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View Full Version : About to face a Fang Dragon in an anti-magic field



Brock Samson
2009-06-09, 04:32 AM
Basically at the end of our last session a giant Fang Dragon (Monster Manuel V p. 40 to be exact for stats) comes flying at us, and our DM said "I know you don't know this yet, but he's got a ring on that's a constant anti-magic field, so get ready to give me your specs without magic."

I'm playing a Druid 3/Wizard 3/Mystic Theurge 4/Arcane Heirophant 12. That means 9th level arcane and divine spells (and epic spells, once I actually pick some and research them). How best should I deal with it?
I've already got Shapechange up, Barkskin, Scintillating Scales, Wraithstrike, and am currently in the form of a Solar. Basically with magic I'm a bad-a**, but without I'm a bit squishy. I've got the spell "Invoke Magic" for emergencies, plus Celerity and Time Stop.

My thoughts: Prismatic Sphere - I'm safe!
Shapechange into a faster dragon - fly away and then lob long-range spells and continue fleeing if chased faster than it can get to me.
Shapechange into an Earth Elemental and hide in the ground somewhere else where it has no idea where I am, a good distance, then..... ???

My party seems to mostly be of the "Let's all attack it!" persuasion, we'll see how things go, but this means I don't want to just run and hide.

And can't certain conjuration spells go through an anti-magic field? Will Fire Seeds? What else?

Gimme some help guys!

Pharaoh's Fist
2009-06-09, 04:40 AM
My party seems to mostly be of the "Let's all attack it!" persuasion, we'll see how things go, but this means I don't want to just run and hide.

Yes they can. Let your party members fight it in person and lob Conjurations at it from a distance. I recommend Orbs.

Then loot the corpses of your party for fun and profit.

olentu
2009-06-09, 04:41 AM
Well as for conjuration spells that will go through the field, I think any conjuration with instantaneous duration will be fine. Examples (if I am remembering the spells correctly) are things such as gate, the various orb spells in the spell compendium, wall of iron.

Eloel
2009-06-09, 04:45 AM
Get a Greater Rod of Quicken.
It takes precisely 3 rounds to get 6 Wall of Force's up around the enemy, completely imprisoning him.
(Wall of Force is explicitly not affected by AMF)

Pharaoh's Fist
2009-06-09, 04:46 AM
Can you set up a wall of force *above* the dragon?

Brock Samson
2009-06-09, 04:50 AM
Not to mention then you still have to deal with it once the walls are down. Anywho it's moot because I don't have a Greater Rod of Quicken and the Dragon is literally flying at us.

Gaiyamato
2009-06-09, 05:15 AM
I'd shapeshift intom something that can keep away well and use summons and orbs if you have them.

Brock Samson
2009-06-09, 05:17 AM
Don't summoned creatures wink out in an anti-magic field?

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2009-06-09, 05:21 AM
I'm pretty sure in one of your other threads I mentioned the spell Invoke Magic from Lords of Madness. If you have a Peramnencied Arcane Sight then it's a small matter of a DC 21 Spellcraft check to identify that the ring is projecting an abjuration effect, a DC 26 Spellcraft check to identify the Antimagic Field already in effect, casting Invoke Magic (swift), and casting Disintegrate or Greater Dispel Magic on the ring to disable its effect. If you can't do that, then just be glad that the Con drain effect of its bite is supernatural and won't function within the AMF.

I guess the most important question to ask before anyone gives you any advice would be what spells do you have prepared?

Brock Samson
2009-06-09, 05:40 AM
I do indeed have Invoke Magic. No permanencied Arcane Sight, though as a (currently) Solar I have True Seeing up if that helps at all. I was planning on casting Analyze Dweomer at the beginning to check out what he's got up anyhow. Disintegrate or Greater Dispel both would work (have them both prepared) and Celerity would help getting them off (also have a Belt of Battle Actually which I haven't used today). Can someone point me to where in a book I can show my DM that Disintegrate will actually go through the anti-magic field to actually affect the ring?

I also have Anti-magic Ray prepared, and I'm just really curious what it'd be like to cast that on an object who's power is to cast Anti-magic field. Hmmm...

Also have a Moment of Prescience ready for whatever.

I have Blood Wind prepared, and could shapeshift (free action) into something and potentially try to Sunder it from a distance???

Or shapeshift into a Titan and morph my weapon into a Spiked Chain or other reach weapon and ready a Sunder Attempt (if I can do that) when he gets close enough.

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2009-06-09, 06:03 AM
Invoke Magic is what lets your Disintegrate or Greater Dispel Magic penetrate the AMF and take out its source. Otherwise, you can throw a Maximized, Twinned, Empowered Orb of preferably Sound, Force, or Acid to hopefully destroy it, since instantaneous conjurations can go through AMF on their own.

Gaiyamato
2009-06-09, 06:20 AM
Do you have Mage's Disjunction?

And you can summon creatures with non-magical ranged attacks or magical ranged attacks that could penetrate AMF.

Brock Samson
2009-06-09, 06:20 AM
That sounds like a good plan. What are the mechanics for destroying a ring?

Gaiyamato
2009-06-09, 07:25 AM
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/magesDisjunction.htm

Quietus
2009-06-09, 07:41 AM
Or shapeshift into a Titan and morph my weapon into a Spiked Chain or other reach weapon and ready a Sunder Attempt (if I can do that) when he gets close enough.

Shapeshift goes away inside an antimagic field.. as do all your other buffs. Yes, even that one.

quick_comment
2009-06-09, 07:44 AM
Invoke magic only lets you cast spells of 3rd level or lower.

I would have your barbarian or fighter type try to sunder the ring.

Another_Poet
2009-06-09, 10:15 AM
Well for one thing, if your DM said you don't yet know the dragon has an antimagic ring, then it's a bit metagamey to prepare a strategy like turning into a faster dragon. I mean if it's not what you would normally do, and you have no reason to think your normal tactics won't work, then why would you suddenly decide it's time to play Keep Away in dragon form?

Of course, if your group is OK with late level of (relatively minor) metagaming, go for it.

Remember, if the party spreads out you can't all be in the antimagic field at once. If you have two healers put one on either end so there is always someone the others can run to for healing outside the AMF.

If there is a cleric as well as your druid/theurge type, then this tactic should work to keep your tanks up and carry the battle.

ap

Sinfire Titan
2009-06-09, 11:32 AM
He's using the Xorvintaal template Fang Dragon with an AMF?


He's just nerfed the dragon into the Dead Zone. Seriously. Block Line of Effect with a Prismatic Sphere or similar spell, then just walk right past it.


The Fang Dragon is in the Draconomicon, but the Xorvintaal template is much more threatening if the dragon can actually use the abilities it grants. The AMF just makes it a large piece of difficult terrain that needs a Prismatic Sphere or Telekinetic Sphere to bypass.

Sinfire Titan
2009-06-09, 11:33 AM
Shapeshift goes away inside an antimagic field.. as do all your other buffs. Yes, even that one.

Not if you are only partially inside the AMF. If his body is fully enclosed, then yes. But the dragon needs to be hovering to do that, because Titans are Huge size and the AMF has a 10ft radius.

Thrawn183
2009-06-09, 11:38 AM
I'd just pop a wall of force in front of the thing so it stalls and drops out of the sky. Ugh, I can't remember if walls of force are suppressed in AMF's, but regardless, it would be in character to give your party some time to prepare.

Eldariel
2009-06-09, 11:45 AM
Don't summoned creatures wink out in an anti-magic field?

They're given an SR check if they have Spell Resistance.

Also, my suggestion: It's a Dragon and has a poor maneuverability, especially with AMF. Readied Wall of Force for its movement; stops it, forces it to stall midair dropping it down and yeah.


Other than that, Invoke Magic is limited to spell level 4 or lower; best combined with e.g. Dimension Door to GTFO.

But yeah, summon something with high SR, Disjunction the AMF (or try to destroy it with a 4th level spell or lower; I think standard Dispel Magic with enough pimping is your best bet there), or try to Wall the Dragon in there to enjoy the company of its own AMF.

Optimystik
2009-06-09, 12:23 PM
Don't summoned creatures wink out in an anti-magic field?

Called creatures (Planar Binding, Gate, etc.) do not, but they lose their Su and Sp abilities.

Basically any conjuration with a duration of instant can be cast outside the field and the result will remain if it goes inside it.

Learnedguy
2009-06-09, 12:29 PM
Have the guy with the pointy stick to sunder the ring.

mregecko
2009-06-09, 12:41 PM
What I would do if I were you is to use Invoke Magic to cast Dispel Magic targeting the ring. That will give you 1d4 rounds of non-AMF, which should be enough to Disjunct or Disintegrate the ring. Or, at the least, kill the dragon.

-- G

Sinfire Titan
2009-06-09, 12:47 PM
What I would do if I were you is to use Invoke Magic to cast Dispel Magic targeting the ring. That will give you 1d4 rounds of non-AMF, which should be enough to Disjunct or Disintegrate the ring. Or, at the least, kill the dragon.

-- G

Use Suppress Magic instead of Dispel Magic (Magic of Incarnum). That gives you 1 round/caster level, instead of 1d4 rounds (which has a strong chance of being a 2). Suppress Magic is also a level lower than Dispel Magic, so you can Metamagic it a little.

mregecko
2009-06-09, 04:14 PM
Use Suppress Magic instead of Dispel Magic (Magic of Incarnum). That gives you 1 round/caster level, instead of 1d4 rounds (which has a strong chance of being a 2). Suppress Magic is also a level lower than Dispel Magic, so you can Metamagic it a little.

Agreed, given prep time, an extended suppress magic would be optimal here... However, I'm going to venture a guess that he doesn't have that memorized.

However, most wizards of this level will have at least one dispel magic memorized in a 3rd level slot at any given time.

If, he does have access to it though, then 100% go for Suppress.

-- G

Pharaoh's Fist
2009-06-09, 05:09 PM
That sounds like a good plan. What are the mechanics for destroying a ring?

It must be cast into the fires of Mount Doom from whence it came.

gibbo88
2009-06-09, 08:40 PM
He is going to need 4 hobbits halflings, an elf, a dwarf and two men to carry that out. And a nigh-unstoppable Huge mace-wielding BBEG.

Eldariel
2009-06-09, 08:44 PM
He is going to need 4 hobbits halflings, an elf, a dwarf and two men to carry that out. And a nigh-unstoppable Huge mace-wielding BBEG.

Don't forget the Divine Rank 0 Wizard. Oh, and one of the Humans should be left home 'cause he has too low a Will-save.

Origomar
2009-06-09, 08:44 PM
Im new at this so i dont know any specs or anything but my advice would be to either

A. try and destroy the ring of antimagic if it is at all possible

B. Keep out of range of the field

C. Buff allies and let them do the work

D. ???

E. profit.

Nohwl
2009-06-09, 09:16 PM
wall of force, prismatic sphere, instantaneous conjuration, and gated creatures still work.

anti magic field is an emanation effect, so if you have total cover, you aren't effected by it.

Brock Samson
2009-06-09, 11:59 PM
Just curious, what are some of the more effective conjuration/damaging spells out there? I've heard Orbs are great, what else for distance and high number of dice?

BobVosh
2009-06-10, 12:35 AM
Just curious, what are some of the more effective conjuration/damaging spells out there? I've heard Orbs are great, what else for distance and high number of dice?

Metamagiced orbs. Espically with arcane thesis.

Also forcecage the fool. Then move on.

Brock Samson
2009-06-10, 12:59 AM
I've just got one Rod of Standard Empower, otherwise Extend, Persist, and Quicken, none of which actually increase damage quickly.

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2009-06-10, 01:06 AM
There's always Transmute Rock to Mud on the ceiling above him. As an added bonus, as the gobs of mud fall through the AMF they'll turn back into rocks by the time they land on the dragon. Rocks fall, monster dies.

Brock Samson
2009-06-10, 01:14 AM
OH! I forgot! I do have a bag with assorted Giant Boulders that have been Shrink Item'd. I could always fly above him (we're outside, I believe on a huge ship actually) and just drop them on top of him. Hit the anti-magic field and SLAM.

Olo Demonsbane
2009-06-10, 01:46 AM
Just dont let him come up as well...if he has a faster fly speed than you (hes a dragon!), he can get you in the AMF and make you go down (down).

:smalltongue:

Brock Samson
2009-06-10, 02:28 AM
Fortunately I've got feather fall prepared and can fly even without magic. I'd be more concerned about him grappling me = death without Invoke Magic.

Quietus
2009-06-10, 04:14 AM
You know, the scariest part of a fang dragon, to me, is the constant con drain. Outside of that, he's just a big sharp beatstick. Why do you want to break the AMF and give him his con drain again?

Talic
2009-06-10, 04:51 AM
Wall of force must be vertical. Prismatic Sphere would allow you to work, though.

Also, try Wall of force as a readied action. Let it charge, and every bite it makes? Poof, wall blocks it.