[RPG] How loud is combat? (How far away can you expect it to be heard?)

combatdnd-5ehearinglost-mine-of-phandelver

The title is a generalisation, but nonetheless…

Our group (consisting of three third-level PCs and me DMing) is using the Lost Mine of Phandelver adventure module.

We are in the Cragmaw Castle area, and are about to start combat against a bugbear, a wolf, and a doppelganger who the party thinks is a female drow, inside the castle (we finished our session here because I thought it was a good tension point). The PCs closed the door behind them, and the nearest enemies (hobgoblins) are through that door, a twenty-foot hallway, a curtain, and another ten feet (So, thirty feet, a fully closed door, and a curtain. The module states that they are actively looking out for people attempting to sneak up on the castle but says nothing about whether they are listening out for things inside the castle.

The adventure states also that a slightly further, with one curtain more, area is also where the goblins eat (and are eating at the time of combat). They make, as stated in the module, a clatter of crockery, which is probably not enough to overpower the sounds of combat… But combat might sound similar to goblins having a meal… They are goblins, after all.

So, my question is… if the party started combat, would you rule that pretty much every goblin in Castle Cragmaw come via the hobgoblins hearing and yelling out (the adventure states that they are smart, and loyal to King Grol, who is the bugbear in question). Or would you rule that unless one of the enemies manages to leave the room, or open the door somehow, and subsequently yells, the characters would remain undetected during the combat?

Or to phase it without spoilers: Assuming a setup that contains a door, then 20 feet of hallway, then a curtain and another 10 feet into a room with ample ambient noise, could combat be heard there?

Best Answer

Use the guidance in the module

There are specific cases where noise in one area will draw the monsters from another area:

Any loud noises here attract the attention of the goblins in area 7.

(LMOP, p. 37)

However, the castle is not defended with particular discipline:

Because their goblin neighbors are always getting into fights, they don't pay attention to noise in areas 2 or 3

(p. 35)

So we know that noise in one part of the castle is often ignored in other parts.

There isn’t guidance specifically about whether noise in the king’s chamber will be audible elsewhere, or how the other monsters will react, however, we are told:

King Grol is a fierce old bugbear... He rules the Cragmaws through pure intimidation.

Because of this, I would suggest if there is noise in the king’s chamber, many of the goblins won’t be eager to get involved, out of fear, or antipathy towards the king. (The monsters in Area 6 even hope to dispose of the king, and might be quite willing to let some “accident” befall him.)

Moreover, since the king’s power over this subjects is based on fear, he may be reluctant to call on them for help in battle. His loyal guards in area 12 may be an exception.

But what can they hear through the king’s closed door? We do know:

Any character who listens at the door hears two voices in a heated discussion-a loud, growling voice…

This loud, angry voice is apparent if the party listens at the door, but not if they are merely in the adjacent room. So the door blocks a fair deal of noise. As the king has his temper up, it might be reasonable for even the alert guards in area 12 to assume muffled noises of combat were just part of the king’s negotiating tactics.

Thunderously-Loud Noises

Several spells that do thunder damage (e.g., Thunderwave and Thunderous Smite) are explicitly audible at considerable distances (defined in the spell description) and may also alert the entire castle. What any particular denizens will make of such noises is up to the DM, but braver creatures would be more more likely to investigate.

Dungeon Crawls

I would posit that the castle is meant to play a lot like a classic dungeon crawl, where the party has a good chance to deal with the monsters, one room (or encounter area) at a time.

If the party does anything particularly foolish, like blowing battle horns to alert the goblins of their intent to invade, then certainly the goblins will react to that reasonably. If and when the goblins are able to organize into a unified defense, it’s unlikely the party will be able to defeat them all by force.

If, on the other hand, the party is able to keep the goblins from specifically alerting others about an external invasion, it’s appropriate to let the party deal with the goblins one encounter area at a time.

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