Fun with Magic Jar

[MarauderX]

I'm sure others have thought about the havoc a higher level BBEG could have with the spell Magic Jar. Think of a city, army or other gathering with a lot of peons with poor Will saves... and the number of hours a hidden bad guy can goof around with this spell, whether gathering information or wreaking havoc.

So, has anyone used it to cause terror as an adventure? Is there a published adventure where the task at hand is to narrow down where the enemy may be hiding? Has anyone seen or done this? Is it too RBDM-ish? Could creative use get a group of 20th level adventurers to expend a good amount of their resources for the day trying to protect thousands of people?

Currently I am thinking of the BBEG hiding in an infirmary, faking a disease with Disguise & Alter Self. And for the RBDM add ons, add Dominate Person as a guardian/nurse watching over him and possessing the Jar as a fake focus for healing spells. Or use that as a decoy and have the real BBEG hiding in closet with a Ring of Invisibility.

 

[Felix]

The big restriction on Magic Jar is that the caster's body, the gem, and the target all have to remain within Medium range of one another. This is a simple saftey concern, because if anything happnes (host body is killed, gem is destroyed, etc) and you are out of Medium range, it's likely you'll die.

So for a BBEG, Magic Jar is a sanctum spell to help add a layer of protection in the event he is attacked, as well as an offensive spell to capture and possess an enemy for a short period of time.

Defensively, I would have the BBEG station his real body in a "cell" below his throne room, opposite another cell where he stores his host's body until he needs it for some public appearance or whatnot. For all public appearances, he uses his host's body. If he is ever assaulted within his keep, he can act without fear of being killed: if the host body is slain, he instantly transferrs to his own body in the "cell" and makes good his escape. If the Magic Jar is dispelled, the host will turn into a befuddled commoner, not knowing what's going on, in the middle of being attacked by PCs. Surely he won't live long.

If the BBEG takes this route, I'd advise against being too obvious about the possession. Possessing the party fighter is fun to sow havoc in their ranks, but they get tipped off as to what is happening, and they'll start looking for the real body. To be nice and rat-bastardly, don't let on that any possession is happening. The BBEG will survive repeated "defeats", escape bodily harm himself, and eventually know more and more about his enemies, the PCs.

 

[Hypersmurf]

The big restriction on Magic Jar is that the caster's body, the gem, and the target all have to remain within Medium range of one another. This is a simple saftey concern, because if anything happnes (host body is killed, gem is destroyed, etc) and you are out of Medium range, it's likely you'll die.

Also keep in mind that while your body can be kept in the vault or whatever, you need line of effect between the gem and whoever you're trying to possess. So the gem pretty much has to be 'in plain sight'; if you hide it too well, you'll end up blocking off a lot of potential lines of effect and cut down on your opportunities for snatching bodies...

-Hyp.

 

[Kafkonia]

Currently I am thinking of the BBEG hiding in an infirmary, faking a disease with Disguise & Alter Self. And for the RBDM add ons, add Dominate Person as a guardian/nurse watching over him and possessing the Jar as a fake focus for healing spells. Or use that as a decoy and have the real BBEG hiding in closet with a Ring of Invisibility.

If you don't have a background laid out for him, you could make him actually diseased, and this could be the reason why he took up bodyjumping, especially if it's a disease that can't be healed by normal magical means.

As Hypersmurf said, one problem is requiring line of effect from the gem to the subject. Clever PCs may deduce the source of the possession (ie the gem) earlier than you'd like them to; try to think of places where it would blend in nicely, like in the king's jewel-encrusted crown or a sceptre of office.

 

[Pyrex]

Or a crystal chandelier lit with multiple Continual Flame spells.

And don't forget the Magic Aura on the jar itself to hide the Necromancy aura.

Also, the SRD specifically states that Magic Jar does *not* require LoE.

To cast the spell, the magic jar must be within spell range and you must know where it is, though you do not need line of sight or line of effect to it. When you transfer your soul upon casting, your body is, as near as anyone can tell, dead.

While in the magic jar, you can sense and attack any life force within 10 feet per caster level (and on the same plane of existence). You do need line of effect from the jar to the creatures.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Also, the SRD specifically states that Magic Jar does *not* require LoE.

Not from your body to the Jar; it states that you do need LoE to the creature you're possessing.

You just quoted it yourself.

-Hyp.