Battle Tactics [Archive] - Wizards Community

Battle Tactics [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
JimmyJustice
02-17-05, 12:46 AM I'm just looking for some ideas on possible battle tactics/strategies to throw in my campaign. Preferably ones you have used while DMing and a brief description of how it worked, what occurrred, PC reactions, etc.

I just wanna throw something at my PCs that is somewhat new/original rather than the typical battle tactics they encounter.

Your inputs are highly valued.
catowar
02-17-05, 12:54 AM well hazaerds allways make things alot more "fun" like fighting gnolls in a 40X40 is no big thing, but if the room had 5 5x5 pits of lava then the gnolls can bull rush them in!

there are soo many hazaerds you can make up, acid, fire (good old fire) , and endless holes are just some examples!, the sky is the limit!... hmm sky... air combat... YA! try air combat to!
SD
02-17-05, 01:21 AM Terrain and hazards both. If the enemeies can get the PCs to come to them, they should be ready to twist the situation to their advantage. It's one thing to fight on a 30-degree slope. It's quite another to fight on one where gnolls are rolling large boulders at the PCs.

One of my favorites was when a half-dragon the PCs had angered was waiting for them outside of a dungeon. The players thought the session had ended, so they were leaving without curing and one of them was starting to pack up until I told him to make a Reflex save against a surprise round breath weapon. Took them two rounds to get the fighter on his feet while the rogue went into melee. Ambushing the party with something significant, like a nice damage-dealing spell, or lots of insignificant things that are significant in numbers, like orcs coming out from behind pillars once the PCs are midway through the room, really makes them consider more angles than walk-kill-level.

If you can take out one important PC during the surprise round, all the better. Intelligent creatures know not to spread out their attacks on everybody. They know to take out the healer first so the party can't recover or the sorcerer first so they don't get a ton of spells against their low Reflex save. They know to sunder magic weapons that can beat their DR and find ways to avoid being flanked for sneak attack damage. "Tactics" implies that the baddies have thought ahead and have at least a rough idea of prioritizing their attacks; have them act like it.
Woas
02-17-05, 12:31 PM Any particular creatures or situations you had in mind JimmyJustice?
CzarGarrett
02-17-05, 12:42 PM I've enjoyed having a handful of archers up on a relatively low cliff that pop up right as the PCs come into a narrow point in a path. The archers peg them with arrows, usually for only small amounts of damage, but that gets the PCs starting to go after the archers, only to have infantry types attack them.

It works well around levels 4-6, because the damage isn't enough to kill a lot of them, but there is that threat.
Staver
02-17-05, 12:49 PM One of the most fun things we've done is the "pinata". Just 2 players, myself and another, because most of the regular group could not make it. I am a Minotaur Bbn, 10' reach, and the other player is a Psion. We encountered a fairly vicious reptilian monster, some sort of raptor IIRC, but it only had 5' reach, so the Psion levitated the creature and I just stood there and whamed it to death with my superior reach. DM was upset but got over it. This would work with ranged weapons as well if you don't have the reach advantage.

Also had a fighter vs. fighter combat on a rooftop where I bull rushed my opponent off the roof. Lots of fun if they don't have fly!

-Staver
psionichamster
02-17-05, 01:26 PM any kind of fight with tons of spikes around.

sharp ones...

of course, paired tactics work well, too...

have a team of 2 (or 2 such teams) of sneaky type characters ambush the party...

monk/rogue combo is nastily lethal (or non-if they want info/ransom/are bounty hunters) for the stun/sneak attack combo...

wiz/rogue is similarly nasty, of course, now you have a spellcaster which ups the lethality level quite a bit

a druid ranger (and their respective animal friends) can be devastating...esp. if the druid wildshapes into something with imp. grapple (or constrict) and the ranger is of the bow-type...ie, has point blank and precise shot to nail a char. grabbed up by the druid/snake

creatures that have high mobility are fun to use...hit and run tactics by goblin worg riders, griffons/hippogriffs/chimera/dragons (depending on PC levels),

for some reason, and elven pair, ranger and druid, with the druid wildshaped into something flying, and the animal companions on the wings is coming to mind.

that would be much like the US army air cavalry...i can just imagine them coming out of an orange sunset with "Ride of the Valkyries" playing in the background

time to get to statting...

namaste,
the hamster
The Admiral
02-17-05, 01:28 PM Springing traps that are monsters are good. I had an abandoned temple in the forest which had these great stained glass windows. Toward the back of the room was an alter and when someone would get close to that the Stained Glass golems would come to life. I had most of the PCs in the room when that happened. It was an awesom ambush :D. A swarm tactic that surrounds the PCs works with just about anything.
Board_Rider
02-17-05, 02:22 PM Use the search and find some posts by TelinArtho.
He has some extensive posts on this stuff.
May help.
Dark_Tide
02-18-05, 06:53 PM Bridges are always fun... What about a bridge ontop of a bridge? It would fit nicely in a cave with a stream...
PCs cross lower bridge over the stream, and have hobgoblins or something engage them in melee. Have archers on the top bridge and something lurking in the stream below... attacks against PCs from all angles.

In general, spliting the PCs works well because they can't syncronize movements or aid each other. Have a few ogres split the PCs' line and throw in some orcs and have fun. You could also put a chasm in the floor... When half of the PCs jump across, send attacks from both sides.

Just think of situations you wouldn't want to be in and throw them at the PCs... they'll think of something......... maybe.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
JimmyJustice 02-17-05, 12:46 AM	I'm just looking for some ideas on possible battle tactics/strategies to throw in my campaign. Preferably ones you have used while DMing and a brief description of how it worked, what occurrred, PC reactions, etc. I just wanna throw something at my PCs that is somewhat new/original rather than the typical battle tactics they encounter. Your inputs are highly valued.
catowar 02-17-05, 12:54 AM	well hazaerds allways make things alot more "fun" like fighting gnolls in a 40X40 is no big thing, but if the room had 5 5x5 pits of lava then the gnolls can bull rush them in! there are soo many hazaerds you can make up, acid, fire (good old fire) , and endless holes are just some examples!, the sky is the limit!... hmm sky... air combat... YA! try air combat to!
SD 02-17-05, 01:21 AM	Terrain and hazards both. If the enemeies can get the PCs to come to them, they should be ready to twist the situation to their advantage. It's one thing to fight on a 30-degree slope. It's quite another to fight on one where gnolls are rolling large boulders at the PCs. One of my favorites was when a half-dragon the PCs had angered was waiting for them outside of a dungeon. The players thought the session had ended, so they were leaving without curing and one of them was starting to pack up until I told him to make a Reflex save against a surprise round breath weapon. Took them two rounds to get the fighter on his feet while the rogue went into melee. Ambushing the party with something significant, like a nice damage-dealing spell, or lots of insignificant things that are significant in numbers, like orcs coming out from behind pillars once the PCs are midway through the room, really makes them consider more angles than walk-kill-level. If you can take out one important PC during the surprise round, all the better. Intelligent creatures know not to spread out their attacks on everybody. They know to take out the healer first so the party can't recover or the sorcerer first so they don't get a ton of spells against their low Reflex save. They know to sunder magic weapons that can beat their DR and find ways to avoid being flanked for sneak attack damage. "Tactics" implies that the baddies have thought ahead and have at least a rough idea of prioritizing their attacks; have them act like it.
Woas 02-17-05, 12:31 PM	Any particular creatures or situations you had in mind JimmyJustice?
CzarGarrett 02-17-05, 12:42 PM	I've enjoyed having a handful of archers up on a relatively low cliff that pop up right as the PCs come into a narrow point in a path. The archers peg them with arrows, usually for only small amounts of damage, but that gets the PCs starting to go after the archers, only to have infantry types attack them. It works well around levels 4-6, because the damage isn't enough to kill a lot of them, but there is that threat.
Staver 02-17-05, 12:49 PM	One of the most fun things we've done is the "pinata". Just 2 players, myself and another, because most of the regular group could not make it. I am a Minotaur Bbn, 10' reach, and the other player is a Psion. We encountered a fairly vicious reptilian monster, some sort of raptor IIRC, but it only had 5' reach, so the Psion levitated the creature and I just stood there and whamed it to death with my superior reach. DM was upset but got over it. This would work with ranged weapons as well if you don't have the reach advantage. Also had a fighter vs. fighter combat on a rooftop where I bull rushed my opponent off the roof. Lots of fun if they don't have fly! -Staver
psionichamster 02-17-05, 01:26 PM	any kind of fight with tons of spikes around. sharp ones... of course, paired tactics work well, too... have a team of 2 (or 2 such teams) of sneaky type characters ambush the party... monk/rogue combo is nastily lethal (or non-if they want info/ransom/are bounty hunters) for the stun/sneak attack combo... wiz/rogue is similarly nasty, of course, now you have a spellcaster which ups the lethality level quite a bit a druid ranger (and their respective animal friends) can be devastating...esp. if the druid wildshapes into something with imp. grapple (or constrict) and the ranger is of the bow-type...ie, has point blank and precise shot to nail a char. grabbed up by the druid/snake creatures that have high mobility are fun to use...hit and run tactics by goblin worg riders, griffons/hippogriffs/chimera/dragons (depending on PC levels), for some reason, and elven pair, ranger and druid, with the druid wildshaped into something flying, and the animal companions on the wings is coming to mind. that would be much like the US army air cavalry...i can just imagine them coming out of an orange sunset with "Ride of the Valkyries" playing in the background time to get to statting... namaste, the hamster
The Admiral 02-17-05, 01:28 PM	Springing traps that are monsters are good. I had an abandoned temple in the forest which had these great stained glass windows. Toward the back of the room was an alter and when someone would get close to that the Stained Glass golems would come to life. I had most of the PCs in the room when that happened. It was an awesom ambush :D. A swarm tactic that surrounds the PCs works with just about anything.
Board_Rider 02-17-05, 02:22 PM	Use the search and find some posts by TelinArtho. He has some extensive posts on this stuff. May help.
Dark_Tide 02-18-05, 06:53 PM	Bridges are always fun... What about a bridge ontop of a bridge? It would fit nicely in a cave with a stream... PCs cross lower bridge over the stream, and have hobgoblins or something engage them in melee. Have archers on the top bridge and something lurking in the stream below... attacks against PCs from all angles. In general, spliting the PCs works well because they can't syncronize movements or aid each other. Have a few ogres split the PCs' line and throw in some orcs and have fun. You could also put a chasm in the floor... When half of the PCs jump across, send attacks from both sides. Just think of situations you wouldn't want to be in and throw them at the PCs... they'll think of something......... maybe.