Lorros, give me a nature and investigation check.

Everyone agrees to head south and you all begin to head in that direction, making your way through the swamp again.

I'll need DEX checks from folks again trying to keep out of the water as you travel through the swamp.

Nature: 21

Investigation: 12

Dex: 20

Dex: 15

Forlatt: You can tell the wounds are made from blades, not from animals for sure. With your nature check you're starting to wonder why no predators have eaten the snake. Looking closer at the wounds on Tim you see discoloration that looks indicative of poison. Something clicks about the whole scene and you realize that the snake must have been poisoned also and some innate sense of larger predators have kept them from eating the poisoned snake.

You and Tormir are keeping dry.

"Looks like our enemy wasn't just a snake. Keep an eye out in case they are still around, and unless any of you use poison we need to watch out for that as well."

Dex: 10

Dex: 16

Ok, you all make your way through the swamp keeping to the higher ground for an about an hour. The you can see the land starts to rise and what could be a trail. Unfortunately it's on the other side of a larger section of swamp. More the size of a large pond. You can make your way around to the right but staying completely out of the water doesn't look like an option at this point unless you want to back track and go further around.

I should mention also that you guys are all getting pretty bitten up by now by little insects and are itchy, damp and hot.

Tormir takes the lead making his way around the swamp towards the higher ground. "I can't tiptoe around this infested swamp any more!"

Lorros follows on watching the water for movement. Perception 9

From up ahead of Tormir everyone sees something shift, it's natural camouflage failing as it turns towards you all. It's just on the edge of the water 25' ahead. It's a giant frog. It's about 6' from nose to rear. (It rolled a 5 on it's stealth so everyone's passive perception beat it and noticed)

I'm going to roll initiatives for everyone because it saves time. I'll also always have the current initiative order on the campaign page in DM Notes:

Freyalise: 1

Jim: 14

Lorros: 10

Tormir: 11

NPC: 19

So order is NPC, Jim, Tormir, Lorros, Freyalise

The frog seeing the little dwarf morsel in front and it hops up to Tormir and takes a bite at him

Attack: 18 Damage: 6 On hit you are grappled DC11 STR Save to break free.

So I take 6 damage, and it's an action on my turn to break free?  I don't need to roll anything until my turn?  And if I'm grappled, I can still attack, right?  I just can't move?

It takes an action to break free but yes you can attack. You can't do both unless you can use a bonus action or a skill to attack also. Yes you don't need to choose or roll until your turn.

Somewhat unthinkingly, Jim runs to Tormir’s aid. Coming up to the left side of the beast, as soon as he is close enough, Jim casts Shocking Grasp on it.

Melee Spell Attack: 8

Lightning Damage: 2

Tormir flies into a Rage as he becomes grappled, and he swings his Greataxe in a wide arc, bringing it down as hard as he can onto the back of the frog.

Attack: 18 Damage: 15

I hate shocking grasp. It's not anything about you Jim or you're choice of spells I've just always had a problem it, I just don't like that it's a touch spell with a "to hit". I've always had a problem with it. I get that you're trying to touch a creature that's moving but the spell specifically states "lightning springs from your hands" That has always implied a limited range to me. Kind of like the emperor in star wars. Once he's close enough he gives you the shocking grasp. I have at various times come up with house rules that make more sense to me, but for now because your roll was really low I'm going to say...

Jim: You make your way to the frog and cast your spell expecting lightning to spring from your hands but for some reason the charge you've built up dissipates into the water and mud around you.

Tormir gets very pissed off at the frog treating him like some kind of bug and bursts into a rage lashing out with his axe. Unfortunately the frog twitches and turns a bit (maybe from a small jolt of electricity through the water) and his axe flies wide hissing through the air.

That brings us to Lorros.

Lorros drops the corpse of Tim, pulls out his short swords moves along side the frog and slashes at him Attack: 7 Damage: 7

Lorros makes his way up to the frog and lands a solid hit with his short sword opening up a gash across the frogs side. Nice hit!

That brings us to Freyalise.

Freyalise bravely moves behind her companions a short distance back and casts Chill Touch, hoping to create a ghostly, skeletal hand to crush this stout-bodied amphibian!

Freaylise (cackling) "die you stupid frogspawn!"

Attack:18

Damage:5