Murder Hobo Squad: A Lost Mine of Phandelver/Dragon of Icespire Peak & Beyond D&D 5E record (Beware Spoilers!)

We were two players down this session.  Ramond and Thorivor couldn’t make it

Melandrach and Araloth returned to the group and told them what they had found and the group decided to investigate that light.  Concerned about the entrance and the unexplored natural chimney, Ramond and Thorovir decided to stand between the cave entrance and the entrance to the wolves chamber to cover the rear.

As they went up rising side passageway the scounts went full stealth and the party got the drop on five goblins working around a cauldron over a cooking fire.  With everyone focused and the advantage of a surprise round they were able to wipe out most of the goblins before they could react.  As the felled the last goblin, another appeared on a ledge overlooking the cooking chamber.  He had a beaten and bloody man stripped down to his underwear, tied up and balanced on his knees over the ledge.  The party recognised this man as Sildar Hallwinter.  As he demanded they stop fighting or his prisoner would fall to his death, Melandrach tried to scale the ledge and tripped over Bilba, landing on his rear instead.

Devere tried to engage him in conversation as everyone held their action.  The Goblin wanted them to kill a bugbear names Klarg who had taken over the cave and was bullying everyone.  If they killed Klarg he would let his prisone rlive and everyone could leave.  While he was distracted by this, Araloth snuck up behind him (Passed a stealth check with disadvantage) and was able to one hit kill him.  He tried to grab Sildar before he could fall but fumbled, bumbing in to him.  As Sildar fell, Melandrach, now back on his feet, tried to catch him.  he didnt quite react in time (Fluffed Athletics check) and Sildar fell on to him, hurting both of them.  Despite his soft landing, the 10 foot drop was enough to reduce Sildar to 0hp.

A quick heal check later and he was stable.  With more to explore the party chose not to use their limited supplies of magical healing on him and took him outside for Ramond to tend to, after quick bit of scouting around.  With most of the cave mapped out, they formulated a good plan to attack the remaining area from 3 sides: Along the bridge, along the river, and up the natural chimney.

No one tried the goblins stew.

The plan of attack:

Karson would climb up the chimney, with a light stone in his hand.  It was only wide enough for one person at a time and would take three rounds and three athletcics checks toclimb.  Thorovir would stand guard at the entrance to that room and help coordintae his actions with the others

Bilba and Talindra would hold their actions between the wolf cave and the bridge awaiting a flash of light from the others, and would then follow the river around.

The others would cross the bridge, with Araloth and Melandrach in the lead, everyone trying to be stealthy.  They had spotted a goblin hiding on the bridge watching the area below before making the plan and were able to sneak up on him from across the bridge, kill him on one shot and throw his body over the edge.  Araloth then pulled a hand-cupped light stone out of his pocket and exposed it to the others as a sign.  Karson started climbing, the ground party started working their way around the cave with the aid of a light stone they had hidden in their pockets, and the bridge crew proceeded in to the next room where they found a waterfall, two shallow pools, and three more goblins waiting.

They got the drop on the first goblin by the entrance, but were not able to kill him in the suprise round.  Alerted, the furthest goblin ran in to the next room and the other two started to fight.  As araloth and Melandrach killed their gooblin, Bilba and Talindra followed the cave around and snuck up behind the now distracted goblin archer and with arrow and eldritch blast, dropped him.

Meanwhile, Karson had successfully made not only 3 climb checks (with a natural 20!) but also passed 3 stealth checks to climb up unnoticed and in record time.  As his head pocked out the top he was able to see a Bugbear and a wolf running towards and then past him to hide in the corner of their cavern behind a stalagmite.  Karson chose to wait for Klarg to stop running and turn his back to him before climbing out of the shute and attacking him from behind, even though he could not see his allies.  He got in one good solid hit and then was appauled at how little Klargs health bar moved.  Klarg screamed out, “Who dares defy Klarg!, swung his morningstar at karson, and downed him with a single swing (Chip damage from previous fights had occurred to most people by now).

Klarg went back in to hiding as the party started to enter the room.  As the first person entered they were suprised by a volley of arrows coming from two goblins hiding behind some crates along the southern wall, but took some shot at a third gonlin still getting in to position.  The party advanced in and engaged the archers and Klarg came out to face them, having discovered that his module prescribed ambush point just served to box in him and his wolf, Ripper.

Klarg continues to provide both smack downs and big threats as the party takes its time dispatching the goblins.  Devere takes a moment to decide if its better to heal Karson or attack the Bugbear.  Deciding its better to prevent more damage than take more and resolve whats already been done he takes a swing at Klarg, hurting him and becoming the new centre of his attention.  Bilba comes in and throws two daggers at the wolf, reducing him to deaths door.  Talindra (I think) threw a ranged heal at Karson (Warlocks are arcane casters who can have heal spells apparently?) who got up, and took two swings at the new distracted bugbear stood over his recently prone body, landing one good blow. Finding himself now in flanking position, Devere went in for it, he swung his mace at Klargs knee causing it to buckle and then brought it back up and hit him on the other side of his head, landing the killing blow and knocking him over, head first in to the chute right behind him.  With Klargs corpse stuck are upwards the part quickly finished off the wolf.

With murdering complete and the cave seemingly empty, the party moved on the take its stuff stage of the “Kill it and take its stuff” procedure.  The found several crates and bags with a blue lions head, some were able to recognise as the symbol of the Lionshield Coster, a trade consortium from the east who has been setting up chain stores spreading in to the sword coast over recent years, some silver, a statuette of a gold frog (They check for magic and found none), and two unlabelled magical potions they have yet to taste.

The party has decided to head outside for a short rest, while those who are able to carry the crates and sacks out of the cave to take to town with them.  It was getting late real world time (1-2pm game time) so we decided to call it there.  As everyone would level up next time they camp I have asked them to level up between sessions to avoid losing play time later.  They are about a days travel from town, and after the short rest Sildar should regain consciousness.

We play again in two days.