D&D General How the heck do you fight a medieval war in winter?

[Hussar]

That is a very situation-dependent comparison.

• How often does an archer run out of arrows? If never, unlimited is irrelevant.
• How often is a caster unable to use spells because the target is greater than 120ft away? If never, range is irrelevant.

The answer to both is almost certainly "sometimes" and it will vary wildly.

The topic of this discussion is war, implying large scale battles where both are certain or almost certain to happen. The other end of the skirmish line with more than 50 people is going to be more than 120ft away, let alone the enemy. And a battle can easily last long enough that archers run out of arrows, especially at higher level archer that gets multiple shots or after they spend several rounds volleying as the enemy closes to firebolt range.

Let's not forget as well, you don't only ever fight one battle then go home. You generally fight multiple battles. Not needing to resupply your archers is a HUGE advantage. Archer army takes days to resupply arrows as their supply train catches up. And, since we're talking about in the winter, it might be even longer for that supply train to catch up. Meanwhile, the firebolt casters keep firing way forever. Having more bullets than your enemy is very often a winning strategy.

 

[kigmatzomat]

Let's not forget as well, you don't only ever fight one battle then go home. You generally fight multiple battles. Not needing to resupply your archers is a HUGE advantage. Archer army takes days to resupply arrows as their supply train catches up. And, since we're talking about in the winter, it might be even longer for that supply train to catch up. Meanwhile, the firebolt casters keep firing way forever. Having more bullets than your enemy is very often a winning strategy.

Another winning strategy is shooting the enemy when they can't shoot back.

Given the short range of the spells, an archer-based army would stay back and focus on killing all the pack animals. Much easier targets at range and can kill an army even more efficiently from an ammunition stand point. A hundred arrows can starve or immobilize an army of a thousand.

In a way, archery becomes the new artillery.

It also implies an army without casters would refuse to close, rely on archery as long as possible, then charge at 150ft to minimize spell fire.

Armies that are caster-based would charge from 500ft-150ft, then try to maintain a narrow separation.

Firebolt has two gotchas the caster has to contend with that an exceptional PC class archer dows not.

#1 It's a glowing bolt pointing straight back at a caster. Whatever plan the enemy has to deal with casters now has a focus. Maybe it's a charge, maybe it's just stay at range, slings with flasks of oil, bring up their own caster, etc.

#2 straight line bolts. The caster has to be in the front 2 ranks. They need a clear line of sight and can only target enemies in their front 2 ranks. Arching plunging fire isn't an aspect of most spells but is an option for arrows.

 

[Steampunkette]

Fighting depends on Weather, not season.

If there's enough rain, most armies went to camp, even if there was no snow, after all, because slogging through mud could cost you horses, wagons, and supplies. High winds could foil all but the heaviest siege weapons, too, rendering archers and other ranged attackers functionally useless.

In adverse weather, you hunker down and wait for it to pass. If the adverse weather is expected to last for weeks or months, you turn your armies around and go home 'til it's over.

In D&D, though? One druid of 15th level or higher solves -all- your logistical problems with a quickness. Sure, your soldiers may need to trod snow to pack it down for the wagons, but the 5 mile radius of Control Weather means there are no blizzards, no rainstorms, and no high winds when it's time to fight.

They can't fix Mud, at that level, though. So if it's a particularly wet region with thick mud you're SoL.

 

[Zardnaar]

Fighting depends on Weather, not season.

If there's enough rain, most armies went to camp, even if there was no snow, after all, because slogging through mud could cost you horses, wagons, and supplies. High winds could foil all but the heaviest siege weapons, too, rendering archers and other ranged attackers functionally useless.

In adverse weather, you hunker down and wait for it to pass. If the adverse weather is expected to last for weeks or months, you turn your armies around and go home 'til it's over.

In D&D, though? One druid of 15th level or higher solves -all- your logistical problems with a quickness. Sure, your soldiers may need to trod snow to pack it down for the wagons, but the 5 mile radius of Control Weather means there are no blizzards, no rainstorms, and no high winds when it's time to fight.

They can't fix Mud, at that level, though. So if it's a particularly wet region with thick mud you're SoL.

If high level magic is available (well 3 leve spelks+) you wouldn't be using formations.

Probably be trench warfare and sharpshooters spread out. D&D bowman Probably crossbows in vaguely realistic setting.

Fantasy Rone and Greece wouldn't exist along with Swiss Pikemen.

Exception maybe if war god Avatars manifest if spells are used (divine ban on "nukes".).

 

[Lanefan]

In D&D, though? One druid of 15th level or higher solves -all- your logistical problems with a quickness. Sure, your soldiers may need to trod snow to pack it down for the wagons, but the 5 mile radius of Control Weather means there are no blizzards, no rainstorms, and no high winds when it's time to fight.

They can't fix Mud, at that level, though. So if it's a particularly wet region with thick mud you're SoL.

In small-ish areas, maybe they can even fix mud by lowering the temperature enough that it freezes.

Or, if Destroy Water (reverse of Create Water) still exists, that'll help with the mud (again in small areas only).

 

[tetrasodium]

In small-ish areas, maybe they can even fix mud by lowering the temperature enough that it freezes.

Or, if Destroy Water (reverse of Create Water) still exists, that'll help with the mud (again in small areas only).

On the subject of fixing mud, it's incredibly difficult on any meaningful scale without elevation of terrain or digging significant drainage ditches. It takes quite a bit to freeze water and those water absorbing crystals you can buy to mix into plant soil were originally developed (or improved from something else) when the US military wanted a way for infantry to make mud traversable during the Korean war or something.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

They can't fix Mud, at that level, though. So if it's a particularly wet region with thick mud you're SoL.

Isn't transmute rock to mud/mud to rock a druid spell? It's 5th level, so a 15th level druid should be fine to do it.

 

[Steampunkette]

Isn't transmute rock to mud/mud to rock a druid spell? It's 5th level, so a 15th level druid should be fine to do it.

40ft cube for a 5th level spell slot.

Not terribly useful on the scale of armies marching long distances. Certainly not as useful as 8 hours in a 5 mile radius.

 

[MerricB]

Autumn is for harvest, Winter is for resting, Spring is for work, Summer is the time for War

It's worth nothing that many northern European wars take place in late summer and then proceed well into autumn (and beyond).

Henry V's first expedition into France started August 12 (late summer), then captured Harfleur September 22 (past the equinox into autumn), then fought Agincourt on October 25.

His second expedition sailed earlier - July 30. On August 18, he laid siege to Caen, capturing it on September 20.
The next year, you get the Siege of Rouen from 29 July 1418 to 19 January 1419.

(As a sidenote - the first Crusade is far more about besieging castles than pitched battles).

One does not fight in Russia in the winter. Except when you do. (The famous Battle on the Ice of 5 April 1242, when the forces fought on the frozen surface of Lake Peipus - technically "spring", except there's a frozen lake!) Charles XII of Sweden chose January 1 to invade Russia in 1708!

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

40ft cube for a 5th level spell slot.

Not terribly useful on the scale of armies marching long distances. Certainly not as useful as 8 hours in a 5 mile radius.

Hmm. Guess it depends on the edition. 3.5 a 15th level Druid could do 30 10 foot cubes.

But in 3rd ed, a 15th level Druid could wipe an army alone.