[ Holding the bait had seemed like the better option when it would mean conserving spellslots which in turn also meant not casting any spells that could potentially out him as the warlock he actually is. Unfortunately for him, Tom figured wrong. Although the trek into the jungle had gone well enough, the appearance of the lizard monsters put an end to the smooth sailing of the journey.

For the most part, he keeps out of the way where he can keep the lure safe from the monsters, but when one suddenly appears in the undergrowth a little too close for comfort, he panics and sends a ray of purple triangles its way as he casts Eldritch Blast ....

And somehow misses entirely, only managing to provoke the creature into advancing more as he hurriedly moves backwards. In his haste to back away, he nearly trips over a root that's sticking out of the ground and the resulting stumble to keep his balance makes him lose his chance for a quick retreat out of the lizard's reach.

It's really bad news given that the monster looks like it's about to pounce. ]

Oh, no no, no. A-A little help here, please!