11 Missing Siege Engines in D&D 2024
I have a dream adventure I’d love to run where armies are laying siege to a city, you might have seen our previous ruleset on Cities Under Siege, which proves I’ve thought a lot about this. While that adventure is probably a few years out (I have a lot of adventures I want to run), there’s no reason why I can’t make more Siege Engines right now (and make up excuses to use them on my players).
While the latest Dungeon Master’s Guide (2024) features 10 Siege Engines, there are a few that I think it is missing.
Fire Siphon
Powerful and deadly, a fire siphon pumps liquid fire onto enemies, structures, and more. They are often used during naval combat, but you must be careful when using them so that you don’t inadvertently pump fire onto your own ship. Composed of copper tubes and bellows set over a fire, their contents are heated up and pumped through the tubes to be sprayed upon other ships.
Small Fire Siphon
Large Object
Armor Class: 12; Hit Points: 30Spray Fire (Requires Load and Aim). Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 14, each creature and object in a 30-foot Cone. Failure: 10 (3d6) Fire damage, and the target is Burning (Burning damage ignores Damage Threshold). Success: Half damage.
Loading a Small Fire Siphon requires two Utilize actions, and aiming it requires one more Utilize action. Then, a crew member can take the Spray Fire action.
Large Fire Siphon
Huge Object
Armor Class: 15; Hit Points: 75Spray Fire (Requires Load and Aim). Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 17, each creature and object in a 60-foot Cone. Failure: 39 (6d12) Fire damage, and the target is Burning (Burning deals 1d8 Fire damage; Burning damage ignores Damage Threshold). Success: Half damage.
Loading a Large Fire Siphon requires four Utilize actions, and aiming it requires two more Utilize actions. Then, a crew member can take the Spray Fire action.
Hwacha
This siege engine resembles a cart, but has a large plank of wood at an angle with up to 200 holes where arrows or other missiles can be placed. These arrows are fired by small rockets filled with smokepowder. Some Hwacha are loaded with fire arrows, explosive arrows, or instead fire musketballs. Typically, Hwacha are reloaded with large cartridges pre-filled with arrows.
Hwacha
Large Object
Armor Class: 15; Hit Points: 50Arrow Volley (Requires Load and Aim). Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 14, each creature in a 20-foot-radius Circle at a point within 2,000 feet of the Hwacha. Failure: 17 (5d6) Piercing damage. Success: Half damage.
Loading a Hwacha requires two Utilize actions, and aiming it requires two more Utilize actions. Then, a crew member can take the Arrow Volley action.
Special: The Hwacha can be loaded with a special cartridge of Fire Arrows that deals an additional 10 (3d6) Fire damage and causes Burning on a failed save, or Explosive Arrows that deals an additional 13 (3d8) Force damage.
Lightning Lancer
This black crystalline tube has a fulgurite spear that runs down the center of the tube, collecting the electrical impulses within it. When fired, it shoots forth a devastating beam of lightning that smashes through any creature or object in front of it. Despite how delicate it appears, it is heavy and requires the strength of an ogre to move it. It is often built upon a small cart platform.
Lightning Lancer
Large Object
Armor Class: 15; Hit Points: 75; Immunities LightningLightning Lance (Requires Aim). Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 16, each creature and object in a 200-foot-long, 10-foot-wide Line. Failure: 33 (6d10) Lightning damage. Success: Half damage.
Aiming a Lightning Lancer requires two Utilize actions, then a crew member can take the Lightning Lance action.
Mortar
This artillery weapon can be small, small enough that it can be held in a single hand when fired, lobbing a projectile over a near wall, or so large that it must be transported on large carts and can lob a rock over a mountain. Mortars require specific trajectories to function, and can’t be used at short range.
Hand Mortar
Small Object
Armor Class: 10; Hit Points: 15Mini Mortar (Requires Load). Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 11, each creature in a 5-foot-radius Sphere at a point within 150 feet. It can not target a point within 20 feet of it. Failure: 7 (3d4) Piercing damage. Success: Half damage.
Loading a Hand Mortar requires the Utilize action. A crew member can aim the Hand Mortar as part of the Mini Mortar action.
Bomb Mortar
Large Object
Armor Class: 15; Hit Points: 75Bomb Mortar (Requires Load and Aim). Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 14, each creature in a 15-foot-radius Sphere at a point within 750 feet. It can not target a point within 75 feet of it. Failure: 50 (20d4) Piercing damage. Success: Half damage.
Loading a Bomb Mortar requires three Utilize actions, and aiming it requires two more Utilize actions. Then, a crew member can take the Bomb Mortar action.
Swivel Gun
This small siege engine is affixed to railings or other sturdy objects and is known for its high rate of fire. It is typically used as an anti-personnel device and is a breechloader, a type of firearm that loads the ammunition (pre-loaded mug-shaped chambers) through the rear of the barrel, as opposed to through its muzzle.
Light Swivel Gun
Small Object
Armor Class: 12; Hit Points: 20Mini Cannonball (Requires Load). Ranged Attack Roll: +4, range 60/240 ft. Hit: 12 (5d4) Piercing damage.
Loading a Light Swivel Gun requires the Utilize action. A crew member can aim the Light Swivel Gun as part of the Mini Cannonball action. It requires a Utilize action to remove the Light Swivel Gun from its current position, and another Utilize action to affix it to a sturdy object that is at least Medium or larger.
Heavy Swivel Gun
Medium Object
Armor Class: 13; Hit Points: 40Cannonball (Requires Load). Ranged Attack Roll: +6, range 90/360 ft. Hit: 25 (10d4) Piercing damage.
Loading a Heavy Swivel Gun requires the Utilize action. A crew member can aim the Heavy Swivel Gun as part of the Cannonball action. It requires a Utilize action to remove the Heavy Swivel Gun from its current position, and another Utilize action to affix it to a sturdy object that is at least Large or larger.
Three Ox Bow
This triple-bow siege crossbow is the size of a cart and, as the name suggests, had three bows to give it power, two at the front and a third in the back that was reversed from the other two. While there are several sizes of these bows, the largest of them required a team of oxen to pull the string back and would send a bolt through thick, fortified walls.
Three Ox Bow
Huge Object
Armor Class: 15; Hit Points: 100Ballista Bolt (Requires Load and Aim). Ranged Attack Roll: +8 to hit, range 500/2,000 ft. Hit: 52 (6d12) Piercing damage.
Loading a Three Ox Bow requires three Utilize actions, and aiming it requires three more Utilize actions. Then, a crew member can take the Ballista Bolt action.
Art by Shuai Zhang
Turtle Cannon
So named because you need a Huge turtle to move it, this cannon is strapped to the top of a Huge beast or monster (like a turtle, mammoth, or dragon). When fired, it can obliterate castle walls with a single shot. It has a diameter of 20 inches and fires projectiles that weigh several hundred pounds. Some have strapped wheels to this cannon, but it requires dozens of horses to move it over firm, leveled ground. There are even larger versions of this cannon, known as Massive Turtle Cannons, that only Gargantuan creatures can carry, like a Zaratan.
Heavy Turtle Cannon
Huge Object
Armor Class: 20; Hit Points: 125Heavy Cannonball (Requires Load and Aim). Ranged Attack Roll: +8, range 800/3,200 ft. Hit: 78 (12d12) Bludgeoning damage.
Loading a Heavy Turtle Cannon requires three Utilize actions, and aiming it requires two more Utilize action. Then a crew member can take the Heavy Cannonball action. To load the Heavy Turtle Cannon, the creature must have a least a Strength score of 13 or higher.
Massive Turtle Cannon
Gargantuan Object
Armor Class: 22; Hit Points: 200Massive Cannonball (Requires Load and Aim). Ranged Attack Roll: +8, range 1,000/4,000 ft. Hit: 126 (12d20) Bludgeoning damage.
Loading a Massive Turtle Cannon requires six Utilize actions, and aiming it requires three more Utilize action. Then a crew member can take the Massive Cannonball action. To load the Massive Turtle Cannon, the creature must have a least a Strength score of 15 or higher.
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