D&D 3E/3.5 [3.5] alternates to Freedom of Movement?

[MidnightLightning]

So, I'm DMing a group of high level PCs, one of which is a 12th level Warlock who has chilling tentacles (effectively black tentacles as an at-will ability). Since those tentacles have a grapple check of +20, they're pretty darn effective against non-fighter types, especially spellcasters (12th level wizard only has a BAB of +6, plus whatever abysmal Strength modifier he has, as a grapple check). Especially since once grappled, they can't cast spells (unless they're still spells), so can't even cast dispel magic on the tentacles.

Now, I know of freedom of movement that can give spellcasters a chance to resist grapple checks (or rather, always succeed at them). But that spell rather conveniently cannot be cast by a Sorcerer/Wizard. Plus, that spell just eliminates the checks all together, and if all the BBEGs and minions have that spell, it penalizes the Warlock completely.

So, I'm looking for a spell or other trick that a high level Wizard or Evoker/Eldritch Knight can use that would increase their grapple check (they'd need something like a +10 to have a fighting chance), or cause the tentacles to potentially miss grappling them (mirror images don't fool the tentacles). That would make the magic users able to not get overwhelmed immediately and have a more impressive fight for the PCs, without having the Warlock's ability be completely neutralized.

Does any such spell exist? I haven't plumbed the depths of the Spell Compendium yet, but thought I'd ask here and see if anyone else has had the need for spellcasters to get a little grappling help.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

If your 12th level spellcaster can't handle an equal level warlock, he deserves to die, first off...

Pretty much any teleportation spell works as long as it has no somatic components. The standard remedy in core is Dimension Door. In Spell Compendium, Benign Transposition and Baleful Transposition are much lower level (1 and 2) options. Former requires a willing buddy to swap places and suffer for you. Latter requires an unwilling "buddy" to fail a will save.

 

[MidnightLightning]

If your 12th level spellcaster can't handle an equal level warlock, he deserves to die

Right! Which is why I'm here looking for ideas, since I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Pretty much any teleportation spell works as long as it has no somatic components. The standard remedy in core is Dimension Door.

Assuming the BBEG memorized two DimDoors, and failed to beat the Warlock's initiative. Then combat would look like:

Warlock: chilling tentacles; BBEG is grappled
BBEG: dimension door; to just outside the tentacles. Plus one move action if he wants.
Warlock: chilling tentacles; BBEG is grappled
BBEG: dimension door again. This time to an out-of-sight area around the corner from this room, so Warlock can't get him again immediately.
Warlock: prepare an action: When BBEG is spotted, cast chilling tentacles.
BBEG: come round the corner, expecting to cast disintegrate as soon as he sees Warlock, but Warlock's action triggers first.
Warlock: chilling tentacles; BBEG grappled
BBEG: no more dimension door spells left. Frozen to death.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Actually...Dim Door immediately ends your turn, even if you still have a move action.

C.Scoundrel I believe also has panic buttons. I think there's a swift action teleportation one in there for something like 900 gp (one use only).

There's also a reserve feat in C.Mage to get teleportation for a short range at will. And it's Supernatural, so you can use it in a grapple.

And of course the Abrupt Jaunt alternate class feature in PH2 that's freaking broken as hell.

 

[frankthedm]

Chilling tentacles are supposed to be negated by some foes, size, flight or Freedom of movement. FoM is a vitally important buff at higher levels of play and just trying to avoid it to not crimp a players fun is a bad idea IMHO. One ability gets negated, he can use another one.

http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-legacy-discussion/182542-evards-black-tentacles-help.html

 

[DumbPaladin]

Actually...Dim Door immediately ends your turn, even if you still have a move action.

C.Scoundrel I believe also has panic buttons. I think there's a swift action teleportation one in there for something like 900 gp (one use only).

There's also a reserve feat in C.Mage to get teleportation for a short range at will. And it's Supernatural, so you can use it in a grapple.

And of course the Abrupt Jaunt alternate class feature in PH2 that's freaking broken as hell.

I used to think Abrupt Jaunt was unbeatable, but then we had to fight a clone of our party wizard (who has it), and we figured out there are three different ways to do it ...

As to "ways to beat tentacles", grease cast on a victim will give a +10 boost to escape ... the tentacles themselves should be beatable by a dispel magic (make sure your bad guy can cast spells as still spells, remove that S component!) ... boots of big stepping from MIC (and all similar teleport items) will move people out of harm's way ...

 

[Eman Resu]

Warlocks should be man handled at any level??? Well it depends on spells, what books, player decisions etc etc If you have to optimized 12th level pc's granted, the odds are stacked in the favor of the spell slinger. But dont underestimate the warlock. Held action to blast when you cast from inviso or darkness. Voracious dispelling could be a mages worst nightmare! the chilling tentacles, these are hard to over come; a problem not easily surmounted.

Now if a Wizard knows of a Warlock and his li mited selection of abilites beforehand, then yes Im sure he could come up with a way to thwart our dear Warlock.

Otherwise its initiative!

Eman Resu

 

[MidnightLightning]

grease cast on a victim will give a +10 boost to escape

Oh, that's right, there's two ways out of a grapple; a boost to Escape Artist checks would do the trick too!

So now I at least have a few different tricks to use; I could use freedom of movement for all the magical encounters in this particular dungeon, but I'd like to keep it interesting for the PCs and keep them guessing, rather than keep it all the same.

Core options:

• wand of freedom of movement (carried by one of a group of wizards, for buffing at beginning of combat, since none of them can memorize that spell), giving 70 minutes of grapple protection.
• Still Spell feat (or rod of... oh wait, there's no rod of metamagic, lesser still...) plus memorized dispel magic (dispel the tentacles once in it).
• grease, for 1 round/lvl bonus to escape grapple.

Non-Core options:

• Panic Button (Complete Scoundrel); swift action teleport
• benign/baleful transposition spells (Spell Compendium); both are still spells, so can be cast while grappled.
• Boots of Big Stepping (Magic Item Compendium)
• dimension step/dimension hop spells (PHB II) for when you don't need to teleport very far

Other note from the thread on black tentacles in general:

the tentacles never try to re-grapple anyone. If you beat the grapple check initially or if you break free, the tentacles leave you alone unless you leave and re-enter the area.

Good to know, though with a Warlock, he can dismiss and re-cast the spell to cause it to re-grapple people in the area.

 

[Iku Rex]

Fearsome grapple (lv2, SpC) grants a +8 bonus to grapple at that level. Immediate action, V component.

Blink (lv2) should work. It can't be used in a grapple, but it's a decent buff in general and can be cast at the start of a battle or after an escape with some other spell (like dimension hop [lv2, PHBII]).

Dimension jumper (lv5, CMag) lets you teleport as a move action for 1 round/level. Swift action, V component.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

1. I'm starting to rather appreciate the possibilities of Evard's Tentacles + Silence (cast on a pebble in the tentacles' area of effect). Though out of core there are still a lot of items and Su abilities ot foil grapple that don't need vocals anyway.

2. I thought the topic was limited to solutions once IN the tentacle field? If you can prep for it beforehand or go first in init, obviously that's preferable. I was under the impression that the OP wanted help for when the had already hit the fan. So I didn't bother with ideas like greasing for a +10. You can't cast that once grappled, though a friend doing it for you would work.

I used to think Abrupt Jaunt was unbeatable, but then we had to fight a clone of our party wizard (who has it), and we figured out there are three different ways to do it ...

It doesn't beat everything. Just like 75% of all things. For the price of an immediate action. That you get with only a 1 level dip.