The Goblin Ambush: A Sticky Situation

October 13, 2025

Imagine your players are travelling through the woods on an older trail, heading to their destination. The air is heavy with the smell of the summer forest, and the sounds of birds and bugs fill the air. As the trail works its way through a rocky valley between two hills, a 15-foot, mossy ledge on one side and a small creek on the other, the forest sounds are interrupted by an unnatural hiss, then a loud crack. Suddenly, they find themselves in a very sticky situation.

This free Ready-to-Play D&D Encounter (5e) is designed to be a tactical challenge that will force your players to think on their feet. Today, we're not only giving you a ready-to-run goblin ambush, but we're also providing a couple of new magic items to reward your players if they survive. These aren't your average +1 weapons, or something out of the core books. The idea is to be flavorful, practical, and a little bit silly. Perfect for adding some memorable loot to your next session.

Sign up for our newsletter and learn when we add more content like this, plus more! At the bottom of the blog, you'll find a PDF download of the new magic items, along with a digital map you can use.

The Encounter: Goblin Glue & Gruelling Tactics

The Details:

This free encounter is designed for a party of 4-6 players at levels 2-3, but it's easily scalable by adding and removing Goblin Warriors. Level 2 characters will find the encounter difficulty high, and level 3 characters should find the difficulty moderate. Adding tactics, specialty magic items, and the advantage of surprise means this could be harder than expected, so we added what to do if you TPK your party at the end.

The Setup:

Your players are travelling, perhaps through a narrow pass, a wooded trail, or a ruined section of an old road and they’re about to walk into a well-laid goblin trap. Actually, above average for goblins, Nar’Pek Soddenfol has trained and prepared his team well for this ambush. He knows that they can be more dangerous when they work together.

The Enemies:

The Goblin Warband:

4x Goblin Warrior - Archers: Nimble, with a keen eye for lightly armoured targets, they focus fire on wizards and clerics to limit healing and ranged magic.
4x Goblin Warrior - Melee: Vicious in close combat, working in coordinated teams
Nar’Pek Soddenfol Goblin Hexer: The mastermind of the ambush, user of crude Goblin magic and maker of magic items.

The Encounter:

Image without the grid

The Ambush Begins!

As your players enter the kill zone, the goblins strike! You don’t need to roll to see if they perceived the ambush if you don’t want to, it’s a very different encounter if they know what’s about to happen.

Round 1 - The Sticky Surprise:

The ambush begins with the terrifying hiss and crack of 4 Goblin Glue Grenades! These crude contraptions are lobbed from concealed positions of the goblin archers. When they hit the ground, they begin to spin and flip, spraying sticky, gluey foam in a 10-foot circle. The 4 grenades are thrown to maximize coverage of the area and slow the party's movements. Each creature in the area must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw.

Failure: The creature is immobile and restrained by the thick glue.

Success: The creature manages to dodge the worst of the spray but will be in difficult terrain while in the glue radius.

Escaping the Glue: A creature restrained by the glue can attempt to escape by using its action to make a DC 14 Strength check. On a success, they break free. They are still in the difficult terrain until they can move out of the area.

Side Effect: Any creature that is knocked prone in the glue-covered area will need to make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw; failure means they are stuck in the glue, immobilized, and will have to try to escape.

The Goblin Hexer: Anyone who managed to escape the initial glue blast becomes the target of the Goblin Hexer spells. The Hexer will attempt to cast Blindness (DC 13) on these fortunate few, to layer on the disadvantages. Followed by a ranged blast from their hex stick on the foe, who will become the first target of the archers..

Melee attackers: The Melee Goblins will split into two teams:

Team 1 (Harassers): These goblins will engage players who are not stuck in the glue. Their tactic is to attack and then withdraw, attempting to draw active players away from their trapped companions. They are wearing the Goblin Glue Maker’s Boots, so they will try to use the difficult terrain created by the glue to their advantage.

Team 2 (Pummelers): These goblins will ruthlessly attack any players who are stuck and immobile in the glue, taking advantage of their state. They are not hindered by the glue and can move freely because they are wearing The Goblin Glue Maker’s Boots.

Round 2+ The Continued Assault

Archer's Volley: The Goblin Archers will now focus their bow fire on the most lightly armoured members of the party – typically spellcasters, rogues, or clerics (healers), attempting to take down a high-priority target quickly and get the odds in their favour. This should be the party member that the Hexer has already attacked with their Hex Stick.

The Goblin Hexer: The will now use Faerie Fire (DC 13) in an attempt to give the attackers advantage on their attacks. Followed by a ranged attack from their Hex Stick. After that, they will continue with 2 ranged attacks until the party has been defeated.

Goblin Melee: They will continue their attacks following the same strategy.

Tactics & Tips for the DM:

Focused Fire is Key: The goblins have been given strict instructions to focus on 1 person at a time and have been running drills and practising these attacks. They will appear to the characters to be more coordinated and well-trained than regular goblins.

Environment Matters: Use the terrain to your advantage. The idea behind the glue is to stick and slow, while the Goblins don’t get stuck or slowed at all. This will force the players to think on their feet.

The Goblins will turn and run if they lose half or more of their group.

Oh, oops! I just had a TPK

If this encounter works too well, and everyone is reduced to 0, don’t fret, we have a way out. In this case, they can wake up in cages in the goblin camp. Just 1 hip point and all of their equipment distributed throughout the camp. Now, with no rest and very vulnerable, they need to escape. They can plan their revenge for another time, but give them an opportunity to slip away, tails tucked between their legs.

It could be nighttime and only a few guards are awake, or the goblins can be partying, celebrating the loot they just got, and the big meal they are about to enjoy. It’s a tough loss, but something that they will be talking about for a long time. Let them come back in a level or three to drop a fireball on the camp. ;)

New Magic Items: Rewards for the victors!

After the party (hopefully!) emerges victorious from this sticky situation, they'll find some unique goblin-made magic items that make for interesting, different loot. These items are perfect for low-to-mid-level parties and offer interesting tactical options.

Goblin Glue Maker’s Boots - Wondrous item, uncommon

These crude leather boots are reinforced with bits of scavenged metal and bear the tell-tale stains of goblin ingenuity. While wearing these boots, your movement is unimpeded by difficult terrain created by sticky substances (such as tar, thick mud, or the aforementioned goblin glue). Additionally, you have advantage on saving throws against being grappled or restrained by such substances.

Description: These boots look like they've seen better days, and smell faintly of stagnant pond water and something vaguely industrial. But they wade through the sticky stuff like it's not even there.

Goblin Glue Grenade - Wondrous item, uncommon

This lumpy, clay orb is crudely bound with twine and covered in strange, dried resins, with a stick protruding from one side. As an action, you can activate and throw this grenade up to 60 feet. Activation requires pushing the wooden stick into the orb, and a hissing sound indicates that it's working. Upon impact, jets of frothing, sticky foam spray from holes that were previously covered by the resin. The foam that fills a 10-foot sphere (10-foot square on a map). Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or become restrained by the glue. A creature can use its action to make a DC 14 Strength check, freeing itself on a success. The glue lasts for 1 minute or until it is dissolved by universal solvent, strong alcohol, or magical fire.