Against Scry & Teleport

Shin Okada

Explorer
In high level campaign, scry & teleport becomes a very basic tactics. So, I often let some of the villains cast spells such as anticipate teleportation, forbiddance, zone of respite, etc. But those spells also prevent villains and their allies from using short-ranged teleportation spells and abilities (such as Abrupt Jaunt) which i want to let them use in the combat. What will be the better solution?

One solution I can think of is to let a villain cast Greater Anticipate Teleportation, then let him dispel it once he is buffed up or otherwise is ready. Will dispelling (Greater) Anticipate Teleportation immediately let the teleporters appear in the destination?
 

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First, tactics are a two way street. If you scry and die the BBEG's lieutenant then you can expect him to do the same to your loved ones.

Second, as the DM you can do all sorts of fun stuff to prevent scry and die. Maybe the villain's lair is in a pocket dimension located in a single grain of sand in a desert. Maybe when someone teleports to the castle without the proper amulet, the entire building shifts its layout to confuse attackers. Or maybe if anyone teleports to the wrong room a contingent calling effect is activated.

If you go for Greater Anticipate Teleportation, remember it only delays their arrival by 3 rounds. By the time you've finished buffing, your incoming travelers have arrived.
 

Greenfield

Adventurer
Have you considered spells that mask an area from the Scry part of "Scry and Fry"?

Some create a false image of the area, some block the Scry.

There's also spells like Mind Blank, or the ever popular "Amulet of Proof Against Detection and Location"

The amulet is not all that effective at higher levels, but the spell is a stone wall against the Scry. Nothing less than Divine Intervention will penetrate.

Also be aware that Scry has a casting time of 1 hour. And the Scry Sensor is visible to anyone with an Intelligence of 12 or higher. So you want to use a spell to get a 3 round warning? Based on the DM's ruling you could have up to an hour as the sensor forms and tracks.

Take a look through page 104 of the DMG. There's a section on Villains that gives advice on this exact issue.

Then there's the idea of mundane shielding for an area.
Player's Handbook PP 173 said:
Scrying: A scrying spell creates an invisible magical sensor that sends you information. Unless noted otherwise, the sensor has the same powers of sensory acuity that you possess. This level of acuity includes any spells or effects that target you (such as darkvision or see invisibility), but not spells or effects that emanate from you (such as detect evil). However, the sensor is treated as a separate, independent sensory organ of yours, and thus it functions normally even if you have been blinded, deafened, or otherwise suffered sensory impairment.
Any creature with an Intelligence score of 12 or higher can notice the sensor by making a DC 20 Intelligence check. The sensor can be dispelled as if it were an active spell.
Lead sheeting or magical protection (such as antimagic field, mind blank, or nondetection) blocks a scrying spell, and you sense that the spell is so blocked.
The lead sheeting idea doesn't require that your bad guys be high level or even very rich.

Consider using a Magnificient Mansion as a resting place. They may be able to Scry into it, but Teleport will get them nowhere. You can't Plane Shift into it because you can't get the Focus, the item attuned to that plane. You can't Gate into it since you can't name the plane. And looking does you no real good.

There are lots of ways to mess with Scry and Fry
 
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Dandu

First Post
Divination would also let someone know when a scrying attempt may be made against him, enabling him to set up defenses or mislead the scrying attempt.
 


BlackSeed_Vash

Explorer
The Scry and Fry tactic is a great. Let your players use it as much as they want. That being said, your BBEG should have minions. Some of them should be able to use Scry and Teleport. There is nothing wrong with them stopping by and visiting your players and NPCs they want to protect... Especially at inconvenient times with as many other minions as they can take with them. The more often your players try use this tactic, the more visits they get from the minions.

Also, check out the Contingency spell (PH 213) and Craft Contingent Spell feat (Complete Arcane pg 77). The feat is especially powerful if you allow someone other than the crafter to provide spells. Here are a few of the conditions I've used to trigger a contingency: [1] I take damage. [2] I say a series of specif words or a phrase. [3] I fall unconscious. [4] I die. [5] I cast spell x. [6] Become effect by spell x

The last two can be used chained a series of buffs for the BBEG or even an escape. My favorite use of the Craft Contingent Spell feat had the BBEG say a particularly quick prayer (free action) to his dark god, triggering the 1st of 6 conditions; which casts Righteous Might. Being effected by Righteous Might triggered the 2nd condition; casting Divine Power. Being effected by Divine Power triggered the 3rd condition; casting Haste. The 5th and 6th conditions teleported him away after falling unconscious and then healed him. So when my players busted door the door ready an "easy" fight since they where prepared to counter/negate most of his powerful spells; they found themselves facing a mountain of a man who was hitting as hard and often as their "tank".
 

Greenfield

Adventurer
Contingency has a one spell limit. You can't set up contingent spell chains.

The Craft Contingent Spell feat, on the other hand, allows one spell per target creature's hit dice. This option takes days to recharge, at a minimum of one day per spell, and costs both money and Exp.

Since this can occupy the BBEG for days, when he/she/it would much rather be out carrying out nefarious schemes, it's not an option PCs will often take. BBEGs, however, have whatever resources the DM says they have, so go for it.

Contingent Spell Feat costs 100 x Spell level x Caster level, takes 1 day per 1000 gp of cost, and costs 1/25th of that gold cost in Exp.
 

Greenfield

Adventurer
...The last two can be used chained a series of buffs for the BBEG or even an escape. My favorite use of the Craft Contingent Spell feat had the BBEG say a particularly quick prayer (free action) to his dark god, triggering the 1st of 6 conditions; which casts Righteous Might. Being effected by Righteous Might triggered the 2nd condition; casting Divine Power. Being effected by Divine Power triggered the 3rd condition; casting Haste. The 5th and 6th conditions teleported him away after falling unconscious and then healed him. So when my players busted door the door ready an "easy" fight since they where prepared to counter/negate most of his powerful spells; they found themselves facing a mountain of a man who was hitting as hard and often as their "tank".

Another thought occurred to me: If the BBEG ever casts any of the buff spells in that chain, the rest of the spells in the chain go off, whether he wants them to or not.

Again, probably a non-issue, since the BBEG never actually acts except when the PCs are present and active. But a real pain for PC types who are never "off stage".
 

Brandegoris

First Post
Make your villains create a NEW spell ( unique). It is one that blocks others from Teleporting into certain areas but the Villain can use it because it is attuned to him and his minions in some way.
 

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