Ways to prevent flying in an area

[Cogidubnus]

Does anyone know a way to prevent flying (at least magical flight) over an area more or less permanently? I want to prevent enemies flying over my Stronghold's walls.

[Retech]

You could make your stronghold a giant dome.

[Dr.Epic]

Keen archers on the tower walls. Not to mention the stronghold could be subterranean.

[Shadowknight12]

Permanent Wind Walls everywhere. Doubles as a good way to prevent ranged attacks, too.

[Tebryn]

Does anyone know a way to prevent flying (at least magical flight) over an area more or less permanently? I want to prevent enemies flying over my Stronghold's walls.

Anti-Magic zone just over the top of your strong hold.

[byaku rai]

A roof....

[Cogidubnus]

Permanent Wind Walls everywhere. Doubles as a good way to prevent ranged attacks, too.

That's a very good thought, I'll try that.


Anti-Magic zone just over the top of your strong hold.

It's going to be a MASSIVE stronghold xD


Keen archers on the tower walls. Not to mention the stronghold could be subterranean.

Then I have to find ways to deal with burrow speeds (I already know how to keep them from digging under the walls, though).


A roof....

It doesn't make for a very fun-looking fortress if it's just an enormous house.

[Talya]

I had a party fly into a fortress instead of attacking the front door, and while it definitely made it easier, it didn't ruin the encounter. The fortress was a prison with a gallows at the center, in an open courtyard. They felt the obvious entry point was the open courtyard. Of course, that made it faster to get in. It will NOT make it faster to get out, as they'll have to deal with all the guards they would have handled at the entrance later.

[Cogidubnus]

I had a party fly into a fortress instead of attacking the front door, and while it definitely made it easier, it didn't ruin the encounter. The fortress was a prison with a gallows at the center, in an open courtyard. They felt the obvious entry point was the open courtyard. Of course, that made it faster to get in. It will NOT make it faster to get out, as they'll have to deal with all the guards they would have handled at the entrance later.

For a Level 40 Lich Mind Flayer with the Landlord feat, you can afford to be a little crazy about your defences, and your enemies are going to be pretty dangerous, especially as your lower-level followers are going to need the defences to survive against tough attackers.

[NineThePuma]

Draconomicon has a ward that makes all manners of flight impossible. Worth looking into.

[Aneurin]

Why do you want to keep the players out? That means you have to feed the enormous dragons sleeping on the roof yourself, rather than letting them snack on (and get some healthy, gainful exercise from chasing) those pesky flying players.

Sure, your dragons won't stop the players flying over your fortress, but it'll probably stop them doing it a second time if they manage to survive.

[darksolitaire]

You could make your stronghold a giant dome.

+1.

The dome would be of truly gigantic proportions. As the ceilling, you would have something that looks just like sky.

[Cogidubnus]

Why do you want to keep the players out? That means you have to feed the enormous dragons sleeping on the roof yourself, rather than letting them snack on (and get some healthy, gainful exercise from chasing) those pesky flying players.

Sure, your dragons won't stop the players flying over your fortress, but it'll probably stop them doing it a second time if they manage to survive.

It's a PC's fortress (mad, mad, world-conquering campaign). Dominated dragons on the roof are a really effective idea though.

[erikun]

Perhaps we could try, idonno, an underground dungeon?

[FMArthur]

Put it in orbit. Stick antimagic fields on the ends of long poles that stick out in every direction, covering its outside in interlocking antimagic fields. Creatures flying with wings can't get that high. Creatures flying with magic fall (and can't breathe!).

[peacenlove]

Perhaps we could try, idonno, an underground dungeon?

You would be vurnerable to burrowing creatures from all angles, however most of them wouldn't have such easy time to find your stronghold.
Faerun has faerzess infused areas that block teleportation and scrying in the Underdark, as well as nodes that enchance some types of spellcasting. Maybe you could research for those areas?

[Kalaska'Agathas]

You would be vurnerable to burrowing creatures from all angles, however most of them wouldn't have such easy time to find your stronghold.
Faerun has faerzess infused areas that block teleportation and scrying in the Underdark, as well as nodes that enchance some types of spellcasting. Maybe you could research for those areas?

Nodes wouldn't help (unless you want to build around a node, which can be great fun) but a Mythal would allow your players and minions to have whatever magics they want to use, but deny certain spells to all others. Trouble is, that's epic magic.

[NineThePuma]

He's a 40th level Lich who's insane. Epic Magic isn't an issue.

[ericgrau]

I'm gonna second good old fashioned mass archers. Even the lowliest hit 1 out of 20 times. Several captains with magic bows plus firing from all angles bypasses most magical defenses. Don't forget the silver/cold-iron/adamantine arrows and so on. What little gets through after that you have elite squads or yourself hunt down manually. Some alarm spells around key entrances will ping your casters in case of danger.

EDIT: Ah level 40? Then... even better archers. Also ranged weapon mastery + far shot + nets of binding (to stop teleporting out) + long ropes.

[Kalaska'Agathas]

He's a 40th level Lich who's insane. Epic Magic isn't an issue.

Ah, well then, you'll want to raise a Mythal then.

[Coidzor]

He's a 40th level Lich who's insane. Epic Magic isn't an issue.

And this isn't a front for his true fortress of solitude impregnable demi-plane why?

[Cogidubnus]

And this isn't a front for his true fortress of solitude impregnable demi-plane why?

Because I like the micro-management of making a fortress like this xD

[Tvtyrant]

Hallow and Dispel Magic. Now people can only cast instantaneous spells in an area, and the buffs will be stripped away.

[Scarlet-Devil]

Have dozens of nasty swarms patrolling the skies above the stronghold.

Edit: And antimagic. Poor wizards... :smalleek:

[ericgrau]

Casters on the wall simply casting greater dispels would be nice. And anyone with nonmagical flying probably doesn't have arrow protection so it complements the archers nicely. Don't forget to have the casters cast extended see invisibility as well.

[Getsugaru]

Nodes wouldn't help (unless you want to build around a node, which can be great fun) but a Mythal would allow your players and minions to have whatever magics they want to use, but deny certain spells to all others. Trouble is, that's epic magic.

KA does have a good point. A Mythal would work quite well if done correctly. It can also be quite expensive, depending on what effects you want it to have. A great idea is to build the fortress and Mythal around a node, which can make it quite fun (and possibly easier to conjure the Mythal in the first place :smallwink:). So yeah, I second KA. :smallbiggrin:

If you don't know what book a Mythal is in, it's in "Lost Empires of Faerun," starting on page 45ish. The Earth Node is in "Underdark," starting around page 49.

[peacenlove]

He's a 40th level Lich who's insane. Epic Magic isn't an issue.

Then if/when the fortress last defenses go down, have a sphere of annihilation and some god like uncontrollable creatures released (you trapped them with the binding spell of course and you tormented them so much that they lost all little traces of sanity they had).
Trap it with greater planar breach (From Planar handbook), which leaks from the abyss, the far realm and/or the negative energy plane.
Bind fraz urlub the demon lord (wrong spelling), so that a pissed demon lord comes instead (he does it sometimes :smallamused:)
Give them nothing and take from them everything. Watch the fireworks. And the best part is that you don't care, its their problem now.

[Okizruin]

Ballistae with tanglefoot (as in tanglefoot bag) bolts.

[Coidzor]

Because I like the micro-management of making a fortress like this xD

Have fun getting ganked by an army of angels then? :smallconfused:


edit: At least I seem to recall that's the standard response to this kind of move by as large a target as a level 40 character.... Ye olde chaingating solars...

[Sitzkrieg]

There's a spell called Downdraft in the SpC which forces flying people to fall. It's only level 3, but it could be used as a precedent for researching a stronger but similar spell.

[Sactheminions]

+1.

The dome would be of truly gigantic proportions. As the ceilling, you would have something that looks just like sky.

And, just to confuse everyone, dress your evil minions in white instead of black.

[Shadow Lord]

Hm... I vote to go with FMArthur's idea. Space Fortress are quite neat, and it is very effective.

[Luckmann]

I would totally go for the gigantic dome (http://www.digischool.nl/ckv2/ckv3/kunstentechniek1/speer/germania.jpg).

[erikun]

He's a 40th level Lich who's insane. Epic Magic isn't an issue.
Why not just make everything, except the floors he wants to walk on, out of lava? The party can fly over it all they want, but landing on a roof full of insta-kill will discourage them from doing so.

[FMArthur]

Why not just make everything, except the floors he wants to walk on, out of lava? The party can fly over it all they want, but landing on a roof full of insta-kill will discourage them from doing so.

Nonsense. That's a 3rd-party variant rule (http://www.lavarules.com/). By default, lava is just another tanning solution in the D&D world.

[NineThePuma]

20d6 Fire damage averages about 70 damage. A Protection from Elements and a Resistance to Elements cast by even a level 20 character will let you get one or two rounds of swimming.

[big teej]

I didn't see anybody mention them.


sooo...

spell turrets.

LOTS of them.

[Xtomjames]

There are a couple of spells that ground flying creatures, but my favorite is summoning a Gargantuan or Colossal Air Elemental.

Reversing gravity and increasing it can also force creatures to not fly. Persistent gust of wind or permanent gusts of wind. Force Cage with the lightning lattice made permanent.

For magical flight, Anti-magic field.

[Getsugaru]

There are a couple of spells that ground flying creatures, but my favorite is summoning a Gargantuan or Colossal Air Elemental.

Reversing gravity and increasing it can also force creatures to not fly. Persistent gust of wind or permanent gusts of wind. Force Cage with the lightning lattice made permanent.

For magical flight, Anti-magic field.

That just gave me the COOLEST IDEA EVER!!!!! Use a Permanent Reverse Gravity Spell to make the FORTRESS FLOAT ABOVE THE GROUND!!!!! :amused:

[Cogidubnus]

Have fun getting ganked by an army of angels then? :smallconfused:


edit: At least I seem to recall that's the standard response to this kind of move by as large a target as a level 40 character.... Ye olde chaingating solars...

They'll have to do that outside the fortress, because Gate won't work inside, and while they're doing it, there'll be 10 high-level dragons and 30 high-level casters killing them.


That just gave me the COOLEST IDEA EVER!!!!! Use a Permanent Reverse Gravity Spell to make the FORTRESS FLOAT ABOVE THE GROUND!!!!! :amused:

Or pay a 10% increase on building costs to make it a flying fortress xD


I didn't see anybody mention them.


sooo...

spell turrets.

LOTS of them.

That's not a bad thought, actually.

[Coidzor]

They'll have to do that outside the fortress, because Gate won't work inside, and while they're doing it, there'll be 10 high-level dragons and 30 high-level casters killing them.

If they're only high level, and they're busy being mooks for this guy, then they're not chaingating their own infinite army of solars and solar simulacrums.

So I think the horde of angels still has the advantage here.

[Cogidubnus]

If they're only high level, and they're busy being mooks for this guy, then they're not chaingating their own infinite army of solars and solar simulacrums.

So I think the horde of angels still has the advantage here.

They only need to slow down the attackers for 3-4 rounds so I can get home xD besides, the angels still need to use the front door, that's the whole point of preventing flight, so one Collossal dragon can probably hold them off for quite some time.

[Ravens_cry]

Hm... I vote to go with FMArthur's idea. Space Fortress are quite neat, and it is very effective.
Ooh, make a super version of nailed to the sky (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/spells/nailedToTheSky.htm) that works on one creature of any size. Animate the fortress. BAM!