The ogres are dead and the party just leveled up. If anything deeper in the dungeon heard the fight — and four ogres don't die quietly — it knows something happened at the entrance. What it doesn't know is what the party looks like now. Pressing immediately means meeting whatever's next before it finishes preparing.
The Logic
Every minute spent in the entry cavern is a minute the dungeon uses to organize. The six goblins still in play — two warriors and four minions — may already be moving, raising whatever alarm there is to raise. The party's best asset right now is tempo.
The level-4 bumps that matter for an immediate push:
- Kaltor can open with Sacred Weapon (Channel Divinity): +3 to hit on every swing for 10 minutes — long enough to cover several rooms if the party moves fast.
- Nysera's Wild Shape now reaches CR 1/2 forms with two uses per short rest, a meaningfully bigger HP buffer in front of her actual 31 HP.
- Theren's Horde Breaker turns every clustered pair of enemies into two attacks per turn.
- Elaris has five Bardic Inspiration dice and Cutting Words — she can both buff the party and sabotage enemy rolls in the same fight.
Setup Before the Next Room
- The bat goes first. Barzer's familiar has 60-foot blindsight — fog, darkness, and dim caverns don't degrade it. No one crosses a threshold the bat hasn't crossed first. This is also the direct fix for the mud puddle problem: the bat reports terrain, not guesses.
- Elaris distributes Bardic Inspiration in the hallway. Kaltor, Theren, and Nysera by default. Doing it pre-initiative keeps her bonus actions free for Healing Word.
- Theren marks on sight. Hunter's Mark goes on the priority target the moment line of sight exists.
- Selena's position is assigned, not improvised. Behind Kaltor, inside Healing Word range (60 feet), never in a doorway. At 20 HP she cannot eat a single ogre-class hit.
- Decide Nysera's lane. Beast form for melee pressure, or Spike Growth/Moonbeam for control — not both. Whichever she picks, Barzer adjusts: if she holds concentration, his Fog Cloud waits.
Round One Priority
| Character | Action | Bonus Action / Reaction |
|---|---|---|
| Kaltor | Engage the biggest threat (Sacred Weapon already lit) | Divine Smite on a solid hit |
| Theren | Longbow the marked target; Horde Breaker a neighbor | Hunter's Mark if not already placed |
| Barzer | Fire Bolt from maximum range, or Fog Cloud if the room demands it | Misty Step out if anything closes; Shield/Silvery Barbs in reserve |
| Nysera | Wild Shape (it's her action) or cast her control spell | — |
| Elaris | Starry Wisp or crossbow | Healing Word if anyone dips; Cutting Words on the first big enemy hit |
| Selena | Guiding Bolt on the priority target, or hold position | Healing Word in reserve |
Pros
- No time for survivors to regroup, set traps, or warn deeper chambers
- Sacred Weapon's 10-minute window can span multiple rooms if the party keeps moving
- The party is at its best-informed moment — the enemy hasn't seen the level-4 versions yet
Cons
- Whatever was spent in the ogre fight stays spent — no Hit Dice, no Arcane Recovery, no Wild Shape recharge
- Any pending level-up choices get made hastily or not at all
- Unknown territory with six live goblins potentially behind the party
Best If
The party believes the surviving goblins ran deeper — and would rather fight whatever's next before it finishes getting ready.