Defend the Keep on the Borderlands from Demons

[Endur]

How would you defend the Keep on the Borderlands from Demons? i.e. Defend the Keep from teleporting, shape-shifting, telepathic, magical, invisible, posessing enemies? Succubi, Vrocks, etc.

Presume the standard Keep (B2) ... i.e. garrison of several hundred soldiers, some supporting priests, highest level character in the Keep is level 6. Presume at most one low level Paladin in the garrison.

So no spells available that are higher than level 3 are available on a daily basis.

Higher level spells might be available on a once per year basis (but no 9th level spells).

Also, presume you don't know that demons are going to attack, but whatever defenses you put in place are just your general standard defenses that all of the border castles would get.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

If I don't know demons are going to attack, then I'm probably screwed, unless I live in a world where demon attacks are common.

Normal defensive posture would probably be against whatever is common in the local area, plus active patrolling, plus hoarding supplies, arrows, bolts, & oil for siege defense. The defenses I'd take against the rampaging horde of bugbears from across the border wouldn't do squat against a bunch of teleporting, shape-shifting, telepathic, magical, invisible horde from another plane.

 

[Crothian]

My money is on the demons. A few of the thougher ones with good DRs are going to fly over the walls and cream the little people inside.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

The Captian of the Guard is 3rd level and the Castlellan is level 6. If I were the Catlellan I'd guzzle my potion of levitation and get the heck out.

The Castlellan has the most powerful weapon in the module, a +2 sword. The second a demon with damage resistance pops up, that's the only weapon that has a chance of doing anything.

Seriously, the keep is going to need some backup. Maybe they could beg the Caves of Chaos for help. They're gonna need it.

 

[Endur]

Well, I didn't mean a horde of Demons that would squash the Keep flat like a bug.

I meant how would you, as a prudent 6th level Commander in a fantasy world, deal with the possibility of attack/infiltration by Demonic Forces? i.e. One or more Demons, but not a huge number of demons.

My initial thoughts:

The Ballistas on the Castle Walls do enough damage to bypass DR. There could be a few silver tipped and cold iron tipped bolts in a store room for emergencies. Unfortunately, an actual attack might be over before any supplies could be pulled out of a store room.

Elite warrirors might have (or have access to) silver, cold-iron, and/or minor magical weaponry. Silver and Cold-Iron are also useful against other types of enemies (lycanthropes, fey, etc.).

If you have a Paladin, that Paladin might have an Inquisator type position where it is his job to interview/assess visitors and otherwise ferret out evil in the keep.

Maybe a high ranking wizard or cleric visits the castle once a year and casts a defensive spell or two.

Low level clerics might continually cast Consecrate on the main altar.

But, whatever you do, you would want it to be something that requires minimal effort, or has other purporses besides defeating demons, since demons are not a frequent opponent. i.e. the Paladin as an Inquisator could also be used against evil rogues, dopplegangers, and all sorts of other nefarious activities.

etc.

 

[Nifft]

1/year spells:

-> Forbiddance
-> Hallow

-- N

 

[Endur]

These are the obvious 1/year spells, but are they practical for the Keep on the Borderlands?

Forbiddance blocks teleport, but it has an expensive material component and it does damage to anyone with a different alignment. Forbiddance is probably too dangerous a spell to be used in a place like the keep where several hundred people live.

Hallow is nice, but it only protects a 40' radius, so you would probably use it to only defend one building? It also has an expensive component. So where would you put the Hallow spell in the keep? Everywhere, at the entrance, in the church, in the Castellan's Quarters, etc.? Also, Hallow allows you to tie a spell to it. What spell would you tie to it?

1/year spells:
-> Forbiddance
-> Hallow
-- N

 

[Nifft]

Hallow makes a particular site, building, or structure a holy site. This has four major effects.

First, the site or structure is guarded by a magic circle against evil effect.

So... even if you argue that the 40 ft. radius emanation is the extent of the charisma check bonus and the spell tied to the hallow effect, the description explicitly allows a building or structure to be warded with protection from evil, which will hedge out evil outsiders and such.

Where to hallow:
-> A couple of towers (with archers, ballistas and such) -- daylight
-> The church (with places to sleep for refugees) -- dimensional anchor
-> The front gate -- detect evil

Where to forbiddance:
-> Food & water storage.
-> The secret room under the Church where they keep all the town's money and juicy magic items, and where the church guys themselves sleep.

-- N

 

[Endur]

Any other ideas?

 

[Nifft]

(house rules)

--> Living matter blocks dimensional travel. Cover the walls with tough ivy, inside and out. This is why wizards build towers -- so they can teleport in despite the trees. Makes forests more dangerous, but that's cool.

--> Gorgon blood in the mortar of the outer walls. As the ivy above, but less prone to fire. Requires only one guy a long time ago to know about it.

--> Circle casting for Divine ritual ceremony thingies. Basically give EVERYONE in town 2-4 ranks of Kn(Religion). Every High Holy Holiday, they all gather in the Temple of Pelor and make their Aid Another checks (which, by divine dispensation, all stack), granting the High Priest a Kn(Religion) check in low earth orbit. This ritual enables him to cast Miracle once per year or so.

-- N