Balassar just nods “Sounds like fun.” He says smiling as he just holds out his weapon for the spell.

The drop is short enough that you would be able to remain above and lower the puppet down - if you wish to do that. Or you can follow it down the tunnel and manipulate it from just out of view. Darren, are you casting your spell?

Who's holding and operating the puppet? I think there would be a strength check involved if your strength is less than 10.

(Rhane is happy to operate the puppet, given his offer before and the planned Dexterity check to make it add to the deception.  His Strength is 10 and Dex is 18, and he was thinking to lower it down from above—with perhaps some help to give advantage on his dex check—let the ambushers pincushion it, then drop it and race down the ladder into combat while the ambushers are reloading.)

Sounds good - so, who's lowering it with you?

And give me a Performance check, and let me know what you're doing with the puppet as it descends. :)

(Rhane has the Dexterity, but not the performance chops—better let someone else lead that part.  He can be the assist if needed.  Stealth is the idea—look like someone trying to sneak down the ladder so it is believably slow.)

Alton, I think you're up. :)

(Darren does cast the spell. The description doesn’t really describe what it looks like. But I imagine it looks like an enchanted item in Minecraft.)

Alton will give Rhane a hand with the puppeteering and performance.

Rhane:

(Dexterity roll with advantage give a total of 24 with a natural 20!  Rhane dexterously supports Alton’s performance with impeccable timing and fluidity of movement.)

Alton and Rhane lower the impressive puppet gently down the ladder towards whatever lies in wait below. It reaches the close to the bottom and you get ready to begin the elaborate - or not so elaborate - charade that you have prepared. The light at the bottom of the ladder flickers...

BOOM!!!!

Alton and Rhane, please each make a DEX save; the DC is 15, and you can make it with advantage because you stayed at the top of the ladder and didn't descend to be closer to the puppet. On a failed save you take 32 points of fire damage, 16 points on a success.

You drop the rope and whatever remains of your puppet with it. You hear hesitant cheers from down below, which quickly fall silent. This was a devastating blast, and you suspect that although you didn't get to enact the finer points of your performance, you have caused your enemy to waste one of its biggest weapons.

(And I will give a GM inspiration to Rhane and Alton for coming up with and executing that plan, though you will need to spend it before you leave the brigands' lair.)

‘Glad I didn’t go first’ Darren thinks to himself as he prepares to descend into the darkness below. (If it’s too dark to see, Darren will use the light cantrip on something small that he could throw towards the brigands)

Rhane

Rhane dodges out of the way as the small light blossoms into an explosion.  He is hurt, but does manage to avoid the brunt of the blast (Dexterity Save 22).  

Scrambling to his feet, he prepares to head down after the melee warriors engage.

Dex save: 13

Alton, not expecting an explosion watches his and Rahne's creation go up in flames along with taking the full explosion to the face. 

Balassar watches as the explosion goes off and begins walking towards the edge looking back at his comrades “Still good to go?” He asks quietly, if they agree he will begin his way down.

OOC:

Balassar will descend if the party says they are good. If not to far down. If he wanted to jump down, how far does it look?

Rhane:

”Now is our chance,” says Rhane quietly but intensely, gripping his borrowed crossbow.  “Light them up so we can shoot them down!”

Alton looks pretty beat up, I think...

If you're going down, let me know the order. Balassar first?

Darren would follow Balassar down and suggest the Swin, Rhane, and Alton follow him. (In that order, but that’s his suggestion)

Alton nods in agreement to the order down the ladder.

There's a ladder. Is Balassar jumping down, sliding down, or climbing down? Could you give me a description of how it works from Balassar's point of view, then I can let you know what happens.

Balassar just walks to the ladder and begins to descend 20 feet, once he is 10 feet from the floor he will just drop down the rest of the way making sure his back is against the wall and his shield is in front of him. He just readies himself for an attack as he walks forward carefully making room for his allies to come in.