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Message: <blockquote data-quote="molonel" data-source="post: 3439796" data-attributes="member: 10412">I have read the books. Many times, in fact. You're assuming several things, though:1. You are assuming the entire troll must be within the AMF in order to be affected, and that this means anything grappled by it will fall outside the field. Grappling rules state that you move into the creature's area. They don't say WHERE within that area.2. "Running away shouldn't be a problem." Those are always famous last words. If the DM designs the encounter so that you can run away, sure. If not? If you're in an area where fleeing might send you into the arms of another encounter, or worse? (Very typical in dungeon crawls.) Then you're hosed.3. You also assume that there must be one caster/grappling monster combo, or that the grappling monster must be large. You then rightly point out that the encounter is only an example. It's easy to design grappling minions who aren't. 4. Alchemist's fire, throwing rocks and tanglefoot bags? How are these going to allow a slowly moving tank to escape? If he's grappled, the tanglefoot bags may very well hit him, as well, since he's in the same square.None of this is encouraging the party to "think creatively." It's simply shutting them down, and hard.All of this could lead into yet another discussion of why magic is so important in D&D 3.X, and perhaps too important, but the point is, right now it is important, the overuse of the AMF tactic is very uncreative.It is simply delaying the inevitable, and that's not defeatism. That's simply a lot of experience with high level combat in D&D. As a player, I'll do whatever I have to do to win, and I leave nothing out, but there does come a point where if you are reduced to throwing pebbles, and hastily trying to string a tripwire across the hallway to stop the onslaught of an AMF and grappling trolls, and your weapons and armor are nothing more than a pile of rust on the floor, and you have no buffs, you MIGHT want to think about hoisting the white flag.I know. There are many examples of how to use the AMF that are much, much worse.Of course buffs can, and will fail. That's why they are simply one more tool in any adventurer's toolbox, and having buffs does not equal "WIN!"As a player, I would MUCH rather have an area dispel dropped on me than have a DM who loved AMF. There is a difference, a VAST difference, between rolling for all of your buffs and having every spell and magic item you possess, and every spell-like ability shut down like a light switch.Part of the problem in that example is the nature of the adventure itself. The Temple of Elemental Evil was virtually DESIGNED to promote that tactic.If you design your own adventures, particularly for high level play, there are much better ways to design your adventures to encourage creative problem-solving and combat tactics.Simply throwing your players into AMF's all the time is at the bottom of my list. I've seen players drum their fingers, and say, "Let me guess: ANOTHER antimagic field, right?""I'm shocked!" the other players replied.</blockquote>

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