Help me defend a village.

[Ruined]

Hello All. In my current campaign, I have a town that has endured recent assaults by raiding creatures. Trolls have made some snatch-n-grabs, two in the past week, where they rush in at night and grab two or three humans and leave. Guards have encountered them, but were ineffective at that point. The town fears that a larger force is waiting and its only a matter of time before they assault the city en masse.

The village has a typical compliment of homesteads and buildings forming its ‘heart’, with a number of farmsteads branching out around it. The area has never had serious problems like this for a length of time, so there’s been no need for walled fortifications.

Now the village has had a few days to prepare (and are aware that some trolls at least can be harmed by fire). What kind of mundane defenses would such a village (approx. 800 inhabitants) be able to make in three or four days time?

 

[alsih2o]

lamp oil baloons, bladders filled with lamp oil

torch-polearms, 15 villagers with reach and flame may be brave enough to die standing up

suckers paunch- a ready-to-collapse building with soem bait, smeared down with fat or oil, the troll rushes in, takes collapsing building damage then burn dmg.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Assuming the Trolls are after the people, not just looking to be destructive and not knowing the willingness of the townspeople to sacrifice some to save part of the town (and its inhabitants), I would assume closer to the center of the village they would dig some trenches with sharpened stakes on their side to slow the advance of attackers. Line the trenches with hay, possibly oil soaked, which can be set ablaze if enough trolls are in it to be worthwhile (it will burn out quickly). They might be able to prepare simple flaming arrows with oil soaked rags wrapped around the head of the shaft that could be used at short range.

 

[shilsen]

I second Thornir's trenches, but it might be better to prepare a few pit traps with spikes at the bottom if they have enough time. If they can lure a couple of trolls into such traps, it shouldn't be difficult to prevent them from climbing out while piling in hay and oil and setting them afire.

 

[Rel]

Assuming the Trolls are after the people, not just looking to be destructive and not knowing the willingness of the townspeople to sacrifice some to save part of the town (and its inhabitants), I would assume closer to the center of the village they would dig some trenches with sharpened stakes on their side to slow the advance of attackers. Line the trenches with hay, possibly oil soaked, which can be set ablaze if enough trolls are in it to be worthwhile (it will burn out quickly). They might be able to prepare simple flaming arrows with oil soaked rags wrapped around the head of the shaft that could be used at short range.

This is pretty much exactly the idea that I was having. You slow down the trolls with the trenches and sharpened stakes. Make several rows of trenches if possible with a narrow band between each one. The villagers wait until the trolls get close and have to slow down and then hurl oil flasks. It's only a touch attack so they should be able to hit fairly often.

Then they retreat across prepared, plank bridges they've set up with ropes attached to pull them up after they cross and repeat the process at each trench. All the while, any trained hunters or guardsmen are peppering the nearest troll with archer fire.

Don't forget to play the A-Team song while they're making all the preparations.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Originally posted by Rel
Don't forget to play the A-Team song while they're making all the preparations.

You might not want to do that, or else the villagers might find themselves unable to hit anything except tires or will only be able to deal subdual damage

 

[Shallown]

Also remember that the villagers can attempt to fool the trolls. Light oil trenches in some alley ways between stable buildings then fake not being able to light one trench and watch the trolls head for the weak spot. Set a trap there. Maybe an extra large trench/pit that is half hidden so they rush it and fall in. The trolls will most often take the easiest fire free route.

Long barbed poles and make shift nets to hold the trolls long enough for the fire to get them fairly burned. Treat the netting and such to prevent it from burning maybe with just soaking them in water. As it dries doesn't rope constrict/contract?

later

 

[Ruined]

Thanks for the quick responses, people. We'll see how poor Angelsgate fares in the upcoming conflict. =)

 

[NewJeffCT]

A town of 800 will likely have anywhere from 6-12 full time soldiers, and possibly would have a part time militia as well.

Usually, we play that the weaknesses of more common monsters are fairly well known (orcs & goblins don't like the light of day, trolls regenerate & hate fire, you need silver to hit a werewolf, etc) - so, the idea of torches attached to polearms is good.

Nets and ropes are good as well.

A possibility is to use fire to heard them into a pit trap of sorts.

 

[Nightfall]

Thanks for the quick responses, people. We'll see how poor Angelsgate fares in the upcoming conflict. =)

They should have hired Mercs of the Hawk to handle that. They are Durrover based... Sort of. Another option since Angelsgate is sort of the the center of Madriel's Angel sect movement, hire out a Thanumturge(sp) to summon an angel or two.