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<blockquote data-quote="Dorian_Grey" data-source="post: 6959310" data-attributes="member: 6801878">Back in my 2e days I had a campaign world with essentially a World War 1 going on in the background. The players were screwing around on this tiny little backwater island kingdom so never really saw it, but I loved keeping notes about who was doing what and where. Why do I bring this up? Some of the ideas could help.I very quickly decided that the war was between gnomes/dwarves/halflings on one side, and hobgoblins on the other. The war had started off with quick mobilizations and some stunning defeats on both sides (Tallfellow lancers were decimated by thick ranks of hobgoblin pike and longbow formations; a dwarven underground offensive was destroyed by a hobgoblin necromancer having zombies and skeletons come in on both sides; etc - I took a LOT of notes over the years for something only I saw). Anyway, one development was deployment of entrenching by both sides. Verdant valleys became devastated war zones as two armies faced each other over wood spikes, crossbows, and pikes. A few ideas on how to get your players to close to melee from this:* Entrench monsters when they camp. They don't just sit their butts down in the grass and light up, they get to WORK! Large encampments will have outpost trenches that are covered in logs. Smaller encampments will still set up some kind of barrier that will provide cover.* In lands humanoids control, have entrenched positions that are well built but almost invisible. Include siege weapons. &quot;You see a small low hill or rubble pile... oh wait! It's firing flaming rocks at you.&quot;* Remember that a shovel can be as deadly as a crossbow! Entrenching tool AND weapon!Treat your world like a WW1 battle field and you're players will BEG for melee combat.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Dorian_Grey, post: 6959310, member: 6801878"] Back in my 2e days I had a campaign world with essentially a World War 1 going on in the background. The players were screwing around on this tiny little backwater island kingdom so never really saw it, but I loved keeping notes about who was doing what and where. Why do I bring this up? Some of the ideas could help. I very quickly decided that the war was between gnomes/dwarves/halflings on one side, and hobgoblins on the other. The war had started off with quick mobilizations and some stunning defeats on both sides (Tallfellow lancers were decimated by thick ranks of hobgoblin pike and longbow formations; a dwarven underground offensive was destroyed by a hobgoblin necromancer having zombies and skeletons come in on both sides; etc - I took a LOT of notes over the years for something only I saw). Anyway, one development was deployment of entrenching by both sides. Verdant valleys became devastated war zones as two armies faced each other over wood spikes, crossbows, and pikes. A few ideas on how to get your players to close to melee from this: * Entrench monsters when they camp. They don't just sit their butts down in the grass and light up, they get to WORK! Large encampments will have outpost trenches that are covered in logs. Smaller encampments will still set up some kind of barrier that will provide cover. * In lands humanoids control, have entrenched positions that are well built but almost invisible. Include siege weapons. "You see a small low hill or rubble pile... oh wait! It's firing flaming rocks at you." * Remember that a shovel can be as deadly as a crossbow! Entrenching tool AND weapon! Treat your world like a WW1 battle field and you're players will BEG for melee combat. [/QUOTE]

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