What are your party's combat tactics?

[Maldur]

My players are finaly getting used to their new characters.

The two dwarfs (cleric and fighter/cleric) hold the line. While the elfen rogue/ranger goes for flank/backstab. The other elf (monk) is the primary archer who ussually takes the risk of shooting into melee (and he has never killed a partymember just wounded a couple). The wizard (a transmuter) uses hhis spells to buff the rest of the party.

The last monk (a gnome) goes for the crazy plans ( Ill jump accros the campfire, tumbling past the ogres after which Ill kick the big one in the shins) strangly enough these plans have a 50/50 chance of succeding ( lucky dice).

 

[Frostmarrow]

Tactics

* Outnumber your enemy. If you are outnumbered scatter their forces and attack a portion which you outnumber.

* Kill one enemy at the time. Never attack two opponents at the same time. All enemies equals one attack that will harm your party. Therefore, remove one enemy attack at the time.

* Kill the most dangerous opponent first. If the target is protected by minions disregard those entirely. (Draw AOOs if necessary.) The sooner you can kill the boss/cleric/mage the better. The enemy morale will drop when he is dead. Also, if you have to retreat you will still have won if the main baddie is dead. Make sure he's dead (coup de grace).

Exception: If a minion is able to instakill a fellow party member take the minion out first.

* Withdraw when you are wounded. (I.e when the next attack is likely to drop you.) Don't wait around for the cleric, just get the hell out of the kitchen. You can always come back with a vengeance. What's the use in dying?

* Never put trust in luck. Destroy the enemy in the most predictable way. Chance favors the enemy.

Only, I've never seen these utilised in a role-playing game. Works fine on the table-top, though.

 

[Maddenus2]

tactics?

we sit and wait for our clerics to take everything out with there spiked weapons and the fighters hang back cos they know by the time they get to the foes the blasted dwarves have finished them off again.
Shhhh dont mention overpowered clerics I dont want to start that up again

 

[Gargoyle]

I tend to have the 'greens' attack the PCs by order of PC charisma. They go after not the logical targets and not in effective ways. Rather they go after who they have a natural inclination to dislike the most. So the lowest Cha people take the most hits when they fight unseasoned opponants.

That's pretty cool. It adds some need tangibility to Charisma.

 

[Gargoyle]

My group is slowly getting more organized. I'd say strategically they plan, but tactically they don't. For instance, they distribute magic items to those who need them most, and coordinate spells.

Once a fight starts though, they simply charge in and are all over the place. They've lost a few people because of it along the way, but still haven't learned to plan.

I think it has more to do with the fact that they're all very busy IRL, and we only get together every other weekend for a few hours, more than lack of playing skill.

They do have a firm grasp of the basics, ie flanking, etc, but I haven't been impressed with many of their tactics yet.

 

[Marimmar]

Tactics

What my party uses is not really a tactic but since everyone does about the same thing it becomes tactical again. Here's what they do:

Wizard: Hastes himself and flys invisible as far away from the group to launch double fireballs.

Sorceress: Hastes herself, runs up some wall with her slippers of spider climbing and launches double fireballs.

Fighter/Bard: Hastes himsel and flys (wings of flying) to some distance away from the party to launch innumerous frost arrows with bow of frost/haste/rapid shot.

Monk: Runs behind enemy lines with his boots of speed to stun attack enemy spell casters.

Dwarven Fighter/Cleric: moans about being left alone with the other cleric and starts to make hard hitting power attacks. Cleaves a bit and continues to grumble about being left alone.

Human cleric: Activates his boots of speed and his prayer beads of karma takes a few steps back. Then casts double flamestrikes, then casts divine favour and joins the dwarven cleric with his greatsword.


Needless to say that 6 fireballs/flamestrikes per round destroy most opposition in an incredibly short amount of time. Therefore we consider to ban 'haste' from our campaign. It gives spellcasters too much advantage over non-spellcasters.

~Marimmar

 

[madriel]

Generally, my party's tactics have been: see a dragon, kill a dragon.

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Just kidding B.A.D.D., please don't come to my door with bats and knives!

** Holy Bovine leaps into the thread and shouts

I found him!!

James is set upon by a dozen members of BADD and beaten senseless with whiffle bats**




Seriously my party's tactics seem to be "let the Barbarian handle it and we'll wait and see what happens"

They are very good about using buffing spells though - and they usually have time to do it (I'm not a bad guy after all - but it does give me something to use Dispell Magic on ).

 

[Derren]

The tactic of my group is:
Barbarian -> Charge
Druid -> Cast Wall of Thorns and Harrier
Ranger -> Shoot with Bow
Cleric/Fighter -> Tries to use the spell, but the player has never really learned the rules and spell descriptions.

You see, I won't call this tactics (Quote: I have a BAB of 15, I don´t need to flank)

I have tried to teach them the use of tactics, but I´m also not very good at it.
Do you guys have some tips for me ? (Use of tower shields, reach weapons, and so on)

 

[Ancalagon]

Well, our tactics need some work honestly. We do know what each character tends to do though, so the group coordinates somewhat. We are all around level 6.

The fighter has all his feats in archery and has a good bow. He stands back and sends flying death. When necessairy, he hands his bow to whatever non combatant NPC happens to be with the party at the moment and takes out his great sword. This is a problem IMO, because he's a good melee fighter and all, but he should get more cover to use his bow (since he is a GREAT archer).

The Cleric (me) stands back and alterntates between taking various forms of pot shot (hold person, crossbow bolts) and buffing himself up. It takes a few round, but usualy by that time a hole or oportunity has apeared and he charges in, smithing with his morning star. Or someone is greviously hurt and he needs to heal. His biggest problem is the time this takes and his low speed compared to the rest of the party.

The transmuter is the main buffer. Being an elf, he also is a great archer (his problem is that he doesn't do much damage with his hits). He stands back too, and use shield/mage armor/haste to make himself untouchable in battle. When necessairy, he'll cast an attack spell or 2 (acid arrow and burning hand mostly) or summon a monster to block a hole.

The fighter5/rogue1 charges in and gets in tremedeous risk. I would buff him more, but he's a hextorian and I worship St-Cuthbert.

The rogue ranger follows the preceding character and tries to get some flank going on. It doesn't always work, as the others don't have the rogue flanking as a priority. He doesn't have much hp, and usualy has to switch to a very defensive style to stay alive.

The invoker casts a few defensive spells then wades in, trying to get in a good position for a lighting bolt or such. He trusts his defensive spells to keep him alive. He's always near the front, wich is good because the 2 rogues often shout "room clearance!!!" He sometimes acts as a fire drawer, leading archers to expose themselves trying to shoot at thim (and then getting nailed by our archer).

The bard wanders around, providing healing or fighting support (he has a level of sorcerer and the shield spell). His main job is disrupting the foe's tacticks, using sleep and flash spells.

I think that the group could do great if the characters got along better. Right now, the Cleric is on the verge of leaving the group (we are underground now so it would be a bad time). People who don't trust each other very much make for bad teamworkd

Ancalagon

 

[Victim]

My group's favorite tactics include:

Never retreating or letting me how badly your hurt. (fighter)

Using all spells and limited use items the first chance each day. I think the fighter wasted 3 haste potions on 3 easy random encounters. (fighter, to a lesser extent the wizard and sorcerer)

Casting Haste followed by a few rounds of defensive spells/invisibility/movement. (wizard)

Not knowing what to roll and getting stuck in melee. (sorceress)

Big booms. (wizard mostly, occassionally the sorceress. We have an odd follower that chimes in here as well)

Buff spells, followed by melee or broken R&R cleric attack spells. (me)

Flanking melee attacks (me and the fighter - who's taken 3 rogue levels for sneak attack among other things)

Guessing wrongly on when buffs are needed (me)

Taunting the wizard for flying away or turning invisible (sorceress, fighter, NPC)

Either piling on one target or hitting several with the intent to set up a mean great cleave by the fighter. (everyone)

Going dead last: my initiative mod is -1. The next lowest is +6. (me)


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However, 2 more characters have recently joined the group. The dwarf paladin soaks up damage and insults the elf fighter. The archer deals damage. They both suck up lots of my buff spells. Jerks. However, with the new people and the fact that we're now doing Heart of Nightfang Spire, our tactics are starting to change.

We play again tonight. I'll let you know which of us dies. It had better not be me, because I'm the only with Raise Dead.