Arcane Smackdown
Originally posted by Carpe DM
This is a tactic I've used in our campaign against my PCs. In fact, it's the favored tactic of the PCs evil nemesis, Zera Ahashtyn (a beautiful elven woman... I wonder why they hate her with such sweet passion? (laughs demonically)).
First, let me note that 9th level spell smackdowns are too easy.
For example:
Time Stop
Meteor Swarm (Targeted)
Power Word: Kill
This will kill nearly any PC with no save. But it's no fun.
So here's a nasty tactic for lower level spells. The idea here is to get a spell DC higher than God almighty, and then hit the PCs with multiple spells. You can do a lot of this with core rules, but the really really nasty versions use Ritual & Relics spells.
To do this, start with a Sun Elf character (+2 to intelligence) and an 18 attribute base. Zera starts, therefore, at 20 intelligence. Then add Spellcasting Prodigy (which you have to take at 1st level). That puts your effective intelligence at 22. Then add your level increases. (+4 for our usual 16th level Smackdown character), so 26. Then add either a 6 point headband of intellect, or an Empowered Perfect Recollection (from R&R...I'm betting a similar spell comes out in FR, since I've seen the charisma variant in Dragon) to increase your intelligence to 32. Finally, Zera was able to secure two points through one of the attribute-increasing manuals; you don't need those points, but they help.
So now you have a 34 intelligence. This gives your save DCs a +12. But wait. There's more.
At this point, you'll need to find out two things. First, is your character evil? Second, can you use Rituals and Relics spells? Recognizing most people's interest in playing good characters and using only core rulebooks, I'll give the standard spell only version first, then the really nasty evil / r&r version later.
Take spell focus: evocation and greater spell focus: evocation. Now your save DCs are +16.
Finally, it's silly for mages to keep gaining mage levels after 10th level. So take those extra levels in Arcane Devotee; your spells are just as good, and you get a lot of extra abilities, including the Enlarge Spell power, which doesn't add any spell slots to the base spell to use. Normally this doesn't add to the area of effect (just increases distance) but it actually does for cone-effects.
So, scanning our lists for cone effects, we discover the 7th level spell Prismatic spray. Normally a 60 foot length, it doubles in size under the effect of our Arcane Devotee power.
Ok, so, now the only question is how to get off a lot of spells against those pesky targets? Here I'm going to reinsert R&R spells; just remove them to do a core rulebook version.
Rituals and Relics REALLY BAD SMACKDOWN
(surprise rd):
(partial action) Haste, (extra partial action) Two Minds (a 9th level spell allowing you to cast an extra spell a round), (Quickened free action) Quickened mirror image (for defense), (Free Action) Renewed focus.
Ok, what does this do? First, note you've cast 4 spells in the surprise round. And boy, does it get worse in round 1. Renewed Focus is cast as a free action, like Feather Fall is; it's a 2d level spell, and lets you act like you've renewed your focus as an initiative action. So you're going to go first in the first round of combat, since your initiative is going to be 20 plus any initiative feats plus your dex bonus.
So, in Round 1, cast:
(standard) Prismatic Spray (save DC 33, by the way), (partial) Prismatic Spray, (two minds action) Prismatic Spray (or your next highest evocation spell), (Quickened Free Action) Add any remaining evocation spell, quickened. If nothing more, magic missile.
So now you've gotten off 3 extended prismatic sprays and a magic missile (or any other evocation--fireball works) off in one round. Nobody will be left standing; they'll all be dead / insane / on other planes.
For a lower level version of this, of course, throw as many of your super-DC evocation spells of your highest levels as you can.
But you wanted to make this version worse, right? I mean, c'mon, we can do better.
Ok, let's switch our spell focus and greater spell focus to Necromancy. Now, if you only have the Core Rules, throw Horrid Wiltings for your three first-round spells. The advantage there is that these are Fort saves, so everyone will take at least half damage (evasion won't apply).
Assuming people aren't hitting 33 saves with any regularity, and given a 16th level character, this attack will deal 48d8 points of damage (or roughly 216 points of damage) in one round.
But we can actually make it worse, if your DM approves Rituals & Relics (trust me, if he reads the smacks on this board, he won't). Instead of those Horrid Wiltings, throw Shadow Storms.
For those of you unfamiliar with the spell, Shadow Storm does 1/2 caster level in both constitution and strength damage on a failed fortitude save; 1/4 on a successful save. It also does some damage (4d8 + 1 per level, I think) on a second reflex save; but that's unimportant. What's important is that even on a failed save you take 4 points con and strength damage.
This means two things: first, remember we're casting this three times. The targets will take a MINIMUM of 12 con and strength damage, on 3 successful saves. But the strange thing about this spell is that it targets the very attribute that generates its save. So after you take the first 4 points con damage, your fort save is at -2. And so on. If you fail those saves, you'll take 24 points of Con and Strength damage...enough to kill anyone.
Finally, note that the Shadowstorm is an area effect spell, so you're likely to be able to kill an entire adventuring group (or group of mobs if you're an adventurer) in round one.
Enjoy,
Carpe