Stop this cheesy mage tactic.

[Elder-Basilisk]

That doesn't matter though. Initiative isn't rolled until the wizard is capable of interacting with the fighter--and he's not capable of that until he arrives. (Technically, the wizard can't even be "aware" of the fighter (in the manner required for initiative order) until he arrives since he is not observing the fighter at the time he begins the teleport spell).

So the teleport resolves and initiative is rolled. Simply being a choker or 3.0 hasted doesn't guarantee a surprise real or an effective surprise round.

Yes, but that's why the wizard is Hasted (3.0) or Shapechanged into a Choker (3.5) before he teleports...

-Hyp.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Of course, the point of Scrying is to wait until the fighter is asleep, so initiative is irrelevant...

-Hyp.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

Which is why people with high level enemies generally travel in parties of 4-6 and keep watch from dawn till dusk.

Well if they don't have that, they should invest in anti-scrying measures. (Both party members and anti-scrying measures are ideal of course).

Of course, the point of Scrying is to wait until the fighter is asleep, so initiative is irrelevant...

-Hyp.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Why can't people just admit that Temporal Stasis 3.0 is broken?

 

[Caliban]

Why can't people just admit that Temporal Stasis 3.0 is broken?

Last I checked, they weren't talking about Temporal Stasis...

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Ah right ... I think they meant Imprisonment.

 

[James McMurray]

The question was "how do I avoid Imprisonment" not "should I nerf imprisonment."

Given that we don't even know if the original poster is the DM and therefore has the power to change the way spells work, we have to answer within the rules.

Yes, 3.0 Imprisonment can be broken if you don't allow the easy ways around it (such as changing your name or using an alias). If you do though, it can generate some good adventures, because who knows what you might hav to do to find out someone's true name, especially if the only ones who know it are the devils the guy sold his soul to.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

The question was "how do I avoid Imprisonment" not "should I nerf imprisonment."

Given that we don't even know if the original poster is the DM and therefore has the power to change the way spells work, we have to answer within the rules.

Yes, 3.0 Imprisonment can be broken if you don't allow the easy ways around it (such as changing your name or using an alias). If you do though, it can generate some good adventures, because who knows what you might hav to do to find out someone's true name, especially if the only ones who know it are the devils the guy sold his soul to.

That would work if it allowed a save too. After all, fighters are scared of Dominate Monster and Finger of Death, but those are rarely considered "broken".

Now just picture a mage using Greater Invisibility - it's a lot easier to hit the fighter now, and you don't need to worry too much about AoOs. I just hope that mage doesn't have a metamagic rod of silencing ... fortunately those weren't core in 3.0.

 

[Plane Sailing]

That doesn't matter though. Initiative isn't rolled until the wizard is capable of interacting with the fighter--and he's not capable of that until he arrives. (Technically, the wizard can't even be "aware" of the fighter (in the manner required for initiative order) until he arrives since he is not observing the fighter at the time he begins the teleport spell).

As a DM I wouldn't hesitate to rule that teleporting in to an opponent that you scried would grant you a surprise round. The situation is *exactly* like that described in the DMG where one person is aware, the other person isn't.

The only time when this wouldn't be the case is if the fighter (or friend) had noticed the scrying sensor, in which case they could be aware something is going down and it would be initiative checks all round.

While it is true that initiative isn't rolled until the wizard is capable of interacting with the fighter, you don't need to roll initiative until the surprise round is over and it seems clear that the wizard gets a surprise round if he has been observing them and they were not aware of it.

 

[doktorstick]

It doesn't matter if the wizard knows where the fighter is or not. It doesn't matter if the fighter readies an action or not. All the fighter has to do is change his name and prevent his new name from being discovered (via Mind Blank or similar protective magics) and he cannot be Imprisoned.

I disagree. What is important is knowing the fighter's "true" name, not what he goes by. There are many instances in literature where knowing one's name gives you power over them. In most instances, the character went by a different name. Changing it superficially as in your suggesting shouldn't help protect the fighter. (Granted, I don't know if D&D has a rule about changing "who you are" for the purposes of divinations.)

But being a world of magic, the fighter could probably endure some ritual or have high-powered magics cast on him to change his "true" name. Maybe only through divinity, miracle, or wish.

Do divinations work because the target has a self-sense about herself? If you cast feeblemind on a character, could he/she/it still be divined? Could someone divine your dog if they knew you called him "Rex"?

/ds