What Spells give the DM the most headache...

[Shallown]

I think Freedom of Movement is a pain in the hiney spell. It shuts down so much including Grappling which as levels rise so do the numbers of Grapple monsters. I can live with it but sometimes it screws up an encounter.

Later

 

[Awakened]

Ugghh... Alter Self. The midget mage in my group casts it to up his AC by 15 using the Ravid as his alternate form.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Ugghh... Alter Self. The midget mage in my group casts it to up his AC by 15 using the Ravid as his alternate form.

*perk*

What source is the Ravid from? Inquiring bards want to know!

 

[drnuncheon]

Ugghh... Alter Self. The midget mage in my group casts it to up his AC by 15 using the Ravid as his alternate form.

Er. Unless he's an outsider, he can't turn into a ravid.

J

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Er. Unless he's an outsider, he can't turn into a ravid.

D'OH!

N'mind then...

 

[JimAde]

Er. Unless he's an outsider, he can't turn into a ravid.

J

Right. Alter self only allows you to change to a creature of your same type (at least in 3.5, don't know about 3.0). He needs Polymorph, which is a whole different rant

Unless he's an Outsider somehow?

 

[Malk]

yeah seriously, ive never had a problem with any spell as a dm for a few reasons. First I let the pc's have their spells so i give up any right to be irritated by them. Second, the only times ive ever been stumped or foiled by the creative use of a spell, ive applauded my players...way to go. I love when they use their spells to the best of their advantage...and im never really surprised by spells like teleport or charm or scry because i know my players have them and im prepared for them. Which is not to say that i negate them with cool enemy powers, i just have a gameplan waiting for their use.

 

[Sejs]

Er. Unless he's an outsider, he can't turn into a ravid.

Inquiring aasimar bards want to know!

 

[S'mon]

Teleport Circle is a bit too far OTT for my liking.

 

[Cerubus Dark]

In the Paladium FRPG there was a version of the Djinn which would grant wishes... well, it wouldn't actually make anything from nothing but was powerful enough to get whatever it was you wanted. If you asked for more treasure than all the kingdoms of the world combined it would most likely first raid the treasure rooms of every king in the world conveniently letting them know who they had to thank for the theft (the PC) and where you could be located and would then pick up a single lost copper off the street to make it MORE than all of the treasure of the kingdoms combined. The PC would be enjoying his newly gotten treasure when the armies of the various kingdoms arrived to take it back.

Anyway, I like handling those troublesome Wish spells along those lines.

Miracle spells are a little trickier since obviously the god in question is going to grant the intent of the wish, not the letter since by the time the cleric can cast it he is probably one of the god's greatest champions. I guess the best thing to remember is the saying... "God won't necessarily give you what you want but he will give you what you need".

I have only had to handle dealing with Miricle once. And the request was made to flood a dungeon becuase the party really didn't feel like dealing with a dreadgaurd(doomgaurd) the CR2 construct from MM2. They thought they were dealing with a Blackgaurd of some type and figured hey, lets flood the place the idiot won't survive that! Needless to say the god flooded the dungeon, but at a high cost for the party. He wiped out a nearby town that the party was using as a base. Hextor is not a very nice god to ask trivial things of.