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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jack Simth" data-source="post: 3303516" data-attributes="member: 29252">Yeah; spell*caster*500 gp and spell*caster*40 xp to make, or spell*caster*1,000 gp to buy.  So a caster level 20 Greater Dispel Magic trap is 120,000 gp in wealth, and a caster level 10 Dispel Magic trap is worth 3*10*1,000 = 30,000 gp.  If you don't mind one-shot traps, a Glyph of Warding (Spell form, max 3rd level spell, uses the caster's caster level) costs a flat 200 gp, and a Greater Glyph of Warding (Spell form, max 6th level spell, uses the caster's caster level) costs a flat 400 gp.  More if you need to hire it cast.  It can also filter for alignment and creature type, so if the BBEG is only really worried about nonevil humanoids, it can be set for that, and the trick with sending a summoned critter through doesn't work.I imagine the designers made them expensive because they didn't want players abusing them overly much.  But magic traps don't mis-fire on their owners.BBEG gets his money for it same way he pays minions.  Same way he gets his magic items.  Stealth theft, noisy raids, ancient treasure, mind control, con artistry, duped rulers, his own country, dedicated followers, being really old, Wall of Iron abuse, successful day trading or any other world-appropriet DM fiat.  Traps have their own seperate CR, so it's not a balance issue once you include it in the encounter level.  Make sure they aren't mobile (saleable) and they won't meaningfully impact Wealth By Level, either.Or he might not be immune to his own traps, just really knoweledgeable about the people that actually constructed the place.  One way or another, the source is that you need to use Dispel more.  It won't matter much whether the spells are 10 minutes/level (and are thus cast about twice per dungeon "day") or 1 hour/level (and this are cast about once per dungeon "day") they have the same effect.  That can be critters such as the Babau, Balor, Glabrezou, Nalfalshnee, or Pit Fiend (possibly with a feat swaped for Quicken Spell Like Ability[{Greater} Dispel Magic]); that can be traps; that can be minions with wands or the BBEG with a level-appropriet metamagic rod of Qucken.  Dispel Magic and it's Greater counterpart are debuff spells, just like Ray of Enfeeblement, Glitterdust, Touch of Idiocy, Blindness/Deafness, Stinking Cloud, Ray of Exhaustion, Crushing Despair, et cetera.  It just happens to be considerably more effective on people relying on buff spells rather than permanent magic items.1 minute/level would slow it down, though; in most cases, they'd need to waste an action in combat on it, which might make them think twice.</blockquote>

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