Defense against Blasphemy?

[Altamont Ravenard]

Death Ward won't work, as Blasphemy is not a [Death] effect. Will save boosts are also useless, as it does not allow a save.
.

Where does it say that the spell must have the [Death] descriptor?

The subject is immune to all death spells, magical death effects, energy drain, and any negative energy effects.

Instead of silencing yourselves, ready to cast silence in the air next the the fiend when he uses blasphemy. That will negate his 1/day ability, but leave you outside of the silence zone.

isn't the jury still out on this one, ie that the blasphemy will be blocked, but that the spell(-like ability) hasn't been lost since no actual spell was cast?

If you can get a bard to come along and sing to give you extra hit dice, that might keep you out of range for the death portion, but you'll still be weakened, dazed, and paralyzed, which is effectively the same thing.

I thought the Countersong ability might work, but since Blasphemy doesn't allow a save, it's moot.

AR

 

[James McMurray]

"Death" effects are spells with the [Death] descriptor, or any effect that specifically states it is a death effect (such as arrows of slaying).

Blasphemy will still be used and still be effective, because spell-like abilities don't have verbal components. But in a 20' radius around the center of the silence spell, it won't be heard and thus won't be effective.

Readying an action doesn't prevent the action from happening (unless you damage a spellcaster, disarm an attacker, or something like that). All it does is interrupt. In this case you're interrupting his blasphemy to toss up an aura of protective silence.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

"Death" effects are spells with the [Death] descriptor, or any effect that specifically states it is a death effect (such as arrows of slaying).

Again, where is that stated?

Blasphemy will still be used and still be effective, because spell-like abilities don't have verbal components. But in a 20' radius around the center of the silence spell, it won't be heard and thus won't be effective.

Blasphemy doesn't have to be heard to be effective.

Readying an action doesn't prevent the action from happening (unless you damage a spellcaster, disarm an attacker, or something like that). All it does is interrupt. In this case you're interrupting his blasphemy to toss up an aura of protective silence.

I made that remark because there was quite an animated thread from a couple of months ago where, if used that way, Silence becomes quite a powerful counterspelling tool...

AR

 

[Pyrex]

May not be quite what you had in mind, but a Helm of Opposite Alignment will also (most likely) make you immune to Blasphemy.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

Blasphemy will still be used and still be effective, because spell-like abilities don't have verbal components. But in a 20' radius around the center of the silence spell, it won't be heard and thus won't be effective.

I would have thought that since it's a [sonic] effect, however, it wouldn't have any effect in a zone of silence. You don't need to hear it any more than you need to hear a shout spell to take damage. You can be deafened and still be effected by both spells. However, neither should penetrate a Silence spell.

Readying an action doesn't prevent the action from happening (unless you damage a spellcaster, disarm an attacker, or something like that). All it does is interrupt. In this case you're interrupting his blasphemy to toss up an aura of protective silence.

Actually, I don't think it would disrupt a Blasphemy SLA. SLAs don't have any components so there's nothing about silence that would prevent the blasphemy from going off. (Though I think it would prevent it from being effective within the radius of the silence spell since it's a [sonic] effect.)

 

[Hypersmurf]

Again, where is that stated?

What are you suggesting as an alternative?

Blasphemy doesn't have to be heard to be effective.

No, but it is a sonic attack, and Silence specifically provides a defence against sonic attacks.

Now, that could be interesting... if we have an Archmage with Mastery of Elements, and access to Evil Domain spells as arcane spells (isn't there a PrC somewhere that lets you do that?), he could conceivably cast a Blasphemy with the [Acid] descriptor... which would mean Silence wouldn't help, since it's no longer a sonic attack...

Silence would still block an [Acid] Holy Word or Word of Chaos, since those do specify that the word must be heard to have its non-dismissal effects.

-Hyp.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I would have thought that since it's a [sonic] effect, however, it wouldn't have any effect in a zone of silence. You don't need to hear it any more than you need to hear a shout spell to take damage. You can be deafened and still be effected by both spells. However, neither should penetrate a Silence spell.

Right, for Blasphemy and Dictum.

Although Holy Word and Word of Chaos are defined differently, and must be heard.

-Hyp.