Druid in a Box?

[Kevman]

Here's a nasty trick that my DM pulled on me. But is it legal? I understand Rule 0, but this was tough!

My character is a L16 Druid w/ Exalted Wild Shape.

I was magically transported (assume this part was legal) into a room in the BBEG's castle. When I appeared, I triggered a Glyph or pressure plate or something that triggered an Anti Magic Field around me. I saw the BBEG and he beat me on initiative. Before I could act he casted a Forcecage (10' box version) around me. So I'm in Anti Magic and trapped in the 10' Force Box. The DM decided that since Force Cage is like Wall of Force, the Force Box would be unaffected by the Anti Magic. So since I'm in Anti Magic, I can't Dimension Door (Blink Dog form) out of the Box. And none of my magic items or SU abilities are functioning and I can't cast spells. Basically I couldn't do anything at all! The only way I could have gotten out was if one of the other party members (they were transported in, too, but without Anti Magic Fields around them) could cast Disintegrate on the Force Box. But no one could!

So was this a legal combo of spells? Was there another way out that I didn't think of?

Thanks in advance!

 

[RuminDange]

First off not to overrule you DM on this but he has it slightly wrong.

First off like a wall of force the forcecage will continue to exist in an antimagic area. However, that is IF it is place first. Once the antimagic is up no magic works. Period.

So technically this combo of spells as done is illegal. However, if the gylph, pressure plate or whatever had put up the force cage and then BBEG cast antimagic around you then you be in the position you are in until the antimagic goes down.

Your allies can't distengrate the force cage until the antimagic goes down as well so unless the DM is going to back up and correct this situation and follow the rules you might as well sit there and wait and watch the battle.

However if he lets this stand it is open season on using this combat tactic on his BBEG if your party wizard can afford the components for force cage. Then all you have to do is cast antimagic and force cage with the bars and pepper them with missile weapons.

Hope he remedies this for you.

RD

 

[rowport]

"The DM decided that since Force Cage is like Wall of Force, the Force Box would be unaffected by the Anti Magic."

Hmm... I think this is the problem, but will defer to the serious rules mavens out there...

 

[Pielorinho]

There's a good reason why there's no way within the rules to cast an antimagic field on somebody else. It allows for all kinds of nasty tactics.

Daniel

 

[Artoomis]

...The space within this barrier is impervious to most magical effects, including spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities. Likewise, it prevents the functioning of any magic items or spells within its confines....

... Certain spells, such as wall of force, prismatic sphere, and prismatic wall, remain unaffected by antimagic field (see the individual spell descriptions)...

...Like a wall of force spell, a forcecage resists dispel magic, but it is vulnerable to a disintegrate spell, and it can be destroyed by a sphere of annihilation or a rod of cancellation....

Hmm... it's a bit of a stretch to say that a Wall of Force could be cast into an Antimagic Field, but it is a possible interpretation. The language "remain unaffeated" seems to imply that the wall must be in place already, but that's not completely clear, just as is the fact that it is impervious to "most" magical effects could be read to allow it.

I think it's a small stretch, but a legitimate and nasty interpretation of the two spells used together.

 

[Artoomis]

Addendum to my reply:

Daniel is right - Animagic Field is "centered on you."

 

[Pielorinho]

As an example of a nasty tactic, try tying a glyph of antimagic to a tanglefoot bag and throwing it at a flying dragon. Flight speeds for critters that big are supernatural, aren't they? There's a legitimate argument that large dragons can only fly due to their magic.

Or give the glyph to the party barbarian, or better yet a monk who can grapple the enemy archmage.
THe key with AMF is that it can only be cast by people whose primary schtick is their ability to use magic; in most cases, it hurts the caster as much as anyone else, and so it's only useful in very specific circumstances. Allow it to be used offensively (i.e., without negating the caster's abilities), and it becomes exceedingly overpowered.

Daniel

 

[LGodamus]

As an example of a nasty tactic, try tying a glyph of antimagic to a tanglefoot bag and throwing it at a flying dragon. Flight speeds for critters that big are supernatural, aren't they? There's a legitimate argument that large dragons can only fly due to their magic.

Or give the glyph to the party barbarian, or better yet a monk who can grapple the enemy archmage.
THe key with AMF is that it can only be cast by people whose primary schtick is their ability to use magic; in most cases, it hurts the caster as much as anyone else, and so it's only useful in very specific circumstances. Allow it to be used offensively (i.e., without negating the caster's abilities), and it becomes exceedingly overpowered.

Daniel

technically they arent supernaturally flying despite what the laws of physics say ....otherwise it would be listed so in their description

 

[Pielorinho]

Okay, maybe I overstated the dragon case a bit. Their fly SPEED is supernatural (I believe that speeds above a certain amount are always supernatural -- can anyone confirm this?) but their flying itself isn't, according to the rules.

Still, there's a reason why you can't do this offensively.

--except, WAIT! An arcane archer2/sorcerer12 can imbue an arrow with antimagic field and do this. That's freakin' NASTY! Somebody oughta build a character around this in the next game of death; imagine shooting those flying characters out of the sky! Like skeet.

Daniel

 

[RuminDange]

There's a good reason why there's no way within the rules to cast an antimagic field on somebody else. It allows for all kinds of nasty tactics.

Depends on if you are using Antimagic Field from the PHB or Antimagic Aura from Magic of Faerun which can be cast on a creature.
Plus Antimagic field could be applied to a Greater Gylph of Warding to be released on that point (not the creature that set it off)

Either way, it is a major stretch to say a force cage or wall of force could be cast into an existing antimagic effect, and if that ruling was made then all heck would some delivered into the game by every mage able to do the combo.
As long as I've been DMing, that is a ruling a would never go with, once Antimagic is in place, no form of magic would work except maybe magic from a character with divine ranks.

RD