1001 Modern Tactics [Archive] - Wizards Community

1001 Modern Tactics [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Defensor_Vindex
07-12-06, 09:44 PM I've been looking around my books for some time, and I've decided that a good way to get players interested in a game of Dungeons and Dragons is to introduce modern stylized combat but with D+D technology. For example, the rules in CW and Heros of Battle on modern combat. Two of my ideas are:

1) Using the Barge ship from the Arms and Equipment Guide and loading it with 30 or 40 hobgoblins with Ornithopters (also Arms and Equipment Guide), and arming each pilot with a fully charged Wand of Fireball to make a decent aircraft carrier with aerial support

2) Using a form of the Apparatus of Kwalish from the DMG as a sort of tank (Just don't ask me what type of weapon to put on it!!)

Keep in mind, most of these ideas are to be used by enemy NPCs so cost should only be an issue for VERY expensive doomsday weapons. :mage:

Please feel free to post your ideas but try to steer clear of guns or gunpowder weapons, but any sort of magical or non-magical bombs are fair game.
thenotoriousJIM
07-12-06, 10:10 PM you have to rememer that these are not cheap items, if the players get a few of these apparratii they can sell them for a pretty penny.

there are other options that would work well. Make a gatling gun type bolt launcher. Think uber large repeating crossbow. Have it attack an area and everyone in those squares get a reflex save (look under automatic weapons in d20 modern, there is an srd on here for it). I think it is an AC of 15 to hit 2 five foot squares and it does an extra die of damage. For guns that is like 2d6+1d6, for a crossbow it is 1d8+1d8.

mines can be set, think more along the lines of traps randomly put out on the battlefeild.

Those are the only ideas i have off the top of my head.
Otogi
07-12-06, 10:42 PM archers with longbows or ray spell/power with rod of exteding=snipers team

Martial class with rapid reloading crossbows with enchantments=assult

Arane spellcaster/Destrution manifester Explosive fireball/energy ball=rocket

Skill class with Alchemists fire=granade

Bard with healing spells, high heal skill, light armor wearing divine spellcaster/pious manifester or any other class with Use Magic Device/Use Psionic Device and wand of healing=medic

Large creature with heavy armor=tank

Flying creature with rocks/alchemist fire/acid flask/tanglefoot bag/caltrop=airial strike

Duskblade/Psychic worrior=support

Storm of daggers spell=machone gunner
Defensor_Vindex
07-12-06, 11:29 PM Wow, this is all so obvious now, I was thinking so big.
Rentar1743
07-12-06, 11:54 PM The varios teleport spells, and dimension door spells to get the effect of modern paratropers.

I'll have to look in some of my dragon magazines after bit, and I'll post some other thoughts.
You coould do swat based tactics. Going with quick, hard hitting PC's that can do alot of damage in a short period of time. Two arcane casters, fighters, rogues. That can make for a very impressive group.
Rulebook
07-13-06, 09:58 AM A single scroll of Gate, keyed to a Demon of immence power (50+ HD)

this is not an ally, but a nuke. you drop it down, it's going to be ****** and kill everything around it.

Invisibility/Overland Flight: Stealth commando units (think a HALO parachute drop) oh wow (im thinking this up as i type it, bear with me) on that note... build parachutes for a mass of troops and set up a teleportation circle to drop the units OVER a Forbiddance fortified area! that'd be kinda sweet. just put "Protection from arrows" on them too!

ooh! have an ally all stealthed out to sneak into the enemy stronghold. the stronghold might not be familiar, but your ally is, so you can teleport to him when he gets into place! (maybe with a message spell too!)

OR! have that stealthy guy carry one end of a Ring Gate into an area. you have a few dozen wizards on the other side ready to chuck a huge barrage of fireballs through the other side! (See: Paint the target for a bomb strike!)

Diviners can perform the same job as spy sattelites.

Hasted Druids in Air Elemental shape can make effective high-speed attack aircraft. swoop in, drop something nasty (not even needing to cast a spell. just drop a bunch of alchemist fire indiscriminately on an area) and be out of there before the defense can be organized. Doubly good since dropping things is a free action, so you can x4 "Run" while flying!

finding spotters for you "Far Shot" enhanced siege weaponry could be a bonus. indirect fire from over hilltops and behind walls and such.

But i really like the Ring gate idea. who cares if you cant see through it? you just need to point it where it needs to be facing and have the other guys fire straight through it! (just max distance. it'll blow up on impact anyway)
Defensor_Vindex
07-13-06, 12:42 PM That's a very good idea. I was thinking of some sort of cruise missiles along the same lines, by using a greater scrying and a really powerful spell, like meteor swarm, or hell ball if you're epic, and those parachuting Druids could be the equivalent of a modern B-2 Spirit (the greatest bomber ever invented), if you give them (think expensive...) each a bag of holding, in air elemental form, filled with any sort of grenade-like weapon for endless bombage!!!
Black_Puffin
07-13-06, 04:41 PM Here's my take:

(Delayed blast?) fireball one-shot wonderous item: Grenade
fireball deals just about as much as a D20 modern grenade

Elven Walkers work well for tanks for elves
Dwarven Tunnelers for Dwarfs
Gnome Submersible...

Move Earth to make trenches
Earth Womb and scrying makes for a good ambush
Wall spells and illusions work well in mass combat
Phantom Battle and Legion of Sentinels are some of the best area spells for large scale combat.

I make some custom magic items for special occasions.
Nukes are disintegrate and contagen in a mile or two radius. Those that survive are sick from the "radiation".

I co-DM a half-modern half-fantasy campaign. I control the fantasy half and need ways to deal with modern artillery all the time.
Black_Puffin
07-13-06, 04:43 PM And the comp warrior has a few good ideas too...
blazed420
07-13-06, 07:27 PM i dont know the modern equivalent for this is, but it was halarious when my friends and i made it up. Spell storing bullets with cure on them, shoot a friend to heal them!

but better yet, adimantine body warforged, enhanced with ivulnerably armor ability, with staffs of issac's greater missle storm (better version of magic missle) and enchaned with a +(big) bonus on UMD. give him that component that gives him healing, and use a wish spell to send him back in time, and BAM! you got yourself a Terminator! maybe a hat of disguise to look human too...

(the staff is a lazer mini-gun!)

a wizard using overland flight and improved invisablity, and then using meteor swarm is a stealth bomber! fireball would make him a stealth fighter! casting throw a familiar would be the unmaned preditor!

rediculous ideas! i lvoe them all!
Absalon
07-14-06, 10:00 AM Hi! I am part of Defensor_Vindex's campaign. Thanks for your help. We will use it wisely. Actually, I have no power. DM Defensor_Vindex will use it wisely. ;)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Defensor_Vindex 07-12-06, 09:44 PM	I've been looking around my books for some time, and I've decided that a good way to get players interested in a game of Dungeons and Dragons is to introduce modern stylized combat but with D+D technology. For example, the rules in CW and Heros of Battle on modern combat. Two of my ideas are: 1) Using the Barge ship from the Arms and Equipment Guide and loading it with 30 or 40 hobgoblins with Ornithopters (also Arms and Equipment Guide), and arming each pilot with a fully charged Wand of Fireball to make a decent aircraft carrier with aerial support 2) Using a form of the Apparatus of Kwalish from the DMG as a sort of tank (Just don't ask me what type of weapon to put on it!!) Keep in mind, most of these ideas are to be used by enemy NPCs so cost should only be an issue for VERY expensive doomsday weapons. :mage: Please feel free to post your ideas but try to steer clear of guns or gunpowder weapons, but any sort of magical or non-magical bombs are fair game.
thenotoriousJIM 07-12-06, 10:10 PM	you have to rememer that these are not cheap items, if the players get a few of these apparratii they can sell them for a pretty penny. there are other options that would work well. Make a gatling gun type bolt launcher. Think uber large repeating crossbow. Have it attack an area and everyone in those squares get a reflex save (look under automatic weapons in d20 modern, there is an srd on here for it). I think it is an AC of 15 to hit 2 five foot squares and it does an extra die of damage. For guns that is like 2d6+1d6, for a crossbow it is 1d8+1d8. mines can be set, think more along the lines of traps randomly put out on the battlefeild. Those are the only ideas i have off the top of my head.
Otogi 07-12-06, 10:42 PM	archers with longbows or ray spell/power with rod of exteding=snipers team Martial class with rapid reloading crossbows with enchantments=assult Arane spellcaster/Destrution manifester Explosive fireball/energy ball=rocket Skill class with Alchemists fire=granade Bard with healing spells, high heal skill, light armor wearing divine spellcaster/pious manifester or any other class with Use Magic Device/Use Psionic Device and wand of healing=medic Large creature with heavy armor=tank Flying creature with rocks/alchemist fire/acid flask/tanglefoot bag/caltrop=airial strike Duskblade/Psychic worrior=support Storm of daggers spell=machone gunner
Defensor_Vindex 07-12-06, 11:29 PM	Wow, this is all so obvious now, I was thinking so big.
Rentar1743 07-12-06, 11:54 PM	The varios teleport spells, and dimension door spells to get the effect of modern paratropers. I'll have to look in some of my dragon magazines after bit, and I'll post some other thoughts. You coould do swat based tactics. Going with quick, hard hitting PC's that can do alot of damage in a short period of time. Two arcane casters, fighters, rogues. That can make for a very impressive group.
Rulebook 07-13-06, 09:58 AM	A single scroll of Gate, keyed to a Demon of immence power (50+ HD) this is not an ally, but a nuke. you drop it down, it's going to be ****** and kill everything around it. Invisibility/Overland Flight: Stealth commando units (think a HALO parachute drop) oh wow (im thinking this up as i type it, bear with me) on that note... build parachutes for a mass of troops and set up a teleportation circle to drop the units OVER a Forbiddance fortified area! that'd be kinda sweet. just put "Protection from arrows" on them too! ooh! have an ally all stealthed out to sneak into the enemy stronghold. the stronghold might not be familiar, but your ally is, so you can teleport to him when he gets into place! (maybe with a message spell too!) OR! have that stealthy guy carry one end of a Ring Gate into an area. you have a few dozen wizards on the other side ready to chuck a huge barrage of fireballs through the other side! (See: Paint the target for a bomb strike!) Diviners can perform the same job as spy sattelites. Hasted Druids in Air Elemental shape can make effective high-speed attack aircraft. swoop in, drop something nasty (not even needing to cast a spell. just drop a bunch of alchemist fire indiscriminately on an area) and be out of there before the defense can be organized. Doubly good since dropping things is a free action, so you can x4 "Run" while flying! finding spotters for you "Far Shot" enhanced siege weaponry could be a bonus. indirect fire from over hilltops and behind walls and such. But i really like the Ring gate idea. who cares if you cant see through it? you just need to point it where it needs to be facing and have the other guys fire straight through it! (just max distance. it'll blow up on impact anyway)
Defensor_Vindex 07-13-06, 12:42 PM	That's a very good idea. I was thinking of some sort of cruise missiles along the same lines, by using a greater scrying and a really powerful spell, like meteor swarm, or hell ball if you're epic, and those parachuting Druids could be the equivalent of a modern B-2 Spirit (the greatest bomber ever invented), if you give them (think expensive...) each a bag of holding, in air elemental form, filled with any sort of grenade-like weapon for endless bombage!!!
Black_Puffin 07-13-06, 04:41 PM	Here's my take: (Delayed blast?) fireball one-shot wonderous item: Grenade fireball deals just about as much as a D20 modern grenade Elven Walkers work well for tanks for elves Dwarven Tunnelers for Dwarfs Gnome Submersible... Move Earth to make trenches Earth Womb and scrying makes for a good ambush Wall spells and illusions work well in mass combat Phantom Battle and Legion of Sentinels are some of the best area spells for large scale combat. I make some custom magic items for special occasions. Nukes are disintegrate and contagen in a mile or two radius. Those that survive are sick from the "radiation". I co-DM a half-modern half-fantasy campaign. I control the fantasy half and need ways to deal with modern artillery all the time.
Black_Puffin 07-13-06, 04:43 PM	And the comp warrior has a few good ideas too...
blazed420 07-13-06, 07:27 PM	i dont know the modern equivalent for this is, but it was halarious when my friends and i made it up. Spell storing bullets with cure on them, shoot a friend to heal them! but better yet, adimantine body warforged, enhanced with ivulnerably armor ability, with staffs of issac's greater missle storm (better version of magic missle) and enchaned with a +(big) bonus on UMD. give him that component that gives him healing, and use a wish spell to send him back in time, and BAM! you got yourself a Terminator! maybe a hat of disguise to look human too... (the staff is a lazer mini-gun!) a wizard using overland flight and improved invisablity, and then using meteor swarm is a stealth bomber! fireball would make him a stealth fighter! casting throw a familiar would be the unmaned preditor! rediculous ideas! i lvoe them all!
Absalon 07-14-06, 10:00 AM	Hi! I am part of Defensor_Vindex's campaign. Thanks for your help. We will use it wisely. Actually, I have no power. DM Defensor_Vindex will use it wisely. ;)