Resisting dispel magic effects?

[NewJeffCT]

Just curious on how to defend against this, as my players have done this a few times against me now...

But, the reading of Dispel Magic means that the caster of "Dispel Magic" can dispel each and every spell effect on somebody -

Targeted Dispel: One object, creature, or spell is the target of the dispel magic spell. You make a dispel check (1d20 + your caster level, maximum +10) against the spell or against each ongoing spell currently in effect on the object or creature. The DC for this dispel check is 11 + the spell’s caster level. If you succeed on a particular check, that spell is dispelled; if you fail, that spell remains in effect.

- so, if a level 11 psion casts dispel magic (we use magic & psionics interchangeably) against a prepared level 14 mage with 6 or 7 spells prepared and in effect on himself (say, Shield, Mage Armor, Fox's Cunning, Globe of Invulnerability, Contingency, Greater Invisibility, and Stone Skin),it would be level 11 psion casts his Dispel Magic, and each and every spell effect is d20+10 vs DC25. And, he can then burn extra power points to bump that up to d20+20, basically giving him a 75% chance to dispel each and every effect.

That seems awfully powerful here, and I want to make sure the players are not taking advantage of me here. Should it not just target one spell effect?

 

[stonegod]

Just to make sure we're clear, Targeted Dispel Checks on a person get rolled once for each effect: Thus, the psion needs to roll 7 times, not just once. So its not 75% to kill all effects (its roughly 13%).

Also, in your particular example, you'd have to manifest dispel psionics twice: Once to bring down the globe of invulnerability, and the next to get the rest of the mage's spells.

 

[Vegepygmy]

Just curious on how to defend against this, as my players have done this a few times against me now...

Spell turning will reverse a targeted dispel back onto the dispeller before it can dispel any of your buffs. Also, a ring of counterspells with dispel magic in it is a great safeguard.

But basically, dispels are the cure for excessive buffing, so I don't have much sympathy for you.

 

[frankthedm]

That seems awfully powerful here, and I want to make sure the players are not taking advantage of me here. Should it not just target one spell effect?

Uhm, the effect is supposed to keep characters from abusing too many ongoing spells. Ongoing effects a character relies on are supposed to come from magic items, not half [i hope] a dozen spells running at the same time. Clerics are a REAL big offender on this. If clerics frequently are wearing.

• Divine favor
• Protection from Energy
• Death Ward
• Divine Power
• Righteous Might
• Heroes feast
• Holy Aura

Then Dispel Magic [greater] needs all the power it can get.

 

[NewJeffCT]

Just to make sure we're clear, Targeted Dispel Checks on a person get rolled once for each effect: Thus, the psion needs to roll 7 times, not just once. So its not 75% to kill all effects (its roughly 13%).

Also, in your particular example, you'd have to manifest dispel psionics twice: Once to bring down the globe of invulnerability, and the next to get the rest of the mage's spells.

ah, good point. I did not realize that.

 

[NewJeffCT]

Just to make sure we're clear, Targeted Dispel Checks on a person get rolled once for each effect: Thus, the psion needs to roll 7 times, not just once. So its not 75% to kill all effects (its roughly 13%).

Also, in your particular example, you'd have to manifest dispel psionics twice: Once to bring down the globe of invulnerability, and the next to get the rest of the mage's spells.

And, yes, the psion was able to dispel every effect except one. So, he rolled 6 or 7 times and was able to dispel each one except one...

 

[NewJeffCT]

Spell turning will reverse a targeted dispel back onto the dispeller before it can dispel any of your buffs. Also, a ring of counterspells with dispel magic in it is a great safeguard.

But basically, dispels are the cure for excessive buffing, so I don't have much sympathy for you.

Thanks - i'll have to look into spell turning.

the mage had time to prepare for the PCs, which is not always the case. Sometimes the PCs have time to prepare, and sometimes it's a mixed bag. I normally have a round by round count as to how many effects a mage or cleric can put up, so if the PCs charge into the fray, the mage may be weaker.

 

[Runestar]

It shouldn't be that hard for the caster to boost his caster lv to resist dispelling attempts.

Raising Caster Level - Wizards Community

 

[azhrei_fje]

Thanks - i'll have to look into spell turning.

the mage had time to prepare for the PCs, which is not always the case. Sometimes the PCs have time to prepare, and sometimes it's a mixed bag. I normally have a round by round count as to how many effects a mage or cleric can put up, so if the PCs charge into the fray, the mage may be weaker.

You make a dispel check (1d20 + your manifester level, maximum +10) [...]

The only thing that augmenting does is increase the "+10" so that if your ML is higher than 10, you get to take advantage of it. Your example 11th level psion would therefore get a +11 on their dispel check, not +20. The +20 is the maximum.

On a different approach...

Do your NPCs scry the party? If so, they may know about such tactics in advance of meeting them. Even if the NPCs don't do the scrying, they may "outsource" the scrying to someone else and get a summary report back on tactics used.

For a party that relies on dispel magic, you have a few options. One is to use greater invisibility on the mage and have him use an illusion of himself. The cleric will target the "creature" and the illusion is not a creature, so the spell fails. (That's one way of ruling it. But if you've ruled that magic missile works on mirror images, for example, then you can't use this technique.)

Another thing to try (depends on GM ruling also) is a mirror image followed by greater invisibility. The mage goes invisible, but there's nothing in the mirror image spell that says they become invisible, too. So now the images are targeted and not the spellcaster.

Even a low-level mook with a hat of disguise may be enough to fool the party into casting dispel magic once or twice.

 

[Starbuck_II]

The only thing that augmenting does is increase the "+10" so that if your ML is higher than 10, you get to take advantage of it. Your example 11th level psion would therefore get a +11 on their dispel check, not +20. The +20 is the maximum.

No, that is the houserule some people use, but as written it doesn't work that way.
This is how it is wrritten in SRD (same as XPH):
Augment
For every additional power point you spend, the bonus on your dispel check increases by 2 (to a maximum bonus of +20 for a 5-point expenditure).

See, it doesn't say the max on your Dispel Check increases by 2. It says the Bonus.
What it says and what you interpreted may be different, but it still doesn't change the words as they will always be written.