Warfare (CBarbH)

The barbarian is no stranger to war. He fights to defend his homeland, steal goods from his neighbors, and avenge himself against real or imagined injustices. Some tribes glorify war by reserving their highest honors for bloodthirsty warriors. But even peace-loving tribes value a strong defense.

War erupts for many reasons. A family blames a neighboring tribe for the disappearance of their son. A cleric holds a rival sorcerer responsible for a forest fire. A leader interprets an omen as a command from the gods to destroy the blasphemers in the next valley.

Most commonly, however, barbarian wars involve disputes over territory. For a tribe that exhausts its food supply, it may be easier to wage war on a neighbor than relocate. If the war goes badly for the neighbor, they may cede their lands to the invader, then declare war on a still weaker tribe. Typically, all healthy members are mobilized to fight a territorial war; there's too much at stake to rely solely on the tribe's elite warriors.

Wars may also be fought for security reasons. A cleric may suspect another tribe of harboring undead or fraternizing with evil spirits. A leader may assault a neighboring tribe before they grow too large and begin to covet his homeland. It may be prudent to eliminate a rival tribe on the verge of developing poison blowguns or equally ominous weapons. Some barbarians routinely attack every stranger they encounter, figuring that it's better to kill a few innocents than allow potential enemies to gather information.

Occasionally, a leader instigates war for personal reasons. He may want to impress the gods with his prowess as a fighter, or make up for a cowardly act performed in an earlier battle (or an earlier life), Sometimes a leader conducts raids for the express purpose of increasing his personal wealth, measured in livestock, weapons, hides, or slaves. In wars motivated by ego or greed, a select group of warriors may fight for a share of the spoils or the privilege of serving the leader.

Though outworld wars are fought with professional soldiers armed with the finest armor and weapons, barbarians usually fight as a horde, attacking with whatever weapons are at hand. Where outworld armies rely on tactical planning and the strategic deployment of specialized units, barbarians depend on surprise and ferocity.

Seasoned warriors prefer to attack at night or just before dawn, when the enemy sleeps. If the enemy is inside a dwelling, the attackers may wait to attack until the first enemy emerges. If the enemies refuse to leave the dwelling, the attackers may toss in torches.

A preferred method for attacking mobile enemies (those on foot or horseback) involves charging at top speed, shrieking and whooping, then attempting to drive them off a cliff or trap them in a valley. They may also encircle their enemies with fire by igniting brush or throwing torches. While one group of barbarians keeps the fires going, a second group shoots arrows and hurls spears from treetops.

Barbarians use similar techniques when hunting. Hunters corner and surround large game animals, then assault them with arrows, stones, and spears, preferably from a high vantage point. Barbarians also chased their prey into bogs; the hunters wait while the prey struggles in the mud, moving in for the kill when it exhausts itself. To hunt herd animals, barbarians sometimes arrange stacks of stones in the shape of a large V, each stack about 3–5 feet high and spaced a few yards apart. One group of hunters waits near the pointed end of the V as the rest chase the herd into the open end. The hunters at the point of the V attack as the herd approaches.