Irresistaible dance or maze?

[Inconsequenti-AL]

Here they are:

Irresistible Dance
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Brd 6, Sor/Wiz 8
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Living creature touched
Duration: 1d4+1 rounds
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

The subject feels an undeniable urge to dance and begins doing so, complete with foot shuffling and tapping. The spell effect makes it impossible for the subject to do anything other than caper and prance in place. The effect imposes a –4 penalty to Armor Class and a –10 penalty on Reflex saves, and it negates any AC bonus granted by a shield the target holds. The dancing subject provokes attacks of opportunity each round on its turn.

Or

Maze
Conjuration (Teleportation)
Level: Sor/Wiz 8
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: See text
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

You banish the subject into an extradimensional labyrinth of force planes. Each round on its turn, it may attempt a DC 20 Intelligence check to escape the labyrinth as a full-round action. If the subject doesn’t escape, the maze disappears after 10 minutes, forcing the subject to leave.

On escaping or leaving the maze, the subject reappears where it had been when the maze spell was cast. If this location is filled with a solid object, the subject appears in the nearest open space. Spells and abilities that move a creature within a plane, such as teleport and dimension door, do not help a creature escape a maze spell, although a plane shift spell allows it to exit to whatever plane is designated in that spell. Minotaurs are not affected by this spell.

My sorceror needs better ways to ruin the oppositions day. Nice crippling spell like one of these 2 could be just the thing...

On the one hand, the Dance is great because you can beat the victim viciously while they caper... but it's only living targets and you need to get into melee range. However, maze will work on more stuff, doesn't seem as strong but lasts longer... although I supose you could always use it on yourself if things went really wrong?

What would you go for? Anything I'm missing? Anything else you'd consider over this?

 

[Shariell]

I much prefer the Dance.
When you face the BBEG, maze can help you only to delay combat (wich of course is good to cast defensive spells), but the Dance, other than this, is good to other party members to do actual damage without risk. And the -10 to reflex saves is nice too...you have now better chance to use low-levels spells like fireball to do max damage from a reasonable distance.

 

[Thanee]

Getting into melee range is a real downside of Otto's, which is otherwise very good, of course.

If you can learn spells from FR books... Fleshshiver from PGtF is pretty nasty, especially against arcane casters (as I could recently try out... thanks Spell Turning *grr* ), and 1 round of stun with no save. And it's only 5th level. This spell plus Assay Resistance almost guarantees victory against even a mighty Balor, if you can cast it repeatedly, while the rest of the party attacks. Especially good, if the party has a rogue.

Reverse Gravity works well against targets, that have no means to escape (i.e. fly or teleport, etc) and no nasty ranged attacks. Just leave them hanging in the air.

Telekinesis can be used to grapple many targets, but requires concentration, so it's best combined with Extraordinary Concentration or Imbue Familiar with Spell Ability.

Forcecage is another alternative... costly, however, and best combined with some spell to stop dimensional travel.

Otiluke's Resilient Sphere (or the extremely nasty variant from CA or CV, whose name eludes me right now... where the sphere contracts and crushes the captive) is also good, and while it has a save, it's Reflex, which is rare for 'disabling' spells. And it can be used to protect yourself, too.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

Shariell - that -10 ref is very nasty! Think it'd work best with some of the horrors the cleric throws - Sunbeam and it's blinding effect in particular.


Thanks, Thanee!

Not got the FR books, could use them if we had them and I've been meaning to pick them up... Sounds like there's quite a bit of interesting stuff in there.

That crushing sphere sounds fantastic! Splat. Must have missed them on my trawl through the books.

Had a lot of milage out of Telekinisis - such a versatile little number. Personally, I've found the bullrush + deadly terrain has had the most effect so far.

Forcecage would be a definite if I was playing a wizard, but that 1500 GP component is a little steep for sorceror usage.

Rev gravity is nice, but reckon the bulk of the stuff we're now facing would be able to escape it... Still it has a lot of style!

Very glad from the last spell thread I had - Analyse Dweomer has saved our butts a couple of times now!

 

[Rkhet]

Ah, on the subject of passive Force spells: Force Dragons can pass through Force effects. And the younger ones are low-HD enough to be Shapechanged into. There is potentially much fun to be had with this and Forcecage/Otilok's.

Maze got nerfed. There's a will save now.

 

[Thanee]

In the errata? Must have missed that...

Bye
Thanee

P.S. Analyze Dweomer is really good, if you are up against some spellcasters.

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

Think that pretty much decides against maze then - makes it pretty useless to me... anything big enough to warrant an 8th level single target/nonlethal spell in our game is likely to make it's save!

That's where the AD spell has really shone... Lots of our enemies buff and it's nice to know what with before throwing spells at them

The insta identify is pretty cool too - being able to play with new toys as soon as you find them is a real plus in my book.

 

[JoeBlank]

The DC 20 Int check is the biggest drawback to Maze, if you ask me. If you are hoping to use the spell against BBEGs then they are likely to make the Int check within a few rounds.

Inconsequenti-AL, is your character posted somewhere? We have heard a little about him in some of Morrus's threads, and he sounds interesting. This is the same sorcerer who looks like a rogue and was the sole survivor of the recent umber hulk encounter, isn't it?

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

The DC 20 Int check is the biggest drawback to Maze, if you ask me. If you are hoping to use the spell against BBEGs then they are likely to make the Int check within a few rounds.

Inconsequenti-AL, is your character posted somewhere? We have heard a little about him in some of Morrus's threads, and he sounds interesting. This is the same sorcerer who looks like a rogue and was the sole survivor of the recent umber hulk encounter, isn't it?

True, most of the BBEGs we face have reasonable int scores... which makes for some quick escapes... On the flip side, it'll banish 'beast' type opposition for the full 10 minutes. On balance I think I prefer the old way the spell was handled.

I'll have to write him up for the rogues gallery. All my gear got toasted this week, which makes a write up rather easier.

 

[Len]

Maze got nerfed. There's a will save now.

Where is this rule? I don't see this in the PHB or the Errata. Maybe it's just your DM that nerfed it?