The Goblin Grove

The Goblin Grove is a side quest or one shot adventure meant for characters from level 1 - 3. Originally designed for the Liverpool oneshot session it can easily be modified to suit different groups.

Premise

The township of Flaxxet has been terrorized by a group of goblins, lead by a particular vicious duo of Hobgoblins. The local hunter has narrowed down the location of the goblin's camp to the Fae-Touched Thicket - a particularly dense bit of forest in the woods bordering the town. The citizens of the town have asked for your help in defeating the goblin menace - willing to pay handsomely in addition to the promise of loot in the goblin's hideout!

The core of the quest is to:

1. Find the hideout in the Thicket
2. Enter the Den and fight goblins
3. Solve the puzzle on the door to the boss room
4. Defeat the hob-goblin twins that lead the pack of goblins

Additional encounters

• An encounter with injured Fae in the Thicket. They will initially try to charm or incapacitate the players, demanding them to leave - but can be talked down.

Core Encounters

The core encounters of this quest.

Find the hideout

Find the hideout in the Thicket

Enter the Den

Enter the Den and fight goblins

Solve the Door-Puzzle

Solve the puzzle on the door to the boss room

"What is it that given one, you'll have either two or none?" (a choice)

Boss fight

Defeat the hob-goblin twins that lead the pack of goblins The twins that lead the pack of goblins are held up in a large room at the base of a big tree. The room itself is about 40ft in diameter, and relatively bare, with a large, metallic cage at the far end surrounded by goblins. Within this cage is an Emerald dragon wyrmling, looking rather worse for wear with lacerations all over its body.

The leaders of this goblin warband are a pair of hobgoblin twins:

• Gakkal: She carries a large, round shield and a small club.
• Rhaked: He carries a large, two handed hammer, and Javelins on a rope.

The two will always stay close to each other, and both move and attack on the same initiative.

Gakkal

Gakkal is a Barbarian of the Ancestral Guardian, counting as 6th level.

• HP: 80
• AC: 18
• Speed: 40ft

Saves STR +6 DEX +4 (2+2) CON +6 INT / WIS / CHA +1

Actions:

• Multi Attack, 2 attacks.
  • Attack: Shield bash, +7 to hit, 1d4+3 damage. DC 15 STR save or be knocked back 5ft.

Bonus Action:

• Rage
• Shove, Athletics +7 vs Athletics / Acrobatics.

Reaction:

• As a reaction, Gakkal can use her shield to shield Rhaked from any attack. The roll will contest her AC instead of Rhaked's and a successful attack will damage her instead.

Ancestral Protectors

• Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, spectral warriors appear when you enter your rage. While you’re raging, the first creature you hit with an attack on your turn becomes the target of the warriors, which hinder its attacks. Until the start of your next turn, that target has disadvantage on any attack roll that isn’t against you, and when the target hits a creature other than you with an attack, that creature has resistance to the damage dealt by the attack. The effect on the target ends early if your rage ends.

Spirit Shield

• Beginning at 6th level, the guardian spirits that aid you can provide supernatural protection to those you defend. If you are raging and another creature you can see within 30 feet of you takes damage, you can use your reaction to reduce that damage by 2d6

Danger Sense You have advantage on Dexterity saving throws against effects that you can see, such as traps and spells. To gain this benefit, you can’t be blinded, deafened, or incapacitated.

Shield Master

• If you take the Attack action on your turn, you can use a bonus action to try to shove a creature within 5 feet of you with your shield.
• If you aren't incapacitated, you can add your shield's AC bonus to any Dexterity saving throw you make against a spell or other harmful effect that targets only you.
• If you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you can use your reaction to take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, interposing your shield between yourself and the source of the effect.

Rhaked

• HP: 100
• AC: 14
• Speed: 30ft

Saves STR +6 DEX +4 CON +6 INT / WIS / CHA +1

Action:

• Multi attack, 2 attacks.
  • Attack: Hammer strike, +7 to hit, 2d6+3 damage.
  • Attack: Javelin throw, +7 to hit, 1d6+3 damage. On hit, a character is tethered by the rope attached to the javelin. The rope can be cut.
• Hammer Shock: Slam down the hammer to attack in a line 30ft long and 5ft wide. Every creature in the line makes a DC 13 dex save, or take 1d6 bludgeoning damage, except creatures with 5ft, who take 2d6 bludgeoning damage on a failed save.

Bonus Action:

• Pull Javelin: Pull a tethered character. DC 15str contest.

Reaction:

• Sentinel Attack of Opportunity.

Lair Actions

Happens on Initiative 20

1. (If Rhaked and Gakkal are at most 5ft apart and both alive) Rhaked will use his hammer to bang on Gakkal's shield. Everyone (except Gakkal and Rhaked) within a 30ft radius makes a DC 14 constitution saving throw or be stunned for 1 round.
2. Call to Action: 3 goblins join the fight at the edge of the arena to assist the duo and roll initiative.
3. Rattle the Cage: By rattling the cage and scaring the emerald dragon, one player is afflicted by the "Enemies Abound" spell (http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:enemies-abound), DC 15 int save.