The party sealed one of the two tunnels out of the stalagmite chamber with goblin corpses specifically because it led toward the more open area the fleeing goblins had retreated through. That's also exactly why it might be worth clearing: it's the direction the survivors of this session's fighting actually went, and survivors mean information — or unfinished business.
The Logic
Every goblin the party didn't personally account for this session ran in one of two directions: into the nursery that got blown up, or down the tunnel the party chose to block. Barricading it bought time to rest safely, but it didn't solve anything — it just deferred a decision. Clearing it now, at full HP and with every spell slot back, means meeting whatever's left of that goblin resistance on the party's terms instead of waiting for it to dig itself out first.
It also directly follows the thread the party themselves identified as the more dangerous route — better to clear it deliberately than leave it as a standing question mark behind their only other line of exploration.
Setup Before Clearing
- Clearing the barricade takes a turn or two of corpses being moved — treat it as an action a couple of characters commit to while the rest hold a defensive line facing the opening, not something done casually mid-conversation.
- Barzer's familiar goes through first once there's a gap wide enough, the same lesson from the stalagmite chamber applied here: know what's waiting before committing bodies (the living kind) to the doorway.
- Nobody holds the gap — deny it instead. With no front-line fighter in the party, a bottleneck is only an advantage if the fighting happens on the far side of it. Spike Growth laid across the opening before anything comes through turns the choke point into the obstacle, so the party never has to put a body in it.
- Theren holds Hunter's Mark for whatever's spotted first, and stays back far enough to keep firing into the bottleneck rather than crowding it.
- Nysera keeps a control spell ready — Spike Growth in particular turns a corridor full of returning goblins into a very bad day for them, especially with the party controlling which side of the barricade the fight happens on.
Round One Priority
| Character | Action | Bonus Action / Reaction |
|---|---|---|
| Theren | Fire into the bottleneck from behind the line | Hunter's Mark on the first target through |
| Barzer | Fire Bolt down the corridor, or Fog Cloud if numbers look bad | Misty Step to reposition; Shield in reserve |
| Nysera | Spike Growth across the gap before anything reaches it — this is the whole plan | — |
| Elaris | Starry Wisp or crossbow support | Healing Word in reserve; Cutting Words on a big hit |
| Selena | Well back from the opening, Guiding Bolt if there's a clean shot | Healing Word in reserve |
Pros
- Confronts the one thread the party already flagged as the bigger risk, on their own schedule and at full resources
- A corridor bottleneck suits a party that fights at range: everything has to come to you, slowly, through whatever Nysera puts on the floor
- Removes the barricade as a liability — no more wondering what's building up behind it
Cons
- Deliberately walks toward the direction the party judged more dangerous when they chose what to block
- No scouting on this path the way the open tunnel would allow — clearing corpses to look through isn't the same as sending a familiar ahead
- If goblin reinforcements gathered while the party rested, this is where the party finds them first, without warning
Best If
The party would rather resolve the threat they deliberately shut out than leave it sealed behind them while exploring elsewhere.