A spell to stop/slow a dragon's flight?

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NewJeffCT

First Post

• Nov 7, 2009

• #1

Last night, the PCs were underground and faced with a dragon that was hitting and running against them - it would attack one end of the party and then retreat with its move action a full 180 feet. (inspired a bit by that thread from a few weeks back about the dragon that kept doing that to the PCs)

The party cleric was considering casting "Miracle" to do something to slow the dragon down/inhibit its flight. However, the one guy that knows the rules the best had to cancel at the last minute, and the 2nd guy that knows the rules well had to leave a bit early last night.

I couldn't really think of a spell that was arcane/psionic of level 7 or below or divine level 8 & below that would do that to the dragon? Dragons generally have pretty good saves, so anything that required a save would likely not have worked. I had thought Otto's Irresistible Dance, but that is level 8. Something that stuns/slows without a save?

Anything in the Spell Compendium?

Thanks

 

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Ahnehnois

First Post

• Nov 7, 2009

• #2

Dragon Magic has some invocations specifically for that purpose, but oddly, no equivalent spells that I can see. I don't know of any spells that specifically counteract flight.

Stunning is hard to do, but dazing (Radiant Burst is in SC, for example) is possible. As far as straight combat tactics, readied actions and cover can be halpful, but obviously the situation may or may not allow this sort of thing. You could also wish yourselves fly speeds and follow the dragon.

 

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Runestar

First Post

• Nov 7, 2009

• #3

It is worth noting that irresistable dance is also a 6th lv bard spell, and so can be replicated using miracle (yes, another "quirk" of 3e spellcasting).

Draconomicon has wingbind, though it allows a reflex save.

Another possibility is to block its escape route. Summon monster 7 lets you bring in bone devils, which can use wall of ice at-will.

Any wall spell might have done the trick as well. Perhaps use miracle to simulate wall of force?

 

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NewJeffCT

First Post

• Nov 8, 2009

• #4

Runestar said:

It is worth noting that irresistable dance is also a 6th lv bard spell, and so can be replicated using miracle (yes, another "quirk" of 3e spellcasting).

Draconomicon has wingbind, though it allows a reflex save.

Another possibility is to block its escape route. Summon monster 7 lets you bring in bone devils, which can use wall of ice at-will.

Any wall spell might have done the trick as well. Perhaps use miracle to simulate wall of force?

Click to expand...

True - they had thought Wall of Force, but then the dragon could have just flown in the other direction above the PCs. They'd have to do something to block its movement in another direction.

 

D

Dingleberry

First Post

• Nov 8, 2009

• #5

Runestar said:

Draconomicon has wingbind, though it allows a reflex save.

Click to expand...

The lower-level (2nd? I don't have my books handy) earthbind is also in the Spell Compendium - IIRC, it's a Fort save instead of matching wingbind's Reflex.

 

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NewJeffCT

First Post

• Nov 8, 2009

• #6

Runestar said:

It is worth noting that irresistable dance is also a 6th lv bard spell, and so can be replicated using miracle (yes, another "quirk" of 3e spellcasting).

Draconomicon has wingbind, though it allows a reflex save.

Another possibility is to block its escape route. Summon monster 7 lets you bring in bone devils, which can use wall of ice at-will.

Any wall spell might have done the trick as well. Perhaps use miracle to simulate wall of force?

Click to expand...

great point as well on Otto's - it also allows no save. The thing with the bone devils or wall spells is that the dragon can just then escape on its turn with Dimension Door or Shadow Walk (it was a shadow dragon...). The party psion ended up using Entangling Ectoplasm augmented enough to get a size Huge monster to entangle the dragon to slow it down briefly. However, not liking the looming melee with a raging goliath barbarian and a Righteous Mighted/Divine Powered cleric/paladin, it then Dimension Doored away and got the heck out of Dodge.

 

Shin Okada

Explorer

• Nov 8, 2009

• #7

As already mentioned, Wingbind is a kind of tailored "anti flying dragons" spell. Combining it with Dimensional Anchor may lock even that shadow dragon.

Depend on the dragon's size, Bigby's Grasping/Crushing Hand may work, too.

Making it blind maybe useful, too. Even with Blindsense, it's movement is halved if being blinded. So, heightend Glitterdust may still work. This spell is also good to counter shadow dragon's shadow blend ability.

Also, at that level, the party cleric can just mimic Mass Fly via Miracle. Then, all the party members (or at least all the melee combatants) can ready charge against the dragon. Once threatened by multiple melee combatants of appropriate level, hit and run tactics is not that easy even for a dragon.

 

StreamOfTheSky

Adventurer

• Nov 8, 2009

• #8

Yeah, by quirkiness Otto's is on the table. I find that amusing.

I'll try a different route... Stun Ray is a level 7 ranged touch attack ray. It allows a fort save, but that only reduces the stun length from 1d4 +1 rounds to 1 round (unless the dragon has electricity immunity, then the spell just fails). Dragon touch AC is "don't roll a 1," and assuming typically crappy elder dragon flight maneuverability, even just 1 round stunned should be enough for a mid-air stall.

 

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Runestar

First Post

• Nov 8, 2009

• #9

Also, irresistable dance is touch. Was your cleric in any position to make a successful touch attack against the dragon?

 

Dandu

First Post

• Nov 8, 2009

• #10

Shivering Touch.