Recipe for an Army Killer

[med stud]

If 10000 soldiers are standing on a three men deep line with one yard between each soldier, that would make a 3000 yard line (and one yard is probably pretty tight). A fireball would kill thirty soldiers in one strike, as would all spells of that radius. If the soldiers would be placed within 5 feet of each other, this number would go down to 18 soldiers per fireball.

This is the maximum a mid level wizard can kill per round. If 5th level mages are as rare as the city construction guide seems to imply, wizards are not that dangerous on a battle field. At mid levels, they can be compared to the artillery pieces of the 30 years war; they will make armies fight on thin lines instead of deep formations.

High level wizards are of course a bigger problem, but there will probably be one high level wizard per big army, and he or she has to make sure he/she isnt hunted down and killed by either enemy mages or heroes in the enemy army. So in a battle, wizards are able to kill maybe 1000-2000 soldiers (a very high number I confess), but for armies of the 30 year war size (20000-40000) it isnt the end of the army. The big army can still fight (with big losses from spells) after the wizards are out of spells.

 

[smetzger]

Reminds me of the time my 5th level Wizard found a book of spells.

Reading the first one...

Me: "Weird, cool..., can't cast that now, I turn the page"

DM: "The next page is blank".

Me: "No!!!! I try to turn the page back."

DM: "The page won't turn back"

Me: "Doh!"

*:> Scott

 

[the Jester]

First off, Hejdun is right about the targets being 30' away from each other; this is pretty clearly stated in the PH.

Secondly, using a few planar allies will go a long way- especially if they have DR that most of the army can't really penetrate (though this'll be greatly fixed in 3.5).

 

[rkanodia]

I didn't mean that all D&D armies are special forces, but that they're more like modern infantry - better trained (War1 for recruits, War2-3 for regulars who've seen some action, War4+ for NCOs and vets), better equipped, more mobile (smaller unit size), more flexible and more survivable (unit cleric with a wand of CLW).

Ah, sure. I agree with you completely.

 

[Pielorinho]

Elemental swarm, used to call up earth elementals, can be pretty nice against armies. That greater earth elemental alone is likely to kill about 44 opponents per round (great cleave, 10' square base, 15' reach slam +24, and damage averaging 27 points of damage = killing everyone in the 36 squares within its reach -- then it takes a 5' step, and kills people in the new 8 squares opened up to it). The two huge earth elementals are almost as likely to do the same thing, and the 5 large elementals are likely to kill about 4 or 5 opponents per round each.

We're looking at about 150 peons dead in the first round, roughly speaking. In the second round, the elementals can overrun their enemies to get in the middle of another group and repeat. This round, the big ones will likely kill only 36 or so opponents each, since they only get their one attack from charging plus attacks from great cleave; the death toll will go down to around 100 - 120 peons the second round and each round thereafter.

Note that the only thing that'll really stop this process (besides opposing magic, natch) is if an elemental rolls a natural 1 on an attack; I don't know how to figure that into my calculations, especially after the first round. On the other hand, if anyone is left inside the elemental's reach at the end of its turn, they're likely to try to run away, right? Triggering an AoO, which in turn can get the great cleave madness started right back up again.

The best things about this strategy?
1) Earth elementals can move through the ground, allowing them to ambush soldiers from beneath; and
2) 10 minutes/level.

Oh, and
3) A druid can join the battle as one of the large earth elementals, casting spells like spike stones or spike growth to trap the army in the area (assuming the druid took the natural casting feat).

Daniel

 

[Number47]

I actually think high-level mages would encourage larger armies of low-level plebes. If you picture it on a large-scale tactical map with several fronts, the high-level wizard can only be at one place. The enemy coordinates attacks of several key points at the same time. One of these is an assault by a simply massive number, say 200,000 first-level warriors, preferably in an area that the high-level wizard is believed to be in. This will keep the artillery wizard very, very busy. He can kill a good number of them, and they will be very disorganized and probably start running away, but he cannot simply leave at that point. If he leaves to go see to another area, the grunt will regroup and begin the assault again. Meanwhile, the more elite (higher level) forces begin swift tactical strikes against key areas. If all goes the way planned, the checkpoints will be taken, the war machine rumbles forward and you've only lost about 10% of your forces. The enemy wizard will be on the run, at least until he can get some rest. The opposing side will be in a shambles, country ripe for the taking. The enemy wizard could come back to give you grief, but what would the point be? The country is already lost, no sense in making himself the next target.

 

[Zub]

Cone of Cold is actually a good one, because it can be cheaply extended - if extended four times (up to 9th level) a 20th level caster could make a cone which was 75ft x 4 = 300ft long to a 300ft base, doing 15d6 to everyone in that area (half on a save). That should kill most of the army within its nice big area.

Cheers

If the wizard were flying over the army and cast cone of cold directly below him, it would affect a 300' diameter circle of people.