Building and Defending Against an Air Force

[Chilingsworth]

Another in the "Building an Evil Empire Series" I've apparently started:

How to Build, Use, and Defend Against an Air Force.


Ok, so I'm looking for ideas on the above subject.

So far my own:

Building an air force:

Train flying mounts (giant eagles and rocs primarily) And/Or zombify some large (or bigger) flying creatures to use as mounts.

Ally with powerful flying creatures (not especially interested in doing this, since I'd want to have my own soldiers doing the fighting. Mercenaries can change aligences more easily than (well treated) citizens are likely to.)

Equip said fliers appropriately to increase their survivability and effectiveness. (light armor, pectorals of manuverability, stat improving items, maybe necklaces of adaptation?)

Train and equip "air crews."

Develop and stockpile munitions (large containers of alchemist's fire, skull talismans, even scrolls and wands of varrious spells with sufficent range.)


Using an Air Force:

Divide air force into three sub branches:

Air Support -- intergrated with ground forces to provide close air support as well as logistical support (though I expect magical means will be used for large scale logistics eventually.) Might also provide some troop transport (again when teleportation is unavailable or not economical.)

Strategic Air Arm -- Basically, in charge of air attacks on, well, strategic (rather than tactical) targets. Also, if my empire ever develops air-deployed superweapons, these guys will be in charge of them.

Air Supperiority Command -- In charge of protecting Empire airspace, and siezing control of enemy airspace in wartime. Any ground-based defenses would be under their purview as well.

Command and Control:
As with my military (and empire, for that matter) communications will be enabled through generous use of aspect mirrors, rings of communication, farspeaking amulets, and sending stones. However, I haven't decided on what sort of network structures would work best for this purpose. (i.e. just which of those devices I use, how many I use, and who exactly I give them to.)

Air Defense: Here's where I really stumped. Ideally, I'd like a system that doesn't need to be manned by high level characters. Best I've got so far:

Network of observation stations throughout the empire (and associated warzones) kept in magical communication to enable detection and response to approching threats (aerial and otherwise.)

Wands of Earthbind
Wands of Fireball

Massed Archers with Far Shot, Rapid Shot, and high spot modifiers... So, rangers?

So, is all that a good start? Any more ideas?

[Chilingsworth]

Also, I consider Goodbye Blue Sky (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukVNEwRLOUc) to be an inspiration for this project.

[Darth Stabber]

Hippogriffs are fairly reasonable priced for air cavalry.

Zombie pegasi, hippogriffs, griffons, dragons, ect are all good low maintence options.

Permanency'd fly and greater invisibility on shadesteel golems is the gold standard, but that is a bit more tippyverse than most.

[Ravens_cry]

I second undead (or constructs, but those are damn expensive) as your airborne units.
Unlike living creatures, they can go up and up, as high as the air will support them, or higher is using magical flight, in all weathers and conditions.
Liches, if you can convince them, can do some heavy hitting while being able to be sent out once again as soon as they regenerate. The trouble is convincing them but might be doable.

[Chilingsworth]

I see the advantages of undead. However, wouldn't their creators actually have to pilot them? That or have a cleric capable of controling them be the pilot?

Also, what's the point of going to altitudes that are overly inhospitable to living creatures? It's not like there's much you can do from up there, not being able to see targets and all.

We definately will have undead citizens in the empire though. Most likely, we would be able to get a lich or two for magical support in major opperations.

[hamishspence]

Also, what's the point of going to altitudes that are overly inhospitable to living creatures? It's not like there's much you can do from up there, not being able to see targets and all.

Saturation bombing maybe. Possibly with the help of Scrying and Message spells.

[Flickerdart]

Liberal use of undermaster to submerge your entire kingdom (or at least key installations) underground is a pretty good defense against air-based attacks.

[Chilingsworth]

Liberal use of undermaster to submerge your entire kingdom (or at least key installations) underground is a pretty good defense against air-based attacks.

Building bunkers isn't a bad idea. I'd probably skip the undermaster, though sinnce it costs xp to use. On the other hand, going too deep would risk breaching the underdark, which would have its own problems.

[Morcleon]

Give all your fliers Flyby Attack, a Ring of Entropic Deflection and a pair of Boots of the Unending Journey. For 12000 gp and a feat, they get to attack and get 50% miss chances from ranged attacks, which stacks with concealment, as it's not miss chance from concealment. :smallbiggrin:

[Chilingsworth]

Give all your fliers Flyby Attack, a Ring of Entropic Deflection and a pair of Boots of the Unending Journey. For 12000 gp and a feat, they get to attack and get 50% miss chances from ranged attacks, which stacks with concealment, as it's not miss chance from concealment. :smallbiggrin:

That's also a good argument against using zombies as fliers: Zombies don't get feats, and would have trouble using alot of magic items.

[Flickerdart]

Building bunkers isn't a bad idea. I'd probably skip the undermaster, though sinnce it costs xp to use. On the other hand, going too deep would risk breaching the underdark, which would have its own problems.
It's an evil civilization, they have ways of getting XP without using up any. Or, thought bottles.

[BowStreetRunner]

For air defenses you have several choices:


Counterattack the flying units. You can accomplish this either by intercepting with another flying unit or attacking with ranged units from the ground.
Interdict the flying units ability to effectively reach their target. Bunkers and underground structures can keep sensitive targets effectively out of reach of air units. Creating hazardous terrain to navigate around in the air can be effective too - during WWII barrage balloons were used but in a fantasy setting this could be anything from patches of Solid Fog (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/solidFog.htm) to something similar to the floating mountains of Pandorra (http://james-camerons-avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Hallelujah_Mountains). Camouflage netting is similarly useful in modern air warfare, and fantasy realms can use similar effects, as well as magical darkness, invisibility, and illusions to keep attackers from locating their targets.
Sacrificial targets are a little known but highly effective air-defense tactic that have been used since the dawn of aerial warfare. Put decoys (real or illusionary) where they will be seen. Or just offer up a diversionary target that you can afford to lose at a time that you need to keep the attackers away from another more critical target.
Evasion isn't just for rogues. Mobile targets are hard to track and target. Keep critical resources on the move and make the enemy waste time trying to track them down.
Any combination of the tactics above will add a layer of complexity to your defenses that will create serious difficulties for your enemies to overcome. Imagine a range of floating mountains with hidden hangars full of wyvern-riding orcs and camouflaged turrets with ballistae scattered throughout, numerous illusionary mountains mixed with invisible real ones, whole areas of solid fog and magical darkness, a couple of decoy facilities situated in the midst of the strongest defenses, and the real installations propelled by magic so they can constantly change their location within the range. How's that for a decent air-defense strategy?

[Chilingsworth]

For air defenses you have several choices:


Counterattack the flying units. You can accomplish this either by intercepting with another flying unit or attacking with ranged units from the ground.
Interdict the flying units ability to effectively reach their target. Bunkers and underground structures can keep sensitive targets effectively out of reach of air units. Creating hazardous terrain to navigate around in the air can be effective too - during WWII barrage balloons were used but in a fantasy setting this could be anything from patches of Solid Fog (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/solidFog.htm) to something similar to the floating mountains of Pandorra (http://james-camerons-avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Hallelujah_Mountains). Camouflage netting is similarly useful in modern air warfare, and fantasy realms can use similar effects, as well as magical darkness, invisibility, and illusions to keep attackers from locating their targets.
Sacrificial targets are a little known but highly effective air-defense tactic that have been used since the dawn of aerial warfare. Put decoys (real or illusionary) where they will be seen. Or just offer up a diversionary target that you can afford to lose at a time that you need to keep the attackers away from another more critical target.
Evasion isn't just for rogues. Mobile targets are hard to track and target. Keep critical resources on the move and make the enemy waste time trying to track them down.
Any combination of the tactics above will add a layer of complexity to your defenses that will create serious difficulties for your enemies to overcome. Imagine a range of floating mountains with hidden hangars full of wyvern-riding orcs and camouflaged turrets with ballistae scattered throughout, numerous illusionary mountains mixed with invisible real ones, whole areas of solid fog and magical darkness, a couple of decoy facilities situated in the midst of the strongest defenses, and the real installations propelled by magic so they can constantly change their location within the range. How's that for a decent air-defense strategy?


Well, that's... very comprehensive. Don't think I can use the whole nine yards strategy at the end, though. :smallfrown: Epic spellcasting isn't available in my DM's world. Also, I have no idea how many high-level spellcasters I'll have available, so I can't count on things that need large numbers of them to pull off and maintain.

[White_Drake]

For feat zombies you can awaken them (although this may have its own problems).

[therakishrogue]

Magical and mundane poisonous gasses hedged by wind walls would work well for defense, with the added bonus that your zombies wouldn't be hindered by them. Some of the Dex effecting spells from Frostburn could be helpful as well.

As for offense, there are Cloud Giant castles that could serve as giant mobile bases and bombing platforms. They can also blot out sunlight, which would be handy for sieges. You could either hire the giants as mercenaries, add them as another part of your empire, or kill them and take their cloud islands.

[absolmorph]

I second undead (or constructs, but those are damn expensive) as your airborne units.
Unlike living creatures, they can go up and up, as high as the air will support them, or higher is using magical flight, in all weathers and conditions.
Liches, if you can convince them, can do some heavy hitting while being able to be sent out once again as soon as they regenerate. The trouble is convincing them but might be doable.
Getting a spell caster convinced to be part of your air force is easy.
Just indoctrinate them early. I'd say 5 years old or so. State-funded schools are effective for this (and can also serve to catch anyone with inherent abilities worth training). Just make sure everyone is fed and entertained and you'll barely even have to deal with uprisings.

[silverwolfer]

Obdiance avalanch from the cold domain is good to

1d610 against structures

[Nizaris]

For bombardments, craft one-shot wondrous items that casts Earthquake when it hits the ground. Takes out large portions of buildings as well as serving as a bunker-buster unless they build more than 80ft underground.

For AA, floating platforms with balistas or spell turrets to protect important areas, and squadrons of fast fliers for taking out bombers.

[Tvtyrant]

Make a bunch of permanent animated gargantuan objects and cast fly on them. As items they have upwards of 1,000 HP, but much less as critters. Dispel your own objects so they fall to the ground and take meaningless damage doing so, and then the dispel wears off and they are in the enemies base.

Edit: Also, if you have them bring portable holes with them you can deploy your infantry safely as well. Bam!

[Flickerdart]

Make a bunch of permanent animated gargantuan objects and cast fly on them. As items they have upwards of 1,000 HP, but much less as critters. Dispel your own objects so they fall to the ground and take meaningless damage doing so, and then the dispel wears off and they are in the enemies base.

Edit: Also, if you have them bring portable holes with them you can deploy your infantry safely as well. Bam!
Dispel only wears off on magic items, which animated objects are not, even if you make the spell permanent. You want short-duration AMFs.

[Chilingsworth]

Getting a spell caster convinced to be part of your air force is easy.
Just indoctrinate them early. I'd say 5 years old or so. State-funded schools are effective for this (and can also serve to catch anyone with inherent abilities worth training). Just make sure everyone is fed and entertained and you'll barely even have to deal with uprisings.

Of course I'll screen the entire populance for spellcasting potential (and train/indoctrinate those who have it,) I'm just concerned that even doing that I wont have enough to go around.


Make a bunch of permanent animated gargantuan objects and cast fly on them. As items they have upwards of 1,000 HP, but much less as critters. Dispel your own objects so they fall to the ground and take meaningless damage doing so, and then the dispel wears off and they are in the enemies base.

Edit: Also, if you have them bring portable holes with them you can deploy your infantry safely as well. Bam!

Technically, when a fly spell ends, it leaves a featherfall effect. Would AMF prevent this? If not, I don't think the animated objects would do much falling damage.

[Tvtyrant]

Dispel only wears off on magic items, which animated objects are not, even if you make the spell permanent. You want short-duration AMFs.

AMFs would work too! I like the idea of a gargantuan or colossal sledge or rock falling from the sky and then rising up as a monster.

[absolmorph]

Of course I'll screen the entire populance for spellcasting potential (and train/indoctrinate those who have it,) I'm just concerned that even doing that I wont have enough to go around.



Technically, when a fly spell ends, it leaves a featherfall effect. Would AMF prevent this? If not, I don't think the animated objects would do much falling damage.

Pft. You have an empire. You can figure something out.

Yes, AMF would prevent that. It merely suppresses the spell, it doesn't end it.
Also, it would suppress the featherall effect.

[avr]

Control Winds (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/controlWinds.htm) can be shockingly effective against flyers. Control Weather takes too long to cast.

[Vaz]

Perhaps creating some Winged Tauric Warbeasts as a shock attackers. Give them feats that enhance their carry capacity to take boulders, and then use them to launch thrown weapons at the enemy with their typically large size strength boosts (Brutal Throw?) etc, before diving in and full attacking with Power Attacking Greatswords.

They could also take riders; and if you have Wizards scry the boulders dropped on enemy lines then they can teleport direct into the battle.

Remember as a Tauric creature, the base four legged creature can be templated for free out the wazoo, provided it is still a medium-large four legged corporeal, animal, magical beast or vermin after all the templating; in return for the humanoid+3. Choose a suitable high strength monster, make it winged.

Some templates for the base Creature;

MM1
Celestial/Fiendish; Smite Evil/good 1/day, 60ft darkvision, DR and Resistances to acid/electricity/cold, or Cold and Fire

MM2
Chimeric (d10 HD, automatically with 9HD, free 50ft (poor) flight, NAB +6, str +4, dex +1, con +4 for free.
Half Iron Golem (provided they pass their will save 4 times to gain +8 con (or +20 its only been skim read), +11 NAB, +12 Str, with a -2 to Dex; also DR25/+2, Poisonous "Breath Weapon" shot from the arms with 10ft cone, causing 1d4 con damage and death effect with a DC modified by its HD and its con score which is already out the wazoo (+12 at minimum from these two). As said, when making it, help its Will Score as much as possible.
Monster of Legend; NAB +5, special abilities regarding; divine casting as a 5th level cleric (wis comes from humanoid), Fast Healing 5, and regrow limbs, str +10, dex+6, con +10, Improved Initiative, and Multiattack for free
Warbeast; free +1 HD, +10speed, +2 bonus to its riders ride checks, str and con +3, +1 to listen and spot

MM3
Voidmind; NAB +4, immune to mind affecting, and ability damage, sr10+hd, str+4, dex +2, con+4, +4 on bluff, escape, artist, intimidate, alertness, combat reflexes and great fortitude all for free. the tentacle and cone of slime are arguable as you lose the head and the brain.
Woodling; you dont change type but gain plant traits (immune to poison, magic sleep, paralysis, polymorph, stunning, mind affecting and immunity to crits), ac+7, slam attack (1d8 if large), SLA's based on HD, provided wis 8 (fairly sure you get this), dr5/slash, lowlight vision, +4 to hide and move silent in above ground rabbit food, with vulnerability to fire.

MM4
Lolth-Touched; fluff wise a bit hard, but goes well with Fiendish; Str and Con +6, +4 to move silently and hide and immunity to fear. it suggests refluff though as nothing really pertains to Lolth other than its name.

Epic
Your DM will hate you. and say no.
Paragon; D12 HD with free +12 HP per HD, Triple Speed of all kinds, +12 Insight to AC, +12 Luck to AC, +25 luck to attacks, +20 to melee and thrown damage, +13 insight to all special attacks, +15 CL to SLA's, DR 20/+6, SR =Base CR + 25, Fast Healing 20, +10 insight to saves, +15 bonus to all ability scores, +10 competence on all its skill checks, two free bonus feats, all for free. Remember that you will recieve a book to the head; several times for using this, let alone combined.

Draconomicon/Races of the Dragon
Draconic; +1 NAB, str and con +2 are the most notable stats here, RotD gives you Dragonblood as well; useful for some handy abilities.

Dungeonscape
Acidborn; +2 NAB, +1d6 acid damage from natural weapons, immunity to acid
and poison, breath acid, con +4, in exchange for water breathing.
Dungeonbred; use this on a huge monster to make large; improve any flight by one step, +2 racial bonus versus disease, str and con +4 (remember smaller size though), gain Endurance as a feat
Guardian; 60 ft blindsense and 120ft darkvision, blind fight for free arguably your eyes don't shine.

XPH
Phrenic; free psi abilities, what fun! Free Bonus Point and power resistance 10+Hd. Admittedly not much else; the stats only affect the mentals which are lost.

Fiend Folio
Tikhana - requires a reptilian base creature; NAB +4, Detect poison psionic at will, shapechange at will into a viper using its own poison or the vipers (but in normal form, its poison is lost due to no bite attack), dex +2.

Ghostwalk Web Enhancement
Valicorn; if you have a horse as the base (why?), you net yourself a +2 to dex and con with a few nice sla's, with with free access to alertness.

Manual of the Planes
Shadow; half again your move speed, odds and sods, including total concealment in shadow, +2 lucl on all saves, evasion as per rpgue, plane shift to Plane of Shadow 1/day, mirror image 1/day, +6 to move silently.
Axiomatic; Smite Chaos 1/day, 60ft darkvision, fire/electricity/sonic/cold resistance based on hd, immune to flanking aura 300ft
Anarchic; Smite Law 1/day, darkvision 60 ft, token resistance to all energy types, immune to polymorph and petrification, fast healing and dr based on hd.

Magic of Incarnum
Lost; +10ft land speed, +3 NAB, slam attack, can force a will save or become shaken for 2d6 rounds if within 30ft, or fascinate enemies within 30ft, Str and Con +4,

Savage Species
Monstrous Beast; claw delivered poison, and either telepathy, continuous circle of protection, or 100ft Blindsense
Multiheaded; odds as it sounds, quite useful, 2 Free HD per head (max 3), +1 NAB per head, 90ft Darkvision, +2 Con per head, +2 racial bonus to Listen, Spot, Search, Improved Initiative and combat Reflexes for free. You could argue that gaining tauric loses the benefits of gaining the heads but I say otherwise. You could go Learnaean as well for "immune to normal damage" until they go for the head,
Winged; fairly obvious Flyspeed = landspeed +20, with dex based mameuverability, +4 Dex

Tome of Magic
Dark Creature; +10ft Move to all forms, 60ft Darkvision, HiPS, Cold Resistance 10, Superior Low Light Vision, Hide +8, Move Silently +6. Goes well with Evil Templates, but can be used on good ones. Apply Last of all

Weapons of Legacy
Monster of Legacy; Hit Dice related Legacies and Omens, Smell of Burning Steel wouldn't go amiss from the Half Golem template, as well as gubbins like free +1 ability from a magic armour, cha based Cause Fear 5/Day, Comprehend languages, detect creature type 60ft at will (concentrate for 1 round), 3/day Cure Light Wounds, 1/day False Life, feather fall at will, free Intelligence, Wis and Charisma Boosts (but also gains Ego points despite not being an item, could be funny), light at will, 3/day Magic Missile, Detect Magic at will, lesser Metamagic/psionic, mirror image 1/day, 1/day Protection from Arrows, 1/day Resist Energy, +1/+2 Bonus on Saves, 1/day See Invisibility, +5 to a chosen skill check, +5/10 speed to one form of travel, 1/day summon monster 2/3, Continual Unseen Servant, Ability Enhancement +2 (any), Cure Moderate Wpunds, 1/day Fireball, 1/day Hold Person, 1/day Lightning Bolt, 3/day Lesser Restoration, 3/day Web, At will Acid Arrow, Halt Undead 2/day, at will Scorching Ray (2 rays), spider climb continuously, water breathing continously, at will gust of wind (Faster flying?), at will burning hands, never flat footed, at will glitterdust, mirror image 3/day, immunity to being divimed, 5/day give one attack 5d6 electric damage boost, cloudkill, continual blur, 40ft radius circle of death, 1/day Enervate, 1 Wish, there are so many options, and they are completely free.

And that is just a portion.

I think all of those templates can be added on to a tauric base creature. Slap on an Incarnate Construct as the Base Humanoid for an utterly naughty La+1 Creature. Something daft like Str 45 with 150ft good flight and immunities/resistances out the wazoo.

[Chilingsworth]

^^ I'd like to see a picture of what the resultant creature would look like, and a stat block. I'd also like someone to go to my DM's house and count how many books he has, so I will know how much head trauma I can expect when he throws all of them at me.

[Dissonance]

You could set up floating spell traps set to cast downdraft or similar spells on any flying object larger than a normal eagle. The catch would be to get it to ignore your forces moving in and out of the perimeter by setting it to ignore some object built into/ carried by your air forces.

[Ravens_cry]

Getting a spell caster convinced to be part of your air force is easy.
Just indoctrinate them early. I'd say 5 years old or so. State-funded schools are effective for this (and can also serve to catch anyone with inherent abilities worth training). Just make sure everyone is fed and entertained and you'll barely even have to deal with uprisings.
True. Following the Evil Overlord list in general means better times all around.

[Vaz]

I can't imagine he'll be too fussed on you turning up with a Tauric Incarnate Half Clay Golem Human/Lolth Touched Lost Winged Axiomatic Draconic Fiendish Black Chimeric Iron Half Golem Voidmind Woodling Acidborn Dungeonbred Phrenic Tikhana Dark Shadow Guardian Paragon Monstrous Legendary WarTiger of Legend and Legacy.

Even if it does only have a LA of like +5 and about 30HD and a Strength Score reaching the mid 60's easily, while its health is around 1400, immunity to Slash and Pierce, SR out the wazoo, and... Yeah I should stop.

But simply, Winged Tauric Creatures are awesome. Both rider and Humanoid equipped with Lances, and immense Composite Bows/Wands of Various sized and coloured explosions, while also carrying underslung scried catapult stones, pebbles, holy water, oil pots, acid vases, tanglefoot bombs, immense thunderboulders.

Try a Tauric Dire Tiger Elf and you have a Decent monster right off the bat with Improved Grapple, Pounce, and the ability to UMD, use Bows, and fight in Combat.

[Chilingsworth]

I can't imagine he'll be too fussed on you turning up with a Tauric Incarnate Half Clay Golem Human/Lolth Touched Lost Winged Axiomatic Draconic Fiendish Black Chimeric Iron Half Golem Voidmind Woodling Acidborn Dungeonbred Phrenic Tikhana Dark Shadow Guardian Paragon Monstrous Legendary WarTiger of Legend and Legacy.

You don't know my DM.:smalltongue:

Even something relatively reasonible like an elf/tiger wouldn't work because there's no way for me to create new types of creatures. Basically, I'm limited to the creatures that are already published, and of those only the ones where I have either a way to create them (or at least, a way for players to make them is explicitly writen,) Or ones that I can reliably raise, train, or otherwise control en masse.

[absolmorph]

True. Following the Evil Overlord list in general means better times all around.
Yeah, but if you want the whole "Evil Empire" thing you've gotta make sure you don't follow certain parts too closely or you kind of stop seeming evil at all.

[Chilingsworth]

Yeah, but if you want the whole "Evil Empire" thing you've gotta make sure you don't follow certain parts too closely or you kind of stop seeming evil at all.

I don't care what I seem like!

Actually, if I'm a villian with good plublicity, that works to my advantage.

[absolmorph]

I don't care what I seem like!

Actually, if I'm a villian with good plublicity, that works to my advantage.
I was considering things from a story-telling perspective.

From a practical perspective, it's far better to seem like a benevolent protector of the masses.

[Chilingsworth]

I was considering things from a story-telling perspective.

From a practical perspective, it's far better to seem like a benevolent protector of the masses.

I'm convinced that the campaign we're in has no truly "Good" faction. It's basically us (cultists of Asmodeus trying to bring the Tyr-worshiping theocracy down) and the Tyrans (Who condone torture to extract information [even though charm and compulsion magic exist and are painless] and as punishment, and the use of brutal execution methods such as immolation and drawing and quatering.)

[Vaz]

Being good and appearing good are not necessarily the same thing; for example appear as a saviour in the face of the Tyran; essentially becoming some Refugee arc. I mean; look how the States formed; and look how evil they are now. *schwing*

Joking aside, appearing as a saviour when in reality you are looking for meatgrinder chaff is good practise.

[Flavel]

Non-magical ADA might include some sort of cross between a catapult and a ballista wherein the launching mechanism slaps the open back end of a barrel full of heavy darts providing a shotgun of projectiles. Definitely a point-defense weapon but might also have application as an antipersonnel weapon. Let me discuss this with my team of tinker gnomes...

[JaronK]

Desmoderu War Bats and Hunting Bats make solid mounts with better visual abilities than most (MM2). Also, Skeletal Soarwhales (raised from the dead) could make amazing floating blimps, and then you could build fortifications inside the skeleton. That would be pretty cool.

JaronK