Attn everyone: Fantasy world arms race experiment!

[RangerWickett]

We'll say two shamans for each side, and to make things a little more varied, one shaman is 2nd level, the other is 1st (for shaman, use either druid or sorcerer). And the lead warrior for each tribe is a 2nd level fighter, with all other combatants just being 1st level. Some might be roguish too, if you like. I'm thinking more of general concepts here, maybe a few short-term stratagems, rather than turn by turn combat planning.

 

[Maerdwyn]

Additionally - I know you said they could be one of several humaoid races, but are both tribes of the same race? It's going to make a big difference to each side's strategy if one side can see in the dark and the other can't, for example.

 

[RangerWickett]

We'll say they're both humans, but that's an idea. Do wolves have low-light vision? Could the plainsfolk witch give her warriors the ability to fight in the dark?

 

[Enkhidu]

A lot of this is conjecture, but here's a few ideas based on the background given:

The hill people will likely try and fight very defensively, as they surely realize that even the bear must sleep during winter, and winter will come soon enough to rid them of their new enemies. It helps that they know the terrain and already know how to use cover to advantage. The spears captured from the plains people will help defend their caves more effectively than their knives ever could, should they figure out they are great for fightind from behind cover.

I can see the hill people looking for caves with multiple natural exits if they can find them, or perhaps trying to bait the plains tribe into a fight with some of the other predators in the area - they would have no way of knowing that their enemies can speak with animals.

The hill tribe seem to have a semi-religious connection with fire (as the shamans use their mastery of fire to prove their power and take leadership), so it might be that the shamans decide that the theft of fire is against the gods will. This would mean that the shamans might draft the most stealthy of the hill folk to infiltrate the plains clan's camp and either steal it back, douse it, or break up the wood being used to fuel it and stamp it out.

Of course, if they have a religious connection with fire, it might be that one of their most fervent shamans actually makes contact with the gods (and picks up a cleric level!).

 

[Arken]

Lets see we ahve to start somewhere, the basics perhaps?

Hills People: The people build fires at the mouth of any cave they are inhabiting. This serves to guard against animals but also might deter the plains folk that have no knowledge of fire. A shaman of the tribe can watch the fire and use their powers to control it to perhaps cause a burst of flame at the entrance if the cave is attacked.

Is this the right sort of thing or did I make a fool out of myself?

 

[Maerdwyn]

[Is this the kind of stuff you are looking for?]

The plains witch has been studying the stolen flame , trying to figure out how to make fire herself, but has been unable to do so. She has prayed had played to her gods in the heavens, but nothing. Still, one morning, after spending almost her entire night in such prayer, she notes a pattern in the stars, and knows that it means something. She even knows what the constellation was meant to be called. She carefully paints its shape into a piece of tanned hide, and then speaks the name of the constallation. The paint vanishes from from the hide, but the her talisman begins to glow, and the area around her is bathed in light.

Now, each day, she meditates briefly on the constellation just before dawn. The has also found that several of her other spells have analogous constellations, and that thoe symbols can also be painted onto hide. She has not done so very much, yet, because she feels drained by the action, and the paints needed for the ritual are precious. Still, the charms she has created may be of use in the coming battle.

 

[Arken]

Just throwing things in the pot as it were.

Could the plains people use their nets (from fishing) for anything that people can think of?

 

[Sixchan]

After some experiments in keeping a fire going for as long as possible, the people of the Hill tribe realise that the spears that the few spears that they have captured from the plains tribe can have their stone heads replaced with large pieces of wood. This wood, when lit on fire, proves an effective weapon in keeping people as far away as possible. These people can then be pelted with rocks. Through effort, many non-combatants working together could get large stones to the top of cliffs, and drop them on any Plains' troops that have to pass through the small valleys and such present in the hills.

FULL STRATEGY:
The Hill tribe waits for a large attack force to be gatheres by the Plain tribe, but a few hours before they are due to travel to the Hill Tribe's cave villiages, a third of the Hill Tribe's warriors attack the Plain Tribe's Camp/Villiage. However, once the entire Plains force is visible, the Hill Tribe retreat, hopefully with few casualties. Seeing their foe in retreat, the Plain Tribe will break whatever primitive form of ranks they have and charge after the Hillians. The Hillian force will lead them into a narrow pass.
Behind a nearby hill, half of the Hillian force will lay in hiding so that they can close in behind the Plainars. As the Plainars enter the valley, the rest of the Hillian force (1/6th) joins the mock retreaters, and they turn around lust as the other half closes the other exit. at this point, the non-combatants drop the boulders, decimating the Plainar forces enough to make life easy for the Firestick wielding Hillians.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

I take it the part where Hills shaman cures a plains warrior left behind in battle and establishes communications to repair the tragic accident of their first meeting is just out of the tone of this thread?

Kahuna Burger

 

[Enkhidu]

I take it the part where Hills shaman cures a plains warrior left behind in battle and establishes communications to repair the tragic accident of their first meeting is just out of the tone of this thread?

Kahuna Burger

Peacenik hippie!