Dungeons and Serpents

[The Watcher]

In the history you know Cobra, a ruthless terrorist organization determined to conquer the world, is regularly thwarted in their attempts by the heroic efforts of G.I. Joe. But on another Earth, a minor mishap with the Mass Device leads to Cobra developing the capability of interdimensional travel. Not only that but they also discover another world, a primitive one nonetheless rich in resources and potent artifacts. Rather than continue to futilely butt heads with the Joes, Cobra opts to lay low on their Earth and concentrate on attempting to conquer and plunder the world they discovered first. The Commander believes once they have total control over its people and treasures, it should be child's play to use their increased might to then successfully take over their own world.

After some preliminary scouting they establish bases in isolated backwaters among the various regions of the world. Once those have been established they will begin more overt and active campaigns and schemes to conquer various parts of the planet. Besides their regular forces, this version of Cobra enjoys the use of all their more exotic technological achievements such as The Mass Device and The Weather Dominator. They begin with no native allies but are free to recruit/buy/blackmail/mind control any they can. Including the gods themselves if they're feeling ambitious.

So, can Cobra conquer a magical but primitive world with their technological superiority? Or will its nations, organizations and heroes prove too much for them in the end? I, The Watcher, pose this question to you all...

What If Cobra Attempted to Conquer Abeir-Toril?

[Pendaran]

It's a difficult question to answer considering that the current state of the setting is not really, what's the word I want to look for here, given any sense of a coherent whole in any way.

[Shai-Hulud]

They begin with no native allies but are free to recruit/buy/blackmail/mind control any they can. Including the gods themselves if they're feeling ambitious.

So, can Cobra conquer a magical but primitive world with their technological superiority?

Unfortunately, Cobra declined to hire me for the evil advisor position I wanted. But if they had, I would have told them there are always elites looking for extra muscle.

I would have additionally advised them not to forget the modern magic of eavesdropping in all its forms (blackmail, espionage) and the propaganda power of the printing press for large scale social engineering. But when I tried to sell Cobra on the idea of "silent weapons" and "soft power" they scowled and called me a simpering weakling.

Anyway, SPECTRE, Hydra, anybody, if you're out there, I still need the work.

[Sharpandpointies]

Not even on contract? Man, those guys.

Forget about them, I hear their dental stinks.

[Beadle]

It's a difficult question to answer considering that the current state of the setting is not really, what's the word I want to look for here, given any sense of a coherent whole in any way.

What - just the one coast not good enough for you, Princess?

[Pendaran]

What - just the one coast not good enough for you, Princess?

I am definitely some kind of precious weirdo in that sense.

[The Watcher]

Ok, if the current state of the setting is too incomplete and incoherent then feel free to regress an edition and use the last fully assembled version.

[LordMikel]

With bases, Cobra will be able to have resources readily available.

First we will have B.A.T. A small army of them, and more can be made. But they might face off against undead. Zombies or skeletons. Both sides might initially ignore each other, since the aren't alive. A decent Necromancer though will be able to get his undead attacking though. Possibly before B.A.T. reprogramming. Initially B.A.T. will be losing, but given time, they would be able to defeat an army of undead. Unlike regular battles, where a necromancer can raise the recently dead to replenish an army, the undead would continue to get smaller.

Now our army of B.A.T. would go against something bigger. But let's discuss alliances. The Lizardmen are all about joining Cobra. Troglodytes as well. They see these snake men as possible kindred spirits. Because bases are in isolated places, I'm thinking swamps, so we might also have a green dragon joining up with Cobra. Because Cobra Commander will want to ride a dragon into battle.

Now the humans are taking notice of these weird snake men and their army of automatons. Lightning bolts seems to do these evil mechanical creatures, stopping them in their tracks.

But now we have the vehicles. HISS tanks, air planes. Airplanes, simply can't do it. It is like the winds themselves are against them, blowing any airplane out of the sky. Cobra continues to try to control the weather with its machine, but it seems doomed from the get go unable to keep up with these strange magical winds.

But Hiss Tanks, the ground belongs to them. Unaffected by illusions, sensors see through everything. Occasionally one is lost. Giant Roc grabbed one, charging elephant, the dinosaurs. But they learned to shoot faster at things like that. The enemy tried invisibility but failed there. Lightning and fireball simply wasn't getting the job done. Occasionally the Earth itself would open up and swallow a tank, but it was the damn druids that turned the tide. It was simply a simple fence line of staffs. They weren't even connected with anything, just one about every 15 feet. Then they turned into treants, destroying so many tanks.

Cobra Commander decides it is time for different tactics. He sends Zartan to pose as a King. But Zartan is caught, too many truth spells flying about. But he does manage to escape, his current whereabouts are unknown.

So Cobra is still a force to be reckoned with, but at the moment, they are not gaining ground.

[T51R]

Are we letting COBRA operate competently here, or are they operating by 80's/90's badguy rules?

Or do they get the comic's Casualties of War Cobra Commander, who literally threw his prisoners into a pit, and had a Pit Viper(no pun intended) machine gun the lot of them?

If its the latter, we're talking about bombing villages just enough that everybody gathers in one place to form an army. Then carpet bombing the army, because they were dumb enough to gather in one place.

Best bet to deal with that COBRA, is to hold a seance and get Dead Shandril to handle things(since she's just anti-magic flame now) Just load her up with all kinds of random spells, point her in the general direction to be destroyed, and give her an almighty push.