Summary
Running sieges for your players can make for a fun and challenging combat encounter inDungeons & Dragons. Whether your party is storming an enemy fortress, encampment, or stronghold, they’ll need strong siege equipment at their disposal to be successful. Otherwise, they’re likely to not get past even the first line of defense.
Sieges work much like any combat encounter in D&D, except they will, of course, require specific weapons known as siege equipment. These items are detailed in the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide. But, which items are best? Here’s every piece of siege equipment ranked in Dungeons & Dragons.
200
15
Attack
N/A
At the bottom of our list, we have the Siege Tower. This ranks low on this list for two reasons: first, it’s more of a defensive object than an offensivepiece of equipment; and two, it’s only useful in certain situations.
The Siege Tower allows you to push a forty-foot-high tower up to walls of the same height, allowing you to climb and scale them. Any creature inside the tower has Total Cover against all attacks and effects. This is, of course, helpful for scaling walls and for avoiding damage, but ultimately, unless you’re planning an infiltration of a stronghold’s walls, it’s not all that useful.
100
+8 Melee Attack - 3d10 Bludgeoning
The Ram is a movable gallery that has a heavy log suspended in mid-air by two beams with chains. This piece of equipment is, in essence, used to break down gates, doors, and other solid structures that might be locked. Anyone operating the Ram has Total Cover from any aerial effects, which is certainly a plus.
But, again, this one ranks low just because it’s so specific. you may really only use this weapon to break down doors or gates. While it certainly has its uses, the range is a real detriment, and it’s ultimately largely circumstantial.
50
+6 Ranged Attack - 120/480 ft. - 3d10 Piercing
The Ballista is a supersized crossbow that allows you to fire heavy bolts at large structures and other siege equipment. These are prime for attacking large mounts orother enormous creaturesthat might be on the field of battle.
The range on this weapon is also pretty decent at 120 feet. The only reason this weapon ranks so low is that its damage is just not that good at 3d10 piercing. Despite its size, there are some handheld weapons that, in the hands of certain characters, can do almost the same amount of damage. The same goes for spellcasters.
30
Con Save DC 15 - 300 ft. - 4d6 Poison
The Keg Launcher, while only marginally better than the Ballista, really gets bonus points for flavor. This piece of equipment launches small kegs of toxic gas into the enemy backline, subsequently exploding with fumes. You do have to load and aim as two separate actions, but the results can be well worth it.
Thanks to its decent range, you may inflict 4d6 poison damage on enemies from far away. Plus, you have a guarantee of half damage even on a success, which is always great. Talk to your DM too about whether or not the poison damage gives enemies the poisoned condition, as this can be a fun way to buff your siege equipment.
20
19
Dex Sav DC 15 - 10 ft. Square - 3d6 Fire
Suspended Cauldrons are another primarily defensive piece of siege equipment, but they have a lot of versatility and practical uses. By placing this item above defensive walls, you can drop substances like burning oil (granting fire damage) or acid if you so desire, which might cause different effects on enemies depending on your Dungeon Master’s ruling.
Again, what’s great about this weapon is that you’re guaranteed half damage even on a successful save. So, even though the damage is weaker than most, a bird in the hand is always worth two in the bush. Plus, this item isn’t likely to get destroyed thanks to its defensive positioning.
+5 Ranged Attack - 200/800 ft. - 5d10 Bludgeoning
A Mangonel is a large catapult-like object that can hurl ammo in a large, high arc, aiming for enemies behind defensive walls. This object takes two Utilize actions to load and aiming requires an additional two. This may seem cumbersome to some.
However, the damage (5d10) is well worth the effort. Plus, because you can hit smaller structures and enemies behind walls, this damage will be even more effective. The only downside is that you can’t fire this weapon at anything within 60 feet of itself, so you’ll have to be careful about your positioning.
Dex Save DC 15 - 60 ft. Line - 4d6 Fire
This next siege weapon once again gets a ton of bonus points for fun flavor. The Flamethrower Coach is a magical siege weapon that functions like a turret with a flamethrower on top. Anyone operating the coach has three-quarters cover, which is great, and must be operated by two individuals: one driver and one gunner.
This is incredibly fun for players to use, and the damage is halfway decent. Plus, like other Siege weapons, you get damage on successful saves as well. Creatures affected by this weapon also gain the burning condition, which can inflict extra damage.
+6 Ranged Attack - 300/1,200 ft. - 4d10 Lightning
You’ve heard of a glass cannon? Well, what about a Lightning Cannon? This defensively weak, but offensively strong piece of siege equipment has an incredible range to it and can inflict a decent amount of lightning damage on a hit.
The only downside to this piece of equipment is that, beyond its damage and attack prowess, it doesn’t really have any other functions to it. Plus, a lot of spellcasters can replicate the same amount of damage with the spell Lightning Bolt, which this piece of equipment mimics to a tee. However, for non-spellcasters, this piece of equipment will likely prove incredibly useful.
75
+6 Ranged Attack - 600/2,400 ft. - 8d10 Bludgeoning
Sometimes, classic is classic for a reason. The standard Cannon is a great piece of siege equipment that hasgreat, solid range, and amazing damage. Loading and aiming this weapon takes two Utilize actions, which is better than most of the other siege equipment on this list. Once fired, the damage is incredibly powerful, even against structures.
The one problem with this piece of equipment is that it can’t move all that fast. There’s no hard and fast speed listed in the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide, but ultimately, your DM is likely to rule that pushing this heavy object is a no-go for most players.
150
+5 Ranged Attack - 300/1,200 ft. / 8d10 Bludgeoning
The Trebuchet is the most classic piece of siege equipment available in the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide, and for good reason. The damage is equivalent to the canon, with a slightly shorter range. However, the best part of the Trebuchet is that you can aim it behind walls too, if you so desire.
Plus, the Trebuchet is a little more mobile, since it’s rollable. Again, there’s no hard and fast rule, but it’s likely your Dungeon Master will rule this is easier to move than the cannon. Plus, the Trebuchet has more hit points at its disposal, so it’s likely to survive longer than the canon during a long battle.
