Tann, you missed my protection request....Again.

Yep I'm a big bone head really sorry Vivi

Ok first what type of protection are you looking for you never really specified and if you did I missed it.

Are you looking to lower your AC? Are you looking for protection from like magical stuff like spells or elemental magic like fire, cold, acid ext?

Your -3 AC when inviso but only an AC of 1 when not let me know and I'll use Ulthoks money to find something as your his familier afterall

Well now it is very clear we have five machines to distroy.

Just some random thoughts.

1. Is the protective dome two way? Does it have to be dispelled so the machines can fire? That makes them valnerable during the firing sequence.

2. Does the dome only go to ground level so he tunneling under the edge could gain access?

3. Would the dome trip things inside as if fire or explosion would be condenced in the space? Air would be used up and things inside would sufficate if a hugh fire were started.
Also the party would find it difficult to breath, duh.

4. If the giants are killed that temporarily shuts down the machines.

5. Ten party members taking out five machines makes two members per machine, sort of. All five need hit about the same time to at least damage them all.

6. Getting out will be a lot harder than getting in.

Time to build on Cor's plan, we have completed his step one and got there, time to flesh out steps two and three a bit more. Who goes after which of the five and how the plan to destroy it. Who protects the the member trying to destroy the machine. Then how to rally for the escape. Remember most of our plans have never quite worked as we thought but it could go our way if we think on it a bit. Our magic is strong and we have oils and such to burn the machine, assuming that they will burn. Before we had about four magic users to cast destructive spells. We are more to the fighter side now. Think of question to ask Tann, the information we can get the better we attack.

----------------------
MORE..........

In the past when we discussed ideas here in Q&A some good plans have come together. Before we each charge off again it would be good to compare thoughts and check our spells and tool to use here. Good plans can get bad dice rolls so even if we think these are great fate will decide.

We were well perpared to take down one machine but we have five and a bunch of badies. How can we maximize our damage and how can we best escape?

OK Keeper my Washington state friend I think you may have misread my post dealing with the dome. It is 1 single dome not 5 separate ones covering a single catapult. Also the ballista don't shoot arrows they launch large rocks or boulders to hammer the fortress walls.

yes i missed the one big dome. Ballistas typically fire large arrows, catapults and trebuchets fire rocks. Will adjust post. :-)

I thought the term Ballista covered all those machines sorry.

So you liking Washington State yet Is it cold enough for ya

BAND OF INVULNERABILITY

This thin band of platinum glows with a faint golden aura. The band improves the wearers AC by 2 and with the expenditure of 1 charge a Minor Globe of Invulnerabilty same as the spell springs up around the wearer lasting for 1 turn (10 combat rounds). The band becomes non-magical if all charges are used (20 charges non-rechargeable)

Minor Globe of Invulnerability
(Abjuration)

This spell creates an immobile, faintly shimmering magical sphere around the caster that prevents any 1st-, 2nd-, or 3rd-level spell effects from penetrating (i.e., the area of effect of any such spells does not include the area of the minor globe of invulnerability). This includes innate abilities and effects from devices. However, any type of spell can be cast out of the magical globe, and these pass from the caster of the globe to their subject without affecting the globe. Fourth and higher level spells are not affected by the globe. The globe can be brought down by a successful dispel magic spell. The caster can leave and return to the globe without penalty. Note that spell effects are not actually disrupted by the globe unless cast directly through or into it: The caster would still see a mirror image created by a wizard outside the globe. If that wizard then entered the globe, the images would wink out, to reappear when the wizard exited the globe. Likewise, a wizard standing in the area of a light spell would still receive sufficient light for vision, even though that part of the light spell volume in the globe would not be luminous.
Now this ring would drop your normal AC from 1 to -1 and your invisible AC from -3 to -5. also as the spell states you'd be protected from alot of spells if you use a charge.
However the catch is if you cast the Minor Globe you have to stay in one spot.So let me know if you want the ring.

Tann: Ballista are large crossbows per se, You have three main types of seige engines, support, offensive, and defensive

Support is like seige towers... although they carry troops and the occasional heavy fire power, they are technically support since their primary role is to help in scaling the walls...

Ody: It might be advisable to find a way to destroy them without us having to be there when they are destroyed...

Yeah, I think what Tann has described is definitely a bunch of trebuchets (which were so big they often had to be built on site).

What Sirene can do is cast the spell 'Veil'. It'll allow Sirene to instantly change the appearance of an area 260' cubed for 13 turns. She could have every member of the party appear like members of an orcish trebuchet crew, have some of the giants appear like a band of marauding elves etc. in order to have some of the forces arrayed against us attack each other, or make it appear that the trebuchets are already on fire in order to cause chaos and have its crews flee.

There's no saving throw allowed for this spell, and the only way of countering it is through a 'true seeing' spell or a 'gem of seeing'.

That could be very interesting.

As for the destruction of the machines we should decide who goes after which ones.

I see that we do have a few folks with spells that may help.

Cor: Dispell Magic / Flame Strike
Eclispe: Warp Wood

Rayne: Flame Strike / Warp Wood

Sirene: Oh you got bunches!!!!!

Valene: Warp Wood / Flame Strike

Ulthok: Burning Hands / Fireball / Lighting Bolt / Disintegrate

So maybe Cor should assign machine to groups of two and we then assit others as needed.

Lexson and Lother would be pure defenders of the magic users and party.

Cor, Eclipse and Rayne are the secondary defender / fighters and Peri just creates chaos by casting various spells on the enemy.

To me this needs to be a coordinated attach, at least to start. We know all plans are good until the battle begins.

Well that's some food for thought.

One thing i saw was that sirene has a Fire Elemental. Can it be used to attack the machines? It can turn on Sirene but just having climb the machine might set them on fire.

Does anyone see any creative uses of Ulthok's spells?

does multiple caster doing dispell magic make it stronger or just multiple hits of the same spell?

I would also guess they have a fairly strong spell caster there that created the dome, so that needs to be a target too.

If we can identify the spell that created the dome we can figure how to get rid of it and know the the minimum level of the spell caster.

Use of invisiblity to get in to the machine is also possible for the group.

One method might be to have the majority of teh group stay outside the dome and cause a distraction. Then one or two can slip in and attempt to destroy the machines with spells and good old greek fire.

Any takers for the inside job?

If it comes down to it and the catapults can be sabotaged by physical strength Lothor is willing to become a saboteur.

I was thinking of using the Disintegrate spell to destroy a machine but it can be used to open a 10' x 10' hole in the magic force shield. We go in the front, attach the first three machines and drive to the back taking out the last two. Someone could cast a spell blocking the back enterance and we boogy back out the front, over the hill into an invisiliblity spell or teleport back.

Piece of pie, easy as cake!

This way we don't split the party.

most of the times, the area that siege engines rest on is choosen for specific parameters, it would be best if we left a big mess of the machines, try to get them laying on each other and such, make it hard to fix the area, the seige gear will be out for alonger time than completely removing them... merely explaining