Dispel Magic Question

[Pinotage]

A wizard falls to a confusion spell, and after spending a round running away from the caster of the confusion spell, gets to act normally. Two questions now:

1) Will the wizard know that he's under the influence of the confusion spell?

2) And if he does realise it, he can attempt to dispel it. If he has other spell effects in place on him, can he choose to have them resist the dispel rather than automatically dispel them?

Thanks

Pinotage

 

[hong]

1) Sure. The spell doesn't erase your memory.

2) I would allow a Spellcraft check (DC 20 + level = 24, "identify a spell already in place and in effect") to dispel only the confusion. If you don't allow this, and he dispels everything, then he can't have his own spells resist the dispel. A targeted dispel always succeeds against your own spells.

 

[Thanee]

You can target spells individually with Dispel Magic. Only question here is, what kind of knowledge is necessary to be able to single the spell in question out. Is it enough to know that the spell is there (pretty automatic), or do you need the abovementioned Spellcraft check, or something else?

Bye
Thanee

 

[Pinotage]

I like the idea of a spellcraft check to ID the spell. 20+spell level for a spell in effects seems reasonable, but then there's also 25+spell level for spell targetted at you which you made the saving throw of. One would imagine that a wizard who suddenly found himself a hundred feet from the battle would have a good chance to figure out what's going on.

Very helpful.

Pinotage

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

I wouldn't think a Spellcraft check is necessary prior to being able to cast dispel magic. Afterall, spell casters often don't know the details of what they're dispelling when it comes to traps, magic effects in dungeons, etc.

So long as you can target the spell in question, I'd allow it - even if you don't fully understand the magic in question.

 

[Pinotage]

Well, in this case the wizard in question has fly, stoneskin and greater invisibility active. Obviously once the wizard realises he's under the influence of a spell, he'd prefer to be able to target the 'confusion' rather than all the spells active on himself and have all that preparation wasted.

Pinotage

 

[DaveStebbins]

Why wouldn't the wizard realize what had happened? The spell doesn't make him forget what is happening. It is a compulsion, it forces him to do things other than what he wants. I would say the confused PC is not only aware of what is happening to him, but also aware of what is going on around him, the path he took, etc.

 

[MerakSpielman]

Well, in this case the wizard in question has fly, stoneskin and greater invisibility active. Obviously once the wizard realises he's under the influence of a spell, he'd prefer to be able to target the 'confusion' rather than all the spells active on himself and have all that preparation wasted.

Pinotage

But he knows very well the spells that he doesn't want to get rid of. I think he should be able to target the "other" spell, even if he doesn't know exactly what spell it is.

 

[Pinotage]

I agree that the wizard would know that he was under the influence of a spell. Thanee's question was whether it required knowledge (i.e. the spells needs to be identified) of a particular spell in order to target it with Dispel Magic. The section on counterspelling seems to indicate that you don't, i.e. you can counterspell a spell you haven't identified. Reaching, I know. It seems the general consensus is that he should be able to target the Confusion with Dispel Magic without having to ID it first, or at the most require a DC 20 + spell level spellcraft check to ID it before targetting it with a Dispel.

Thanks!

Pinotage