Fortified Tatzlford in BfB

[Zelekendel]

So, my players, reasonably enough, have secured their western border town in the forest with a Castle.

Any recommendations about what to do about the attack on the town? Could Ameon even have the resources to take the castle, realistically - after all, we're talking siege engines and a major engagement against a fortified town rather than an undefended village now.

With Ameon's forces staying relatively the same, what would be their plan of action now? Occupy the town and lay siege to the castle?

The PC kingdom does have some armed forces that are relatively fast to deploy from the Stag Lord's old fort hex in addition to the castle's permanent garrison.

Thanks!

[tonyz]

The thing about sandbox APs is that you have to be prepared to go with the flow. If the PCs change the set situation, the actions of the villains should change in response.

There are ways to take castles (treachery, surprise attack, direct assault, siege.) Maybe Ameon is going to try one of them (bribe the locals, attack at night with a secret rush to the gates, attack at dawn just as the gates open, with the initial strike team disguised as merchants coming in by wagon...)

Maybe the attack comes in on some other, unfortified, town, too. Someone inclined to raid weakness won't hit a castle first unless they have some really good way to get around those defenses.

Maybe they go caravan raiding instead ;)

[Lee Hanna]

Go for Oleg's village, does it have a castle?

[Spatula]

Tatzylford basically exists so that the adventure writers know there is a town near the map border for Drelev to attack. Obviously they assumed the PCs wouldn't pour any resources into it. But since the PCs have decided to fortify it, have the attack occur somewhere more vulnerable. Tatzylford is a bit of a strange place to attack anyway since the attackers basically had to swing around (or fight their way through) the entire swamp to get there. Oleg's, if there's a town there, would be an easier target to reach.

[DM_aka_Dudemeister]

I dunno, why punish the players for fortifying their borders?

Have barbarians attack Tatzlford and give the defenders some hefty bonuses to defense. If the PCs easily repel the invasion then they'll feel clever for their foresight. The point of the attack on Tatzlford isn't to destroy Tatzlford it's the "call to action" that something stinks in Drelev.

[arnon]

I agree with DM_aka_Dudemeister

This was the case in my game as well.

Tatzlford was walled and had an army in reserve (small i think) with bows and swords. Once they got word of the impending attack they rushed to Tatzlford along with 2 more units of high-level (6ish) Rangers and Paladins.

Needless to say we were using Mass Combat for this.

I decided to give Aemon a slightly larger force from the start due to the fortification and army in Tatzlford; but Aemon did not expect there to be 2 more crack units in twon, so i left him with what he had and the attack went poorly for him.

[Zelekendel]

Yes, I agree that rewarding the players for the fortifying sounds good, but I would indeed have to raise the level of the troops and their preparedness in order to attack Tatzlford. That is an option, but then again they've established a settlement at the hex of the Temple of the Elk, which they insist on calling the town literally "Temple of the Elk" but the simple folk just call it "Elkton".

So probably the attack will simply shift there.

However, there is the case of the army rushing to the rescue as well, and for that the players will indeed defeat the enemy rather handily.

[pennywit]

I'd say strengthen the invading force a little bit. Yes, your players should be rewarded for fortifying Tatzylford. But I see nothing wrong with Ameon coming at the the fortified town with a larger force. After all, if the place is fortified, it's reasonable he would prepare for that. You could also change up his tactics a bit. Instead of assaulting Tatzylford directly, Ameon could pillage the surrounding hexes, taking out farms, quarries, and sawmills. He could also have a unit detailed to an approaching road.

[Spatula]

The reward for fortifying the town is that it doesn't get attacked. Having the attackers go after a strongly fortified position without siege engines, or without some means to negate the fortifications (trickery or whatnot as mentioned upthread) is saying that those attackers are stupid and suicidal.

If they must go after that particular town, I would take pennywit's suggestion and burn the countryside, and avoid the town itself. The idea is to draw the defending forces away from their protection and engage them on open ground.

[Montana77]

Baron Drelev is looking for a easy win to impress his new master.
If the group has fortified Tatzlford, Drelev would probably choose a different target, or send more troops.

Imo, there's a difference between punishing players, and playing the enemy smart.

WWBDD? (what would Baron Drelev do?).

[Orthos]

Montana77 wrote:

WWBDD? (what would Baron Drelev do?).

Give some half-assed orders then disappear into his chambers with his floozy?

[arnon]

Going deeper into enemy territory (to attack another town) has its own risks, especially going through land and woods you do not know, and give the enemy more time to prepare and muster troops