Castles. In the medieval world knights and kings alike thought that their walls were impregnable. They falsely believed that they were safe behind these walls. But of course….this was a lie. Sieges in Dungeons and Dragons can quickly dispel the illusion of safety. And storming a castle or two now and then is just plain fun.
Siege of the City of Onm
As the foremost villain in Zanzian history I am probably less known for my betrayal of the king than I am for sacking the capital city of Onm. Onm was once a beautiful and prosperous walled city. It was really one gigantic castle. Those foolish mortals thought that they were safe from me and my friends inside their stone walls. Even the king of Zanzia himself hid behind those walls.
Now it is true….that eventually my army was broken and chased off from this siege. But not before we broke through those walls and killed everyone inside. And looted the place….of course…..
Important Siege Tools
Sieges in Dungeons and Dragons require the proper tools. Without these tools it becomes so much more difficult. By tools I mean siege engines. There are lots of available options but these are my favorites. I think that you might like them too.
Ballista
This is basically a huge crossbow which can fire humongous arrows or sometimes other things. They are great for punching holes in those impregnable walls and for knocking down towers. They are also wonderful just for shock and awe value.
Gotta love those roman guys in the picture above right? Those guys sure know how to party.
Battering Ram
Sometimes castle gates are weak enough just to kick in the door. But unless you have some fire giants with you to kick those gates in you may have to rely on other methods. A battering ram works nicely for this.
These guys are a little exposed. But I like their spirit anyway. If they died for me I would just reanimate them into zombies or skeletons for my army anyway.
Catapult
Sometimes the enemy is just a bit too frisky to have your troops exposed using a battering ram. Sometimes you just need to soften them up a bit. These babies are wonderful for doing just that.
This thing can throw boulders from a long way away. Direct hits can topple towers and walls. But the real fun is in throwing them over the walls and letting the land randomly within the castle or city. And when used with fire…..they can really cause some terror inside those walls.
Moving Towers
Sometimes sieges do get a bit boring and you just want to immediately storm the walls and get things over with. For those times it can be advantageous to use one of these.
These things give your troops cover while they approach the walls. I am not sure why anyone wants to give their troops cover. I certainly don’t. But in case you do….this should do the trick nicely. Or perhaps this one.
The Big Guns
Ok so maybe the guys inside the castle are being stubborn. They just do not seem to get the point. Sometimes you just gotta let them know who is really the boss. And that is when you bring out the big guns. Well. Guns might not be the appropriate word. Unless you allow guns in your campaign. But this thing is the next best thing.
Ok. So maybe the French did do something right. They invented this nasty beast. It can fling boulders with much more power than the catapult. And much higher. Unless you have those giants with you that I mentioned earlier…..flinging boulders is going to require something like this instead. I highly recommend these devices. There is nothing quite as satisfying as seeing castle walls and towers shatter from the impact of the massive boulders thrown by these devices.
Conclusion
Sieges in Dungeons and Dragons require the best tools for the job. It is your job to make sure that your villains have the tools that they need to succeed.
