D&D 3E/3.5 [3.5] Maze and Dimensional Lock Combo?

[andargor]

Our group will soon be facing a Great Wyrm Blue Dragon. Our objective is to retrieve a specific object from his hoard, not necessarily kill him. He is aware of our presence and is probably waiting in ambush. In any case, trying to sneak past him to his hoard seems an unlikely solution.

So, I was thinking of ways to neutralize him, and I had the idea of using maze on him (after making preparations to penetrate his impressive SR, using assay resistance and such), and then following up with a dimension lock on top of the position he used to occupy before being mazed.

Dimension lock specifies that extradimensional travel, such as maze, is blocked. Does this mean that, in this case, the dragon would be stuck in an extradimensional space for 1 day/level, even when the maze ceases to function?

Andargor

 

[MerakSpielman]

My quick ruling would be that the dragon, having completed the Maze, would be shunted to the nearest available area not Dimension Locked, functioning similarly to a Teleport spell that accidentally tried to stick somebody in a solid wall.

 

[Ferret]

I follow with that rulling, Seems to make sense. The other 'portation spell would effected similiarly as well, yes?

 

[Pyrex]

Another option would be to bounce the dragon into the Astral.

He certainly shouldn't be stuck in the Maze the whole time.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Dimension lock specifies that extradimensional travel, such as maze, is blocked. Does this mean that, in this case, the dragon would be stuck in an extradimensional space for 1 day/level, even when the maze ceases to function?

No. Maze creates it's own extradimensional space, which only exists so long as the spell does. Once the spell ends, there is no extradimensional space for the dragon to be trapped in.

What happens when an extradimensional space ceases to exist? It dumps everything in it into the Astral Plane.

 

[andargor]

No. Maze creates it's own extradimensional space, which only exists so long as the spell does. Once the spell ends, there is no extradimensional space for the dragon to be trapped in.

What happens when an extradimensional space ceases to exist? It dumps everything in it into the Astral Plane.

Is that from the description of bag of holding and portable hole? If not, can you cite where that is from?

So, you are saying that since the extradimensional space ceases to exist, and since extradimensional travel is prevented due to the dimensional lock, that the dragon cannot return to the Material Plane at the end of the spell. He is then shunted to the Astral. Correct?

I like this better than the suggestion that the dragon is shunted to a space outside the dimensional lock, since then latter doesn't follow the RAW (solid objects create that effect, according to the text in maze).

Andargor

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Is that from the description of bag of holding and portable hole? If not, can you cite where that is from?

I'm afraid I don't have a quote for you. My interpretation is founded on the way the items you mention work, and also by my reading of the Manual of the Planes. Demi-planes and extradimensional spaces exist as separate bubbles in the Astral, just as actual planes do. So if an extradimensional space (or demiplane) simply ceases to exist, anything in it winds up in the Astral.

So, you are saying that since the extradimensional space ceases to exist, and since extradimensional travel is prevented due to the dimensional lock, that the dragon cannot return to the Material Plane at the end of the spell. He is then shunted to the Astral. Correct?

Yes, so far as the Maze spell is concerned. Once on the Astral Plane, the dragon could then use Plane Shift or Gate to return to the Prime, though, providing it has the spell available and doesn't try to enter into the area of the Dimensional Lock.

 

[AuraSeer]

Dimension lock specifies that extradimensional travel, such as maze, is blocked. Does this mean that, in this case, the dragon would be stuck in an extradimensional space for 1 day/level, even when the maze ceases to function?

No, that would clearly be too powerful.

Dimensional lock does not prevent summoned creatures from going away when their spells expire. I'd probably generalize from that, and say that DL does not prevent anything from "going home" when an existing effect expires. This would mean your maze works exactly as normal, except that you can't just cast it again in that area.

If I were feeling like a Rat Bastard that day, I might instead rule that dimensional lock suppresses even a precast maze within its area. So as soon as you cast the lock, the dragon pops back in, and you can't send him away again. (That's probably not strictly supported by the rules, so I'd only do it if I were out to screw the PCs.)

 

[andargor]

No, that would clearly be too powerful.

Well, its a matter of perspective.

In my book, using two 8th level spells to avoid a fight and concentrate on accomplishing the mission is being creative. In any case, this great wyrm would probably be simply delayed 3-4 rounds. 1 to figure out of the maze, get shunted to the Astral or stuck, 1 round to plane shift back to the Material, 1 round to greater teleport back to its lair, and perhaps 1 round if it attempted to target the spot where it was before being mazed and had to try again. It has quite a few spell slots

Andargor