Section 1: Goblin Arrows
Along the trail
The party spends four days driving the oxcart up the Triboar Trail to the Lakedale sidetrail. The road is in decent shape for a rural road.
Ask the players to give a party marching order and how their characters are traveling. Who’s in front, and who’s bringing up the rear? One or two need to be driving the cart. The rest of the characters can be riding on the cart , walking alongside, or scouting ahead, as they like.
Any character can drive the wagon. Two oxen pull the cart. If no one is holding the reins they stop where they are.
The wagon is packed full of an assortment of mining supplies and food. This includes a dozen sacks of flour, several casks of salted pork, two kegs of strong ale, shovels, picks, and crowhbars (about a dozen each) and five lanterns with a small barrel of oil (about 50 flasks in volume). The total value of the cargo is 100 gp.
Once while they are walking they get passed by a llama caravan of 6 aces (minor detail; one of the aces has an extra, unburdened llama.). Otherwise, all encounters on trail are "flavor".
Goblin Ambush
The Pcs recognize the horses; they last saw them at the stable in Grytack - Bukrun and Kostas were riding the. The horses have been dead about a couple of days, and its clear they were killed by the arrows. When the PCs inspect the scene closer read:
Four goblins are hiding in the woods, two on either side of the road. They wait until someon approaches the bodies and then attack. When three goblins are defeated, the fourth will attempt to flee, heading for the goblin trail.
Developments
In the unlikely event that the goblins defeat the PCs, they leave them unconcious, loot them and the wagon, then head back to the Cragmaw hideout.The PCs can continue on th Lakedale, buy new gear at Barthen's Provisions, return to the ambush site, and find the goblins' trail.
The PCs might capture one or more goblins by knocking them unconcious instead of killing them. A captured goblin can be convinced to share what it knows. It can also be persuaded to lead the party to Cragmaw hideout while avoiding traps along the way.
The PCs might not find the goblin trail, or they could decide to continue to Lakedale. In that case, skip ahead to part 2: Lakedale. Elmar Barthen (the owner of Barthen's Provisions) seeks out the PCs and informs them that Bukrun Flintaxe never arrived. He recounts the goblin troubles and suggests that the party return to the ambush site to investigate further (after they rest). Barthen also tells the party that Linene Greywind of the Lionshield Coster can provide more information on the goblin attacks.
Goblin Trail
After the PCs defeat the goblins, any inspection of the area reveals that the creatures have been using this place to stage ambushes for some time. A trail hidden behind thickets leads ---. A PC who succeeds on a DC 10 Wis (survival) check recognizes that about a dozen goblins have come and gone along the trail, as well as two human-sized bodies being hauled away from the ambush site.
The party can easily steer the wagon away from the road and tie off the oxen to wait while the group persue the goblins.
Ask for marching order, stealthy or swiftly? If anyone states that they are looking for traps, tell them you're going to ask them to roll Wis (perception) every mile.
Snare. 1st mile. passive Wisdom (Perception) 12 = PC sees it if looking for traps. If passive is lower, check the roll. If a Pc fails to notice the trap, they trigger the snare and must succeed on ad DC 10 Dex save. On a failure, the PC is suspended upside down 10 feet above the ground. The PC is restrained until 1 or more slashing damage is dealt to the snare's cord. A PC who isn't carefully lowered down takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage from the fall.
Pit. 3rd mile. The camoflaged pit is 6 feet wide, 6 feet long, and 10 feet deep. It triggers when a creature moves accross it.DC 15 Wis (Perception). If the pit isn't detected, the lead PC must succeed on a DC 10 Dex save or fall in: 1d6 bludgeoning damage. The pit's walls are not so steep, so no ability check is needed to climb out.
Next: Cragmaw Hideout
What the goblins know
- Fewer than 20 goblins currently dwell in the lair.
- Their leader is a bugbear named Klarg. He answers to King Grol, chief of the Cragmaw tribe, who dwells in Cragmaw Castle. (the goblins can provide basic directions to Cragmaw Castle).
- Klarg recieved a messanger goblin from King Grol a few days ago. The messanger told him that someone named the Blood Crow was paying the Cragmaws to watch out for the dwarf Bokhur Flintaxe, capture him, and send him and anything he was carrying back to King Grol. Klarg followed his orders. Bokhur was ambushed and taken along with his personal effects, including a map.
- The dwarf and his map were delivered to King Grol, as instructed. The dwarf's human companion is being held in the "eating cave" at the hideout.
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