Favorite combat tactics? (2nd attempt)

[Hussar]

Tripping, IMO, remains one of the best tactics for a group. If the high BAB type drops the opponent to the ground, that means that everyone gets a good chance at tagging the baddie. The rogue can get his sneak attack in that much easier and the monk and ranger do that much better despite lower attack bonuses. I know that the power attacking fighter is well regarded, but, when it comes to party tactics, giving everyone a longspear and letting them go to town on a tripped opponent is a vary viable tactic.

Note, that for baddies, long spears are great too. Kobolds or goblins with longspears become far more effective. Effectively, they double their attacks - one for the AOO and one for the actual attack. Put a rank behind the front rank and they can get in on the action as well. The front rank has only to drop the spear and draw shorter weapons. This gets particularly nasty if you use the Awl Pike from Dragon which has a reach of 15 feet.

 

[Lord Zardoz]

Inverted Impailers...

The Spider climb + reach weapons + high ceiling sounds like a very effective tactic. I really like the implications of it. The only problem is that its just a bit difficult to pull off unless the combatants all have an inborn spiderclimb ability.

Still, I can see this causing problems for anyone encountering it for the first time, especially since most warrior types arent geared for effective ranged combat.

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[ceratitis]

The Spider climb + reach weapons + high ceiling sounds like a very effective tactic. I really like the implications of it. The only problem is that its just a bit difficult to pull off unless the combatants all have an inborn spiderclimb ability.

Still, I can see this causing problems for anyone encountering it for the first time, especially since most warrior types arent geared for effective ranged combat.

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i know of a pair of slippers that can take care of that problem
my dm pulled a similar one like this on us with some driders, they kicked the s.. out of us.
Z

 

[VirgilCaine]

I forgot the other favourite combat tactic (albeit I've never actually had the heart to use this) - the collossal mimic, disguised as an inn.

That's not a mimic, it's a house hunter...and they come in villages.

 

[Dei]

Some more of my favourite tactics:

Ka-Thud! "What the hell was that?": A change on the high ceiling + reach weapons + slippers of spider climb. Requires one bag of holding and about a ton of assorted rubble. Give both slippers and bag to a rogue, have him sneak unnoticed above whatever is up ahead and then upend the bag. The tactic gets it's name from the sounds which usually follow it's implementation.

The Surprise: Relies on having a sorcerer/wizard with delayed blast fireballs to hand, when you know there's a tough fight up ahead have the rogue or monk since he's usually faster to go and get them all good and mad at him. They chase him back towards the party and after they round the corner have just enough time to wonder what those small glowing beads in mid-air are before: Surprise!

You and what army?: If you've got a fast-talker in the party and you want to surprise the encounter up ahead have him approach it and engage it in conversation, having him start a shouting match that won't quickly dissolve into violence is preferable. Then while they're yelling at each other the full plate clad fighters can sneak into position without being heard then when the encounter asks the aforementioned question the fast-talker can grin and reply: "This one actually."

Belkar: It's a true now as it has always been, "When in doubt, set something on fire."

I'll post some more as soon as I remember them, glad to see this thread thriving so much and I'm honoured my Teleport Hulk recieved a mention .

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Soak a zombie in oil, cast protection from fire, light it up, send it into combat.

Absent some specific house rules, this doesn't do anything.

Trap opponents in a web, then light it on fire.

Doesn't this just burn away the web, freeing them?

Lobbing flasks of lamp oil at a creature being affected by a flaming sphere....or that is about to be affected by a flaming sphere.

Is this more effective than using Alchemist's Fire and not worrying about the Sphere?

A tanglefoot bag tucked in your belt like a money pouch. Great for catching pickpockets, but a little expensive.

The most common means of picking pockets involves slicing a gash into the bottom of the belt pouch and letting the coins fall into the thief's hands, or cutting the strings attaching it to one's belt. Not sure slicing open the bottom of a tanglefoot bag would do much at all (I imagine the goo is fairly viscous), and slicing the strings attaching it to the belt just means the thief steals a tanglefoot bag instead of money.

Not to be a stick-in-the-mud, but...

 

[MarkB]

I forgot the other favourite combat tactic (albeit I've never actually had the heart to use this) - the collossal mimic, disguised as an inn.

There's a worse one than that. Diminuitive mimic, disguised as underpants.

 

[Lord Zardoz]

Absent some specific house rules, this doesn't do anything.Doesn't this just burn away the web, freeing them?Is this more effective than using Alchemist's Fire and not worrying about the Sphere?The most common means of picking pockets involves slicing a gash into the bottom of the belt pouch and letting the coins fall into the thief's hands, or cutting the strings attaching it to one's belt. Not sure slicing open the bottom of a tanglefoot bag would do much at all (I imagine the goo is fairly viscous), and slicing the strings attaching it to the belt just means the thief steals a tanglefoot bag instead of money.

Not to be a stick-in-the-mud, but...

In the DMG, there is a table of various environmental effects can cause, and assuming the zombies fists are also on fire, your essentially being hit with a rotting flesh torch, which will add some (but not alot) of fire damage. If the zombie grapples, it gets worse.

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[Lord Zardoz]

Strategic Withdrawl

One tactic that often does not get the respect it deserves is the Strategic Withdrawl. Also known as Running the Hell Away. I am not talking about running away in defeat either, as it is often the tactic of last resort. What I am talking about though, is trading space for time.

For tactics like Roof fighting with reach weapons, retreat is a great option. The tactic is only useful as long as you stay in the same room. You can easily just find the nearest door, which is usually not near the ceiling, and then wait for the roof born attackers to come down to the door to fight you.

Likewise, may players like to hyper buff, using every enchancement spell to turn their tanks into Juggernauts. Now, if the source of these enhancements is simply bulls strength type spells, why not run from the attackers until the duration expires? Its the same net effect as a dispel magic, but does not require a spell caster.

Strategic withdrawl is only viable when you can force an opponent to expend resources or advantages, and to be really effective, you must also return to attack once more as soon as those resources have been expended, but before they can be replaced.

This can apply to spells of limited durations, but it also applies to Barbarian Rages, and arrows. Many DM's have had problems dealing with parties that use missile weapons at lower and mid levels. Goblins and Orcs just dont have the staying power. But have you ever deliberately tried to force them to run out of arrows by using cover, range penalties and defensive tactics, so that they barely, if ever, hit? And while raging barbarians are difficult opponents, have you ever gotten them to enter a rage, then ran away, waited for his rage to wear off, and then attack when he is exhausted?

Its viable, its just not sexy.

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[cignus_pfaccari]

Ever huddled with three or more people in a 5ft equivalent spot before a door? Ever tried to storm into the room lying behind at same time as someon else?

I do every day at work, when I get out of the elevator. Except we don't actually huddle together, unless we're all real friendly. Granted, a typical elevator is not exactly 5x5 (more like 6x6 or thereabouts), but it's certainly not appreciably bigger than a square.

Note that, in Real Life, SWAT teams do not each occupy their own 5' square when they're getting ready to pile through a door.

Brad