distant rumblings

So, track the giants as far as we can without getting further away from the keep than we are now.

Warhol transforms into a wolf giving him keen hearing and smell. Passive perception 22.

He sniffs Chopper’s butt and then pees where Chopper most recently peed before patiently waiting at the edge of the village like a dog that wants to go for a walk.

Zax gives one final order to the dwarves out of an abundance of caution, "Burn the giant corpses.... its the only way to be sure."

ok, what is the tracking/travel order for your group?

I am open to other opinions, but it seems to me like Marvin should always lead, Zax in the middle and Warhol (also high perception and best mobility) should be in the rear guard with a hawk overhead

Agree that Marvin typically has point (except, of course,  in a Calvary charge)

Marvin out front on foot, tracking and extra stealthy:
Stealth:
Rolling line 1 : 1d20 + 11 to total : 19, + 11, TOTAL: 30
Tracking:
Rolling line 1 : 1d20 + 5 to total : 13, + 5, TOTAL: 18

DM please note Marvin has the Alert feat, making him immune to Surprise and hidden enemies do not have Advantage to attack him.

Marvin’s PP: 15

Assuming Chopper will stay in proximity to the group without active measures?

Also DM, please confirm we are back in forest favored terrain for the following benefits:
• Difficult terrain doesn’t slow your group’s
travel.
• Your group can’t become lost except by
magical means.
• Even when you are engaged in another activity
while traveling (such as foraging, navigating,
or tracking), you remain alert to danger.
• While tracking other creatures, you also learn
their exact number, their sizes, and how long
ago they passed through the area.

Whitey wrote:Agree that Marvin typically has point (except, of course,  in a Calvary charge)

Zax is happy to lead all charges!

Chris wrote:

Whitey wrote:Agree that Marvin typically has point (except, of course,  in a Calvary charge)

Zax is happy to lead all charges!

The marching order is ratified.

ok, thanks for reminding me of the Alert feat.


You travel throughout the night. Nothing happens for now and the track just seem to keep moving West by NW into larger and more craggy hills.

Are you stopping at night for a long rest or just pushing on? We'll say it's about a couple hours before midnight

Marvin votes for long rest.

Also, DM, does Marvin’s tracking reveal more giants than the three who sacked the town (see above for favored terrain benefit)?

agree to stopping for a long rest

Can watch be fulfilled by Warhol's familiar?

Warhol can summon an owl to take a 3.5 hour watch.

Marvin volunteers for the first light watch, as he doesn't have darkvision. He sets up his rucksack, then grabs four arrows and sets them in the ground in a semicircle facing the direction the giants were known to come from. He casts Cordon of Arrows:

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 5 feet
Components: V, S, M (four or more arrows or bolts)
Duration: 8 hours

You plant four pieces of nonmagical ammunition – arrows or crossbow bolts – in the ground within range and lay magic upon them to protect an area. Until the spell ends, whenever a creature other than you comes within 30 feet of the ammunition for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there, one piece of ammunition flies up to strike it. The creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d6 piercing damage. The piece of ammunition is then destroyed. The spell ends when no ammunition remains.

When you cast this spell, you can designate any creatures you choose, and the spell ignores them.

Marvin designates the party and their mounts to be ignored by the spell.

Stat Block

HP: 46/46
AC: 18
Attacks: 2
PP: 15

Saves:
STR +4
DEX +7
CON +1
INT +3
WIS +2
CHR +0

Spell Save: 13
Spell Attack: +5
Spell Slots:
1st: 3/4
2nd: 2/2

Zax has darkvision, so he can take any watch and doesn't care which

Warhol, now a Tortle again, puts his hand on Marvin’s shoulder and says “see.”  Instantly Marvin can see in the dark for 8 hours.  He then summons an Owl to take either first or second watch.  “Just remember you’ve got 3.5 hours ‘till my little buddy here flys the coup.”  Warhol then promptly collapses into his shell and begins to snore like Bert and Ernie.

Marvin - as far as you can tell, it's multiple giants. You would guess at least 4

Ok, the night passes without interruption. You get your full rest.

Assuming you set out at first light or so, how do you move out? Order and any spells or what not please.

Marvin out front, do you want new stealth and tracking rolls?

yes please

same marching orders unless otherwise noted

Stealth:
Rolling line 1 : 1d20 + 11 to total : 10, + 11, TOTAL: 21
Tracking:
Rolling line 1 : 1d20 + 5 to total : 9, + 5, TOTAL: 14

after about an hour.... Marvin is sure that the next bend of the path (through a small defile in the hills) has an ambush waiting. More Giants... you can just see part of one of them

Since you are immune to surprise, we can do initiative rolls now

Do we have a bird overhead still?
Can we turn the tables and surprise the giants by sneaking around or have they spotted us too?
Zaz volunteers to be the "bait" if the other 2 sneaky guys can flank before the fight starts

Prior to initiative can Marvin take an action to hide? He’ll dismount Chopper while giving Warhol and Zax the “hold” signal with his fist raised and one finger to his lips for quiet.

He likes the sound of Zax’s plan. He points to the two bear traps hanging from chopper’s saddle and winks at his squad mates.

Ideally Marvin wants to sneak into a position where he can better see the giants’ number and positions and relay that info to the others.


Stealth roll to hide:
Sat Jul 16 2022 12:09:33 GMT-0600 (MDT)
Rolling line 1 : 1d20 + 11 to total : 17, + 11, TOTAL: 28

Initiative (w/ADV in favored terrain):

Sat Jul 16 2022 12:12:25 GMT-0600 (MDT)
Rolling line 1 : 1d20 + 9 to total : 18, + 9, TOTAL: 27

Sat Jul 16 2022 12:12:24 GMT-0600 (MDT)
Rolling line 1 : 1d20 + 9 to total : 15, + 9, TOTAL: 24

Warhol

as a Tortle
Ac 20
Hp 56/56

passive Perception 18


Initiative
Result of the throw of dice "1d20 -2" :

19 - 2 = 17

“I can surround them with briars.  Can we make them come to us?”

Stay block pending

Zax initiative
1d20
7
total
7

ah, ok then. Good idea.

Marvin creeps forward and sees three hill giants waiting to attack... they appear to have the save black/purple veins all over their faces and upper torsos.

They look to be 'chomping at the bit' to attack. Two have large stones in their hands and one, the one you saw part of, is waiting with a club around the corner of the path/defile.

Map hopefully will demonstrate this. Marvin is currently hidden. They appear to know that someone is coming.

Marvin will creep back to the others and relay what he’s seen. “Guys, I think we can bottle neck them between the defile and the rocks and pick them off one at a time, maybe even capture one to figure out what’s wrong with it. I can drop these traps in the gap and Warhol and I both have other ways to ensnare them too…”

Warhol

as a Tortle
Ac 20
Hp 56/56
passive Perception 18

“Hit them at range to draw them in.  I like it.”

Warhol summons a hawk to scan the area for the 4th giant. Anyone behind us or above the defile on our flanks?

How high is the defile to the left of Marvin?
Is it a true defile, meaning walls on both sides?
NOUN
A steep-sided narrow gorge or passage (originally one requiring troops to march in single file)

I don't see anything on the other side. Or is it more like a cliff face and open towards the top of the map?
Cuz we can't bottleneck if there isn't a bottleneck.....

very sorry, didn't realize I hadn't put the rest of the defile in.

and the higher ridge is about 12' on average.  Just enough to hide these guys..

This is the correct map.

Thanks DM. Can you add the grid coordinates too? Grazi!

Aha! That makes more sense now, thanks!

A nasty ambush indeed

“Okay, lure them in by pretending to run away. Once they’re in the delta of the defile, fall back at least 20’ more. Then be ready to fight from a distance.”

dammit!  Forgot those again... map is now fixed

Just thinking...  map is not going to work, since we will all be off the map to the right

Zax is ready to ride 30ft M-10, chuck a javelin at the closest giant w his club drawn and ride back 30ft, off map

Was thinking the same, Chris. DM, can we have a map of our current surroundings too?

Sorry! Dang players not walking into an ambush like we were supposed to

Maybe we can state our plans in general terms and let the DM decide what needs to be mapped.

Warhol will stand where he can see square n-10 from as far back as 40’ if possible or less or closer if necessary.  Zax will ride up to where he can just barely chuck a javelin at knucklehead #1 and ride away. Martin might shoot and run from his current position to provoke him more. Maybe say something rude about the Giant’s mother?  If they give chase, we use the bottleneck. If they don’t, I have a plan B.

honestly?  You have to make a quick decision as to what you will do. They are ready to attack, you just happened to have spotted it as you have that nifty ability.

So the Ambush is negated and we start combat after Marvin is able to warn his associates.

Your current surroundings are broadly similar to what you see in front of you.  Rock ridge and small boulders everywhere.  This is very rough country.

Initiative order:

Marvin: 27
Giants: 19
Warhol: 17
Zax: 7

Ok, we can give it a try, just understand that we are not just going charge in there, we are off the map and safely out of their range
So..... lets see, I guess?

I will make an additional map if it's needed.



maybe this will help. This is right before that map, the defile should show up before it enters the next map (you can ignore the rock piles on the path, I just didn't want to create a whole new map)

Marvin is up!

Marvin will set a hunting trap in the narrow gap at F-5:

Hunting trap
When you use your Action to set it, this trap forms a saw-toothed steel ring that snaps shut when a creature steps on a pressure plate in the center. The trap is affixed by a heavy chain to an immobile object, such as a tree or a spike driven into the ground. A creature that steps on the plate must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d4 piercing damage and stop moving. Thereafter, until the creature breaks free of the trap, its Movement is limited by the length of the chain (typically 3 feet long). A creature can use its Action to make a DC 13 Strength check, freeing itself or another creature within its reach on a success. Each failed check deals 1 piercing damage to the trapped creature.

He will retreat to F-9, drawing his bow and knocking an arrow as a free action.

As a bonus action, Marvin cast Ensnaring Strike:

1st-level conjuration

Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Self
Components: V
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

The next time you hit a creature with a weapon attack before this spell ends, a writhing mass of thorny vines appears at the point of impact, and the target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be restrained by the magical vines until the spell ends. A Large or larger creature has advantage on this saving throw. If the target succeeds on the save, the vines shrivel away.

While restrained by this spell, the target takes 1d6 piercing damage at the start of each of its turns. A creature restrained by the vines or one that can touch the creature can use its action to make a Strength check against your spell save DC. On a success, the target is freed.

Chopper trots along side the busy halfling and settles in next to him as they wait to turn the tables on the unsuspecting Giants

just something to keep in mind (and I had to look this up to be sure) these are Huge monsters, so Marvin isn't certain that the traps will work like they would on something smaller.

Still going to do it? Just giving you an option here

Everything is huge to Marvin. These traps will work on bears, so why not giants? Proceed as written!

Ok, Marvin sets his trap and moves back and prepares his shot.

oh, and from your question earlier... you are no longer in a forest, this is more rolling hills and long grasses

The Giants lose their patience and the one that was going for an ambush attack comes through the defile entrance and triggers the trap...

He fails his save but he's too big to be actually trapped by the trap that is about the same size as his foot. He takes 1d4 piercing

Rolling line 1 : 1d4 + 0 to total : 1, TOTAL: 1

He is just really pissed now as you just took off one of his toes.

I assume that Marvin was waiting for him to appear and you are now going to shoot?

Marvin’s action was to set the trap, RAW, but if you’ll concede that was a free action before combat, Marvin will take his shots…

ah, yes. That's an action to set the trap.

Ok, the Giants all try to come through the defile.... one is only able to get to just in front of Marvin, the other two come around the corner and let loose their rocks at Zax and Warhol.

Rolling line 1 : 1d20 + 8 to total : 3, + 8, TOTAL: 11

Rolling line 1 : 1d20 + 8 to total : 1, + 8, TOTAL: 9

lol... back to the old GM Dice.

Giants are done. Map is updated.



Warhol is up!

Warhol

as a Tortle
Ac 20
Hp 56/56
passive Perception 18

Spike growth 10/10

“Couldn’t give me a little more room little fella?”

Warhol casts spike growth Centered at 4-5 E-F 20’ radius. That covers the whole defile and all 3 giants.

The ground in a 20-foot radius centered on a point within range twists and sprouts hard spikes and thorns. The area becomes difficult terrain for the duration. When a creature moves into or within the area, it takes 2d4 piercing damage for every 5 feet it travels. The transformation of the ground is camouflaged to look natural. Any creature that can’t see the area at the time the spell is cast must make a Wisdom (Perception) check against your spell save DC to recognize the terrain as hazardous before entering it.

Warhol moves to b-13

ok, Spike Growth is noted and will be accounted for. I have moved you. I will update the map after 'Zax goes.


Mr. 'Zax... it's your turn!

A couple quick questions, sorry....

So is there spike growth at F8? G8? G7? Trying to see if Zax can get into melee without the spike growth

The giant is taking up 6 squares, but really only occupies 4 squares. What is his position actually? Again, trying to figure out where i can go

Is it accurate to assume that any square with a defile line in it is impassible for the giants? Like e6, e7, h7

Also, also (i know they both missed so it doesnt matter this turn) but i dont think the 2 rear giants can throw rocks at us, they have no line of sight through their friend, just like we couldnt shoot the rear 2 through the front guy. I am mostly just making the case for next turn

ah, that is a good point... well, they missed badly, so we'll say that they just lobbed them toward the general area.

actually, you guys are in good luck here since the GM forgot how big these guys are.... they are Huge (that I knew) but they take up a 3 by 3 grid pattern. So it's difficult movement for them to squeeze through the defile.  Only one is through so far.  Ignore the rock throws (as was already pointed out).  Sorry, this is still a bit of a learning process for me since I haven't done it in so long.

so... I have updated the map appropriately. The giant that came through is farther back now as well due to the trap and defile. Nothing else has changed.