How do I avoid getting Stoned...

[Saeviomagy]

3.0 version specifically states you can break petrification. The 3.5 version does not. Since Flesh to Stone is an instantaneous affect, Dispel Magic cannot work on it, so Break Enchantment needs the spell affect to be 5th level or lower. Flesh to Stone is 6th. So, only Sorcerors and Wizards can return your statue-like friends back to fleshy goodness, unless they were the ones petrified!

I understood that line about dispel magic to mean if the spell has text such as that found in 'bestow curse', 'mark of justice' or 'arcane mark':
...[this spell] cannot be dispelled, but it can be removed with...

, then it is subject to the restiction.

 

[Targos]

Sadly, Break Enchantment does not work in 3.5. Which is a bummer since that was one of the primary contingencies I planned for when my Bard took it.

Funny, has anybody read the 3.5 PH text on break enchantment. "Break enchantment can reverse even an instantaneous effect, such as flesh to stone." It also has the text that it only works on spells 5th level and lower if it cannot be dispelled. A bit of a contradiction.

 

[allenw]

The key is that the 3.0 version specifically states you can break petrification. The 3.5 version does not.

Actually, it does... but apparently only in the PHB: "Break Enchantment can reverse even an instantaneous effect, such as Flesh to Stone."

 

[Liquidsabre]

Roger that, I've just looked at my 3.5 PHB and can confirm that quote. No worries then, nothing to see here...*waves folk on*

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

The maximised fireball was good. The mage readied it to cast 'when he was no longer affected by an antimagic field', as we figured it would have to shift the AM field to zap us.

Miss chances seem to be holding up well - first round we were mostly under the influence of an invisibility sphere. After that wears off, we have a scattering of miss chance stuff - blur, displacement and entropic shields in place. Touch AC hasn't really kicked in yet, as it caught us flat footed.


We've come up with a good idea (we think!). Take 1 very large rock (1100 Lbs in this case!), at the top of one of the beholders 'disintegrated' tunnels, sat on a Tensers Floating Disk. If it looks 'up' and sees the disk, then the rock falls down and it gets squished. When it looks away, take the disk, reload, rinse, repeat.

This plan is only spoiled by us not having the Floating Disk prepared!

It also bought up a good little discussion about whether a beholder can 'roll' - i.e. from the 'top' it can bring all 10 eyestalks to bear - if it twists can it shift it's 'top' side to point down a coridoor?

A bad question altogether.


We also remembered to leave Bags of Holding at home. And to not use spell slots granted by items.

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

Roger that, I've just looked at my 3.5 PHB and can confirm that quote. No worries then, nothing to see here...*waves folk on*

It does indeed, checked it before the fight - can't remember the exact wording, but it does make specific mention of Flesh to Stone in the Break Enchantment description. Got one prepped - just in case.

For whatever reason, it doesn't mention it in the 3.5 SRD.

 

[Saeviomagy]

We've come up with a good idea (we think!). Take 1 very large rock (1100 Lbs in this case!), at the top of one of the beholders 'disintegrated' tunnels, sat on a Tensers Floating Disk. If it looks 'up' and sees the disk, then the rock falls down and it gets squished. When it looks away, take the disk, reload, rinse, repeat.

Doesn't work. Tenser's floating disc doesn't fly more than a foot or so above the ground.

 

[andargor]

Just spotted this thread...

Tonight, we got a taste of being surprised by a beholder. Since they loathe spellcasters, it trained its Antimagic Cone at the rest of the party and hit my Wizard with simultaneous Finger of Death, Disintegrate and Flesh to Stone rays.

Luckily, he wasn't turned to dust, and his heart kept beating until he was merely petrified.

The party Monk was not so lucky, being hit by Finger of Death later on and failing his save.

Our party level is 15-16, so CR 13 for a measly 300 XP each sounds a bit of a crock to me...

Now the party is in deep doo-doo, because some Kuo-Toa stole the body of the Monk and the statue that is my Wizard while the tattered remains of the party were pursuing the beholder shrouded in an Antimagic Field to protect themselves from the rays.

Of course, now the body and statue are at the foot of the beholder's Big Brother (a bigger beholder...). Things are going to get interesting for them. If they don't succeed, one Monk will be on extended leave in the Outer Planes, and my Wizard will certainly make a nice addition to the Big Brother's lair...

Any other suggested tactics? We'll probably be using the PHB rule, that Break Enchantment will work against Flesh to Stone.

There's a Ftr15, Clr15 and Mnk3/Sor10/DD3 left. If they can bring my Wizard back during the fight, he's got pretty big guns. That is, if Big Brother doesn't turn him into dust first...

Andargor