[OOC: Just to summarise things at the end of the fight. 

1. Alaric got hit 4 times and is down 4 hit points for damage that got through the padding; he is limping from that blow to the thigh.
2. Vosel got hit 2 times, but I'm going to say the sneak attack damage counts as extra damage, so he is down 3 hit points and is favouring one side.
3. On thinking about it, your d20 roll should have included your bonus to hit, which makes it good enough to succeed the DC required; Alaric has earned 15 experience points (he is proficient at all the skills involved), which I have added to his character sheet.
4. To recover from this—for these characters—minor damage, we will say that over the course of the next hour they rest and recuperate, which will allow them to choose to use their hit dice to recover hit points using the Short Rest mechanism. As an example, Vosel elects to use 1 of his d8s (this you do on the D&D Beyond character sheet by clicking the 'Short Rest' button) and recovers 4 hit points bring him back up to full hit points, but down 1 hit dice until he has his next long rest at which point he will recover at least 1 hit dice (i.e., half total hit dice, rounding down, but with a minimum of 1).

You might elect for Brand to do the same, up to you. Even if you don't, he will recover 1 hit point because of his Constitution bonus (i.e., 0 dice + 1), but this does presume he is resting. Things would be a little different if it had been a true fight and Brand had been rendered Unconscious, then the damage would have been longer lasting.

Also, this was in many ways just a slug fest. I'm very happy for players to have their characters try tricky moves in combat to try to gain tactical advantages beyond the standard actions.

Does Brand use his hit dice?]

[Oic: Taking action short rest then using Second Wind would seem like a valid plan. Then take another short rest

Does meditation count as a short rest?]

[[Oic: tired of writing oic. Will now use double brackets.

Does using a hot dice have any negative effect in game terms?]

[[Reading about short rests  send there's no downside, so meditate and use a dice]]

[[Beyond DND needs a chat room with dice role that goes to a single Forum post when the DM chooses. One post per hit, with lag, is SLOW.

They would also benefit from a DM dice roller (you see result immediately) and the ability to put AC one the combat dice roller.

Also, that fight made me realise Brand need a means to gain advantage or induce disadvantage... Few seem to be listed in PHB]]

Quote from AlaricBrand >>

[Oic: Taking action short rest then using Second Wind would seem like a valid plan. Then take another short rest

[[Just to be clear. A short rest requires one hour of gentle activity and hit dice are only recovered after a long rest. Note I am also working on some homebrew rules about the recovery of hit points over a long rest or from being taken to zero hit points. I do not like them being recovered totally; injuries should linger.]]

Does meditation count as a short rest?]

[[Yes.]]

Quote from AlaricBrand >>

[[Beyond DND needs a chat room with dice role that goes to a single Forum post when the DM chooses. One post per hit, with lag, is SLOW.

[[I agree it is slow, but PBP is supposed to be asynchronous and it is the only real way I can play this at the moment; I do turns between doing other things.]]

They would also benefit from a DM dice roller (you see result immediately) and the ability to put AC one the combat dice roller.

[[There is nothing preventing the DM rolling dice behind their screen, as it were, and some things will be. Not sure what you mean by the AC comment.]]

Also, that fight made me realise Brand need a means to gain advantage or induce disadvantage... Few seem to be listed in PHB]]

[[See my previous comment about trying things in combat. The free move that is available makes this possible, but it will probably have the ref asking for some sort of skill roll to achieve the required effect; knocking furniture over, using acrobatics to perform an unexpected move, etc.]]

[[About to go out shopping and this afternoon/evening I am going to a tabletop session of D&D so responses will be limited today.]]

[[No problem; just playing around with online tools. Quick question: noticed humans get +1 to all stats...the stats of Brand are as-rolled...is that intended?]]

Quote from AlaricBrand >>

[[No problem; just playing around with online tools. Quick question: noticed humans get +1 to all stats...the stats of Brand are as-rolled...is that intended?]]

[[Yes, you can manually assign stats in the character development process, which is what I did seeing as we had Brand's character sheet. I have also developed Variant human racial types for the Engelian setting, which is what I use when making up classed NPCs (e.g., Sorians don't get +1 across all stats but do get a feat plus +2 points to put in either Int, Dex.]]

[[Tried the short rest mechanic: set HP to 18; clicked short rest; selected a checkboc for Ftr; confirmed short rest; HP did not change]]

[[Next steps]]

Brand will go back to the courtyard and meditate for an hour; while a little noisier than his room, he should have little trouble filtering out the household sounds. The sounds of the light breeze and the natural light were more relaxing for him earlier. If that fails, he will move to the practice room (if not used) or the Library; though his first instinct would be to persist in the courtyard.

[[After meditation it should be about 8am (2.5h past sunrise?)]]

Brand will then dress in his "about town" gear, and ask Mikkel to arrange a horse for him to ride into town. In passing, he will say to Mikkel: "You served in the army before coming here, didn't you? Do you still keeps contact with any of the men or women you served with?"

[[Do the Brands have a city residence? Is the road to town relatively safe?

Updated gear sets:

_________________
To and from town (assuming it's semi-wild)
-----------------------------
Horse
Scimitar (plain, on back)
Bow (on saddle)
Waterskin
Chain shirt (worn)
Saddlebags

Ride into town and leave horse at "trusted" stable (?SooS?); change into around town gear (ie. remove mail, and stow Scimitar and bow with stable owner or at city residence (assuming Lord Brand has one....).

_________________
Around town Gear
-----------------------------
Cloak (as needed): Dark blue/Green reversible
Leather armor with sturdy wrist bracers (see below)
Dagger in belt, bandolier, boots, and back of waist. One silvered.
Stones (bandolier)
Ball bearings(4 in easy access, bag in satchell)
Clothes (Travelling)
Thieves Tools, separate locations, belt, boots, hair pin, bandolier, wrist guard etc
Pouches (money, stones etc).
Dice Set
Bandolier and belt
Vials of stink of life (10) - 2 in bandolier; 2 in belt; 6 in pack
Pouches of coins 10e in one (in satchel); 2e, 10c, 10l, 10cub in (inside pocket on belt)


Satchel containing:
- sack,
- small knife,
- string,
- gloves (both)
- repair tools, including some cat gut or whatever is used for sewing wounds,
- some food, and water.
- spare daggers, if they fit.
]]

[[Yes, you can manually assign stats in the character development process, which is what I did seeing as we had Brand's character sheet. I have also developed Variant human racial types for the Engelian setting, which is what I use when making up classed NPCs (e.g., Sorians don't get +1 across all stats but do get a feat plus +2 points to put in either Int, Dex.]]

What's the feat? I must admit +2 on dex would be very welcome!

Quote from AlaricBrand >>

[[Next steps]]

Brand will go back to the courtyard and meditate for an hour; while a little noisier than his room, he should have little trouble filtering out the household sounds. The sounds of the light breeze and the natural light were more relaxing for him earlier. If that fails, he will move to the practice room (if not used) or the Library; though his first instinct would be to persist in the courtyard.

It is very pleasant in the courtyard, and as he meditates he can even hear the sounds of the distant waves on the beach a couple of hundred metres away.

[[After meditation it should be about 8am (2.5h past sunrise?)]]

Brand will then dress in his "about town" gear, and ask Mikkel to arrange a horse for him to ride into town. In passing, he will say to Mikkel: "You served in the army before coming here, didn't you? Do you still keeps contact with any of the men or women you served with?"

"The army," Mikkel says in reply looking a little surprised. "That was a long time ago and in a different country, Master Alaric. I haven't see any of them for years. Why do you ask?"

[[Responses will be intermittent today as we are having people over.]]

"Just curious, Mikkel. While I'm sure it's not the same, the time I spent in Ilbarsus seems like a very long time ago as well, and though it was brief, i feel a strong need to know what my friends are doing. " Alaric shrugs and looks out the window. "We went through a lot together".

Alaric turns back to Mikkel, forcing his mind back to the present. "But that can wait 'till another day, today I need to visit the School. It's been months since I've saw Matter Nathanel".

Quote from AlaricBrand >>

[[Do the Brands have a city residence? Is the road to town relatively safe?

[[Yes. It's is where Alaric's father has been most of the days since the death of the Warlord, which only occurred within the last tenday.]] 

"It's a nice enough morning for a ride, Master Alaric," says Mikkel looking up at the sky. "But I'd make sure you are back by lunch. My leg is telling me there's going to be rain later on today."

[[It is a twenty-or-so mile ride into Constantine, which normally takes 3–4 hours at a comfortable speed for a horse. I am also assuming at this point that Alaric asked Mikkel to prepare the horse on his way to collecting together his gear.]]

[[Family hordes have ascended on our household today, so there won't be a lot more today.]]

"In that case, I may spend the night in Constantine. Please inform the Weapons Master."

[[If Alaric's room is on ground floor he would have gone there and summoned Mikkel. If on an upper story (more likely?), he would find Mikkel and try to take him to a more private space, for example:]]

"Mikkel, a word if I may?"

When Mikkel rises from the kitchen chair, Aliric starts walking to the library.

"I have a mind to ride into Consideration today and will need a horse. The piebald perhaps, she's usually quite spirited and doesn't mind a gallop or two. Of course the choice is in the hands of Horsemaster  Wilf, but I do like the piebald...Actress, I think she was called. Father's horses really are much better than the ones we had in New Ninevah...I'd trust my life to their hybrid strength, endurance and cunning ahead of the best Sorendenese thoroughbred... They might not have the speed, but they are survivors"

[[Prattle as necessary]]

"Oh... And Mikkel, you were in the army...."

[[In case the conversation went elsewhere, Brand wanted to be in a more private space]]