“Um... no sir. Just simply passing through to Ararosa. This is the way, right? Just simply doing our jobs.” Malcom says to the Goliath with a confused look. 

(Lmk if a check needs to be made for that)

Gale looks to Malcom with a small smile and shakes her head. They’ve stalled long enough, and she doubts the bandits will let them go anyways. Turning to the bald man, she addresses him, face straight. “There’s two ways we can do this. The easy way, where you stop harassing these poor travelers and quietly come with us. Or, the hard way.“ She pointedly taps the warhammer at her hip.

((Making a straight d20 roll in case you wanted any sort of check for this. You can add whatever modifier is relevant. 16

OOC: Do y'all have the bounty badges back on? Forgive me, I do not recall.

OOC: Intimidation? Persuasion? What would Gale be doing to get her point across?

"What's the hard way? There's five of us and well I'll leave the math to you three," the bald man replies with a smirk. He then shouts something in a language you do not understand to the goliath who continues to hold the horse and chuckles before replying in the same language gruffly. "Well, I guess it's the hard way then," the bald man adds removing a rapier from somewhere as the magic users of the party realizes the bald man is an illusion!

The illusion fades and a red tiefling stands there in fine clothes as black pupilless eyes twinkle at the party and a gold canine grin you all recognize from your first meeting of the bald man!

Everyone roll initiative!

5 Bad guys and 2 men on the other cart 17

(Sef Initiative:5)

Malcom Initiative: 8

(Can we get an idea of what they layout is? Like how close are we right now to the bandits, is there cover to hide behind, what is the terrain like, etc.)

Gale initiative (with advantage due to vigilant blessing): 17 21

Initiative order:

Sef

Gale

Bad guys/NPCs

Malcom

OOC: Bad guys are red and black, the other merchants are blue. EX how to post movements: Tiefling is red @F14 would get 30ft of movement (each block is 5ft in any direction but diagonally e.i. no movement corner to corner)

Sef is up!

Gale prepare!

Sef draws his rapier as he moves closer to the Tiefling. (Move 15 ft. to F15)  He studies the Tiefling trying to find an opening. (Bonus Action - Insightful Fighting - Insight Check: 15; Opposed by Tiefling's Deception)  He then attacks. (Action - Rapier Attack vs Tiefling(F14): 16, damage: 4)

(If Insightful Fighting successful and attack hits, add Sneak Attack damage: 6.) 

(OOC: I am not clear where Gale is located - between G15 or H15.  If she is in G15 then she is within 5 ft. of the Tiefling and I don't need Insightful Fighting to get Sneak Attack damage.)  

"That's what I thought," Gale mutters mostly to herself. With a tap of the symbol on her chest and a flick of her wrist, a spectral image of her warhammer appears behind the goliath and swings towards his head. ((Spiritual weapon appearing in H11. Attack: 20 Damage: 6))

She then steps forward towards the tiefling, unhooking the real hammer from her belt and making a swing with it as well. ((Move to G14. Attack: 15 Damage: 8))

((Also, as a general note, all of the attacks Gale makes during this combat, unless otherwise stated, are aiming to knock out, not kill.))

OOC: He would be 5ft from Gale. Everyone if moving use the alpha and numeric grid points with your speed. Again each block is 5ft.

Sef's attacks miss.

Gale's first attack hits the goliath and he stubbles back away from the horse releasing it. He then draws his stone maul out and readies an attack himself. Like Sef her attack on the tiefling misses as he ducks out of her way too with laughter and a grin he calls out to you both.

"You've got to do better than that," the tiefling goads Gale.

The driver's of the wagon see the opportunity and the confident one simply snaps the reigns so the horses attached to their wagon begin to move. The wagon then roars passed leaving the party and the bandits in their wake moving 30ft just passed the party due to the rough area off-road at half speed. They look to be trying to flee.

The three bandits behind the cart just double dash catching up with them trying to pull more objects off before the merchant's can flee. Only the large goliath and tiefling seem to be engaging with the party at present.

Turning forward towards Sef the tiefling strikes with his rapier 8 damage 10 then disengages moving back 15ft @C15

The goliath moves towards the wagon @I14 attempting to pull Malcom out of his seat. Athletics: 13

OOC: We'll say it's a grapple contest. Malcom roll an athletics check to beat the goliath. Gale gets an AoO as the goliath moves away from the spiritual weapon.

Athletics: 6

Opportunity Attack: 20 Damage: 5

(OOC: Was Sef's Insightful Fighting check successful? If so, the effect lasts 1 minute - even though I get no benefit this round because the attack missed.)

Quote from ctleath13 >>

Athletics: 6

Malcom is hauled off the wagon and grappled by the goliath. He is now restrained.

"You lot need to learn manners," the tiefling calls still smirking. "We think we'll start the lesson with your friend there," he adds motioning to Malcom restrained by the goliath.

Quote from Culuril >>

(OOC: Was Sef's Insightful Fighting check successful? If so, the effect lasts 1 minute - even though I get no benefit this round because the attack missed.)

Deception check 9; fail Sef will get sneak attack even without advantage attacks the tiefling.

Malcom is restrained but is up.

Round 2 

Sef prepare.

While he is struggling to escape, Malcom will move to whisper under his breath to the Goliath.

”Why don’t you put me down, and go incapacitate your friend over there,” Malcom hisses as as he points to the tiefling. His ring and eyes both begin to glow with an ethereal hazy white— Malcom is casting suggestion on the Goliath. (DC 13 Wisdom Save or have to follow his suggestion)

Goliath Wiz save 2; the goliath drops Malcom onto his feet.

Sef is up.

Gale prepare.

Sef keeps watch on the Tiefling as he advances to @E15 (5 ft) and attacks him with his rapier. (Attack: 10, damage: 5,  sneak attack damage from Insightful Fighting: 11)

He then disengages (Bonus Action) and moves back to @G15 (10 ft).

Sef's attack misses again.

Gale is up.

NPCs/Baddies prepare.

Gale glances over with concern as Malcom is scooped up, but then recognizes what is happening as his eyes go white and the goliath goes slack. She looks back to the tiefling, smirk on her face. "Wrong choice." With another flick of her wrist, the spiritual weapon floats 20 ft to F13, and in unison both spectral hammer and real swing towards the tiefling.

Spiritual weapon Attack: 18 Damage: 10

Warhammer Attack: 15 Damage: 10