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<blockquote data-quote="kigmatzomat" data-source="post: 1984116" data-attributes="member: 9254">To fire that off you'd need either 2 wizards and 5 minutes or one wizard and 9.5 minutes.&nbsp; During those minutes the defender's archers and siege engines are going to be pouring arrows into your mage.&nbsp; Sure, they're at -16 so they need 20's but since you'll be standing there for 48 or 95 rounds they'll each get several hits on you.&nbsp;&nbsp; The wands would be at 10th level caster and cost 2250gp each.&nbsp; That's 4500gp to make a single hole in a 10' thick wall.&nbsp; Since many castles had rings of walls, that would get you through the outer wall.&nbsp; Realistically it doesn't even do that.&nbsp; Unlike kinetic weapons like siege engines, an (element)ball does not displace mass.&nbsp;&nbsp; So the attackers forces will be wading through a soup of dissolved stone on par with mud.&nbsp; Sounds like treacherous terrain.&nbsp; Using fire/ice/electrical&nbsp; spells and you have a huge pile of sand.&nbsp; Still not an open door way.&nbsp; And while your groundpounders are going through that single rubble-strewn doorway, the defenders will be shooting the crap out of them and likely using their casters to whittle down the attacker's force either directly (fireball) or indirectly (bardsong, bless weapon, etc).If you weren't aware, most defenders would take everything they could carry and&nbsp; torch their own countryside when they retreated to the fortresses.&nbsp; It means the attackers have to cart in their own food and supplies while the locals live off the fortress's reserves.&nbsp;&nbsp; It also helps demoralize the troops when they get no loot and find themselves in a charred countryside with no shade or protection from the elements.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="kigmatzomat, post: 1984116, member: 9254"] To fire that off you'd need either 2 wizards and 5 minutes or one wizard and 9.5 minutes. During those minutes the defender's archers and siege engines are going to be pouring arrows into your mage. Sure, they're at -16 so they need 20's but since you'll be standing there for 48 or 95 rounds they'll each get several hits on you. The wands would be at 10th level caster and cost 2250gp each. That's 4500gp to make a single hole in a 10' thick wall. Since many castles had rings of walls, that would get you through the outer wall. Realistically it doesn't even do that. Unlike kinetic weapons like siege engines, an (element)ball does not displace mass. So the attackers forces will be wading through a soup of dissolved stone on par with mud. Sounds like treacherous terrain. Using fire/ice/electrical spells and you have a huge pile of sand. Still not an open door way. And while your groundpounders are going through that single rubble-strewn doorway, the defenders will be shooting the crap out of them and likely using their casters to whittle down the attacker's force either directly (fireball) or indirectly (bardsong, bless weapon, etc). If you weren't aware, most defenders would take everything they could carry and torch their own countryside when they retreated to the fortresses. It means the attackers have to cart in their own food and supplies while the locals live off the fortress's reserves. It also helps demoralize the troops when they get no loot and find themselves in a charred countryside with no shade or protection from the elements. [/QUOTE]

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