Planeshift: The 'Other' Save or Die Spell

[Phasmus]

Last night a character in my game ran into a lone Illithid (it was nearly as surprised as she was). Combat lasted one round. She stabbed it, carving out half of its HP with a single blow... and it reached out with its slimy, bruse-colored, four fingered hand and planeshifted her to certain DOOM. After the session ended, my players and I discussed the implications of the attack applications of this spell.

In the hands of mindflayers, it is potentially devastatingly unpleasant. Because the Illithid do not require the planar foci, they can shift their enemies to any plane they wish (IMC, it must be a plane the Illithid has visited personally, but that is a trivial constraint because Astral Projection lets them visit virtually any plane they desire.) Brain extraction requires at least two rounds of opposed grapple checks and whatnot... but a death in the Plane of Negative Energy is a single touch attack and failed will save away.

The players' use of Planeshift as a save or die spell is somewhat limited by the material focus requirements. Even so, the dual applications of save-or-die and transportation utility have caused some of my players to call the balance of the spell into question (particularly for Clerics, who get it as a mere 5th level spell). I would be interested to know what rules have been successfully employed for focus regulation, and if anyone else has encountered concerns about spell balance in general, how those concerns have been approached.

 

[Wormwood]

It's actually less damaging than Slay Living, since there are no consequences for a failed save.

One of my problems with the spell is the nebulous flavor text associated with it's Focus requirement. Perhaps a table with what materials access a particular plane (eg. Silver = Astral, Brass = Elemental Fire, etc.)

In the case of Mind Flayers, that seems a reasonable use of it's power. I usually reserve brain sucking for stunned foes only, allowing the Flayer to use Plane Shift as a last resort (since it requires a touch attack).

 

[Shayuri]

The question is one that deserves a thought-out response, I think.

Illithid are, by their natures, given to "save or die" situations. Especially in one on one combat. After all, if you fail the save against mind blast, you're pretty much toast if there's no one else around to whomp on it. To that extent, planeshift as insta-death isn't adding much to their arsenal. The mind flayer in question could have blasted the player, who on failing the save becomes stunned, and the illithid's next lunch.

However, I do question the wisdom of making a spell that was clearly designed to be a transportation spell into a powerful save or die spell as well. A simple change in the spell's target from "creature or creatures" to "WILLING creature or creatures," would solve that issue.

Slay Living is indeed a save or die spell of equal effect, and does indeed do damage on a successful save. However, I would posit that Planeshift, when used this way, is in many ways worse.

For one, it's not a necromancy effect, meaning that nothing's immune to it. Vampires can painlessly be shifted to the Positive Material plane, thus deftly circumventing their legendary resistance to true death. Death Ward? No problem! The only defense is to have a Dimensional Anchor active, on *oneself*. An unusual and counterintitive tactic, that, even when available, impedes the caster quite a bit as well.

For another, the body's gone. This means that ONLY a Resurrection or a True Resurrection will suffice. The closest spell that does this is Destruction...which is level 7. Granted, it does a lot more damage on a successful save, but it also has no noncombat usability.

Given these things, I'd tend to suggest either removing the offensive capabilities of the spell, or upgrading the spell level.

Level 7 might be appropriate. Of course, it's ALREADY level 7 for mages...but that's an entirely different gripe.

 

[Hypersmurf]

For another, the body's gone.

Not to mention all their gear

Bodies can be replaced far more cheaply than Rings of Elemental Command...

-Hyp.

 

[Sollir Furryfoot]

I agree it is powerful, if you wish to limit it, you can house rule you can only take willing participants.

Otherwise, there are other countermeasures, most you won't find a common resource in parties. Most of these spells are of course in the Manual of the Planes for adapting to a planar environment, otherwise there are very few other recovery tactics.

Remember though that a Mindflayer using planeshift can't bring you to the exact location that he wants to, just a general location, and if you have MotP, not all parts of all planes are as dangerous as some parts of it are. Even on the negative energy plane there are floatnig rocks that are mostly negative-energy free, and if a character is lucky he might find himself in the middle of a bustling, interplanar city or close to a gate to the astral or similar.

 

[maddman75]

Yeah, mind flayers are nasty like that.

I recall a player with a foci to the first layer of Mt. Celestia who loved to PS BBEGs to that plane. For those with MotP, the first layer is a sea of holy water....

 

[LuYangShih]

If you Planeshift enemies to the Negative Material Plane, would even a Ressurection or True Ressurection work? After all, IIRC, they are reanimated as Undead creatures since they are killed by the Negative Energy of the Plane.

 

[Spatula]

For another, the body's gone. This means that ONLY a Resurrection or a True Resurrection will suffice. The closest spell that does this is Destruction...which is level 7.

The body's not necessarily gone, though, that depends on which plane did the killing. Granted, retrieving the body if it is still around would be incredibly difficult, but it is possible.

The thing is, if the character had been killed with slay living instead, you'd still be in the same boat - sure, you have a body, but it can't be raised because it was killed by a Death effect. Or if the mind flayer had used mind blast and eaten the brain - the body's not intact, so once again, raise dead isn't possible. So I don't think using plane shift as an attack is out of line for its level.

 

[Thresher]

I think you cheated the PC quite a bit there, considering she managed to get into melee range with what is essentially a 'caster', whup it for half its hp's and probably would have proceeded to tear it a new a-hole next round, thats fair enough, casters dont get to live if they stay in melee.

Did you impose a concentration check on the illithid to get the power off?
10+Damage dealt is a good number to impose for melee where someone gets slammed.

Mindflayers only have +12 in concentration so I think it would be highly unlikely he could have composed himself enough to pull that particular trick off.

 

[Darklone]

If you don't hit the caster WHILE he casts by an AoO or readied action, no concentration check is required.