Holy Word Woes

[coyote6]

Holy word only gives a save to extraplanar beings, to avoid being sent back to their home planes. Targets are automatically, killed, paralyzed, blinded, and/or deafened, with no save. So fire giants' Will saves are irrelevant (unless they're fiendish fire giants or the like).

 

[DM-Rocco]

Here's a decent one:
http://www.opengamingfoundation.org/srd.html
I agree 3.5 temporal stasis is to weak, imprisonment as well.

lol, actually, after having almost been put in Temporal stasis in a 3.0 Epic game from a gibbering Orb, I have the opposite thought, 3.0 is way too powerful.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

I'd stop and think a minute before holding Good PCs to Exalted standards.

I'm not. The BoED gives a definition of good alignment. It is not exalted-specific.

 

[DungeonMaster]

lol, actually, after having almost been put in Temporal stasis in a 3.0 Epic game from a gibbering Orb, I have the opposite thought, 3.0 is way too powerful.

I'm confused, why would you think that if you had a 9th level spell cast your direction and it failed?
Were you with not a single party member that could cast "dispel magic" at this level?

 

[Testament]

I'm curious DM, what's wrong with 3.5 Forbiddance and Geas?

 

[DungeonMaster]

3.5 forbiddance doesn't actually forbid you. All it does is damage, and paltry at that.
3.5 Geas is weaker than lesser geas in effect. In 3rd edition it prevents all magical healing (that hurts, a lot, as I'm sure you'll agree).

 

[frankthedm]

Blasphemy.

It's the evil equivalent of Holy Word. Turnabout is fair play.

The only thing is not every every DM likes to run games where the only way to challenge PCs is The Magical Arms Race.


3.0 doesn't even grant a save Vs the banishment though.
Holy Word
Evocation [Good, Sonic]
Level: Clr 7, Good 7
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 ft.
Area: Creatures in a 30-ft.-radius spread centered on the character
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes
Uttering holy word has two effects.
If the character is on the character's home plane, the spell instantly banishes nongood extraplanar creatures within the area back to their home planes. Creatures so banished cannot return for at least 1 day. This effect takes place regardless of whether the creatures hear the holy word.
Creatures native to the character's plane who hear the holy word and are not good suffer the following ill effects:
HD Effect
-- ------
12 or more Deafened
Less than 12 Blinded, deafened
Less than 8 Paralyzed, blinded, deafened
Less than 4 Killed, paralyzed, blinded, deafened
The effects are cumulative.
Deafened: The creature is deafened (see blindness/deafness) for 1d4 rounds.
Blinded: The creature is blinded (see blindness/deafness) for 2d4 rounds.
Paralyzed: The creature is paralyzed and helpless for 1d10 minutes, unable to move or act in any way.
Killed: Living creatures die. Undead creatures are destroyed.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Okay, see this part of description: Creatures native to the character's plane who hear the holy word and are not good suffer the following ill effects... This means ANY PARTY MEMBER too!

 

[Hand of Evil]

Also, you can look at things like:
Undead Traits: An undead creature possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
—No Constitution score.
—Darkvision out to 60 feet.
—Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
—Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects.
—Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects.
—Cannot heal damage on its own if it has no Intelligence score, although it can be healed. Negative energy (such as an inflict spell) can heal undead creatures. The fast healing special quality works regardless of the creature’s Intelligence score.
—Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).
—Uses its Charisma modifier for Concentration checks.
—Not at risk of death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 hit points or less, it is immediately destroyed.
—Not affected by raise dead and reincarnate spells or abilities. Resurrection and true resurrection can affect undead creatures. These spells turn undead creatures back into the living creatures they were before becoming undead.
—Proficient with its natural weapons, all simple weapons, and any weapons mentioned in its entry.
—Proficient with whatever type of armor (light, medium, or heavy) it is described as wearing, as well as all lighter types. Undead not indicated as wearing armor are not proficient with armor. Undead are proficient with shields if they are proficient with any form of armor.
—Undead do not breathe, eat, or sleep.

 

[Gez]

Let the party encounter Mr. Superdemon in a domed chamber supported by colums held up and butressed by minor fiendish slaves -dretches, or the like.

Holy Word works, and depending on Mr. Superdemon's HD relative to the caster level, he may or may not succumb, but the dretches, and therefore the ceiling, will certaily fall.

In my experience, most PCs are reticent to do anything that is going to bring down the ceiling on their heads.

It's something I want to do with a caryatid column. Let the PC notice that the caryatide never leaves her spot, instead relying on reach to hit them. If they vainquish "her", the ceiling crumbles.