bobquasit | Askville: How to destroy a city

I finally got a roleplaying-related question on Askville!

The question was how to take a walled human city with a comparatively small besieging force of orcs, a dragon, two mini-dragons, and some orc shamans.

"How would you recommend taking a city in a fantasy setting with inferior numbers?"

I gave it some thought, and here's what I came up with:

"Air power, fire, and gravity"

Your idea of damming the river is a good one, but it alone may not be quick enough. Historically, fire has been one of the greatest tools for besiegers in a hurry. Since the goal is to raze rather than to occupy, I'd say fire should be your primary tool.

I am assuming that a reasonable portion of the city's architecture is flammable, of course. But if not, there are still some options. I am also assuming that there are no common spells which are highly effective fire extinguishers!

I'm sure I don't need to tell you the basics on how to use fire. If oil is available, or some form of Greek fire, that would be ideal. I'd strongly recommend against using any of your drakes for direct fire attack; that would almost certainly bring them within range of enemy spellcasters and bowmen, a very bad idea indeed.

On the other hand, you can use your larger drake to drop flaming oil-soaked trees (dry pine, if you can get it) on the city from a considerable height. Assuming that you have access to trees, of course. The season and recent rainfall or snowfall will also be important factors. You may want to have the twisted drakes light the trees just as the full drake drops them, if your full drake is vulnerable to fire or particularly clumsy.

I'd suggest that you have your people cut down as many trees as possible, as early as you can in the siege; that will start the drying process, so they'll burn better later on. A small point, but it might help a little.

Depending on the strength and endurance of your full drake (and possibly the two twisted ones) it may be practical for them to drop a large number of trees on the city. That way, even if the city is mostly non-flammable the defenders will have to deal with the flaming trees themselves. And if you've successfully dammed the river, that should put additional pressure on their water situation; do they drink, or put out the fires? That's certainly the kind of question you want your enemies to be forced to consider.

If you can get enough trees and/or the architecture of the city burning, you may even be able to generate a firestorm. That would pretty much guarantee the complete destruction of the city.

Another possibility which is quite interesting is to simply exploit your command of the air. Have your full drake take a good-sized boulder - one weighing at least a couple of hundred pounds, preferably more, but whatever weight it can handle repeatedly - fly up as high over the city as it can, and then drop it. A city is a big target; it's hard to miss. And a big boulder should do a lot of damage. If you keep your drake dropping boulders, it should definitely soften up the city defenses. Particularly if they're also trying to fight fires at the same time.

Your twisted drakes can get in on the fun as well. They can carry buckets or canvas bags (as large as they're comfortable with) of good-sized rocks weighing at least a pound or two apiece, and dump them from high up over the city. The rocks will spread a bit (the drakes can encourage that by throwing the rocks out sideways), and at terminal velocity, they'll pack quite a wallop! They won't do as much damage as a boulders, but they're likely to keep people nervous and cause some serious injuries. Which will make the defenders use up their healing magic, always a good thing.

Of course it will be important to keep all of your fliers out of range of enemy activity. If there's a hill or hills near the city that they can use as a takeoff and landing field, that would be ideal. Apart from that, the goal is to keep your fliers as busy as possible, dumping as much rock and/or fire as possible on the city. I think you'd want to keep them on an alternative cycle, so that there's never a time when it's safe for the defenders to set up effective aerial defenses. Plus the drakes will be able to keep an eye on events in the city, which may be useful.

Your full drake may even be able to learn and improve its missile-dropping skills during the siege, allowing it a chance to target interesting buildings such as hospitals, troop quarters, enemy command posts, churches, temples, palaces, food stores, water cisterns, and orphanages. Okay, not orphanages; I'm just a little bemused by the sheer evil of what I'm writing here. :D

As for your shamans, it's hard to know what your specific shamans can do; the rules for shamans vary so widely from system to system. But traditionally one thing that shamans are associated with is disease. Normally they cure it, but the odds are good that the can turn that process around and cause it, or at least encourage it.

Disease is the besieger's friend. Population in a besieged city is generally packed tight, fertile ground for quick vectoring. The defenders are also under extreme stress, with frequent injuries, and are short on critically needed medical supplies, provisions, and water. You may not have enough time for diseases to be very effective in actually killing the defenders, but the psychological pressure of knowing that you're trapped in a disease-filled town should be a great advantage for you.

Good luck!

Sources: Roleplaying experience, research

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