D&D General PCs raiding a city

[FXR]

So you've throw in the term 'raid' (a quick in & out attack for loot), and 'seige' (an operation to reduced a fortified position by attrition and starvation coupled with extensive engineering operations which will takes weeks, and up to years).

Which is it?

I was thinking more about a raid. The not-vikings do not want to occupy or conquer the city. They want to sack it, not so much for the riches they will plunder (but it's a nice bonus) but more to assert their independance over elves. As I wrote earlier, the elves see the not-viking holdings as client states or vassals, and the not-viking are sick of it.

Because of the influence of occult third-parties, no side is willing to negociate, at least for now. The arrival of the giants might however change things.

 

[Jd Smith1]

I was thinking more about a raid. The not-vikings do not want to occupy or conquer the city. They want to sack it, not so much for the riches they will plunder (but it's a nice bonus) but more to assert their independance over elves. As I wrote earlier, the elves see the not-viking holdings as client states or vassals, and the not-viking are sick of it.

Because of the influence of occult third-parties, no side is willing to negociate, at least for now. The arrival of the giants might however change things.

Well, the trick in sacking a city is that while getting in should be done by surprise, the problem is, is that while your reavers are busy gathering loot, setting fires, raping, killing, and despoiling, the garrion and militia are standing to arms. Which means countless small street fights as drunken raiders drag loot and captives back to the ships while the local troops and militia endeavor to split their skulls with a pole axe.

That's why raiders generally preferred unwalled places to raid and sack: quicker and easier to get in and out.

 

[Quartz]

To make it more difficult, I'm probably going to force the PCs to split themselves between these objectives.

Not a good idea. Don't split the party. It's a lot more work for you.

 

[Jd Smith1]

Not a good idea. Don't split the party. It's a lot more work for you.

I believe the exact opposite: splitting the party opens up all sorts of options.

Of course, we use a VTT at the table, which makes it much easier, so obviously that has to be factored in.

 

[FXR]

I believe the exact opposite: splitting the party opens up all sorts of options.

Of course, we use a VTT at the table, which makes it much easier, so obviously that has to be factored in.

Because of the pandemic, we use Roll20. From my perspective, I don't think we'll play the old-fashioned way until 2021.

 

[Jd Smith1]

Because of the pandemic, we use Roll20. From my perspective, I don't think we'll play the old-fashioned way until 2021.

We never stopped playing FtF. No one in our area has, to my knowledge.

But without electronic mapping, splitting the party becomes a hefy chore.

 

[Eltab]

Task for PCs: A given business is good plunder but is magically guarded. A high-enough-level PC is given a Scroll of Counterspell to take down the defense. The raiders do not know that the business has Guards and Wards (or Druid Grove or similar) on it PLUS a golem (or warforged?) security officer. Counterspell-ing won't bother - but will alert - the guard.

Have the business be a 'mastercraft' weapon blacksmith: room full of different weapons that are treated as "magic weapons" (even though they grant +0 and have no special properties). Reward the PCs for keeping too busy fighting to steal everybody's stuff.

 

[MichaelSomething]

Complications would depend on how much a threat the PCs would pose to the city itself.

Are they just going in a direction, doing whatever damage they can? Most likely they'll run into ragtag groups of peasants with a rent a cop or two leading them.

Are they aiming for specific juicy targets like banks, high end stores, or infrastructure? Then stationed security forces/defenses will be there to respond. Elves summoning animals for defense would make sense so feel free to throw whatever animals would make a good encounter.

Are they hitting a major landmark, military buildings, or government strongholds? That's where the elite forces AKA high level NPCs will go to first.