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oxinabox
2009-11-08, 07:31 AM
what brilliant plans have you seen NPC's come up with?

in my game my version of orcs (well kinda similar to orcs the're boar men... the Croem)
so a Compan of Crom were laying seige toa well defended valley/keep thing
Basically the was a U of stone, with a ledge around the top (not entilre nautal) and to get to the village, you had to weight in the U for someone ot lower a Rope ladder.
at the top of hte U were 4 balista's.

So the Coerm neutralised the balistas by using squads of 4,
two at the front with massive tower shields (Two handed, basically portable walls), and then 2 behind getting the benifit of total cover)
So bascailly they could shoot and never get shot.
they would have eventually starved the villagers out.

'til the PC's arived and attacked from behind of course.
With Fire!
anyway;
after awhile all the archers were all dead one all that was left were 2 pairs of guys with massive tower sheils.
So they when't back to back and moved towards each other,
using a defencive thing to get Cover from the sheilds for a 50% miss chance.
So there were 4 of the in a circle, shields outwards.
slowly inching there way down the mountain path,
the bard1/druid1/ranger2's animal companion (a carnivors squire) have been up on the wall, jumped down into the middle of the circle. they were now all flanked.

anyway by this stage the balista were up and running.and between the PC's and the Balista they manage to sunder on of the shield. (after a couple of rounds where noone could touch the guys cos of the sheild).
the others quickly closed ranks around leaving him outside.
two natural 20's latter the squirel crit, on one wich had been wounded, and bascially scampered up his leg and toar hit throat out)

and then there were 2.
DM (me): You see in the Croem's beast like eyes the spark of a brillant Idea.
You then see them throw themselfs of the cliff - down a 70 degree slope.

bard/driud/ranger (who's intitive it is): can i make a leap down upon the as the fall, to try to stab one with my spear?
ME: sure but you'll take a penalty to you attack;
Crits, confirms

the halfling monk's player: how fast are they tumbling? I came up with a speed from somewhere.
he's like: "Wait, i can run faster than that, and with slow fall i won't take damage"
Me: doesn't slow fall imply slowing? we look at pf rule book. hmm apparently not.

So the Croems 'brilliant' escape plan didn't go so well.
as they start tumbling, the ranger leaps out of the sky and skewers one, halting his fall.
the other the one tumbles to a halt at the base of the cliff.
looks up dazed.
see's the halfling monk, just standing there waiting for him, patiently.
"Huh? :smallsigh: where'd you come from?" turns to look back the hill.
as the Halfling jumps up and king hits him.




(yes i know this doesn't work under the rules)

anyway, what terrible plans have your NPC come up with to ecape cerain slaughter?
and did that fail or succeed?

shadow_archmagi
2009-11-08, 07:46 AM
I once had a vampire challenge the party Paladin to a fist-fight.

"Ok, so every time *I* land a punch, I take away levels, and every time *you* land a punch, I take nonlethal damage"

The Gilded Duke
2009-11-08, 08:42 AM
They were attacking a dungeon full of dwarves.
These dwarves had high knowledge checks and knew about elves.
They knew that elves were great at detecting secret doors.
They hated elves.

There were five secret doors in the dungeon.
Behind each secret door was a series of traps.
The secret passage would end with a trapped chest.
Inside the trapped chest would be large round heavy sacks and a letter.
The letter said.

"Suck it Elf" It had explosive runes on it.
The heavy sacks were filled with stones.

Fenix_of_Doom
2009-11-08, 10:07 AM
So the Coerm neutralised the balistas by using squads of 4,
two at the front with massive tower shields (Two handed, basically portable walls), and then 2 behind getting the benifit of total cover)
So bascailly they could shoot and never get shot.


I think you underestimate the power of balistas, I'm not sure what material the shield was made of or how thick it was, but ballistas easily pierce wood, should be able to pierce metal if it's not to thick(which it shouldn't be since someone is still lifting it.).

So while they still had the advantage of a higher AC and total cover they certainly weren't safe behind those shields.

KillianHawkeye
2009-11-08, 01:27 PM
Yeah, ballistas are siege weapons. They do damage to castles and stuff. I don't think cover counts for much when the opposition can shoot right through it.

Fenix_of_Doom
2009-11-08, 01:45 PM
Yeah, ballistas are siege weapons. They do damage to castles and stuff. I don't think cover counts for much when the opposition can shoot right through it.

I actually only agree half with that,
I'm not sure what kind of fortifications were used during the formation/existing of the roman empire, but I don't think they'll be very effective against thick layers of stone. Wooden palisades and the like can of course be pierced.
As far as I understand them they are siege weapons as in not very mobile and heavy, but they were used against troops and they were pretty accurate too.

MickJay
2009-11-08, 01:54 PM
Ballistas came in many shapes and sizes, but they were generally used against soldiers, not fortifications. For walls and palisades, Romans would use siege engines that were heavier and better suited for the task.

oxinabox
2009-11-09, 12:32 AM
Ballistas came in many shapes and sizes, but they were generally used against soldiers, not fortifications. For walls and palisades, Romans would use siege engines that were heavier and better suited for the task.

Even in hero's of battle, it says that balista's at the exception to the rule that seige weapons break walls.
they are for use agaist infantry.

For sake of arument, these were smallish baliustas.
and truthfully.
thes were MASSIVE shields.
Creom are 6 ft all and 3-5 ft acroos the sholders/
yet they eld the sheilds with 2 hands

kestrel404
2009-11-09, 12:26 PM
In one game, the PCs were exploring a wilderness area. They scouted out two towns, which they did not visit because they were afraid of the inhabitants. Finally, they entered one - a village full of goblins. The goblins were fairly reasonable (not friendly, but not immediately hostile thanks to a crafty leader and some diplomacy rolls). They didn't want much from the PCs, but they did want them to help weaken the other settlement - which was the base of a necromancer who was making threats in their general direction.

So the Leader told the PCs that there was a great treasure in the other 'village', guarded by a few undead. The PCs bought it hook line and sinker. They took their loot-wagon (because my players expected a good haul) and some mules and went straight out to raid the necromancer's lair.

Thins went poorly for the PCs. They charged into the village, expecting a few undead, and were immediately swarmed by literally hundreds of undead. They made a fighting retreat, and were fortunate that the Necromancer wasn't present. They scampered away, and covered their tracks to prevent the zombies and necromancer from following them - but had to leave behind their cart and pack animals.

The wrote this off as a bad job, went on to a few other minor adventures, and then decided to visit the 'friendly goblins' once more. Only to find the goblin villiage under siege. By a zombie army. Because the necromancer had been attacked, and the only tracks led straight back to the goblin village.

Volos
2009-11-09, 04:18 PM
Normally my NPCs or monsters don't have plans more brilliant then their INT scores will allow. I did have a team of rangers and rogues set traps for the players. Once they fell into the spiked pit, the rangers started sniping. The players had to run away and try again, but they were so determined and had so much fun taking the guys in to town to be arrested that I didn't feel bad for making the encounter so hard.