Can Wall of force be used like this?

[AuraSeer]

b] Why would you get a reflex save for something that forms AROUND you.[/b]

A Wall of Force must be continuous and broken when formed. If its surface is broken by any creature or object, the spell fails.

If there's the slightest indication of the wall's creation-- whether it's an audiovisual special effect like a Star Trek forcefield, or just a feeling of air movement-- the enclosed creature can have a chance to react. By extending a hand or weapon, or throwing a convenient rock into the plane of the spell, he could prevent it from forming and therefore avoid being trapped.

This isn't allowed by the book, mind you, since the spell as written has no save. But you asked how a save would make sense, and this is one possible explanation.

And it lasts 1 minute/level. I can't see why this would be such a bad thing.

In terms of a single combat, the spell lasts effectively forever. Even the lowest-level caster gets 90 rounds of duration, which is long enough to fight a battle, heal the party's wounds, don a set of full plate armor, and then take a short nap.

Its a good way of splitting up the party and give them a harder challenge.

...which means it's also a good way for the PCs to split their enemies and have an easier time. If the DM can use a tactic, the PCs can use it too. Anyway, I don't see how this is relevant to the spell's balance.

 

[AuraSeer]

[multiple post, sorry]

 

[AuraSeer]

[multiple post, sorry]

 

[Tiberius]

I wouldn't say that it is more powerful than Forcecage, as one of the Forcecage options allows for line of effect for spells while isolating the targetted creature. As long as the cage is at least 24" tall, anyway. Thus, the target may be Flame Struck, Destroyed, Dominated, Polymorphed, Feebleminded, etc. until something takes, rather than hoping your one spell takes the target out before she's able to walk up to you and plunge three feet of metal through your belly.

-Tiberius

 

[AuraSeer]

[multiple post, sorry]

 

[AuraSeer]

[multiple post, sorry]

 

[Cougar]

AuraSeer, I don't think posting your reply 5 times is going to help your case! J/K


I would require some sort of skill roll, perhaps Spellcraft. How do you effectively place a Wall of Force around a flying character? I would say it would be fairly difficult, say DC 25 or 30 for a moving. I expect it would be more difficult the farther away you were. An alternate would be to require a ranged touch attack.


As for whether these are house rules... I don't think the Spellcraft roll would really be considered a house rule (not like Harm and it's allowing a save). Perhaps requiring a ranged touch attack or allowing a save would be. Not that it matters.

 

[Corlon]

In terms of a single combat, the spell lasts effectively forever. Even the lowest-level caster gets 90 rounds of duration, which is long enough to fight a battle, heal the party's wounds, don a set of full plate armor, and then take a short nap.

But it seems that you forget, while the PCs are doing this, the thing trapped inside gets to heal his wounds, take off his full plate, repair it, put it back on, and ready an action for a minute or so.
While it can't hurt them, they can't hurt it, more in advantage to the person taht casts the spell, but hey, spells always provide an advantage.

 

[AuraSeer]

[multiple post, sorry]

 

[Deset Gled]

Magic missle doesn't get a save yet no one seems to complain about that.

For the record, I complain a lot about magic missle to my DM. Especially at low levels, I think that the automatic hit is just overpowering.

As to the Wall of Force, I believe that it should allow a reflex save. For part of this reason, I would point to the Wall of Ice, which when cast as a hemisphere allows a reflex save to negate being caught.

There is one intersting point that allowing a reflex save brings up though: if the save is made, does that mean that the wall is not created at all? After all, if the space that it's being cast in is occupied, that would mean the spell fails.