The Uncatchable

[A.A.King]

What's the best kind of character which can't be caught? Or to be more precise, can't be imprisoned. Which powers/class abilities can't be taken away from you? Weapons can be taken away and magic can be surpressed. What can't be stopped?

[sleepyphoenixx]

The Shadow Hand teleports are all extraordinary. They function in an AMF and can be used as often as you like if you have a level in a martial adept class.

[Know(Nothing)]

A DC 120 Escape Artist check will let you pass through a Wall of Force, or similar force effects.

[A.A.King]

How do possibly reach that DC of 120 pre-epic?

[TroubleBrewing]

How do possibly reach that DC of 120 pre-epic?

Exemplar shenanigans? Not sure on the specifics, but I'm sure it can be done.

[Vaz]

Wizard 10/Incantatrix 10 with Persistent Selective Spell AMF Field up with several Spellblades for MDJ. After that, you Shapechange into a Zodar, and you're set.

[Kerilstrasz]

Well..
how about a very high leadership score?
have your cohort/followers free you..
or trust your party will help you..

".. in the end, a Spartan's greatest strength, is the man next to him..."

[TroubleBrewing]

Wizard 10/Incantatrix 10 with Persistent Selective Spell AMF Field up with several Spellblades for MDJ. After that, you Shapechange into a Zodar, and you're set.

While this is technically true, it's a bit like asking "How do I get my neighbors dog to stop barking?" and getting the response "a tactical nuke".

[(Un)Inspired]

Do you want the weakest class that's incredibly hard to capture?

If you just want the hardest class to capture then it's a StP Eeudite followed by an eidetic spell casting wizard.

[Slipperychicken]

1. Find some way to ignore the material component on Invoke Magic. There are a number of ways to do this.
1a. Also ignore somatic, verbal, and material components (i.e. Arcane Thesis still and silent spell, and then take Eschew Materials).
2. Invoke Magic (basically allows you to cast a 4th level or lower spell, even in an AMF or dead magic zone).
3. Shadow Well, targeted on yourself .
4. Volunteer to fail the save, appear in the plane of shadow for 1 round/level.
5. Plane Shift/Teleport/Wish to get home.



Hard Mode: You're already caught, your captors use a nonlethal coma (or something similar like Temporal Stasis or Eternity of Torture) to keep you unconscious, and use negative levels to drain away your prepared spells.


EDIT: You could probably use some time shenanigans like the "save game trick" to evade literally any capture by simply rewinding time to before your capture, then living out the scenario in a Groundhog Day-esque loop until you figure out how to avoid it.

[A.A.King]

1. Find some way to ignore the material component on Invoke Magic. There are a number of ways to do this.
1a. Also ignore somatic, verbal, and material components (i.e. Arcane Thesis still and silent spell, and then take Eschew Materials).
2. Invoke Magic (basically allows you to cast a 4th level or lower spell, even in an AMF or dead magic zone).
3. Shadow Well, targeted on yourself .
4. Volunteer to fail the save, appear in the plane of shadow for 1 round/level.
5. Plane Shift/Teleport/Wish to get home.



Hard Mode: You're already caught, your captors use a nonlethal coma (or something similar like Temporal Stasis or Eternity of Torture) to keep you unconscious, and use negative levels to drain away your prepared spells.


EDIT: You could probably use some time shenanigans like the "save game trick" to evade literally any capture by simply rewinding time to before your capture, then living out the scenario in a Groundhog Day-esque loop until you figure out how to avoid it.

That's definetly an interesting trick, though I know of no way to ignore the "A diamond worth at least 1,000 gp." as a material component so please enlighten me


Do you want the weakest class that's incredibly hard to capture?

If you just want the hardest class to capture then it's a StP Eeudite followed by an eidetic spell casting wizard.

I'm looking for the things which can't be shut down. Which kind of character doesnt have to worry that his powers don't work when all of a sudden he wakes up in a white room? His gear has been taken away, he's bounded and the room is Anti-Magic, Anti-Psionics Anti-Other things (things which have Anti X Fields or similiar prevention methods)


Well..
how about a very high leadership score?
have your cohort/followers free you..
or trust your party will help you..

".. in the end, a Spartan's greatest strength, is the man next to him..."

That's also an option I guess

[Slipperychicken]

That's definetly an interesting trick, though I know of no way to ignore the "A diamond worth at least 1,000 gp." as a material component so please enlighten me


I know one possible way: Use Archmage PrC to get Invoke Magic as an SLA, hope that counts as an innate SLA, then take Supernatural Transformation and select that SLA. Supernatural abilities do not require material components.

I think there's another PrC which lets you cast spells as Supernatural abilities, but I do not dabble in such PrCs.

There's an epic feat (Ignore Material Components) which lets you straight-up ignore costly material components.

Surely other ways exist too, but I do not know them off the top of my head.

[Karnith]

I think there's another PrC which lets you cast spells as Supernatural abilities, but I do not dabble in such PrCs.Dweomerkeeper. It's just a little strong.

[Vedhin]

I challenge this thread with Binding Chain of Fate. 9th level Sorcerer/Wizard Evocation from City of Splendors: Waterdeep. Prevents a chosen creature from moving outside a certain area, fills that area with an AMF, uses Dimensional Anchor on the target, prevents the target from changing form, is a force effect, immune to Dispel.
Can you escape?

[(Un)Inspired]

I challenge this thread with Binding Chain of Fate. 9th level Sorcerer/Wizard Evocation from City of Splendors: Waterdeep. Prevents a chosen creature from moving outside a certain area, fills that area with an AMF, uses Dimensional Anchor on the target, prevents the target from changing form, is a force effect, immune to Dispel.
Can you escape?

A successful will save?

Or I guess a shadow hand teleportation depending on whether they actually count as Ex powers and what exactly "the creature cannot leave the area defined by the chain" means.

[Vedhin]

A successful will save?

Assume an arbitrarily high DC. The challenge is to be completely unimprisionable



Or I guess a shadow hand teleportation depending on whether they actually count as Ex powers and what exactly "the creature cannot leave the area defined by the chain" means.

I quote the [Teleportation] descriptor: "Teleportation is instantaneous travel through the Astral Plane. Anything that blocks astral travel also blocks teleportation."

And Dimensional Anchor: "Any creature or object struck by the ray is covered with a shimmering emerald field that completely blocks extradimensional travel."

Not even Swordsages with their (Ex) teleportation can get out.

[(Un)Inspired]

Interesting. I guess you have your cohort cast disintegrate on the chain then.

[Slipperychicken]

I challenge this thread with Binding Chain of Fate. 9th level Sorcerer/Wizard Evocation from City of Splendors: Waterdeep. Prevents a chosen creature from moving outside a certain area, fills that area with an AMF, uses Dimensional Anchor on the target, prevents the target from changing form, is a force effect, immune to Dispel.
Can you escape?

Have magic immunity. It won't work on you unless the caster has some shenanigan like Dweomerkeeper's Supernatural thing or Factotum's SR-ignoring to get around SR.

[Vedhin]

Interesting. I guess you have your cohort cast disintegrate on the chain then.

Counterspell from my cohort. Please don't bring other characters into this.


Have magic immunity. It won't work on you unless the caster has some shenanigan like Dweomerkeeper's Supernatural thing or Factotum's SR-ignoring to get around SR.

Knowledge domain affiliation or whatever it is from Complete Champion (not Knowledge Devotion). Not so immune now.

[(Un)Inspired]

Counterspell from my cohort. Please don't bring other characters into this.


Hehe ok fair enough. Unfortunately the chain's anti magic field turns off the shrink item spell that I have cast on the cone in my hat...

[Vedhin]

Hehe ok fair enough. Unfortunately the chain's anti magic field turns off the shrink item spell that I have cast on the cone in my hat...

...But since Binding Chain of Fate isn't an emanation (nor is the AMF effect it creates), the cone doesn't help you escape.

[A.A.King]

Very interesting, just one question: Isn't the duration of Binding Chains rather short for a prison spell? It looks like a strong combo but with 1 round/level it's more of a capturing spell then a spell to keep someone imprisoned

[Slipperychicken]

Very interesting, just one question: Isn't the duration of Binding Chains rather short for a prison spell? It looks like a strong combo but with 1 round/level it's more of a capturing spell then a spell to keep someone imprisoned

There are quite a few ways to make it last all day, though.

[Vedhin]

Very interesting, just one question: Isn't the duration of Binding Chains rather short for a prison spell? It looks like a strong combo but with 1 round/level it's more of a capturing spell then a spell to keep someone imprisoned

That is the downside. But as a plus, the only things I know can get you out are: IRON! HEART SUUUURGE! and CheaterInitiate of Mystra (if the CheaterInitiate took the Magic Domain and has Disjunction).

[SamsDisciple]

I haven't read that particular spell description but doesn't it have the same targeting restrictions that a thin sheet of lead could block/interrupt ? I am positive that there is a no magical ability for halflings only that allow them to pull out cheap mundane objects out of their back pockets even if they didn't actually have it in their inventory (it is possible that I am confusing some pathfinder abilities as I am away from my books right now) but with that ability and several of the rogue like combos already listed it could be good to get out of most any situation.

[Slipperychicken]

I still think that keeping the target unconscious is the best bet. And then try to find a way to prevent him/her from somehow using the Dream plane to escape.

[Vedhin]

I haven't read that particular spell description but doesn't it have the same targeting restrictions that a thin sheet of lead could block/interrupt ? I am positive that there is a no magical ability for halflings only that allow them to pull out cheap mundane objects out of their back pockets even if they didn't actually have it in their inventory (it is possible that I am confusing some pathfinder abilities as I am away from my books right now) but with that ability and several of the rogue like combos already listed it could be good to get out of most any situation.

Pretty sure that is a PF thing.
But even it doesn't work: Binding Chain of Fate has no Target entry. Which also stops things like Spell Turning.

[cakellene]

But since the spell has no target, wouldn't that mean it can't affect anything?

[Vedhin]

Nope, just like with the Orb spells.

[cakellene]

Nope, just like with the Orb spells.

Orb spells require an attack roll which means they have a target. Chain spell mentions target in spell text, but since there is no target entry, I would read it as not being a valid target..