Boccombs Blessed Bomb, Or...

[domino]

We all know the idea, take a book, and on this page, we have explosive runes. And on the next page, we have explosive runes. And on the next page, we have explosive runes...

And on this book, we cast dispel magic.

Now, my question, that I've been unable to find, is there a way to make sure you fail that dispel check? Or can you just not do all you can to succeed, and then hope you fail?

 

[Staffan]

I don't think you can deliberately fail, but you can cast the spell at a lower caster level, with a minimum of 5 (the minimum for level 3 spells - would be higher if you're a sorcerer).

 

[Jack Simth]

We all know the idea, take a book, and on this page, we have explosive runes. And on the next page, we have explosive runes. And on the next page, we have explosive runes...

And on this book, we cast dispel magic.

Now, my question, that I've been unable to find, is there a way to make sure you fail that dispel check? Or can you just not do all you can to succeed, and then hope you fail?

Depends on how your GM rules things.

If you have 1000 pages, each of which has Explosive Runes, and you have a 50% chance of dispelling any given one, then rather than rolling (or having you roll) 1000 d20's, the DM could just handle it statistically - half of them go off (for 500 6d6 blasts of Force Damage - 3,000d6 total, average 10,500 - instant death, really); if you are at 10th level, and the Runes are all at your maximum normal caster level, while the Dispel is done at a minimum caster level, then you have only a 25% chance of dispelling any given one, and 75% of them explode - for an average of 15,750 damage.

The GM could do the supression check on the book first, and those pages could all be elsewhere when the book was supressed, and you could get a dud.

The DM could also rule that they are handled sequentially - the first one you don't dispell goes off, dealing full damage to the book, destroying it and with it all further Explosive Runes, so that only 6d6 of force damage is ever dealt.

The GM could also rule that you automatically dispell any spell you cast yourself, and you just destroyed all those Explosive Runes to no effect.

Edit: Of course, an DM wanting to discourage this tactic could require you to roll for each and every Explosive Runes spell to see if it goes off, or not. Yes, that will be 1000 dispel checks, please.

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

The DM could also rule that they are handled sequentially - the first one you don't dispell goes off, dealing full damage to the book, destroying it and with it all further Explosive Runes, so that only 6d6 of force damage is ever dealt.

The GM could also rule that you automatically dispell any spell you cast yourself, and you just destroyed all those Explosive Runes to no effect.

Edit: Of course, an DM wanting to discourage this tactic could require you to roll for each and every Explosive Runes spell to see if it goes off, or not. Yes, that will be 1000 dispel checks, please.

Personally, I'd ask for 1000 dispel checks, and then (if the player toughs it out and gives me the rolls) handle it sequentially, so that it only does 6d6 damage and destroys itself. If the player hasn't got the hint by that point, he never will.

 

[domino]

Yes, thank you.

The question WAS, is there any way to autofail a dispel check? So far, I got an "I think." agree? disagree?

 

[shilsen]

Yes, thank you.

The question WAS, is there any way to autofail a dispel check? So far, I got an "I think." agree? disagree?

Disagree. I don't think there is any way to intentionally fail a dispel check. I suggest you use Staffan's suggestion and just cast Dispel at minimum caster level, in which case some failure should occur.

 

[UltimaGabe]

Isn't there some rule that a caster automatically dispels any spell that he has cast?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Isn't there some rule that a caster automatically dispels any spell that he has cast?

Well, yes, you automatically succeed on a targeted Dispel against any spell you cast yourself.

That's not the point, though - they don't want to auto-succeed, they want to auto-fail, because of:

You and any characters you specifically instruct can read the protected writing without triggering the runes. Likewise, you can remove the runes whenever desired. Another creature can remove them with a successful dispel magic or erase spell, but attempting to dispel or erase the runes and failing to do so triggers the explosion.

 

[domino]

Isn't there some rule that a caster automatically dispels any spell that he has cast?

You CAN automatically dispel any spell you've cast. But that doesn't say that you DO.

 

[NimrodvanHall]

I dont have my books here with me at this moment

In Complete arecane there is a feat that alows you to take 10 on casterlevel checks and dispellchecks. since you dispell against DC 11+ casterlvl, you will always fail against your own spells.