Siege at the docks- Ballistas & cranes oh my!

[Kol Korran]

I'm wondering if something is feasible. A possible battle in my campaign will take place at a dock, where the dock master and his clan of miscreants barricade themselves inside part of the dock, and the PCs might need to break through it. I got various elements of the dock settled, but I want one more, a sort of "guard turret" (for a lack of a better term. I'm thinking about two things:

- A ballista that is raised up high on some massive crates, and tilted on some mechanism so that it could point in the general direction of the PC's combat area. But the ballista will need to be swayed and adjusted as to the moving targets. Can a ballista realistically follow fast moving characters and hit them from oh... 50 ft away approximately?

- A crane (or two) that load up crates from a big pile and move around the PC's dropping them on them. The dock crew might try to block them at one place, and then dodge out as the crane releases the crate (ready action, forcing a reflex save or some damage). Is this feasible? I know it would be one crate every few rounds, but how many? will it still be a threat? how much damage would a 5ft cube crate cause? I'm thinking something like 3/4d6

Or perhaps dropping fishing nets on them? tight might complicate the battle as well, no?

(Search word: piratewitch)

[Vizzerdrix]

For the ballista, either flaming arrows shot at explosive barrels (lamp oil, etc) or readied to fire into choke points would work.

For cranes, maybe also using the nets to sweep people off the dock, or drop barrels of tar and grease. Could also swing fresh combatants in behind the party as well.


This sounds neat. Do tell how it goes if you are running it.

[Cespenar]

- A ballista that is raised up high on some massive crates, and tilted on some mechanism so that it could point in the general direction of the PC's combat area. But the ballista will need to be swayed and adjusted as to the moving targets. Can a ballista realistically follow fast moving characters and hit them from oh... 50 ft away approximately?

Your description makes it sound like a lighter, scorpion-like anti-personnel ballista, so I think it can. It is very close range for a ballista, though.



- A crane (or two) that load up crates from a big pile and move around the PC's dropping them on them. The dock crew might try to block them at one place, and then dodge out as the crane releases the crate (ready action, forcing a reflex save or some damage). Is this feasible? I know it would be one crate every few rounds, but how many? will it still be a threat? how much damage would a 5ft cube crate cause? I'm thinking something like 3/4d6)

Have a look at this (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/environment.htm#fallingObjects).

[Kol Korran]

For the ballista, either flaming arrows shot at explosive barrels (lamp oil, etc) or readied to fire into choke points would work.
Sort of "detonation charges"? interesting, but these could probably be lighted by one of the defenders... I like the idea. I think the Ballista will be used to target big targets (like the bestial orc barbarian PC) or crash covers. It should fire 1/ 2 rounds.


For cranes, maybe also using the nets to sweep people off the dock, or drop barrels of tar and grease. Could also swing fresh combatants in behind the party as well. I like the idea of barrels of tar and grease. Thanks!


This sounds neat. Do tell how it goes if you are running it. If things go well, I'm intending on doing a campaign log. DM's view though...


lighter, scorpion-like anti-personnel ballista I only know of t GMD/ stormwrack ballista. i was intending to use the "Vs. Ships" Ballista and so asked for viability. what is this other type of ballista you mention?

[Downysole]

Heroes of Battle has a good amount of rules for things like siege engines and large objects being flung and such.

Docks are nice for DnD because they're a lot like a dungeon in terms of how you lay them out on the piece of paper. Remember that just like in a dungeon, there are a lot of ways you can prepare a dock to trap the unwary. For example, you can rig it so that the left side of the dock falls away into a spiky trap unseen below the water.

This would be very useful if you have a barricade on the right side, and your PCs want to run past the barricade using the left and PLOOP, AIIEE! Ackbarred. Doesn't have to be resetting or magic or anything. Just weight-triggered to drop.