DM Seeking advice:Disintegrate Counters needed

[Burne]

Golems fear no Disintegrate. Constructs do. Contingency doesn't help if there aren't any spells that protect against Disintegrate.

I am aware of Protection from Spells (+8 resistence bonus vs spells only) but Mr. Dragon casts as a sorcerer and I have other 8th level spells to take. And again every other spell that I know about has some sort of counter either in Spell Immunity, Spell Turning, Death Ward, and similar.

 

[phillipjp]

My best defense against Disintegrate so far... put magic items on the monster!

DM: The creature moves toward you and pulls out/draws/readies an item covered in magic runes and pulsing with arcane power.

Wizard: I will end this senseless combat with one mighty spell--Disintegrate!

All the other players in unison: NO! (sigh) We'll do it the hard way.

Can't tell you how many times this has saved my NPCs.

 

[kreynolds]

Kreynolds: I specifically said that More fortitude saves isn't a valid answer because I wanted a general solution rather than a solution that only applies to a specific monster.

First of all, I know what you asked. I know because I read it.

Secondly, protection via better saves most certainly is not a solution that only applies to a specific monster. It applies to anything with a high Con score; i.e. most dragons, barbarians, fighters, some giants, etc, etc, etc. That doesn't seem like a very small category to me.

Now, what I do consider a small category, however, is magic items. How likely is it that you'll find more than 5 cloaks of protection from disintigration that were made specifically for dragons (and they would have to be because dragons don't have any item slots)? Very, very unlikely. That's what I consider a really focused solution, so apparently, what you think you're looking for isn't indeed what you're looking for; from my perspective, of course.

In short, my answer is prefectly valid. Now, if you don't want to go the Fort save route because there isn't a good enough guarantee for survival (and I somewhat agree, since it only takes a single roll of a 1 on the save), then that's understandable.

Proof v Transmutation armor enchantment: +6 cost and not currently available to my PC's

Question: Why does it matter if it's available to your PCs or not? I thought you said the dragon needed it. Besides, just put it on a earring or amulet if you don't like the armor part. If you're worried about your PCs getting a hold of it if they defeat the dragon, then just make the item only function for dragons of a specific alignment or something. Hell, that would even reduce the value of the thing, so even if they sold it, they would get 30% less cash out of it.

Also, have you thought about boosting the sucker's SR? That would work famously. Although, that might render the spellcaster in the party useless.

 

[James McMurray]

Absorbsion from Tome and Blood might help. I don't know if it works on effect type spells either though. If it does, your dragon just got a free 6 levels it can use to cast a spell.

Obscenely high touch ACs also help. These can be gained vai shield, haste, shield of faith, cat's grace, Mantle of Egregious Might, Blazing Shield, etc. Heck, give the dragon a level of monk so it gets its (presumable high) wisdom modifier to its AC.

Question: does this particular dragon have access to clerical spells, or is it arcane only like the poor green dragon? If it has access to divine spells, then it seems logical that it would choose Miracle as a 9th level spell. Miracle should be able to counter disintegrate, even if you just use it to say "the next disintegrate ray targeting me will rebound on its caster".

As for a more general answer to disintegrate, I agree with the "give it magic items" route. Most parties are loathe to destroy their loot. In my Return tot he Tomb of Horrors campaign link in the sig) the party has disintegrated or polymorphed several Moilian zombies because they are insanely difcult to kill permanently. However, if the thing seems to be carrying loot, they instead beat it down and then wail on it with a Mace of Disruption.

Another good counter is Astral Projection. If you are never actually physically in a battle, being disintegrated is just a minor nuisance.

 

[Cheiromancer]

If the dragon is incorporeal (has no body) how can it get disintegrated?

 

[Destil]

Blur or Displacement. Mirror Image. Cat's Grace. Endurance. Improved Invisibility. Walls of Force (if the're a wizard, make them use their disentegrate getting into your lair)

 

[Dash Dannigan]

Spells have full effect on Incorporeal creatues.

 

[drnuncheon]

How likely is it that you'll find more than 5 cloaks of protection from disintigration that were made specifically for dragons (and they would have to be because dragons don't have any item slots)?

(scratches head) Now where did that come from? Clearly the list in the DMG on page 176 is not applicable for non-humanoid creatures, but that hardly means that such creatures don't have any slots at all - any more than their lack of human-style hands prevents dragons from casting spells with a somatic component.

Now, whether or not a dragon could wear a human-sized cloak and have it work is another story - but a ring or amulet would certainly be possible.

J

 

[kreynolds]

Spells have full effect on Incorporeal creatues.

Only force effects (like magic missile, for example). Everything else still has a 50% chance to be ignored if the spell is coming from a corporeal source. I could be wrong though.

 

[kreynolds]

(scratches head) Now where did that come from?

The description of Polymorph Other from T&B.

If the new form is a creature that does not use equipment (aberration, animal, beast, magical beast, construct, dragon, elemental, ooze, some outsiders, plant, some undead creatures, some shapechangers, or vermin

None those listed use equipment or have item slots, and because of that, your equipment melds into your body when you polymorph into one.

Clearly the list in the DMG on page 176 is not applicable for non-humanoid creatures

Of course.

but that hardly means that such creatures don't have any slots at all

Everything that I've read suggests otherwise.

any more than their lack of human-style hands prevents dragons from casting spells with a somatic component.

Somatic components don't require an item slot, so I fail to see how this is relevant.

Now, whether or not a dragon could wear a human-sized cloak and have it work is another story - but a ring or amulet would certainly be possible.

The item would basically have to be slotless.