How would you defend Windy Canyon?

[Finagle]

So, we've seen the Draketooths' defences. Mirage Arcana, Phantasmagoria, Screen, Shifting Paths x2, Illusory Pit, Misdirection, False Vision, Wall of Gloom, and maybe a few more. We know that Windy Canyon is a natural maze. We know there's a secret passage to the desert where the Draketooths live. Don't forget the 9+ spellcasters have spells other than illusions, and they can add firepower if the intruders seem to be getting through the illusions. We saw a fighter in armor lying dead in the lunchroom, adding extra direct combat power when needed. Who knows what dragon powers the various Draketooths have?

So, given all this, how would YOU arrange the defenses of Windy Canyon? Which spells would you cast where, and why? When would you harass or attack intruders, and using what methods?

[homeosapiens]

V should travel to elemental plane of earth and get diamonds, durkon should prepare all the Ressurection spells he can. They should raise clerics from the dead and maybe they could ressurect more.

[Shadowknight12]

My own personal strategies would vary depending on whether I have access to Epic magic or not.

In short, my defensive philosophy could be summed up thus: "The best defence is an impregnable, inexorable defence."

If I don't have access to epic magic:

I would cast every single Abjuration spell applicable and available (which depends on what material is allowed) and like the Draketooths, I would renew them periodically. I would also take PrCs that increased my proficiency with Abjurations (such as Master Specialist, IotSV, Incantatrix, etc). Then, I would create several identical structures akin to the one I built around the Gate, filled with traps and decoys to cause intruders to waste time and resources finding the right one. I would outfit all of them with as many non-creature ways to defend them as I could. Those structures would be lined with materials that replicate the effect of a Wall of Force to prevent Ethereal/incorporeal shenanigans.

Then, I would lead them to believe that one of the structures contains the true Gate, and that only by making sacrifices can the way be opened to it (such as impregnable doors that only open if certain amounts of spell slots, hit points, levels, magic items or the like have been willingly donated to it). But of course, it would all be a trap to cause yet more resource-wasting.

The True Gate would be deep underground, with no way to access it, buried under Walls of Iron, Walls of Force, Walls of Ice and so on, with the most potent defences closest to the Gate. In the vicinity of the Gate, there would be a final casting of all applicable and available Abjurations, including several Wishes/Limited Wishes to duplicate non-wizard spells. There would be one final dormant Wish, tailored to destroy the Gate and everything around it (and immediately notify me of such occurrence) if anyone other than me approaches it.

If I have access to Epic magic, I'd do all that and on top of it, I'd create several Epic-level Abjurations tailored to countering every single way to bypass everything I've explained above that I could possibly think of. Cloister would look like a paltry Shield spell by the time I'm done. I'd also create several Epic spells that use spent spell slots, psionic points and the like to reinforce the Gate's defences.

Also, I'd use redundancy and misdirection. Every time they think they've overcome one of the many obstacles between them and the Gate, they realise that it pushed them in the wrong direction, made them spend their resources and reinforced the Gate's defences.

Even the mightiest villain would eventually give up after spending all their resources only to make the Gate's protections stronger. There is only so much failure a being can take before it breaks their soul.

[t209]

Explosive Runes on Corpses? If Xykon raise dead on corpses and stack them near the demons or elementals, detonate it.
I am feeling that this strip will be like the final battle in Saving Private Ryan.
VENGEANCE FOR THE RESISTANCE!

[Lawyergoblin]

Just a thought Shadowknight, isn't the gate above ground, according to OOTS #276? It seems unlikely to me that the gate can be created anywhere other than where the tear in reality is located.

Check out the placements of the tears:
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0276.html

[Shadowknight12]

Just a thought Shadowknight, isn't the gate above ground, according to OOTS #276? It seems unlikely to me that the gate can be created anywhere other than where the tear in reality is located.

Check out the placements of the tears:
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0276.html

Oh, that's rather trivial when you have access to this spell (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/moveEarth.htm). As we've seen in the strip where the Order goes through the secret passage, the gate seems to be surrounded by canyon in all sides, so it wouldn't be too conspicuous to raise the sand/earth around it several tens of feet. It would take a lot of castings, but it would work just fine.

[Murray]

@Shadowknight12: Nicely done.

A previous thread mentioned illusion-based traps, and I think that could be taken to a dizzying level. Since Illusory Wall (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/illusoryWall.htm) has a permanent duration, I imagine that could be used to create the minefield from hell, a desert full of punji-traps, pit drops, and so on. Occasionally with special prizes at the bottom. And to mess with casters that have True Seeing, build regular punji traps as well. A few Phantasmal Killer traps (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/traps.htm#cr5PhantasmalKillerTrap) and Destruction traps (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/traps.htm#cr8DestructionTrap) sprinkled throughout, just for kicks.

Also adding things to the periphery like Symbols of Fear, Death, and/or Insanity combined with Permanency, possibly as sign posts or within deserted structures to eliminate the curious.

And this is just on the surrounding area, not the main building or gate room. Imagine going through the Tomb of Horrors just to get to the Tomb of Horrors?

[Shadowknight12]

@Shadowknight12: Nicely done.

Thank you. I know it's not considered the best method, but that's where my own inclinations lie.


And this is just on the surrounding area, not the main building or gate room. Imagine going through the Tomb of Horrors just to get to the Tomb of Horrors?

Yours is pretty solid, too. I wager that by the end of it, realising that they have to do it all again would cause more than a few brave souls to just fall to their knees and weep.

[gallagher]

i would support the series of various illusions that cause someone to be trapped in a literal and figurative maze in the middle of a hostile desert with summoned creatures (either triggered or have spellcasters waiting for them)

the gate is already very well protected through illusions and the natural environment. it is a very hostile territory and prepared casters will have to delegate a lot of their resources to just surviving.

summoning tough creatures will deplete their resources to the point where the Order could walk up and blow them away

[mizzim]

Hm. I think that, after doing what had already been done, I would have tried to erase Windy Canyon from the map. Why give people any reason at all to go there? Mysterious canyon = almost-dungeon + monsters and treasure, so make people think that it's just another spot of desert. Cast some form of misdirection spells around it, to keep people from accidentally stumbling on to it, and have some memory-spell like the Oracle has, to keep people from thinking to return.

[Hironomus]

I would throw a big sand covered tarp over it and call it a night.

[psijac]

I would throw a big sand covered tarp over it and call it a night.

I like this plan

[SavageWombat]

I'm just bothered that we've seen no sign of epic level illusion magic that no mere True Seeing can pierce. Seems less epic that way.

[Tulya]

V should travel to elemental plane of earth and get diamonds, durkon should prepare all the Ressurection spells he can. They should raise clerics from the dead and maybe they could ressurect more.

That was V reveling in ultimate arcane power. Regular V has Conjuration as a prohibited school, and can not cast Plane Shift.

On that note, epic casters can do pretty much anything given enough time. Except for seeds with Divine Focus requirements, every epic spellcaster can make use of every epic spell seed, though seeds from prohibited schools have a spellcraft penalty.

[Atcote]

Sign posts. Great rows of them. Flashing and shining and of all shapes and colours. Pointing in the exact direction of the gate.

No adventurer would ever risk it.

[psijac]

I would put a building around the gate and hang this sign outsidehttp://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c194/psijac/marquee.jpg

[Sith_Happens]

I would put a building around the gate and hang this sign outsidehttp://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c194/psijac/marquee.jpg

Make it say "Star Wars Holiday Special" instead and not even Xykon would dare enter.