Drow army! [Archive] - Wizards Community - Pages Merged by Solauren

Drow army! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
^Graff_EpsilonIX
12-02-05, 08:46 PM My DM sent us up against an army of drow! About 17650 of them! He said about 30% were wizards and priests, and left it at that. We're in a terrain free cavern, help!
Adam Smite
12-02-05, 09:23 PM A description of your party would also be helpful.
Lacking that though, I suggest area of effect magics and explosives. That, or see if you can cause a cave-in. If you are high enough level, and they are all 1st level, you can just wade through them and slowly carve them up, or play guerrila tactics with them. And while you are describing your party, describe the local area's population and the campaign's technology level.
Chosen of the Dark Sun
12-02-05, 09:48 PM Well, if your DM is playing this like a real drow army, guerilla tactics that cause mass destruction (such as caving in part of the cavern, or blowing up a food supply) are your only possible hope. The average drow corporal is fourth level. And thats at about the bottom of the command chain. If you try to wade in, even against the grunts at first, you will be properly screwed in short order. I can't stress this enough: there is no possible way you can take a drow army of that size head on unless you are at least a little way into Epic levels, since the commanders of an army that size are likely to be close to Epic themselves, and one or two of them might be Epic already. Drow didn't get their reputation as one of the most powerful races in the world for nothing.
haukehaien
12-02-05, 09:48 PM Summon tactical nuclear device?
metamind
12-02-05, 09:51 PM dont panic. Remember: spells provoke Attacks of oppertunity. Consult the Complete Warrior book for help on wars/armies
drow_thief
12-02-05, 10:01 PM what are your players levels u better have atleast a mage or u might be down and also what level drows did he send on you?
MistWolf
12-02-05, 10:23 PM Drow are Chaotic Evil. A little paranoia is good for the soul. Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they're not out to get you.

What's this all mean? Think about it- How do you get survive, let alone get ahead- in a C/E society?

Stay alert. Trust no one. Keep your laser handy.

There's no way you're gonna whip your sword and hack your way through all those drow. However, with a little psychological warfare, you might convince the drow to do the dirty work for you. The Nazis let a bit of fake intelligence fall into the hands of the Soviets during that time they kept the Non-Aggression Pact. It basically said that many Soviet officers were traitors to Stalin. Stalin was so paranoid, he initiated a massive purge of the military, slaughtering all his best and experienced officers, leaving it in control of the strategically and tactically inept Stalin.

Yes, drow are powerful- but paranoid. Use that to your advantage. Just make sure you don't invade in June
The Game
12-02-05, 10:35 PM Drow are actually Lawful Evil. A Chaotic Evil society would tear itself apart, and the Drow exist in quite a ruthless effiecient community.

If it is in a terrain free cavern, have your wizards in the group make you a small cave as a your final basiton of defense should you need to retreat, and ensure that it will force the army into a bottle neck, allowing you to attack small numbers at a time, where also AoE spells will ensure havok on the tightly packed troops. That is however, if the commander is inept enough to simply have her troops march headlong into there, which I doubt she will be.

I believe that your best bet would be a cave in: try and kill as many as possible that way, and utilize the ensuring chaos to pick off splinetered cells of the drow army one at a time.

Better yet, try and gain some support from another denzien of the Underdark. My only knowledge of the Drow and the UD is from what I have read in the Dark Elf trilogy (And that was some years ago), so I am not entirely sure who you could call upon, but if you could get some help, it would be beneficial.
gorfnad the shiznit
12-04-05, 04:57 AM If your spellcasters are of a high enough level, they could start summoning earth elementals which in an underground cavern might prove useful, delayed blast fireballs would be a great help as well. Otherwise if you have a really high level mage then you may want to consider Vengeful Gaze of the Gods, Mass Frog, or some other epic spell along those lines.
Always-Late
12-04-05, 11:14 AM You are dead. Just for reference, 16384 drow warriors is a CR 25. All assumptions made following assume you have a normal AC and touch AC of ridiculously high.

17000 hand crossbows means 850 natural 20's means 42 critical hits, for 84d4 damage. If you have say, DR 5, you'll actually take maybe only 60 damage per round. If you have protection from arrows up, you might even be able to take only 40 damage, if you cast it every turn. A wind wall might actually cause you to live. On top of that, though, you'll have to make 850 DC 13 fortitude saves in order to remain conscious.

If each of them carries one flask of acid/alchemist's fire, then you're taking 17000 acid damage. Not pretty. And that's assuming they all miss.

5100 magic missiles is 5100d4 + 5100 damage.

Hell, 5100 rays of frost/orbs of acid is still 13 critical hits and ignores wind wall for a total of 26d3 cold/acid damage, which averages 52 damage per round and DR won't save you here.

Now lets get to the killing part.
A level 1 spell, color spray, will probably incapitate 10 drow for 5 rounds.
There are no second level mass kills spells.
A fireball or lightning bolt might kill you 30 drow.
The cloud spells might kill 200 drow per casting.

So, if you want to live:
Obtain acid, frost, and fire immunity.
Obtain a shield spell.
Obtain a DR of 8 or higher.
Hope that none of them have magic items, items with antimagic field on them, or are actually of a decent spellcasting level.

Actually, the only way I can concievably see you survive is with a prismatic wall or a wall of force. And even then, you don't kill the drow, you just survive the encounter.

And this is assuming that they're all CR 1.

They're combined treasure, though, could buy you over a million GP worth of stuff. They could even buy a dozen wands of disintegrate to seriously plow through everything you've got and several dozen rods of cancellation as well. 100 beads of force, even, is 500d6 force damage. It's only one turn, but that even beats out a Vengeful Gaze of the Gods for pure damage.

Meh, I think you're dead.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
^Graff_EpsilonIX 12-02-05, 08:46 PM	My DM sent us up against an army of drow! About 17650 of them! He said about 30% were wizards and priests, and left it at that. We're in a terrain free cavern, help!
Adam Smite 12-02-05, 09:23 PM	A description of your party would also be helpful. Lacking that though, I suggest area of effect magics and explosives. That, or see if you can cause a cave-in. If you are high enough level, and they are all 1st level, you can just wade through them and slowly carve them up, or play guerrila tactics with them. And while you are describing your party, describe the local area's population and the campaign's technology level.
Chosen of the Dark Sun 12-02-05, 09:48 PM	Well, if your DM is playing this like a real drow army, guerilla tactics that cause mass destruction (such as caving in part of the cavern, or blowing up a food supply) are your only possible hope. The average drow corporal is fourth level. And thats at about the bottom of the command chain. If you try to wade in, even against the grunts at first, you will be properly screwed in short order. I can't stress this enough: there is no possible way you can take a drow army of that size head on unless you are at least a little way into Epic levels, since the commanders of an army that size are likely to be close to Epic themselves, and one or two of them might be Epic already. Drow didn't get their reputation as one of the most powerful races in the world for nothing.
haukehaien 12-02-05, 09:48 PM	Summon tactical nuclear device?
metamind 12-02-05, 09:51 PM	dont panic. Remember: spells provoke Attacks of oppertunity. Consult the Complete Warrior book for help on wars/armies
drow_thief 12-02-05, 10:01 PM	what are your players levels u better have atleast a mage or u might be down and also what level drows did he send on you?
MistWolf 12-02-05, 10:23 PM	Drow are Chaotic Evil. A little paranoia is good for the soul. Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they're not out to get you. What's this all mean? Think about it- How do you get survive, let alone get ahead- in a C/E society? Stay alert. Trust no one. Keep your laser handy. There's no way you're gonna whip your sword and hack your way through all those drow. However, with a little psychological warfare, you might convince the drow to do the dirty work for you. The Nazis let a bit of fake intelligence fall into the hands of the Soviets during that time they kept the Non-Aggression Pact. It basically said that many Soviet officers were traitors to Stalin. Stalin was so paranoid, he initiated a massive purge of the military, slaughtering all his best and experienced officers, leaving it in control of the strategically and tactically inept Stalin. Yes, drow are powerful- but paranoid. Use that to your advantage. Just make sure you don't invade in June
The Game 12-02-05, 10:35 PM	Drow are actually Lawful Evil. A Chaotic Evil society would tear itself apart, and the Drow exist in quite a ruthless effiecient community. If it is in a terrain free cavern, have your wizards in the group make you a small cave as a your final basiton of defense should you need to retreat, and ensure that it will force the army into a bottle neck, allowing you to attack small numbers at a time, where also AoE spells will ensure havok on the tightly packed troops. That is however, if the commander is inept enough to simply have her troops march headlong into there, which I doubt she will be. I believe that your best bet would be a cave in: try and kill as many as possible that way, and utilize the ensuring chaos to pick off splinetered cells of the drow army one at a time. Better yet, try and gain some support from another denzien of the Underdark. My only knowledge of the Drow and the UD is from what I have read in the Dark Elf trilogy (And that was some years ago), so I am not entirely sure who you could call upon, but if you could get some help, it would be beneficial.
gorfnad the shiznit 12-04-05, 04:57 AM	If your spellcasters are of a high enough level, they could start summoning earth elementals which in an underground cavern might prove useful, delayed blast fireballs would be a great help as well. Otherwise if you have a really high level mage then you may want to consider Vengeful Gaze of the Gods, Mass Frog, or some other epic spell along those lines.
Always-Late 12-04-05, 11:14 AM	You are dead. Just for reference, 16384 drow warriors is a CR 25. All assumptions made following assume you have a normal AC and touch AC of ridiculously high. 17000 hand crossbows means 850 natural 20's means 42 critical hits, for 84d4 damage. If you have say, DR 5, you'll actually take maybe only 60 damage per round. If you have protection from arrows up, you might even be able to take only 40 damage, if you cast it every turn. A wind wall might actually cause you to live. On top of that, though, you'll have to make 850 DC 13 fortitude saves in order to remain conscious. If each of them carries one flask of acid/alchemist's fire, then you're taking 17000 acid damage. Not pretty. And that's assuming they all miss. 5100 magic missiles is 5100d4 + 5100 damage. Hell, 5100 rays of frost/orbs of acid is still 13 critical hits and ignores wind wall for a total of 26d3 cold/acid damage, which averages 52 damage per round and DR won't save you here. Now lets get to the killing part. A level 1 spell, color spray, will probably incapitate 10 drow for 5 rounds. There are no second level mass kills spells. A fireball or lightning bolt might kill you 30 drow. The cloud spells might kill 200 drow per casting. So, if you want to live: Obtain acid, frost, and fire immunity. Obtain a shield spell. Obtain a DR of 8 or higher. Hope that none of them have magic items, items with antimagic field on them, or are actually of a decent spellcasting level. Actually, the only way I can concievably see you survive is with a prismatic wall or a wall of force. And even then, you don't kill the drow, you just survive the encounter. And this is assuming that they're all CR 1. They're combined treasure, though, could buy you over a million GP worth of stuff. They could even buy a dozen wands of disintegrate to seriously plow through everything you've got and several dozen rods of cancellation as well. 100 beads of force, even, is 500d6 force damage. It's only one turn, but that even beats out a Vengeful Gaze of the Gods for pure damage. Meh, I think you're dead.