So, you want to trap a powerful Wizard... [Beholders stay out!]

[LazarusLong42]

...How do you do it?

The basic setup: The PCs will be following the trail of some thieves, looking for an item stolen from a person willing to pay them a lot of money to retrieve this family heirloom. What they don't know is that the 'thieves' are intending to trap the person paying the PCs--a powerful wizard who is, let's just say, not very nice.

So, how would you create a trap for a 20th-level Wizard? My best bet would be dimensional anchor and forcecage; neither offers a saving throw, and the trap would cost about 10000 gp to create (for a one-shot). The problem I see here is that a high-level wizard should always be carrying around disintegrate--which should take care of the forcecage.

The NPCs in charge of the trap aren't too worried about the wizard's safety, and only slightly worried about their own; they just want this guy stopped for good. Of course, they're going to get a PC or two instead--assuming the PCs don't find a way to bypass the trap.

So, ENWorlders... are there better spells you would abuse^h^h^h use to trap this wizard?

 

[Epametheus]

A mundane cage inside a permanent Anti-Magic Shell should do the trick.

Failing that, cut off his hands, put out his eyes, and cut out his tounge. That might prevent him from escaping.

 

[GuardianLurker]

Your "thieves" have two issues: "how do you capture a 20th level wizard?" and "How do you keep him?".

Epametheus has pretty much answered the latter.

For the former, find some way of rendering him unconscious. In general, mechanical traps inside A-M areas will probably work best. Though never discount the utility of really big rocks.

If you can't render him unconscious, you must disorient and bind him, a much harder task.

There are a lot of different possibilities. Without having some indication of the wizard's rough abilities, it's going to be hard to be more specific.

 

[Al]

Feeblemind is your friend, particularly when combined with a Limited Wish to give a -7 to the guy's next save (for a total of -11!). If you've got fatespinners handy, slap some spin on the spell and make him reroll his save if he succeeds.

It takes all his wizardly power out, but since (I assume) he has a Headband, he'll languish on Int 7 and hence be able to talk/be interrogated if that's necessary.