Wall that dispel magic can negate

[Gilladian]

My brain is apparently fried; I am trying to design a barrier in a dungeon that a 4th level party can get around by being given a scroll of Dispel Magic. The barrier has been there a LONG time; I originally thought it would be a wall of force, but dispel won't work with that, and I don't want to give them a disjunction or other powerful magic.

Any suggestions? Wall of what? Or what other type barrier? What could breach it that is not too powerful to hand PCs of that level?

Help a DM with a tired brain!

 

[Vegepygmy]

Any suggestions?

Is there some reason it has to be "by the book"? You're the DM. If you want it to be a "permanent" (i.e., non-instantaneous and therefore dispellable) Wall of Magic Foo, why not just make it so? You don't necessarily have to explain it any more than that. You can even say that it automatically ends if targeted with a dispel magic, so there is no caster level check and the scroll is guaranteed to work.

Seriously, don't forget Rule Zero.

 

[carborundum]

Yep. If I want a dispellable wall, I'll just say there's a dispellable wall. Well, I'll more likely say there's a swirly, glowing wall that smells of bleach. That´s obviously magic and therefore ripe for dispelling.

You don´t have to explain yourself. Rule 0 all the way.

 

[Gilladian]

I know I can rule 0 it. And I probably will. But thanks for the advice, anyway.

Blue swirly that smells like bleach is a good one!

I just wondered if there was some easy thing I was overlooking that would do what I wanted without rule 0.

 

[Vegepygmy]

I just wondered if there was some easy thing I was overlooking that would do what I wanted without rule 0.

Does it have to be a barrier that halts movement (e.g., wall of force), or can it be a barrier that just impedes or discourages movement (e.g., solid fog, wall of fire)? You can use permanency on either of the latter to create a long-lasting but dispellable barrier. And permanency itself mentions that it can be applied to other spells through research with the DM's permission.

 

[irdeggman]

How about a trap with a switch that "turns it off"?

 

[Gilladian]

A "discouraging" wall would work. It really just needs to keep out any casual passers by. (As if ancient dungeons have casual passers-by!) Mainly there are goblins in the area, and this wall would prevent them and possibly the occasional other intruder from bothering some ancient tombs.

I think I'll go with a wall of fire, permanencied (hmmm... is that a word?) Made permanent, anyway.

Thanks, Y'all!

 

[Vegepygmy]

I think I'll go with a wall of fire, permanencied (hmmm... is that a word?) Made permanent, anyway.

If you want to increase the "strangess factor" while remaining strictly "by the book," you could apply the Energy Substitution feat to the wall of fire, and make it a permanent wall of electricity, for example. In case a wall of fire just seems a little pedestrian.

 

[cheshire_grin]

What about something from the shadow conjuration line? I haven't looked at spell descriptions or anything, but a shadow conjuration wall of force or whatever might work RAW-wise.

 

[Jack Simth]

A "discouraging" wall would work. It really just needs to keep out any casual passers by. (As if ancient dungeons have casual passers-by!) Mainly there are goblins in the area, and this wall would prevent them and possibly the occasional other intruder from bothering some ancient tombs.

I think I'll go with a wall of fire, permanencied (hmmm... is that a word?) Made permanent, anyway.

Thanks, Y'all!

Permanent Wall of Fire... and if the same guy that made the wall is the same guy that made the scroll, you even have a justification (although tenuous) for the "no roll required" bid, as you can automatically dispel your own spells.