I setting up a ‘battle map’ that is 47’ x 82’ on a sheet of ply. I imagine it is going to be a lot like wargaming, though I have never played any form of wargaming. I am thinking about setting up the ply with 1” squares, and I am asking to borrow some terrain and buildings.
There are 7 level 7 PCs attacking a castle. The ply is the courtyard, and I’ll use a separate battlemap for inside the castle when they get there.
I have 6 NPCs with PC levels, and I am going to use Create Pit, Inspire Courage, sneak-hit-run-heal tactics, Fog Cloud, counterspells, and distance to my best advantage.
Do you have any advice for running such a large scale battle? Pitfalls to avoid, good ideas to utilise?
If your PC's run remember that while doing so they are flatfooted.
Traps are your best friend if the NPC's know that they are coming then they would probably set up a pretty good amount. A simple pit trap can go a long way in terms of delaying and dealing a quick d6 (can only move at 1/4th speed while climbing). Not to mention the more complex stuff. Makes for a great ambush.
Perhaps the NPC's have promised some money to a group of nearby orcs to help defend the castle or persuaded the nearby king that these adventurers are evil and a threat to his rule.
Just a few ideas to start with.
I forgot to mention there are a heap on minions - Ice mephits and elementals, and skeleton archers too.
Good idea pipedreamsam. I have planned Create Pit and Silent Image to work together :)
Artillery weaponry is absolutely amazing to add for castle sieges and defenses. Also consider things like swarm monsters and things that drop hurtful objects and or liquids. It would be phenomenal for you do have some enemies to be trainers of savage creatures and have them leash their monsters on your party. Remember that the movement type burrow is amazing for skirmishing monsters that want to defend a castle.
Premeasure distances. This is something that drives me up the wall as a GM on normal sized boards, and is quite a bit worse on larger areas. If the grid is visible, don't just assume it'll be easy enough to count things out (ranges for weapons/spells is mostly what I'm talking about), because yes it is easy, but it is also time consuming.
Might be good to precheck lines of sight also, so every time the players ask you don't have to stop the action and check it out.
As for running mass combat, my advice is be prepared to gloss over details in the interest of keeping up the excitement. A big unit of orcs over there that have an average of 24 hit points each...and the wizard just hit them with a fireball for 22. Don't wory about checking the blast radius and seeing if each and every orc is caught, and don't sweat having a bunch of orcs running around with two hit points. Call that group out of commission. No, they're not all dead, but the ones that aren't are on the ground screaming and burnt to hell and back. Let the players know their characters might not want to get too close, as yeah, some might still be in fighting condition, but as far as the BATTLE goes, that group is no longer a threat.
Black_Lantern: I'll avoid the artillery as I don't want to kill the PCs too quickly. I have a bunch of skeletal archers with an Alchemist Fire each for when they get closer. Releasing a dozen savage dogs is a good idea too, and though it won't hurt the PCs much, it will make for a great action scene. Trollhounds will fit the theme, if a little overpowered. I might make them starving and desperate, -2 AC. -2 damage, +2 hit.
Fraust: I was thinking to make the 30' gridlines stand out, as that is a commonly used distance. What do you think?
And your idea with the orcs is great - that is the sort of thing that bogs down combat unnecessarily. I might add a company of some sort of men-at-arms on the stairs to the keep. Ice trolls perhaps?