I'm having trouble finding a worked out example of combat for 5e, like
the great one in Moldvay or the detailed one in 13th Age. So I
decided to create one to make sure I understand how it plays out.
Please post corrections if this doesn't make sense.
4 PCs: Morgan (Human Fighter 1), Sister Rebecca (Hill Dwarf Cleric 1),
Silverleaf (High Elf Rogue 1), and Fredrik (Human Wizard 1) enter a
room through a secret door which was detected and opened by
Silverleaf. The room appears to be empty. While they are searching
it, a second secret door opens (which Silverleaf did not find) and the
first pair of 12 hobgoblins walks in.
Morgan is AC: 18 (breastplate, shield, Dex 14), hp 12 (Con 15) and
attacks with a longsword (At +5, dmg 1-8+3 slashing, Str 16).
Rebecca is AC: 18 (chain mail, shield), hp 12 (Con 16, hill dwarf) and
attacks with a warhammer (At +3, dmg 1-8+1 bludgeoning, Str 13). She
knows the cantrips (sacred flame, light, spare the dying) and the
spells bless, cure wounds, and shield of faith.
Silverleaf is AC: 16 (studded leather, Dex 16), hp 8 (Con 10), and
attacks with 2 shortswords (At +5, dmg 1-6+3/1-6, light finesse
weapon). Cantrip: ray of frost.
Fredrik is AC: 12 (Dex 15), hp 8 (Con 14), and attacks with a
quarterstaff (At +1, 1d8-1 bludgeoning) or darts (At +4, dmg 1-4+2,
piercing, finesse). He knows the cantrips (dancing lights, fire bolt,
mage hand) and 1st level spells shield, sleep.
Hobgoblins are AC 18 (chain mail and shield), Hp 11, At+3 longsword,
dmg 1d8+1 slashing, and have martial advantage of 2d6 additional
damage when they do damage and a non-incapacitated ally is next to
them.
The DM checks for surprise. The Hobgoblins have a passive Perception
of 10. However, since neither group was trying to be stealthy,
neither group was surprised.
As a high elf, Silverleaf happens to know Goblin as his extra
language, in addition to Elvish and Common. The other humans know Orc
and Giant respectively. He attempts to parley with the hobgoblins
while preparing his ray of frost cantrip. Fredrik is preparing his
sleep spell.
Silverleaf says 'Greetings, noble dwellers of deep caverns, can we
help you?' He is practiced in Deception at +3 (Cha 12). This is a
medium difficulty task, and he rolls a 7+3 =10, which is not a
success.
The hobgoblins draw their weapons, but do not attack. They do move
aside as two more hobgoblins enter the room. The largest of the
hobgoblins shouts, in his language, 'Go away! You're not allowed in
this room!'
'It's okay; Gary sent us,' Silverleaf answers.
'Huh?' the hobgoblin wittily responds.
The DM rolls for Deception again and get a 3+3=6, a clear failure.
The hobgoblins charge.
The DM rolls for Initiative. The hobgoblins roll a 7+1 = 8. Morgan
rolls a 10+2 = 12. Rebecca rolls a 9. Sivlerleaf rolls a 12+3 = 15.
Fredrik rolls a 9+2 = 11. All the members of the party will act
before the hobgoblins.
Silverleaf acts first, using his ray of frost cantrip to attack. He
has a spell attack of +5 (Int 16) and rolls a 14+5 = 19, a hit against
the AC 18 hobgoblin. It takes 5 damage, for 6 hp remaining.
Morgan has her light crossbow ready and moves to shield Fredrik, then
fires. She has a ranged attack of +4 (Dex 14) and rolls a 12+4 = 16,
a miss against AC 18.
Rebecca throws a hammer with a Melee attack of +3 (Str 13) and rolls a
16+3= 19 for a hit! She rolls 1d4+1 = 4 for damage, leaving 7
remaining on that hobgoblin.
Finally, Fredrik casts his sleep spell, centered on the doorway. He
rolls 5d8 = 30 hit points affected. There are 12 hobgoblins with hit
points of 6,7, and 10 with 11 hp. Three of the four hobgoblins in the
room fall asleep, with one remaining.
One charging hobgoblin remains, and it rushes up to Morgan and attacks
with AT+3 with a longsword. It rolls a 12+3 = 15 for miss against
Morgan's AC of 18. Two more hobgoblins enter the room.
We are now in the second round.
Silverleaf draws his short swords and attacks the hobgoblin, rolling 14+5 =
19 for his first attack and 12+5=17 for his second. He hits on the
first, doing 1d6+3 = 4 points of damage. The hobgoblin has 7 hp
remaining.
Morgan attacks as well, rolling 1d20+5 = 9, a miss.
Rebecca attacks with her warhammer, rolling 13+3 = 16, a miss.
Fredrik casts firebolt on one of the two charging hobgoblins. He
rolls 8+5= 13 for a miss.
The two other hobgoblins arrive and attack with the wounded
hobgoblin. Two attack Morgan and one attacks Silverleaf. The two
attacking Morgan roll 11+3 = 14, and 9+3 = 12 both misses, but the
third wounded one rolls 14+3 = 17 a hit against Sivlerleaf's AC 16.
He takes 10 point of damage, plus 2d6 = 8 more for martial advantage
for 18 total points of damage, which is greater than his 8 hit points,
killing him instantly. Two more hobgoblins enter the room.
We are now in the third round.
Morgan attacks Silverleaf's slayer with a 10, missing.
Rebecca attacks as well, with a 14, also a miss.
Fredrik, shielding behind them, casts firebolt again, for a roll of
12, missing.
Two of the hobgoblins attack Morgan and the the third attacks
Rebecca. Two more hobgoblins charge up and attack Rebecca. The two
hobgoblins miss Morgan with rolls of 4 and 13. The three hobgoblins
attack Rebecca with rolls of 5, 6, and 23. Rebecca takes 4 damage and
5 more from martial advantage for 9, leaving her with 3 hp remaing.
Two more hobgoblins enter the room.
We are now in the fourth round.
Morgan attacks again with an 8, a miss.
Rebecca attacks again with a 9, also a miss.
Fredrik decides on discretion, takes the disengage action, and runs
out the secret door.
The 5 hobgoblins plus two more that have charged up, attack. Four
attack Morgan and three attack Rebecca. They roll 11,5,11,and 18 for
a hit on Morgan and 6, 16, and 13 for three misses on Rebecca.
Morgan takes 7 damage from the longsword and 6 from Martial Advantage
for 13 total and slumps to the floor, incapacitated.
We are now in the fifth round.
Rebecca takes the disengage action and also slips out the secret
door. The hobgoblins don't immediately follow since they don't know
of this door's workings. They revive their sleeping fellows.
Morgan rolls a Death save to survive, getting a 16, a success!
The hobgoblins start looting the stiking elf's body (Silverleaf),
admiring the work on the short swords and puzzling over his lockpicks.
Morgan makes another series of Death saves over the next few turns as
the hobgoblins rest and bicker: 18,3,5,3 and dies on the
third failed save (under 10).
I take several things from this:
1) Surprise is much less common in 5e.
2) Monsters are tough: hobgoblins in particular are brutal with AC 18 and martial advantage.
3) Sleep isn't the tactical nuke of 1-3rd level anymore
4) Morale didn't come into it, but it appears to be a Wisdom save?