If I say “goblin” three times in the title of an article, is something weird going to happen? I sure hope not.

Anyhoo, yesterday I wrote about Sildar Hallwinter’s tale of how he and his friend Gundren Rockseeker were ambushed by the Cragmaw goblins laying in wait along the Triboar Trail. But what will the party’s tale be when it’s their turn?

Chapter 1: Goblin Arrows is broken up into three parts:

• Goblin Ambush
• Goblin Trail
• Cragmaw Hideout

I’d recommend consolidating the Goblin Ambush and Goblin Trail encounters. It allows a Dungeon Master to lean into how goblins are designed by making use of their Nimble Escape racial trait, which can be deployed each round during the combat to lead the adventurers down the Goblin Trail, away from the supply wagon, and toward the traps they’ve cunningly hidden along the trail.

If the goblins make use of cover, they’ll be able to draw the encounter out longer as they lead the party along. Ignore the design that states each trap is laid 10 and 20 minutes away from the ambush site. You’ll need them close by.

Off screen, with the adventurers in pursuit, goblin non-combatants ransack the unguarded wagon, carrying off everything – even the wagon wheels! So, regardless of whether the characters defeat the goblins or not, the cargo is gone upon their return, and the wagon is inoperable!

By doing this, you may increase the likelihood of the characters following the clues that lead them to the Cragmaw Hideout, rather than worrying about whether they should choose between their captive patron or guiding a wagonload of mining supplies worth 100 gp to Phandalin as instructed (where NPCs will browbeat them about going back to rescue Gundren anyway).

AND, it lets goblins be the cowardly and sneaky little buggers they’re designed to be!

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