Please clarify what problem you are trying to solve (e.g. I want to optimise combat tactics or I want my players to win in this encountert etc.). I voted to close - from review.

I am reasonably certain that in our next session the PC's will lead the spawn right to the lycanthropes and once there provoke a confrontation. The lycanthropes are supposed to be long-term NPC helpers for the PC's, and yet as written they stand a pretty good chance of being easily wiped out by the spawn. They are intelligent and have been studying the spawn for quite some time. I would like to give them every advantage possible because I don't see otherwise how they will survive this encounter (Problem 1)

(Problem 2) I am new to 5E and find the combat mechanics complicated. I thought that this was an interesting case to test whether I understood damage immunity, grapple, shove, help, and readied actions. I am seeking review of whether I am correctly interpreting these options.

Re:problem 2: If you're having trouble understanding combat mechanics then you need to ask specifically about that (in another post). Questions here work best when they focus on one problem at a time. Otherwise things get too confused and it's difficult to focus on providing the best answer to the problem.

I'd also like to point out that we have spoilerblocks (>!) so it might be easier for everyone if you use those and get more specific so you don't have to dance around spoilers as much.

@Someone_Evil. Thank you for the suggestion. I had considered that but decided that 30 instances of a blank box that you hover over to read "wereraven" was even more distracting than just saying lycanthrope. I suppose the initial set-up paragraph could have benefited from a spoiler block though.

@Purple Monkey. Thank you for the link to the XY-Problem. That was much more helpful than saying "Wow, that's a lot of over-analyzing and over-thinking...Does it even really matter in the end?" If the XY Problem is "asking about your attempted solution rather than your actual problem" then I certainly agree that's what I was doing. I was not aware that questions of the form "please check my solution" were discouraged. If I understand now, the proper format is to state my problem (How can the lycans survive this encounter?), answer it myself (with these tactics), then wait for other answers?

@Kirt "check my solution" isn't discouraged but often times yeah, people ask about their solution to the problem rather than asking about the problem itself so we encourage them to ask about the problem instead. "How can the lycans survive this encounter given the vampire spawn’s “superiority”" with a self-answer of "with these tactics", then waiting for other answers, would be fine if you believe "these tactics" would solve the problem and depending on what “meat” you want to keep in the question’s body text. The important thing, though, is to state/explain the problem directly.

This comment thread/discussion is getting a bit long now so I would encourage you to join chat or ask on Role-playing Games Meta about how to workshop the question and I’ll flag the mods for comment clean up then leave it up to the community. Good luck and I hope the question gets reopened (after some work) and answered.

(Just to be clear about the move: There was a good amount of stuff that was worth keeping, but was getting a bit long and back-and-forth so I figured I might as well make you a dedicated space)

@Kirt That's a viable solution if you think you have the solution, would like a check, and think others will have use of your solution

@Kirt I think one key thing you're forgetting is the spawns Forbiddance weakness. They can't enter a residence unless invited, meaning that if the wereravens are located in a place where someone lives, they can't pursue past the threshold. As far as I know, 5e leaves it open on how this is enforced (burst into flames until they leave, invisible wall, or whatever tickles your fancy). The group could literally run into a home and wait until sunrise.

Also the wereravens can fly in hybrid form and still use weapons, meaning they can just go into the air and plink away with their hand crossbows and the spawn can't retaliate.

@RevenantBacon I tried to imply that when I said that their optimal form was hybrid for its movement potential. Yes, they can do that and remain invulnerable themselves, but one crossbow shot per turn means the spawn are effectively invulnerable as well since there is no way the wereravens can do enough damage to overcome the spawn regeneration, even assuming unlimited ammunition.

@RevenantBacon Thank you. After reading some Stacks about "residence", I decided that the spawn can enter the taproom and stables but not the private bedrooms. Once inside the inn the spawn can easily provoke a fight by attacking customers or setting the inn itself on fire - hiding in their rooms will not help the ravens or the PCs. Also, be aware that while the spawn would prefer to not be out in daylight, the rules within Barovia do not permit them to be damaged by natural daylight.

@Kirt I disagree, if somebody lives in the inn, then the entirety of the building is their residence, not just the room with their bed in it. If the stables are separate, then the spawn could certainly enter them without issue, but if this inn is set up like most inns, then the tap room/bar and the private quarters/cellar/guest rooms are all within the same building and are off limits to the spawn.

It doesn't matter if part of the building functions as a place of business, the entirety of the building is a residence. Heck, a simple cave in the side of a hill is a residence if someone lives there.

@Kirt Yeah, that's true, with their resistance and regen it would take something along the lines of 10 birbs attacking the same spawn at a time to make damage stick. but if they end up with some means of dealing significant damage or of turning off the regen (like Sacred Flame or similar) they would stand a much better chance.

@RevenantBacon Forbiddance doesn't define what is a residence or occupant, so you are certainly able to decide that for yourself. For me, the distinction is between public and private space.

@RevenantBacon If I were staying at the inn in question, I would not bring a guest into the crowded common room and say "welcome to my residence". The guest rooms have a separate stair and bars on the windows - there is an expectation of privacy. The innkeepers would likely include not only their bedrooms but the kitchen, storerooms, and secret areas as their residence - but the taproom is a place of public business, not where they reside.

@RevenantBacon I don't think my interpretation is more correct, but as I am the DM it will be the one I use.

The strict definition of "residence" is "the place where someone lives". If you wouldn't consider the dining room/kitchen part of where someone lives, and only include strictly private quarters to be part of the residence, then honestly I don't see how you could count the guest rooms either, since the people staying there don't actually live there, they're just staying temporarily, and would have actual places where they live.

As a comparison, would you count the entirety of Strahd's castle as his residence? I could see excluding the connecting hallways between apartments in an apartment building being excluded as a "residence" since multiple groups would be living in the separate apartments with no one having claim over living in the connecting areas, but that's still tenuous at best, and not likely to be relevant in CoS's setting.