How to make sure monsters disrupt a ritual?

[Noumenon]

I'm planning to awaken a plot-important tree with my druid. I told my DM I thought it would be awesome to have something attack us during the 24-hour casting time. There would be high stakes because of all the XP and time expended, and a dangerous-seeming combat because my druid wouldn't be able to fight.

But it occurs to me that at 9th level it might be hard for monsters to break up this ritual. The wizard might do something like a resilient sphere or a persistent image that keeps the monsters from having any effect.

So what spells should a DM expect players to use to protect a ritual, and what kind of enemies should he send to make it an interesting challenge regardless?

 

[Noir le Lotus]

Swarms are great monsters to disturb PCs.

They have immunities to weapon damage, so the spellcasters are the only ones who can deal with them, and their distraction ability would be perfect to disturb a druid preparing a ritual.

I would recommand Hell Wasp Swarm from one of the ToH.

 

[Umbran]

Your ritual has a 24 hour casting time? Resilient sphere and persistent image both have a duration in terms of minutes, not hours. I can't think of too many things that a 9th level spellcaster can do to hold an attack off for 24 hours - your spellcasters cannot handle even a short siege.

The only thing you'd need to do is not have the monsters come at the very tail end of the ritual. Have them come by, say, six hours after you start, and the party will be forced to have to deal with them.

If the wizard throws up an illusion the first time the monsters come through, they fail to find you, and would logically keep searching the area. Eventually they'd come around to the same place a second time, say a half hour later after the spell has expired.

 

[Noumenon]

I didn't realize Permanent Image was sixth level (maybe I thought a wizard could keep concentrating on Silent Image, but not for 24 hours he can't). I like the idea of the awakening tree stirring and swaying, revealing a giant wasp nest high in the branches... concentrating on that spell would be epic.

 

[On Puget Sound]

As a Pagan with both children and cats, I can tell you that no intervention is necessary; if there is a ritual, your monsters will always interrupt it.

 

[Hand of Evil]

elementals - protection spells will preevent them but there always seems to be a hole; not evil, water and not earth. Just hard to cover all the bases.

Creatures that attack with an area of effect - beath weapon or such.

Rust monsters - like the Spanish Inquisition, no one expects Rust monsters!

 

[Tamlyn]

Maybe other druids think that your druid awakening that tree will disturb the natural order. 3 or 4 gnoll druids could wreak a ton of havoc. Summonings amok!

 

[Stormonu]

Sorry, wrong thread.