D&D 5E (2024) The Buff Chamber

[Silam]

Using Glyph of Warding, you can essentially get a location-specific contingency-style trigger for when another spell will take effect. There are many differences between GoW and Contingency:

• Location: It is location-specific because the glyph gets canceled if it is moved more than 10 ft from where it is cast.
• Duration: GoW is permanent (until triggered), while Contingency lasts only 10 days.
• Cost: GoW costs 200 gp versus 1500 gp for Contingency.
• Multiple castings: GoW can be cast multiple times, while Contingency cancels the previous casting if cast again.
• Casting time: GoW takes 1 hour to cast versus 10 minutes for Contingency.
• Max spell level: GoW is augmentable and the stored spell can be up to level it’s been augmented to. This, practically speaking, means it supports up to 7th level spells, since you need to have both slots available the same day, and 20th level full casters get 2 slots of 7th level but only one slot of 8th and 9th. Though I suppose you could cast GoW at 9th level and store an 8th level spell with it. Contrast with Contingency which is capped at 5th level.
• Concentration: perhaps most importantly for the little thought experiment here, the glyph lets concentration spells last for their full duration!

So… all that to say, a high level mage could create a Buff Chamber, filled with glyphs for all their favorite buffs, including (but not limited to…) those that require concentration, and a trigger based on some secret keyword.

Then, in a very bad situation, they could teleport to their Buff Chamber, utter the keyword, and basically go Super Saiyan. Then teleport back.

The question then becomes: how to go there and get back as fast as possible? Two teleports would do it, though it would cost two 7th level slots and two rounds. The time spent may be fine if you only care about yourself (i.e., you’re not bailing out on allies that are hoping to get your help…). The two rounds could give time to the enemy to heal or buff themselves, but even if they choose to do so, you’ll come back way more buffed than them. Losing the two 7th level slots is kind of painful though.

Possibly, you may be able have one of the glyphs contain a teleport spell, and design the triggers so that it happens last, after all the other glyphs went off. It is a bit sketchy though since the DM may reasonably rule that the destination of the teleport needs to be decided at the time of casting (thus when the glyph is cast) rather than when it triggers. In which case, you likely couldn’t know ahead of times where to make the glyphed teleport go to.

If you had a way to bring an unwilling creature with you, then you and the enemy could both go to the Buff Chamber. You would only need to make sure the trigger is sufficiently well designed to ensure it only buffs you. But then it could also debuff the enemy. Unfortunately, teleporting enemies against their will seems quite difficult, unless I’m missing something.

It’s a costly gambit, but unlimited concentration may be worth the effort.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

Demiplane is faster than 2 teleports. You could cast the spell, walk inside, active your buffs with the password (or whatever), walk back out, dismiss the spell, and be ready to go all in a single round.

This wouldn't work in 2014, because you can't automatically dismiss any spell you cast with a duration like you can with 2024, so you'd have to leave it open or get creative. Of course leaving it open filled with nasty glyphs ready to target anyone other than you who enters mean that doesn't have to be a downside.