Art of Magic Preview: Abolish - When it really has to go.

[Michael Morris]

Sometimes, despite the best of planning, you come across a spell that you have to get rid of in order for the party to succeed. Few things can be as fustrating, especially to a wizard or cleric, as watching a critical dispel magic fail.

Well, this week's preview is meant for just such emergencies. If you absolutely must get rid of a spell abolish it. Just be prepared to pay a price in pain.

[bq]Abolish
Abjuration (Dispel) [White]
Level: (5), Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S

“Anything you bring into this world can be removed from it if someone is willing to pay the price.” – Sirrom.

This spell works like dispel magic in the targeted dispel mode except that if you fail at the caster level check you are dealt 1d4 points of damage per point of failure and the spell you targeted is dispelled anyway.
[/bq]

And yes, there is a greater version in parallel to greater dispel magic

[bq]Abolish, Greater
Abjuration (Dispel) [White]
Level: (7), Sor/Wiz 8
Components: V, S

“It is a small thing to suffer that the world might be purified; and a smaller thing still to die that the world might be saved.” – Princess Anatole, 992 SR

This spell works like abolish except it is based upon greater dispel magic instead of dispel magic.
[/bq]

 

[Staffan]

Hmm. I'm thinking that it might be a good idea to bypass the dispel check entirely, and just get rid of the spell and taking the damage. Thus, certainly of dispelling, but also at a certain cost.

 

[Cheiromancer]

You know, I think there should be a cap on how much damage (and how big of a bonus) the spell will give. If a god has set up a spell with a caster level of 100, you shouldn't be able to take it down with an abolish spell.

Maybe 10d4 for abolish, and 20d4 for greater abolish?

Text for abolish is "This spell works like dispel magic in the targeted dispel mode except that if you fail at the caster level check the spell adds an additional bonus of +1 per point of failure, up to +10, and deals you 1d4 points of damage for each +1 bonus added in this way."

Text for greater abolish is "This spell works like abolish except it is based upon greater dispel magic instead of dispel magic, and the maximum additional bonus is +20."

 

[Kalanyr]

I also think that since a cleric magi can theoretically get this, that 1d4 damage may be a tad insufficient to deter them from throwing it around like candy.

Edit: I'm personally not so worried about Cheiromancers point, since if a 10th level caster uses abolish on a 100th level effect and roll as well as he can (31 vs 111) he'll take 80d4 damage and probably die.

 

[Cheiromancer]

Sure he'll die, but a 9th level caster should not be able to do it at all.

 

[Turanil]

Some points of damage may be a dire price to pay if the caster of the spell to be dispelled was an epic magic-user. However, in a majority of campaigns, epic magic-users are rare if existing at all, and their spells are not due to be encountered so often anyway. Thus, this won't be a great cost when a cleric is available immediately afterwards...

I would suggest to do Abolish differently: no roll as in Dispel Magic, success is automatic BUT the price is that any time you cast the spell, you spend XP!! Something like 150 XP per level of the spell to be dispelled... That's a dire cost IMO.

 

[Paragon]

i don't think you can dispel magic an epic spell. just off the top of my head.

Some points of damage may be a dire price to pay if the caster of the spell to be dispelled was an epic magic-user. However, in a majority of campaigns, epic magic-users are rare if existing at all, and their spells are not due to be encountered so often anyway. Thus, this won't be a great cost when a cleric is available immediately afterwards...

I would suggest to do Abolish differently: no roll as in Dispel Magic, success is automatic BUT the price is that any time you cast the spell, you spend XP!! Something like 150 XP per level of the spell to be dispelled... That's a dire cost IMO.

 

[Kalanyr]

Yeah you can the ELH says they have no special protection against such things barring their high caster level. Unless you use the Ward Seed to block (Dispel Magic).