Getting around antimagic PC's.

[TuDogz]

I have an NPC wizard BBEG. His access to allies is very limited. He is currently looking for a way to deal with prevalent use of antimagic by the PCs.

He and the PC's are both trying to gain control of an ancient structure that is part of an artifact. The PC's came raiding long before the BBEG and the DM thought they would and he needs to fend off this assault and make the PCs feel like backing off for a while.

His maintaining control of the structure is vital for at least another year. Any suggestions would be welcome.

 

[Cloudgatherer]

Have the BBEG activate a few golems he's created...

Use the simulacrum spell.

Put in some traps that don't rely on magic.

Wall of Stone/Iron spells, block off the party from the structure.

 

[Tabarnak Smokeblower]

If they have access to Antimagic field, they also probably have access to Disintegrate, no?

You could have the Relic/Structure affect magic in a weird way, kind of life a Wild Magic Zone (this would also be true for the BBEG).

TS

 

[TuDogz]

To elaborate:

There are no non-magical ways to enter the structure. It was buried long ago, and the only access that used to exist has been filled with created stone.

The PCs first found this place at 5-6th level, they are 15th now. They found some powerful magic items and hired a mage (who after realizing what they had became the BBEG) to research their functions. He turned on the group but they defeated him and he fled. He has since learned more and is in the process of repairing the vital portions of the structure to make it functional. The PCs have four stones key to its operation the BBEG has two. He had not planned to attack the PCs and try to retrieve these stones until the structure was complete. He knows they are formidable and it will be very hard to progress with the repairs while warring with the PCs.

Last week the PCs suddenly decided to pursue this plotline and for other plot development reasons I am unable to simply accelerate the BBEG's progress so that he would be more prepared for this.

Golems will work as interior defenders, but they would only slow the party down, the PCs handle toe-to-toe combat very effectively. What I am looking for is a way to make the PC's feel that BBEG can circumvent the antimagic. If I can pull that off I think they will let the situation lie until they acquire a little more power.

Are there any monsters, skills, spells, items, etc... anything that can shut down the antimagic field?

 

[James McMurray]

There are several nice spells in Bastion Press's Spells and Magic that get around anti-magic.

For ideas closer to home, think about dropping a Forcecage on the caster of the anti-magic shell. Forcecage is unaffected, the character is trapped inside it, and his field will run out long be fore the force cage, after which the BBEG drops spells on him through the cage's bars.

Also of some use are Prismatic Wall and Sphere, which are immune to AMF.

Finally, the moment the BBEG notices the AMF (swhich should be while its being cast, since he's got a good Spellcraft) he needs to teleport / Dimension Door away. A minute later he should scry on them nd come back to attack.

Another good way around it is Contingency (teleport home) set to trigger when he sees an anti-magic field being cast. Then he can't get caught inside it unless he fails the DC 21 spellcraft check.

 

[TuDogz]

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If they have access to Antimagic field, they also probably have access to Disintegrate, no?
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Yes they have disintegrate.



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You could have the Relic/Structure affect magic in a weird way, kind of life a Wild Magic Zone (this would also be true for the BBEG).
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The area has been established as magic normal because of the initial visits here. The structure was built to terraform the planet, the BBEG knows this, the PC's are beginning to get inklings of this.

 

[TuDogz]

They are using the AMF in a primarily defensive function. His problem is breaching this defense so he can hit them with a couple of knockout shots. He already has them back on their heels with two delayed blast FBs and by dominating their barbarian. They have now closed ranks and thrown up an AMF.

 

[TuDogz]

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Also of some use are Prismatic Wall and Sphere, which are immune to AMF.
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What does this say about prismatic spray? Nothing in that spells text says anything about antimagic. Probably be a cruel, if logical by extension, use of rule zero.

 

[James McMurray]

Prismatic spray isn't immune to AMF. But like I said above, Forcecage is. If the party is all bunched up around the cleric, you can likely catch them all in the cage. If you can't catch them all, you can certainly catch just the spellcaster inside the windowless cell version.

Note that the walls of force that the solid cage is made up of block line of effect. This means that the caster's AMF will not radiate out of it to protect the poor hapless fools that now find themselves without its protection.

For reference, the barred cage won't stop the AMF but will let it run out. It is a 20' cube.

The windowless cell will stop the AMF from protecting anyone outside of it. It is a 10' cube. This last one is a better option in my opinion, because it means that the BBEG can now get to some of the characters. Just be sure to catch the enemy disintigrator on the same side of the wall as the AMF so he can't disintigrate the forcecage.

 

[Number47]

A fairly useful tactic is to summon Lantern Archons. They are low-level summons, but you can summon them in larger numbers with higher-level spells, especially maximizing or empowering it. They have a ray touch attack that is EX, so a number of them can pepper the AMF summoner. The AMF summoner is helpless to stop them, he can only suppress them if he gets near so have them split up as much as possible.

Using these guys is a good tactic because it isn't all-or-nothing. The BBEG can hurt and distract them without outright whomping them. For another useful strategy, just have the BBEG put up a wall of force in between and wait them out, while doing up some nice buffing spells in the meantime.