Military Strategies

[TheDude51]

[Mr_Praetorian]

[Zanaikin]

[Zanaikin]

[Zanaikin]

noticed on thing I forgot to take note of... arcane spellsurge reduces casting time by 1rnd if it's originally 2-10rnds. Thus the minimum casting time of war magic would be 2rnds rather than one.

wrote down more exact descriptions of the type of effects a war-magic-cast may generate... ask if you need more details.

also, note: while a tactical fire storm can hit a lot more targets than normal fireball-type attacks, their lower range results in a lower shot speed. A regular tactical firestorm of CL20 travels at a speed of 300ft per round (rather slow to reach spread-out targets when the each burst has a radius of 100ft).
An enlarged & horizon-boosted (focus enhancement) fire storm @ CL20 has a speed of 750ft and maximum range of 7,500ft.

[TheDude51]

I've thought up the details of the plan. I've made some changes from what other people have proposed, and feedback is welcome.

I'll assume that this will be presented at a tactics meeting of the commanders. Karhedros will be asking for input from all present, including PCs and Garris. Any player who wants to can be assumed to be present.

Please give feedback, suggestions, and possible refinements.

Dai, feel free to insert Garris' opinion on it, and please make sure that I've done everything about the tactical spellcasting correctly.

[TheDude51]

Overall:

Coordination:
Each teleporting mage is linked to the telepathic command net, as is the spellcaster in each distraction squad. The primary commanders (Garris, Derovarr, Kati, Andrei) will also be linked with a telepathic bond to defenders in the city. Each individual squad will, if possible, also maintain its own telepathic bond for internal coordination.

Note: rather than using command rings, the primary commanders are linked to the commanders back in Trelling by a Telepathic Bond spell, cast before battle by the person whose spells are hardest to dispel. This way they can have instant communication with the forces stationed at Trelling.

Positioning: All groups that are engaged above enemy forces will maintain at least 110 to 120 feet of altitude at all times to ensure that they are not caught by the Firestorm.

Overall timing:

Round 1: Distraction Squads engage, Air Dragons begin harassment
Round 3: Assault Squad engages
Round 5: Mage Squads engage
Round 6: Karhedros Begins casting Firestorm
Round 8: Firestorm finishes

Contingency:
If a raid is launched on the city while our forces are away, they can respond appropriately. If necessary, the entire attack force can be back at the city walls or teleportation keep within a round or two of an attack being reported. However, any major commitment of forces by the enemy to a raid on Trelling would make it nearly impossible for them to counter Karhedros’ Tactical Spell Squad, meaning that a partial retreat would probably be a better option in most cases.

[TheDude51]

Karhedros’ Tactical Squad

Objective: Cast Tactical Firestorm
Composition: Karhedros, 1 Elven Mage, Tactical Squad (1 Scout, 2 Incantatrix, 1 Abjurer, 1 Healer, 3 Blasters, 1 Tactical Mage)

Positioning:
The squad moves underwater, hidden by normal invisibility, while Karhedros casts Dimensional Lock. They match movement of the enemy force during this time. During the last round of casting, they move out of the water and about 20 or 30 feet into the air.
Movement is accomplished by having the other mages carry Karhedros as he casts his spell.
Once in place, all present are inside the warding (Some at higher or lower elevations to accomplish this)

Method:

Previously: Item familiar and support casters buff themselves
Round 4: Finish casting Dimensional Lock, Activate Warding
Round 5: Cast Arcane Spellsurge, Trigger Quiescent Weave, cast Repulsion
Round 5 (Item Familiar): Cast Eye of the Hurricane
Round 6: Cast Casting Array, begin casting Firestorm
Round 7: continue casting Firestorm
Round 8: Firestorm finishes

2 Action Points (Arcane Thesis (Firestorm), Rapid Spell)
Rod of Metamagic, Greater Maximize

Karhedros: Casting Array with 6th level slot to negate metamagic adjustment
Slots Donated: 4 Level 7 Slots
Checks: Spellcraft DC 54
Concentration DC 66

Tactical Mage: Contributes 1 7th level slot
Concentration check DC 24

Contributor 2: Contributets 1 7th level slot
Concentration Check DC 24

Contributor 3: Incantatrix
Adds Widen to the spell as it is being cast

Spell Cast: Maximized Widened Tactical Rapid Enlarged Sonic Firestorm (CL 23) (DC 37)

Effect: 23 200-foot cubes of sonic energy, each dealing 120 sonic damage.
Range: 6,600 feet, travels 660 feet per round


Defenses:

Area:
Lockdown (Mastery of Shaping to exclude spaces occupied by casters)
Repulsion (210ft radius) (will DC 37 to move closer)
Eye of the Hurricane (40ft radius) (fort DC 36 or be knocked back)
Warding (Indigo Violet) (15ft diameter)

Personal:
Irongaurd (Cast by Item Familiar)
Indomitability (QW)
Freedom of Movement (QW)
Protection From Cold (QW)
Resist Cold (QW)
Peaceful Serenity of Io (RoD, +4 morale to concentration) (cast by Item Familiar)
Greater Invisibility, Heart of Earth, Empowered Greater Mage/Arcane Armor, Fly, Greater Blink (cast by the person they affect)

Active:
Abjurer attempts to counterspell anything the enemy casts at the squad.
Blasters try to shoot down any enemies that penetrate the warding effects or any mages that cast at the squad. They also disintigrate any force effects that are put into place to block the Firestorm.

Contingencies:
If the firestorm is successfully cast, there are several options. If enemy response teams have been defeated and no enemy units have been able to approach effectively, another tactical firestorm can be cast.
If enemy response teams are holding their own well, or if enemy units have been troublesome to the tactical squad, a teleportation effect will be used to move to a position along the river bank and change roles to that of a normal mage squad. Alternately, they can join up with the assault squad.
If enemy response squads have defeated allied forces and mage squads are being effectively countered, the tactical squad will use a teleport effect to disengage completely from combat and retreat to Trelling. If necessary, Karhedros will dispel enemy dimensional locks that may have been put in place.

[TheDude51]

Distraction Squad

Objective: Delay response squads, distraction, possible damage and confusion
Composition: One caster, several phantom steeds

Method:
Squad moves over outlying enemy groups quickly using phantom steeds, maintaining close formation. Illusions are used to make them appear to be more numerous than they are. Symbols of Insanity are carried by each squad to cause confusion among the enemy below them. Each mage has a Greater Anticipate Teleport active. If an enemy tries to teleport into the Anticipation field, the squad stays there for the three rounds, readying an action to teleport away as soon as they arrive. If an enemy response team moves to respond but is not caught in the anticipations field, the squad simply teleports away.

Insertion:
The mages teleport in a ways outside the enemy army, then move closer via flight. Targets are selected from among the outer groups as the squad moves closer.

[TheDude51]

Mage Squad

Objective: Inflict maximum damage on enemy forces
Composition: 9-10 elven blasters and assault mages.

Method:
Small group of casters fly together across enemy formations. Use standard attack spells at enemies, matching correct spell to correct enemies. Fireballs/Cloudkills on goblins, Incite Riot on bugbears or giants. More powerful spells if they are available. One caster in each group does not attack. Instead, every round he readies an action to teleport the entire group away if dragons or response teams attack them. He also teleports them away if they face heavy resistance of any kind.

Note: Teleporter’s actions are not fixed. He should be selected for his good judgement and given the responsibility of keeping his squad out of harm’s way. Specific methods are left up to him, the above are simply suggestions.

Note: It may become necessary to split each squad into two teams, which support each other but each have their own teleporter.

Insertion:
The Mage Squad teleports in to an essentially random position overtop of the enemy army, attacking the closest targets. Once inserted, they will move or use short-range teleportation to attack the best targets.

Contingency:
Mage Squads that teleport choose to either fully disengage, moving back to Trelling, or to Dimension Door/Teleport to another portion of the battlefield to continue the attack. Decision is left to the teleporting mage, although if a general retreat is performed all squads will disengage.

[TheDude51]

Assault Squad

Objective: Destroy high-power targets, engage response teams
Composition: Phantom Knights, Pegasus Riders, Garris, Derovarr, Ranmor, Jens, Kati, Ulrich

Method:
Casters in group launch coordinated barrage at a group of giants. Each round, Ranmor readies an action to warmaster’s charge a teleporting enemy while Derovarr readies an action to use Moment of Alacrity if an enemy teleports in. If engaging dragons, Derovarr can instead use Warmaster’s charge to attack them. In this case Ranmor must make sure to stay within 60 feet of the melee force at all times and to always have a readied Warmaster’s Charge.

Insertion:
The Assault Squad will teleport in to the side of the enemy line of advance, moving closer via flight and selecting a target as they approach. If no giants are near the outside of the column, they can instead target dragons.

Contingency:
If the Assault Squad destroys its target without being engaged by the enemy response teams, it spits into two groups. Group 1 consists of Ranmor and the Phantom Knights, who move at top speed to engage a second target. Group 2 follows more slowly, preparing to teleport to the aid of Group 1 if the enemy response squad engages them.

[TheDude51]

Air Dragon Knights

Objective: Distraction and possible entanglement of enemy dragons/response teams, possible minor damage

Composition: 8 Air Dragon Knights

Method:
Andrei does whatever he wants in order to best accomplish his objective.

[Zanaikin]

Review and forces assignment:

I'll assume all the tactical planning took up whatever late-night time was left to you guys (you'll still have a slot open for RPing which several people have taken use of). But overall the planning meeting will go until about midnight.
Attendees: The entire Misalin command squad (all of you), Garris, Andrei, Konstantin, Kelmik (Archeron mage commander), Coric (FoM cavalry/pegasi commander), Aelle (MG skirmisher commander), plus a few subcommanders of the other squads.

Karhedros' Tactical Squad:
Composition: Karhedros, two CR14 blaster mages (from his old elven troops).
if you're including the tactical spell squad:
Tactical Spell Squad: 1 Scout (spotter), 2 Incantantrix, 1 Abjurer, 1 Healer, 3 Blasters, 1 Tactical Mage. Yes one of the incantantrix will be able to add empower to the fire storm.

Distraction Squad (3 Squads).
Composition Each: One CR11~12 wizard, two skirmishers
NPC Comments: There's no purposes in inserting a single mage into the enemy camp only to go into full defense. The enemy command probably won't take it as a serious threat and only send a local patrol unit or mage on duty to counter it. Better to have each squad ride into enemy camp mounted on phantom steeds in tight formation (for teleporting out), with one skirmisher in each squadron carrying a symbol of insanity.
Although, due to the level of wizardry required to cast a greater anticipate spells, this puts a significant drain upon the mage squad's ability to deal damage (which Kelmik complains very obviously about after losing most of his better mages).

Mage Squad (5 squads)
Composition Squad 1: Kelmik, four of his subordinate mages (CR9~13)
Composition Squad 2,3,4,5: Four/five elven Blaster Mages (CR9~13), each covered by five assault mages (CR9~14).
NPC Comment: With your permission of course Karhedros. These elven mages are after all, in our pay but under your command. Five assault mages posted to each squad should be enough to swap off any mage-on-watch or patrol squad from interfering.
Note: By assault mages, which shall become a future DM terminology, he means mages with primary practice is to support melee/ranged with spells. Most have only limited wide-area blasting, although Airindale assault mages may have more for their imbue arrow abilities.

Assault Squad
Composition: Garris & 9 Phantom Knights, Coric & 9 Pegasi Cavalry, Derovarr, Ranmor, Jens, Kati, Ulrich.
NPC Comment: I thought Derovarr was staying behind in case of an emergency? Given the long ranged sending limitations of the commander rings, if we fall under attack it takes 1 min to send out a msg, 1 min that those engaged in combat does not have.
Also, I'd say this squad has more than neccessary. It would be a help if we can pinpoint the enemy's assault squad and crush them with sheer force, but other than that this is a waste of concentrated manpower.
Note: You can't ready a War Master's Charge, that's a full-round action.

Air Dragon Squad
Composition: Andrei & 7 Dragon Knights
NPC Comment: We'll do our best to draw away the enemy White Dragons. However that can't be completely guaranteed (given how the enemy commander reacts) since the enemy should still have 13 dragonlancers remaining, thus they could leave a patrol squad for cover and still have numerical advantage against the air dragons.


DM Comment: Very well done, I'm impressed by how well organized the entire thing is. I'm guessing these are the results of that AIM 'discussion panel' on thursday?

[Mr_Praetorian]

[Zanaikin]