Welcome to the next post in a series where I describe the adventures during a 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons campaign I ran a little while ago.
As an experiment, I'm posting this using InLeo as a front end rather than my usual PeakD - let me know if you see anything different !
Last time, the party landed at the port of Tiraz, joining the army of King Gortig as it marched to war. They were sent off to scout ahead, and it's lucky they were; they spotted a massive undead army headed for the city of Abadar.
Image created by AI in NightCafe Studio
Forced March
When the party returned to their base at Krak Des Tyriens, as soon as they delivered the news of the undead heading to Abadar, it was passed to King Gortig. The information led to a flurry of activity as the army got ready to march to the aid of the threatened city.
Gortig’s plan was to link up with the Sarassids and intercept the undead army. It turned out he'd cut a deal with the Sarassid ruler, Abed Tirosc. Despite a decade of enmity and on-off warfare between the two, they are both pragmatic rulers. Recognising that the undead were a big enough threat to both of them that they needed to put their differences aside, they agreed to work together to defeat this mutual enemy.
The goal was to skirt the southern edge of the Tir’Abad Erg (a scorching desert even by Sarrasid standards) and force battle at the Wadi Al Naffatiyeh, a natural choke-point in any approach to Abadar.
The forced march was done as something of a montage for the players. Trying to do it in a strictly in-game chronological manner would likely have dragged and become uninteresting for them.
The march takes 3 days in scorching summer heat. Although the army is well prepared with water supplies etc, each player (and horse) will need to roll a DC10 Constitution save each day to avoid gaining D2 levels of exhaustion.
Those slowing down will be carried on horses where possible, the rest abandoned. Staying back to help stragglers is punishable by being chained and sent to a penal company.
By the time the army arrived at Abadar, Sir Walter’s Company was down to 70 men.
After a single very short night's rest, two hours before dawn the army was roused again and hustled forward to deploy at the Wadi ready for battle.
Deploying for Battle
After losses on the forced march the army numbered some 25,000 men. They were well equipped professional soldiers, and despite the exhausting forced march and worry about what they were to face morale was high.
Every soldier was issued 3 flasks of holy water and one of alchemists fire.
When the Sarassids arrived, they brought another 30,000 men under the command of the renowned general Mangut Al Avassari Pasha, including war mumakil and two companies of tufengi and one of topcu with three heavy guns (only point those out if the party show an interest !).
The Sarassids are one of only two powers in the world of Argull known to use "firepowder" weapons. They aren't widely used, are still at an early stage of development, and are an incredibly closely-guarded state secret. Tufengi are effectively musketeers, and topcu are artillerists using heavy bombards.
Although it's slightly "game-ish", I asked the players to roll dice on behalf of the leaders to determine whose men are unlucky enough to be the front line and be the first to face the terrifying rush of the undead horde. Mangut got +2 on the dice to reflect his prowess. Gortig +4 and advantage - it's good to be the king !
Surprise, surprise, the poor Sarassids got to be the first to face the enemy.
The battlefield was a wide wadi in a gap through a long ridge. The ridge itself could be passed by individuals (with some difficulty) but would be too difficult for an army. The eastern entrance to the wadi is relatively defensible, wide enough for the army to adopt a comfortable blocking position. The cliffs each side provide a great elevated and safe position for the topcu.
The southern mouth of the wadi is a huge geyser field, stinking of sulphur and naphthalene and with a width of several miles. There is space around the edges for the enemy army to pass, and this is a less defensible position than the wadi proper, although three companies of Sarassid Dellis (irregular light cavalry) were moved into it as an advance guard.
Sir Walter's company was placed in the third line of the army, held with the reserves. They didn't know that King Gortig had a special plan, with the party having a key part to play.
Next time... the Battle of Wadi Al Naffatiyeh.
Previous posts in this series;
The Tarak D&D Campaign - Setting Part 1
The Tarak D&D Campaign - Setting Part 2
The Tarak D&D Campaign - Setting Part 3
The Tarak D&D Campaign - Player Creation and Briefing
The Tarak D&D Campaign - Arrival At Tuadun
The Tarak D&D Campaign - Mayor Gerd's Problems
The Tarak D&D Campaign - Saving Shepherd Mirag
The Tarak D&D Campaign - Mother White and Sister Raben
The Tarak D&D Campaign - The First Venture Into the Heimial Forest
The Tarak D&D Campaign - An Unpleasant Encounter
The Tarak D&D Campaign - Back to the Woods, and an Important Discovery
The Tarak D&D Campaign - Back Into The Bad Woods
The Tarak D&D Campaign - The Hags' Lair
The Tarak D&D Campaign - Tuadun Attacked !
The Tarak D&D Campaign - Finishing off the Brigands
The Tarak D&D Campaign - Trading and Partying In Filrath
The Tarak D&D Campaign - Enthor of the Woods
The Tarak D&D Campaign - Choices
The Tarak D&D Campaign - A Choice Is Made
The Tarak D&D Campaign - Into The Burial Mound
The Tarak D&D Campaign - Recruited !
The Tarak D&D Campaign - To War !