Problems with Greater Magic Weapon

[Lord Pendragon]

I would say a lot. At that level it is only normal for intelligent villains to assume that the PCs have boosted themselves with magic. Besides, 4 PCs with a greater magic weapons means

I agree. In a world where it's Standard Operating Procedure to have adventurers running around with Bull's Strength, Magic Vestments, Greater Magic Weapon, and possibly Polymorph Self or Polymorph Other cast on them, Dispel Magic is your first, best line of defense. An area dispel has a good chance of dispelling every GMW'd weapon in the area, plus possibly strip one enchantment from each person in the area as well.

What wizard with a 15 intelligence or higher isn't going to have one of these spells ready?

And that's just a rank-and-file wizard. A really bright wizard might have a fighter cohort with a +1 greatsword nearby. He hits the party with Dispel Magic and then sends in the fighter...sundering every magic weapon he comes across.

Do that, and I guarantee you, your party will never turn their nose at a straight enhancement bonus again.

 

[bret]

Sundering is the real danger of a low bonus weapon. If you don't have a high enough enhancement bonus on the weapon, it beomes susceptable to sundering.

As for loading up on special enhancements, as a fighter you do want some of these anyways. The bonus to damage tends to be rather important against the high hit-point monsters.

I would take the suggestion already give, run them up against a Dragon who had Dispel Magic as one of their spells. That one encounter will most likely convince them that GMW has some serious limitations.

If you have T&B, there are some dispelling screens that also make great protections. Anyone moving through the screen has the effect of a dispel magic done on them. Imagine their annoyance with a Wizard who uses Protection from Normal Missles and one of these screens, then starts casting spells at them from the balcony.

 

[SpikeyFreak]

Sure Strike is a good option as a backup/reserve weapon in order to make sure you will be able to hit any damage reduction.

Ah yes, very good point. Hadn't thought of that.

--Lame Spikey

 

[gfunk]

Another good way to counter Greater Magic Weapon is to have the enemy fight out of a Globe of Invulnerability. The plusses on all the weapons will be negated, but the foe's DR (if any) will be intact. Very nasty...

 

[SpikeyFreak]

Another good way to counter Greater Magic Weapon is to have the enemy fight out of a Globe of Invulnerability. The plusses on all the weapons will be negated, but the foe's DR (if any) will be intact. Very nasty...

But then again, they won't care that they have +1 weapons Greater Magic Weaponed in that case.

I think they best solutions would be ones that would make them wish they had regular +4 weapons instead of GMWed +1 weapons.

--Torturer Spikey

 

[Darkness8Me]

I currently have a character who uses great magic weapon on his bow and arrows every morning. Yes, it can be a nasty and powerful spell. But I also know the disadvantages first hand.

My fellow party members have put it: "I'm the best bowman in the world... until I get dispelled." Dispel magic and greater dispel magic are excellent defenses against spells. Smart opponents will use them, and use them often.

It is a 3rd or 4th level spell (depending on the class). Maintaining the spell for more than one or two party members takes quite a few slots away from the casters.

Getting the spell to last the entire day uses even more of the parties resources (whether through a pearl of power or the extend spell feat). However, unless you do so, encounters while resting can become a problem.

 

[EOL]

I currently have a character who uses great magic weapon on his bow and arrows every morning. Yes, it can be a nasty and powerful spell. But I also know the disadvantages first hand.

My fellow party members have put it: "I'm the best bowman in the world... until I get dispelled." Dispel magic and greater dispel magic are excellent defenses against spells. Smart opponents will use them, and use them often.

As a player who uses the spell how often is too often for the DM to use dispel magic on you. Once every fourth session, once a session every combat. At what point would having dispel Magic take down your GMW get tiresome?

 

[Shard O'Glase]

Dispel is nice and when you are facing inteligent spellcasting foes it is a decent option to open up with. But it only will drop one spell on each party member, you may take off the cats grace instead, so it isn't necesarrily the best tactic for "smart" foes to use. A attack spell very well may be more effective since dead foes need no buff spells. So yes I'd say its over use would get tiresome, and not seem like good tactics but a punishment for the parties tactics. Also this only works when facing spellcasting foes, those dire animals, giants and tons of other creatures don't have this really as an option. Dragons may not have it since they cast spells as a sorcerer they have a limited number of known spells, and they may be holding off for greater dispel.

So unless you are runing the party against lots of inteligent humaonids, like elves, orcs, hobgoblins etc. many fights can hapen where dispel isn't even a possibility.

 

[UofMDude]

Of course it can get tiresome if overused. Anything can. Improved Invisible, Flying, Hasted, Shielded, Mage Armored, mages casting Polymorph Other can get annoying too if used too often

The key is to find some ways around it. Ok, so your enemy has someone with detect magic capability and knows you have some spells going. So pick some different kinds of spells sometimes (maybe not buffers but direct action spells). And then to get your enemy to cast detect magic anyway cast a few Nystuls magic aura spells on some of your weapons.

There's a reason magic items are better than spells - they can't be dispelled by an area dispel. And if you, as a player, are going to be lame and always do the same thing then you should expect the DM to be lame and always have the same response (if the enemy can detect what you're doing of course).

UofMDude

 

[EOL]

I think the whole point UofMDude made about if the players are going to be lame and use the same tactic over and over again then they can't be too upset when I as the DM use the same tactic over and over again. At the moment I think my party relies entirely too much on buff spells, I think Dispel Magics all around until they learn some moderation is not out of line.