Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Capn Charlie" data-source="post: 6585167" data-attributes="member: 16046">I recently dealt with a similar situation as this to the mutual enjoyment of both my party and myself as DM.  Four PCs, a village of about 600 (currently gutted of its militia and guard, and basically any able bodied 15 to 50) and an advancing force of hobgoblins numbering 300 and more, with intermixed bugbear shocktroops and goblin warg rider cavalry and goblin fodder.  (For a total headcount of just over 400)  The main body of the army marched along secured routes with fore and rear scouting elements, and goblin outriders along the flanks.  A vanguard element was composed of 1 hobgoblin officer, 4 bugbears, 3 warg riders, 12 regular infantry and 5 dedicated archers,   2 hobgoblin war shamans (cleric buffs, wizard nukes).  A main battle element was similar to a scouting element, but with roughly twice as many infantry, archers and mounted goblins.  Due to a successful enemy plan, the town (an important stopping point on a major trade way) was filled with mostly noncombatants, and had only a half dozen fighters.  The town's defenders were at least 4 days away (two days to find them at top speed, and two days to get them back at a forced march, the nearest point of reinforcement was a four day's ride one way, and enemy force was only two days out.  The enemy force had to cross rough country, one river that had to be forded, and fairly narrow pass through the hills.  Using the pass as a chokepoint, the party ambushed and narrowly defeated a scouting element, then the battle group sent to determine its fate, leaving them completely tapped out, and fleeing for their lives even in victory.  Enterprising characters found a cave lair of a trio of trolls and unleashed them on a second battle element the following day, which while successful only slowed the enemy advance who finally got word back of action at the pass, and pressed through with better magical support, sending the trolls and party fleeing.  The party skirmished with two more battle groups in the woods, and held them at the ford for a time, until weight of enemy fire forced them from their entrenched positions on the far side.  All told, the party managed to skirmish and inflict casualties totalling almost two thirds the enemy forces in the woods and hills, but with resources virtually gone, and time delayed too little, the remaining forces converged on the town, where the pcs fought desperately at hastily erected barricade at the town, holding one end of the city while the other half the forces penetrated deeply into the town, where the party had to confront them building to building.  The party involved was only 5th level, and the forces against them were vast, but since they did everything in their power to divide and defeat the enemy in detail, they finally won the day.</blockquote>

Verification