Epinephrine
2008-06-12, 04:24 PM
I'm trying to come up with ways to attack a very large group (army) - we're adventuring in a module, but I don't want any spoilers about it. That said, I'll now put a spoiler alert, so I can say a few things about the situation.
****Spoiler Alert****
****Spoiler Alert****
****Spoiler Alert****
So, the module is the Red Hand of Doom. I've seen posts about it here, but haven't read them, as I don't want to know anything about it in detail, but I am trying to bounce ideas around about how to proceed. My party aren't the most communicative between sessions, and I end up taking the reins in planning any assaults/ambushes, etc.
We are a group of 4 players, with an NPC as well. We're playing a gestalt game, and we're level 5. Item-wise we're probably a little under-funded, we have between us 2 +1 weapons and 2 +1 armours.
On the plus side, we are a pretty decent group when it comes to working together - all the party members agreed to max their ranks in Hide and Move Silently, and we have the teamwork benefit Infiltration.
The party is
Mystic Ranger 5/Archivist 5 - ranged attacker/healer; DM has been limiting his access to scrolls, domain spell scrolls don't work for archivists either.
Elven Ranger 4 Rogue 1/Weretiger 5 - spear wielder, has combat reflexes, does some decent damage and is tough, thanks to DR.
Barbarian 5/Swordsage 5 - Melee guy, our real damage dealer (physically)
Druid 5/Scout 4 Barb 1 - Me - we use shapeshift variant druid, no casting in animal forms. Have a wolf form (predator) and a raven form (aerial). I'm illiterate (flaw), but craft totems, so I have scroll-like things, but can't pass the archivist my spells (isn't that mean? :smallbiggrin: I like the feral druid thing though, he's the least civilised of the group)
Warlock 5?/Pixie ? - NPC, he's a bit of an unknown, but handy to have around. Is helping us because of a debt.
Status
We've just taken out a keep full of badguys, including a nasty bugbear (Koth). I scouted the area the next day in my aerial form, to learn more about the enemy positions/numbers, using Cloud Wings to get some extra speed and Chameleon to get close. Our Archivist happens to know Infernal, and has enough Decipher Script that he got a lot of info for us from the scrolls in the keep, and I have located a small force on a bridge to the north (looked like a large green dragon, a pair of hell hounds, and some orcs - based on tent size and activity, 8-12 of them).
Also scouted a rather huge army, but didn't want to get too close, due to a large flying thing that I was pretty sure was a red dragon, and the lack of much cover. Huge force.
We're planning to assault the bridge tonight, and I think we can do it. Providing we manage to take out the dragon (scary) and drop the bridge, mopping up any enemies who try to run, we'll likely be able to harrass the army if they try to go through the woods.
Plans for the army, possibly.
So, the idea is to whittle them down - maybe that'll change, but for now it's our goal. We're stupid enough.
Once the army is on the march, into the woods, they'll likely be a fairly long comlumn, and not too wide. With maxed hide/move silently and Woodland Veil we have no problem sneaking around in the woods. It should be possible to get close enough to the marching group to do soemthing like the following -
We all hide near the game trail we expect they'll be taking. They will likely have scouts, but we have ridiculous hide checks, especially if we use mass camouflage/woodland veil. My only magic item, other than my totems, is a Rod of Extend Spells (1st-3rd level), but I can activate an extended Decomposition, and move up to them (sneakily) - the group waits for me to move up, then casts Spike Growth (archivist can do this) on the area being marched on. Fall back fast, sneaking, getting away before they can find us.
Since you can't see a spike growth until you step through it (search DC 27, he copied the spell into his book as a 2nd level ranger spell) it'll deal some damage, triggering the decomposition emanation that I have brought up next to them, hitting as much as 100' of the marching column. Those affected have wounds that fester, taking 3 damage a round for ~8 more rounds, plus initial damage. Even if they have healers around, they can't easily get to touch range on those in spike growth, nor heal enough people quickly. I'd imagine this will kill quite a few enemies. Repeating this when possible seems reasonable?
Spike Growths can be left on the trail an hour ahead of them easily.
Plant Growth is indefinite, and slows groups down - especially wagons/etc.
Soften Earth and Stone on wet areas makes nasty mud, and is instantaneous, lasting until they have to cross it.
Trip Vines also last hours, and can be used to limit movement around obstacles.
Nature's Rampart can create obstructions too.
Sabotaging the supply train is on my to do list, via Warp Wood on water barrels, wagon wheels carrying food, and so on.
Perhaps contagion might be used, infecting enemies - Our pixie friend can use magic devices, and I can prep a totem with Contagion (or use it mself)- with the charge held it's easy to deliver it, either from hiding in bushes or by an invisible fairy. Would a contact disease work to infect others?
If it can be managed, could we infect a captive (a scout, assuming we can grab one), allow him to die, and try to get the infected body parts into the water supply? (assuming they have some large water moving devices). How would you rule that use? Some of the diseases could work nicely.
The decomposition seems like a reliable way to inflict damage, since it only requires being near them when they take damage, and we have ways to inflict damage on large areas (spike growth) - then to get away. With our ability to move full speed while hiding, and our great survival skills (all party members have survival, and we break trail superbly, easily making full speed travel in woods) we should be able to hit-and- run them, causing a lot of damage?
Any other ideas on how to slow/harm an army using 3rd level druid spells, 2nd level ranger spells and hit-and-run archery/sniping?
I was debating trying to poison the water supply as well, or the food stuffs. My Knowledge:Nature and Survival are maxed, with the survival synergy and the druid bonus, so IIRC it's around a +15? (+3 wisdom, +2 druid, +2 synergy, 8 ranks), and I also have Craft:Poisonmaking, though only a couple of ranks - still, I may be able to find enough poisonous mushrooms,belladonna, hemlock, and other natural poisons to brew up and get it in there. The ranger/weretiger has a hat of disguise, and speaks orc too.
Any more ideas appreciated :)
****Spoiler Alert****
****Spoiler Alert****
****Spoiler Alert****
So, the module is the Red Hand of Doom. I've seen posts about it here, but haven't read them, as I don't want to know anything about it in detail, but I am trying to bounce ideas around about how to proceed. My party aren't the most communicative between sessions, and I end up taking the reins in planning any assaults/ambushes, etc.
We are a group of 4 players, with an NPC as well. We're playing a gestalt game, and we're level 5. Item-wise we're probably a little under-funded, we have between us 2 +1 weapons and 2 +1 armours.
On the plus side, we are a pretty decent group when it comes to working together - all the party members agreed to max their ranks in Hide and Move Silently, and we have the teamwork benefit Infiltration.
The party is
Mystic Ranger 5/Archivist 5 - ranged attacker/healer; DM has been limiting his access to scrolls, domain spell scrolls don't work for archivists either.
Elven Ranger 4 Rogue 1/Weretiger 5 - spear wielder, has combat reflexes, does some decent damage and is tough, thanks to DR.
Barbarian 5/Swordsage 5 - Melee guy, our real damage dealer (physically)
Druid 5/Scout 4 Barb 1 - Me - we use shapeshift variant druid, no casting in animal forms. Have a wolf form (predator) and a raven form (aerial). I'm illiterate (flaw), but craft totems, so I have scroll-like things, but can't pass the archivist my spells (isn't that mean? :smallbiggrin: I like the feral druid thing though, he's the least civilised of the group)
Warlock 5?/Pixie ? - NPC, he's a bit of an unknown, but handy to have around. Is helping us because of a debt.
Status
We've just taken out a keep full of badguys, including a nasty bugbear (Koth). I scouted the area the next day in my aerial form, to learn more about the enemy positions/numbers, using Cloud Wings to get some extra speed and Chameleon to get close. Our Archivist happens to know Infernal, and has enough Decipher Script that he got a lot of info for us from the scrolls in the keep, and I have located a small force on a bridge to the north (looked like a large green dragon, a pair of hell hounds, and some orcs - based on tent size and activity, 8-12 of them).
Also scouted a rather huge army, but didn't want to get too close, due to a large flying thing that I was pretty sure was a red dragon, and the lack of much cover. Huge force.
We're planning to assault the bridge tonight, and I think we can do it. Providing we manage to take out the dragon (scary) and drop the bridge, mopping up any enemies who try to run, we'll likely be able to harrass the army if they try to go through the woods.
Plans for the army, possibly.
So, the idea is to whittle them down - maybe that'll change, but for now it's our goal. We're stupid enough.
Once the army is on the march, into the woods, they'll likely be a fairly long comlumn, and not too wide. With maxed hide/move silently and Woodland Veil we have no problem sneaking around in the woods. It should be possible to get close enough to the marching group to do soemthing like the following -
We all hide near the game trail we expect they'll be taking. They will likely have scouts, but we have ridiculous hide checks, especially if we use mass camouflage/woodland veil. My only magic item, other than my totems, is a Rod of Extend Spells (1st-3rd level), but I can activate an extended Decomposition, and move up to them (sneakily) - the group waits for me to move up, then casts Spike Growth (archivist can do this) on the area being marched on. Fall back fast, sneaking, getting away before they can find us.
Since you can't see a spike growth until you step through it (search DC 27, he copied the spell into his book as a 2nd level ranger spell) it'll deal some damage, triggering the decomposition emanation that I have brought up next to them, hitting as much as 100' of the marching column. Those affected have wounds that fester, taking 3 damage a round for ~8 more rounds, plus initial damage. Even if they have healers around, they can't easily get to touch range on those in spike growth, nor heal enough people quickly. I'd imagine this will kill quite a few enemies. Repeating this when possible seems reasonable?
Spike Growths can be left on the trail an hour ahead of them easily.
Plant Growth is indefinite, and slows groups down - especially wagons/etc.
Soften Earth and Stone on wet areas makes nasty mud, and is instantaneous, lasting until they have to cross it.
Trip Vines also last hours, and can be used to limit movement around obstacles.
Nature's Rampart can create obstructions too.
Sabotaging the supply train is on my to do list, via Warp Wood on water barrels, wagon wheels carrying food, and so on.
Perhaps contagion might be used, infecting enemies - Our pixie friend can use magic devices, and I can prep a totem with Contagion (or use it mself)- with the charge held it's easy to deliver it, either from hiding in bushes or by an invisible fairy. Would a contact disease work to infect others?
If it can be managed, could we infect a captive (a scout, assuming we can grab one), allow him to die, and try to get the infected body parts into the water supply? (assuming they have some large water moving devices). How would you rule that use? Some of the diseases could work nicely.
The decomposition seems like a reliable way to inflict damage, since it only requires being near them when they take damage, and we have ways to inflict damage on large areas (spike growth) - then to get away. With our ability to move full speed while hiding, and our great survival skills (all party members have survival, and we break trail superbly, easily making full speed travel in woods) we should be able to hit-and- run them, causing a lot of damage?
Any other ideas on how to slow/harm an army using 3rd level druid spells, 2nd level ranger spells and hit-and-run archery/sniping?
I was debating trying to poison the water supply as well, or the food stuffs. My Knowledge:Nature and Survival are maxed, with the survival synergy and the druid bonus, so IIRC it's around a +15? (+3 wisdom, +2 druid, +2 synergy, 8 ranks), and I also have Craft:Poisonmaking, though only a couple of ranks - still, I may be able to find enough poisonous mushrooms,belladonna, hemlock, and other natural poisons to brew up and get it in there. The ranger/weretiger has a hat of disguise, and speaks orc too.
Any more ideas appreciated :)