Giving my GM a break

[supersub]

My GM toils endlessly, creating pages of information that we players never ask about, and thinking up who knows how many clever names and clues that are ignored or mocked as we sit around his dinner table. I was looking to create an encounter to give him a break from running the game for a night or two and allowing him to let his hair down, so to speak. Here's my plan, and I'd love any feedback or suggestions on things to do to make this fun. Keep in mind, that I'm trying to keep this to 1-2 session's worth of fun.

I'm going to have each player generate a 9th level character and a 7th level character (yes, I think they'll need a backup). They idea is that they will be an elite mercenary unit attached to an army. The encounter will begin when they are tasked to help a small army company attack a small tower that is threatening supply routes. The PC's mercenary group will be accompanied by a company of about 50 soldiers. The goal is to basically play king of the hill, where they attack a fortified position, then have to hold it until morning. I've drafted out about 5 waves of attackers, but was curious if anyone has done this before (I'm willing to borrow with pride) or has any suggestions for a good challenge for this motley band of mercenaries. I currently have a dragon for the climactic final encounter, and was visualizing one wave of attackers including some ogre magi, and another comprising a swarm of hobgoblins with a couple of bullettes to allow them to pass the wall around the tower. Most of the army group I'm thinking will be 3rd level, with a variety of higher level officers and advisors. Any thoughts or suggestions you can think of would be appreciated!

 

[Empirate]

In principle, this sounds like an awesome game. However, I just want to point out some logical flaws in the 'story'. Fortifications aren't really any use in warfare involving mid- or high-level characters and monsters. A guard tower is just scenery if 9th level PCs (Overland Flight, Teleport) or monsters like Bulettes are involved. In fact, the guard tower itself becomes rather bland at that point: its walls and ceiling just won't do anything except maybe get in the way for both sides little bit.

How about making it a more magical location instead of a fortification? Some kind of node, maybe, which produces wild magic effects but also helps the defenders in some way. Maybe it generates pulses of magic every 10 rounds, which damage everything around and inside it, unless it's attuned to the node (which can be done as a full-round action and lasts for an hour or so). Maybe it functions as a portal, gating in extraplanar reinforcements under the control of the place's 'master' (whoever that may be at the time). Maybe it's a springwell of healing potion. Maybe it buffs whomever is inside with bonuses slowly increasing over time.

Whichever it'll be, this kind of location actually provides an incentive to stay there and defend it, AND it provides a defensive benefit. Normally, in D&D, the advantage would go to the attacker once magic/monster abilities/class features get strong enough to just ignore stone walls.

 

[supersub]

Thank you for the feedback - the value of real-world fortifications is definitely questionable, and part of this exercise is to see how creative the players will get when they are being worn down with wave after wave of attackers. Since this is a standalone type encounter, I'm not too worried about major plot holes, but I do think that there should be some additional justification for needing to defend that location. Right now I'm leaning towards have there be some type of gate effect that will allow whoever is there pull in additional reinforcements. That way I figure both sides in this conflict will want control, and it will stress the importance of holding on to this location no matter what. Otherwise I could see the group taking control of the tower and then deciding to destroy it so that nobody could use the tower and then leaving. Not exactly what I had planned, so thank you for that suggestion.

Any other ideas for unusual or otherwise fun attackers? I am trying to figure out what types would work well together, and right now I have hobgoblins, ogres, trolls, and giants. The dragon at the end of course, and was going to throw in a couple of other leader types which would be PC types mounted on wyverns who could throw the occasional monkey wrench into the works. There was a monster listed in the old Monster Manual II called Quicklings which I was going to try to look up - thought they might be interesting to pull in as scouts or light recon forces. Any other suggestions you might have would be appreciated!

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

I did this once on the Outer Plane The Infernal Battlefield of Acheron.

Entire armies would fight other armies as wave after wave warred to get the the center, a small cavern at the top of a hill. Incredibly powerful defenders held the center. Rumors flew that it was a gateway off the Plane, or a source of great power, or any number of other ideas.
Truth is, it's just a shallow cave, but no one would believe such a statement, expecting anyone saying so to be lying, because surely such an endless war would not be fought over something such as that.

Those within the center defended the ground not because it held power or portal, but to simply remain alive, knowing they could never fight their way out of ring after ring of enemies pressing inward, and that this was the most defensable position for many miles around.

And the madness continued endlessly. Such is Acheron.