Using Energy Trans. Field as Battlefield Control

[unseenmage]

I'm looking to buy several Scrolls of Energy Transformation Field (ETF) for an upcoming battle against spellcasters.

I need to know how best to maximize the damage it'll do within enemy ranks. I'm also fuzzy on how metamagic works with ETF. I have been reading up on it some but most exploits are how spellcasters can gain infini-spells with it but for this idea I'm looking at the most chaos and damage ETF can do when cast into the ranks of enemy magic users.

From there I've been looking at spells to go in it. I've narrowed the list down to spells with long range and either area effects broader than the ETF itself OR Save-or-Die effects. Another restriction is to only use spells with Permanent or Instantaneous durations as the ETF won't fire again untill the duration of any of it's previous spells has run out.

Best build is looking like Scrolls of Enlarged Widened Energy Transformation Field with Iceberg or Baleful Polymorph in them. (Edit: only if I can swing Sanctum Spell or Arcane Thesis as well)

Does the Playground have any better ideas? I would love to hear them.

Bonus: Golem walking along carrying a Bag of Holding with an ETF: Baleful Polymorph in one hand and an Immovable Rod to power the ETF in the other hand. ETF specifically calls out 'targets the nearest living creature' if a target isn't in the 'designated location' in the field so this could work as a mobile weapon platform of Baleful Polymorph.

[TuggyNE]

If you can manage a greater dispel magic (to hopefully remove freedom of movement), solid fog (or similar, to lock down targets), and then energy transformation field, it doesn't much matter what you set it to, because nobody's going anywhere.

[unseenmage]

If you can manage a greater dispel magic (to hopefully remove freedom of movement), solid fog (or similar, to lock down targets), and then energy transformation field, it doesn't much matter what you set it to, because nobody's going anywhere.

I'm afraid I'm not sure what you mean here exactly. Could you please elaborate?

[TuggyNE]

I'm afraid I'm not sure what you mean here exactly. Could you please elaborate?

Without freedom of movement or teleporting spells (none of which can be cast within the ETF), no one can move more than 10' per round in a solid fog or similar, or cast any spells. All you need then is some source of difficult-to-block damage (hail of stone in the ETF?) and you're golden. Basically, it's just locking down all forms of movement, all ranged attacks, and all spells.

The trick, of course, is getting all three of those off before the enemy can act. You might need to quicken one spell, cast another regularly, and then celerity the third right after your turn ends.

[unseenmage]

Without freedom of movement or teleporting spells (none of which can be cast within the ETF), no one can move more than 10' per round in a solid fog or similar, or cast any spells. All you need then is some source of difficult-to-block damage (hail of stone in the ETF?) and you're golden. Basically, it's just locking down all forms of movement, all ranged attacks, and all spells.

The trick, of course, is getting all three of those off before the enemy can act. You might need to quicken one spell, cast another regularly, and then celerity the third right after your turn ends.

Ah, okay then.

Part of my confusion is due to this being planned as a mass battle with maybe some spellcasters backing my character up but my character is not a spellcaster. Sorry if I didn't make that clear in the OP.

Additionally I mistook you on the order of things. I foolishly assumed the ETF would be up then movement restricting magics would be applied. Duh. Apply Dispell, then Solid Fog, then ETF.

Still not sure if I'll be able to find/fund enough high-ish level casters to pull this off in a Large Faerun city though. I know the DMG has the math on how many casters of what levels could be found based on city size, but are there rules on how many of those casters would be part of a local military?

[TuggyNE]

Part of my confusion is due to this being planned as a mass battle with maybe some spellcasters backing my character up but my character is not a spellcaster. Sorry if I didn't make that clear in the OP.

I guess I didn't quite catch that. :smallredface:


Still not sure if I'll be able to find/fund enough high-ish level casters to pull this off in a Large Faerun city though. I know the DMG has the math on how many casters of what levels could be found based on city size, but are there rules on how many of those casters would be part of a local military?

No idea, but it's not that expensive to hire them, even considering a bit of hazard pay. Say double the usual rate, and with a level 11, level 7, and level 13 caster (the minimums) you're looking at around 3700gp for all of them. Suppose you hire a 16th-level caster for dispelling, that brings it up to 4300gp.

Scrolls are useful if you can't get someone of sufficient level to agree to come with you, since they can be activated by cheaper hires.