Basic battle tactics

[Xarlen]

What's even scarier is when all that smack is accessable by a 3rd level cleric. That's a CR 8.

 

[Lord Zardoz]

One of the simpler tricks that I often use with humanoids is as follows.

We start with a large group of say, 5 missile attackers fighting from behind cover. In front of the cover is a pit trap. Someone charges up to the missile attackers, and ends up falling into the trap.

The trap is even meaner when the cover is a large spiked log which can be rolled in after the poor bugger who fell in. Landing on spikes and having spikes fall in on top of you will hurt.

Besides, people in pits make nice targets.

END COMMUNICATION

 

[officeronin]

Meta game. To show that the monsters know what they are doing and to possible compinsate for your lack of tactics, allow the monsters to attack the wizard even before he identifies himself as such. Or to be ready and seperate themselves when the fighter starts cleaving.

If I were a BBEG with hordes of minions, I'd send a few out to attack the PCs, and Scry the battle. Now that I know the capabilities of the PCs, I'll make a plan to hammer them based on that info... Note that, if the wizard gets really lucky in that encounter and appears very powerful, the wizard will be earning the attention of the enemy for "special consideration".

Spellcasters and archers need protection. Make sure they come in with their prep spells already running. If that means that they have only 6 spells left, too bad -- that's 5 attack spells and 1 "Get out of dodge" spell (teleport, expiditious retreat, etc.) which they cast on round 6. Place a decent polearm guy with combat reflexes in front of them. Since we use a "counter-tumbling" rule, the polearm guy has tumbling at max. Since his job is to stop the enemy, he brings caltrops and spreads them around in front of him. If there is more than one caster, spread them out and use 2 polearm "guards"

Obviously, melee people (fighters and rogues) are good targets for will saves, wizards and priests for reflex-save fireballs. Area Effect spells are great for when the PCs are clustered together -- I especially like Glitterdust for that purpose, since invisibility is revealed and the high dex rogues are likely get effected. If the PCs are really wizard-heavy, toss in an improved invisibility wizard whose whole job is to counterspell.

Wizards and clerics who cast with their weapon hand (that is, they keep the shield up) get grappled by the scrubs.

Since there is intelligent leadership, the troops spread out to avoid cleaves and, more importantly, fireballs.

I figure that even an orc will, after 3 rounds of mindlessly pounding on the unhittable AC of the fighter, try something new -- trip, disarm, grapple, or sunder.

For lots of fun, toss in a "Wall" spell to split the party. The rogues run out to get sneak attacks, and a wall splits them from the party. By the time the party gets through the wall, the only thing on the other side will be dead rogues...

What levels are we talking about? For low levels, a shield wall with polearms behind it are pretty strong. Always keep an archer or two readied to put an arrow into a known caster whenever they try to cast a spell. Alchemists fire works even better, since the continuous damage with provoke it's own concentration check, and it's easier to hit.

Misdirection is cool, too. Create an illusion of the BBEG at the far end of a long, narrow, otherwise empty room. The melee-types rush forward to engage, leaving the spellcasters alone. Then, the secret door opens, and the real BBEG (plus minions) engages the casters directly...

These are some solid tactics, but they all assume the enemy knows what's coming. As always, good intel is the key to good tactics.

OfficeRonin