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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Andre" data-source="post: 1984656" data-attributes="member: 25930">Well, we'll just have to agree to disagree on this. IMO, the Maginot Line would have been breached at some point, just as the Siegfried Line was, just as the Japanese defenses on Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and other islands were, and so on. And once breached at any point, the rest of the line becomes effectively worthless. In fact, I can't think of a single 20th century example of fortifications stopping an opponent more than temporarily. In warfare, both sides adapt and fortifications can be overcome.At low levels of magic, I agree. However, that won't matter much since a siege can conquer a fixed location without ever breaching the walls - you just need to control the terrain around the fortress. We're pretty much back to real-world examples of sieges, which always succeeded if a relief force couldn't break the siege (either through combat, or by threatening another location, forcing the besieging army to leave).At medium levels, if the defenders are passive, they'll still lose for the reason listed above (control of terrain). If they actively try to disrupt the siege, then I'd argue that a superior force would be needed to maintain it - otherwise it would be too easy to break the siege at times to get in supplies and reinforcements. And the walls will make a decent defense against this level of magical power. The only real weakness is the oft-mentioned kill team that sneaks into the fortress, taking out the most important individuals.At high levels, the goal stops being a siege and becomes an attempt to destroy the fortress. With the spells available to high-level casters, I'd have to give the advantage to the attacker, as he will have the initiative and gets the first blow. Imagine several earthquake spells hitting that massive fortress guarding an important mountain pass, screen hiding the approach of several powerful creatures, a small army of fiends teleporting into the fortress, and so on. Defending a fixed location actually places the defenders at a disadvantage, IF enough firepower can be brought to bear on that location.</blockquote>

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