Stupid question

[Greenfield]

I was posting in the Armor thread and came across an odd thought involving Ghost Touch arms and armor.

Non-corporeal creatures exist half in the Ethereal plane, which is why they can walk through solid objects on this plane, but are "solid" to someone on the Ethereal plane.

Force effects, like Magic Missiles and Mage Armor, exist on both planes, which is why they work against non-corporeal creatures.

So what happens if someone goes to the Ethereal Plane and sets a Wall of Stone right where there's a door in the material plane? It's invisible to folks on the Material plane, of course, and won't affect them at all.

Unless they're wearing or carrying Ghost Touch items, or have Bracers of Armor, or a Mage Armor spell up.

In that situation, would they be stopped at the door by some "unseen force"? Could the Paladin enter, but for some reason his Ghost Touch Holy Sword has to stay outside? Is the Wizard with his Bracers +2 forced to wait outside?

Would a Magic Missile be able to pass through that opening?

Like the thread title says, it's a stupid thought, but fun to tickle your brain with.

 

[xigbar]

Sounds like the basis for some sort of "two worlds" campaign to me.

 

[Greenfield]

Or just a good, nasty puzzle for PCs to deal with. How long would it take them to figure out what the problem is, do you think?

Also, like any other wall, it can be broken by sheer force. Just plan damage will tear it down at some point.

 

[kitcik]

Wall of Farce?

 

[xigbar]

Couldn't Dispel Magic get around it? Or something like Abrupt Jaunt and other short range teleportations.

 

[Visigani]

Dimensional Anchor the building.

Or just cheat.

Remember: Players are Law, DMs are Chaos.

 

[Greenfield]

Abrupt Jaunt and other forms of Teleport would work just fine.

But how would Dispel Magic help? You can't exactly dispel a wall, and I'm not sure Dispel Magic would cross planes in any case.

We aren't talking about a magical barrier. That's part of the fun. Detect Magic won't show anything. Neither, for that matter, would True Seeing. It's a bit insidious that way. See Invisible specifically lets you see Ethereal, so that would work.

But the barrier itself is just a physical wall, an object, that happens to be sitting on the Ethereal plane. It's only interaction with the PCs is if/when the PCs have something that affects things on the Ethereal plane. Mage Armor, as a spell, or Bracers of Armor that are based on the same spell, are both force effects, and carry across to the Ethereal plane.

I suspect that Shield spells do as well. Ghost Touch items have the same property.

My "stupid thought" was to sort of wonder whether it would really work this way. It seems too simple a way to mess with PCs.

 

[xigbar]

Abrupt Jaunt and other forms of Teleport would work just fine.

But how would Dispel Magic help? You can't exactly dispel a wall, and I'm not sure Dispel Magic would cross planes in any case.

We aren't talking about a magical barrier. That's part of the fun. Detect Magic won't show anything. Neither, for that matter, would True Seeing. It's a bit insidious that way. See Invisible specifically lets you see Ethereal, so that would work.

But the barrier itself is just a physical wall, an object, that happens to be sitting on the Ethereal plane. It's only interaction with the PCs is if/when the PCs have something that affects things on the Ethereal plane. Mage Armor, as a spell, or Bracers of Armor that are based on the same spell, are both force effects, and carry across to the Ethereal plane.

I suspect that Shield spells do as well. Ghost Touch items have the same property.

My "stupid thought" was to sort of wonder whether it would really work this way. It seems too simple a way to mess with PCs.

I think it works exactly as you think. And a player has many more ways of being overpowered than a dungeon has ways of confounding them.

 

[Greenfield]

Then I think I have a new dirty trick to try out, and to add to my arsenal.

The fun part is that some PC's can walk through without an issue, and others can't. Some have to leave a weapon behind, others don't. And it's all but impossible to detect.

Now think of combining it with a Permanent Illusion. A wall or floor that can be clearly seen, and which is actually there, but only for some of the characters. For the rest it's as solid as smoke.

The sad part is that, once they figure out the trick of it it just becomes old hat. The effect is distinctive enough that they'll recognize it right away the next time they encounter it, and know how to deal with it.

Ah well, the best tricks are usually one shots.

 

[kitcik]

Make it highly magnetized...