Defending towns from a large monster man

[Dayzgone]

Hey playground, what’s up. Anyway I’m running a super evil campaign where the players (5) are trying to each take over the world individually. First one to control more than 70% wins. My job is to set up fetch quests, random good guy encounters, and anything else that makes their job harder. In some cases trying to just out right kill them for thinking they could kill a 12th lvl wizard when he is only a 6th lvl Psion (Really that was one of the craziest things he has ever tried, did he really think he could win?!) But I digress.

The real question is on town defense, one of my players is a big hulking undead monster with lvls in barbarian and warhulk. Who has been going on 1 man pillaging sprees. The towns he has been attacking have been pretty small, so there has not been much to stop him. But now he is moving up the ladder to some larger scale towns.

What would some basic town defenses be against monsters and the rampaging bad guy in a world where being assaulted by a evil villain is a daily occurrence? The size is about 600 civilians, with about 80 guards a few npc wizards and a nice amount of gold income since the town sits on a major trade route. We can also assume that they know he is coming. He has gotten rather infamous by now, so some towns with survivors have been sending out messages that he could be heading towards you.

I have some ideas already of what I would set up, but I want to hear what other ideas are out there. Thanks for any ideas you can put up :smallsmile:

[tyckspoon]

A: Pay him off. Use those trade resources to get him something he likes in exchange for not destroying the town.
B: Concentrated fire. If he's not outright immune to damage, get all of those 80 guards and as many of the citizens as you can convince to stand up for themselves together, give them crossbows, and gun him down. Even if they only hit on a 20 you have enough weight of fire to make that count (especially if you have a high-enough level wizard around to scry him and let the town know when he's approaching and where they need to be to hit him.)
C: If the wizard(s) are high enough level they can probably just go put him down relatively easily with tactics as simple as flying a couple hundred feet above him and spraying him with Fireballs until he either burns up or runs away.
D: If none of the above work, send a message to the next bigger town down the line and get beefier help. If he's destroying villages, somewhere along the line there is somebody responsible for those villages (or just somebody who makes money from them and therefor has a vested interest in them succeeding) who has the needed resources.

[LansXero]

pit traps, booby traps between streets, taking advantage of rooftops, scorched earth tactics using fire, demolishing their own homes to trap it between rubble. quicksand traps, tanglefoot bags, wands of web/entangle. Basically, anything that will keep him mired while they turn him into a pincushion.

[Dayzgone]

Things I had already though about. Thx any way guys. The scorched earth tactic gives me an idea though. Also yes he has some good dmg reduction, so the line up and gun him down option is viable but not very efficient.

[Randomguy]

Moat full of acid and acidborn sharks. Also, catapults and the like.

[Dr.Epic]

Large city walls. A common thing found in even ancient city-states. Moats for castles. Also, you could use natural land marks as defense. Island cities would have a body of water, and one reason ancient Egypt remained unconquered was because of its desert. Mountains too can be useful.

[Diefje]

Hole up in a Fort of sorts, toss down buckets of hot tar and acid on him. Pepper with any ammo and/or heavy objects (bonus points for pianos). Swarm the guy with soldiers if he doesn't give up. If you know, or suspect, he's coming, you can probably have a wizard or cleric there who can toss down some magic (even just scrolls and wands).

What does the guy do with the towns? Kill everyone? Just beat the army and then they surrender?

[Coidzor]

There's a variant of turn undead that does damage regardless, IIRC.

A major trade route is going to have a fair mix of religions...

And generally a wall to keep out riff-raff. Even from lower level clerics, focus-fire of turn undead of that kind is going to bring on the pain.

[Dr.Epic]

Strong town guard filled with paladins. A group of high level paladins against and evil undead: they'd put up a good fight.

[Keinnicht]

Cast transmute rock to mud on the ground he's standing on.

Cast transmute mud to rock after he sinks in.

Shoot him with a lot of arrows.

[Dr.Epic]

Cast transmute rock to mud on the ground he's standing on.

Cast transmute mud to rock after he sinks in.

Shoot him with a lot of arrows.

Why would he be standing on rocks? And where would there be enough rocks for him to sink into the substance and be submerged?

[Dayzgone]

Moat full of acid and acidborn sharks. Also, catapults and the like.

Haha acid sharks. Some funner ones here now. The palys will be showing up thats for sure. But the last batch (2 towns ago) got there buts kicked. I have some powerful clerics rolled up and ready to go, but wheres the fun in just handing his head to him. The plan with this one is to slow him down right now. I could easily kill him if i wanted, whats the point in just killing him.... ill save that till later :smallwink:

Thx again guyts keep the ideas rolling im geting some good plans in my head

[Weezer]

As one person already said, siege weapons are always good for low levelish guys taking on big guys. Not sure what level he is, but you can always look at Heroes of Battle for fun magical siege weapons. They have ballistas that shoot lightning bolts, various explosive/acidic magical munitions for catapults.

[u-b]

Every single person in the town throwing one flask at him? I presume, town has the time to procure flasks. First 50 or so could be AF, others plain oil. If he is known to be fire-resistant (which is probable) that will be more expensive because of all that holy water requirements.

[Blyte]

sounds like a very neato, game.

one I'd love to play in.

----

I'd suggest exploiting his standard operating procedure, and make him adapt or die.

You could also throw him a hook, that might help him to gain some allies (a kobold tribe, with a bugbear or ogre ringleader).. he could become the new big boss if he doesn't just wholesale slaughter the tribe.

With their help, he could feign assaults and weaken concentrated defenses, but without them he will encounter too much concentrated fire.

How is he supposed to conquer a world as a one man gang? Even a Tarrasque can't rule.

----

eventually he could gain more tribes of diverse monsters, and start to flesh out a lair, dungeon, territory, kingdom, etc..

[Doorhandle]

Hey playground, what’s up. Anyway I’m running a super evil campaign where the players (5) are trying to each take over the world individually. First one to control more than 70% wins. My job is to set up fetch quests, random good guy encounters, and anything else that makes their job harder. In some cases trying to just out right kill them for thinking they could kill a 12th lvl wizard when he is only a 6th lvl Psion (Really that was one of the craziest things he has ever tried, did he really think he could win?!) But I digress.

The real question is on town defense, one of my players is a big hulking undead monster with lvls in barbarian and warhulk. Who has been going on 1 man pillaging sprees. The towns he has been attacking have been pretty small, so there has not been much to stop him. But now he is moving up the ladder to some larger scale towns.

What would some basic town defenses be against monsters and the rampaging bad guy in a world where being assaulted by a evil villain is a daily occurrence? The size is about 600 civilians, with about 80 guards a few npc wizards and a nice amount of gold income since the town sits on a major trade route. We can also assume that they know he is coming. He has gotten rather infamous by now, so some towns with survivors have been sending out messages that he could be heading towards you.

I have some ideas already of what I would set up, but I want to hear what other ideas are out there. Thanks for any ideas you can put up :smallsmile:

I Have no real recommendations other than

A) Have a cloud giant or similar engage him a Giant-monster fight

and

B) This is easily the third most metal campaign I have ever seen.


Incase you're wondering, Second-most is the Lunar Lich war, first is Brutal Legend.

[Dayzgone]

As one person already said, siege weapons are always good for low levelish guys taking on big guys. Not sure what level he is, but you can always look at Heroes of Battle for fun magical siege weapons. They have ballistas that shoot lightning bolts, various explosive/acidic magical munitions for catapults.

Haha i had actually just craked that book open, bc the another player is siegeing a mgical city with a army of about 15k half dragon kolbolds :smalltongue:

Flasks are preaty good idea there, maybe a bunch of cure wound potions chuked at him. His dmg res wont be able to stop that


sounds like a very neato, game.

one I'd love to play in.

I'd suggest exploiting his standard operating procedure, and make him adapt or die.

You could also throw him a hook, that might help him to gain some allies (a kobold tribe, with a bugbear or ogre ringleader).. he could become the new big boss if he doesn't just wholesale slaughter the tribe.

With their help, he could feign assaults and weaken concentrated defenses, but without them he will encounter too much concentrated fire.

How is he supposed to conquer a world as a one man gang? Even a Tarrasque can't rule.

eventually he could gain more tribes of diverse monsters, and start to flesh out a lair, dungeon, territory, kingdom, etc..

1) Thx i try :smallbiggrin:

2) He actually has a undead army being built for him by a few necro pals of his. What the one man killing sprees are (at least what he says) "is a way to make a large amount of dead bodys without sacrificing to many mions in a stright up battle"

So he is actually playing the game just fine. Im just looking for ways of challenging him, or at least making him want to rethink his rather funny tactics

[Weezer]

I'm relatively sure potions don't work like that by RAW, but it isn't an unreasonable house rule.

[Dayzgone]

I'm relatively sure potions don't work like that by RAW, but it isn't an unreasonable house rule.

Meh it was an idea, nvr saw anything that said other wise. We usally like the idea, that pots are magic in a bottle and that it should work by pooring it on you, rather then drinking it. (i mean hey worked well enough in FFX)

So yes there have been fights where we will come out unharmed but soaking wet. :smalltongue: