Protecting Troops from Fireball

[dcollins]

Here's a question I've been puzzling over for quite a while. Let's say you've got 100 soldiers active in the field (1st-level warriors). What's the best way (i.e., simple and generally least expensive) to protect them from being devastated by a wizard's fireball attack?

EDIT: For the purposes of this thread I'm assuming an enemy caster does in fact manage to cast a fireball at your friendly 1st-level warriors in close formation. The question is, is there any magical protection which would have been a helpful counter at this point?

Please, no custom new magic items. Double score for core rules only.

 

[Hairfoot]

If there were rules for shield formations, it'd be that. But there aren't, so it isn't.

 

[Grogtar]

Have the first rank have Tower Shields and use them for Full Cover.

Second rank should have polearms of some kind.

Voila.

 

[andargor]

What kind of magic support do they have?

There's mass resist energy (CA, Cleric 3, Druid 3, Sorcerer/Wizard 4, Wu Jen 4), starting at 7th it's 20 points of energy resistance. 1 creature/level. 50-50 chance they fry anyway, though, if its a 10d6 fireball.

If you have a high-level cleric, there's mass spell resistance (CD, Cleric 7).

A nice spell is legion's fire shield (MH, Sorcerer/Wizard 5, Warmage 5). Chill Shield form gives 1/2 damage on failed save, no damage on successful save.

IMC, there's an epic spell called legion's invisibility, all creatures within 360 ft. greater invisible for 1 min./level.

Perhaps potions?

Andargor

 

[Aidan mac Culloch]

Avoiding devastation for that group of warriors is tough. Four choices, as I see it.

1. Improve their reflex saves.

2. Give them all evasion capability.

3. Shield them with protection from energy/elements-type magic.

4. Some combination of 1-3.

A simple solution for door #1 is to give all the warriors the first level feat Lightning Reflexes. Won't help much but does accomplish the goal. Otherwise we are dealing with Gloves of Dexerity for all or massive amounts of cat's grace castings. Door #2 is outrageously expensive. Rings of evasion are pricey. The 3rd option is actually the most plausible, since energy resistance is a 1st level spell for some casters. Hard to cast that many, but the most realizable choice I think.

There are clearly some higher level solutions to this: wall of force, invisibility, etc. but I presume that's not what we are going for.

A very simple technique that's only conditionally useful would be to fight at night (assuming the wizard cannot see in the dark well) and give all the warriors some ranks in Move Silently and Hide. Effective until the wizzie finds them, then they are screwed.

Another simple solution is just spreading out. Fireball has a finite radius of coverage and the wizard doesn't have 40 castings of it (I hope). Sacrifice a few for the good of many and all that.

Just some ideas, nothing too exciting I guess.

[Edited to change the name of a spell to the correct one.]

 

[glass]

Here's a question I've been puzzling over for quite a while. Let's say you've got 100 soldiers active in the field (1st-level warriors). What's the best way (i.e., simple and generally least expensive) to protect them from being devastated by a wizard's fireball attack?

Please, no custom new magic items. Double score for core rules only.

Heroes of Battle suggests using one move action each round and then readying an action to scatter if an area effect spell hits. Won't save everyone, but it'll help.


glass.

 

[gtJormungand]

If possible, you could try to have a caster on hand ready to counterspell.

 

[irdeggman]

1. Caster with readied counterspell (as pointed out earlier).

2. Troops with ready action to atack if caster casts a spell. 100 attempts at disruption will probably do it.

3. Get the troops to engage with the enemy (i.e., wizard's allies). That way if the wizard fries them then he will also do the same to his allies.

 

[schporto]

Well I was going to suggest a turtle shell of tower shields. Each one will cover a 5 foot space and provide total cover. But I'm not sure it would work. Bursts are no good against total cover. Fireball is a spread. Spreads can "turn corners". I'm not sure if total cover counts as turning corners.

Oh and you front, back, and side ranks carry two shields, one above, one on the exposed 'side'. Leaving 4 vulnerable people at the corners. And yes it would then be fairly useless against lightning bolt.
Isn't this why seige engines were created?
-cpd

 

[Plane Sailing]

The easiest way is surely to just not move your troops around in close order. Use skirmishers with decent separation between each other so that fireball just doesn't catch enough people to make it worth while.

nb the tower shields idea wouldn't work, because fireball is a spread and it will happily curl around the sides of the tower shields. Great against bursts, not great against spreads.

Cheers