A qujick reminder of game mechanics:

If you do run away as Hornet has suggested, remember that Thaoran and Dok are engaged in melee.  Retreating would result in an attack of opportunity against them unless they use their action (meaning forego attacking) to disengage.  I'm not trhying to encourage or discourage anything, just to make sure that you know the implications of your actions.

Those two would have to disengage and retreat. My suggestion was based on the idea that at least the party members are one hit from dropping

One week since my last post - two posts up.  Lets get things posted!

This might be a stupid question but what happened to me getting thrown in there?

Hopefully we run into you on the retreat. 

 

the new guy will get thrust into the action with my next post - which will happen . . . tomorrow.

Hammer - Just checking, but as I read your post Dok is NOT RUNNING.  Is that right?  As always, I'm not trying to sway your choice but as everyone else has posted that they are running I wanted to double check this one.  I will post tomorrow (Tuesday) based on this assumption unless I hear otherwise.  

Providing cover for his friends even at the expense of his life!

Dok!!! I'm not quite sure how we can retrieve the body to revive him but we really don't have enough health or magic to survive more fighting ourselves. 

Nomad, I can't recall if Soledad has one or two 1st level spell slots remaining. Might be a good time for an illusion or a fog cloud. Thoughts?

Maybe Thoaran could get Dok.  He is most likely to survive a hit.  The new dwarf might be a distraction.  Or he could ask that new guy for help getting Dok.

A reminder of how movement and actions work.

Those of you who are closest to the cave, and thus Dok, are still 30' from Dok.  That is one rounds movement.  Actually a bit more for a dwarf.  You could move to Dok, but not move him back on the same round .  A normal person can move30' on their turn (25' for short guys like dwarves) or double that by using your action to dash.  But you can't dash while holding a fully armored dwarf.  Such an object is quite heavy and not easily shaped for lifting and hauling.  I will let you use your action to carry him.  But that means a maximum of 30' of movement per turn - and you won't be able to do it on the first turn because you spent your movement just getting there.  Plus, if your strength is not 14+ you will move 10' lower than your normal speed.  

So three of you can get to Dok on the first turn but not move him.

Then you could move him 30' per turn back assuming you meet the strength requirement.  

The rules do allow for one character "helping" another accomplish a task, but officially the rules only cover something requiring a strength check - which I am not requiring here.  But it would make sense that two people could drag a dwarf faster than one.  So I would allow two of you to move at 45' per round - essentially allowing you to split your action - each gives 1/2 to hauling and 1/2 to dsahing.  The weaker character would not need to meet the strength 14 requirement.  

But - if you dash 3 times + your con modifier you need to start making exhaution saves.  (I think only Hornet has dashed recently, but I would need to check.)  At 45' per round you would have time to get to mid river with three moves if nothing slowed you down.  Then exhaustion saves.

But - You know there are a minimum of 6 goblins still in the Vargolg and possibly many more.  You have no idea of actual numbers, but there are some at the entrance about to run out.  They are also 30' from Dok.  Goblins move at 30' per round just like most of you do.  Which means on turn 1 you would meet at Dok.  Combat seems likely to happen on the turn you get there.  Then if you wanted to retreat with Dok your action is taken up by moving him.  You can't fight.  And by retreating from combat you leave yourself open to an attack of opportunity.  More than likely multiple such attacks of opportunity.  

But - on the bright side, if two of you are lugging the body you would be moving at 45' per round.  Sure, the goblins can move 60' while dashing, but they couldn't do so and attack at the same time.  With swords anyway, bows are another matter.  And if they dashed they might be able to get past you and between you and the river.  

But - you also have a gnoll standing between you and Dok.  Technically you are not in melee with him (although darn close) so I wouldn't make you take an attack of opportunity to go past back towards Dok.  But he is there and would have to be dealt with coming or going.  

You can always do whatever you wish to do.  I'm not trying to change what you want to do, but I do want to make sure you know how things work.  The choices belong to the players.  

One other thing to note - the order of action, which you could tell from reading previous posts and would know if sitting around a table. 

Actions will be taken in the following order:

1.  Thaoran, Silver and Hornet

2.  Gnoll

3.  Soledad (Dok did fit here)

4.  Whatever is in the Vargolg

5.  Gerdar

I mention this because if some of you attempt to recue Dok you will get there and have your action prior to anything from within the cave reaching you.  So you can't just swing at them for your action.  You could shoot at the entrance or you can "hold your action."  That means you tell me exactly what you want to do if something specific happens.  "If X occurs, then I do Y"  For example, you might ready an attack and swing if a monster comes within range.  Oddly, by going second, anything coming out of the Vargolg will be able to run up and swing.

So is all of that confusing enough?  Feel free to ask for clarification.  

Oh, and one more thing.  Dok is unconscious from wounds.  He starts making death saves next turn.  He remains alive but unconscious until he fails 3 of those.  Fail 3 and it is all over.  Make 3 and you stabilize.  For a while.  So how long will he stay alive? 

Sorry, saving the hero will not be easy.

 

*I would need to go back through all the posts to figure out Soledad's spell count.  Feel free to do so yourself, otherwise I will try and get to it tomorrow.

@Keeper:

What about both you and I work together to save Dok? Up to you. I think we would have more chance of surviving the goblins and gnolls if there are 2 of us.

@Nomad: Er...yeah, that is VERY confusing lol. This is what I understand:

*The rescuer of Dok can reach him on his first turn, but not move him to safety in that same round.
*If there are 2 players dragging the dwarf, movement speed is increased, therefore the two of you can move further each round than if there were only one of you rescuing Dok.
*You cannot attack while dragging the dwarf.
*Dragging the dwarf invites multiple attacks of opportunity by the enemy.
*The weakest character dragging Dok wouldn't have to do strength checks.

That's all I understood from your explanation lol. What if one player dragged Dok while another player defended them against enemy attacks? Is that allowed?

Could ranged weapons folks move back towards the fight above the gulley?  Basically flanking the goblins and gnolls from an elevated position?  Lots of good party ideas.

Yep, it is confusing, but there are a lot of moving parts in the gulley right now.  

Dragon-Soul:  Everything you said was right.  Can someone protect while the other dragged?  Sort of, but not really.  You can attempt to do so and by putting yourself in the way may be able to get the enemy to attack you.  But the gulley is wide enough that they could probably go around you and attack Dok's carrier if they choose to do so.  I can see them being more likely to attack the defender but it isn't a given that they would all attack you.  It would partially depend on how many of "them" there are.  

Two specific actions you could do:

1.  Dodge.  If you use your action (Instead of attacking) to dodge, then any attack coming at you has disadvantage.  But again, they might choose to target the other person, the best you can do is put yourself in harms way and hope.

2.  Defend.  This isn't really in the rules but makes sense to me.  You could use your action to put yourself in the way of an attack aimed at the other person.  You can only do this once per round so it would only stop one attack at most - and it doesn't really stop it, it just makes that attack target you instead.  

But is there a way to fully shield the other character and guarante that the enemy targets you?  No. And given the size of the gulley going around you is distictly possible. 

 

Keeper - I want to be sure I understand what you mean.  Are you saying that archers go down and out of the gulley and then try to move back up the ridge on the top of the gulley sides so that they would be shooting down at anyone in the gulley?  This means essentially climbing the ridge without the benefit of a nice gulley with a path to go up.  Technically yes, this is doable, but practially, no.  First you would have to go down the gulley past the "gate-like" entrance I mentioned.  That is very doable, but takes time.  Then you would have to climb back up the sides.  This is the problem - the ridge is very difficult terrain.  Diffcult terrain reduces your movement speed to 1/2 normal.  Dashing would not be possible.  Actually, I'd probably let you try if you want, but you would need to make a dex save.  Fail and you would tumble back down the ridge taking some damage.  So the problem is that you would likely be moving 15' a round up the outside of the ridge.  30' if you risked falling.  And it is still possible that you would reach an impassable point - you can't really see what is up there from where you are.  So, yes, it is doable, but if you were doing the 15' per round it woould likely take 4 rounds at a minimum to get to a spot where you could shoot anything.  

Thanks.  No shooting from above

So who's going to try and rescue Dok then?