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Message: <blockquote data-quote="SHARK" data-source="post: 331144" data-attributes="member: 1131">Greetings!MMADSEN: Hmmm...indeed!<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> Vorpal swords and bigger monsters are probably easier to include in a campaign than kingdoms and armies. I agree--but I think developing armies, kingdoms, and so on, allows for the inclusion of a different scope for reward, victory, and defeat. You see what I'm getting at?<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> Make the players broaden their view from themselves and how much gold they have. If the players have an army to feed, train, heal, and equip, it doesn't really matter if you dump a treasure of 20,000,000 GP on them, now does it? What particular magic armor they may or may not have isn't really relevant when they have to worry if the 5th Legion is coming along well in their training or not, and if they will be ready to assault the evil Dragon fortress in the spring, heh? Or, in addition, if Alpha Company's new commander is racist against Ogres or not, and how well his command style is working with the new recruits from the province of Harrgathan. These types of considerations, and their successful resolutions, will be far more meaningful and important than if they have a new suit of +4 Plate Armor, or a +7 Vorpal sword, you know? In addition, even with the idea of using bigger and tougher monsters, that aside, they may be far more worried about the rumours of the "Black Wyvern" Regiment of elite Hobgoblins, led by the famous commander, Zhinnagharn, than what a powerful, sorcerous Beholder is doing, you know? What do you think my friend?CRG wrote:____________________________________________________Quote:"SHARK: If we say that we're going to expend some amount of resources attacking supplies and teleport-raiding and razing in the Vallorean home-land, what effects will that have on the Vallorean army? Can we count on it to in any way, shape or form change the nature of their attack? Number of attackers?"____________________________________________________End Quote.Well, the Vallorean Empire is enormous, and has a population of over 200,000,000 people. They have an enormous military machine, that is gearing up to integrate 5% of the population into the military, in addition to recruiting large foreign mercenary units, as well as inducting foreign immigrants at an increased level. In short, while damage could indeed be done--it would make the Valloreans bleed and suffer--the party, and the Vallorean Emperor, are likely to guess that such an attack is diversionary. The Vallorean Emperor has been known to then proceed to order additional armies to the attack area, so as to "press home the attack against a desperate, weary enemy." Thus, if a major assault against the Vallorean homeland is made, the Vallorean High Command may bring in an additional 50-200,000 troops to make the enemy pay. You might laugh, but the Vallorean Emperor is just such a personality. He might, in a fit of rage, order armies from other theaters to give up additional troops, so that they can be shipped to the attack area, because he has decided to fully exterminate every living creature in the area or something, in order to make the evil land pay for their arrogance and wickedness in attacking the pure. righteous, Vallorean Homeland. After all, the last time Galleran invaded Vallorea, the Emperor responded by invading Galleran with 150 Imperial Vallorean Legions!<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />So, by all means, attack the homeland!<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> Some of the players will squirm, while others will appeal to the emperor for even more armies! It's a strategic gamble, I say, as far as what can be gained from it. It might be worthy though just as a bloody strike to bring death and terror! I doubt if it would be likely to seriously affect the armies facing your own lines, though. How's that?<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Zenon wrote:____________________________________________________Quote:"From as near as SHARKs descriptions, these guys would put their heads into a threshing machine without flinching. Somehow I don't think razing their homeland will even make them blink."____________________________________________________End Quote.Zenon! You made me choke on my soda!<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> Great visuals! Threshers indeed! Right on target friend, right on target! Many Vallorean Legionnaires would likely pray that the people being slaughtered back home be welcomed into the afterlife with joy, and that their sacrifice is not in vain...therefore they must speed up the attack, and exterminate the enemy in front of them all the faster, except now with even more ruthlessness! For every good, holy, righteous Vallorean killed by the wicked enemy, a price of 10 or 20 of the enemy shall be extracted...the Romans slaughtered half of the population of Carthage, enslaved the other half, and destroyed Carthage to the very ground, salting and tilling the very soil to make it a savage wasteland, where no living creature could live...such is the fate of any city in Galleran that may resist too ferociously!<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> The Lord-General may decide to have 20 or 30 thousand Galleran humans or Hobgoblins, or Beastmen, crucified along the roads leading to and from the besieged city...The Vallorean soldiers could be expected to become even more grim, ferocious, determined, and ruthless.<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Very funny Zenon! I was laughing so hard at the visual! Really great my friend! I loved that!Semper Fidelis,SHARK</blockquote>

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