I'm trying to work out how to actually conduct this adventure from my siege campaign. It may be fine as it is but I'd appreciate some constructive criticism.
Basically the idea is that at the start of the siege nearly all the city is involved for about three days in fighting off an escalade by the enemy. There are several points that will face attack: a couple of gatehouses, a defended harbour, and two fortified bridges that lead to the city's western side.
I was thinking of having the players involved in defending one of the fortified bridges, which would have a small tower on either end with a gate/portcullis leading through. Each 20' tower has a couple of murder holes over the entryway and has ironbound doors for the interiors. There would be bracing beams to block off the doors if need be. Arrow slits would be available for two levels and there would be an upper level with merlons around it. The main area of the bridge has a raised stone wall with merlons on that as well.
My idea was for the players to be given temporary command of a group of city militia who are handpicked veterans chosen for defense. One reason for this is that one of the players, a Ranger, is a descendant of a hero of the Republic and recently has proven herself in a couple of adventures, so I felt that it would make sense and build morale. The player group normally consist of: a Psion, a Ranger, a Cleric, a Barbarian, a pseudo dragon(an NPC friend) and a sergeant with ten soldiers. (the party is generally 4th level)
1. First of all, I'm thinking of having them given an additional twelve soldiers plus 24 at the other tower under a lieutenant of the city militia and two serjeants. The soldiers are all armed with crossbows, swords, and chainmail. Both towers are equipped with ram catchers, suspended cauldrons and pieces of soft lead and smithy scraps for boiling. Each tower also has extra crossbow bolts. The second tower has a 5th level cleric of Ishtar as a healer attached.
2. The bridge does not directly access the city; the idea is that you go across the bridge, then along a road under the gaze of the city walls to a gatehouse that is approximately two hundred yards from the bridge. Along the walls will be other city militia and also a force of about 60 holding the gatehouse under a Captain of Militia. There may (or may not) be a force of cavalry as a reserve but I may have them dealing with something else. There is a trebuchet within the city walls in that area that will be used to try to deal with enemy artillery.
3. One of the wizards posted to the city's defenses will be in the area but I had planned to imply that this wizard (who is 9th level) is dealing with an enemy spellcaster's summonings and such during this battle.
4. The attacking force would consist of:
- goblins directing the artillery fire of a pair of catapults and a ballista
- hobgoblins (70) manning a covered ram
- a 9th level cleric commanding with a 4th level aide, the hobgoblin, goblin and barbarian chieftains as sub commanders.
- a force of 1,000 barbarian infantry attacking.(equipped with siege ladders, with a movable mantlet wall till they get within range)
- barbarian, hobgoblin and goblin shamans will be prepared to chant and support the attacks.
The general aim would be to overwhelm the bridge and storm the walls. This escalade is more of an attempt to see how strong the defenders really are and to exploit an opportunity if there is one. If they cannot take the bridge without expending less than 15% casualties they will withdraw.
It sounds fine to me, but I'm curious as to what you see the PC's actually doing during this conflict. Because sitting in the tower taking potshots for 3 hours doesn't seem like much fun, and most of the tactics involved in this an be accomplished by a few standing orders, front-line commander doesn't seem like a party either.
I know others have mentioned it, but have you checked out Heroes of Battle yet? It has two optional rules that I would recommend for this scenario. The first is the one-hit kill rule, where PC's can drop enemy foot-soldiers with just one hit. It makes the battle more dramatic, less boring, and if you narrate the commanders and detailed foes well enough, incredibly dramatic.
The second rule is victory points. In this rule, you assign objectives that can be accomplished by the PC's a certain value. Then, depending on how many points they get during the battle, a conflict might be a victory, draw, or terrible loss.
Some other elements that I have seen used in fantasy literature during sieges was the use of captured monsters, as they were usually worth the casualty's to the wielder's side sheerly for the damage they can do, especially trolls.
The second element which is particularly effective are illusions. If 2 out of every 3 charging goblins isn't really there, then the defenders will waste a lot of ammo before they figure out what's going on.
Just some suggestions, and I'll wait impatiently for your response.
Those are good points. You hit the nail on the head of what is concerning me--what the players can actually do. You see I felt that this would be one of the dramatic things that the players could do during the escalade but I'm at a loss about how to precisely play it out...
The system you are proposing is a good idea--I don't want to waste a lot of time on worrying about the particular hit points of opponents.
One thing I had thought would be to dramatize the combat--basically making it visceral and desperate. In the film "Zulu" for instance there's a great scene where a defended farmhouse gets overwhelmed by attacking Zulus and the British troops inside are doing a fighting retreat as the building catches fire.
[ic=Narrator]A thrust here, a parry there, the enemies are falling like so many toys before an angry child as you and your comrades cleave through the enemy forces. Suddenly, everything grinds to a halt as Kultak the Barbarian's sword encounters some resistance. A scarred goblin wearing crimson armor has successfully deflected the great man's sword and is now pressing an offensive which appears to be overpowering his opponent. Your comrades circle the agile foe as arrows whizz through the air in a deadly hail around you and other foes jocky for position on the bridge.[/ic]I dunno, that's what I thought would be fun. Also, you might consider giving the PC's access to a passage which enables them to attack the foe from behind and destroy the siege weapons. Maybe they are among the last to abandon the bridge as it falls, and must hold off the enemy while a demolitions expert rigs a device to ensure nobody crosses the bridge without a little swim involved.
One bit of action someone had suggested was the enemy building an artificial bridge while they just plan to outright destroy the existing one, and the players having a chance to see the construction or be informed of it...I'm hoping for a few more ideas like that.
One idea: Have the tower at the far end of the bridge destroyed by a lucky artillery hit. The soldiers from that end have are quickly overwhelmed and have to flee back down the bridge with a force of barbarians in pursuit. The barbarians will catch the fleeing troops before they reach the covering fire of the other tower unless something is done. Maybe a couple of elite troops to make it a bit of a challenge.
That's probably enough to get the characters to race out and meet the oncoming barbarians in order to relieve the troops. (Or if they were themselves in that tower, they may stop to try and hold off the enemy.)
Maybe give victory points depending on the number of troops who survive. Work out some tactics for the foes - perhaps they'll try to keep the characters engaged while others move past to try to attack the other gate. Or a squad of archers moving up to try and pin them down.
The battle itself can be ended when a retreat is sounded from one side or the other. Perhaps the battle at one of the other bridges went poorly, or the enemy decides they've tested the strength enough.
That may not fit the scenario you're looking for, but I think the idea of some kind of small-scale tactical battle on the bridge itself might provide the drama and personal involvement you are looking for.
Tonight's session begins with the characters receiving instruction to occupy one of the fortified bridges and try to delay the enemy advance on it. They prepare traps and caltrops along the fields around the road but know this will not halt them forever. Placed under their commander are Lieutenant Yarrow and 36 soldiers of the city militia. The characters see on the opposing hill amid the ruins of a recently destroyed villa nd estate are a force of three enemy catapults manned by goblins, a ram being prepared by hobgoblins, and hundreds of barbarians with skull painted faces, great shields and axes. The barbarians are being driven into a frenzy by their bards, who are playing instruments that wail and howl, as the horde beat upon their shields and roar defiance at the city. Naked but for their helmets, shields, leather leggings and weapon belts, they are a wild and frightening sight. As kettledrums beat and pipe and horn wail, they advance, a redheaded woman with a scythe commanding them. Up on the hill, the spyglass of the Ranger sweeps over an old enemy--the evil cleric Mog Agorn, one of the former henchmen of the Temple of Elemental Evil. He sees her with his spyglass and waves mockingly.
With loud thrummings the catapults launch missiles at the bridge towers to cow and terrify the occupants. The Ranger cries out "Steady! Stand fast!" BOOM BOOM BOOM beat the drums and with a roar the enemy with shields in a wall ahead of them and held over their heads rush at the tower. However they are unable to gain ground in the first rush, falling by the dozen under a hail of bolts from the defenders and fall back.
The enemy shamans and clerics urge the forces to try again, this time specially preparing the ram for advance. The Ranger suggests preparing to fall back and destroy the bridge, but not doing so quite yet...the Barbarian leads a sortie against the attackers but is nearly overwhelemd. From the tower the others give him and the other soldiers covering fire with crossbows to enable a retreat. The Cleric, Talan, helps treat the wounded when they stagger inside. The ram is brought up and is swung forward on its chains by the hobgoblins who chant hoarse war cries while the barbarians hold up shields around them. From the tower, the Ranger directs her henchmen and aims herself at the scythe wielding chieftainess, and the skull painted wild woman falls pierced several times with bolts.
The crashing of the ram bears in in spite of the braces against the door below--possibly the enemy clerics or magicians have done something to increase its strength? The signal is sent out for the mage Nestor Khalkimedes to hurry up and set the destructive spells placed on the bridge off. Orc archers try to keep the defenders busy but are fired back on by crossbowmen and the pcs. The group retreat as the bridge is critically damaged by explosions and crumbling and falls piece by piece into the river.