Golumn True Growth vs Golum Enchantments or smtng

These could be a nasty surprise for an invader. Especially goblins since they are too cheap to give their basic troops proper boots. Or any other real equipment apart from the occasional piece scavenged on the battlefield. Figures the villagers could make a lot of wooden caltrops in short order for use against barefooted foes.

 

I really like the idea of the dungeon taking care of the worst problems. He’s gonna need to get home quickly, though, or the new unlocked powers will likely hurt his village a lot.

At least until folks get stronger through the dungeon.

 

Pretty easy to spread out in front of an enemy force, too. Limitless Lands uses them later in the books.

 

They are an extremely underrated weapon that can make a soldier combat ineffective in one stab as well as prevent them from charging. With the right terrain or sufficient time they can be an effective defense.

 

i bet that grass at the HT could act like that.

 

Why not use punji sticks? Caltrops have to be manufactured. Where punji sticks only need to be cut, sharpened, and heated.

 

I beat the Hearth Mother can grow something like devils walking stick in seconds.

 

Or simply slice up their legs (or their entire bodies if they’re short enough).

 

Its not really an either or scenario in my book, idealy you would do both. I simply forgot that wood stakes planted in the ground were called punji sticks.

The main differences I see
Punji sticks need to be placed beforehand, thereas caltrops can be thrown into the path of an advancing force. An effective caltrop can be two nails - sharpened on both ends - twisted around each other, so its not that much more production than a punji stick. Caltrops can also be stored for a lot longer without needing special care - in fact a caltrop is arguably the only weapon that gets better with rust - and they can serve as a "ready to be deployed on short notice, easy to carry" defense, adventurers and soldiers can take with them.

 

I totally agree caltrops have their place.

Although I can argue if we both start from nothing. I could harvest limbs faster then you could mine the ore. I could have a great number of punji sticks made and placed before you can get your ore forged into a metal.

It’s not that I wouldn’t want some caltrops myself. It’s more of the forges current demand and its ability to produce what they need. Caltrops are effective no doubt they could be thrown out like dice anywhere. They would be an expensive use of Precious time and resources at the moment.

Plus the MV is their home. They are looking at fortifications of the place they live. Which means punji sticks and punji stick pits would be fine. As everyone would see them. Caltrops might work as well on the kids of the MV running around playing.

That does make me think about a magical special purpose weapon.

Soul bound caltrops. As you are running away from Calvary or people on foot you could cast them out. Then you could recall them again for another casting. If deployed at the MV they could be picked back up so no children would be endangered by them. If going to the expense to make them why not make the soul bound so they can be used over and over?

 

As for forge output being limited and needed for weapons/armor, that is a really good argument. My solution would be to recruit the less skilled smiths that are currently relegated to crafting farm implements and other tools because Krom doesn't want to put the lives of men in unproven hands. An understandable sentiment.

But with caltrops the occasional bit of shoddy craftsmanship isn't much of an issue.

As for metal, I imagine they can melt down the ore themselves. Might be worth it to have them melt down the ore for the weapons and armor smiths as well, assuming they can craft bars to an acceptable standard.

Having found the people and the material, we need a timeslot. We know the forge has been moved to the meadow, away from habitation, so I would put the smiths to work melting ore and crafting caltrops/ simple traps/ farm implements during the night hours. To give them light i'd have Richter take a round in the forge throwing up mist lights as those last a whole year before needing replacement.

 

I agree with Dragon about the apprentices doing the caltrops as a learning exercise. You could put them outside the walls (where the kids don’t play) in the cleared area between the forest and the walls. The hunters and guards would just need to know where not to go, like a minefield. And if a nosy kindir comes around without notice, well, those are the breaks.

I’m definitely thinking they should do both and more, of course. Especially as they have shoddy metal they can use (smelted down goblin weapons) and lots of trees right nearby. Hopefully they’re responsible loggers with all those sprites and such around.

I don’t think soulbound ones would work but it’s a neat idea, especially if they’ll return after someone steps on them, haha.

“Hey Alphaz, take this out for me!” zippp