Buff, Scry, Teleport... A problem or not?

[Soldarin]

Making it 5 rounds before you've seen enough through Scry helps by making this tactic harder (more chance of being noticed, probably involves 2 scrying spells), but won't solve the problem for sleeping and or low scry check guards.

Another way togo for it is to give the obvious counter spells a duration of hours/level instead of the pointless durations they have now (unless you contingency them...).

---
On a related note, do any high level combats (once the combat has started) involve anything beyond: "The npc wizard wins initiative. You're dead." or "The npc wizards loses initiative. He's dead." Thanks to Timestop/Mord's Disjunction (2x, gets rid of all buff and counter spells)/Wail of the Banshee (as many as you can fit into your Timestop)?

Against an Archmage, even the cleric's (excessive) will save needs a 4 or more.

And the epic spell that wards against MD only helps a couple of levels, until the epic spell destruction is added to the combo to take that ward down.

 

[Soldarin]

Ring of Counterspells

Giving every PC a ring of counterspells containing scrying and greater scrying (if you can get a bard to cast it for you) would solve the problem for a measly 8,000 gp per PC.

 

[Thanee]

So....what if no one's ever seen your true likeness or can't describe you properly? Can you be scryed?

Ever heard of True Seeing? This spell can really ruin a clever disguise!

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

Re: Ring of Counterspells

Giving every PC a ring of counterspells containing scrying and greater scrying (if you can get a bard to cast it for you) would solve the problem for a measly 8,000 gp per PC.

Uhm... I don't think you can counterspell a spell, that is cast far, far away!

Bye
Thanee

 

[Fenes 2]

Ever heard of True Seeing? This spell can really ruin a clever disguise!

Bye
Thanee

Actually, a clever, mundane disguise is pretty safe from true seeing, according to the SRD:

"True seeing does not help the viewer see through mundane disguises, spot creatures who are simply hiding, or notice secret doors hidden by mundane means."

 

[James McMurray]

On a related note, do any high level combats (once the combat has started) involve anything beyond: "The npc wizard wins initiative. You're dead." or "The npc wizards loses initiative. He's dead." Thanks to Timestop/Mord's Disjunction (2x, gets rid of all buff and counter spells)/Wail of the Banshee (as many as you can fit into your Timestop)?

What we've done in my campaign is to read the wording "you can cast spells with durations that will take effect when Time Stop ends" to mean only spells with true durations can be cast. This means instantaneous spells are out. This ruins most Time Stop combos, as you now have to find a spell with duration to use, and those generally do less damage, and don't kill outright on a failed save.

Think of it this way: if you can cast instantaneous spells while under the effects of Time Stop, what is the point of the phrase" spells with durations"? all spells have a listed duration field.

Of course, even with this ruling, you can still do some serious damage during a Time Stop, you just have to think a bit more about it than looking at Horrid Wilting and saying: "3 of those would hurt a lot."

 

[Thanee]

Actually, a clever, mundane disguise is pretty safe from true seeing, according to the SRD:

Yep, my statement was a little too general.

It was aimed towards the hat of disguise trick to keep your identity secret, tho.

A good regular disguise might actually work!

Bye
Thanee

 

[Capellan]

I might be missing something here - I've not had a lot of personal experience of this level of gaming - but here's one possible approach to the B-S-T:

1. Crystal Balls are specifically stated in the DMG to function "as with the spell scrying" (p213)
2. Scrying requires a creature as the target (PHB p247)
3. The spell Obscure Object hides an object from location by "a crystal ball and other forms of scrying." for 8 hours (PHB p233). No chance of failure is listed.

(all italics above are from the original sources)

As crystal balls work like scrying, and scrying only works on creatures, this implies that the term "object" for this spell must include creatures - otherwise its description makes no sense. It's also worth noting that the PHB specifically states on page 150 that "object" spells are not necessarily limited to objects - they may be able to affect creatures.

So if you accept this logic, it would seem that most BBEGs could keep themselves protected from Scry by simply employing some 3rd-5th level flunkies to load them up with an "Obscure Object" every 8 hours. In fact, thye might only need it once per day, since most of the time they probably walk around buffed and ready for action - just like the PCs.

The nice thing about this option is that is also explains how non-spellcaster BBEGs can survive, since all they need to do is keep around a low level wizard or two to provide defences.

Really big monsters, of course, still have a problem, since they will exceed the maximum weight allowed for the spell (100 lbs / level). They will probably have to continue to rely on (un)Hallow effects, coupled with Dispel Magic or Dimensional Anchor, both of which can give opponents on a B-S-T run a nasty surprise.

 

[Soldarin]

You can counterspell any spell if it's within the range of the spell being countered. And the ring lets you do it without readying an action or even knowing about the spell being cast (which normally requires you to see the spellcaster, which would then limit the range at which you can counter spells).
It works under the core rules, but it requires the loss of both ring slots (and a high level bard for the greater scrying, because the rings won't take higher level spells than 6th).

 

[Vaxalon]

Remember also the numerous anti-teleport and anti-scry enchantments from the Stronghold Builders Guidebook.

I would expect any national leader worth his salt to have a council chamber protected against scrying.