OverdrivePrime
2013-01-24, 10:45 AM
TL:DR - 7th level party, ranger, rogue, fighter, druid and necromancer vs a fire giant squad. We're going to try to ambush them. How do we get them to surrender?
So, we kind of got in over our head, and now a squad of fire giants (we're expecting between 5 and 7) is coming to destroy a village we want to protect. We're the first line of defense, but the 2nd and last line of defense is a bunch of potters and farmers with badly-attended spears.
Here's the lay of things:
1. We've sneakily provided intel to the giants that the best, fastest way to get to our village is through a long, narrow path through a forest. It's winter and the forest is quite snowy.
2. We have persuaded a winter wolf and his huge pack of normal wolves to join in the fight, since the winter wolf hates fire creatures. We're not sure how much help they'll be, and they won't be under our control.
3. There are about 5 miles between the place we've currently chosen for an ambush and our town. We got a signal that the giants left their lair... about five minutes ago, and it'll take them five hours to reach the town at a forced march. That means we have about three hours to setup before we engage. Not much, but it's alright.
4. The DM has said our casters (the druid and the necromancer) can spend an hour to pick new spells, while the other characters and I work to set up an ambush.
5. In very snowy, heavily forested terrain, the giants will be funneled down a 15 foot wide path between the trees toward a 100 foot clearing.
Our forces:
One 7th level Ranger Guide. Me. (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=432487)
I can do ranged, but I'm much better in melee, thanks to vital strike and lead blades. Because I have the Guide archetype, my posse all gets +2 to initiative, stealth, survival and perception in the forest. I get a +4 bonus vs one opponent that I call, twice per day. I'm planning to go after the first giant spellcaster I see.
One 7th level Wind Druid. (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=432835) The DM has said she can meditate on new spells. She can cast a couple 4th level spells, and wind the wind druid archetype has a pretty cool ranged bullrush attack that I don't think will be too effective against giants.
One 7th level H'orc Fighter Tank. (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=437203) He's a sword & board fighter, and has the death or glory feat, but not much else going for him against giants besides his spiked adamantine full plate, which will at least lessen the blows a big. I'm worried about him.
One 7th level Necromancer whose character sheet I don't have access to. He's played by a D&D veteran, but his character is very secretive and doesn't show his full power often. I honestly have no idea what he's capable of casting besides a handful of necromancy spells from 1-4, and enlarge person. The tank and I are hoping for some enlarge person goodness getting cast on us. Bonus: thanks to an amulet we just stole from a fire giant we killed in the city, he now controls 50 zombies. I have no idea what use zombies are going to be against fire giants, but at least we have a lot of them to use as cannon fodder.
One 7th level Rogue Sniper (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=499257). She can sneak attack up to 50 feet away and has an Oathbow... and zero other equipment besides a handful of arrows and a loincloth. It's this player's first game and the DM is having her drop out of the sky thanks to A Wizard, who clearly did it. :smalleek:
She can cast true flippin' strike 4 times per day, and mage hand five times per day. She also has the hellcat stealth feat and the surprise attack rogue perk. I plan to give her most of my character's arrows.
We also have access to two ballistas that we can have the zombies move to the clearing for us. My character is easily capable of disguising everyone in the snow.
Our goal here is to hit the giants hard enough that they sue for peace. I want to disable or eliminate as many giants as we can, as fast as we can, and then present terms of surrender while they're off balance. I have no illusions that our tiny, mid-level team can destroy a fire giant clan in one day, but even if we can't get a peace agreement out of them, we are desperate to protect the city. If even two giants get past us, that city is toast.
So what would you recommend? Most importantly - what spells should the druid prepare? I was thinking spike stones (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/spike-stones) would be critical. What else?
I'm really worried about a TPK if our first two rounds go badly. How can we put them on their heels?
So, we kind of got in over our head, and now a squad of fire giants (we're expecting between 5 and 7) is coming to destroy a village we want to protect. We're the first line of defense, but the 2nd and last line of defense is a bunch of potters and farmers with badly-attended spears.
Here's the lay of things:
1. We've sneakily provided intel to the giants that the best, fastest way to get to our village is through a long, narrow path through a forest. It's winter and the forest is quite snowy.
2. We have persuaded a winter wolf and his huge pack of normal wolves to join in the fight, since the winter wolf hates fire creatures. We're not sure how much help they'll be, and they won't be under our control.
3. There are about 5 miles between the place we've currently chosen for an ambush and our town. We got a signal that the giants left their lair... about five minutes ago, and it'll take them five hours to reach the town at a forced march. That means we have about three hours to setup before we engage. Not much, but it's alright.
4. The DM has said our casters (the druid and the necromancer) can spend an hour to pick new spells, while the other characters and I work to set up an ambush.
5. In very snowy, heavily forested terrain, the giants will be funneled down a 15 foot wide path between the trees toward a 100 foot clearing.
Our forces:
One 7th level Ranger Guide. Me. (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=432487)
I can do ranged, but I'm much better in melee, thanks to vital strike and lead blades. Because I have the Guide archetype, my posse all gets +2 to initiative, stealth, survival and perception in the forest. I get a +4 bonus vs one opponent that I call, twice per day. I'm planning to go after the first giant spellcaster I see.
One 7th level Wind Druid. (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=432835) The DM has said she can meditate on new spells. She can cast a couple 4th level spells, and wind the wind druid archetype has a pretty cool ranged bullrush attack that I don't think will be too effective against giants.
One 7th level H'orc Fighter Tank. (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=437203) He's a sword & board fighter, and has the death or glory feat, but not much else going for him against giants besides his spiked adamantine full plate, which will at least lessen the blows a big. I'm worried about him.
One 7th level Necromancer whose character sheet I don't have access to. He's played by a D&D veteran, but his character is very secretive and doesn't show his full power often. I honestly have no idea what he's capable of casting besides a handful of necromancy spells from 1-4, and enlarge person. The tank and I are hoping for some enlarge person goodness getting cast on us. Bonus: thanks to an amulet we just stole from a fire giant we killed in the city, he now controls 50 zombies. I have no idea what use zombies are going to be against fire giants, but at least we have a lot of them to use as cannon fodder.
One 7th level Rogue Sniper (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=499257). She can sneak attack up to 50 feet away and has an Oathbow... and zero other equipment besides a handful of arrows and a loincloth. It's this player's first game and the DM is having her drop out of the sky thanks to A Wizard, who clearly did it. :smalleek:
She can cast true flippin' strike 4 times per day, and mage hand five times per day. She also has the hellcat stealth feat and the surprise attack rogue perk. I plan to give her most of my character's arrows.
We also have access to two ballistas that we can have the zombies move to the clearing for us. My character is easily capable of disguising everyone in the snow.
Our goal here is to hit the giants hard enough that they sue for peace. I want to disable or eliminate as many giants as we can, as fast as we can, and then present terms of surrender while they're off balance. I have no illusions that our tiny, mid-level team can destroy a fire giant clan in one day, but even if we can't get a peace agreement out of them, we are desperate to protect the city. If even two giants get past us, that city is toast.
So what would you recommend? Most importantly - what spells should the druid prepare? I was thinking spike stones (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/spike-stones) would be critical. What else?
I'm really worried about a TPK if our first two rounds go badly. How can we put them on their heels?