Campaign Tactics

The warrior isn't helpless or useless outside of combat, either.

In situations where the party is preparing for an adventure, planning a mission, or just arriving in a new place (town, castle, whatever), the fighters (especially the combat leader) should make themselves responsible for learning the following things . . . and reporting these facts to the others:

Combats and Combat Missions:

What's the lay of the land? The fighters should get detailed descriptions (and, if possible, maps) of the area where they will be fighting; this will help them plot strategy, ambushes, etc.

What sort of forces does the opposition muster? This might be details of the enemy army, or the garrison of a castle the heroes want to invade, or just rumors of what might be found in the dark dungeon the characters intend to explore.

Is anything strange going on at the site? If there is, it might be symptomatic of something important to the characters. Do the locals hear grumblings and rumblings deep in the earth that weren't there before? This might indicate that a dragon has moved in . . . or that someone is doing some mining secretly. Are there suddenly a lot of strangers in town? This might mean the enemy has spies in town, or is hiring new warriors, who pass through town on route to their final destination. Whenever there's something strange going on, the heroes will have to face its source eventually, and should be as prepared as possible. When the fighters hear of something strange going on, they really ought to consult with the mages and priests, who might have ideas on the matter based on their own fields of learning.

Can the heroes count on local help? If this is a combat assault, can the heroes request, hire or levy local troops to back them up? If they can, and the situation warrants it, they should. But if they never ask, they almost never get help.

Can the heroes hire local experts? If their mission is to take them into an area where a local knows more about the situation than they do, it's a good idea for the characters to hire a local expert. Guides who know the local sites, especially, are an invaluable resource.

What sort of equipment will the party need? Any sort of special situation (walls to climb, specific monsters to fight, interesting terrain to cross, etc.) is likely to require specialized equipment, and it's the fighters' responsibility to determine what sort of equipment that is . . . and then to get it.

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