What can protect PCs from Blasphemy with incredibly high CL?

[Folly]

An example of the situation that brings this up is: Half-fiend Tyrannosaurus. HD 18, CR 12

So a party of 4 level 12 PCs are on level with this creature. Yet when it uses Blasphemy the PCs are 6 HD below the CL of the creature. This means they are all paralyzed for 1d10 minutes.

 

[mikebr99]

An example of the situation that brings this up is: Half-fiend Tyrannosaurus. HD 18, CR 12

So a party of 4 level 12 PCs are on level with this creature. Yet when it uses Blasphemy the PCs are 6 HD below the CL of the creature. This means they are all paralyzed for 1d10 minutes.

If this shows up at the table... it's obvious that the DM has had enough of DMing... YMMV.


Mike

 

[Folly]

Wasn't saying that it was a good idea, just giving an example of the problem

 

[frankthedm]

An example of the situation that brings this up is: Half-fiend Tyrannosaurus. HD 18, CR 12

So a party of 4 level 12 PCs are on level with this creature. Yet when it uses Blasphemy the PCs are 6 HD below the CL of the creature. This means they are all paralyzed for 1d10 minutes.

That no longer works in 3.5. half fiend now has an int requirement to apply the template.

 

[Nail]

When we (PCs, about 11th level) were running around the fortress of a known high level evil cleric, we just always had silence ready. It worked especially well when the b*stard called down some demons (Hezrou) on us.

 

[Jhaelen]

What can protect PCs from Blasphemy with incredibly high CL?

The DM.

 

[Hypersmurf]

6 levels in horizon Waller make you immune to harmful effects due to alignment if take Alignment Planar ability. It doesn't matter what the effect is if harmful. So you wo'nt be stunned or killed due to unholy blight or blasphemy.

I don't agree with that reading.

You incur none of the penalties for having an alignment at odds with that of the plane, and spells and abilities that harm those of the opposite alignment don’t affect you.

Blasphemy isn't a penalty for having an alignment at odds with that of the plane; it's nothing to do with the plane. So the only clause that's potentially relevant is the second: spells and abilities that harm those of the opposite alignment don’t affect you.

So the question is - is Blasphemy a spell that harms those of opposite alignment?

A further and necessary question - does this mean "spells that harm only those of the opposite alignment"?

For example, if I use the Corrupt Spell feat from BoVD, and cast a Corrupted Fireball, I now have an [Evil] spell. It deals, say, 6d6 damage (3d6 Fire, 3d6 Unholy)... and it damages everyone. Evil, Neutral, Good. So it's certainly a spell that harms those of opposite alignment - it's an Evil spell and it harms Good people - but it also harms everyone else. Would Aligned Planar Mastery protect you from a Corrupted Fireball? I'd argue no... it's not a spell that harms only those of opposite alignment, and I think the example indicates that this is the intent of the sentence.

Now, Blasphemy is an Evil spell that doesn't only harm Good people... it harms Neutral people as well. As such, it's not a spell that harms only those of opposite alignment, and I think there's room to argue that as such, it is not deflected by Aligned Planar Mastery.

-Hyp.

 

[Nifft]

Now, Blasphemy is an Evil spell that doesn't only harm Good people... it harms Neutral people as well. As such, it's not a spell that harms only those of opposite alignment, and I think there's room to argue that as such, it is not deflected by Aligned Planar Mastery.

Since the Horizon Walker is in the Core rules, let's just look at those for a second.

It seems that Aligned Planar Mastery would grant immunity to Smite Evil / Smite Good, so there's one effect that it's useful against.

However, I can't think of any Core spells that would be applicable, if blasphemy (et al.) are off the table. What spells do you think this ability would work against?

Cheers, -- N

 

[frankthedm]

SPecificly, this issue here is the SLA was placed on that monster back in 3.0, when blasphemy did not scale and it had more loopholes. It could only 'SPLAT' those with 4 or fewer HD. Basicaly the 3.5 upgrade turned Ashardalon's Blasphemy SLA from a wasted action into an instant TPK.

3.0 Blasphemy
Evocation [Evil, Sonic]
Level: Clr 7, Evil 7
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 ft.
Area: Creatures in a 30-ft.-radius spread centered on the character
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes
Casting blasphemy creates two effects.
If the character is on the character's home plane, nonevil extraplanar creatures within the area are instantly banished back to their home planes. Creatures so banished cannot return for at least 1 day. This effect takes place regardless of whether the creatures hear the blasphemy.
Creatures native to the character's plane who hear the blasphemy and are not evil suffer the following ill effects:
HD Effect
-- ------
12 or more Dazed
Less than 12 Weakened, dazed
Less than 8 Paralyzed, weakened, dazed
Less than 4 Killed
The effects are cumulative.
Dazed: The creature is dazed and can take no actions for 1 round (but defends itself normally).
Weakened: The creature's Strength score decreases by 2d6 points for 2d4 rounds.
Paralyzed: The creature is paralyzed and helpless for 1d10 minutes, unable to move or act in any way.
Killed: Living creatures die. Undead creatures are destroyed.

3.5 Blasphemy
Evocation [Evil, Sonic]
Level: Clr 7, Evil 7
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 40 ft.
Area: Nonevil creatures in a 40-ft.-radius spread centered on you
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None or Will negates; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

Any nonevil creature within the area of a blasphemy spell suffers the following ill effects.

HD Effect
Equal to caster level Dazed
Up to caster level -1 Weakened, dazed
Up to caster level -5 Paralyzed, weakened, dazed
Up to caster level -10 Killed, paralyzed, weakened, dazed

The effects are cumulative and concurrent.
No saving throw is allowed against these effects.

Dazed: The creature can take no actions for 1 round, though it defends itself normally.
Weakened: The creature’s Strength score decreases by 2d6 points for 2d4 rounds.
Paralyzed: The creature is paralyzed and helpless for 1d10 minutes.
Killed: Living creatures die. Undead creatures are destroyed.

Furthermore, if you are on your home plane when you cast this spell, nonevil extraplanar creatures within the area are instantly banished back to their home planes. Creatures so banished cannot return for at least 24 hours. This effect takes place regardless of whether the creatures hear the blasphemy. The banishment effect allows a Will save (at a -4 penalty) to negate.

Creatures whose Hit Dice exceed your caster level are unaffected by blasphemy.

 

[Hypersmurf]

However, I can't think of any Core spells that would be applicable, if blasphemy (et al.) are off the table. What spells do you think this ability would work against?

Holy Sword? Unholy Aura?

Along similar lines, the Half-Orc's Orc Blood feature states "... and they can use magic items that are only usable by orcs". Does the fact that there aren't any magic items that are only usable by orcs in the core rules mean that half-orcs can't use magic items that are only usable by orcs?

-Hyp.