Defending a Town vs. Undead

[vampire2948]

Hey,

I'm playing in a horror-themed campaign, where the main enemy is the tainted undead, mostly controlled by a lich and his various minions. There are very few living enemies.

Our party consists of:

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Myself, a 10th level NG Cleric of 'The Father' (custom Pantheon) with the Domains of Tyranny and Community.
The other players are:
10th level Archivist / Sorceror [she hasn't quite decided yet]
10th level Ranger [favoured enemy undead, very anti-undead in feats and such. I usually cast Disrupting weapon on his swords so he can cleave through some zombies]
10th level Warlock [Not sure of her invocations or similar, but she seems to be good at dealing damage, and I know she has Fell Flight.]
10th level Rogue / [Class i'm not aware of. He gets a lot of luck rolls though. Might be favoured soul]

After our last adventure exploring the house of a dead witch due to a contingent sending, and recovering the phylactery of the BBEG from the ruins. (We cannot destroy the Phylactery. We tried. It has plot armour or something.) We returned back to our base city, which is a port-town.
There were some hints from various sources that there would be an attack on the town presently, and so my Cleric cast a Divination spell or two to find out exactly when this would happen.

The attack is scheduled for the second sunset after that evening. So we have two days.

I need to make preperations for the town's defense, being the party's only divine spellcaster. [We have the Archivist, but I don't know if she's playing one... or what spells she'll take.

The Plan

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The plan is to split up the party to defend different locations. Myself, the warlock and the rogue/favoured soul will be defending the Church of the Seven [There are 7 gods].
The archivist//sorceror and the ranger will be defending the house/court of the lord of the city. (who is 8 years old, btw)

There may be a little help from the town guard / similar, and from our own organisation (we run an enforcer / protection type thing).

Current spells i've cast:

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Widened Hallow [With death ward] taking up 24 hrs cast time, covering an 80ft radius circle around the area where the Ranger and Archivist//Sorceror will be standing. [This does not cover the church]
4x Glyphs of Warding with Searing Light in them, command word activated. These are placed around the walls of the church I'm defending.
Consecrate at the church (+6 to turn checks, -4 to undead saves and rolls)

Before the sun sets, I will be casting Greater Status on all the party, allowing me to heal them from wherever I am.
The Ranger and Archivist//Sorceror will have scrolls and potions of healing, death ward, protection from evil, and disrupting weapon.

Now, I need to know if i've missed anything. I know there will be a couple of vampires in the attack, and their abilities should be blocked by hallow / consecrate + death ward. But aside from that, it should be mostly mindless and low CR undead - and a lot of them.

I'm considering casting a series spells to summon a few celestials in for the fight. I assume they'd be happy to help and wouldn't require a large payment.

So - Any ideas?

[KillianHawkeye]

Hmm.... I'd reccomend a shotgun, but you'd probably have to travel to an alternative Material Plane to get one of those, and you'd be short on ammo.

Just a thought, but make sure the vamps can't steal back the phylactery somehow.

[vampire2948]

I'm not entirely sure that they know where the phylactery is. But it is in a safe location regardless - and whether or not it is taken from there is up to the DM, not us, since we gave it to a group of high level wizard types to destroy for us.

And no, the wizards won't help us defend the town. They're busy breaking a phylactery.

[UserClone]

You know, I never even noticed that spell. How the heck can disrupting weapon be used on any melee weapon, but the property of disrupting can only be added onto a magical bludgeoning weapon? [/threadderail]

[Lysander]

If vampires are attacking make sure to get lots of garlic. Give each person a clove to wear around their neck and spread little pieces of garlic all around the area you expect to fight in. Vampires will not be able to approach. If you can't get garlic, anyone can use a mirror or holy symbols to keep them at bay.

Create some holy water and distribute it for use as a splash weapon. Splash weapons will be handy when dealing with tightly packed weak undead.

Have spells or potions to protect against common undead abilities like paralysis and stench.

Also, mindless undead are stupid. Prepare diversions to lead them off so you can fight them in smaller groups. Use Hide from Undead to escape and regroup when needed. They will probably also fall prey to hidden traps set in their path, and if anyone has illusion spells will be easy to trick and mislead.

[Forbiddenwar]

He probably already has one, but make sure the rogue has the Augment crystal True Death Greater so he can sneak attack undead.

[Alejandro]

Find a bard that can perform Thriller.

:)

[Johel]

Also, mindless undead are stupid. Prepare diversions to lead them off so you can fight them in smaller groups. Use Hide from Undead to escape and regroup when needed. They will probably also fall prey to hidden traps set in their path, and if anyone has illusion spells will be easy to trick and mislead.

Screaming commoner + Pole + Rope.
Best bait ever.
What ? You took Tyranny as domain, didn't you ?

• Arrange people on the roofs, equipped with slings.
• Have people work on fortifications.
• Make barricades erected in every streets. Commoners might hold their ground that way.
• Make pits digged wherever you can. Make barricades on BOTH side of the pits.

[chiasaur11]

Hmm.... I'd reccomend a shotgun, but you'd probably have to travel to an alternative Material Plane to get one of those, and you'd be short on ammo.

Have you seen the d20 modern rules for shotguns?

Better to just steal a 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88.

[Alejandro]

Take advantage of the fact that (unless commanded somehow) the undead will be mindless. All kinds of traps that they'll walk right into. I'm reminded of the traps in Half-Life 2, where someone placed a sharp blade on a gasoline motor and created a zombie dismemberer.

[Random832]

a sharp blade on a gasoline motor

There's a proper name for that kind of device, you know... it's called a "lawnmower".

[Alejandro]

There's a proper name for that kind of device, you know... it's called a "lawnmower".

Ha! True, but in this case I believe they were auto engines and four to five foot blades.

But really, even a regular lawnmower could make a mess of a zombie, if you turned the blades to face them and got them to touch it.

[chiasaur11]

Ha! True, but in this case I believe they were auto engines and four to five foot blades.

But really, even a regular lawnmower could make a mess of a zombie, if you turned the blades to face them and got them to touch it.

Just ask Peter Jackson.

[Hawriel]

Your a "good" character with the tyranny domane?

The town does not have walls or at leat a burm?

If not I would pick the strongest building in town and block it off. Most likely this would be the church. Block off all the roads leading to the chosen building. You can do this by using wagons, ripping up fencing and other small structures. Board up buildings and incorporate them as strong points. Make the roads that are blocked so they funnel the undead into them. Party members are used as a reaction force to support breaches or to man week points in the line.

[bosssmiley]

You know, I never even noticed that spell. How the heck can disrupting weapon be used on any melee weapon, but the property of disrupting can only be added onto a magical bludgeoning weapon? [/threadderail]

Clerics are the classic anti-undead characters in D&D and traditionally their iconic weapon is...? Ah hah.

disrupting : mace :: vorpal/sharpness : sword

[Lysander]

Cast Insect Plague! Locust swarms are immune to weapons. A zombie fist or a skeleton's unmagical sword can't hurt swarms! If you have barricades wait until the undead start attacking them, then summon a swarm right on the other side of your wall them so every round the undead attack your barricades they have to stay in the swarm and take 2d6 damage.

You still have time to build barricades and raised platforms for archers and holy water throwers with Wall of Stone.

Keep a few powerful spells on hand to deal with the inevitable "boss undead" or necromancer that will be leading the attack.

Any way to create a convincing replica of the phylactery? Perhaps the enemy will send part of their force into an ambush or trap if they think they can recover the phylactery. You don't need to fool the BBEG himself, just whoever catches a glimpse of it and tells him about it.

But most importantly, don't focus just on fighting the undead. You can be sure that your DM is going to throw you a curveball. Be ready for the unexpected. Figure out a Plan B in case the battle goes poorly. What's your escape route? Is there a way to evacuate the civilians if you have to flee? Should you evacuate some of them beforehand? How will you reconvene if separated?

[PapaNachos]

You could also construct a makeshift catwalk between the tops of the buildings (depending on how tall and close together they are). It would allow easy movement across the city, and if a building ever becomes compromised you can just evacuate everyone and remove its bridges. You could then barricade the street level without much trouble.

How large of a town is it and how much of the population could help in a fight? And what are the non-combatants going to be doing while you're fighting?

Make sure you have plenty of ways to move around the city and communicate with both your other party members and the other fighters.

[Johel]

Cast Insect Plague! Locust swarms are immune to weapons. A zombie fist or a skeleton's unmagical sword can't hurt swarms! If you have barricades wait until the undead start attacking them, then summon a swarm right on the other side of your wall them so every round the undead attack your barricades they have to stay in the swarm and take 2d6 damage.

You still have time to build barricades and raised platforms for archers and holy water throwers with Wall of Stone.

Keep a few powerful spells on hand to deal with the inevitable "boss undead" or necromancer that will be leading the attack.

Any way to create a convincing replica of the phylactery? Perhaps the enemy will send part of their force into an ambush or trap if they think they can recover the phylactery. You don't need to fool the BBEG himself, just whoever catches a glimpse of it and tells him about it.

But most importantly, don't focus just on fighting the undead. You can be sure that your DM is going to throw you a curveball. Be ready for the unexpected. Figure out a Plan B in case the battle goes poorly. What's your escape route? Is there a way to evacuate the civilians if you have to flee? Should you evacuate some of them beforehand? How will you reconvene if separated?

The "Insect Plague" is just awesome.

I wouldn't use the Wall of Stone, thought.
That's a wasted 5th level spellslot, since it's a lot easier to just pack furnitures, carts, pavement and stuff if you want a barricade. And if you want a plateform, it's a city : USE THE ROOFS !!
Put commoners on the roof, block the doors downstairs (somebody already said it) and have them beat skeletons sniper-style.
Use the 5th level spellslots for Insect Plague only.

[Sir Dar]

Arm the villagers and train them In the arts of war. Make sure the they all have a range and melee weapon.So they can rain death on the undead befor they get in melee range.. Melee weapon for when the undead get in close.



how to train the villagers you ask. You can all ways do it the roman way. Give them a sword,sheild,and a range weapon that is destroy when it hits the foe.There is the greek phalanx .It would hold off the lesser undead like flys.with only 2 days to train and ready the village,training to use the phalanx seen unlikey.For it takes highly trained skill infantry to pull off.If you must silt up the group make sure both partys have a way of communicate with each other.


If the main undead army is the slow weak kind of undead. Hit and run attack would work great. If there fast zombies. archers behide or on top of a building guard by melee fighters.Just in case you may want to get ready a few ways to deal with a undead dragon. You know them lichs they like useing undead dragons.



does the town have any allys or other friendly towns/citys/kings guard/paladin order nearby that can come to there aid. If so send a messager.



If you going to hold you self up in the towns strongest building. try to build a wooden wall or a small moat filled with sea monsters a round said building. Build or lay down as many traps as you can.From spears in the hole to a fire arrow hiting the ground and strating a big fire where undead are at.

make sure you have a escape plan ready just in case things don't go well.That all i can think of for now. good luck at beating back the undead.

[Doug Lampert]

You know, I never even noticed that spell. How the heck can disrupting weapon be used on any melee weapon, but the property of disrupting can only be added onto a magical bludgeoning weapon? [/threadderail]

ObOrderOfTheStick. It's not like readers of this sight have never seen a disrupting greatsword.

[Alejandro]

If you going to hold you self up in the towns strongest building. try to build a wooden wall or a small moat filled with sea monsters a round said building.

LOL!! Sea monsters just kills me.

[Ravens_cry]

You know, I never even noticed that spell. How the heck can disrupting weapon be used on any melee weapon, but the property of disrupting can only be added onto a magical bludgeoning weapon? [/threadderail]

I know, I always wanted a Disrupting Scythe. That Glowed Blue.
And I would TALK LIKE THIS.
Can you make positive energy traps? Heal your buddies, hurt your enemies is always a good win-win situation.

[Lycanthromancer]

Get a bunch of things to barricade off several of the narrower streets and alleyways, then get a whole bunch of wood and cast shrink item on it. Then fabricate into a bunch of tower shields (you can create MANY more shields if you're working on shrunken materials). Have a bunch of commoners hold the shields as cover, and advance down each street wall-to-wall, while archers stand behind them (preferably on rooftops) and snipe.

[ericgrau]

Holy water moat.

[wykydtron]

Holy water moat.

+1 for the holy water mote.

[Fizban]

Well you start by having the commoners all fight non-lethal duels against each other for a couple weeks so they can level up a couple times into warlock and dragon shaman...

If the sorcerer can pick up the Lucent Lance spell, two shots should insta-kill any vampire. Each hit counts as a full round in direct sunlight for light vulnerable creatures, so two in a row would dust it. That's two 5th level spells though, and at 10th level you probably don't have that to spare for every vamp.

The layout of the town would be useful. Wall of Fire can slaughter skeletons and zombies and put a dent in anything else, but if you can't choke them into it there's no point. If you had a Rod of Chaining you could chain a Greater Magic Weapon onto all the peasants weapons for a bit of a boost. Holy Storm hits your basic 20' radius with evil damaging rain for 1 round/level, great for bringing down a mob about the eat the villagers (as long as the villagers aren't evil).

Any particular reason you need to split up? It's a lot easier to defend an area with magic if you only have to defend the one area.

[Johel]

Arm the villagers and train them In the arts of war. (lot's of other cool ideas...)

Well you start by having the commoners all fight non-lethal duels against each other for a couple weeks so they can level up a couple times into warlock and dragon shaman...

Two days. No time for training the citizens. Barely enough time to make defenses and set a battleplan. Best they can do is probably just hand over a sling and a club to everyone, tell them where to stand, what to do and hope none of them run away when the enemy's closing.

No fancy, complicated tactics 'cause with untrained conscripts, it's going to fail. And failure against undeads means more undeads to fight against.

Any particular reason you need to split up? It's a lot easier to defend an area with magic if you only have to defend the one area.

Maybe because you cannot just pack the whole population in a single building ? The PC will successfully defend the church but what's the point ? Half of the population will get slaughtered on the walls or in the streets because there'll be nobody to lead them.

Also, if they just all gang at one place, they're basically letting most of the enemy army get into the city without much casualties, as I suppose the undeads won't just charge the main gate. Skeletons will swarm from all direction and when the necromancer finds a weak spot, he'll push through himself, with his reserves following right behind and basically overwhelming the (now useless) outer defenses. That's it, if the defense is equal everywhere. If he see there's only ONE spot which is defended... well, that's even easier for him because he just have to send minions on THAT spot to keep the PCs busy while most of the undead horde just enter the city from other points.

[vampire2948]

The reason we have to split up is because we have to defend the whole town, and those two points are strategic enough that holding them both will make it very difficult for the undead to get other parts, apparently. I really need to get the DM to give me a map.

Since I lack a map, working out where I want traps and NPCs with various weapons to go is difficult.

Also - I've spent 26 hrs of my time casting in the two day window that I have. So I don't have much time to do anything except prepare spell slots and rest. I'll try to get the Ranger to organise some sort of commoner army.. and if the person plays an archivist, perhaps she'll cast another hallow. That would be useful.

I like many of the above ideas, thank you all! I shall try to include all of them which are plausible in my stratergy.

Vampire2948,

EDIT:

Two days. No time for training the citizens. Barely enough time to make defenses and set a battleplan. Best they can do is probably just hand over a sling and a club to everyone, tell them where to stand, what to do and hope none of them run away when the enemy's closing.

No fancy, complicated tactics 'cause with untrained conscripts, it's going to fail. And failure against undeads means more undeads to fight against.

Correct - Two days is hardly much time at all. All the people who will be involved in the battle are our little group of enforcer-type-NPCs, and the PCs. There might be a couple of wizards from the guild there - but that's unlikely.


We don't actually know where anything is coming from - just that most of the undead are on, or under, the sea at the moment - this makes it likely that they will attack from the sea.
To counter this, myself and the other PCs will start off at the port side of the city, and then run to other places if they attack from a different directon.

[Renrik]

Let's see if I can think of anything that hasn't already been suggested.

First, if there's a high-level cleric in the town, which there ought to be, ave him bless any water he can get his hands on and distribute it to gans of children on the rooftops. Or to halflings. They get a net +2 on throwing (with size mod).

I would leave some of the peasants or town guard in reserve to be used where needed most after the battle begins. You don't want them tangled up with something asinine when the zombie horde is butchering your conscripts.

If you can, try to use communication or transportation spells of any type to move reinforcements to your position from other cities and castles.

Normally, one should arm peasant conscripts with spears and pikes for maximum effect, but I would in this case suggest any damned bludgeoning weapon you can get your hands on.

Again, garlic. Depending on the rules your DM is using, also hang up some mirrors at key places and tell everyone not to invite strangers into their houses that night.

Don't use fire. You're in a city. It's a bad idea.

[sofawall]

Hmm...

Addressing the issue of "If we defend one spot, they'll get in everywhere else!", if you manage to block off all entrances with wood, it'll take forever for random undead to get in (hardness 5 on wood, if I recall correctly). Higher-ups could get in, sure, but if you have watchers/holy water throwers positioned strategically, they can run for the PCs. The PCs are supposed to fight the tough ones anyway, and it'll give some time to get in.

Also, if there's a wall, it's easy. Block the gates. Basic common undead can't break stone, and anything tough enough to do so, again, send for the PCs.

Mainly, try your best to funnel. If your DM has decided two spots need to be defended, nothing you do can change that. You will need to defend two spots. Railroads beat magic every time.