Question about the Globes of Invulnerability.

Eraslin · Mar 25, 2004

Hi all,
I'm presently playing a wizard who's recently aquired Minor Globe of Invulnerability. Now, the way that I read the spell and the way that I've seen the spell used (both in pen & paper, and in computer games) differ. The way I've always seen the spell used, is that once cast it suppresses all 0th-3rd level negative spells; ie: it'll counter a fireball, lightning bolt, melf's acid arrow, stinking cloud, etc. But, it will leave the haste, cat's grace, mage armor, shield, etc still active on the casting wizard. After reading the spell, it occurs to me that this is all wrong. The spell excludes all spells of 0th-3rd level. That means that handy haste spell, shield spell, mage armor, etc are all suppressed as well.

So, my question to the crowd is: How do you play this spell out?

-Eraslin

Camarath · Mar 25, 2004

I believe you are right. Lesser Globe of Invulnerability does exclude all spell effects of 3rd level or lower unless the spells are already in effect when the globe is cast.

shilsen · Mar 25, 2004

As Camarath said. As long as the spells are already in effect when the lesser globe is cast, they will remain in effect. Moral of the story: if you're a mage, cast your low-level buffs before you cast your lesser globe of invulnerability, not after.

Darklone · Mar 25, 2004

Any proposals how a wizard can avoid to be a sitting duck for archers without using a heightened Prot from Arrows?

daTim · Mar 25, 2004

Improved Invisibility? Mirror Image? Blink? Stoneskin? or any combination thereof

What level spell do you think the Globes should be if you made them mobile? 1 or 2 levels higher? That seems to be the one reason I never take those spells.

Darklone · Mar 25, 2004

Stoneskin: Check.
Imp Invis: Check... though I don't really think you need the globe anymore if you use that and it works.
Blink: Our wizards usually don't use it while casting any spells. Too dangerous to blow a fireball into the astral plane and it's still a level 3 spell, like Mirror Image is a level 2 spell so they would not work, right?

Stalker0 · Mar 25, 2004

Darklone said:
Any proposals how a wizard can avoid to be a sitting duck for archers without using a heightened Prot from Arrows?

ITs only magic dr anyway, not like the spell stays useful for very long. And dropping to prone could always work

Thanee · Mar 25, 2004

Kill the archer first?

About the globe... I think we always used it like an anti-magic field, i.e. that it suppresses any spells of the affected level, whether they are cast before or after the globe doesn't matter. Though, I'm not sure, if this is correct, havn't used it much, really (once? twice? I only know of one occasion, where I had polymorph other'ed a really, really nasty evil cleric (who just killed one of us with slay living) into a turtle and then moved into the spot and cast minor globe to "protect" him against dispels from his buddies, before I could pluck him into my heward's handy haversack

).

Bye
Thanee

Eraslin · Mar 25, 2004

So, it seems that most people tend to play it like an antimagic field that only works for L0-L3 spells; ie: play it as written. Really removes the spell from the list of "no-brainer" combat buff spells, eh?

I don't know about everyone else, but most every wizard I play has a horrid AC unless he's got his shield/haste/mage-armor/etc up and going.

Has anyone had any experience with house ruling the spell to behave as it does in pretty much every computer-based RPG? ie: it only stops new spells from being cast into the globe, but doesn't suppress existing spells. If so, how did it turn out for you?

-Eraslin

Plane Sailing · Mar 25, 2004

In 3e it excluded all 0-3rd spells including your own buffs. So in 3.5e they made it ineffective against already cast spells removing in a stroke one of its greatest defensive benefits (troubled by a silence spell? a silent MGoI will make it go away instantly and you can get on with business! (good as a contingency option if facing clerical opposition).

BUT the example they give in 3.5e contradicts their new text about it not affecting pre-existing spells (since it has the same text about mirror images winking out if they enter the area).

Not to mention, logically, how can the GoI "know" whether mirror image was cast before or after it was? Plain stupid.

They ought to go with the original point of the spell that it doesn't hinder the caster but prevents spells of the appropriate levels affecting him, or just let him live without his buffs (he can always have items anyway).

Basically the 3.5e definition spoils its best defensive use and is contradictory too. Best to come to a mutual agreement between DM and players IMO.

Cheers