Racial Battle Tactics

[xroads]

A thread found in the OOTS forum (Dwarven Culinary Tastes (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=16874765&posted=1#post16874765)), reminded me of old question I had. How would racial abilities effect battle tactics?

For example, would dwarven wizards tend to cast Stinking Cloud into the front lines, relying on dwarven toxic resistance and high constition to give the dwarven soldiers the advantage? Maybe they might rely on moonless nights to raid opposing military camps?

What other examples can you guys think of?

[Gwendol]

Duergar wizards favor the school of illusions over others, clearly.

[Tragak]

Half-Elves (immune to sleep effects): powerful sleep-AoE spells

Hobgoblins (darkvision, very good at Moving Silently, better with DEX weapons than STR): more assassins than formation-warriors

Hound Archons (can change shape into Dire Wolves): mixed-cavalry units where a humanoid Hound Archon rides a transformed Hound Archon into battle; once there, the two can either remain as a cavalry warrior or can turn back into two infantry warriors.

Pixies (flight, dodge, greater invisibility, phenomenal at DEX weapons): primarily hit-and-run skirmishes

[Hamste]

Halfling Barbarians should be able to run around killing all the other non-la races with slings and greatswords... seriously, if most armies are made up of level one classes then Halflings should be king of all the non-LA races. In total they have a plus 2 racial bonus to ac (small and dex). Their damage is lowered a point by their strength but a +1 for small size means that they don't lose accuracy. This means assuming elite array they do 1d10+1 damage or 6.5 on average when non-raging and 9.5 when raging. Assuming they have power attack and that NPCs have average health they can one hit kill most of the level 1 soldiers in an army even if the soldiers take toughness. They have +3 to hit normally and +5 to hit when raging (one less of course if power attacking) so most races who don't have a good bonus to AC will be hit most of the time unless if they invest in shields in which case the damage output from those soldiers would be low enough that the halflings could take multiple hits.

In scale mail they have 18 armor class (16 while raging) so their ac is pretty good even though they don't have a shield and chances are the other races will have trouble hitting them at range or melee. What really puts them ahead though is their slings, you might be thinking that 1d3 is nothing but while raging it is 1d3+3 and even more importantly they have +6 to hit. With an average of 5 damage (3 when not raging) and the ability to actually hit more than 50% of the time they can decimate armies if they have the element of the surprise (even if they don't they still have considerably better ranged capabilities than most races). Wearing leather armor instead they would have ac 16 and a +7 to hide without even needing to invest skill points into it (only +5 to move silently though), meaning they are perfect for sneak attacks on an enemy's encampment at night.

Even their saves are not bad at level their reflex save are +3, their fort save has a good progression and +1 (or +3) from con modifiers and their will is meh at +1 from modifiers and possibly +2 from rage. Then on top of all that they have +1 to all saves from being a halfling and +2 against fear effects.


The only obvious weakness these fearsome Halfling Barbarians have is that they don't have darkvision and so they will run into some trouble fighting those races that do have darkvision. That and of course enemies that are naturally stronger but this was mostly for comparison against level 1 non-la races.

[Falcon X]

Awesome, I love this kind of topic. The answers have to come from the flavor of the specie, but will dramatically effect how things play.

Kobold: These guys, as a life philosophy, believe in the cliches "bury the enemy in your dead bodies" and "It's only a fair fight if it's a trap and we have them outnumbered." They know they are weak. They believe in reincarnation and don't fear death. That's Awesome!
So, tactics: Firstly, you are always fighting on their terms. You will either fight them in their lair, or in a battlefield they've planned for. There WILL be a pit to fall into, Kobolds tunneling under the enemy, summoning uncontrolled demons, acid traps, poison, etc. And that's before you get into campaign settings where they might have many magic users at their disposal.
They WILL cast area of effect spells that will take out themselves with you. Expect kobolds with bombs strapped to their chest.
- Expect catapulted kobolds with bombs attached to their chest!!!
Front line attacks are distractions. They will hit and run or use fighting retreats if at all possible. You should be watching their archers.
In most fights, you put your warriors as your front lines. Here, you put your rogues first for dodging and trapspotting.

Basically, if you find kobolds that willingly go into open warfare, expect it to produce stories of unparalleled terror and chaos.

Elves: This is entirely dependent on your concept of elves. I personally take the idea of a Chaotic-aligned culture, and a connection to forest spirits, to heart. Very close to the Faerie in "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell" if anyone's read it. So, expect a people who's tactics look like they were put together by that New Age junkie who stands on the street corner.
Tactics:
- Sit there chanting to the earth while being mercilessly slaughtered.
- Summoning up ancestor spirits in themselves to give them strength (Sword of Truth Anyone?)
- Running single-file like a spear at the Humans using a phalanx, using spells for landscape control.
- Battlefield control spells all over the place. We're talking walls, bridges over the enemy, plant spirits that will keep the enemy in one place for some nasty Area attack spells and tech.
- "Commander, are those elves... dancing?"
- "Commander, they're not killing anyone. They just rode in, lassoed the female warriors and reasonably attractive men and carried them off. They appear to be in retreat."
- "Commander, I don't know why I just hugged that elf. It all happened so fast. But, they are now living in the city walls. It would seem that they've coexisted with us for years. Funny, no?"
- "Sir. Those elves that fell asleep.... It would appear that they are dreaming, and their dreams are attacking us."

Gnomes: Expect technology, illusions, and trickery. Also, if anyone knows of the Golmoid race, they might have them as allies.
They would be the antithesis of Kobolds. They are tricksters, but will favor an individual's actions over group tactics.
Tactics: My conception: The battle lines form. There are a large grouping of gnome warriors clad in heavy armor. Notably, half of them are actually wearing light armor, 3/4 are illusions, and 1/10 are illusionists maintaining battlefield control.
They laugh and tell jokes the entire battle.
Clan Brandyboo has committed their airships to fly over the battle dropping things.
Clan Meriwether has been plotting underground tactics and will be tunneling, occasionally popping up and pulling enemies into the tunnels.
Clan Bombouso are wizards, but are going to masquerade as spectators. They have signs and are going to rate the battle as it goes from 1-10, cheering for people. Secretly they are casting subtle manipulation spells.
Clan Torobous have constructed gliding wings so they can fly over the enemy and take up fortifications that are unspecified.
Clan Glitterstar have honed the art of shin kicking for generations. they will fly through the battle crippling people in the legs.
Clan Garfunckle are Abjurers and will cast as they see fit.
Clan Berebriar are warlocks. Coordinated Eldritch blasts against enemy commanders. Battlefield control invocations. Surprises, shenanigans. Nobody really knows where they'll pop up. But it'll hurt.
Clan Swendolyn wear big hats and carry rapiers. Thier mostly all bark and no bite, but they sure are eager.