Shut it down! [Problem Solving]

[Enkhidu]

A handful of things might do it -

- a score of mages powerful enough to cast anti-magic field with their martial bodyguards astride pegasi/hippogriffs/gryphons might be enough to get a handful of fields inside the tower and disrupt the inner workings.

- that same score of mages might participate in a mass scry/buff/teleport routine to the base of the tower, bringing with them clerics, fighters, and individuals capable of breaching the wall of the tower itself to grant access. Judicious use (and maybe multiple layers) of Wall of Force could protect the group long enough to get inside and cause havoc with anti magic, dispels, and good old fashioned butt-kicking (and, once inside, if a friendly Arcane Archer happened to have a quiver full of arrows and the will to use them to dispel magic from afar could come in quite handy...).

 

[jmucchiello]

Just to be argumentative, the mages and the tower could all succeed at the dispel check, making my attack moot. I know it's not statistically likely that everything/everyone will succeed....but it's hardly the most reliable plan. Is there a way to do something similar that would automatically suppress the area's (and the people's within the area) magical powers?

Caster of the Dispel makes the roll, not the original spell caster. And yet, still not a good solution since any tower of mages having existed for a long enough time will not be brought down by a lowly 3rd level spell.

 

[Rabelais]

+/- level 15 or so right?

Ach... well, off the top of my head... Is there a temporary way to reduce access to their source of magic? Maybe generate some Wild Magic overload or something? It doesn't have to last for long, just long enough to get some motivated, well armed, angry people inside the wire.

 

[The_Universe]

Heh, didn't notice it was self-only. I don't have my Complete books with me, but would Otiluke's Dispelling Screen help?

Can anyone with access to the Complete Arcane (I think that's the one it's in) see if this might help us in our quest?

 

[The_Universe]

Well, a tower like this isn't something found in the books. As a consequence, there will be no singular means to defeating the tower in terms of a spell or magical item. (I'm refering to the corebooks here...I could be (and probably am) mistaken that something like this not existing in one of the other d20 books out there).

Its going to come down to an assault within the tower. How many mages are inside the tower? Perhaps an assault inside of the tower while the outside city is taken will distract the mages long enough for the external assault to work.

Otherwise, in terms of actually taking down the magical defenses, I would think that (for it to be possible outside of just covering the outside in layers upon layers of Dispel Magics) there has to be a source for the magical energies or powers. Gotta take out that source.

If there is no source, then perhaps setting up antimagic fields on objects (not Core, but still certainly possible unless a few mages are willing to sacrifice themselves) near the centeral supports of the tower and then blowing those areas would work. Sure the rest of the tower is enchanted and will survive the fall, but it'll be on its side and no longer have the command of the city.

Is there a spell out there that has a larger radius anti-magic field, and/or something roughly similar that can be cast on objects?

 

[The_Universe]

Ach... well, off the top of my head... Is there a temporary way to reduce access to their source of magic? Maybe generate some Wild Magic overload or something? It doesn't have to last for long, just long enough to get some motivated, well armed, angry people inside the wire.

How would one generate a wild magic overload?

 

[The_Universe]

(Last one) Perhaps...

...this might aid in our quest?

<H6>Mage’s (Mordenkeinen's) Disjunction

Abjuration Level: Magic 9, Sor/Wiz 9
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area: All magical effects and magic items within a 40-ft.-radius burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates (object)
Spell Resistance: No
All magical effects and magic items within the radius of the spell, except for those that you carry or touch, are disjoined. That is, spells and spell-like effects are separated into their individual components (ending the effect as a dispel magic spell does), and each permanent magic item must make a successful Will save or be turned into a normal item. An item in a creature’s possession uses its own Will save bonus or its possessor’s Will save bonus, whichever is higher.

You also have a 1% chance per caster level of destroying an antimagic field. If the antimagic field survives the disjunction, no items within it are disjoined.

Even artifacts are subject to disjunction, though there is only a 1% chance per caster level of actually affecting such powerful items. Additionally, if an artifact is destroyed, you must make a DC 25 Will save or permanently lose all spellcasting abilities. (These abilities cannot be recovered by mortal magic, not even miracle or wish.)

Note: Destroying artifacts is a dangerous business, and it is 95% likely to attract the attention of some powerful being who has an interest in or connection with the device.

</H6>Thoughts? Ideas?

 

[Jdvn1]

...this might aid in our quest?

</H6>Thoughts? Ideas?

I thought you were working with characters level 10 to 15.

 

[F5]

I figure the key is that you don't need to dispel the wards on the entire tower, just at the base support structures. It doesn't matter if antimagic field only effects up to 10'...if the first ten feet worth of tower blows, the rest of the tower becomes subject to beautiful, beautiful gravity, wards or no.

But it's possible that you can't disrupt just part of the ward; it's an all or nothing deal. In that case, ignore the tower. Have a bunch of 12-level or higher mages teleport in, Disintegrate a significant portion of the bedrock that the tower is built on, and watch as the whole thing crubmbles.

 

[The Amazing Dingo]

I thought you were working with characters level 10 to 15.

They've got bigger friends. And someone at what, I think 17th level can cast it. They only need a few scrolls of it from someone.

Of course using it...*sigh*...only thing I can think of is at the key foundation points and blow it.