darts and quickly collapsed to the ground.  Number 6 took only one missile and seemed wounded but not dead. 

This left three goblins that were not entangled and still alive and able to fight.  They showed no indication of knowing that the Tortle was anywhere near and all turned towards the hut to fire their arrows.  Unfortunately for the goblins, while they stood out in the open, their targets were partially hidden by the structure of the hut.  Two goblin arrows hit the hut not far from Galydan, but they bounced off into the rocks nearby.  The third arrow was fired in such a hurry that it landed somewhere on the path a full switchback above them.  None found a target. 

The three goblins held by the entangle spell fought against their constraints, (Strength check) but while goblins are known for their cruelty and cunning, they are really small creatures and their strength was not up to the task, although one seemed to come close.  All three remain held. 

Ghiberti held his position, unwilling to give up his location to the enemy.  He held his concentration on the entangle spell.

8 goblins entered the fray – their current situation is as follows:

1- Dead

2, 3 and 4 – entangled.

5  - Dead

6 – in difficult terrain, but not entangled.  Wounded.

7 -  Had been at the front of the group and are the furthest away from the hut.

8 – Had been at the front of the group and are the furthest away from the hut.   Badly wounded.

Loradove resisted the urge to call out triumphantly when her arrow found its mark. She saw the goblin drop down and considered whether to take aim at the same goblin again. She decided it was unlikely to run away and thought it would be better instead to weaken its companion, lest the other goblin try to make a break for it or charge at the cabin. She took aim and fired an arrow at goblin number 7.

Ghilberti comes out of his shell and readies his quarterstaff, moving to within 20' of the closest goblin, or if he is less than 20' from a goblin, attacks it with his quarterstaff, still concentrating on the entangle spell.

Galydan smiled to himself as he focused on goblin 6. He quickly shot out a fire bolt watching it streak away. He remembered feeling the power of the fire before having not cast many spells like this in recent months. "We should keep one alive if we can capture one." He said quickly as he glanced seeing her shoot another arrow at the goblins.

Loradove poked her head out from behind the hut and this timed lined up her shot on goblin #7. Unhurt and so due for some hurt. She pulled the string back and fired . . . a hit! Satisfaction welled in the halflings chest as blood welled from the goblin’s. It was hurt, but not dead.

Galydan took aim at goblin #6, hoping to take out one of the injured goblins. He went back to a cantrip this time firing a bolt of flame at the creature. He expressed a desire to capture one of the goblins but it seemed that the captive would not be this particular goblin who was consumed in flame and collapsed to the ground still smoking. (Warning: the Surgeon General has determined that smoking is dangerous to your health.)

The two goblins that began the fight furthest from the party had never been in the area of effect for the entangle spell, but both had suffered badly from the attacks of those in the hut. They continued to fire arrows at the hut, oblivious to the Tortle moving up on them from the rear. Their shots were closer this time, bouncing off the hut right next to where the mage and rogue had just been, but the cover the hut provided was enough to prevent any from finding their targets.

The three goblins entangled in the spell continued their struggle against the weeds holding them. They hadn’t suddenly gotten any stronger, but they did seem to have managed to work their way loose from a few of the vines. Two of them pulled free entirely of the spell's hold and grabbed their bows to attack next turn. The third entangled goblin seemed to just get further ensnared. (Two of the three made successful strength checks and are free to act next turn. One is still held.)

Ghiberti decided that it was time to do more than hold some goblins with his vines. Had he charged he could have reached the front two this turn, but instead he chose a more cautious approach and only moved up to within 20 feet. The two were focused on the hut they had been firing missiles at and did not seem aware of his presence. The two who had just freed themselves also seemed unaware of him.

8 goblins entered the fray – their current situation is as follows:
1- Dead
2 – Had been entangled, now free
3 – Had been entangled, now free
4 – entangled still.
5 - Dead
6 – Dead
7 - Had been at the front of the group and are the furthest away from the hut. Badly wounded.
8 – Had been at the front of the group and are the furthest away from the hut. Badly wounded.

Adrenaline surging after another successful hit, Loradove look around at the rest of the goblin party and assessed the situation. She did not want to give any of them an opportunity to escape or strike back, so she turned her attention to the freshly unentangled goblins. Loradove took aim and sent another arrow at goblin #2, hoping to weaken it before it had a chance to take aim at her or one of her companions.

Bounds up to the Goblins and wacks them with his quarterstaff. Looking to hit one of the goblins who were bound by vines