Military tactics vs. high-level spellcasters

[Kae'Yoss]

Like I said: It's quite likely that the killing will start long before you reach that stronghold.

The spellcasters will probably hear of this. And then they will make quick strikes at the army and retreat again. With magic at your disposal, this is easy.

They will appear, launch some deadly magic, and be gone again before you can do too much about it.

They will obliterate your supplies, and make sure there's not enough to feed your army of 10.000 on the way.

The leader may be relatively safe from assassination attempts, but what about the other commanders? Can one leader command 10.000 directly?

They will make that month seem a very long time indeed. For a start, it will probably be longer than a month, since they will slow you down.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Okay. Let's say teleportation is unavailable. The army has the means to keep people from teleporting nearby it.

Also, let's give the army a chance to recruit some allies. What would they want to get? Monsters, high-level spellcasters, devils?

Didn't see that one before I posted again. You guys are quick!

Anyway, how near is "nearby". Will it keep them from teleporting away, too?

As for allies: I say fight fire with fire. The best way to fight 20 spellcasters is with 20 other spellcasters - and an army!

 

[Someone]

My bet is that those 10.000 men don't even reach the castle, let alone conquer it.

 

[takasi]

Okay. Let's say teleportation is unavailable. The army has the means to keep people from teleporting nearby it.

Also, let's give the army a chance to recruit some allies. What would they want to get? Monsters, high-level spellcasters, devils?

If this is for the AP, I suggest avoiding outsiders if possible.

What about a new monster?

Something that can fly of course.

Skeletal wyverns? Give them some type of reflective SR.

Turn them into a mob that forces concentration checks if you're inside their area.

And then give permanent see invisibility or something.

Or something that flies and eats magic. Or make an artifact, some type of siege engine that absorbs magic. That would match the flavor of the AP, if that's what this is for.

 

[painandgreed]

Assasination.

If making an attack, do it all in one day and hope to expire his spell options. Spread out troops. Try probing attacks to draw his fire early on less critical targets. if you have to wait for the next, then he'll have a new set of spells.

Or use the tactics that the US government used on the indians and "lower the water in the river". Don't attack the mage. Attack his support structure. Kill his peasants. Kill his guards. Kill his servants. Never face him in a head on fight. Anytime he attempts it, retreat. Come back later and kill his women and children. Eventually, he'll loose the ability to patrol his lands and retreat to his castle. Eventually the castle will lose the ability to support itself. Hopefully, he'll eventually lack the food and supplies to support his troops and perhaps even himself. Eventually he'll have to sleep and you kill him then. Hopefully, long before that, he'll tire of having everything he cares about destroyed and relent to you demands.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Assasination.

If making an attack, do it all in one day and hope to expire his spell options. Spread out troops. Try probing attacks to draw his fire early on less critical targets. if you have to wait for the next, then he'll have a new set of spells.

Or use the tactics that the US government used on the indians and "lower the water in the river". Don't attack the mage. Attack his support structure. Kill his peasants. Kill his guards. Kill his servants. Never face him in a head on fight. Anytime he attempts it, retreat. Come back later and kill his women and children. Eventually, he'll loose the ability to patrol his lands and retreat to his castle. Eventually the castle will lose the ability to support itself. Hopefully, he'll eventually lack the food and supplies to support his troops and perhaps even himself. Eventually he'll have to sleep and you kill him then. Hopefully, long before that, he'll tire of having everything he cares about destroyed and relent to you demands.

The problem is: The spellcasters can play that game to - and play it far better than the big army: That army of 10.000 will need a lot of food - if the Wizards destroy their supplies and make sure that they will find no more food on their journey, the army will be in sorry shape once they arrive.

Plus, the spellcasters should have an easier time of providing for themselves using magic.

 

[PatrickLawinger]

Okay. Let's say teleportation is unavailable. The army has the means to keep people from teleporting nearby it.

Also, let's give the army a chance to recruit some allies. What would they want to get? Monsters, high-level spellcasters, devils?

Well, for #1 you are going away from the original post of following the DnD rules.

For #2, recruiting high level spellcasters, monsters with both physical and spell-like abilities (devils are a good example).

Someone already posted a simple, not-often discussed fact. A well-designed and positioned castle (which appears to be what you describe) can hold off a significant force for a very long time. Throw magic in the works (on the side of those in the castle) and your attackers are unlikely to succeed without some impressive allies.

Now, if you can sneak someone inside the castle in advance with a potent magical disease that chews up massive amounts of resources to heal/cure you could change things up a bit.

Basically, if you are attacking a castle with high level casters in it, you are in trouble. I can't imagine low level troops staying organized once fireballs and cloudkills start dropping down on them. I would say in a DnD world the attackers are toast without some high level wizards, clerics, and druids (elemental summoning ...).

Patrick

 

[Dremmen]

I think there is enough support thrown at the wizards where I won't go into how they would defend said castle. Really, merely summoning a few monsters that require at least a +1 magical weapon to injure would be enough to rout the larger army. But I digress..


As the Commander of the 10,000 I would split the army up into smaller, faster contingents and approach the town in a staggered manner. The men would not be wearing their armor, and would fly no standards. The first contingent to arrive would be the scouting/intelligence unit whould would quickly figure out how often the fortress gets supplies from the town and in what quantities. They would also determine the fortresse's water source although this would probably be a well. The last contigents would come in on wagons carrying all the parts and materials required for the siege engines. By this time this sudden influx of military age men would probably be found out, but I don't think the wizards would either start nuking the surrounding town, or wonder into the crowded streets. They would probably hole up.

So the rest of the army arrives. By this time the scouting party that's been there has had time to poison the supplies of the fortress for a while, hopefully taking out not only some men but some wizards before it was found out. The wizards may risk consuming some of the older reserves but I would guess most perishables would be tossed out for risk of poison. Ballistae are entreched in buildings throughout the town, aimed at the fortress. The townsfolks would be under house arrest - I'm not sure of the aligment of the wizards, maybe they would ruthlessly kill off the townsfolk, but it should offer some buffer to the rain of fireballs. When everything is in place the rain of burning ballistae bolts begins. With 10,000 men, this could be kept up around the clock. Maybe the fortress can keep a major fire from breaking out for the first day, but eventually the wizards are going to get drained, and some men are going to start going down from the smoke. I'm guessing with an army that size easily 100 ballistae position could be built, spread out, with materials to build others. Any wizards that come out for offense can't be back at the castle helping with the fires so any offenses are sustained and absorbed. The siege is kept so until the inside of the fort is a smoking rubble.

 

[takasi]

I think there is enough support thrown at the wizards where I won't go into how they would defend said castle. Really, merely summoning a few monsters that require at least a +1 magical weapon to injure would be enough to rout the larger army. But I digress..

Not in 3.5. An army of 10,000, even without magical weapons, would still overwhelm a few monsters with DR 5/magic.

 

[painandgreed]

The problem is: The spellcasters can play that game to - and play it far better than the big army: That army of 10.000 will need a lot of food - if the Wizards destroy their supplies and make sure that they will find no more food on their journey, the army will be in sorry shape once they arrive.

Plus, the spellcasters should have an easier time of providing for themselves using magic.

Ture enough, but that should be dealt with long before you wonder how to face him in combat. That the OP didn't address it, I assumed it was a non-issue, as otherwise, the real question would be how to defend your army while taking a month's march to their target. Pluss, drawing him into conflict with you on your home ground would be easier to deal with him than attacking him on his.

Split off several groups of volunteers. 20 to 50 man parties. Send them out on light horse ahead of the army to block the roads to and from the castle. Send others out to raid the surrounding lands including the town around the castle, begining the seige as early as possible. Sabbotage the mills, store houses, and docks. Develop a spy network and see if you can bribe or intimidate townspeople or guards to your cause inorder to find a weak spot in his defences.

The general's army marches in preparation for attack at any time and hopefully a plan on keeping the wizard from escaping should he show up with people, as that will probably be the best time you have to take care of him. He'll be buffed and accompanied with lots of people, so you have to hit him with something that prevents escape and then delay direct conflict till the buffs start to wear off. Eventually, it should be able to wear him down by sheer numbers. If you fail, you have less distance to retreat than if you had made it to his castle to fail.