(Apparently my post didn't send while I was at work yesterday but he's and Cup are following after Del, to support him)

Cup Initiative: 13
Q Initiative: 10

For a moment, the gnolls glare suspiciously at each other, wondering which of them has offed the fallen pack lord, then suddenly, incredulously realize that an entire enemy force has penetrated their conference, whipping out their weapons.  The complete surprise gives the party the initiative, except fo Althaea, who slipped on a discarded hunk of rotten meat, and must wait to go next round.

Saving throws and other: 8  1

1  7  9  15  16  0  0

Thorny plants erupt from the dirt floor, entangling the feet of the gnoll lords!

Ooh, also probably oughta check, doe FB cause any Wild Surge? 12

 nope

Two gnolls stare at the surprising image of a giant pixie, who whacks them with a hammer.

They and the rest are surrounded by thorns that will damage them as soon as they move.

The rest of the party is up! (Skuk, you should roll your 1d8 for inspiration and the 2d4 for spike growth.)

((thought you didn't know the BI bonus until you use it. And thought you rolled spike damage when they move))

But initial spike roll anyway 4 every 5 feet. There is gonna be a lot of feet of pushing around

(Oh, okay. Never played a bard yet myself, oops.)

Cup, hiding behind the big guys, aims her first fire bolt at a gnoll eyes showing a lot of excitement as she says, "Burn!"

Firebolt: Attack: 24 Damage: 5

Meanwhile Quentin says, "Firebolt is very good when you don't have a lot of options, but this is what you'll one day be able to do little one." Pointing at the group of gnolls furthest away Q manipulates gravity trying to pull them all 20 feet closer and through the spiked earth. 

Casting Pulse Wave pull 20 feet closer DC 16 Con ST for: 17 Force Damage plus 20 feet worth of spike growth damage so 8d4

((I'm assuming I have to wait for Althaea to do anything still correct? Also sorry, I've been a bit busy with school starting back up. I promise to post more regularly))

M and Ethen should be able to take action, just A has to wait until after the gnolls

Ethen sends two arrows at one of the gnolls...

Attack: 16 Damage: 11

Attack: 25 Damage: 15

Mindartis cracks his neck and rushes forward towards the gnolls as fury consumes him. He starts swinging at gnolls.

Bonus Action: Rage
Wild Surge: 2
Magic infuses one weapon of your choice that you are holding. Until your rage ends, the weapon’s damage type changes to force, and it gains the light and thrown properties, with a normal range of 20 feet and a long range of 60 feet. If the weapon leaves your hand, the weapon reappears in your hand at the end of the current turn.

Movement:  40 feet to the nearest gnoll

Action: Attack the gnoll
Attack: 16 Damage: 14
Attack: 25 Damage: 13

I wasn't going to bother with a map for what seemed like a simple fight, but I guess things aren't very simple with those spells. :D

1. If the Spike Growth is positioned so that the melee fighter can reach targets, Quentin will not be able to pull them through 20 feet of thorns. 20 feet would put them in your lap. :D So, maybe Del would like to fine-tune Ziia's positioning?  Or Quentin may want to push rather than pull, if he has that option. Not sure what complications the table might provide.

2. If you would like, you can assign specific targets for your attacks, otherwise, I can just randomly choose. (Mindartis is going for G2, the nearest, I assume.)

3. Raven's previous attack was a surprise round, what is her action for round one?

Sorry to be slow, still have lots of stuff going on in RL at the moment.

((Per previous arrangement, Ethen is supposed to stay with and protect Quentin and Cup; and those 3 were supposed to be different place that D,A,&F. And Pulse Wave is a 30ft cone - you can't hit the back without hitting the front - including M as drawn. So if the rhythm section (QCE) went right when we in the melody section went left, they'd be below the spikes and Q's cone could get all but G2. And, PW is just 15 feet all either push or pull - the other 5 are from Gravity Well, which could be in any direction. Not sure you could get all of them to move 20 feet but with they could be like this

https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/d-d-beyond-general/play-by-post/[img]https:/i.imgur.com/jn0xvaN.jpg[/img]" alt="">

3 can't move because table, 8 is teed up for Raven, all others on the back wall

By description, I think it is 2 & 3 that are imagining mallet-wielding pixies. And A will presumable come when it's her turn, FB in orbit, by Del))

Raven strikes at the nearest one she can reach... She uses Steady aim...
Attack: 27 Damage: 9
Sneak attack Damage: 17

Quote from skuk >>

((Per previous arrangement, Ethen is supposed to stay with and protect Quentin and Cup; and those 3 were supposed to be different place that D,A,&F. And Pulse Wave is a 30ft cone - you can't hit the back without hitting the front - including M as drawn. So if the rhythm section (QCE) went right when we in the melody section went left, they'd be below the spikes and Q's cone could get all but G2. And, PW is just 15 feet all either push or pull - the other 5 are from Gravity Well, which could be in any direction. Not sure you could get all of them to move 20 feet but with they could be like this

 Okay, want to give me some map coordinates of where characters should be? From top to bottom, ABCDE, from left to right 1 to 11.

Q e1, C e2, E e3. All other characters as you drew. Gnolls except 2 need to make DC16 con saves

(I can't count, apparently, the left side coordinates actually go from A to G. Thanks for the little illustration, kept me from total confusion.  Not helped by the fact that I cleaned off the computer desk preparing to change to a new PC and shoved my game notes who-knows-where. Okay, let's give this a try, going to run it mostly by the initiative numbers.)

As the gnolls realize that a band of enemies has somehow entered their sanctum, Mindartis leaps forward and hacks Gnoll 2 savagely! 

Cup sends a blast of fire to scorch Gnoll 3!

Raven finishes off Gnoll 2 with deft precision!

Flitterbug's illusory giant pixie pops gnolls 3 and 4!

Del casts Spike Growth (slightly further away than the original map shows, to fit his description and the changed circumstances)

Quentin chuckles in a kindly professorial way as he speaks to his apprentice, before unleashing the awesome might of gravity!  Gnoll con saves: 17  17  3  12  20  4

Quentin's magic yanks the gnolls--and the table--uncomfortably close. (20 feet is not possible. You can reduce the spell slot back to the base level, I will not make you remove the extra force damage die.)

Ethan misses with his first arrow, but his second pierces Gnoll 3!

(Gnoll's turns coming up!)

With his lengthy glaive,  Gnoll 3 is able to launch an attack on Ethan without moving further:

Attack: 18 Damage: 9

Attack: 14 Damage: 13

Gnoll 4  and 5 attempt to shishkabob Quentin!

Attack: 23 Damage: 5

Attack: 12 Damage: 8

Attack: 9 Damage: Unable to parse dice roll.

Attack: 18 Damage: 5

Gnoll 5 and 6 have the sense not to make any moves, but target the dangerous magician Del with their longbows. (Little do they know they have no hope of breaking his concentration, because it is Ziia maintaining the thorns!

Attack: 6 Damage: 4

Attack: 23 Damage: 10

Attack: 10 Damage: 6

Attack: 22 Damage: 8

Gnoll 8 strikes at Raven with his glaive!

Attack: 16 Damage: 12

Attack: 19 Damage: 9

The party is up! (including Althaea!)

((Question: are there any random objects laying around?))

((yes, lots - besides the big table (2pp back description) "It's a large, crude rectangular building that seems to serve no purpose except for meetings. There is a stone hearth on the east end, and some shelves of supplies and dishes, and some rough chairs and small tables. The only other exit is near the fireplace as well.  The rest of the building is a big, empty box with the map table in it.  There are a few windows with heavy hides fastened down over them to prevent anyone looking in, and torches in wall sconces to provide light. A small barrel has a few large, rolled parchments standing in it."

the surviving 6 gnolls: #3 is barely alive, #4 a little better, and the others half dead I think, ))

If you could see Flitterbug, you would see wrinkles of concentration, trying to apply lessons of the "S-f-V-Is" book -  G3 and G4 are imagining being hit by mallet-wielding fairies

5 on 3 and 2 on 4

And one (3 if it is still up, otherwise 4, or the next if those are both dead gets grabbed by a fey-goth-spooky hand

Chill Touch 21], if it hits 6 necro + cannot gain hp

She moves away from the door and gnolls - staying in A's orbit if A moves away, otherwise the corner g11