Is there no way to stop a spellthief stealing a spell?

[carborundum]

It doesn't happen very often, and it makes the player's night, but sometimes it's rather annoying that bad guys with magic get decimated so quickly by the party spellthief!

Greater Invisible, Flying, sneak-attacking with two daggers per round and using all the sneak dice to take spells, she can deny Evil Mage the use of ten spells in the first round of combat. So she doesn't get to keep the energy - who cares! His amusing (to me) and impressive opener ends up being a scurry through spell lists to find something, anything, that's still left to use! It's a supernatural ability, so no SR either. She also has Blindsight on her spell list, and took the blindfighting feat. I'm not denying that it's her niche and she's good at it. I'd just occasionally like to surprise her!

Can you think of any defenses beyond the obvious* that a well-prepared mage who'd studied the party could use against a spellthief? Am I missing something obvious?

*Don't get sneaked, live in a force bubble, mirror image, concealment and displacement.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Can't really think of anything besides the obvious. Not really inclined to either, because I refuse to believe that the Spellthief is overpowered. Good for the player! But, aside from that, don't know of any other means. Aside from the insanely massive list of ways to screw someone out of sneak attack. Did I mention yet that I refuse to believe spellthief is overpowered?

 

[carborundum]

I don't think it's overpowered either. I gave it Bard spell progression and that hasn't changed my opinion one iota. I mean - waiting til 8th level for invisibility is a bit on the harsh side!
It's just, you know, when she's in her particular zone... yikes! Even letting spell resistance count would have been nice ;-)

 

[insanogeddon]

It pure petty vindictiveness to jibb such a player whose useless 95% of the time and the few times they live for you kane them.

That said if you are inclined that meh predictable... hahahah I got you..a way normally reserved for players not the over god dm above it all then a simple mitheral +1 buckler of heavy fortification should do the job.

 

[carborundum]

Vindictiveness? Useless? You might want to see our game and talk to us before you come out with that sort of nonsense.

She's a very well-built and effective character, and I make sure to let her shine regularly, adding wizards and giving enemies spell-likes even if the encounters in the campaign have none as written. I'm asking if I'm missing a trick to use in one encounter, with a repeat bad guy who has been on the receiving end twice already and has recently gained access to some powerful backers.

So if you can't help, please don't call me names.

 

[pawsplay]

Pearls of power are nice. Also, a ring of wizardry IV could offer a nice firewall at 4th level, preserving some of the better spells. What you really want is a spell that grants you elemental immunities but allows you to still cast. Also, wands and staves can help the character have a back-up plan.

 

[PlzBreakMyCampaign]

Disguise the mages. Make a warrior in the back look like the wizard

 

[Jack Simth]

Disguise the mages. Make a warrior in the back look like the wizard

Ah yes, Veil. Quite handy... although Blindsight would likely negate that. Mundane disguises, though, could work... if the PC doesn't have too good of a Spot check... oh, it's a class skill, you say, and one of the more important ones to have? Umm...

Basically, in order to prevent the spell loss, you need to prevent the sneak attack. Immunity to critical hits (the +1 Mithral Buckler of Heavy Fortification that insanogeddon mentioned), being able to see the spelltheif (See Invisibility, True Seeing ... and See Invisibility can be Permanencied), misdirection (and I don't mean the spell - the bit PlzBreakMyCampaign mentioned of disguising the mage is misdirection; make the spelltheif target the wrong person, just long enough to get the drop on the spelltheif).

Alternately, the best defense is a good offense (especially if he's been on the receiving end twice now). Mr. Mage picks up a ring of Invisibility (a DROW Ring of Invisibility - the command word is in Drow Sign), casts Overland Flight, hires a Cleric to cast an Extended Silence (ideally, into a DROW ring of spell storing - again, for the Drow Sign command-word), and prepares a few Silenced long-range Fort save spells. Mr. Mage then attempts to assassinate the PC in question.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Disguise the mages. Make a warrior in the back look like the wizard

My wizards and other arcanists usually end up getting mithral (and twilight, if needed) light armor. They then also like to buy the glamered property to make it look like really heavy full plate type armor.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

1) Kill the Spellthief first. Very effective.

2) Misdirection can be effective as well. Even something as simple as Blur or Mirror Image can buy you the time you need to neutralize the Spellthief. A crafty caster might even open up an encounter with Project Image up & running.

3) Armor up. There are lots of ways to do this. Personally, I like my Mage-Brutes, but any martial arcanist can be a tougher target for the Spellthief.

4) Reach out. Another martial arcanist trick is to have a reach weapon and a decent number of AoOs, or to have the Enlarge Person spell on hand. You can't sneak attack something whose vitals are out of reach, so if you can keep the attacker away from your body, you're cool.

5) Become immune to crits. However you manage it, as long as you are immune to crits, you can't be sneak attacked...which means no stolen spells.

6) Hide, fool! Concealment prevents the landing of sneak attacks as well.