Thanks for the response.
Running a dragon vs a high level party
Thanks for the response.
coyote6
Adventurer
FWIW, note that Spell Compendium changed the spell, weakening it quite a bit: the SC version is 5th level, and it's an area dispel (that is, you can only dispel one spell per target). SC also specifies that "Spells are dispelled prior to the effect of your breath weapon being resolved", which implies the breath weapon does have its regular effect.
I suspect the Draconomicon version was intended to be blast + dispel, too, but the targeted dispel made it too strong for 4th level, so they weakened it in SC.
I suspect the Draconomicon version was intended to be blast + dispel, too, but the targeted dispel made it too strong for 4th level, so they weakened it in SC.
Thanks - a huge area targeted dispel would be more like an 8th level Chain Dispel, I would think?
Just another tactic for rock-bombing, spell-casting dragons:
Antimagic Field, cast on the dragon, will not interfere with its flight, the dropping of rocks, passing strikes with its tail as is strafes, etc., but will impair the effects of spells cast upon it.
For giggles, the dragon could dive into a low strafe carrying a load of Itemized boulders, casting the Antimagic Field at the last possible moment...
The Field will negate the Item spell while the boulders are within its radius...resulting in a sideways avalanche right below the dragon as it passes over the party. (Depending upon a variety of options, the dragon may even be breathing on the party at this point.)
As the dragon completes its strafe, the Field will cease to affect the boulders, and they will revert to their miniaturized state.
Am I evil? I'm a lawyer!
Antimagic Field, cast on the dragon, will not interfere with its flight, the dropping of rocks, passing strikes with its tail as is strafes, etc., but will impair the effects of spells cast upon it.
For giggles, the dragon could dive into a low strafe carrying a load of Itemized boulders, casting the Antimagic Field at the last possible moment...
The Field will negate the Item spell while the boulders are within its radius...resulting in a sideways avalanche right below the dragon as it passes over the party. (Depending upon a variety of options, the dragon may even be breathing on the party at this point.)
As the dragon completes its strafe, the Field will cease to affect the boulders, and they will revert to their miniaturized state.
Am I evil? I'm a lawyer!
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That would be rather evil. How would one even adjudicate something like that?
Since it's a blue dragon, they'll be in the desert, or at least a very arid & hot savannah.
Well, unless the party is careful, it could result in a TPK.
I would HOPE that someone in a high-level party would have the presence of mind to:
1) Jump out of the dragon's expected path.
2) Put up a Wall of Stone, or some such.
3) Go intangible
4) Teleport
5) Some cool tactic involving a magic item (Instant Fortress) or spell (Rope Trick)
6) Put up a Wall of Force
Of course, since the dragon has an Antimagic Field upon it, #2, #3, #5 & a poorly timed #4 would prove to be ineffective, and the TPK could still occur.
In all fairness, though, since the Field is a 10' radius spell, only a certain amount of the party's magic would be affected by it as it flies over...probably only the single line of hexes or squares directly below the dragon.
An even craftier dragon using this technique would probably use an area Dispel Magic to de-Itemize the boulders, resulting in a quasi-shotgun effect...which may also drop party defenses.
Simply put, though, if you're going to stand still and "take" a dragon's strafe, you're asking to get your booty handed to you in a neatly wrapped package.
I would HOPE that someone in a high-level party would have the presence of mind to:
1) Jump out of the dragon's expected path.
2) Put up a Wall of Stone, or some such.
3) Go intangible
4) Teleport
5) Some cool tactic involving a magic item (Instant Fortress) or spell (Rope Trick)
6) Put up a Wall of Force
Of course, since the dragon has an Antimagic Field upon it, #2, #3, #5 & a poorly timed #4 would prove to be ineffective, and the TPK could still occur.
In all fairness, though, since the Field is a 10' radius spell, only a certain amount of the party's magic would be affected by it as it flies over...probably only the single line of hexes or squares directly below the dragon.
An even craftier dragon using this technique would probably use an area Dispel Magic to de-Itemize the boulders, resulting in a quasi-shotgun effect...which may also drop party defenses.
Simply put, though, if you're going to stand still and "take" a dragon's strafe, you're asking to get your booty handed to you in a neatly wrapped package.
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I know in old editions, there was the Drawmij's Instant Fortress spell, but I didn't see similar in the SRD or the Spell Compendium? I looked under plane "instant fortress", plus "mage's instant fortress" and "drawmij" as well.
is there a 3.5 one?
StreamOfTheSky
Adventurer
It's a wondrous item, not a spell. Of course, there are some mordenkainen's (or "Mage's" in the SRD) spells to create buildings. And other spell like tiny hut, etc...
The item uses M's Magnificient Mansion to create. http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#instantFortress
The item uses M's Magnificient Mansion to create. http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#instantFortress
After seeing this tactic used to brutal effectiveness I have since house-ruled that any spell or magic item designed to manipulate mass or weight of an object has random unpredictable effects on its aerodynamics. This means that such objects shift somewhat randomly in the air and can not be effectively targeted.
I find it cuts down on some rather disturbing abuses of these spells.
Invincible Overlord
Explorer
Just a few things not touched upon yet:
1) Minions:
Just when the party thinks they are to set upon the dragon, they instead set upon his flunkie minions. What's the DM upside to this? Spells start ticking away... tick tick tick tick... PC's get really anxious when all their buffs start to fade away...
2) Dragons have magic items in their horde, And They Can Use Them:
Why can't that dragon use that ring of protection +4 in his hoard (I guess that would be a house rule on wether or not magic rings still shrink/enlarge to the size of the user, or is that an older rule...).
He can have clutched in his hand a metamagic rod of Maximize or Quicken.
He can have ioun stones surrounding his head.
3) Maximize the Dragon's Breath Weapon:
Put the party in a long tube passage and put the dragon in front of it. Even if the party has a 30-point resist, the breath weapon will start to nickle-and-dime them.
Best of Luck
1) Minions:
Just when the party thinks they are to set upon the dragon, they instead set upon his flunkie minions. What's the DM upside to this? Spells start ticking away... tick tick tick tick... PC's get really anxious when all their buffs start to fade away...
2) Dragons have magic items in their horde, And They Can Use Them:
Why can't that dragon use that ring of protection +4 in his hoard (I guess that would be a house rule on wether or not magic rings still shrink/enlarge to the size of the user, or is that an older rule...).
He can have clutched in his hand a metamagic rod of Maximize or Quicken.
He can have ioun stones surrounding his head.
3) Maximize the Dragon's Breath Weapon:
Put the party in a long tube passage and put the dragon in front of it. Even if the party has a 30-point resist, the breath weapon will start to nickle-and-dime them.
Best of Luck
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