Time Stop + Explosive Runes Combo

[Soren Hero]

hello playgrounders, i was browsing the SRD recently and I thought about how a wizard can effectively use Time Stop in an offensive way. One combo I thought up was placing Explosive Runes around a target (close enough to read). Im concerned about the RAW interpretation of the upcoming scenario, and if I can improve it at all:

Say you use a Great Rod of Maximize to cast a 5 round Time Stop (1d4+1=5). Then you use this time to either cast as many explosive runes around your target (or throw an object in their vicinity which has them already scribed) and you auto-fail a dispel on the last round. Would the blast of the Runes affect the target as soon as the Time Stop ends, or during the turn which has been Time Stopped? this makes all the difference, and by RAW, im not sure how it works.

according to the description of Time Stop (via SRD):
While the time stop is in effect, other creatures are invulnerable to your attacks and spells; you cannot target such creatures with any attack or spell. A spell that affects an area and has a duration longer than the remaining duration of the time stop have their normal effects on other creatures once the time stop ends.

Explosive Runes are permanent until discharged, but they don't "target" anything when they explode. they do affect an area, so they would still work after the time stop ends, but the spell seems to be an instantaneous effect once discharged (e.g. its an explosion). I understand that creatures are invulnerable to attacks and spells, but Explosive Runes seem to be a little different

[Wings of Peace]

No, because you're discharging the runes while the Timestop is still active at which point the spell is expended, the duration is permanent until discharged which is different from flat permanent.

You could however wait till your opponents turn, cast celerity, and then dispel the runes.

[true_shinken]

No, because you're discharging the runes while the Timestop is still active at which point the spell is expended, the duration is permanent until discharged which is different from flat permanent.

You could however wait till your opponents turn, cast celerity, and then dispel the runes.

Or you could ready an action. 'Cast dispel magic when time stop ends'.

[mregecko]

Edit: Ignore me.

[Glimbur]

You automatically dispel your own spells. There are no rules for intentionally failing to dispel. In addition, you're spending a 9th level spell, use of a powerful metamagic rod, and five third level spells to do five instances of 6d6 force damage within 10', Ref for half. This is not a good use of your resources. Spend a Time Stop dropping walls instead.

[mregecko]

You automatically dispel your own spells. There are no rules for intentionally failing to dispel. In addition, you're spending a 9th level spell, use of a powerful metamagic rod, and five third level spells to do five instances of 6d6 force damage within 10', Ref for half. This is not a good use of your resources. Spend a Time Stop dropping walls instead.

I actually just re-read the Dispel Magic entry, and if you do an Area Dispel, it says:


You may choose to automatically succeed on dispel checks against any spell that you have cast.

Targeted dispels are auto-succeed, but area dispels are optional.

[Quietus]

Targeted dispels are auto-succeed, but area dispels are optional.

Even still, it's a waste of actions. You could just as easily drop four "Wall of X" spells and a cloudkill in the middle. Say Wall of Stone, and when the Time Stop ends, you drop a fifth Wall of Stone on top. Instant prison filled with deadly poison.

Of course, forcecage does this faster, but it also has an expensive material component.

[AerykVyrion]

In a campaign I was in, our sorceror (a semi-blaster, we weren't super optimized) like to combine time stop with delayed blast fireballs, one every round with one round less on the timer. When time stop ended, they'd have just enough time to see 5x 20d6 fireballs go off in their face.

[Crow]

Why not just use a delayed blast fireball?

[Soren Hero]

I was just using the Rod as a way to know exactly how many rounds I would have IC...I think the delayed blast fireball suggested by AerykVyrion would be a good option to go with instead, or the walls plus cloudkill that Quietus proposed would work...my idea was based on another thread I read about stacking like 100 explosive runes into a book via Secret Page (or on a hundred small rocks in a bag), place the object close enough to be "read" by the target, and intentional failing an area dispel in order to do massive damage (600d6, no save)...i don't remember if that was possible by RAW...my idea would be to cast Time Stop, do all the defensive buffs I would want, then get close to the target, lay the book or bag at their feet, ready an action to area dispel, fail it...then boom, massive damage...is this RAW feasible?

[Logalmier]

Why not just use a delayed blast fireball?

Or you could lay down a ton of Cloudkills or Maws of Chaos. Or summon a ton of nasty monsters.