Druid's Warring?

[jabberwocky9]

I’m running a 3.5 Eberron Campaign with three characters, one of which is a 6th lvl Shifter Druid. The next setting will be in the Eldeen Reaches and the group is traveling to meet Oalian the grand druid to ask questions regarding a obsidian tablet with script written in Vraak the black dragon’s language. What I’m trying to do is actually when they get there is that the Druids are in the midst of war against Aundair and the Quori. Mechanically I am trying to find ways of defeating, in my opinion, the powerful Druids. Also thematically, what are some ways I can establish and continue this scenario. This may be a little vague to help you understand my thoughts on this. I just find it troublesome because I believe that Druids, especially at high levels, overpowering.

[jabberwocky9]

Aundair or Reidra could equip mages or manifesters with flying mounts, Dorjes or Wands of Invisibility, flasks of Alchemist's Fire, and flasks of oil, then send them into the Eldeen Reaches to bombard Druid communities, farms, and strongholds. As the Druids start to lose their ranks, their enemies could use Scrying or Remote Viewing to pinpoint the positions of their leadership, then Teleport in and assassinate them through sheer force of numbers.

First of all, thanks for the response.

There are flying vessels that can obtained and used in the same manner as bombardment. So, your thought, distract and attack (assassinate).

I see the Druids using their summoning, pretty sure they are smart enough to be scry-proof, and remote viewing virtually impossible.

Teleporting can be a useful tool but I only see it being capable of only a few people teleporting.

What else, can we come up with?

[Goaty14]

So this thread is about "How to wage war against a druidic country"
Is the answer not obvious?
Fire.
Yea, torch everything, break out the napalm.
As they say: Whatever burns your boat

[Fouredged Sword]

Yeah, the problem is that it is REALLY easy to burn woodland and the druids have a LOT of ground to defend. Basically you force the druids to spread out and defend in depth, then hit a critical point with a lot of force. The defender is at a disadvantage because they must defend everywhere while the attacker only has to attack a single location.

[Goaty14]

Keep in mind that this is Eberron, so if you want to give the druids a chance...
Planar Shepherd, anyone?

[TheBrassDuke]

So this thread is about "How to wage war against a druidic country"
Is the answer not obvious?
Fire.
Yea, torch everything, break out the napalm.
As they say: Whatever burns your boat

Just remember: if you believe certain rumors, I'd be careful about taking on Aundair; it's said that a Tiger sleeps below, and may actually even be running around the palace wearing the skin of Queen Aurala.

Druids are IMMENSELY powerful--look no further than Nwm the Preceptor, from Tales of Wyre, for the proof--but not so powerful that they may wholly take down a Rakshasa Raja (Fiend Overlord).

And if you believe the Flame is actually another Raja...then "Aurala" has a potential ally right next door, or just another powerful enemy. Who knows?

[jabberwocky9]

So this thread is about "How to wage war against a druidic country"
Is the answer not obvious?
Fire.
Yea, torch everything, break out the napalm.
As they say: Whatever burns your boat

Ha ha, not really, I complicate things!

Fire, fire, fire,...it is!

[jabberwocky9]

Just happy to help.


I'm aware of the flying vessels, but it's easier to stealthily deploy flying mounts and riders with Dorjes and Wands of Invisibility. Then again, you could combine these unit types, but the airships would be rather vulnerable if they ever enter a battle.

Well, Aundair does have dragonhawks. I agree with your assessment on airships.

Summoning isn't useful when you're being bombarded by aerial units that go invisible right after they attack. Also, mind explaining how Druids could make themselves scry-proof? They seem to lack the necessary spells to counter such efforts.

I believe they have mind blank...I'll have to check. Magic Items...maybe.

Sure, 9th level casters or manifesters can only bring 3 additional creatures with them, but Bags of Holding storing soldiers with Bottles of Air and their own Bags of Holding can multiply the size of such forces. It might not be cheap, but we are talking about wiping out another nation's leaders as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Definitely over the top but worth it...it is war and we do spend a lot on war


Nuclear explosions generated by Wizards casting Major Creation to conjure uranium while hiding in Resilient Spheres?

That wouldn't lead to a worldwide conflict...right?

LOL...if not once...twice maybe!

[Hackulator]

The druids should be MASSIVELY outnumbered, the Eldeen Reaches is one of the least populated of all the countries in Eberron. In addition, as others said, if the Quori are invading the druids have a lot of forest that they HAVE to defend, it's not like normal warfare where you can pull back to your castle with supplies, if the forests are destroyed the druids lose.

[Braininthejar2]

And how to prepare for a counter-attack? druids in Eberron can transform too? They can be a group of very destructive infiltrators, even without using summons.

The wildshape thing also makes them hard to scry and fry - you look into a crystal ball and see a pack of wolves sleeping in some forest. what exactly are you seeing and where?

[Braininthejar2]

I think any strategists worthy of their ranks would recognize those wolves are Druids.

druids, or animal companions, or befriended animals. also, of any combination of levels

[Braininthejar2]

All of which would be acceptable targets, in the eyes of Aundarian and Reidran strategists.

Attacking an enemy, not knowing if its a level 2 wolf or a level 12 druid is strategically unsound. Also, scrying provides a vision of your target, but does it supply an exact location too?

[jabberwocky9]

Sense Motive: Assess Opponent would help them estimate the target's level. Scrying also provides vision and sound within 10 feet of the target, so they can infer that the target is in the center of that. Either way, stuff like Cloud Mind, Invisibility, Levitate, and Remove Scent would help the teleportation squad stealthily enter the area, quickly unload the units in the nested Bags of Holding, then overwhelm the Druids and their allies.

Hmmm...maybe Druids need some help?

[Endarire]

Remember, Druid/Planar Shepherd can get access to wish via Fernia (and debatably Lamannia if they can become Noble Djinn). That could help them.