I found my old post from the thread on optimizing armies. We were working within a certain set of parameters, so some of the constraints may seem artificial, but it might be useful. Skip to the end to see how I arranged them all, and how each "combat unit" functions in different situations.
[spoiler]NPC Classes:
Level 1: 375
Level 2: 50
Level 3: 5
PC Classes:
Level 1: 100
Level 2: 50
Level 3: 15
Level 4: 4
Level 5: 1
600 total (170 "PCs" and 430 "NPCs")
Total wealth by level: 199,600
Add an extra ~25% from liege (rounded): 250,000 gp available for equipping them (less than 176,000 actually used below)
There was an agreement that only a certain fraction of them could cast spells, but I forget what the exact number was.
EDITED AGAIN: NPC classes get the standard array (3x 10's, 3x 11's), PC classes get the elite array.
http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=12233079&postcount=34Ok, here is what I have so far. I need to stop messing with this, but I can't help myself from continuing to tweak it. Yes, each and every unit is a Forest gnome, riding a dog, except for the "bombers".
I haven't spent nearly all the gold (175,703 so far), so alot of improvements could be done. I'm thinking in particular that Permanent Telepathic Bond on one individual per combat unit, and all linked to the level 5 wizard or the druid he is with, would be a good investment.
The Gnome-Dog ArmyThis isn't included in their individual equipment lists, but I'm giving every individual 1 alchemist's fire, and one vial of acid (they are gnomes, after all). This should let them actually take down much more powerful monsters that they'd normally only hit on a natural 20 with their crossbows. This cost 18,000 gold in all.
Level 1s250 Forest Gnome Warrior 1s (57 gp each, 14250 total)
Feat: Toughness
Equipment: hide armor (15 gp), longspear (5 gp), club (0 gp), light crossbow (35 gp), 20 bolts (2 gp)
Str 8, Dex 11, Con 12, Wis 11, Int 11, Cha 10
Skill: Handle Animal +2, Ride +2, Hide +8 (+12 in forests)
HP 8, AC 14, Attacks: longspear +1 (1d6-1, 20/x3), light crossbow +2 (1d6, 19-20/x2), or Club +1 (1d4-1)
125 Forest Gnome Adept 1s (57 gp each, 7125 total)
Feat: Toughness
Str 8, Dex 11, Con 13, Wis 11, Int 10, Cha 10
Skill: Handle Animal +2, Ride +2, Hide +8 (+12 in forests)
HP 7, AC 13, Attacks: Longspear +0 (1d6-1), light crossbow +1 (1d6, 19-20/x2)
Spells Prepared: 0 level: 3 Cure Minor Wounds, 1st level: 1/4th Obscuring Mist, 1/4th Bless, 1/2 Cure Light Wounds
Equipment: Leather Armor (10 gp), Longspear (5gp), light crossbow (35 gp), 20 bolts (2 gp)
Level 2s (900 gp for level 2s and 3s combined)
16 Adepts
34 Warriors
Level 3s 3 Adepts, w/ Toughness and Mounted Combat
7 Warriors, w/Toughness and Mounted Combat
Level 1 PCs (59110 gp)
90 Forest Gnome Druids with riding dog companions (only 1/3 cast spells)
Equipment: hide armor (15 gp), shortspear (1gp), sling, leather barding (20 gp) (36 gp each)
10 Forest Gnome Wizards. They all know Silent Image and Grease. They use Silent Image to tactically misdirect the enemy. They also have several scrolls, including Silent Image (2, free), 3 scrolls of Haste (20th CL, 1500), See Invisibility, and Glitterdust (675 scrolls). They also each have a scroll of Greater Magic Weapon (375), which they use to enchant a volley of bolts for their entire platoon, if needed to penetrate damage reduction. They have light crossbows, and clubs (37 gp).
Level 2 PCs (1800 gp)
50 Forest Gnome Druids with riding dog companions (only 1/3 cast spells)
Equipment: Hide Armor (15 gp), shortspear (1gp), Sling, Leather Barding (20 gp) (36 gp each)
Level 3 PCs (3768 gp)
12 Forest Gnome Druids with riding dog companions (only 2 cast spells). Feats are Toughness and Mounted Combat. Equipment: Hide Armor (15 gp), shortspear (1gp), Sling, Leather Barding (20 gp) (36 gp each)
3 Forest Gnome Wizards, with 3 scrolls of Fireball (975) and 2 scrolls of Protection from Arrows each (900 total cost). All the wizards know Silent Image, Feather Fall, and Protection from Arrows. They are part of the "aerial bombarbment units", and cast Protection from Arrows on themselves, the druid, and his mount before taking off. They have light crossbows, and clubs (37 gp).
Level 4 PCs (will equip later, but they should have the best defenses of the group)
druids with dire bat companions (only 2 cast)
Level 5 PC (3700 gp)
Forest Gnome Wizard 5 (Abjurer, Necromancy and Enchantment prohibited), with 3 scrolls of Evard's Black Tentacles (700 each), Lesser Metamagic Rod of Extend (3,000).
1st level spells: Silent Image
2nd level spells: Summon Swarm, Glitterdust, Protection from Arrows, Alter Self, Flaming Sphere
3rd level spells: Tiny Hut, Wind Wall, Shrink Item, Dispel Magic, Fireball
33 familiars (3300gp)
They have an equal mix of hawks (+16 Spot) cats (+16/20 Hide, Scent), and bats for scouting. The hawks spot the enemies initially, and the cats go in for close recon work if needed. The bats are there to find invisible enemies with their blindsense. The adepts all have ranks in Speak Language (sign) and also have ranks in the various Knowledge skills (1 rank in 2-3 different skills per adept). This combined with the forest gnome's ability to speak with animals in a crude fashion allows the familiars to give detailed scouting reports.
449 Riding Dogs with leather barding (
592 including the druidic companions) (one for each gnome, the gnomes can talk to them, and have trained them for war) (170 gp each, 63750 total)
HP 13, AC 18, Attack: bite +3 (1d6+3)
Speed 40
Feats: Alertness, Track
SQ: Scent
10 Standard Combat Units (EL ~13)[25 level 1warriors, 12-13 level 1 adepts, 2 level 2 or 3 NPCs (mix of warriors and adepts), 1 level 1 wizard, 9 level 1 druids, 6 other druids (mostly level 2, some level 3), 55-56 riding dogs, 3 familiar "scouts" (1 cat, 1 hawk, 1 bat)]
4 Aerial Bombardment Units (EL ~6) (1 druid4, 1 giant bat, 1 wizard5 or sorcerer4)
All the wizards and sorcerers have bat familiars, which they use to "scan" an area with Blindsense before fireballing, to make sure their target isn't an illusion. The druids each carry three shrunken items (barrels full of flaming oil, trees, boulders, etc) which they drop on the enemies, or use to block their passage. The 5th level wizard shrinks three items per day (Extended), to keep these stocked up.
Tactics:At the beginning of any encounter, each standard troup has Bless cast on it. In a very tough battle, each unit's wizard also casts Haste on as many of the mounts as possible (all three scrolls would get them all, and a few gnomes). Each group is capable of casting at least 3 Entangles, two Silent Images, a Grease, a See Invisibilty and/or Glitterdust, several Cure Light Wounds, and loads of Cure Minor Wounds. When necessary for beating damage reduction, they also have access to Greater Magic Weapon (50 bolts). Each gnome also has one alchemist's fire and vial of acid each. If it might be needed, you could rework things a bit to add at least one cleric with Align Weapon to each troup to beat alignment based DR.
Open Plain: Mounted archery. Use the mounts to stay out of melee. Druids and wizards try to use battlefield control to slow the enemies.
Forest: Dogs enter melee, the gnomes stay back and fire from cover/concealment. The druids use Entangle. They use stealth as much as possible to their advantage, and also use illusions to draw enemies into traps, bogs, etc.
Underground: Since their mounts can go in most places a humanoid could, they can fight from "dog back". Although they'd rather avoid melee, it would be difficult in this terrain type. So they'd try to avoid engaging enemies underground if at all possible.[/spoiler]