Defense vs. Time Stop

[irdeggman]

Perhaps. That is dependant on how the DM interprets when you fall. It merely states that you reach the end of the affected area in one round. does this mean it takes a full 6 seconds for me to fall to the 7 foot ceiling, when I am 6'11'' tall?

It also depends on when the movement is resolved.

At the beginning of the round?

At teh end of the round?

At the caster's initiative?

At the PC's initiative?

In a different thread I posed that all movement is resolved on your turn in the initiative. This also fits in with justifying how a flat-footed character can cast feather fall when he falls in a pit trap.

But regardless of how we (or any of us) interpret this situation the best way for PCs to avoid it is to not be surprised in the first place - thus denying the wizard the chance to use this tact. I do think it was a pretty decent way for the DM to annoy the PCs while exposing their weaknesses. Another good way it would appear is via using more ranged touch attacks (especially against a 45 AC dwarven defender).

Alarm spells should likewise be effective as well as symbols, wards and glyphs.

 

[Patlin]

While we're talking about reverse gravity... how about some slippers of spider climbing? Wouldn't that render the spell inefective?

 

[Infiniti2000]

Well, that's the second part I quoted... it strongly implies, that only willing creatures can actually be transported and only if the join hands with the caster.

Actually, gate says "Travelers need not join hands with you." So, no.

Of course. You cannot affect another dimension with Reverse Gravity.

The other dimension plane has nothing to do with reverse gravity affecting both sides of the gate on this plane. I fail to see the basis of your ruling that the gate bisects and then terminates the area of effect of the reverse gravity.

Yes, in a normal situation... but this is not a normal situation. It involves gravity reversal and planar travel.

When falling, you 'strike' the gate, do you not? If not, explain to me what causes you to rule against the reverse gravity spell? Assuming, therefore, you strike the gate, why do you not enter it?

 

[irdeggman]

The other dimension plane has nothing to do with reverse gravity affecting both sides of the gate on this plane. I fail to see the basis of your ruling that the gate bisects and then terminates the area of effect of the reverse gravity.

As I read it you can only pass through one side of the gate - that is where the "opening is" so this line of reasoning really doesn't seem to be going anywhere to me.

On one plane there is a reverse gravity effect in place, there is only one way to go through the gate (that is you can't go through both ends, it must have a "facing" or else the idea of orientation has no meaning in the first place), the other end of the gate (as in plane) does not have the reverse gravity effect in place since the spell can't pass through planes - if it could then you could just cast a fireball trhough the gate to the other side..

When falling, you 'strike' the gate, do you not? If not, explain to me what causes you to rule against the reverse gravity spell? Assuming, therefore, you strike the gate, why do you not enter it?

Hmmm you would if it was an "object" but there is nothing to indicate so. It would aeem to me to be like a "window" with the backside not being there, or more specifically there is no "back side".


Wait it only two dimensional so it has not sides or back side, oh wait again it does have a back but. . . How can that be? 2 dimensional with a back?.

. It is a two-dimensional window looking into the plane you specified when casting the spell. . .A gate has a front and a back. Creatures moving through the gate from the front are transported to the other plane; creatures moving through it from the back are not

 

[Infiniti2000]

As I read it you can only pass through one side of the gate - that is where the "opening is" so this line of reasoning really doesn't seem to be going anywhere to me.

I agree that it shouldn't go anywhere, but Thanee commented that you stop at the gate and don't continue because (paraphrasing) the reverse gravity stops there, too. The reverse gravity, however, continues so you'll keep 'falling' either striking the gate and going through it to the other plane, or passing through it as if it didn't exist. One thing you will not do is bounce against it.

So, IMO the debate here should be about whether gate requires potential passengers to be willing or not. The fact is that given this trap as defined here, the victims will "strike" the gate.

Can I step through a gate, claim I'm not willing, and pass through to the other side on this plane, unharmed/unaffected?

Hmmm you would if it was an "object" but there is nothing to indicate so. It would aeem to me to be like a "window" with the backside not being there, or more specifically there is no "back side".

Wait it only two dimensional so it has not sides or back side, oh wait again it does have a back but. . . How can that be? 2 dimensional with a back?.

The thing that's clear to me is that the victims will continue to the end of the reverse gravity, which continues on the other side (same plane) of the gate because the gate spell does not suddenly nullify part of the area of effect. Each of your body parts is affected by the gravity and thus as you enter/pass-through the gate the remaining parts of your body will follow.

 

[Markn]

I may be wrong but I think Thanee is saying that you can hit the gate and that unless you want to be transported to the other plane you aren't and therefore Gate is of no concern.

I may be wrong.

It happens.

A Lot.

 

[Nail]

Can I step through a gate, claim I'm not willing, and pass through to the other side on this plane, unharmed/unaffected?

No.

The gate "creates an interdimensional connection between your plane of existence and a plane you specify, allowing travel between those two planes in either direction." This connection is real, not illusory, so you can't brush it aside. In fact "anyone or anything that moves through is shunted instantly to the other side."

The line "anyone who chooses to step through the portal is transported" does NOT mean that those that wish can stay in their current plane. The phrase does not exclude unwilling creatures. That is, the phrase is inclusive, not exclusive.

If I say "Anyone who choses to step through my office door enters my office" does NOT mean "The only way to go through my office door is by chosing to do so." If you would would like a demonstration of this principle, swing on by my office door so I can hurl you through it.

 

[Jack Simth]

Ah - another way to do it:

Spread out, with ropes connected to each other.

A Gate is, at most, a 20 foot diameter hoop portal. If he can only fit one party member in any given Gate, he's got problems trying to get everyone in it (and he can only keep one Gate at a time open, due to the concentration requirement). As you are all tied together, you simply pull the victim through on your turn.

Oh - and Permanency some invisibility on the ropes, just for grins.

 

[Cephid]

"but you will never get there, since there is no force that moves you through the Gate, only up to it, then it stops"

One thing you are forgeting is Newtons law of motion:

"things in motion stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force."

This means that even it the reverse gravity effect stops at the gate, and normal gravity kicks in, MOMENTUM will carry the victims through the gate.

SO if they fall 3 feet upto the gate (and edge of reverse gravity) then they will keep traveling 3 up until normal gravity stops them.

If there is no other gravity to slow them down, then they will keep traveling up(but not accelerating).

 

[ninja.assassin]

Defense against passwall: fortified walls. Passwall doesn't work through objects as hard or harder than metal. If you're primarily being assaulted in your headquarters then shame on you for not having exotic/hard materials for defensive walls. If you're rolling in money, time, and resources then you could do something crazy -- like have all your walls double-layered with walls of force sandwiched between them (I seem to recall something like this being in the Strongholder's Guidebook?)

If you're being attacked outside your base, or in areas where you can't logically control the building's construction then you probably can't reliably foil the enemy spellcaster's means of transportation. But then it's likely the enemy spellcaster is using magic to divine your location so a detect scrying would at least let you know you just got tagged, winning the CL check is largely irrelevant as her distance won't matter with things like teleport at her disposal. Mage's private sanctum would prevent all the enemy spellcaster's magical divinations (save from the penultimate divination discern location) from working at all -- maybe forcing her to rely on traditional intelligence like spies or contacts.

Dimensional anchor is perfect for preventing unwanted teleportation or plane travel, both on yourself or your enemies -- but it's duration is too short to depend on for permanent protection. Overland flight could give it's caster "immunity" to the gravity trick. Ethereal jaunt would render you safe from all the tricks, but it's duration would either mean prior knowledge of impending doom, or something like a crafted Contingent Spell (with some well worded clauses for execution). Plus said enemy spellcaster with feats like delay spell would then just lead her gate trick with a precisely timed mage's disjunction (if your DM hates you) or a greater dispell magic.

Some mundane precautions may work as well, like nailing spikes into the ground and securing yourself to them with short ropes. You could always rest in a rope trick.

There are several other tricks that you could probably come up with. Remember, the very same spells that this caster uses against you, you can use against them (NPC services or your own), and wizards of that caliber usually have powerful enemies. Perhaps you could find out the name of a particular pit lord this caster's wronged and bargain with it. Maybe the lord of the land could be persuaded to question, imprison, or execute her.