What You Know
Barzer's bat familiar scouted ahead. The next section of the cave is not a blind charge - you have intelligence.
- At least 4 goblins on a 10-foot-high ledge - elevated archers with line of sight to anyone entering the room
- Ground-level goblins - at least 4 more at the cave floor; exact positioning unclear
- The ogre situation: 2 active ogres visible in the front section, a third holding back deeper in the cave
- You have full HP and full spell slots - the long rest means everyone is at maximum capacity going into this
The Tactical Problem
Elevated archers change the math on a cave fight. A goblin on a 10-foot ledge has several advantages:
- They shoot down at you - cover for them, exposure for you
- Melee characters can't easily reach them - Kaltor gets to the ledge only if he can climb or find stairs, not in a single movement
- They can spread damage across multiple party members - four archers picking different targets every round drains Selena's spell slots fast
The ogres are the secondary problem. At ground level, they're the biggest damage source. At 3v6 (two ogres + one in reserve vs. the full party), the ogres alone would be a serious fight. The goblins on the ledge make it a coordination nightmare.
The party's edge: you're going in rested, informed, and with a specific plan already half-formed from last session's debrief.
Party Status - Full Reset
| Character | Class | HP | Spell Slots | Key Resources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaltor | Paladin | Full | Full | Divine Smite, Lay on Hands |
| Theren | Hunter Ranger | Full | Full | Hunter's Mark, Colossus Slayer |
| Barzer | War Magic Wizard | Full | Full | Fog Cloud, Magic Missile, Shield, bat familiar |
| Nysera | Forest Druid | Full | Full | Moonbeam, Spike Growth, Wild Shape |
| Elaris | Lore Bard | Full | Full | Bardic Inspiration, Healing Word, Hideous Laughter |
| Selena | Life Cleric | Full | Full | Healing Word, Aid, Sacred Flame |
Barzer's bat familiar is already deployed and back from scouting. It can be repositioned immediately when the party approaches.
The Core Decision
Going into this fight, there are three distinct approaches. Each exploits different elements of the party's toolkit and handles the elevated archer problem differently.
What Gets You Killed
Regardless of approach:
- Walking into the room in a line — the goblins pick targets at will, your concentration spells go down from chip damage, and the ogres close while you're already hurt
- Letting Barzer get hit — he can take more hits now after the long rest, but he is still a Wizard. One bad round from an ogre ends his contributions for the fight
- Ignoring the ledge goblins — four archers with high ground shooting every round will bleed the party dry faster than the ogres will
- Spending Bardic Inspiration inside combat — Elaris should hand these out before initiative. Once the fight starts, it's a bonus action that competes with Healing Word