Best, Lowest level spells for use in city defense (raid, not siege)

[SangoProduction]

Precise distances of the town are unknown, but I figure that anything with range of >100 ft will be plenty usable.

By "raid" I mean that they are going to try and run us through on contact, rather than out last us via siege.

Most likely spell sources (most to least): Cleric, Wizard, Bard, Sorcerer, Other

Likely highest level spell: 2nd. There might be someone with a few 3rd level spells if we are lucky.

We do have access to 5 magic craftsmen and about 9 days worth preparation.

Facing orcs with an army of goblins

Here's the roles we've set up.

Logisitcs (Commands): Best handled by Message, so far as I've deduced, as it's a cantrip, and would handles a decent distance. Sending is a 4th level spell. It's quite a waste for this particular use .

Logistics (Supplies): In the middle of an invasion, not such a big deal, but there is the potential of equipment damage I suppose. IDK. Mending might be of use, but I don't think spending spells on this is exactly the ideal use.

Medics: These include those who drag our soldiers off the front line, as well as those who can heal them. I figured Tenser's Floating Disc (similarly, the Talisman of the Disk) serves best for the first role, and the cure spells for the latter, obviously.

Psychological Warfare: We need ways to get in their heads. Such as fake armies, and distractions. Obviously illusions are masterpieces here, but are there any good enchantment spells that affect a large number of targets at a low level?

Summoners: A small group of summoners can turn every skirmish into a full blown war - all while only expending temporary units. We could likely use this in conjunction with Psychological Warfare (such as having some Dancing Lights "guarding" while actual Lantern Archons also join in, confusing the enemy).

Scouting is best done via divinations, but someone with invisibility would also do the trick. We would also probably need some Sendings for long-distance scouts, if divinations aren't an option.

Rally Troops: Bards obviously would be the most useful...and this is a goblin vs orc conflict so we may face moral problems on the front lines. We aren't sure they are going to be available though. Are there any low level multi-target spells that give moral bonuses?
Failing having anything, we could still have people playing war drums, regardless, so this *may* not be the most necessary of things to handle with spells.

Combat: Pretty straight forward. We want major evocation spells with as large a radius as possible. If all else fails, we activate the Find City Bomb and assure mutual destruction.

Fortify Defenses: The "Repair" spells seem like they would work best, failing the ability to cast actual [I]Wall spells. Make Whole can repair up to 10 cubic feet of wall per level per cast. I don't truly think this is the best use of our spells, though, aside from the Make Whole thing, as it seems incredibly efficient, if we can focus the damage on a few parts of our walls (as it makes it good as new...so...yeah).

Are there any more roles we should think about (We got Commanders handled, but there's no other spells that would truly help with this, except maybe some stat-boosting spells.)

[Chronos]

The lowest-level army killer I know of is Summon Monster IV (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/summonMonsterIV.htm), which can get a Yeth hound (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/yethHound.htm). A yeth hound's howl can force pretty much the entire army to save or panic for 2d4 rounds. The save DC is fairly low, but then, armies are composed mostly of low-level soldiers, so a lot of them will fail. And having a significant chunk of an army, distributed across all of the ground they're covering, trying to flee is going to absolutely wreck any army.

Another good option is Wall of Fire (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/wallOfFire.htm). The damage isn't much, but the area of effect is huge, and again, mostly low-level soldiers. You'll catch a bunch just in the initial casting, and then cut the battlefield in half. For bonus points, combine this with the yeth hound, so the panicked soldiers run through the wall.

Lower-level, but up for more interpretation, is Illusory Script (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/illusoryScript.htm). If your DM will allow a very large silk banner as "suitable writing material", you could make a Suggestion that much of the enemy army will be able to read.

[Saintheart]

The bard spell Resounding Voice is not an army-killer as such, but if you've got a bard inspiring courage, and the DM is prepared to consider the entire garrison standing with you as your "allies", your bard can Inspire Courage out to 100 feet per level and thus to the entire garrison.

[SangoProduction]

The bard spell Resounding Voice is not an army-killer as such, but if you've got a bard inspiring courage, and the DM is prepared to consider the entire garrison standing with you as your "allies", your bard can Inspire Courage out to 100 feet per level and thus to the entire garrison.

Impressive. Of particular note, when I looked up the spell you gave, I found this: http://www.myth-weavers.com/showthread.php?t=46612
....My Google-Fu...Should have used it earlier lol.

[IronicGentleman]

Are there any geographic features we should know about? A river you could reroute, perhaps?

Also, what are you facing?

In terms of defensive building, try a lot of Summon Monster IIIs/Nature's Ally IIs for (Celestial) Dire Badgers. Basically anything with a burrow speed. The local Commoners work too. Get them to dig a deep pit around the area, then cover it with a thin wood layer. Cover the wood with grass and dirt. The enemy charges, they fall into the pit. A few Silent Images works too. You can even leave it uncovered, but that kind of ruins the effectiveness of the trap.

Obviously, prepare lots of CC for VE-Day. Caltrops (for once), Web, Glitterdust, and Grease are beautiful in this application. The classics are classics for a reason. Legion of Sentinels makes a well-trained army look bad. Use it well. Anything that creates a wall (Illusion or whatever) to redirect or block them off as necessary. Obscuring Mist is nice. More Summons with burrow speeds to get under them and make them have to deal with difficult terrain. The burrowers can also pop up right under them and attack.

[SangoProduction]

Are there any geographic features we should know about? A river you could reroute, perhaps?

Also, what are you facing?

In terms of defensive building, try a lot of Summon Monster IIIs/Nature's Ally IIs for (Celestial) Dire Badgers. Basically anything with a burrow speed. The local Commoners work too. Get them to dig a deep pit around the area, then cover it with a thin wood layer. Cover the wood with grass and dirt. The enemy charges, they fall into the pit. A few Silent Images works too. You can even leave it uncovered, but that kind of ruins the effectiveness of the trap.

Obviously, prepare lots of CC for VE-Day. Caltrops (for once), Web, Glitterdust, and Grease are beautiful in this application. The classics are classics for a reason. Legion of Sentinels makes a well-trained army look bad. Use it well. Anything that creates a wall (Illusion or whatever) to redirect or block them off as necessary. Obscuring Mist is nice. More Summons with burrow speeds to get under them and make them have to deal with difficult terrain. The burrowers can also pop up right under them and attack.

The geographic features are a giant river that basically serves to trap us from escape. It couldn't be rerouted within the time we had. We are also on a natural hill, which we built a wall around, and can use buildings for sniper positions. We also have something of a pit surrounding the wall, but it's nothing too significant.
We are facing orcs as goblins.
Those are good spell ideas, and I did indeed pick up Caltrops specifically for this situation.

[marphod]

How are you differentiating an invasion from a siege?

If you know the enemy is coming, the former becomes the latter. If you don't, the battle is over before you can do much and the best is hit-and-run tactics to take the town back.

Anyways, quickly:

Logistics/Communication:
Any light-generating spell.
Animal Messenger

Logistics/Countermeasures:
Alarm and cousins
Resounding Voice (Make lots of noise to impede communication, give contrary orders, spread lies, or whatever.
Silence (what orders? No one heard any orders.)
Anything that impedes movement (Entangle, Transmute Rock to Mud,, etc.)
Any large area illusions (Hallucinatory terrain, illusory wall)
Any illusion for disguise
Grease
Calm Emotions
Divinations

Logistics/Healing:
Vigor and cousins. Faith healing (when appropriate)

Logistics/Supplies:
Create Food and Create Food and Water, Heroic Feast, etc. Safe food and water supplies.
Unseen Crafter

Logistics/Transportation:
Any spell that can create bridges, stairs, or horizontal walls

Combat Support/General
Bless
Light level control spells
Fog spells
Pretty much every area-affect spell that hits an area with at least a 20' radius and does HP damage or negative status effects.
Wind Wall


Combat Support/Melee:


Combat Support/Ranged Units:
Blessed Aim

Scouting:
levitate/Fly/etc (esp. when combined with Invisibility)

Subterfuge:
Burrow
Vengeful Mount (make officers look like idiots)
Woodland Veil (and any other hiding spells)
Comprehend Languages
Erase
Mimicry
Reflective Disguise

[SangoProduction]

How are you differentiating an invasion from a siege?

If you know the enemy is coming, the former becomes the latter. If you don't, the battle is over before you can do much and the best is hit-and-run tactics to take the town back.

Anyways, quickly:

Logistics/Communication:
Any light-generating spell.
Animal Messenger

Logistics/Countermeasures:
Alarm and cousins
Resounding Voice (Make lots of noise to impede communication, give contrary orders, spread lies, or whatever.
Silence (what orders? No one heard any orders.)
Anything that impedes movement (Entangle, Transmute Rock to Mud,, etc.)
Any large area illusions (Hallucinatory terrain, illusory wall)
Any illusion for disguise
Grease
Calm Emotions
Divinations

Logistics/Healing:
Vigor and cousins. Faith healing (when appropriate)

Logistics/Supplies:
Create Food and Create Food and Water, Heroic Feast, etc. Safe food and water supplies.
Unseen Crafter

Logistics/Transportation:
Any spell that can create bridges, stairs, or horizontal walls

Combat Support/General
Bless
Light level control spells
Fog spells
Pretty much every area-affect spell that hits an area with at least a 20' radius and does HP damage or negative status effects.
Wind Wall


Combat Support/Melee:


Combat Support/Ranged Units:
Blessed Aim

Scouting:
levitate/Fly/etc (esp. when combined with Invisibility)

Subterfuge:
Burrow
Vengeful Mount (make officers look like idiots)
Woodland Veil (and any other hiding spells)
Comprehend Languages
Erase
Mimicry
Reflective Disguise

I meant they are going to try and run through, not try and outlast us via cutting off resources. I'll put that in the OP as well.

[Fitz10019]

Sanctuary lots of cows, and place them strategically to block entrances. There's no creature size limit on Sanctuary, if you find something bigger than a cow.

[Tvtyrant]

Force ladder. It makes an invincible, 60 ft. long barrier that lasts 1 min/level. Replace the gate bar with one and the gate won't open, period. Stick one in a doorway, use them to hold bolders over the enemy, etc.

[IronicGentleman]

Sanctuary lots of cows, and place them strategically to block entrances. There's no creature size limit on Sanctuary, if you find something bigger than a cow.

This is the best, most hilarious idea I've ever seen! :smallbiggrin:


The geographic features are a giant river that basically serves to trap us from escape. It couldn't be rerouted within the time we had. We are also on a natural hill, which we built a wall around, and can use buildings for sniper positions. We also have something of a pit surrounding the wall, but it's nothing too significant.

Sniper positions? Wizards with wands of Ray of Enfeeblement. Volley archers. Long-range CCers. The flimsy types who are effective at a distance.

Natural hill? They're automatically moving at half speed. Slow should make that interesting.

Rerouting shouldn't be that hard. You know the burrowing Summons I mentioned? Get them to do the rerouting for you. Then get them to deepen the pit. You now have a moat. Your only problem is swimmers, which shouldn't exist if your enemies are


orcs and goblins.

In this case, since the Orcs are light sensitive, the Lantern Archon/Dancing Lights trick becomes even better. If it's not day, and someone has the 3rd level spell slot, get them to cast Daylight and watch the suffering ensue. Otherwise the Archon/DL trick should be quite good enough.

Goblins are weak enough that outfitting your "sniper" Wizards with wands of Fireball should be rather devastating.


Those are good spell ideas, and I did indeed pick up Caltrops specifically for this situation.

Thanks! And yes, this is one of the very few situations in which Caltrops is actually good. :smallbiggrin:

Also: Logistics/Healing - Outfit your Clerics with wands of Mass Lesser Vigor if you can afford them.

Edit:
Force ladder. It makes an invincible, 60 ft. long barrier that lasts 1 min/level. Replace the gate bar with one and the gate won't open, period. Stick one in a doorway, use them to hold bolders over the enemy, etc.
Good idea for a Wall spell. This and the Sanctuary cows should be pretty OP.

Edit 2: Also, your sneaky types might enjoy the idea of Sneak Attacking officers/casters if they have them/Blue Psions with wands of Touch of Idiocy. :smallbiggrin:

That will probably be too many wands, though. I'd prioritise MLV and FB. If you can only get one or the other, MLV. They're pretty expensive at your level, but cheaper than Mass CLW and heal more on average.

[Missile156]

Well I've found a few 2nd and 3rd level spells that might be of some use.

2nd
arcane lock: lock the gates and make it even harder to break then down.
flaming sphere: if your enemies are running up a hill then let why not set the firey ball rolling down the hill at them?
fog cloud: make it harder for the enemies to see your pit that in front of your walls especially if you decide to expand it Making it deeper and wider.
Minor image: have some fun with this one. Make an image of a dragon roaring and then cast fireball too make it look like it's coming out of its mouth at the enemies

3rd
fireball: enough said
sleet storm: if the enemies are running up the hill make it really hard with them slipping and falling into each other all while they can't see anything in front of them.
Wind wall: deflect arrow volleys and blow the enemies back

Overall it sounds like a fun campaign! Have fun with that one!

[marphod]

I meant they are going to try and run through, not try and outlast us via cutting off resources. I'll put that in the OP as well.

Ah. I'd probably state that as the Town is being Raided or Sacked, rather than Invaded.

How large is the attacking force? How well organized? How are they getting to the Town? How long do you have to prepare?

[SangoProduction]

Sanctuary lots of cows, and place them strategically to block entrances. There's no creature size limit on Sanctuary, if you find something bigger than a cow.

This....I love this. lol.


Ah. I'd probably state that as the Town is being Raided or Sacked, rather than Invaded.

How large is the attacking force? How well organized? How are they getting to the Town? How long do you have to prepare?

About 4000 orcs vs 5000 goblins. Not looking good for the goblins if we find out the orcs somehow have similar magical capabilities as us.

And thanks, my English is not the best.


-snip-

Thanks for this. Quite informative.


-snip-

Overall it sounds like a fun campaign! Have fun with that one!

Nice spells. I'll try those.

And we will...try. lol